Monday, September 30, 2019

Plato’s Ideal City

The Ideal City In Plato’s book â€Å"Republic† he describes what he thinks would be an ideal city, for this city to be ideal it would have to be just. In his just city there are three classes of people; gold, silver, and bronze/iron; known as the National Division of Labor. The guardians of the city are placed in the gold category, the auxiliaries in the silver, and the farmers and craftsmen are in the bronze/iron category. Plato argues that the National Division of Labor reflects the requirements of nature and produces a harmonious whole. Wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice are the four virtues that this ideal city must have to be just. The guardians, also known as philosopher kings, being in the gold class of the city, are wise, knowledgeable, and most importantly they are philosophers. They enjoy learning about forms and think that anything else won’t bring somebody happiness. They believe that forms are the highest level of happiness and that by learning about and understanding forms brings knowledge. To be a guardian they must be ruled by their reason and not let spirit or appetites take over. They are responsible for ruling the city. Guardians are not allowed to make any money or have a job outside of guardianship nor are they able to own anything. At childhood they start an extensive amount of study in music, poetry, and physical training. The study of these subjects develops harmony between them and is said to be good for the soul. Plato argues that â€Å"a good soul by its own virtue makes the body as good as possible† (403d). In the silver class of the city are the auxiliaries, or in other words the warriors. These people have to be courageous; they are responsible for protecting the city and keeping everything at peace. They love victory and honor and go through massive physical training to be strong for battle and enforce the laws of the guardians. Instead of focusing on forms, like the guardians, auxiliaries put their focus towards particulars. That is essential in the job that they have because they need to understand what particulars are and how they operate to be able to fight. If they the people in the silver class flourish and thrive in their jobs, then they will experience happiness. Just like the lives of the guardians, the lives of the auxiliaries are completely controlled; they all live in the same place and don’t have any privacy, they all eat the same thing and have their schedule planned out for them and they’re not allowed to own anything. They’re not allowed to make any money or have anything that isn’t needed to be a warrior. Basically, the auxiliaries don’t have lives other than training. The farmers and craftsmen are considered to be in the bronze/iron category, they are the producers of the city. Unlike the guardians and auxiliaries, they tend to be ruled by their appetites other than reason and spirit. The farmers and craftsmen seem to focus more on belief and opinion other than the forms or particulars. They have more creativity than the guardians and auxiliaries which was highly despised of by Plato. Plato believed that imagination was nothingness and ignorance; he did not think that it helped you flourish or thrive in any way. He said that a thing such as art and imagination only brought pleasure and not knowledge, which he said wasn’t happiness. Even if you were and artist and you flourished and thrived in that area you still weren’t considered to be happy because you don’t know anything about the forms and art is projected as ignorance. They are able to have jobs, make money, buy and sell property, and own whatever they want. Farmers and craftsmen are considered free people compared to guardians and auxiliaries, they only have to follow certain rules obtained by the guardians. The city wouldn’t be able to exist without the bronze/iron category; the farmers and craftsmen grow all the food and make every product that is needed. If I had to choose which category I would like to be in I would choose the bronze/iron category. I wouldn’t prefer to be in the gold or silver category because I wouldn’t want my life completely controlled and not be able to have any privacy. Having my life all about the rest of the city and having my life planned out isn’t something that I would enjoy, I would want to make my own decisions and not having them made for me. Sure you could say that that is selfish and unjust but that is what would truly make me happy. Plato says that to truly be happy that you have to flourish and thrive as opposed having pleasure. I think that if I was in the bronze/iron class that I would flourish and thrive because in that class I have more opportunities to succeed in different areas of life. In the bronze/iron class you are able to live your own life, the life you want to live instead of being told what to do and how to live every day. In this ideal and just city, everyone: the guardians, auxiliaries, and farmers and craftsmen, have to do their own task, otherwise it wouldn’t be just. The people in these three classes all have to flourish and thrive in whichever class they are in. The guardians can’t do the job of the auxiliaries or the farmers and craftsmen, the auxiliaries can’t do the job of the guardians or farmers and craftsmen, and the farmers and craftsmen can’t do the job of the guardians or auxiliaries. If everything works out the way that Plato plans, then this ideal and just city would be the perfect utopia.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Population & The Environment Essay

Discussions regarding the environmental impact of increasing population densities across the globe never lose their currency. From Thomas Malthus to Paul R. Erlich and onwards, there is a persistent concern that a growing international population may not only reach a tipping point in which the planet’s ability to provide for it is stretched to its limit, but begin to experience detrimental effects in the form of environmental problems. This concern is not simply a matter of numbers, but a matter of how industrial civilizations have consistently failed to curtail anthropogenic impacts. As Donella Meadows (199) opines, â€Å"not only are there so many more of us, but each of us is bigger† when one measures the amount of energy and material we use and the amount of pollutants and waste created by the industries we have created to support our energy and material use. In effect, â€Å"The number of people is not what degrades the earth; it’s the number of people times the flow of energy and material each person commands. † One of the most frequently cited means by which highly dense populations negatively impact the environment is through intense car use. Alex Steffen (2008) notes that intensive car use within a finite geographic territory is not only a massive contributor to greenhouse emissions that are warming the planet, but they also command a large amount of resource use through the inputs necessary to maintain highway infrastructure, build the actual cars and fuel them. Granted, the resource consumption and greenhouse emissions caused directly by private automobile ownership is absolutely no surprise to anyone, but the less obvious implication that Steffen reports is that exhaust emissions are only a fraction of the environmental impact of the automobile. Over the course of the mid-20th century onwards, the increasing prominence of the automobile as part of modern living has necessitated the construction of massive highway infrastructure. The result is that when you factor dense populations with intense private ownership and use of automobiles is that not only is there a massive amount of greenhouse emissions, but the amount of pavement this infrastructure commands can contribute significantly to the heat island effect which has become a concern among urban planners as of late. Heat islands not only increase the amount of energy expended on indoor air conditioning, but they can worsen air quality. (Steffen, 2008) As such, Steffen argues that no matter the great lengths that today’s automobile manufacturers go to in order to make their automobiles into shiny fuel-efficient emissions-reduced green things to sate the eco-minded consumer, it will not be enough to remediate environmental impacts brought about by car use. Take for example the push towards biofuels, which is essentially, a push for auto manufacturers, in collaboration with energy companies, to make automobiles that run on renewable agricultural products that emit a reduced amount of greenhouse gases. While there is much fuss in the mainstream press about the extent to which the biofuel industry is cannibalizing the food supply, a more overlooked concern is the manner in which the expansion of industrial agriculture to such a massive scale negatively impacts the environment. Simply put, the principal concern is not the ability of agriculture to feed populations, but rather how the expansion of the food supply, combined with the accommodations made for biofuels, has a deleterious effect on the environment. Manning (85-89) notes that the homogenous and unsustainable approach of industrialized corn-based agriculture is detrimental to the health of the soil. As such, there is a possibility that the massive conversion of lands towards the production of corn could recreate the conditions of The Great Dust Bowl, a period in the American heartland which saw hundreds of thousands of would-be wheat farmers plow the soil to death to profit from golden grain. Thus, as civilizations increase in population density, so too do their demands in food and automobile use, effectively exerting a greater toll on the planet’s natural environment. In any case, we must be mindful to remember that the problems inherent with a massive human population should not lead us to conclude that humans have no ecologically acceptable place in the planet. Humanity is not a virus on the operating system of the planet. Rather, what human society should begin to acknowledge is that it must begin to take a more comprehensive look at its impacts in order to correct them thoroughly. REFERENCES Meadows, Donella. â€Å"The Deep Six. † Grist. 12 October 1999. Retrieved online on March 14, 2009 from: http://www. grist. org/comments/citizen/1999/10/12/deep/index. html Steffen, Alex. â€Å"My Other Car is a Bright Green City. † Worldchanging. 23 January 2008. Retrieved online on March 14, 2009 from: http://www. worldchanging. com/archives/007800. html Manning, Richard. Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization. New York: North Point Press, 2004.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Cultural communication in relation to the culture of India Essay

Cultural communication in relation to the culture of India - Essay Example Cultures have individual perceptions of society, and norms and values affect the manner in which people of varying cultures communicate and understand the world. Inability to understand the difference in culture may cause misunderstanding or hinder communication between people of varying culture. The culture of India is one of the most unique since there is cultural diversity throughout the country. The North, south, and Northeast have unique cultures and their combination has led to development of the Indian culture.It is vital to note that tourism is the most apparent method of intercultural meetings since people of diverse cultures travel to far away lands such as India to learn different cultures. There is normally a difficulty in intercultural communication not only because of the difference in language but also because of the varying attitudes of people of varying culture. Through speech humans are able to communicate with each other and to do so they use language. Humans use s ystems of symbolic communication to pass across messages and the variety in language makes human communication very complex. Language is the most important tool for the transmission of various cultures. It is also the greatest barrier of communication between individuals of different cultures. In India, different states have various official languages identified by the central government. For example east India speaks Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali. English is considered globally as the language most understood.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Domestic violence and criminal theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Domestic violence and criminal theories - Essay Example This has contributed to blaming on the recipients personal maladjustment, instead of a relationship dynamic. Attachment theory does not necessarily place much emphasis on the individual’s mental representation of a relationship, but rather highlights the reciprocity between individuals within relationships. Attachment represents an instinctive motivating force that enables secure dependency, which, in turn, complements autonomy. The accessibility and responsiveness of the attachment figure is central to the securing of binds via emotional engagement and the development of trust (Bartholomew, Henderson and Dutton 43). When attachment behavior fails to manifest, separation distress may arise whereby the insecure models may recreate insecure patterns within adult relationships (Fisher and Steven 373). According to the pioneers of attachment theory, an infant establishes a â€Å"working model† of what can be anticipated from his/her primary caregiver. In the event that a caregiver persist in responding in expected ways, the infant’s model persists; nevertheless, in the event that caregiver’s responses become constantly erratic, the infant may be compelled to alter or revise his/her model, and consequently, the security of the attachment changes (Godbout, Dutton, Lussier and Sabourin 365). Children construct a representation of their own value guided by their experiences and opinions of the caregiver’s capability, availability, and willingness to avail care and protection. Nevertheless, not all attachment are positive and despite the fact that secure attachments are desired and most evident (60-75%), avoidant, disorganized/disoriented, and ambivalent attachments can also develop amid parent-child relationships that are less predictable (Waters and Cummings 164). Attachment theory stipulates that child abuse yields insecure and anxious attachment, which can be ambivalent, avoidant, or disorganized/disorganized. Anxious attachment is linked to later

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Practical Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Practical Book Review - Essay Example Jim Petersen, the author of the book â€Å"Why Don’t We Listen Better? Communicating & Connecting in Relationships,† aims to explore the different ways in improving interpersonal communication processes. This book provides useful insights to those who want to improve the way they relate and communicate to those around them. The book utilizes sensible techniques, practical tips, and simple examples derived from years of counseling and pastoral ministry experiences of Dr. Petersen. The book emphasizes how in daily communication, people are often left disconnected, misunderstood, and unheard. This depicts how daily communication appear to be courtroom-like, causing people to be in conflict with each other. Additionally, the flat-brain theory discussed in the book gives a tongue-in-cheek, yet clear, explanation on why and how people get affected with emotions, and provides tips on what to do about it particularly when it gets in the way of meaningful communication with othe r people. It gives a logical structure in managing emotionally-charged discussions and situations. By making the readers understand how the brain works under pressure, stress, or attack, Dr.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Second Examination (Jack Power and Joseph Control Case) Case Study

Second Examination (Jack Power and Joseph Control ) - Case Study Example ver, with the current increased shipping cost of twenty dollars per set, Jack informed Joseph of the situation and required to incur the extra cost of shipping through a certified letter. Nevertheless, Jack delivered the goods to Joseph without Joseph’s response. Before the court of law, the two men have their legal rights to be owned. According to the law, Joseph has a right to receive the goods as far as the contract is concerned. Since he had paid for the goods, he can choose to receive them since he is the legal owner of the goods. He can reject the supplied goods because of the damages. The law of the contract stated clearly that Joseph would receive quality and quantity goods as required, but some goods were damaged on the way. Therefore, Joseph had a right to reject the goods. He is also entitled to examining the TV sets to ascertain if they conform to the contract. It is clearly stated in the law of sale of goods that a buyer has a right to examine the delivered goods before accepting them. Moreover, he has a right to sue Jack for losses incurred and dishonoring of the contract. The second shipping of TV sets delivered damaged goods, which is against the contract and result to the breach of the same contract. On the other hand, Jack as a seller has a number of rights. First, he has a right to be paid the amount of money as it was agreed failure to which he can sue Joseph. He has a right to be indemnified for the cost incurred to preserve the TV sets sold for the buyer, immediately after the ownership has passed to latter. He stated well that the cost of shipping TV sets increased by twenty dollars per set. Therefore, according rights of the seller, Joseph is liable to incur the expenses, failure to which he can be sued. Lastly, it is Jack’s legal right to stop the movement of the TV sets when Joseph has failed, and the cost has been paid accordingly. At first, it was a right of Jack not to ship the TV sets because Joseph remained silent even after

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Values, Principles and social work Ethics Term Paper

Values, Principles and social work Ethics - Term Paper Example She is also very sensitive being that she was repeatedly assaulted by not just those in the prison system, whether it being the guards or the other prisoners, but also taken advantage of by the gentleman whose task it was to leave Iran and get to Canada. With this, along with her later living in a male dorm being classified as male but still wearing makeup, an assumption to be made here would be that from the traumatic experiences of Ms. P. throughout the course of her earlier life, she has been so victimized to the extent that she wishes to hide her sexuality to the outside world as a means of protecting herself from further hurt and anguish. A safety mechanism of sorts. Faced with the declaration that she may be gay, Ms. P. sought refuge with an Aunt who appears to have not only let Ms. P. wear her clothes, but also use her makeup, which also would be relevant towards the larger choice of having makeup application be her education goal. The notion of her maintaining a happy memory from her past, this being the kindness of her Aunt and wishing to take that experience and use it for her future. Response: First and foremost, the story of Ms. P. brings about a strong sense of sadness and heartbreak for the situations that she was forced to face throughout her life. Complete bewilderment as to how someone could go through as much as Ms. P. would have, but still find the means of grasping that one happy moment in time, in her case what surely had to have been the time with her Aunt and taking that by having her studies be centered upon the makeup in television and videos. A reaction of anger towards those who would have sought to inflict such harm and danger upon such a young person. Anger at such a travesty being inflicted upon someone who had little, if not none at all, recourse for sticking up for herself. The idea that only her Aunt would provide the safe

Monday, September 23, 2019

Research methods for business and management Essay

Research methods for business and management - Essay Example In a good research, the abstract should represent what the research entails. The abstract provides an adequate summery of the research in term of the used literature, the methodology, findings, analysis techniques, and an aspect of conclusion with respect to the research findings. The introduction introduced the entire research and shows what the researcher intends to do through research questions and objectives. The article, â€Å"Factors influencing the transition to university service mathematics: part 2 a qualitative study,† by Miriam Liston and John O’Donoghue, is a research whose abstract is clear as it specifies the type of study as qualitative. It also clarifies what the researchers intended to find out. The study in the article was carried out to establish the influence of effective variables, role of mathematics conceptions, and students’ approaches to learning (COHEN, MANION, and MORRISON 2000). The abstract also indicate the placement of the research study by pointing out that the study was done at the University of Limerick, in the service mathematics transition. The abstract explains further the nature of the study as a follow-up to an earlier study, which was quantitative. It goes further to point out the focus group as part of the methodology (LEEDY and ORMROD 2001). Other sections of the research, which are pointed out in the abstract is the tools used in data collection. The Abstracts points out the major sections but fails to introduce the research findings (Center for Civic Partnerships 2007). The research findings are critical at this section for the readers to follow up how the researchers got into the given conclusion. It only indicates what the findings and the respective consequences would enable the researchers to envisage the possibility of future problems as far as Ireland mathematic education is concerned (LISTON and O’DONOGHUE 2010). The introduction section introduces the research context in an inadequa te way. The introduction connects the abstract by further indicating that the study is a follow-up research to an earlier conducted quantitative study. It repeats some aspects of the abstract such as the location where the study was conducted, the focus group, and time of the study without providing future elaborations on the same research aspects (Crossman 2013). The problem is however elaborated as being the â€Å"The Mathematics Problem,† in which case students fail in mathematics thus facing problems to pursue mathematics courses and careens as their of choices. The introduction lacks the respective research question. This aspect could make the research lost somewhere within the research process. The researchers introduce a case of worrying findings specifically from recent reports, which in contrast should have been placed in the literature review section. The introduction indicates the uniqueness and originality of the research. The thesis statement is also indicated bu t it hardly addresses what the research intends to do adequately. The researchers indicate that the qualitative aspect of the study with respect to the previously conducted quantitative research helps the researchers to determine the strengths as well as the depths of the affected variables’

Sunday, September 22, 2019

FINAL RESEARCH PAPER Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

FINAL - Research Paper Example designate the following steps in gene therapy: â€Å"first, the partial removal of a patients cells, second, the introduction of normal, functional copies of the gene via vectors to replace defective cells in the patient, and finally, the reintroduction of the modified cells into the patient once the genes have been fixed in their vectors† (Bergeson). Treatment of diseases at the genetic level is a rather tempting prospect. Nevertheless, similar to any intervention in the human body, it can lead to completely unexpected results. Over half a century of development of this field of medicine scientists have received both positive and negative experience in the use of gene therapy. For this reason, currently, the question of whether the further development and use of gene therapy should be allowed is particularly important in modern science. However, despite the various ethical objections to genetic engineering, this paper defends the idea of further development of this field, sin ce the use of gene therapy is able to save a large number of human lives, as well as prevent the development of serious and dangerous diseases, which are rather difficult or even impossible to treat. As mentioned above, humanity suffers from a variety of serious diseases. Moreover, some of them have a hereditary nature that implies that they can pass from parents to their children. The problem is that many of these diseases are resistant to treatment. This means that people who suffer from them are doomed to a painful life. Unlike other healthy people who enjoy life, these people are regular patients of hospitals and clinics, and their lives are always subject to continuous risk. In this regard, gene therapy is seen as a revolution in modern science, which is able to save mankind from a variety of serious and even untreatable diseases that are transmitted by heredity. Historically, gene therapy was aimed at the treatment of hereditary genetic diseases, but later it has expanded its field of

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Investment Ethics Essay Example for Free

Investment Ethics Essay The contemporary world of today functions on investment. There are many types of investment such as investment in property, shares, mutual funds, sugar, gold, oil, rice etcetera (Theodore , 1992). The list goes on and on with some forms of investment so inanely mundane like investment in over priced paintings by unknown artists that one is forced to shake their heads at the inanes of how far the concept of investment has come since its inception. Investment is described in dictionary as: â€Å"In finance, investment is the purchase of a financial product or other item of value with an expectation of favorable future returns. In general terms, investment means the use money in the hope of making more money. In business it is the purchase by a producer of a physical good, such as durable equipment or inventory, in the hope of improving future business. † Gambling on the other hand is almost as old as investment itself and its exact origins are unknown. Scientists believe that the ancient Romans would bet on the outcomes of chariot races and gladiator fights. It could be defined as: â€Å"†¦the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods. Typically, the outcome of the wager is evident within a short period (Linda , 2006). † Now, a raging debate in the world today is whether investment is or is not just another form of gambling. I am an opponent of this statement but will first give an argument in favor of the statement. The purpose of me including the definitions above was to prove that even the meaning of the words investment and gambling themselves are similar. Any kind of investment be it financial or physical, is done to gain money or to increase the investors’ wealth. Gambling also serves the same purpose which is to gain financially from an act (though some people gamble for the thrill of winning etc). Also, in money investment, finance managers everyday gamble outrageous amounts of other peoples’ money on chance. Such transactions entail high risks and if this is not a form of gambling then what is? In fact, in some religions like Islam, most forms of investment except investment in property and currency, is forbidden because they proclaim it to be gambling which is also forbidden in the religion. In that way, if for people of some faiths it is forbidden completely, then it is wrong from an ethical perspective because you are risking not only your own earnings but the money of those who have entrusted you with their wealth (like shareholders to security companies). In addition, it is wrong from a moral point of view. This is because gambling gives rise to selfishness in the human heart. Greed is a natural emotion for almost all people and investing money in the form of higher returns gives birth to insatiability for more money which is why we often see people at casinos squander all their gambling winnings in hope of winning more and more. It is selfish because gamblers profit on the wealth of others and do not care about the next person or what big a loss he suffers. Another way that gambling can be wrong is that it may make people idle and complacent. They may be happy to earn their money through gambling only. They may not work hard because of this for a living because of this and continue to live off gambling without caring that it is not a permanent or very stable source of income (Elizabeth , 2007). But even though their definitions may be partly similar, the two words are not common in their truest sense. I agree that investment puts peoples’ money at risk for chance of a higher return but it is done by professionals like investment managers and financial accountants instead of novices or any Tom, Dick and Harry trying out their luck like in gambling. It is a whole structured business activity with companies spending months deciding how to spend their customer’s capital and hedging (or insulating) the investment against any negative exchange rate or interest movement. Gambling on the other hand requires no such months of planning and development and can be done on the spot. Secondly, gambling involves one party losing and the other winning. The winning of one depends on the other’s loss. In investment, there is no such tradeoff and all investors can benefit at the same time. Another very valid point here is that gamblers often don’t have the same intensive information that investors have. In the long term, gamblers are always paid less in winnings then they have invested. That is not the case with investment. So the debate between whether gambling and investment continues unresolved with both sides vehemently arguing their point. Works Cited Theodore, V. Ethics in Investment Profession. Research Foundation of the Institute of Chart. (May 1992). Linda, K. T. Managing Business Ethics. Wiley. (Aug 2006). Elizabeth, A. C. The Psychology of Ethics In finance and Investment. Research Foundation of CFA Institute. (June 2007).

Friday, September 20, 2019

Culture in North East India

Culture in North East India Historians maintain that the boundaries of ancient India roughly coincide with those of the present day South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). There are some who believe that except for the period under the British rule, India has never been a nation state. Other historians disagree and maintain that India has always been a cultural and economic entity and the North East has always been an integral part of India. There is also a school of thought which maintains that the population of North Eastern India has greater affinity with the people of South East Asia than with those from the rest of India. The political and cultural isolation of the Seven Sisters has spawned these observations. Perhaps, it is because of such divergent views and the prevailing situation that it is not very uncommon to hear the Indian leaders emphasising the importance of early integration of the people of the North East into the national mainstream.   The North East is a magnificent tragic tapestry of people, events nature. You can be touched by its rivers, rain mist, overwhelmed by the seeming gentleness of its people stirred by its powerful evocative history. There are not less than 220 ethnic tribes in the eight states comprising the region with a population of about forty million people. There are communities with kin in the neighbouring countries. There are sensitive and complex problems that have defied solution for as long as independent India has existed. The population is about three percent of the national figure. Its people are an anthropologists delight an administrators nightmare. A settlement in a district that satisfies one group will alienate a handful of communities in another part of the same district, not to speak of the state. There are special laws, constitutional provisions such as the Sixth Schedule Article 371A which seek to protect the traditions, land rights of various hill communities. North Eastern India has been facing increasing challenges as it copes with pressures emanating from its ethnic diversity. The rising challenges of ethno-nationalism and erosion of the state authority pose an increasing threat to the national security. The present socio political scene in the North East thus underlines disturbing trends. According to an estimate, there are more than 40 insurgent groups operating in the region. Absence of credible conflict management mechanisms is evident from the situation which is deteriorating by the day. Widespread poverty and unemployment, increasing economic disparities as compared with the rest of the country and those within the region and growing corruption in public life are further adding fuel to the fire. Increasing mobilisation for economic and political space by more and more socio-economic groups is causing turbulence in an environment of limited resources and constrained capabilities of redistribution of wealth. Thus, the fear of identi ty is further compounded by a social security factor, which essentially boils down to protecting the land from outsiders and in some cases within the region from other ethnic groups. Social, Cultural Educational Background Of People Of The North Eastern States Assam The people of Assam inhabit a multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious society. They speak languages that belong to three main language groups: Indo-Aryan, Austro-Asiatic, and Tibeto-Burman. The large number of ethnic and linguistic groups, the population composition and the peopling process in the state has led to it being called an India in miniature. Ethnic Groups. Tai-Ahoms were historically the dominant group of Assam and were the ethnic group associated with the term Assamese. More recently, the Assamese language speaking ethnic group has been associated with the term Assamese. Bengalis are another major group of Assam and are a majority in the Barak Valley. Bengalis are often stereotyped by many ethnic Assamese as Bangladeshi illegal immigrants, especially if they are Muslim. Bodos are the dominant group in Bodoland. They mostly speak the Tibeto-Burman Bodo language and live in Bodoland. Culture Of Assam. The culture of Assam is traditionally a hybrid one, developed due to cultural assimilation of different ethno-cultural groups under various politico-economic systems in different periods of pre-history and history. With a strong base of tradition and history, the modern Assamese culture is greatly influenced by various events those took place in the British Assam and in the Post-British Era. The language was standardised by the American Missionaries with the form available in the Sibsagar District (the nerve centre of the Ahom politico-economic system). A renewed Sanskritisation was increasingly adopted for developing Assamese language and grammar. A new wave of Western and northern Indian influence was apparent in the performing arts and literature. Assamese culture in its true sense today is a cultural system composed of different sub-systems. It is more interesting to note that even many of the source-cultures of Assamese culture are still surviving either as sub -systems or as sister entities. In broader sense, therefore, the Assamese cultural system incorporates its source-cultures such as Bodo (Boro) or Khasi or Mishing (Micing) but individual development of these sub-systems are today becoming important. However, it is also important to keep the broader system closer to its roots. Some of the common cultural traits available across these systems are:- (a) Respect towards areca-nut and betel leaves. (b) Respect towards particular symbolic cloth types such as Gamosa, Arnai. (c) Respect towards traditional silk and cotton garments. (d) Respect towards forefathers and elderly. (e) Great hospitality. (f) Bamboo culture. Status of Women in Assam. (a) In Assam, the status of women is high in comparison to the women of some other States of India. (b) There is greater gender equality in Assam. The society doesnt suffer from practices like dowry, child-marriage and bride-burning. This could be due to the fact that the Assamese society evolved partially from a tribal background and has thus retained some of the original value system of equity. (c) In the field of education, women in Assam are in a better position than the all-India average. As per 2001 census the literacy rate for Assam is 64.28 per cent as against 65.38 per cent for India. While male literacy is 71.93 per cent (India-75.85 per cent), female literacy stands at 56.03 per cent (India-54.60 per cent). (d) Female work participation is another indicator of womens status in the society. Assam has a largely rural agrarian economy, which is characterized by high rate of work participation of women. Though Female Work Participation Rates (FWPR) are high, as it is subsistence farming, women do not benefit economically, though they share a disproportionate share of the work burden. Nagaland Nagaland is almost entirely inhabited by the Naga tribes except some Kukis, Kacharis, Garos, Mikris, Benglas, and Assamese etc. in the plains sector. Originally, the Nagas were not known by the names of the tribes as they are known now, but by the name of a group of villages. Gradually they have settled down to the tribe names as are found now, but still then the process of amalgamation or separation is still going on. According to the census report, there are 16 Naga tribes and four non-Naga tribes inhabiting Nagaland. Society. The people are simple, straight-forward, hard-working and honest people with a high standard of integrity. They possess a strong sense of self respect and rarely submitted to anyone who roughshod over them. A hallmark of their character was their hospitality and cheerfulness. The Naga tribals have an egalitarian society, and the village is a closely knit unit consisting of households of different clans. The Village. They traditionally live in villages. The village is a well-defined entity with distinct land demarcation from neighboring villages. Each has a dialect of its own and as such there is a strong sense of social solidarity within it. The people in it are held together by social, economic, political and ritual ties. The villages have their own identity but not in isolation as there are interdependent relationships with neighboring villages. The impact of modernization is slowly but steadily eroding the centrality of villages as a social unit as large commercial towns are rapidly coming up in every region of the Naga hills. This is bringing about drastic changes in the values, lifestyles and social setup of the people. The Family. The family was the basic unit of the Naga society. Marriages were usually monogamous and fidelity to the spouse was considered a high virtue. Marriage within the same clan is not permitted and it amounts to incest. Incestuous couples used to be ostracized from the villages. The family was the most important institution of social education and social control. There used to be a deep respect for parents and elders. Material inheritance, such as land and cattle, is passed on to the male offspring with the eldest son receiving the largest share. Status Of Women. In the classless, caste-less Naga society, women have traditionally enjoyed a high social position, with a pivotal role in both family and community affairs. However, being a patriarchal society with strong warrior tradition, it is considered an honor to be born as a man. The traditional culture and customs expect a Naga woman to be obedient and humble; also expect her to perform the roles of wife, mother, child bearer, food producer and household manager. She also supplements the household income by weaving colorful shawls, an activity which is done exclusively by women. Women are highly respected and given a great deal of freedom, however, they are traditionally not included in the decision-making process of the clan or the village. Social and Cultural Heritage. The cultural traditions of the Nagas include features which are common to all the tribes like head hunting, common sleeping house for unmarried men which are taboo to women, a sort of trial marriage, or great freedom of intercourse between the sexes before marriage, disposal of dead on raised platforms, the simple loom for weaving cloth etc. Life in Nagaland is replete with festivals throughout the year as all the tribes have their own festivals, which they greatly cherish. They regard their festivals sacrosanct and participation in them is compulsory. Most of these festivals revolve round agriculture, which is still the mainstay of the Naga society. Over 85% population of Nagaland is directly dependent on agriculture. Transformation And Challenges.  The Naga society is undergoing tremendous transformation. The spread of Christianity, the growth of education and developmental programs undertaken by the government have all unleashed forces which are churning up the tribal society and rapidly changing its complexion and character. The modern set up of detached nuclear families is fast catching up with the people as they have greater intercourse with the modern world. This is leading to the erosion of the role of the clan and the village as agents of social control. Manipur Manipur is a place where different waves of races and culture met through the ages, which ultimately mingled together. The main population of the people is of Manipuries known as Meities. The Meitei speak Manipuri language, which is in Kuki chin group. They are divided into seven endogamous groups locally known as Salai. The general characteristics of the Meiteis are of Mongoloid type small eyes, fair complexion, rudimentary beards etc. generally they are thin built with well-developed limbs. The men among them do not exceed 57 in height and women on an average about 4 shorter than their counterparts. Society. The society is patrilineal though the women bear the major yoke of labour. Women share the responsibilities of earning and are not confined only to household duties. The household is a true social unit ant the head of the family has to perform certain religious duties. Their families consist of man, his wife and unmarried children. They practice both types of marriage by engagement and elopement. Though monogamy is the usual rule, there being more women than men, the practice of polygamy is also not uncommon. Meitei women have always enjoyed high economic and social status in Manipur, and today they work in nearly every social and economic sphere of society. In particular, they control traditional retail, including the Meitei markets and the trade in vegetables and traditional clothing. The Meitei people are well-known for their sporting prowess, hockey and polo are traditional and the Meitei form of martial art, thang ta, has recently been recognised as one of the official forms of international martial arts. Culture. Agriculture is the main stay of the people. About 88% of the total working population in the hills and about 60% of the working population in the valley depend entirely on the agriculture and allied pursuits like animal husbandry, fisheries and forestry. The people of Manipur have inherent love of performing art with lyrical beauty and rhythm. Their rich culture and tradition are also reflected in their handloom, tasteful clothes and in finer workmanship of handicrafts. Weaving among them is a traditional art of women and finds an easy market. They are deeply sensitive and their unique pattern of life with inherent love of arts is reflected in their dance and music. Their dances, whether folk or classical or modern, are devotional in nature.   Tripura The Tripuri people are the original inhabitants of the Kingdom of Tripura in North-East India and Bangladesh. The Tripuri people through the Royal family of the Debbarmas ruled the Kingdom of Tripura for more than 2000 years till the kingdom joined the Indian Union in 1949. The Tripuris live on the slopes of hills in a group of five to fifty families. Society Culture. The indigenous Tripuri people comprise various hill tribal communities who migrated to this land in successive waves in the ancient past. Each community had its own elementary social and administrative organization starting from the village level and up to the chieftainship of the whole tribe. The tribes enjoy their traditional freedom based on the concept of self-determination. The Tripuri people have a rich historical, social and cultural heritage which is totally distinct from that of the mainland Indians, their distinctive culture as reflected in their dance, music, festivals, management of community affairs, dress and food habit has a strong base. Mizoram Historians believe that the Mizos are a part of the great wave of the Mongolian race spilling over the eastern and southern India centuries ago. Mizo comprises of 5 major tribes and 11 minor tribes known under the common name Awzia. Mizos are of Mongoloid origin, speaking a dialect of Tibeto- Burman origin. The Mizos came under the influence of the British missionaries in the 19th century and today the majority of the Mizos are Christians by faith. The literacy rate is the second highest in the country. The people are mostly non- vegetarian and their staple food is rice. The Mizos are a close- knit society with no class distinction and discrimination on grounds of sex, status or religion. They are hospitable, sociable and love music, singing and dancing. Mizos are agriculturists all their activities revolve around this cultivation and their festivals are connected with such agricultural operations. Society And Cultural. A gregarious and close- knit society, they evolved some principles of self-help and co- operation to meet social obligations and responsibilities. Constructive social works were executed through voluntary community works. Every family was expected to contribute labour for the welfare of the community. The Mizos are a distinct community and the social unit was the village. Around it revolved the life of the Mizo. The Mizos have been enchanted to their new- found faith of Christianity with so much dedication and submission that their social life and thought- process have been altogether transformed and guided by the Christian church organisations directly or in directly and their sense of values has also undergone drastic change. No class distinction and no discrimination on grounds of sex are not seen in Mizo society. 90% of them are cultivators and the village exists like a big family. Birth of a child, marriage in the village and death of a person in the villag e or a community feast arranged by a member of the village are important occasions in which the whole village is involved. Arunachal Pradesh There are 26 major tribes and a number of sub tribes living in the state. Most of these communities are ethically similar having derived from an original common stock but their geographical isolation from each other has brought amongst them certain distinctive characteristics in language, dress and customs. Society and Culture. The whole population of Arunachal can be divided into three cultural groups on the basis of their socio- politico religious affinities.For about 35% of the population of Arunachal Pradesh, agriculture is the main occupation. Festivals are an essential part of the socio- cultural life of the people. The festivals are usually connected with agriculture and are associated with ritualistic gaiety either to thank God or to pray for bumper harvest. Summary Of Characteristics Of People Of The NE States Having seen the characteristics of the social, cultural other factors pertaining to the people of insurgency effected North Eastern states, it is imperative that the peculiarities be summarized. It is difficult to profile such a vast diverse anthropology, however for the ease of the study, certain basic similarities could be clubbed together a basic framework of behavioural attitudinal pattern could be listed as under :- (a) People have a strong affinity to their race, ethnicity have strong inclination for preservation of the same. (b) In the rural areas, where people reside in their particular ethnic group, there are stringent rules, customs traditions to be followed flouting them is taken very seriously. (c) As the people belong to the lesser developed part of the country, their basic culture beliefs are intact there is less proliferation of modernity in their values. (d) They have strong values regarding respect to the elders, women and could go to great extent to preserve their honour. (e) They are basically agrarian community, hardworking, innocent socially active within their own community. (f) They have rich cultural heritage bonds which gives them a sense of exclusivity belongingness. (g) The various societies are religious and secular. (h) The division of societies is not based on caste system. It is based on ethnicity, in a particular tribe, everybody is treated as equal. (j) Women have a pivotal important role to play in their communities. Few of the societies are male dominated but most of them have equal status for women in the respective society. (k) Education awareness is on an increase over a period of times have reached even the remote areas. (l) The languages / dialects spoken are specific to a tribe it does not have any semblance with most of the languages of rest of the country.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Mars Research :: Papers

Mars Research Mars, the red planet, is the fourth planet from the sun and the most Earth-like planet in our solar system. It is about half the size of Earth and has a dry, rocky surface and a very thin atmosphere. Mars' Surface ------------- The surface of mars is dry, rocky, and mostly covered with iron-rich dust. There are low-lying plains in the northern hemisphere, but the southern hemisphere is dotted with impact craters. The ground is frozen; this permafrost extends for several Kilometres. The north and south poles of Mars are covered by ice caps composed of frozen water and carbon dioxide. Scientists have long thought that there is no liquid water on the surface of Mars now, but recent photos Mars indicate that there might be some liquid water near the surface. The surface of Mars shows much evidence of the effects of ancient waterways upon the landscape, there are ancient, dry rivers and lakes complete with huge inflow and outflow channels. These channels were probably caused by catastrophic flooding that quickly eroded the landscape. Scientists think that most of the water on Mars is frozen in the land (as permafrost) and frozen in the polar ice caps. Size: Mars is about 4,222 miles (6790 Km) in diameter. This is 53% (a little over half) of the diameter of the Earth. Mass and Gravity: Mars' mass is about 6.42 x 10.23 Kg. This is 1/9th of the mass of the Earth. A 100-pound person would weigh 38 pounds. Length Of A Day And Year On Mars: --------------------------------- Each day on Mars takes 1.03 Earth days (24.6 hours). A year on mars takes 687 Earth days; it takes this long for Mars to orbit the sun once. Mars' Orbit: Mars is 1.524 times farther from than the sun than the Earth is. It averages 141.6 million miles (227.9 million Km) from the sun. Its orbit is very elliptical; Mars has the highest orbital eccentricity of any planet in our Solar System except Pluto.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Terrorism and the Contract Security Market Essay -- Business Human Res

Terrorism and the Contract Security Market Contract security has become a billion dollar business within the last decade. It is by far one of the most profitable businesses today. Also, after the events of September 11th we can only expect this field to continue to grow. With the economy and country the way it is today, we can expect to see contract security and proprietary security forces increase in both size and tasks that must be managed. But is the contract security field ready to step up and perform the new duties we need them to perform? The truth is, the contract security field is plagued by many things that impede it's effectiveness: Pay rates are too low to attract the quality employees. Training is insufficient Turnover rates exceed 100% in many contract companies. These are just some of the problems facing the contract security field. Most of the companies manage to turn a profit by practicing the "warm body" approach. This involves recruiting anyone (which is usually the bottom 5% of the population) who will work for the low wages provided. The company provides minimum training. Some companies put their guards to work before paperwork and background checks are even completed. This is not true of all contract security firms. Some do process and provide very exceptional officers; a prime example being Wackenhut Security. Recruitment Recruitment practices have improved in many areas. Some "warm body" approaches are still being used but, overall this is practiced in places such as New York and other heavily urban areas where the process of "low bidding" is used (Hertig 2003). In these areas of the country turnover rates are higher than any other. For the most part this can be blamed on wages. The ... ... Manual. Dated: Oct 1999. Command Security Corp. (1999) Website . Accessed 17 Apr. 2003, http://www.cscny.com Goodboe Michael E; (2002) "How to turn around turnover" Security Management, Nov 2002; Vol. 46, Iss. 11; pg. 65, 3 pgs Hertig, Chris.(1999) "Contracts in Asset Protection." In Davies & Minion (Eds.) Security Supervison: Theory and Practice of Asset Protection. Butterworth Heinemann: Boston Mass. 1999. pg. 371-374. 4pgs Hertig, Chris. In class handouts.; Security and Supervision Class. Spring Semester 03 Johnson, Jordan; (2003) "Get The Most From Your Guard Force"; Security Management, Arlington; Feb 2003; Vol. 47, Iss. 2; pg. 73, 5 pgs Thibodeau, Charles; (1999) "Staff Training and Development." In Davies & Minion (Eds.) Security Supervison: Theory and Practice of Asset Protection. Butterworth Heinemann: Boston Mass. 1999. pg. 118-126. 9pgs

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Broadway Brokers Essay -- Economy, Layoffs

The current economic downfall has forced many organizations to strategically restructure and downsize. Broadway Brokers is not immune to these economic challenges and has been faced with competition from discount brokers and Internet brokerage services. Broadway Brokers position of holding the largest market share has been jeopardized by their slow reaction to the shifting changes within the industry. Broadway Brokers staff possessed strong selling and interpersonal skills however lacked in their knowledge of the high tech skills that had been inundating the market. The organizations lack of adapting to new technology and their absorbent overhead was threatening their profitability. The organization was faced with the need to restructure, consolidate, and implement employee layoffs in order to remain competitive with the current financial climate. Rumors of impending office consolidations and staff layoffs had existed for some time. However, the CEO commentary in a Financi al Times article confirmed such gossip. In fact, decisions had already been made by top management to enact a structural plan that would severely curtail offices, close offices, and reduce the level of employees across the organization. Top management was firmly fixed upon downsizing and consolidation and was now relying on its management staff to come up with a plan to implement a transition. A dozen of the company’s most respected managers – everyone from assistant vice presidents to managing directors were join together to devise a plan for change (Jick & Peiperl 2003). In developing a transitional plan many concerns were presented to the management staff for consideration. First, Broadway Brokers has successfully grown and had not been ... ...ees – and a potentially more flexible organization. Broadway Broker’s management team is faced with the challenging task of downsizing and consolidating the organization. A thorough investigation as to how to execute proposed changes will need to occur before the organization can forge ahead. Change processes must be executed in a fashion that portrays compassion and consideration for all involved. For change to be successful the management team must have understanding and empathy for the psychological impact of imposed change and how employees will react. Most humans are fearful of change and do not embrace change in a positive manner. The road ahead will be difficult for the management team at Broadway Broker’s, however; with proper planning and understanding positive change can sustain the future of the organization.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Fight against Oppression on Women Essay

Today’s sexism—from widespread violence and degrading ideas to inequality at the workplace and unpaid labor at home—reaches into every corner of our lives. Women’s oppression stems from the nature of our deeply unequal society, and a system that needs to divide and conquer in order to survive. People of all genders are fighting back! Grassroots mobilizations against sexual assault, victim-blaming and attacks on our reproductive rights are providing a glimpse of the potential to build a new movement for women’s rights. From Egypt to Yemen to Madrid, women are demanding a place at the forefront of struggles for democracy and economic justice. Sexism in our society leads to multiple negative outcomes for women. Although traditional therapeutic approaches as well as preventive interventions address the specific negative outcomes of sexism, they rarely utilize a social justice approach. The deleterious effects of sexism occur complexly; sexist interpersonal events often occur within family systems that may endorse traditional gender roles, which exist within a societal and cultural context that contains formalized sexist policies. These multifaceted, ingrained circumstances delineate the need for preventive social justice to address sexism on multiple levels. As our society continues to evolve, with the advancements in technology, so does sexism and discrimination. It is just molded differently to accommodate our modern day society. Women do two-thirds of the world’s work for only five percent of the income, according to Unifem, the United Nations Development Fund for women. Today young women across the world grow up to expect less educational, economic and political power than their male counterparts. Half the world’s citizens, women in the 21st century still only represent a tiny minority in democratic assemblies. Domestic violence, civil wars and international conflicts continue to destroy women’s freedom, power and security in particular. And yet women find themselves systematically excluded from international diplomacy and peace discussions. Women’s rights may be enshrined in human rights declarations and egalitarian constitutions around the world, but in global terms of power and independence they are sec ond class citizens.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Bae Assignment

BAE Business Case Study Submitted by: Susan Pacheco April 17, 2013 Table of Contents Part 1: Executive Summary3 Part 2: Main Issue4 Part 3: Systemic Issues4 Leadership & Project Management issues4 Political Pressure to Fast-Track Project5 Design Issues5 Communication Breakdowns6 City Involvement (Delays)6 BAE Conditions on Contract Signing (April 1992)6 Part 4: Environmental & Root cause Analysis7 Qualitative Analysis:7 Project Management7 People (Unqualified):8 Build-Design8 Economic & Political Considerations8 Success with United Airlines9 Part 5: Alternatives and/or Options:9 Alternative A9Alternative B11 Part 6: Recommendations and Implementation11 Recommendation:11 Recommendations Implementation Plan:12 Part 7: Monitor and Control:13 Part 8: Conclusion:13 Part 9: References, Exhibits and Appendixes13 Part 1: Executive Summary In order to address the immediate issue of the letter received by the City Mayor holding us responsible for the delay of the new baggage system by charging BAE a penalty of $12k/day backdated to October 29, 1993 and also requesting a charge back for the $50M tug-and-cart baggage backup system, immediate action and priority needs to be given to address this accusation.A prompt analysis of our project plan and missed milestones with reasons and factual data is critical in defending our position. We need to prove where certain milestones outside our control were missed and the domino effect it created and where dependencies to our commitments were broken and by whom. There were many points at which we voiced our concerns on the project delays and access issues that further hindered our ability to perform but no one took responsibility or acknowledged the delay.In addition, the Build-Design approach has in itself created many hurdles and time delays outside our control as well as created unfavourable working conditions that were unsustainable for our teams. Our current situation is a mere symptom of a lack of a proper project management s tructure and qualified personnel at DIA. Also lack of sponsorship by the city Mayor has created silos and a negative effect on the project flow. The build-design approach is one of the biggest issues but with proper management it can be overcome.Based on BAE’s experience and successful past projects, we can confidently recommend a new structure that has worked in past projects. Given that history I feel we need to propose a drastic change to DIA’s Project Management team and propose a new structure which includes a new Project Manager to oversee the entire project team, appointment of additional team members (see Appendix 1) and new hires with the right skill sets. See Appendix 2 to see RACI Matrix proposal.The proposal is to continue with the new airport wide baggage system implementation only under the condition that DIA restructure their project management team and obtains sponsorship from the City Mayor and Aviation Director. A team approach must be understood by a ll parties involved as there are too many moving parts and it is impossible to expect BAE to independently manage all moving parts for what is out of our control especially with a Build-Design plan.This new platform will allow BAE and DIA’s members to educate, make timely critical decisions, identify risks and critical milestones and hold members accountable for their respective roles. Assuming our proposal is accepted, the overall expected timing from initial contact to identifying risks under the new team structure is 9 weeks. With this plan, a backup system would not be required, thereby avoiding this $50M additional cost. The seriousness of this accusation would put BAE at permanent financial risk if not bankruptcy.Promptness and priority in handling this situation is critical. Beyond the financial impact, there is also the reputation BAE has always enjoyed as being a leader in the marketplace worldwide can also have a negative effect on current and future projects with o ther institutions. Part 2: Main Issue City of Denver issued a penalty request of $12k/day backdated to original start-up completion date of October 29, 1993 including a $50 M charge back for a tug-and-cart baggage backup system. This main issue is a result of the systemic issues which are listed below. Part 3: Systemic IssuesLeadership & Project Management issues Shared leadership between city of Denver & Consultant team created many inefficiencies, duplicate work and lack of real ownership. Additionally no organizational structure change at DIA was ever made to accommodate this new baggage system project. Further complicating the matter was the communication channels and roles between city, PMT and consultants were not defined or controlled. All were working in silos. Engineers are inefficiently creating piles of change documentation that are not really managed or communicated.Waste of time just to cover their tracks. There is NO real qualified Project Manager to oversee the entire project and bridge the gap between DIA and their top Carriers United & Continental, City Council and BAE. We have been expected to manage the project with everyone working in their silos with no real support or team goal or management as a whole. In order to keep things moving along, we need a DIA counterpart to produce engineering alternatives and make quick decisions on cost, alternatives, scheduling etc.Currently there are too many chefs in the kitchen with no real one person in charge. They had to balance project administration political and social responsibilities. The Working Area 4 Managers that was assigned to us have no experience in airport construction, baggage system technologies or new technologies, their main experience is in construction project control management. As such they don’t know how to properly support our requests and needs to keep the project going forward.In addition to this since there is no project manager in charge and lack of proper structure we have to liaise with and to obtain feedback from each Concourse Senior manager and Main terminal manager. It is apparent that they each operate independently making any agreement difficult as we need to transcend the decisions and get agreement across all four managers. It is apparent that they each are making independant decisions and trying to tie them all together is very difficult. This creates further bottlenecks for us.Lack of a designated project manager to oversee and manage inputs/outputs from the City, DIA and BAE created a painful process, hurt relationships and lack of accountability and control. Head of DIA project resigned and death of Chief Airport Engineer Walter Slinger (Oct. 1992), a strong proponent of the baggage system and closely involved in negotiations with us had a significant impact on the project. He was a decisive, empowered decision maker who knew how to address problems and get them resolved promptly. His successor Gail Edmond was not successful in ca rrying ut the same duties as she was much less experienced and lacked the autonomy, experience and guts to make much needed quick decisions. Her hands were tied with red tape and took much longer to make any decisions. Overall we had a poor relationship with the management team who had no prior baggage handling competence or experience. The project was mainly treated as a major public works project resulting in a lack of support when we needed it for any of our complaints on timing, access etc†¦ Political Pressure to Fast-Track ProjectThere were many factors that influenced and pressured this project to a fast-track pace which had some resulting serious consequences both in delays and cost. This pushed the project into a Build-Design project which had created some major delays and cost increases. Some of the other influencing factors are as follows: * DBO Date of Beneficial Occupancy payback date of January 1, 1994 * Project Management Team pressured to push project ahead at al l cost due to long periods of assessment, negotiation and final approvals. Political pressure from Mayor to force project through a fast-track for their own political stature gain and public optics Design Issues The decision to install a new large scale airport-wide baggage system came after the building design was already determined and we were faced with fully defined project specs which underplayed the importance and significance of some important requirements of a baggage system (space, electrical power needs, building structure requirements, ventilation and air conditioning to dissipate) These issues created further bottlenecks and delays in our implementation.Further delays and changes resulted from DIA’s lack of consulting with and conducting a needs assessment with their two top carriers United & Continental which accounted for more than 70% of passenger traffic prior to project start. Their needs were never incorporated into the initial design and program, as a resul t further changes were requested to design and software just 6 months prior to the needed opening date. We had to deal with this even though the mechanical and software designs were supposed to be frozen. Communication BreakdownsWe communicated to United we would need 1 more year to get system up and running but no one listened nor was the message passed along to DIA or the City. We also at many points tried to engage DIA about the delays, access issues and construction bottlenecks that was causing direct delays in our work and we were not given precedent or access when needed. Infact the attitude was that these construction workers were not reporting to BAE to have to listen. City Involvement (Delays) Law restrictions forcing 30% of minority-owned firms and 6% women.This law forced us to forgo our original proposal of using our own qualified employees in lieu of external outside contractors which estimated an increased cost of approximately 60%. Some of our expertise was lost due t o this fact in addition to causing further delays to our project. In Sept. 1993 we went into maintenance negotiations which lead to a 2 day strike of 300 millwrights that was joined by 200 electricians over a $8/hr delta pay dispute. We lost the maintenance contract as well as a 2 day delay. BAE Conditions on Contract Signing (April 1992)The conditions and milestones we placed upon accepting the job was not respected by the city or adhered to, nor was there any provisions made to address issues along the way. ( i. e. freeze dates for mechanical design, software design, power requirements and the like, all around access, timely completion of certain areas, provision of permanent power, computer rooms†¦ these were all set as milestones in our project plan. The city had agreed to these conditions with unrestricted access with priority for BAE equipment yet we didn’t even have reasonable access.For example: * Electricians had to leave work where concrete grinders were creati ng clouds of dust, * Fumes from chemical sealants forced others to flea * Trucks blocking and restricting * Design Freeze dates not adhered to: Airlines requested changes to system designing even though mechanical/software designs were frozen. (6 months prior to opening airport, still moving equipment around, changing controls and software design! * Energy issues – City unable to supply â€Å"clean† electricity to the baggage system. Motors and circuitry used in system extremely sensitive to power surges and fluctuations.Filters were purchased to correct the problem and a City Worker cancelled a contract without realising that the filters were part of it. Filters arrived several months later in March 1994. 1. Construction already begun on terminal and concourses with substantial changes needed on construction to accommodate expanded system. We wrote a letter to city (Jan, 29, 1995) to request prompt action advising of inability to complete project under these condition s with no response or support. Part 4: Environmental & Root cause Analysis Qualitative Analysis:BAE is a highly qualified with a revered reputation, experienced in projects across the US, Europe and Australia in the development, design, manufacture and install and support of every project it undertook from start to finish. We established a strong position in the US accounting for about 90% of U. S. baggage sorting equipment sales. Since 1972 – 1994 we had successfully designed, manufactured and installed nearly 70 automated baggage handling systems worth almost $50M at major airports in the US, New York, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Newark and Pittsburgh.We also consulted in the installation of a $550M terminal for the New Seoul Metropolitan Airport in South Korea. Given our successful history and past accomplishments, it is without a doubt that our management capabilities and expertise in handling various types of projects, with various types of people a nd countries, proves our commitment, capabilities and expertise in handling complex variables and situations for every project we undertake. Knowing the strategic importance and complexity of this particular project, we had agreed to take on the project only upon acceptance of certain conditions which was accepted by the City.Many of these conditions were not honored throughout the process causing unnecessary delays, additional costs, strained relationships both with the City and DIA management and hurt our reputation Project Management Lack of communication, ownership and project management both at DIA & the City of Denver was the source of this pivotal problem. Since the contract was awarded by the City, they were responsible to enforce the compliance of the agreed upon conditions and communicate and enforce these conditions to DIA and their employees.In turn DIA did not have a specific Project manager to oversee the entire project as a whole and to act as a liaison between us, th e City and their Carriers. Instead we were forced to deal with their respective â€Å"Area† managers one on one which was counterproductive, time consuming and ineffective. We also had to deal with direct changes from the Carriers themselves which further haulted our project. We were setup for failure given the lack of direction and control at DIA’s side and the City’s dogmatic approach to making decisions.For a project of this magnitude, there was no consideration made to employ either Key Managers or Project Manager to oversee, manage and liaise between the three concourse areas. This created some major gaps and no one was there to keep the pulse on the project itself. This was not implemented thus creating a gap in communication, a silo-type attitude amongst decision makers creating no support-system for the major role we played in this implementation. It was apparent that roles between the City, PMT at DIA and Consultants were not defined or controlled.Every one was working in silos. People (Unqualified): In addition to the management issues, our Assigned Area 4 Managers, lacked the experience in airport construction and baggage system technologies, therefore could not understand the importance and properly support our needs nonetheless handle our requests in a prompt manor. In order to keep things moving along, we needed a DIA counterpart who would be able to produce engineering alternatives and have the autonomy to make decisions. The death of DIA’s Chief Airport Engineer, Walter Slinger created significant impact to our operations as he was decisive and addressed problems promptly. This was an important critical role required for the success of this project. His successor, Gail Edmond lacked the experience, know-how, decision making capabilities and autonomy that further haulted the process. Build-Design The Political pressure to fast-track this project lead to a Build-Design approach to this airport construction which caused many unknown risks and design issues that we had to deal with upon commencement.We were unaware of the construction scope and details to be able to fully understand the scope of the project before undertaking. This also lead to a reactive vs. proactive planning. This posed many unknown risks, changes and modifications to our plans along the way. The instability of this process created many points of change, delays and cost additions and we did our best to manage what was in our control. The point is that many of these delays were NOT within our control, nor did we have any support from the city to enforce DIA’s construction project to meet our agreed upon milestones to meet our own obligations.Economic & Political Considerations The economy in mid 1980’s was plummeting with a 37% job loss average across Stapeltons Employment Industries. The Pena administration aggressively promoted the airport relocation, marketing the new airport as a technologically advanced, state-o f-the – art structure to draw businesses, import federal capital and fund the creation of new jobs with bonded debts to overcome the short-term decline in the economy. It was to become a grand project that would be the main showcase for the Public Works Department.The relationship between BAE and the City was strained primarily because their focus was on airport project speed and bond re-payment and not on the project itself. They were motivated by their own public perception in the political realm. Their â€Å"hands-off† approach was detrimental in the success of this project and served more as a crutch and hinderance. When it came to asking for support it felt like they were working against us and not with us. Their strength was not in project management but they had the power to make key decisions which influenced and affected our overall success.The added pressure of paying the DBO by Jan 1, 1994 forced quick management decisions, early construction without a full scope analysis and risk mitigation not just with BAE but also with DIA. Forced the Build-Design approach which inherently greatly affected our ability to succeed given the lack of adherence to the agreed conditions. Success with United Airlines Once the contract was signed with United exclusively things went smoothly. The successful implementation of the baggage system with United highlighted what was lacking in dealing with DIA and City directly.The success highlighted and confirmed our ability to manage the project with a partner who understood the technical and project management needs. Part 5: Alternatives and/or Options: Alternative A Continue with the contract for installing the baggage handling system conditional upon the following restructuring & requirements: Hiring of new qualified members at DIA. 1. DIA to hire a dedicated qualified Project Manager for the baggage handling system overall project with prior project management experience.One whom understands the key tasks, key players has a strong construction and technological background with project management skills to document, track, address and facilitate the communications between all DIA parties and that of BAE and City Administration. A clear definition of this person’s role, decision-making authority and sponsorship by Senior Management is critical. 2. DIA to hire a new Chief Airport Engineer with strong decision making and leadership skills with the autonomy to make decisions and propose Gail Edmond work under him/her as Chief Associate Engineer. . The new Project Manager’s goal is to gather all appropriate key stakeholders as proposed in Appendix 1 to conduct 3 main initial sessions with all key stakeholders (*see Appendix 1) to: I. Conduct a full risk assessment whereby identifying all risks, prioritise them, have an action plan to mitigate some of them, formulate contingency plans and assign responsible persons to manage the risks. II. Establish a Project Objective Statemen t, and Create a new project master plan, III.Team member establishment: Establish who key players are, their strengths, weaknesses, outlining roles and create a RACI matrix *See Appendix 2 for DIA, BAE, and City for roles and responsibilities for all planning and execution tasks of the project 4. City to hire or appoint a qualified Liaison with construction, engineering and or technical background experience who is solely assigned to this project with no other conflicting priorities with the autonomy to make decisions.This person’s role is to ensure that legislation doesn’t interfere or adversely cause timing risks to the project plan and expedite issues/roadblocks when they arise between DIA, BAE and the city. This proposal is supported by the fact that our design has proven it will work given the proper management setup framework as demonstrated by our successful implemention of the new baggage handling system with United Airlines. The current lack of the â€Å"righ t† project team members will be addressed by this new proposed structure. With the right sponsorship and roject management setup, this will encourage all to be on the same page and working towards the same goal. The added benefit of this is that timelines will be clear and visible and will hold those truly responsible for delays in their respective areas and help them and all team members understand the domino affect and impact it can have on the entire project as a whole. This will discourage the current work â€Å"silo† mentality and will promote an integrated meeting of the minds where risks and opportunities for improvement can be quickly identified, communicated and cascaded to the right people.This will also ensure that the right decision makers are present to make judgement calls on plan changes as they come along and not further hold up the process. This should put the plan back on target and give us a working plan going forward where all key players are informe d, consulted and responsible for outcomes. The cost of setting up this new structure is by far a more economical way to get the task done without the added financial burden of creating a new â€Å"backup† system. Pros: * Renewed Focus on project with key roles and responsibilities outlined set’s clear goals, accountability and ownership. Address risks and enable the team to mitigate them * Clear direction and leadership by all stakeholders and their inputs * Expedite critical milestones and ensure we are on the path * Maintain reputation * No further $ investment for backup system Cons: * New hires required Alternative B Cancel the contract with Denver. Discontinue involvement in any further development unless directly contracted by Carriers. Pros: * Focus on core business Cons * Damaged reputation for BAE * Litigation costs * $12k / day penalty Law suit risk – Pay back of $50M Baggage system backup plan Part 6: Recommendations and Implementation Recommendation: Based on my analysis the strategic impact of cancelling the project at this point would further create a bad reputation for BAE, especially considering the current damage already made to BAE by the unsolicited test plan executed by the mayor and the bad press that has already caused. The decision to continue with the project conditional upon a new team structure is a reasonable request given our past successful history and project management expertise.I feel that we have a strong argument for our position backed up by facts that are undeniable and can thus prove our innocence and lack of responsibility for the delay. This will prove to be a sensitive topic as it appears that it is easier to blame us for the delays. With a mutual understanding about the current situation, I believe it will be easier to convince the Mayor and Aviation director the value the new structure would bring and that a new backup system is not the answer and would cause unnecessary further financial burden, h urt relationships and bad press which no one wants.The success of BAE in installing United’s baggage system will be highlighted as an example of the right team structure and how we can achieve the same if we are united in the goal and agree to this plan. Recommendations Implementation Plan: Some of the short term elements of the recommendations are already completed or in progress such as building our case / position with regards to reasons for the delays. The following outlines the steps required to make this happen. Task| Responsible| Timing| Build case.Engage with Project Manager BAE to identify original plan & milestones and detailed reasons for incomplete tasks. Prepare PPT presentation with key dataWrite back to City Mayor, acknowledging letter and request for a formal meeting to present response with a set date. | BAE Project MgrBAE AdminGene DiFonso| 3 days2 days1 day| Invite to meet with DIA Director of Aviation to present challenges/issues faced throughout the proje ct and the delay outcome. Explain the current position we are in with regards to the city’s demands with the objective to gain support for the new proposed structure. Gene DiFonso| 1 day fixed| Invite DIA Director of Aviation & City Mayor to formal meeting to present project delay reasons/issues & recommendation for continuation of project with recommended structure| Gene DiFonso| 1 day (fixed)| Prepare & Present the proposed structure and Project Team Method Matrix and explain it’s criticality and past effectiveness in other successful projects and why this is necessary even if a backup baggage system is implemented | Gene DiFonso| 3 days| Assume DIA’s buy – in and that it takes DIA 1 month to hire Project Manager and restructure the Project Management Team| Director of Aviation| 30 days| Work with new Project Management Team to identify construction risks that interfere with our design/implementation plans & come up with alternate solutions. | Gene DiFo nso & PMT| 1 week| Develop new Strategy with new key Milestones | Gene DiFonso, | 2 weeks| Obtain Buy-In & Committment from key stakeholders| City Mayor, Director of Aviation| 1 day (fixed| | Total| 9 weeks| 1st Meeting with new Project Team Members| | | | | | Any critical changes to the original plans will be reported promptly to DIA Project Manager and voiced in Team Meetings. Any critical plan changes will equire Sponsor sign offs (acknowledgment and approval of change to plan for reasons outside BAE’s control) before BAE continues with implementation. Part 7: Monitor and Control: * Weekly internal meetings with BAE’s project management team will be conducted to keep pulse on project timelines and areas of risk. * Attend weekly Project Meeting Team meetings to identify risks, action items, schedule changes and react to them. * Submit bi-weekly reports on status to key sponsors & stakeholders. * Hold monthly review meetings with Sponsors Part 8: Conclusion: In conclu sion, the current difficulties we are experiencing with DIA and City Administration has served as a costly example of lack of poor management structure for a project of this magnitude.Our past successes can speak for itself in approaching DIA and City Mayor for their support to the new proposal based on our experience. If this new approach is accepted, this will save BAE millions of dollars in lawsuits and cost of new baggage system as charged by the City Mayor. The optics of getting back on track, having a strong management team and continuing with the original plan will serve in favour of all, the Mayor, our shareholders, as well as redeem our own reputation as leaders in the market. We will then be positioned without a tarnished brand and enjoy further growth opportunities. Part 9: References, Exhibits and Appendixes Appendix 1 – New Project Management Team Structure Appendix 2 – RACI Matrix example (for initial phase) of new structure

Moving beyond fit: the role of brand portfolio characteristics in consumer evaluations of brand reliability

DelVecchio’s article deals with the effects of brand extensions on company sales, especially with regard to the affected brands. Brand extension is hereby taken to mean how companies offer completely new products under the existing brand names. The target market could be the existing customer base or completely new one.Companies extending their brands are especially interested in increasing sales revenue by offering more products. According to DelVecchio (2000) the extensions could be a double edged sword to the implementing companies; it could increase sales to higher levels or could reduce brand loyalty to brands formerly dear to consumers. Marketing executives in companies intending to extend brands therefore have a hard task of investigating the level of brand loyalty before thinking about extensions.Understanding the risks involved with brand extensions should therefore be taken as the first step laying strong foundation for future sales. DelVecchio (2000) has specificall y stated that having many brands associated with the one being extended increases the possibility of success. This in consideration that respective company brands happen to have already proven themselves in the face of competition.Extensions are therefore seen by consumers as just another attempt for respective company to meet market needs and demands. Coca-Cola Company is the best example of a company that effectively uses its wide products to improve brand extensionality; its Coke drink is available in Zero, Vanilla, and Diet extensions (Makwana 2008)—all which succeed in their mission of satisfying specific market segments’ tastes.DelVecchio’s analysis leads to conclusion that brand loyalty is the foundation for successful brand extensions, which explains why companies that exceed consumer expectations succeed in their brand extension initiatives.Coca-Cola is yet another company whose consumer loyalty has boosted its extended brands, as well as remaining as t he world leader in carbonated drinks market. Ralph Lauren is another company that has been able to use its consumer loyalty to extend its Polo brand from clothing to home decor and furnishings. Consumers highly satisfied with the clothing had confidence in the new line of products and immediately embarked on making purchases.Companies whose products have narrow brand loyalty are on the other hand faced with diluted popularity of products being extended. For instance, Chrysler Motor Company faced with diluting popularity of its Jeep Liberty after extending this product into Jeep Patriot. Fact that Liberty had insignificant consumer base meant that extending it to Patriot would hurt it (Liberty) even further (BusinessWeek 2006). Indeed American car manufacturer’s current declining sales problems develop from extending unpopular products.These car assemblers go to an extent of one brand’s chassis for product extension purposes, such as Ford’s use of the popular F15 0 chassis to make more Ford brands. Unfortunately for such businesses, consumers end up understanding what is happening in the extensions and therefore feel cheated.The only solution is to ditch the affected companies’ products altogether and start patronizing competitors’ products. In retaliation to a point made previously in the paper, it is vital for companies to cultivate consumer loyalty in products they could be planning to extend in the future, failure of which result to loss of business even on well established products.ReferencesBusinessWeek, 2006, Jeep’s Misguided Compass, Available from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/oct2006/bw20061025_140103.htmDelVecchio, D., 2000, Moving beyond fit: the role of brand portfolio characteristics in    consumer evaluations of brand reliability. Journal of Product and Brand   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Management. Vol. 9 No. 7, pp. 457-471.Makwana, B., 2008, Coca-Colaâ⠂¬â„¢s Targeting Niche Market through Brand Extension.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Available from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.ibscdc.org/Case_Studies/Marketing/Brands%20and%20Branding/MA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   R0089A.htm

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Selection of Sustainable Construction Materials

The faculty of human cognition often finds it difficult in making decisions concerning systems that are extensive and complex such as in the management of organizational operations, investment portfolios, military command and control situations and control of nuclear facilities. Even though one may fully comprehend the individual interactions amongst a system’s variables, it is usually very difficult to predict how a system will react to new stimuli as a result of a decision taken.Under such circumstances, the results of many researches have indicated that the judgment and decision making capabilities of human beings could well fall short of the optimal. Stress and complexities acts negatively on the human cognition system, making it even harder to make what could be termed as the most optimal decision. The decision to be taken can nevertheless be very crucial, and a wrong decision could lead to catastrophe.It therefore becomes essential to find some way to aid and help a huma n being in taking crucial decisions on complex systems not only in atmospheres of stress and pressure but also in normal situations. Science has strived to device such decision-making aids through out history. Operations research, statistics and economics have developed various methods for making rational choices. The advent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and its dramatic developments in the last two-and-a-half decades has made it possible apply ICT in integrating various disciplines in aiding decision making in complex situations.As a result, information science, artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology and the neurosciences have come together to develop a variety of decision making aids. These decision-making aids are practically implemented as computer applications deployed either as stand-alone tools in individual systems or are installed to cover entire working networks. Such decision-making tools and integrated computing environments are together known as Decision Support Systems (DSSs), which is a very broad term incorporating a multitude of methodologies, tools, techniques, approaches and technologies.Druzdzel & Flynn (2002) takes all existing DSSs into consideration when they attempt to define them empirically as computer-based interactive systems that help users in making decisions. DSSs are sometimes also referred to as knowledge-based systems because they basically try to structure domain knowledge into a form on which mechanical decision making is possible. Decision Support Systems integrate information from various sources, allow intelligent access to the information sources that are relevant, and help in the process of organizing decisions to help human beings overcome their cognitive deficiencies.Decision Support Systems strengthen the conventional tasks of accessing and retrieving information with reasoning support based on a model and model building approach. Framing, modeling and problem solving are supported by DSSs. They are usually used for strategic and tactical decisions to be made by planners and senior levels in the management. Such decisions have a reasonably low frequency but their consequences have very high potential. Therefore the time and investment taken in using DSSs to aid in taking such decisions are paid off in the long run.Decision Support Systems not only define the alternative decision choices, but can help in picking out the most logical and optical choice amongst the alternatives adhering to and adopting elements from disciplines such as engineering economics, operations research, statistics and decision theory. Artificial Intelligence is used by Decision Support Systems to tackle problems in a heuristic manner in situations in which the problems are not amenable to formal conventional techniques.Decision Support Systems have grown in popularity because it has been found that when decision-making systems are used appropriately they tend to increase efficiency and output pr oviding appreciable competitive edge over rival businesses. This happens because organizations and businesses employing DSSs make sound choices in the deployment of technology, and in planning business operations, logistics and operations. Components of DSSs There are three fundamental components f Decision Support Systems are essentially made up of three basic elements: i. Data Base Management System (DBMS): The DBMS is the databank for the DSS.The DBMS is a storehouse for the huge volumes of data that the DSS has to deal with in providing solution for the type of problem for which it has been designed. Unlike in other databases which provide physical data structure, the DMBS works on logical data structures which the users can interact with. In a good DBMS, the physical database structure and the way the data is actually process remains hidden from the user. The user only knows the different types of data that are available and how best to access this data to aid in decision makin g. ii. Model-Based Management System (MBMS): The MBMS plays a similar role to that of the DBMS.The main task of an MBMS is to provide a mechanism whereby the applications that use a particular DSS are independent of the particular models that are used in the DSS. By doing so, the MBMS actually converts data available in the DBMS into information that helps in decision making. Users of a DSS usually have to handle unstructured problems. The MBMS is therefore required to help the users with building models. iii. Dialog Generation and Management system (DGMS): People use a DSS to comprehend a system in its entirety. The primary task of the DSS is therefore to provide insight.The interfaces that a DSS uses needs to be highly user friendly as many people who use them specialize in planning and managerial decision making and may not be very well acquainted or oriented towards computing systems. The interfaces not only need to assist in building the models bit also need to provide adequate interactions with the models so that the users are able to gain insight and extract recommendations from the DSS. The DGMS is therefore primarily tasked with providing easy access and meaningful access to the DSS. DSS for Selection of Construction Materials, its relevanceThis paper attempts to describe a Decision Support System to assist in making decisions to select construction materials based on a sustainability criterion. For every given construction job, there is a huge variety of construction materials to choose from. Economic factors and technology criteria have been traditionally the primary basis of selection of construction materials. Construction materials were selected against the requirements a desired life span, and a program of requirements and codes based on the characteristics of the material concerned such strength, viscosity, elasticity, bending moment, etc.Rapid depletion of natural resources required for construction materials has however forced a change in per spectives. The focus has now shifted to ecological, health and ethical considerations. Making a selection decision based only on human judgment and past experience, taking all added aspects into consideration, becomes almost an impossible task. According to (Pearce, et. al. , 2001) it was essential that some new mechanism of assessing the available construction materials for the highest utility of the specific project was required.The mechanism would have to evaluate the alternatives on the basis of their technical properties and cost parameters but also on the basis of the status of their availability in the ecosystem in the long-term context and from the perspective of natural resources. Such a holistic method could be implemented only through a Decision Support System. The DSS will have to provide all necessary information to enable the decision maker to take the most optimal decision keeping not only the technical and economical parameters under consideration, but also balancing the right degree of emphasis on the environment and sustainability aspect.To achieve such an objective in the design of a Decision Support System the following development steps will have to be undertaken: 1. Sustainability will have to be defined for the selection of construction material. 2. Based on the definition of sustainability developed, a methodology has to be developed for selection and comparison of the alternative construction materials that are available. 3. The methodology for selection will have to be automated by development of a Develop a conceptual framework for a Sustainability Decision Support System (SDSS). Defining SustainabilityThe United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainable development as development keeping the concerns of the future in sight. Sustainable development is that development that meets the requirements of the present generation without in any way endangering or compromising the scope for development of futu re generations. (WCED, 1987). Sustainability is therefore the concept of meeting present requirements in such a manner that the resources that go to fulfill the present requirement can also be utilized to meet similar requirements in the long run.In other words, it is handling the present with an eye on the future. This concept of sustainability works on the inherent principle that human development is a going process that has to sustained at a pace at which the finite resources available in the world can easily cope with. A fine but much simplified example could be that of utilization of timber in the making of any civil construction. The decision maker will not only have to select the timber the quality of which is suitable for the construction in terms of strength, expected durability, etc.but will also have to ensure that the made is a type of timber that is not endangered or on the verge of being extinct, a type that is easily available in the area of the construction with no t hreat to its future. The next question that could face the decision maker is whether timber, considering the depletion rate of natural resources, should be used at all. And if timber is not used then what are the other available alternatives that could be used in the place of timber?The Decision Support System will have to be able to assist the decision maker in making these crucial decisions by providing structured and easy access to all relevant information. Sustainability is therefore a system with stability at its core. Changes to the system are not unrestrained but constrained so that a stable continuance of the system is maintained in the long run. Sustainability is very important for the construction industry because constructions have a very high impact on the ecology and the environment.The people who make decisions in the construction industry literally hold fate in their hands in the sense that considered and logical decisions based on sustainability go a long way in prot ecting and preserving the environment that in turn sustains human kind. Decision makers at different levels in the construction industry therefore have to make judicious selection of construction material in order fulfill the present requirements without negatively affecting the requirements of others or putting at stake the very existence of the human race on this earth.The main goals that a DSS has to meet in selecting of construction materials based on sustainability are to improve the selection process of the construction material during the conceptual stage itself and to promote the use of innovative materials which could have more sustainable properties than the traditional materials that are currently in use. Sustainability factor in Construction Materials With regards to construction materials, adoption of sustainable selection criteria would imply the following: i. Matter and energy consumption should be minimized ii.Minimum level of human satisfaction should be maintained. iii. There should be minimum negative environmental effects. Any effort to minimize the consumption of matter and energy has to target minimizing entropy gain and intergenerational of equity objectives. It has to be kept in mind that the process of consumption increases the entropy of materials and energy making them unsuaitable for use in the future (Roberts, 1994; Rees, 1990). The basic tenet of sustainability and sustainable material selection would therefore be maximizing utilization and minimizing consumption of matter and energy.In laymen’s language this translates into ‘doing more with less’. Doing more with less however has to be balanced with maximizing human satisfaction with the less of matter and energy that is being consumed in the process. Unless the satisfaction of people is achieved, sustainability would run into a dead end. People and users will not accept changes necessary to make the world a better place to live in unless they are satisfied by the results of those measures. Ensuring the satisfaction of people therefore becomes an integral part of sustainability.A part that is closely connected with economics as, in our economy-driven society, people are satisfied only when there is assurance that their economic interests will not only be safeguarded but also enhanced appreciably. Minimization of costs, maximization of comfort and safety and edification of the human spirit should be the ideal objectives in the process of selection of construction materials (Day, 1990). It all boils down to the sustainability of the human race which in turn makes it essential to ensure the sustainability and preservation of the ecosystem.The sustainability of the ecosystem is ensured when emphasis is put on maintaining biodiversity, species habitat is left undisturbed and environmental deterioration and pollution are brought under control. The design objective of any DSS for selection of construction materials on the basis of sustainabilit y will thus have to make these three global presumptions – less consumption of energy and matter, high human satisfaction and minimal negative effect on the environment.A set of metrics of sustainability based on the definition of sustainability has to be developed for the construction materials. The metrics would then have to be adapted into an approach for comparing alternative materials to help in the selection process. Classification of Sustainability Attributes The next step in designing a Decision Support System for sustainable selection of construction materials would be take the attributes of sustainability and develop a system or taxonomy for classifying them into the categories of technology, ecology, economics and ethics.Since technology is utilized to build construction facilities, it is imperative that sustainable technologies are applied. Carpenter (1994) defines sustainable technologies as technologies that do not harm the environment in any way and are based o n the concept of renewing, reusing and recycling materials. Materials have to contribute to sustainability by building up suitable technologies. For a specific use, the measure of a material’s adaptability to sustainable technology is obtained by the extent to which the material is able to meet the required technical performance.Span, reliability, ability to recycle and resistance to decay and damage are other technology-related indicators. Ecological sustainability can be achieved through material selection if the objective of material selection is to minimize environmental damage and degradation over the entire lifecycle of the material right from the stage in which the raw material is extracted to the final stage of either disposing the material or adopting it for reuse through the process of recycling.Of particular importance in the consideration of sustainability is the way the material will affect the ecology. The domain of all human activities comprises the natural eco logical systems which provide all the raw materials to meet the varied requirements of human beings (Norton 1994). Thus, integrity of the systems has to be maintained in order to ensure the continues availability of raw materials in the form of ecological resources. The search of feasible alternatives for limited natural resources leads us to the realm of economic sustainability.Alternative resources that can be developed at minimal cost to the society have to be maintained and identified by the Decision Support System. The total life cycle cost of a project depends on the life cycle costs of the constituent construction materials. Selection of construction materials based on the lowest life cycle cost ultimately brings down the life cycle cost of the entire construction project. Manufacturing, transportation, assembly, maintenance and disposal or recycling costs determine the lifecycle cost of a construction material.These lifecycle costs in turn determine the economic sustainabili ty of a construction material. The moot point of sustainability is adopting a futuristic view. The concern is not only with meeting the needs of the present generation but at the same time ensuring that resource utilization is done in such a way that it is possible to retain, invest and convert them in such a way that there is no scarcity to meet the requirements of the future generations (Daly & Cobb 1994). This is the principle behind the ethics of sustainability.The attributes of ethical sustainability are the extent of depletion of natural resources that utilization of the material could represent, extent to use the material can be reused and to which nonrenewable resources the material can be used as a substitute (Norton, 1994). The Decision Support System therefore has to base its classification of sustainability attributes on the taxonomy of technology utilized, maintenance of ecological balance, economic feasibility and ethical concerns for the future of human kind.The vast scope and complexity of such a DSS can be appreciated when we take all these factors into consideration. Determining the Indicators of Sustainability The DSS for construction materials selection has to consider indicators of sustainability of construction materials with respect to the three global objectives of sustainable development – resource consumption, human satisfaction and environmental impact. The more exhaustive the list of indicators, the more the DSS will tend towards perfection.Indicators could be as varied and wide ranging as the scale on which the harvesting is done, whether infrastructure for harvesting is available, how accessible the raw materials are, the extent of processing the material has to be out through, how renewable the materials, maintainability, toxicity, market pricing of comparable resources, etc. Each indicator has to be correlated with the sustainability of the material, and the correlation determined through sensitivity analysis and indexed and rated so that comparison of the materials is possible to the minutest details.Selection of indicators of sustainability of the materials therefore assumes great importance in any DSS. Database or knowledge base development in this respect has to systematic and incremental throughout the development cycle. Consideration of the context of use also holds equal importance in the determination of sustainability of any construction material. Contextual indicators could be as apparent as the availability and use of ice blocks in the poles and sand in the deserts. But these indicators could also be user specific, condition specific or site characteristic specific.Context modifiers therefore have to be built into any DSS. It is the context modifiers that make the sustainability ratings of construction materials for each project unique. Decision makers set threshold values in heuristics databases which enable them to specify the values that they want to be calculated. Edwards et al. (1994 ) and Greene (1994) give examples of techniques in transportation systems in which the energy required to transport a particular material from one place to another for various modes of transport can be calculated for different modes or types of transport. Materials Selection adopting the Rational Actor ApproachThe Rational Actor Approach is centered on the principal assumption that if human decision makers are provided with complete information on the possible results and options in the choices that they have to make, they would choose the optimal alternative, or the option with the maximum possibility of turning out to be the outcome that is most wanted or desired. This being true, the goal of the DSS is to enable the decision maker to select construction materials as per their sustainability so that the vast majority of the materials selected for construction are sustainable materials.The rational actor model has three phases (Simon, 1983): Phase 1: Determining all choices that ar e possible. Phase 2: Analyzing every choice for the consequences that it they may lead to. Phase 3: Finally choosing an alternative that is rated as the best based on considerations of utility and the most probable consequence or output.. In the DSS, the Rational Actor Model can be further fine tuned by the adoption of a few modifications. First, the material alternatives that are obviously not suitable for the project element could be pruned off the database based on classification of materials according to some given standards.The software will therefore prune materials such as ceramic tiles when considering the construction of a foundation footing column. This eliminates the possibility of users ignoring feasible but unfamiliar materials. A second modification could be the introduction of user weightings for each sustainability attribute. The weightings are a way of personalizing or customizing the system. Input of the weightings accord the methodology adopted in the system highe r acceptability for the user who provides the weightings. The weightings also enable customization of the sustainability of the final design product.(Pearce, et. al. , 2001). The ordered stages of the methodology adopted with modifications can now be defined for the Decision Support System. In its first step, the methodology generates the alternatives that would be available for making the selection. This is a comprehensive set of alternatives that could include all the materials available in the market. In its second stage, the clearly infeasible alternatives are pruned from the list of available alternatives through the application of some technical performance thresholds or other heuristics.This would result in a set of alternations that are all feasible for the application under consideration. The crucial third step consists of the Decision Support System ranking the alternatives based on the sustainability and utility of the material for the use that it is intended for. At this juncture, the decision maker feeds in his weights for each attribute of sustainability as per the priority that particular attribute holds for the decision maker.Manufacturer information and other sources determine the values for the sustainability attributes of each material, and a normalized value is worked out for each value of the attributes. The weights and normalized values for the sustainability attributes of each material are then multiplied and added together to produce the index of subjective utility for that material. A ranking of the alternatives is developed by sorting their utility values. The Decision Support System then outputs the alternative with the highest utility value to the user.The decision maker is at liberty to choose the highest ranked alternative for the particular application or any other alternative as he or she may deem suitable from the point of view of cognitive abilities and professional experience. The DSS then moves on to take up other design ele ments for consideration. From the Decision Maker’s Point of View From the decision maker’s or user’s point of view, the decision maker has to first feed in a list of the design components that have been conceptualized for the construction.Values for relevant parameters that describe the conceptual design and the decision making have to be fed in. The DSS uses these values to generate a list of feasible materials for each design element from the materials database of the DSS utilizing heuristics for material selection from the internal logic or knowledge base of the DSS. After the DSS generates a list of feasible materials for each element, it queries the decision maker for the personalized weightings for the sustainability attributes.The Sustainability Index Calculator calculates the values of the sustainability attributes for each feasible material. An Amalgamator Module of the DSS amalgamates the weightings of the decision maker with the sustainability attribu te values for each material that could be utilized and sorts the materials according to their individual rankings. The DSS recommends the material with the highest rating to the decision maker who is free to either accept the recommendation of the Decision Support System or to opt for an alternative from the list of alternatives provided by the DSS.Conclusions The Decision Support System for the selection of construction materials on the basis of sustainability therefore analyzes the feasible materials for each element of a construction from a wide range of perspectives. The factors that influence the ultimate output of the Decision Support System incorporate the technologies and economies of construction processes, the characteristics of the applicable materials, ecological and environmental concerns, sustainability aspects, and most important of all, the professional and personal preferences of the user or the decision maker.Each of these factors by themselves could constitute ind ividual expert systems. The complexity and sophistication of such decision support systems can thus be appreciated along with their great utility in helping decision makers to make crucial decisions. References -01 Carpenter, S. , 1994, Sustainable Communities. School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. Daly, H. , E. , and Cobb, J. , B. , Jr. , 1994, For the Common Good, 2nd ed. Beacon Press, Boston.Day, C. , 1990, Places of the Soul. Aquarian Press, San Francisco, CA. Druzdzel, Marek, J. , & Flynn, Roger, R. , 2002, Decision Support Systems, Decision Systems Laboratory, School of Information Sciences and Intelligent Systems Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh. Edwards, P. ,J. , Stewart, P. ,J, Eilenberg, I. , M. , and Anton, S. , 1994, Evaluating Embodied Energy Impacts in Buildings: Some Research Outcomes and Issues, in Kibert, C. , ed. Sustainable Construction. CIB TG 16, Tampa, FL, Nov. 6-9, pp. 173-182. Greene, D. , L. , 1994, Transportation an d Energy, Transportation Quarterly, v. 48, n. 1, Norton, B, G. , 1994, Sustainability: Two Competing Paradigms.Texas A&M Conference. School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. Pearce, Annie, R. , Hastak, M. , Vanegas, Jorge, A. , 2001, A Decision Support System for Construction Materials Selection using Sustainability as a Criterion, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta.Rees, W. , E. , 1990, The Ecology of Sustainable Development, The Ecologist, v. 20, n. 1. Roberts, D. V. , 1994, Sustainable Development – A Challenge for the Engineering Profession, in Ellis, M. , D. , ed. The Role of Engineering in Sustainable Development. American Association of Engineering Societies, Washington, DC. Sage, Andrew, P. , 1991, Decision Support Systems Engineering. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. , New York. WCED – United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development. ,1987, Our Common Future. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.