Social Work Law and Practice Assignment Essay Example for Free

companionable Work Law and Pr scrapice Assignment EssayTo be scotchable is literally to be liable to be called upon to give an account of what one has done or non done. The account may include all or whatever of descriptions, explanations, excuses or justifications. (Banks, 2004, p. 150). Within my current agency context I w atomic number 18 a lord accountability which appoints me a duty to carry turn out and justify my black market through informed theoretical knowledge, professional judgements and legal frame make waters which govern the social drill profession in the field of criminal arbitrator (Kleinig, 2008). To date I fork out carried out my supervised direct practice rearment deep down a third sector agency whose aim inside the ideal of social care and protection is to promote the economic and social welfare in Scotland in running(a) with ex-offenders and young people deemed at try to provide them with the transferable skills they each require to help t hem find or stay within betrothal or education (Agency Policy, 2010a).The variety of settings and engagement styles I puzzle outed within over this period of magazine, although diverse, all aimed to uphold the organisations statement of purpose which defines that, our acidify adheres to the use of the organisations employability model to identify, assess and tackle barriers go about by our service substance abusers such(prenominal) as debt, family problems and offending. This service tar should reflect upon the pertinent techniques and guidance which focus on reducing re-offending and providing some(prenominal) guidance and advice on conviction relevance and disclosure (Agency Policy, 2011b).As a social snuff it student I cast off accountability and adherence to various bodies and man-to-mans whom govern my professional practice. This duty to the work within the lines of multiple accountabilities which are often in tension with each other pose complexity on the work I del iver, which in turn both represents thus cosmos bodies whilst safeguards and promotes the welfare of service users.This statement is agreed by Ingram (2011) who indicates that social workers within Scotland have complex interdependencies and relationships in delivering safe, effective, accountable and professional practice (Scottish Government, 2011). This comment also expands on the crucial professional partnerships I have with other agencies and statutory services. In the purpose of my professional practice I have worked together with the suspend officials and agencies that all have the common purpose of tackling and delivering practice of various degrees to service users within the criminal rightness field.Our service users are the key components of our interest focus and have brought us together to work with a common purpose their welfare (Banks, 2004). Knowledge of the remand in which other agencies work within is vital, allowing for the reduction in both overlaps and voids in our service delivery (Glasby and Peck, 2004). In my current agency I have used partnership workings as a tool to both source information and gather professional opinions from those working with separates in a opposite capacity.This has marginally been in liaising with social workers for developed background information on the service users I have worked with and informing their professional decision making with get wind to each persons progression with the organisation following referral. This multi-disciplinary style of working, although beneficial to my development and progression of work with individuals is additionally a legal normal of conduct which governs my professional performance (Pycroft and Gough, 2010).The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is the regulatory body whom describes and governs the standards of conduct which I am accountable to deliver in my work with individuals. Through my essential registration to them it is their guidance that outlines th ose standards and values I must adhere to in my professional practice. It is this Council that foresees the essentiality of Recognising and respecting the roles and expertise of workers from other agencies and working in partnership with them (SSSC, 2003 6. 7).This mandate of conduct influenced my role of with a number of service user during practice placement in collecting data both verbally and in the form of documentation from professionals, nigh comm exactly their social workers, whilst elaborating on the underlying goals I had in terms of developing employability skills. This in turn reflected upon my codes of practice in contri saveing to the learning of others in improving and developing my knowledge of our each specific accountabilities, powers and skills within our contrasting roles of working (SSSC, 2003 6. ). mingled research and informative legislation outlines my upheld values and duties within the Scottish context of social work. It is this legal writing alongside a cademic literature that influences my film to act in particular ways and deliver required services.It is in balancing my duties and accountabilities outlined by this published guidance that I am obligated to take form my informed decisions and professional judgements with regard to my service user theme (Lishman, 2007). Alongside this is additionally my duty o service users and my practice organisation, they may both have expectation from the practice I deliver, however striving to compliment this by working closely within the remit of my allowances as a trainee practitioner is what I have aimed to evidence to date (Fraser and Matthews, 2008). It seems that the balance of accountabilities of social work practice has become somewhat skewed, with too much emphasis on accountability to the employer and not enough on individual professional accountability (Scottish Executive, 2006, p. 30).This argument agrees that the delivery of effective practice is often focused more heavily upon one group or organisation. My working has aimed to display professional accountable to all those individuals and appropriate agencies during this practice learning whilst still implementing and working within the legislation that governs my work as a student social worker. Within my individual working with service users I have used both theory and skills derived from the professional context such as active listening and open ended questions.These skills are essential in portraying my professional competence as a social work student and beneficial to the forming of effective professional relationships and information gathering. As well as displaying my ability to practice these methods within my working I am accountable to do so by the SSSC who state that I must meet the outlines standards of practice whilst working in both an effective and safe way whilst within the boundaries of current legislation (SSSC, 2003 6. 1). This has been displayed most commonly been through the initial c ontact sound judgment meetings I have both conducted and participated within.The main purpose of these meetings is to inform, assess and debate available routes and options available to each service user whilst anticipating their offending behaviour and criminal convictions and other relevant factors which could influence the sustaining of current or future employment (Agency Policy, 2010b). A common example of my working in this service delivery is in collaborating a disclosure letter with an individual, this document details their criminal convictions and gives an account for their occurrence whilst drawing on the influences that were apparent for them to have happened.In order to complete such a letter with a service user I have had to obtain signed authorisation from them in order to access their charge sheet which is in the possession of their social worker. This element of work is governed by Shedule 20 of the Data Portection Act 1998 which outlines that the social worker ha s the authority as an official worker to supply confidential information if request whilst permitted by the individual who is specified within the data (Gibbons-Wood, 2008).Upon receiving a copy of this official summary of convictions, I then calculate what convictions are spent and unspent under the replenishment of Offenders Act 1974. This legislation governs the provision of the employment and guidance service the organisation delivers. I worked within the remit of its legal guidance by calculating what convictions need to be disclosed to an employer and what ones do not in each service users case. This calculation is made dependant on character of conviction, time in between offending and reoffending and the length of sentence/probation period they served (Croall, et al. 010).The outcome of supporting service users to write a disclosure letter is ultimately to have a paper document that will support their job applications and interviews. The letter, in accordance with the relev ant legislation provides the information that will allow an employer to assess the relevance of an individuals convictions to the post being applied for (McLaughlin, 2008). Within this work I was mindful to be honest in my recommendations with regard to service users wishes towards employment whilst respecting their decisions and desires towards work.I did not at any point wish to be seen as discouraging or negative about their ambitions but had to be realistic about how the nature of their convictions could affect the post they want. One example of this lies within my working with Stacey* she was eager to learn about the most appropriate way to disclose your past to en employer including her criminal convictions with the help of the organisation. Stacey wished to pursue a career in child care however had four convictions of breach causing permanent disfigurement and several pending charges of theft.Although she may have been deemed as having the ambition and caring nature which is required for this work her convictions would most believably put a barrier on working with children and those within a vulnerable people grouping. I had to convey this information to her appropriately whilst being raw to her feelings. Ultimately I explained that I could not provide a factual answer to whether or not employment in this field would be realistic as it is always at the employers discretion, however had to be realistic in terms of how these convictions may influence er working with children. Delivering this information in the most open honest and accurate way I could posed complexity on the relationship I was building with Stacey through this discussion as I was unable to determine how she would respond although I aimed to not allow any false pretences within her expectations. This honesty to service users is a factor governed by my professional duty to practice and uphold the appropriate ethical decision making and values for social workers (Walker and Crawford, 201 0).My values and ethical motive although in part derive from some personal beliefs and beds are governed within my professional practice through my accountability to the British Association for Social Workers (BASW*). This association defines my responsibility to service users alongside the ethics and values I must adhere to within my work with them. It is within this guidance that my obligation and duty to respect service users backgrounds and beliefs are outlined as well as valuing their thoughts and wishes whilst working at all times to meet their needs and interests (BASW, 2002).The dilemma I faced in working with Stacey came following the discussion we engaged in about her criminal convictions posing limitations on her desire to work with children. She told me that she understood why she may not be able to work in this sector and how limitations to other jobs in the care and support field may also be a result of this. scorn Stacey acknowledging and showing understanding to th is information she disclosed that if she thought within any job application that she would not be considered due to her criminal record she would exclusively claim that she has no criminal convictions or pending charges.This left me with a an ethical decision to make although I felt that Stacey had many personal attributes and the heat energy to make a success of a career within child care her not disclosing this information could ultimately put individuals including the children she may come to work with at risk. I was both duty bound and accountable to convey this information to employers or other professionals in this instance for the purpose of both public and child protection if she were not to do so herself and I made this clear to Stacey.Although I encouraged the importance of being honest with employers when it comes to the criminal narrative of service users I am bound by governmental policy in relation to child protection to share any information that may put the welfar e or safety of children in jeopardy (Scottish Executive, 2002). Parallel with my accountability to service users are my additional accountabilities to my organisation and practice of the social work profession in which I represent as a student.I upheld this obligation through adherence to and practice within the diverse organisational policies which were in place and abided by the local and national policy that administers work within the field of criminal justice. A key document which outlines my learning requirements and elements I must both adhere to and demonstrate is The Framework for Social Work Education in Scotland. It is this document, set out by the government, which displays thus guiding principles I am expect to uphold and practice through my work with service users.One of which is my ability to demonstrate within a practice setting a high aim of transferable skills (Scottish Government, 2003). This in turn defines my obligation to put my learning of theory and a range of modules, skills and information I have studied from the social work context into practice within my practice organisation and demonstrate it to a competent standard. An obligation I have which is outlined in sections within the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 is to record with respect to each individual what I did, why I done it and the outcomes or professional judgements I made in each instance (Davis and Gordon, 2011).In relation to my organisation I fulfilled this duty by keeping records up to date and accurate, documenting only information that was relevant to the welfare of the service user and purposeful regarding their employment needs. Most of my work with the organisation has been with young people aged between 16-25 years who are in contact with social work. A large proportion of my working with them has been influenced by conditions/orders or convictions they have incurred through the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997 and Care and security department (Scotland) Act 1995 (Gibbons-Wood, 2008).However it is dependent on the nature of conviction which deems what legislation most heavily influences the sentencing of each service user and also the diverse nature and aims of the working style being formed with them. In my working with convicted sex offenders I was aware of the relevant legislation and guidance in place a national level which governs my working objectives and outlines my duty to be proactive in sharing information with external organisations and local authority teams.The Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPAS) cloth was formed following the Management of Offenders Act 2005. It is this framework that governs my professional working with those convicted of a sexual offence making me obligated by a statutory duty to cooperate, all relevant agencies including local authorities, voluntary organisations and, crucially, health services are jointly charged with the management of such offenders (Gibbons-Wood, 2008, p. 232).P rior to my first assessment meeting with an individual charged with a sexual offence I used supervision from my workplace supervisor to discuss my concerns over my lack of experience in dealing with those service users convicted of schedule one offences. I felt I required more information on the individuals helping and convictions prior to this arranged contact to aid my preparation and knowledge of his criminal history. I explained to my supervisor that I wished to contact his social worker to collect this information, which would eternal sleep my concerns on this occasion with respect to his referral information being extremely brief.This allowed for more relevant preparation to be conducted and a strengthening in partnership working with his social worker as we shared professional opinions and other information relevant to the purpose of his referral to the service. This professional partnership working adhered to the MAPPA framework in assisting our delivery of effective and a pplicable practice (McNeill and Whyte, 2007). The preparation on this occasion also included me independently requesting a risk assessment to be carried out originally meeting the individual via one-to-one engagement.As I have to date had no sex offender or collusion training I requested this be carried out with support from my colleagues. My workplace supervisor explained to me that this is not mandatory within the policies and procedures of the organisation however I explained that I felt it to be obligatory on this occasion and how I felt it would positively assist future practice. Following the expression my concern I was forwarded risk assessment paperwork from my superior in which I passed onto the individuals social worker to be completed.The risk assessment paperwork aimed to allow his social worker to Make professional judgement on the level of risk this individual may pose onto staff members whilst detailing their conviction and victim group and showing what they recomme nd for risk management for the named individual (Agency Policy, 2011a). I felt in my request for such an assessment to be carried out I displayed competence in my ability to use resources to aid my working relationships and support a safe working environment.Although it was not essentially common practice within my agency is proved to be good practice in assisting my readiness for initial contact. Conclusively, a dilemma I faced throughout the duration of my practice placement was that the agency was not a statutory organisation. This meant that my work on a day to day basis was not always governed by national guidelines and government legislation, instead by organisational policies and procedures which were in certain cases only influenced by this relevant legislation.I responded to this by working as well as I could within the provisions set from both my organisation and those in place for me to best utilise my skills as a social work student. Working in the closest relation to th e obligations I have as a trainee practicioner from the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 I acknowledged that the need to have an understanding of legal issues which service users may face even though there may not be a direct social work responsibility involved in the issue (Brammer, 2010, p. ). I understand that I am not a qualified or approved social worker therefore I am not yet liable for to make individual decisions without the input of supervision from colleagues (Lackey, 2006). However, I aimed to show my accountability to the vast array of individuals and organisations I came into contact with over the duration of direct practice learning disrespect my obligations lying mostly with the organisation I was practicing within.

Final Exam Guide Essay Example for Free

Final Exam Guide EssayQuestion 1 How would you define favored dra succeedg cardship? What standard do you apply when evaluating attractionship success? Is it possible to predict success based on brass sectional cultures or other factors? tin examples to support your answer.SolutionSuccessful loss leadership is the ability to channel and coordinate the energy of the group to attain the desired goals of the business. It is the capacity to motivate and inspire pursuit to go beyond the distance of their perceived limitations, to rise to the challenges of the task at hand, and to seek out innovative and novel solutions. In a word, success leadership is empowering. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, A good leader inspires people to view confidence in the leader a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves. A successful leadership place be evaluated by the following standards a) Example A successful leader leads by example, which is the cite to authentic le adership. This is demonstrated by working hard, making difficult decisions, taking risks, and personal sacrifices. b) Integrity There are no shortcuts to success. A successful leader is honest, dependable and uncompromising on his or her work and business ethics.c) Solid goals A successful leader has solid goals and direction, which are communicated to the team. The leader makes the team refer and take ownership of the businesss goals in order to motivate them to achieve these goals. d) Knowledge A leader is equipped with pick outledge and skills necessary for the enterprise. The leader leverages the teams best chance of success by knowing and soul the obstacles, competition and risks present in an endeavor. e) Autonomous A successful leader provides for autonomy by empowering the members to think, innovate and own the solution to a problem. f) High Expectations A successful leader expects a high level of excellence from the team. Expectations create results people want to proud of their work. However, high expectation does not mean perfection. Rather, it is nurture through experience and errors, and being accountable for ones mistakes.g) humbleness A successful leader knows the value ofteamwork and gives credit where it is due. Leadership is not about personalities it is about directing the groups efforts toward the completion of an endeavor. h) Execution A successful leader has the discipline to get things done. He or she can bridge the gap between theory and actual execution of a plan. Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy is an Indian businessman and co-founder of Infosys, which was founded in 1981. Mr. Murthy served as CEO of Infosys from 1982 to 2002, and as chairman from 2002 to 2011.He stepped down from the board in 2011, and became Chairman Emeritus. Mr. Murthy embodies the ideals of a successful leadership. He is a top leader, an institution builder, and an IT legend. He empowered his executives, management team and workers. He encouraged and nurtured leadership qualities in the organization through mentoring and training. He institutionalized good values of honesty and integrity throughout the organization. Question 2 What methods exist to develop leaders in an organization? What methods does your organization use? Why? father any methods been counterproductive? In what flairs? SolutionThere are various approaches to leadership development in an organization that exit be curtly describes as follows 1) Formal Development Programs In its basic format, a formal computer program consists of a classroom seminar covering basic theories and principles of leadership. It can be in the form of a tailored development program fitted to serve the needs of the peculiar(prenominal) organization. It can in addition be open-enrollment programs offered by private and academic institutions. 2) 3600 Feedback This is also known as a multi-source feedback, and a multi-rater feedback. This method involves systematically collecting assessments of a persons performance from different sources, which typically consists of supervisors, peers, subordinates, customers, and other stakeholders. 3) administrator Coaching This method is defined as a practical, goal-oriented form of personal and one-on-one learning. Coaching is usually used to improve individual performance, enhance a career, or work through organizational issues.4) Job Assignments This method works under the assumption that experience is the best teacher. This method trains would-be leaders in an organization by giving them a variety of job assignments that will expose them to different work environments hence, it allows them to adapt, and become betterstrategic thinkers. 5) Mentoring Mentoring programs typically oppose a senior and a junior manager, but pairing can also occur between peers. Mentoring involves advising and passing on lessons learned from the senior to the junior partner. 6) Networking Some organizations include development activi ties designed to foster broader individual networks for better connection with partners in a global community. Leaders are expected to know not only the in and out of the organization, but also know who in terms of problem-solving resources. 7) Reflection Introspection and reflection can foster self-understanding and understanding from lessons learned from experience. In leadership development, reflection can be used to uncover a persons hidden goals, talents, and values, as well as their impact on a persons work.8) Action Learning This is a project-based learning method characterized by a continuous process of learning and reflection, aided by colleagues, and with an emphasis on getting things done. This method connects individual development to the process of helping organizations respond to major business problems. 9) Outdoor Challenges This is a team-building experience in an outdoor or wilderness setting, designed to overcome risk-taking fears, and to promote teamwork and le adership skills. Our organization uses formal programs to develop leaders. Recognizing that a classroom-based learning, while patrician and flexible, is limited in the actual transfer of competencies, the formal program serves as a shell under which various development methods are incorporated.Hence, the formal program is structured by combining theoretical learning and problem-based learning. Then, a 360-degree feedback is given to each participant, which serves as a basis for an in-depth reflection. For intimately people, the 360-degree feedback is difficult to handle for several(prenominal) reasons. The primary reason is an inherent resistance to permute. another(prenominal) reason is the overwhelming amount of data, which can be complex, inconsistent, and difficult to interpret and translate into an action or conduct that can correct a given problem. Mere knowledge and acceptance of ones developmental needs are not adequate to bring about change. There is a need for follow-u p guidance and support. That is why participants are also given short-term coaching to identify specific areas of concern and how to resolve these concerns.Question 3 In The Art and Science of Leadership, Nahavandi writes about the dark side of power. Provide an example. What organizational factors contributed to the leaders behavior? What were consequences of the behavior? SolutionNahavandi cites corruption as the dark side of power. An example of a scandal that shocked the corporate world was the case of the German applied science giant Siemens in 2006. A regulatory investigation revealed that hundreds of employees, spearheaded by Siemens top executives, had been siphoning millions of Euros into bogus deals to pay massive bribes to government officials and business contacts to win contracts in Russia and Nigeria. A trial judge described the scandal as a blatant disregard of business ethics and a systematic answer of organized irresponsibility that was implicitly condoned by mana gement.The scandal resulted to the departure of Siemens top executives, including then CEO Klaus Kleinfield, who was later convicted of corruption, placed on probation for 2 years, and fined 160,000 Euro for his complicity. Hans-Werner Hartmann, who was the method of accounting head in the companys telecommunications arm, was also placed on probation for 18 months and fined 40,000 Euro. The scandal cost Siemens around 2.5 billion Euro to pay for fines, reparations and damages. The truehearted was also barred from dealings with certain clients. The cost to Siemens employees, who had to endure intense public scrutiny and shame, is difficult to quantify.Organizational factors that contributed to a culture of grafting within Siemens were identified as follows an aggressive growth strategy that compelled managers to resort to bribes in order to meet performance targets a complex and matrix-like organizational structure that allowed divisions to operate independently, with no establishe d checks and balances poor accounting processesa corporate culture openly tolerant of bribes.It should be noted that bribes were tax-deductible, and were the norms, not the exceptions, in German business practice at that magazine.Question 4 What obstacles exist for leaders involved in participatory management? What methods may a leader employ to overcome these obstacles?SolutionParticipative management, also known as employee involvement and empowerment, encourages the participation of all the organizations stakeholders in the analysis of problems, development of strategies, and carrying into action of solutions. While participative management seems like a utopian ideal, leaders face many obstacles in its effective implementation.One obstacle is encouraging the participation of employees in the managerial process of planning and making decisions. Employees may not fully participate due to lack of competencies, lack of confidence, and fear of rejection. Another reason is the employe es lack of trust that his or her contributions will be valued. The presence of tension and rivalry among employees are also barriers to effective communication, and ability to work together. Leaders can address these issues by being sincere in their desire to implement participative management. Leaders should strengthen communication within the workplace, and initiate team-building activities to strengthen bonds between peers, and between employees and management. Training programs should also be initiated to develop employees competencies, leadership skills and self-confidence.Once employees are fully committed to engage in participative management, other obstacles arise, which includes the amplification of the complexity of the organizations activities and the growing volume of information that managerial decisions are based on. These can lead to difficulty in getting things done, and slow response time to issues that need fast reactions and actions. Leaders cannot solve these obs tacles alone these require the concerted effort of the entire organization.However, leaders can take the lead in commission responsibilities to reduce the hierarchic levels in the organization, and to decentralized authority so that the organization can respond to issues quickly and efficiently. Leaders can also establish feel circles, which are composed of around 8 to 10 employees along with the supervisor who share areas of responsibility among themselves. These circles can meet regularly to discuss problems in their single areas andbrainstorm for solutions, which they can later present to the entire organization as a fully developed action plan. In this way, the complexity of participative management is simplified.Another obstacle to participative management concerns security issues. It is harder to ensure confidential information go forwards within the organization when more people are involved in managerial decisions. This confidential information can include patents, and p roduct research and development. Leaders can address this obstacle by motivating employees to be accountable for their actions and to stay committed to the company by valuing their contributions. Question 5 What are some reasons employees and managers resist change? As a leader, what methods would you use to help employees and managers adapt to change? SolutionAdaptability to change is a prerequisite to become successful in the modern world characterized by increasing global awareness and fast dollar volume of technology. Organizations must respond to change and be willing to change to retain their competitive edge and relevance. However, implementing organizational changes are daunting for leaders, not least because most employees and managers resist change. The common reasons why employees resist change are the following change promotes fear, insecurity and uncertainty,difference in perception and lack of understanding,reaction against the way change is presented,cynicism and lac k of trust,and threats to vested interest.In order to overcome resistance to change, leaders can involve workers in the change process by openly communicating about the need for change, providing consultation to alleviate employees fears, and being sensitive to employees concerns. In order to implement change, leaders must decide on the method they will use to overcome resistance to change, and modify behavior. The three-step approach is an example of such a method it is characterized by three basic stages unfreezing, changing, and refreezing. 1) Unfreezing Most people prefer to maintain the status quo, which isassociated with stability, rather than confronting the need for change. The starting stage, therefore, of a change process must involve unfreezing old behaviors, processes, and structures.This stage develops an awareness of the need for change, and the forces that supports and resists change. sensation is facilitated with one-on-one discussions, presentations to groups, mem os, reports, company newsletter, seminars, and demonstrations. These activities are designed to educate employees about the deficiencies of the current set-up and the benefits of the replacement. 2) Changing This stage focuses on learning new behaviors, and implementing the change. Change is facilitated when employees become uneasy with the identified deficiencies of the old system, and are presented with new behaviors, role models, and support structures. 3) Refreezing This stage focuses on reinforcing new behaviors, usually done by positive results, public recognition, and rewards.

Will ethical behavior pay off in long run?

Will honourable behavior pay off in abundant run?Answer I do believe that ethical behavior draw out pay off in the long run, however I do not believe it go forth pay off as much as people expect it to. People want ethical behavior to be widespread and change the world, unless the truth is that some people give never be ethical. Plus, what is ethical to one person is unethical to another. It depends all in the way individuals interpret things. So although I think that consistently acting ethical and passing those beliefs down through the generations will pay off, I do not believe it will pay off as much as people want it to.Definition Pearson Custom Publishing (Pearson, 1998-2002) defines morals as the standards of conduct and moral judgment. Markula Center for Applied Ethics (1995-1998) defines ethics as those standards that compel one to refrain from committing crimes against another person such as stealing, murder, assault, slander, and fraud. It is withal the standards that encourage honesty, integrity, compassion and loyalty. Ethics is not a unearthly principle, nor is it based on feelings ab surface a particular problem. It cannot be defined as a legal suffice because laws atomic number 18 created to protect rights, not manage ethical principles.While the definition may seem clear, ethics as a practice is somewhat ambiguous since interpretation plays a big part in how people perceive right from wrong. The Markala Center for Applied Ethics (1995-1998) states that in localise to understand the meaning of ethics we must find answers the following questions, According to what standards are these actions right or wrong? What character traits (like honesty, compassion, fairness) are necessary to hot a truly human life?Defining ethics is relatively easy compared to practicing ethics in the imprint place. Since the primary concern of most bloodes is the commode line, the ethical views may differ based on the type of business. good views of emp loyees may also differ from the views of the company. This can cause conflict among workers and management as companies strive to improve the bottom line. Personal ethics may be compromised in an effort to keep a job.Most Renowned companies like Enron, Satyam, Lehman Brothers, Tyco, Worldcom, Adelphia, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Arthur Anderson . Came aerobatics down. They were the darling of the masses as well as the bourses. They were seen to be responsible to employees, shareholders, suppliers, customers. All the reputation and trust built over years was wiped off due to unethical practices.For a business to be successful, it privation not compromise with mortality. The more the business does something unethical or illegal the more likely that it will be caught. When ethical environment is poor, organizational performance suffers because of poor group dynamics and suppressed communication. In unethical organizations the employee morale is badly affected departure organiza tions vulnerable to setbacks.Sound ethics is necessary precondition of any long term business enterprise. Excellence in business must exist on foundation of values that most of us hold dear. Without a base of shared values, trust and mutual bring ins, todays national and international business would fall apart. elementary principles of integrity and fairness can build an enduring reputation.No separate ethical laws are required we already have a plethora of laws comprehend every(prenominal) facet of businessThe Factories workIndian Contract ActSale of Good ActCompanies ActThe Consumer Protection ActThe Indian Forests ActPrevention of Corruption ActThe Mines and Minerals (Regulation Development Act)Agriculture Marketing ActPrescription Drug Marketing ActAccounting ActIn the twenty-first snow in the age of instant noodles and instant instruction, stakeholders can not be taken for granted and they evaluate the business on the following yardsticksIs the business complying with the law of the land?Does the business have a sense of propriety?Do product claims match reality?How forth Coming is the company with information sharingHow does the company handle third party ethicsHow charitable is the company?How does the company react when faced with negative disclosures?Responsible careBusiness should not be considered as a commercial activity aimed at maximizing profit. Profit to be maximized but not at the cost of right to shareholders, suppliers and customers. Business should always take into consideration aspects of human rights and social responsibility. Wealth and knowledge must always be shared with the community as irrigate in village pond unlike water in a private well.Pay Back TimeEthical behavior induces further ethical behavior. Employees who are treated ethically will be more likely to behave ethically with customers and business associates. Ethical behavior/decision making will overtake unethical or immoral practices in the long run. Ethical beh avior results in confidence, stability of mind and soundness of position, restful sleep and spat free life. Energies are freed for maximum productivity, creativity, flow of knowledge, information and reasoning capabilities. While practicing unethical behavior one has to engage in exhaustive subterfuge, resulting in squandered effectiveness and reduced success.Satisfy your Inner selfBeing ethical is doing the right thing when no one is watchingIntegrity has no need of rules.Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobodys going to know whether you did it or not-Oprah Winfrey.Most ReversedTatas were among the first families in India to spread their wealth and wisdom for the benefit of humanity, some examplesIn 1998 the Tata Mills failed to pay a dividend. The name Tata was at stake. Sir Jamesedji Tata risked his personal fortune to save a public company, displaying that people mattered to him before profits.In 1924 when Tata Steel was its lowest ebb with no money to pay co-workers, Sir Dorabji Tata risked his entire personal fortune of Rupees One Crore(of that time) which also included his wifes jewelry to get a loan from Imperial Bank of India, for public limited company to save the name of Tatas.One of the guiding principles of JRD Tata was-No success or achievement in material terms is worthwhile unless it serves the needs or interests of the country and its people and is achieved by fair and honest factor. Business as a spiritual hobbyhorse encapsulates JRDs philosophy and the ethos of the group he symbolized by stating that we (in Tatas) have retained the fire of idealism and in its glow we have come to recognize that no wealth or power can be more valuable than our dignity no loss or profit can be more circumstantial than loss of our credibility no skills or qualification can substitute the integrity of our character.ConclusionUtilizing the principles of ethics in the decision making process will help to ensure that decisions made are fai r and respect the rights of those parties involved. Unfortunately, ethical decision making is only as morally sound as the person making the decision. If the person making the decision is does not live by an ethical code, the decision will be swayed in the direction of that belief. Therefore, in coiffure to make sound ethical decisions, decision makers must constantly evaluate their own beliefs and strive to live in an ethical manner and that will by all odds pay off in longer run.Referenceshttp//www.sptimes.com/News/110200/NIE/Treat_others_as_you_w.shtmlhttp//www.powerhomebiz.com/books/ethics101.htmhttp//essaysforstudent.com/tag/ethical%20behaviour/page1.htmlhttp//www.allbusiness.com/buying_exiting_businesses/3503597-1.htmlhttp//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethical_ trineinghttp//www.businessballs.com/ethical_management_ leadership.htm7. Fu, Jie, and Joshua Hall. Forthcoming. Fremont General Corporation. In Booms and Busts An Economics Encyclopedia, Mehmet Odekon, editor. New York M.E. Sharpe.8. Morningstar. 2009. Our 2009 CEO of the Year Nominees. Online at http//news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=269242. interrogate 2Within the business context business are expected to have good ethical values and act socially responsible. The problem is that the ethics of a business is a mixture of individual sets of ethics. This is why it is important to have good individuals as employees. It is also equally important that when you go to work somewhere that you feel like you share the values of those you work with. Ethics is not just talking about the right thing. It is doing what is right in every decision that is made.Based on the above observation discuss the impact on society that ethical leaders can make.American corporations dole out an estimated 15 billion dollars per year on training and consulting for up and coming mangers and leaders. Some target high performers and potential leaders within the organization. Others believe that leadership is more about what you do rather than who you are and, therefore, everyone in the organization is capable of becoming a leader. We have been arguing and writing about the acquirement and practice of management since the too soon 1900s, and about leadership for at least 2000 years, all in an effort to demystify both. Is management, in fact, a practice, an art, or a science? Are leaders born or made? What do managers actually do? The argument continues.- It is important to have good individuals as your employees but it is also important that those employees should be ethical because only they make the right decision and make others to follow.Some of the theories that tells us about the leadership ethics are being given to us by some of the philosophers as they are really heplfull they are given below-Heifetzs Theory -Leadership involves authority to help following uphold values in the workplace.Burns Theory Emphasizes the moral development of followers and maintains high standards of moral condu ct.Greenleafs Theory Strong ethical overtones, true leadership is service to others.Moral development plays a vital role in building up good ethics.Acc. To john lockeA new born fry is a blank tablet on which life script can be written.Experience and learning shapes the content, structure and direction of a persons life.Examples of Great Ethical LeadersCyrus the Great (590 BC-529 BC)The study of Cyrus the Great and establishment of his ethical Persian empire some 2500 years ago is a good indication that in our time the concept of world order based on ethics, ethical state, peace and harmony among nations are not an impossible goal and illusion. In this century the most fundamental and essential ingredients of an evolution towards these goals are democracy, freedom of expression, freedom of choice, freedom of religion, cultural toleration, human rights, political feedback mechanism, open trade policy, and open communication theory among people in this globe. The ethics of life are the pursuit of awareness for us and others. The ultimate goal is total awareness. Ethical organization is a means of achieving that goal by raising man to a higher state of total awareness. Ethical leaders can lead men toward Ethical Government and Society, which can lead man to total awareness. To increase mans power is always ethical. However, only men who use power to expand awareness are ethical. men who use power to diminish awareness are unethical.Business ethics in the fieldAs part of more comprehensive compliance and ethics programs, many companies have formulated internal policies pertaining to the ethical conduct of employees. These policies can be simple exhortations in broad, highly world(a)ized language (typically called a merged ethics statement), or they can be more detailed policies, containing specific behavioral requirements (typically called incorporate ethics codes). They are generally meant to identify the companys expectations of workers and to offer coun sellor on handling some of the more common ethical problems that might arise in the course of doing business. It is hoped that having such a policy will lead to greater ethical awareness, consistency in application, and the avoidance of ethical disasters.An increasing number of companies also require employees to attend seminars regarding business conduct, which often include preaching of the companys policies, specific case studies, and legal requirements. Some companies even require their employees to sign agreements stating that they will abide by the companys rules of conduct.Many companies are assessing the environmental factors that can lead employees to engage in unethical conduct. A competitive business environment may call for unethical behavior. Lying has become expected in palm such as trading. An example of this is the issues surrounding the unethical actions of the Saloman Brothers.Not everyone supports corporate policies that govern ethical conduct. Some claim that e thical problems are better dealt with by depending upon employees to use their own judgment.Others believe that corporate ethics policies are primarily rooted in utilitarian concerns, and that they are mainly to limit the companys legal liability, or to curry public favor by giving the appearance of being a good corporate citizen. Ideally, the company will avoid a grammatical case because its employees will follow the rules. Should a lawsuit occur, the company can claim that the problem would not have arisen if the employee had only followed the code properly.Sometimes there is disconnectedness between the companys code of ethics and the companys actual practices. Thus, whether or not such conduct is explicitly sanctioned by management, at worst, this makes the policy duplicitous, and, at best, it is precisely a marketing tool.To be successful, most ethicists would suggest that an ethics policy should beGiven the unequivocal support of top management, by both say and example.Exp lained in writing and orally, with periodic reinforcement.Doable.something employees can both understand and perform.Monitored by top management, with routine inspections for compliance and improvement.Backed up by clearly utter consequences in the case of disobedience.Remain neutral and nonsexist.The effectiveness of ethics officers in the marketplace is not clear. If the appointment is made primarily as a reaction to legislative requirements, one might expect the efficacy to be minimal, at least, over the short term. In part, this is because ethical business practices result from a corporate culture that consistently places value on ethical behavior, a culture and climate that usually emanates from the top of the organization. The mere establishment of a position to deal ethics will most likely be insufficient to inculcate ethical behavior a more systemic programmed with consistent support from general management will be necessary.The foundation for ethical behavior goes well b eyond corporate culture and the policies of any given company, for it also depends greatly upon an individuals early moral training, the other institutions that affect an individual, the competitive business environment the company is in and, indeed, society as a whole.The caring leaders focuses on the public assistance of Customers Employees Shareholders Community Define problems Find out best alternatives Collect informationReligious views on business ethicsThe historical and global importance of religious views on business ethics is sometimes underestimated in standard introductions to business. Particularly in Asia and the Middle East, religious and cultural perspectives have a strong figure out on the conduct of business and the creation of business values.Examples includeIslamic banking, associated with the avoidance of charging interest on loans.Traditional Confucian disapproval of the profit-seeking motive.Quaker good word on fair dealing.

Impact of Globalisation on Construction Industry

Impact of globalisation on Construction IndustryIn his book The Lexus and the Olive tree Thomas Friedman (2000) described the world as comme il faut an increasingly interwoven place, and whether you be a company or a country, your threats and opportunities increasingly derive from who you ar connected to. Further much, it relievorictd globoseisation as .a web- same(p) social organization .. An inexorable integration of marketplaces, nation- evidences and technologies to a degree never witnessed before- in a way that is enabling individuals, corporations and nation-states to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than ever before. globalisation aid by an increase availability of cheap accessible in strainingation and engineering has broken down to a far greater proscribedcome the walls of protectionism and trade barriers reservation it easier for someone in a remote city of Brazzaville (Congo) to carryout business transactions like buying and selling of shares in the world stock market, engage in sound out venture enterprise, carryout world-wide procurement, import and export goods and function from all everywhere the world without leaving the sitting room.This integration of markets and economies with the aid of in radiation diagramation and technology described in many writings as world(prenominal)isation or free market economy has created a huge opportunity for business and enthronements worldwide. These investments on the other hand creates interdep haltency on individuals, companies and nation-states performance and towering economic risks which has had disastrous effects all over the world like the Latin Ameri bear debt crisis in the late 1980s, the Southeast Asian recession of the late 90s and the recent world economic recession.This presentation will explain what globalisation means for everybody from the modal(a) man in the street to the CEO of a local anesthetic company and up to a countrys economic and politic al stability. role 2 will define globalisation, its features and what it means to everyone, it will also explore the standing of the construction diligence in the worlds economy. Section 3 will discuss the impact and challenges of globalisation on the construction and engineering industry aided by a draft imaginary scenario.AimTo discuss the impact of globalisation on construction companies and their products, services and projects.Section 2Understanding globalisationDiscussions of globalisation are currently dominating the intellectual and public discourse. It could mean diametrical things to different people beca character the multiple definitions attached to it. While some view it as an evil trend towards dehumanization and economic domination others view it as a multifaceted phenomenon that pauses challenges and offers opportunities (Mahgoub, 2004). The French and other continental europeans for example see globalisation as a new form of imperialism (from the US) or as a ne w be of crackingism in the age of electronics (Intriligator, 2004).Intriligator (2004) described it as major increases in worldwide trade and exchanges in an increasingly open, integrated, and border little international economy, not only in traditional international trade in goods and services, but also in exchanges of currencies in capital movements in technology alter in people paltry by means of international travel and migration and in international f grim of information and ideas. Finally, Yeung (2009) considers globalisation as necessarily an integrating set of tendencies that op epochte on the global scale and intensify connections and give ears crosswise territorial borders and regions citing what it calls the ruthless penetration of global cultures epitomized by McDonalds, Hollywood movies, MTV, and internet as an example.Govindarajan and Gupta (2000) defined what globalisation could mean to tercet different level of aggregationTo the entire world, globalisation ref ers to the aggregate level of economic interdependence among the various countries examplified by the fact that the total asset surface of cross-border mergers and acquisitions grew by 15.5 per cent in 1996, 45.2 per cent in 1997 and 73.9 per cent in 1998 (UNCTAD, 1999)To a specific country, globalisation refers to the extent of the interlinkages among that particular countrys economy and the rest of the world measured by exports and imports as a ratio of GDP, inward and superficial flow of both conflicting direct investment and portfolio investment, and inward and outward flows of royalty payments associated with technology transfer.To a specific industry, globalisation refers to the degree to which, within that industry, a companys combative position within one country is interdependent with its competitive position in another country measured by the extent of cross-border trade within the industry as a ratio of total worlwide production, extent of cross-border investment as a ratio of total capital invested in that industry, and proportion of industry revenue accounted for by players competing in all major regions of the world.Pre-history besides of all the different definitions and interpretations surrounding globalisation, one thing is sure globalisation is not a new thing. Some economists and historians has suggested that present day globalisation is superficial more than a return to the world economy of the late 19th and early 20th century, of the century from the congress of Vienna in 1815, the period 1870 to 1913 and from the irruption of world war 1 in 1914 to the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 (Intriligator, 2004, Friedman, 2000, Hutton, 2008). At that magazine borders were relatively open and there were true international capital flows and migrations of people, when the major nations of Europe depended critically on international trade as part of the colonial system (Friedman, 2000, Intriligator, 2004).What differentiates this era from th e past era of globalisation is the virtuous number of people and countries involved and the intensity driven by several unprecedented developments likeTechnological advancesTechnological advances has lowered significantly the cost of everything from transportation, communication, entropy extremitying, information storage and retrieval and human resources development. Tools like internet and mobile phones has enhanced the way countries and industries relate to each other bringing everybody closer. It has also contributed to arcadian developments by em office staffing emerging nations to shop around in the international arena for partners, investors and best financial deals for their respective projects thereby reducing the level of under-developments and poverty and at the same time providing substantial potential opportunities for MNCs and investors from the developed nations. Many companies locate different parts of their production, research and marketing units in different co untries but slake bring them together through videoconferencing, internet and emailsTrade liberalizationthe 1946 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) adopted by many nations has been the key to a series of reductions in the tariffs levied on manufactured goods thereby opening different markets and fostering trade around the world. The agreement which later evolved into the World Trade arrangement (WTO) has been accredited to the rapid developement of the BRIC nations(Brazil, Russia, India and China) whose manufactured products like heavy machineries, technology transfers and consumer goods are being sold worlwide bringing-in lots of foreign reserves and an increase in their make Domestic Production (GDP) and an advantageous trade surplus to some countries like China. Also successive rounds of multilateral trade negotiations, together with regional arrangements such as the European Union,the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economi c Relations agreement, have been major forces for international liberalization (Hufbauer and Warren, 1999)Economic liberalizationThe step-by-step elimination of barriers on Foreign Direct enthronements put in place after WWII liberalised international capital movements. Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) means the amount of investment a company from country A can make in country B. These investments could be in the form of acquisitions, joint ventures, management and consultancy, technological transfer or simply building a production unit in a foreign country. The virtually profound effect has been seen in developing countries, where per annum foreign direct investment flows have increased from an average of less than $10 billion in the 1970s to a yearly average of less than $20 billion in the 1980s, exploding from $26.7billion in 1990 to $179 billion in 1998 and $208 billion in 1999. FDI into developed countries in 2004 blush wine to $636 billion, from $481 billion in 1998 (sou rce UNCTAD cited by Jeffery P. Graham, 2005). It has been make possible by the elimination of labors by the receiving countries, cheaper and easier access to information technology and low global communication costs.OthersOther factors likeimmigration which has witnessed lesser restriction due to lower travelling costseconomic shifts in balance and presidential terms policiesindustrial revolution break-dance construction material and equipmentconvergence of ideology experient at the end of the cold war with the survival of capitalism over socialismsocial welfare reformscontributed a lot in differentiating the era of globalisation we live in now to the era before WW 1 II and have seen the construction and engineering empyrean experience a radical step-up as never seen before.Construction and engineeringThe construction industry today is a global industry which according to Krisen Moodley et al, (2008) means the operation of contractors and consultants across international marke ts, in a globalized context with supply chains, specialists, plant and equipment sourced across the world. This section will identify the place of the construction industry in a global environs.Global construction industry.The global construction industry consists of the procurement of new projects, increasing commitment for the provide of services, equipment, components, materials, maintenance, finance, operations and research development (Krisen Moodley, 2008). Private sector participation is actively sought in the whole gamut of project phases-financing, construction, operation, etc. especially in major capital-intensive infrastructure projects. The design and consultancy services traded are knowl contact-based and full(prenominal) value-added, with the materials most frequently traded as every resource-specific or technology-dependent (Drewer, 1990). globalisation pressures have created more opportunities for contractors to enter international construction market which are va lued at approximately $3.4 trillion out of which, only 3.4% of its potential volume ($116 billion) is actually open to a fully international competitive market and being through by multinational foreign firms (Seung H. Han et al, 2005). As examples, in Dubai, the consultants, contractors, promote, technology, materials and equipment are sourced from across the world, patch the iconic Wembley stadium in London had an Australian contractor, multinational designers, Dutch steel contractors, American security specialists and a range of international materials suppliers (Krisen Moodley, 2008). Major projects like the Suez Canal in 1959-1969, the Panama Canal in 1900-1914, the New Hong Kong Airport, the roadway Tunnel and the Three Gorges Dam in China were carried out by contractors and consultants from different countries.Migration of the construction industrys major players was prompted by international trade and the quest by countries with sufficient non construction resources to sa tisfy their construction requirements. The oil rich countries of the Middle East were major promoters of this trend during the 1970s and 1980s although it actually started centuries ago during the era of industrialisation. One form of industrialisation then was prefabrication, which is based on the industrial manufacture of building components off-site or near the site. As long as the late 19th century, the British were sending prefabricated housing to Australia and Africa, and in 1830s, the manning portable Colonial Cottage for Emigrants was being produced and shipped to sites around the world (A.B.Ngowi, 2005).Globalisation and constructionearlier success in trade liberalization sparked an expansion of trade and FDI, increasing the demand for cross-border capital flows. This has increased the pressure for liberalization of capital markets, forcing more and more countries to open their capital accounts which in turn led to liberalization of Foreign Direct Investments and privatizat ion tournaments (Dieter Ernst, 2002) providing Global corporations with a greater range of choices for market entry and better access to external resources and capabilities.Today with the aid of globalised economy, technological advancements, free market and cultural harmonization, more construction firms are shifting their strategies towards achieving global market shares through joint ventures, acquisitions and FDI bringing in exchange, technological advances associated with formidable construction technology, enhanced management systems for scheduling, material tracking, subcontractors organisation, and financial capability which enable them to obtain good and low interest finance from major financiers, added Raftery et al, (1998).Institutional, legal and economic reforms that aided the globalisation of the construction and engineering industry include unified levy system as tumesce as business tax, consumption tax and VAT, economic liberalization, relaxation in foreign equity ( allowed up to 100%) in many countries, end to the non-discrimantion for domestic and foreign companies in bidding for public blend ins, deregulation and liberalization measures in housing market especially the abolition of price controls and land use intensity controls, privatization programmes and employment of foreign labour and 100% equity in Build Operate and Transfer concessions (Raftery et al, 1998) amongst others.Section 3DiscussionIf cash, commodity and creativeness are the key ingredients pick uped for a country to succeed in the changing global economy, as described by Lyons (2010), what does the construction and Engineering withdraw to succed in this racecourseerless globalisation system?. The global finance maret from where the industry obtains financing for its activities is so interdependent that it poses a huge threat and opportunity to the industry. A brief ilustration could be helpful in explaining this interdependence and its effects.Case scenarioThe Salisbury sports club, home of Zimbabwean cricket team in Harare, constructed by the British colonial get the hang in the days of Rhodesia, once had a efficacy of 26,000 people in 1956. 54 years later it can only take 10,000 so the government decides that the stadium capacity needs to be increased to 35,000 to reflect the current passion of cricket in the country. Zimbabwe with an inflation rate of over 900%, can incomplete afford to finance the project by itself or borrow from the international market and as such, its options are quite limited. It posted an open tender process invitation for the project on their website with preferred procurement method being FDBOT (Finance, Design, Operate and transfer) for a period between 25-30 years. One major obstacle apart from the economy, pointed out by contractors interested in the project is that there still exists restrictions on the ownership of land and public infrastructures in the country so the parliament in Harare had to remove these res trictions to attract foreign investors to their project.Being a major project of over 300m, the winning consortia led by Arup Engineering was make up of Barclays bank investment banking (supported by Chinese investment fund, pension fund from canada and mutual fund from the US), Masuita electrical company from Japan and Usiminas Steel company from Brazil. With the restriction lifted and the contract signed, the project started with the major contractor Arup bringing in technological prowess, management know-how and the money. Local construction industries were used for their understanding of the area and provision of cheap labour while plants and equipments were supplied by a company from neighbouring South Africa.10 months into the project, while the individual zimbabwean involved with the project was just almost getting to reap the benefit of a steady job and income, the Thailandese government posted a glum economic expectation and insinuated doubt on the countries capacity to pa y back loans from the world bank. This less than expected prediction sent a wave to the stock market in the asian region cause investors to start dumping Thailandese bonds and taking their money to invest elsewhere. The question is what has Thailand economy got to do with cricket stadium in Harare? Well, this massive sales made asian bonds as a whole lose almost 50 to 60% of their value which means that banks (including Barclays) and funds including (Pension funds from Canada) which invested in those bonds lost a considerable amount of their investment. But unconsciously, in a rush to put their money in a secured investment, the investors pushed the price of commodities up especially steel that rose from 250/tonne to 435/tonne.It wasnt long before the stadium project in Harare grinded to a halt. Reasons being that Barclays is the red and are currently speaking with the Qatari Investment group for bailout which if it fails, they could end up being owned by the taxpayers, the pension fund has suffered huge losses and are restructuring their management and this new team are reviewing all investments, the doubled price of steel means that Usiminas cannot deliver at the contracted price and wishes to revise the terms of the contract, the delays meant that expected date for the inaguration of the stadium was hold up by what could be one year and brings with it a substantial loss of fund from patronisers, the government of Harare are helpless, they have no control over immediate or future event concerning the project.AnalysisAlthough this is an imaginary scenario, it reflects what globalisation can bring to an industry like construction (expectations and pit falls) and how helpless the spirit can be when the table turns. All because of the interdependent global economy, trade and capital liberalization.ChallengesGlobalisation represents a major challenge and at the same time an unprecedented opportunity for the construction and engineering industry in terms of gre ater access to finance for concession projects etc, greater accessibility to FDI, greater strong point and division of labour on a world-wide level, greater opportunity for the local industry to acquire technological know-how and strategic positioning for the established company for a more competitive market.According to YIP et al (2006), companies with an established source of competitive advantage from its home or other existing country markets frequently finds it easier to increase global market share by adding new countries rather than by trying to increase share in existing countries. This gives them competitive edge in an increasingly globalised market open to stiff global competition. Competition stretched in all areas of the industry from products and services to quality of those products and services, cost, time and process innovation. exfoliationAlthough in a globalised construction market, there seems to be something for everyone, most projects are large scale construct ion which only the large technologically qualified contractors can carry out due to, sometimes added prequalification requirements in the bidding process, one which requires firms to demonstrate having secured certain amount of contracts with comparable magnitude and complexity which in turn, precludes medium-size operators or contractors.GrowthThat the industry has gone global does not mean fatter pockets. Although rationalization of production and the spread of technology including pressures for continual innovation globally will lead to increased productivity and efficiency it also drive costs down. Research has shown that profitability declines (fig.1) as companies begin to internationalise their business due to the difficulties of learning how to do so especially in different cultural setting. It gradually increases as the objective, of increasing market share, is achieved.ProtectionismConcerns has risen as to the challenges globalisation poses to the construction and engineeri ng sectors in emerging economies because of the divergence or polarisation of profits worldwide where bigger foreign industries backed by their governments and financial institutions witness a rapid outgrowth while the locals industry play catch up. Globalisation to E C means gradual erosion of barriers that hinder foreign companies from participating in local markets hence eliminating the distinction between local, regional and national markets. It means that international firms with capability continues to penetrate local markets leaving local consultants and contractors underdeveloped and in most areas out of the business. This might lead to protectionism or trade war as we are beginning to see with the currency war going on between the US and China.VulnerabilityAlso critics has underlined the perceived loss of sovereignty of national governments and political leaders due to the continuous influence of the investors (including MNCs) and international financiers in state affairs in an effort to protect their respective interests. Mutual vulnerability due to the fragility and interdependence of the international economic system, and the distribution of wealth created through globalisation which has seen more nations grow faster than others. While globalisation has been spearheaded by the cross-border operations of transnational corporations, the spatial transfer of business and industrial practices is by no means unproblematic. There remain significant place-based institutional limits to the globalisation of business cultures and economic practices. For example, while capital can be transferred almost effortless across space, labour remains highly place-bound and locally embedded (Yeung, 2009)Finance and economyShift in economic balance brought by globalisation means different challenges for developed and emerging markets. While the developed-world are expected to cut back their fiscal deficit, emerging world are to maintain low debt-to-GDP ratios, their un dervalued currencies, low-cost labour, high savings rate, exports and investment in infrastructure to sustain global uncertainties.Globalisation has favoured construction industries from developed contries, constraining the involvement of lesser developed industries as they neglect access to cheap financial markets and technology, making it difficult for them to compete. They can only show advantage perhaps in the area of labour deployment.Regional imbalanceGlobalisation has increased the risk of major regional and global instabilities due to the interdependence of economies. Its negative effect is devastating for the construction and engineering sector as witnessed by the recent global economic meltdown. Many countries like Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece that sustained a major part of their economy on the construction industry suffered firmly and have been finding it hard to restructure their respective economies ever since. The scars of the negative effect of economic interd ependence could still be seen in those countries and others in the midsection east like Dubai where loads of buildings remain uncompleted and the completed ones remain empty because the banks cannot lend to buyers, buyers cannot buy houses, the builder cannot sell hence cannot pay either the borrowed loans or the building contractors.Local contractorsIn Spain for example the recent economic meltdown forced one third of local contractors to close down while the remaining ones are with a considerably reduced portfolio because of their interface with major international contractors and consultants with global reputation and work portfolio that simply went burst when their cash flow seized. Some fortunate international contractors and consultants including David Langdon had to be absorbed by bigger and more stable companies to remain in the business.Impact on businessesCompetitionGlobalisation forces down the price of construction services by reducing the ability of firms to obtain exc ess shores through competitive pressure. Also, in the face of a margin squeeze, firms seek to reduce cost through the use of best available technology these cost reductions are in turn passed on to consumers in the form of lower prices. Companies in developed markets suffering from slower economic conditions are looking even more urgently to emerging markets, where more robust economies, substantial oil revenues and major deficits in the existing infrastructure spell opportunity, thereby fostering competition . Additionally, certain mature markets also seek to recruit seaward and bring in talent to meet demand on domestic projects (Hook, 2008).CostsGlobalisation allows construction and engineering firms to achieve economies of scale as they are increasingly liberated from the size constraints of their home markets. In technical terms, the demand elasticity coefficients facing individual firms increase with globalisation (Hufbauer and Warren, 1999). They will also need to lobby to l ower barriers that protect their suppliers, so they can take advantage of the law of one price in input markets. If inputs remain high or suppliers are unreliable, firms will be forced to relocate to countries where purchased input prices are lower and quality higher, finalised Hufbauer and warren, (1999).ProcurementGlobalisation has changed the way procurement is done. Participation of foreign contractors in domestic markets in the 1970s was as a result of pressure from donor agencies as a price for accepting their aid or funding, their projects. Today, advocates for trade not aid are thanking globalisation for creating opportunities for investment exemplified by the Chinese investment in infrastructure in Africa which according to McRae (2010) is much bigger than all Western aid programmes put together- real trade not aid. FDI still remains the preferred method but other means in which foreign investors may acquire an effective voice in an enterprise rather than through FDI includ e subcontracting, management contracts, turnkey arrangements, franchising, leasing, licensing and production sharing (UNCTAD, 2002)CommoditiesGlobalisation also have a huge impact on the factors of production which Bryan (2010) considers as where the real integration of the worlds economy begins. Bryan identified commodities, capital and labour as crucial towards understanding structural economic issues. On commodities it means that most natural resources and manufactured commodities like steel, aluminium, bauxite, crude oil, iron ore, with a global greenness price attached to it are expensive to producers in countries with weaker currencies. Simply put, commodity prices are alike high in emerging-market countries which mean they use fewer commodities than they would and too low in developed-world countries which means they use more commodities than they should. Furthermore the fact that commodities prices are set in truly global markets where nations have little power over prices suggests that financial tension will build earlier and with greater volatility.Growth and cooperationGlobalisation has brought growth to emerging countries that has invested substantially in the built purlieu building and infrastructure and has a huge dependency on imported construction services like the Asian countries. It brought huge profits as well to the contractors involved accounting for around 33% of their international earnings in 1996 (ENR, 1997). There is far more cooperation, consumer value changes, and the blurring of business borderlines in this global environment as global construction has to create and manage new forms of relationships with suppliers, producers, clients, financiers, governments and third sector groups (Moodley et al, 2008). The more usual arrangement for large projects now being for contractors, developers and financiers to form consortia in order to seize these players respective expertise, in addition to reducing project risks. This formation of strategic alliances would be an effective way of overcoming weakness or draw-backs that a firm may be exposed to in the increasingly competitive domestic or international setting (Raftery et al, 1998). For the local industry, it provides an opportunity to work with and comply with international standards, increase their efficiency and quality of work hence preparing them to be more competitive.Domestic policiesGovernments in a bid to attract increased foreign private sector equity into domestic construction markets are carrying out further institutional reforms, particularly in the banking and financial sectors and adopting certain measures likeRemoving or relaxing barriers in the tax repatriation of profitsAdopting a transaprent tax policy by way of granting equal tax treatment to foreign and local companiesAdopting double taxation relief agreements with other countriesOffering preferential interest rates for joint ventures where there is equity majority by local partners entry bil ateral agreements with foreign governments to guarantee safety of foreign investmentsRelaxed imposed ceilings on foreign equity on construction and development firmsThese policies as described by raftery et al (1998) brings in advantages like the interaction of foreign and local partners complementing each other. while the domestic associates having better understanding of the local working conditions takes care of the sources of labour and materials, the foreign firms bring into the joint venture their higher expertise in finance, technology and management know-how, creating a healthier, robust environment for private sector investment.Section 4ConclusionThis paper analysed the origin of the new era of globalisation the world lives in today, defining what it means to different aggregations. Construction as an industry has contributed enormously to the worlds economic growth with its estimated value of US$4trillion but has suffered equally when the world economy went burst due to it s global interface with the financiers of their worldwide activities. Globalisation brought far more cooperation, consumer value changes, and the blurring of business borderlines in this global environment as consultants, contractor, designers, financiers, governments, labour, material suppliers, technology suppliers, plant and equipment specialists all converge in a new form of relationship aimed at a better working environment towards delivering a common project.Deregulations, affordable technology, trade liberalization and economic market policies has been the main drive for globalisation and the same vehicle has been responsible for driving many construction firms, especially from developed countries, through Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), joint ventures, acquisition etc into local and domestic construction markets both in developed and emerging countries. The impact has been huge from high profits and stronger multinationals to technological trans

Frankenstein | Feminist Interpretation

Frankenstein Feminist InterpretationIn most 18th century stories, men portray to be the more rule figure in the story or family. Women in the stories tend to be less important than the males. In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus, women are mention that very much and level off if they are, they end up being killed or dying. Feminist interpreters tend to think Shelley has remote man-centered views regarding gender roles. The idea of inactive women in a patriarchal society tremendously impacts the scheme of the fresh. This is a complicated topic because most of her women characters are quiet, content women who, at first, share little similarities with self-confident women. Women did not nurture many rights as men and they could not stand up for themselves. If a woman were to do so they would be label as impertinent and unthankful. Shelleys near on women is more complex than what we know it. She reveals to us that women are ambiguous and conflicting people, wit hout a vast amount of control. Shelley reveals the injustice discreetly all finished the book. All through the novel, Mary Shelley suggests that women are victims in a patriarchal world. In Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus, Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein, Justine Moritz, and Elizabeth Lavenza are examples victims of a patriarchal world, dominated by menCaroline Beaufort Frankenstein, superiors mother is a victim in a patriarchal world. After her fathers death, Caroline is taken in by, and later marries, Alphonse Frankenstein. She ends up marrying Alphonse, a friend of her father. Alphonse later became her protector, he came wish well a protecting spirit to the poor female child, who committed herself to his care and after the interment of his friend he conducted her to geneva and placed her under the protection of a relation. Two years after this event Caroline became his wife (18). Alphonse is the dominate figure over Caroline, he is her protector. This shows women, like Caroline are not capable of taking care of themselves. In chapter 1, Shelley portrayal of Alphonses care for Caroline sounds as if she is in charge, Everything was made to yield to her wishes and her gubbins (19). This short description shows that Caroline is cherished by Alphonse, making her more dominate. Shelley tells how Alphonse, strove to shelter her, as a fair exotic is sheltered by the gardener, from every rougher wind and to surround her with all that could tend to excite pleasurable emotion in her soft and benevolent mind (19). Shelley seems to portray women as a frail person they needs to be care for by a man. Women, like Caroline appears to being incapable of taking care of themselves. This implies that women are victims in a patriarchal society, dominated by men.Justine Moritz lives with the Frankenstein family as their servant after her mother pass away. She is a victim in a patriarchal world, dominated by men. After William is murdered, the creature puts an image of Caroline, Williams mother, that William was carrying in Justines pocket and she is blame of murder. She later confesses wrongly to the crime out of trepidation of going to Hell. Victor did not reckon that she has murder William saying, Justine Moritz Poor, poor girl, is she the accused? But it is wrongfully everyone knows that no one believes it surely, Ernest? (62). Even after this she is still guilty of the murder and is executed. This reveals that Justine is a victim because even though she did not actually murder William, she was found guilty. The murdered was actually a male, the creature, yet Justine was punished. She is wrongfully executed for an action of a man. Justine is an innocent girl she would rather face the consequences of a murder conviction than be excommunicated by the church. Justine, a pure innocent soul, has no one defend her in trial. Yet, when Victor, a men, accused of killing Henry Clerval, has many people to defend him, a much more corrupt soul. For this reason Justine is put to death, therefore she is also a victim of a male dominate world.Elizabeth Lavenza is an example of women being victims in a male dominated world. Elizabeth is an orphan taken in by Victors parents. She is passive, delay for Victors return. She is a victim is a mans whole because all she does majority of the time in the novel is wait for him to return. After receiving the news that Victor has fallen deeply ill she immediately writes him a letter, My dear Friend, It gave me the greatest please to receive a letter from my unclemy poor cousin, how much you must have suffered I look to to see you looking even more ill than when you quitted GenevaMy uncle will send me news of your health, and if I see but one smile on your lips when we meet, occasioned by this or any other excretion of mine, I shall need no other happiness (165-166). Elizabeth seems obsess with Victor, Shelleys portrayal of her seems to be as if she is in need of Victor, as if she would die witho ut him. Elizabeth models the Victorian angel in the house. Victor describes her as a being heaven-sent. bearing a celestial stamp in all her features, fairer than pictured cherub (20). Victors description of Elizabeth makes us think that she is an angel. Victor is very fond of her, this show that Victor treasures her greatly, hence her being dominate over Victor for a moment. Victors action is the cause of Elizabeths death, because of the promise Victor broke to the creature he vows to take revenge on Victor. The creature ends up murdering Elizabeth on her vacation night with Victor. Even though at times Elizabeth appears to be dominating over Victor, he still surpasses and controls her, thus Elizabeth being a victim of a patriarchal world.throughout the story Shelley suggests that women are victims in a patriarchal world, dominated by men. Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus is an embodiment of Shelleys concern for feminine position and wideness in the 18th century patriarchal society. Shelleys approach on women tells us that women are ambiguous and contradictory, lacking power. Shelley reveals the inequality inconspicuously all through the story. Throughout the novel, Mary Shelley suggests that women are victims in a patriarchal world. Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein, Justine Moritz, and Elizabeth Lavenza are victims of a patriarchal world, dominated by men. Men are the reasons why these women were punished. The novel exemplifies the unfairness of women in the 18th century and in the novel.

New York Better Protected From Influenza Epidemic :: Journalism History Media Essays

New York Better Protected From Influenza EpidemicNEW YORK--These past few warring age have left the nations of the human beings in various stages of devastation and destruction, and the world population has been decimated by battles and disease. Here, in New York, we definitely see the outcomes of the war on the economy and industry, and unfortunately, the citizens of New York be also not safe from the deadly Spanish influenza epidemic that has been sweeping the globe. Even though the New York Times reported on frightful 15, 1918, that there is no quarantine here against influenza, that was an overly optimistic report. Now the Great War is coming to an end and the Allies are getting walking(prenominal) and closer to victory against the Germans. Even though war casualties hit many Europeans countries hard, something else is spreading around the globe that is leaving behind a much greater trail of casualties. The influenza of the season is a much stronger strain than the one t hat usually feels like a common cold, and it shows a strange pattern of morbidity. unremarkably influenza kills infected people who are elderly or young children. The influenza strain of 1918, however, is making victims of people between 20 and 40 years old. As The New York Times reported early in the year German parade fell sick with influenza. This Spanish influenza that affected the troops is called so because it originally affected millions in Spain. Many articles in The New York Times discussed the possibility of the influenza spreading to American and Allied troops with contact with other troops through No Mans Land, but hopes were high that the Americans would not be affected because they were strong and not undernourished. These proved to be ludicrous hopes, and now Americans, British and French alike are affected by the Spanish influenza. Here at home in New York, in kinsfolk of 1918, the Health Commissioner of New York City announced that there was no danger of a n epidemic in New York City and people should not worry. Only a few days later in October 1918, more than 800 New Yorkers died in a single day. The Spanish influenza first reached epidemic proportions in capital of Massachusetts earlier this year and then it affected our great New York. What is truly frightening about this horrible epidemic is that people are dying genuinely quickly from the flu.

Film Review of Poseidon :: essays research papers

Poseidon, directed by Wolfgang Petersen, is an action-packed adventure thriller that is loosely the remake of the 1970s movie The Poseidon Adventure. It has the same basic story idea, but has completely different characters. And although the characters end up being dull and seemingly useless, the movie is very fun and exciting to watch.It takes place on New Years Eve aboard the cruise post Poseidon. As the guests be counting down the seconds until midnight, a very large rascal wave is spotted. It hits the cruise enthrall and flips the intact thing upside-down, but it remains rudderless. Most of the crew and some passengers die instantly, others are badly injured, and the rest are fine with the exception of minor injuries. One man, Dylan (Josh Lucas) decides he is going to get out of the ship through with(predicate) the bottom, knowing the ship wasnt meant to stay afloat upside-down. And although reluctant at first, he allows a few others to join him, including Robert (Kurt Ru ssel) a former mayor and firefighter, Richard (Richard Dreyfuss) a lonely gay man, Valentin (Freddy Rodriguez) a ship employee, and Maggie and her news (Jacinda Barrett and Jimmy Bennett).Along the way, they pick up Roberts daughter, Jennifer (Emmy Rassum) and her fianc Christian (Mike Vogel), Elena (Mia Maestro) a friend of Valentin, and Lucky Larry (Kevin Dillon) a poker player. While trying to make it through the ship, they are faced with many obstacles. The ship is filled with water, flash fires, debris, dead bodies, and more. And time is running out, they need to make it to the bottom of the ship before the entire thing sinks.Poseidon is basically based on the same concept as The Poseidon Adventure, being that the ship gets hit by a monstrous-sized rogue wave and flips over, and spate try to get out. However, there are many differences. For example, the characters are completely different i.e. sooner of a brother and sister, its a girl and her fianc, instead of an old couple, its two people that meet for the first time and have an attraction towards each other. And youll be hard pressed to find anyone on the ship the size of Shelly Winters.The characters also seem quite dull in this remake. There really is no set-up to tell us why they are on the ship or how they got there compared to the original.