KMART The New Forms of Discount Stores

Kmart was formed in the late 1950's to challenge new forms of discount stores. They are a descendant of an organization Sebastian S. Kresge. The average Kmart store is around 100,000 square feet. In 1987 Kmart was the largest discount retailer in the United States. They currently have 2,223 stores and last year they had over $25 billion in sales which is nearly double that of Wal-Mart. In 1991 they opened their Kmart superstores. The superstore is a 150,000 square feet and is expected to gross $40 to $50 million dollars in revenues. It will also remain open 24 hours a day. One symptom is that Wal-Mart has lower prices than Kmart which makes them very hard to compete with. Kmart has to try to get out of the really urban areas so they can compete more realistically with Wal-Mart. They need to keep their appearance and service above par or this also will result in problems. Kmart's biggest problem is obviously the widespread of Wal-Mart all over the United States. They have to find a way to compete with Wal-Mart's regional distribution centers. These centers ensure the Wal-Mart customers that they are going to get the best product for the best price. Since Kmart does not have these centers they still need to pay all of the fees that deal with shipping and handling. Kmart needs to do something quick. In a recent survey 49% of people said that they would drive right past a Kmart to go to a Wal-Mart. The average Wal-Mart customer visits the store 32 times in a year, meanwhile the average Kmart customer only visits 15 times in a year. They have to be in financial trouble since they are getting pressure from vendors to pay their bills on time. Kmart needs to find a certain area that they are better at then Wal-Mart. They are not going to be able to beat their prices so they have to provide better customer service. They have select a specialized department that they can dominate and at least take away a little of the business from Wal-Mart. For example develop a top of the line auto care station for tune ups, inspections, oil changes etc. They have to research and find rare products that Wal-Mart does not carry. If it is at all possible try to lower their prices so that they provide more competition for Wal-Mart. Kmart needs to develop a way to get their products for a lower price. As already said they should come up with an idea similar to Wal-Mart's regional distribution centers. They also need to develop physical distribution management. I think if they use the idea of regional centers it will greatly increase their product flow.

Danone Governance Structure Essay

Board of Directors terdiri dari 14 anggota, dengan delapan diantaranya merupakan anggota independen yang dipilih melalui rekomendasi dari Nomination and Compensation Committee. Di dalam Board of Directors termasuk diantaranya Audit Committee, Social Responsibility Committee, dan Nomination and Compensation Committee. Anggota dari Board of Directors per Mei 2012, adalah: †¢Franck Riboud Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Danone †¢Emmanuel Faber Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors and Deputy General Manager †¢Bernard Hours Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors and Deputy General Manager of Danone †¢Bruno Bonnell Chairman of Sorobot SAS †¢Richard Goblet d’Alviella Executive Chairman of Sofina SA †¢Yoshihiro Kawabata Senior Managing Director and Head of International Business Division of Yakult Honsha Co. , Ltd. †¢Jean Laurent Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fonciere des Regions †¢Benoit Potier Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of L’Air Liquide SA †¢Isabelle Seillier Chairman of J. P. Morgan for France †¢Jean-Michel Severino Managing Partner, â€Å"Investisseur and Partenaire Conseil† †¢Jacques Vincent Chairman of Compassionart †¢Jacques-Antoine Granjon Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of vente-privee. com †¢Mouna Sepehri Member of the Executive Committee, Executive Vice-President of RENAULT SAS †¢Virginia A. Stallings Professor of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Secara umum, kami berpendapat bahwa Struktur Corporate Governance dari Danone adalah di bawah rata-rata. Posisi chairman dan CEO telah dijabat oleh Franck Riboud sejak 1996, dan struktur tersebut memberikan kekuatan yang terlalu besar bagi seorang individu. Lima director telah menjabat di Board of Directors selama kurang lebih 12 tahun. Menurut kami, posisi yang hampir permanen dari CEO dan beberapa director dapat menyebabkan hubungan yang nyaman antara mereka dan dapat berakibat pada hilangnya fungsi professional dari board. Misalnya, pada penentuan besaran kompensasi bagi para director sebesar 30% dari nilai saham. Hal tersebut dapat menjadi salah satu pertimbangan dari potential shareholders untuk mengurungkan niatnya menginvestasikan dananya ke Danone.

Burberry Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Burberry Case Study - Essay Example Long business experience- Burberry’s was incorporated in 1856 and had been in operation for more than one century before Bravo took over in 1997. This had given the company vast experience in the consumer market for apparels and luxuries. The company was more experienced in business compared to its competitors such as Gucci and Armani which were founded in 1921 and 1975 respectively. Weaknesses Limited products- Burberry’s had very few products in the market. Its main products were umbrellas and outerwear. The company was left struggling to capture a significant market share while its competitors such Gucci and Polo dominated the market. Low levels of innovation- Burberry’s had kept its traditional products for a very long time without getting new ideas to improvements and make them were relevant to the market. The firm lost its market share to competing businesses such as Gucci and Polo because it was unable to introduce new products and stay relevant in the market. On the other hand, Polo and Gucci became household names because of their ability to introduce new products that were relevant in the market. Burberry’s position is sustainable because the company has vast business experience compared to its competitors. ... The company also has been producing quality products and strong brands that have for a long time been associated with safety, luxury and durability. Bravo needs to utilize these competitive advantages and improve on innovation so as to introduce a wide range of products that will enable the company stay relevant and remain competitive. 2. Prepare a positioning map to map Burberry's position vis a vis its competition prior to Bravo's hiring. Next, map Burberry's position vis a vis these same competitors after the marketing mix changes by Bravo took effect. Note: you may want to consider the fashion vs. accessory sides separately. Prior to Bravo’s hiring Quality Quality Gucci Coach Coach Gucci Burberry’s Burberry’s Fashion Accessories After changes on marketing mix Quality Quality Burberry’s Burberry’s Coach Gucci Gucci Coach Fashion Accessories 3. Bravo's team managed to elevate the overall status of Burberry by implementing changes in 3 high-priorit y areas: a. revitalization of the product line b. evolving brand associations c. overall brand stature. Describe in detail how Bravo's team managed to do this. Revitalization of the product line The first step in the revitalization of the product line was a reduction in the number of stock. This was aimed at eliminating products with outdated designs so as to create space for products with a consistent look. The company was able to redesign its traditional products to include a new range of products. The new product line was classified into two categories of continuity and fashion-oriented. Each of the categories consisted of three primary collections of products that included accessories, menswear and womenswear. Evolving brand associations Bravo’s team managed to

Three main structures in project management Essay

Three main structures in project management - Essay Example The Functional Organization Structure Businesses that produce and sell standard products utilize functional organization structures. A company that manufactures and sells video recorders and players, for example, may have a functional organization structure. Groups are a common aspect of functional structure in an organization. Individuals make up groups that perform the same functions, have the same expertise or skills. Each group focuses on performing its own activities. This is with an aim of supporting the business decision. The focus is on the cost, technical excellence and competitiveness of the company’s products. The groups also focus on the contribution of each of the functional groups to the company’s products (Gido and James, 2012). The companies that make use of organization structure periodically form project teams. These teams work on the internal projects within a company. The projects focus on developing new products, redesigning office floor plan, impro ving the manufacturing process, implementing a new information system or updating the business policy and manual procedures. Various project teams are formed from some of the projects listed. The company management selects members of the teams from the appropriate departments (Gido and James, 2012). The team members may be assigned to the project either on part-time or full time for a section of the project or during the entire project. Individuals continue to perform their regular company duties as they dedicate their part time to the project time. The project leader or manager comes from the team members, functional managers or vice president. The project manager in a functional organization lacks complete authority over the project team. This is because the team members still retain their administrative and technical authorities over their respective functional managers who appoint them to the team (Gido and James, 2012). The Strengths of the Functional Organization Structure To begin with, it clearly defines the responsibilities and roles of each person assigned to the project. This is because projects do not form part of the normal routine of the organization functions. The project manager also requires time to update the other functional managers in the company often on the progress of the company and thank them. This is in regard to the continued support of the individuals they have assigned to the project. It can also be used when the team members may be assigned work on a project that is strictly within a given functional unit. In such cases, a given functional manager has full authority over the project. This makes it easy for conflict to be handled more quickly as it emerges within a multifunctional project team (Gido and James, 2012). The Weakness of the Functional Organization Structure The first weakness of this structure is that if there are conflicts among the team members, it takes much time for them to be resolved. This is because the various hierarchies have to be involved. Another weakness is that when the company chief executive gives the project manager authority to make decisions in case of a disagreement among the team members, the decisions may reflect the interest of the organization functions of the project manager rather than the overall interest of the project. Lastly, the project manager relies on his leadership and persuasion skills. These skills help in handling conflicts, building consensus and unifying the team members. This is necessary to accomplish the project objective. The lack of full authority over project decisions is what causes hurdles for project managers (Gido and James, 2012). Pure Project Organization Structure The project manag

UMUC Haircuts Stage 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UMUC Haircuts Stage 4 - Assignment Example se such as legal services, healthcare, or financial services can benefit of the BPO market by selling their intellectual property (IP) through the development of PaaS applications. Cloud based BPM gives clients the opportunity to trying and testing of BPM applications in the cloud. As a consequence, the deployment of business process solutions is de-risked especially for enterprise that still in the development phase of their business process solutions. MVC framework is a prime example of this service. Moreover, SaaS offers additional resources such as virtual machines, storage capacity, security and end-to-end logical network model. In the SoA model, the design would consist of one physical entity running many logical layers. Organization must be ready to embrace this challenge because it allows IT to push new applications without managing them. However, this is just from the application standpoint. In the implementation stage, it is clear to deploy solutions and to ensure that all facets of deployment are smooth. Often in this stage, black box testing is conducted prior. Duipmans, E. F., Pires, L. F., &da Silva Santos, L. O. B. (2012) Towards a BPM cloud architecture with data and activity distribution. In Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference Workshops (EDOCW), 2012 IEEE 16th International (pp.

Logic in Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Logic in Argument - Essay Example Innovative leaders actively seek means of increasing communication and breaking down interdepartmental barriers between the management and the workers. The actions of doing so range from recreation spaces where open forums can be used for making presentations to physical designing of work. Forums, for example, not only improve the workers’ technical communication, but also make them aware of the skills, achievements and progress of their peer competitors. Such an environment instills the need for creativity through critical thinking (Klemm, 2012). Overspecialization is one way that hinders creative thought. An organizational team with members from diverse backgrounds creates an intellectual environment that has the potential to promote development. An environment with diverse minds has a broad perspective of evaluating problems and getting new ways to the best solutions. Moreover, new projects arise from a combination of technical skills and creativity (klemm, 2012). Bill Simon is one leader who has shown the above-mentioned critical thinking skills. He has been the CEO of Wal-Mart USA stores until his retirement on August this year. Simon joined the company in 2006 as the vice president in charge of professional services. Between 2007 and 2010, he was the chief operating officer. During this period, he created and launched the $4 prescription drug package. In 2010, Simon, made a huge turn around by correcting mistakes in merchandise and pricing. He also restored several items that the company had stopped produced and also succeeded in offering low

Research proposal in Systems Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research proposal in Systems Biology - Essay Example For instance, "power techniques like RNAi for the first time enables a very precise perturbation of parts of biological pathways," (Goldbeter, 2002) and development in fluorescent techniques offers us for the first time the possibility to measure mobility of single molecule in a living system and the distances and interaction of protein in vivo or calcium concentration in Cytoplasm or organelles (Goldbeter). It is no longer news that reconstructing genetic circuits into synthetic replicas may afford unique insight into the underlying mechanism of the circuits, and that, consequent on this synthetizaton, the possibility now exists to study circuits' mechanism without impairing cellular functions. However, such insights into underlying mechanisms cannot explain why certain kinds of biological behavior can occur only under certain sets of precise conditions, and why extrapolative and intuitive expectations based upon very exact (non-quantitative) descriptions do not suffice to accurately predict such conditional behaviors. For instance, cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations of the cellular rhythms [2,3] category "are triggered in various types of cell by treatment with a hormone or neurotransmitter." (Science Week, 1997) contrary to speculative expectations of such outcomes as dissimilar, perhaps

International relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International relations - Essay Example This can be detrimental if there no other stronger economies to watch over or counter the influence of the economically superior country. At least, there should be countries with better GDP that can form a stronger coalition to resist the aggressive actions of the former. From the Goldstein text, United States appears to be one of the countries with strongest GDP of up to 14,000. U.S. has been seen in so many occasions undertaking military interventions in war-torn regions with the purpose of maintaining peace. Its superiority is therefore not in question but it aggressiveness and interest in these interventions begs some stream of answers. With such strong economy and wealth, it can use its influence to advance selfish interests that it may harbor (Goldstein, Whitworth, and Pevehouse 475). This can be so aggressive to the extent of undermining the sovereignty of other territorial boundaries. It may become even more intolerant to other small economies that questions its advancements, or may identify viable resources in other territorial regions that it may want to benefit from. This aggressiveness may not be possible to counter if the other countries are so weak economically that they cannot form a coalition to deal with the aggressive country. In this case, three countries may form a coalition that may be able to stop counter the actions of the United States in case it decides to go aggressive and wreak havoc on other economies or countries since they cannot match its s0uperiority. Among the countries capable of countering such a wave include China; with GDP of 9,500, Japan with GDP of 4, 400 and Germany with GDP of 3000. When combined their coalition can wield a combined GDP of 16, 900 capable of toppling the might of U.S in case it goes intolerably aggressive. U.S has been known for its superiority in advancing the aims of maintaining the world’s stability though. However, its interest may surpass that of the common global good. The

Who Cares About Writing Anyway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Who Cares About Writing Anyway - Essay Example is about the self, including the individual and the collective inside the â€Å"I.† I would like to think that people, however, should think more about what, why, and how they write, because writing renders significant power that should not be diluted by constantly writing about personal and superficial strifes alone. Freedom of speech is a responsibility that is too important to be wasted on empty status updates that do not, at least sometimes, mean something more to people as human beings and as communities. This paper argues that people should care about writing, because whoever writes well can re-tell the past, appreciate and affect the present, and re-define the future. History spawns power; whoever writes and re-tells it, owns it and the future. Benjamin Franklin has written his autobiography that some praise, some criticize, or some just feel nothing for. But he knows the power of the written word. The written word can be the basis for the said word too. The written word can bring meaning and lessons that can impact the way people think and act. Lawrence undermines Franklins moral values in â€Å"On Ben Franklins Virtues,† but he does so through writing too. He wants to document his own views, because he knows that writing will re-tell the past the way he wants it to be told. He wants the past to not be interpreted and spread by a white man alone. He wants his own viewpoint as a â€Å"dark forest† (367). I want to stress that writing consists of expressing how people want others to see themselves as individuals and as part of their people/s too. Indeed, each race has its individuals. Lawrence is an individual and Franklin is too; th ey belong to their â€Å"groups,† whether these groups intersect or not. They can clash in their arguments of virtues and write about it, because that is part of shaping who they are. At the same time, they want to influence others, whether they are in the same racial community or not, so that they can make sense of their past as

Global Enterprise and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Global Enterprise and Innovation - Essay Example This is also applicable in the context of China. The impact of globalisation on the Chinese economy which in turn influences its business activities can be well identified with reference to the multinational companies. However, globalisation also provides certain significant opportunities to the business firms in economy. For instance, the Chinese scientists and engineers are becoming important participants in the global science and contributing to the world’s scientific and technical literature. It increased the scope of expansion of the market, influenced the political issues and other developments that support the International Business. The ongoing social, political and economic processes broaden the relationship among the nations, people, organizations and the governmental bodies. Inclusively, China is one of the powerful markets providing exciting business opportunities for multinational companies. ... With this concern, the report will analyse the legal and political environment of China and the impact of globalisation on the economy. The report will also intend to identify the various opportunities or motivational factors which influence the multinational companies to enter China and examine the risk and obstacles faced by the companies during their entrance. Furthermore, the report shall intend to suggest few strategies to overcome the risks and obstacles identified. 2.0. Implication of Globalisation on the International Business Environment of China Globalisation has made a lasting impact on the global business organisations. It has provided various advantages as well as created certain complexities which have made an influence on the operations of the multinational companies. For instance, globalisation creates new job opportunities and offers attractive choices to innumerable consumers. It has also led to numerous innovations. Notably, the issue has flashed a considerable deb ate over the past decade. Economists have argued that globalisation is beneficial to the economic development of the world. However, it is a complicated process which contains a string of aspects such as capital movement, spread of technology and knowledge and political and cultural influences (Simon, n.d.). Most countries, along with China, are moving towards greater deregulations and enhancing the role of free market in the economy. An internet connection, which is even available in the remote areas of the world, can also be identified as a part of developing new business, technology and social innovations. The rapid growth of an economy is exerting pressure on energy, commodities and natural resources. It can enhance the development through expansion of

Psychological Testing Article Analysis Essay Example for Free

Psychological Testing Article Analysis Essay Psychological testing is a tool to properly assess behaviors and characteristics of individuals. Results of psychological testing are often presented through statistical tables that allow evaluation and comparison of the different variables tested against set norms. This paper will review an article lifted from the Health Psychology journal and determine the appropriateness of the psychological testing instruments used in the study. For this purpose, the article chosen is â€Å"Evolution of Biopsychosocial Model: Prospects and Challenges for Health Psychology† written by Jerry Suls and Alex Rothman in 2004. Article Summary The Biopsychosocial Model has enabled health psychologists in the search for a multi-level, multi-system approach to human functioning (Suls Rothman, 2004). This idea is based on the premise that there is an intrinsic relationship between what is physical, psychological and social. However according to the research of Suls and Rothman, there are marked challenges that the model faces that have essentially impeded the progress of its full potential as a research, intervention and practice tool. The article’s ultimate goal was to determine what can be done to ensure the continuous refinement and evolution of the biopsychosocial model (Suls Rothman, 2004). As a means to determine the viability of the biopsychosocial model as a multi-faceted instrument to help explain an individual’s health psychology, Suls and Rothman resorted to the use of statistical tests in psychology. By conducting frequency tests and factor analysis, the team of Suls and Rothman came up with a list of recommendations in the model’s areas of research, training, policy and funding, and practice. These recommendations are to further utilization of the links between biological, psychological, social, and even macro-cultural variables, with the ultimate aim of enhancing health (2004). Through the tests five issues were also identified to be crucial in the progress of the biopsychosocial model as a legitimate approach to health assessment. The article concluded by highlighting the various advancements in health psychology, particularly with the biopsychosocial model. However, Suls and Rothman stressed that the full potential of the model in terms of the ability to advance the theory and practice remain untapped (2004). Only a strong commitment to the model and it implications would establish long-term success of its involvement in health psychology (Suls Rothman, 2004). Psychological Testing Instruments Used The article of Suls and Rothman did not explicitly discuss the test they used to assess the biopsychosocial model. In spite of this, it can be deduced from the tables they presented and the discussion of their findings that they relied on statistical tests in psychology in data-gathering. Statistical tests are commonly used to analyze results of a psychological research (Green D’Oliveria, 1982). In fact many social sciences, particularly psychology, necessitate the use of statistical inference to explain findings (Meehl, 1967). In this particular article where the bulk of the fact-finding are based on peer research, two statistical tests in psychology were used. Suls and Rothman conducted frequency tests two times in their research study. Frequency tests are the most helpful tool when comparing data against each other (Lane, 2004). Through frequency tests, marked differences in independent variables are clearly distinguished. To measure the progression of the biopsychosocial model as a accepted concept in health psychology, Suls and Rothman conducted a frequency test on the use of the term â€Å"biopsychosocial† in journals and articles of Medline from 1974 to 2001, totals of which were group into a 3-year period interval (2004). Suls and Rothman likewise applied a frequency test to measure the integration of behavioral approaches to medical science in the study (2004). They reviewed articles in 4 major medical journals namely New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Journal of the American Medical Association, and the Annals of Internal Medicine between the years of 1974 and 2001 (Suls and Rothman, 2004). Once again, they grouped the results into 3-year period intervals. From the raw frequency scores collected, they were able to produce a frequency polygon. A frequency polygon is the best way to present data gathered from frequency tests because it shows the shape of distribution of measured variables (Lane, 2004). Apart from frequency tests, Suls and Rothman also used factor analysis test. Factor analysis is one of the most commonly used statistical tests in various disciplines. It is used to determine patterns of relationships between variables (Gorsuch, 1983). In the area of psychology, factor analysis is commonly applied in intelligence research but it can also be used in other areas, like personality, behavior, belief, and even theory assessment. In this instance, factor analysis was used to assess the attitude of health psychologists towards the biopsychosocial model. The biopsychosocial model is dependent on the interaction between the biological, psychological, and social factors within an individual (Suls and Rothman, 2004). Suls and Rothman theorized that health psychologists are more likely to focus heavily on the psychological factor alone in the biopsychosocial model (2004). Therefore they used factor analysis to measure the presence of all the factors in articles written within a 12-month period, November 2001-September 2002 in Health Psychology. This particular application is called confirmatory factor analysis. It is used when the concern is to determine the number of variables that conform to a pre-determined theory set (Gorsuch, 1983). The value of this test is to assess the validity of preconceived ideas. In the case of Suls and Rothman’s study, it is the leaning of health psychologists towards psychological factors to assess an individual’s health. The article of Suls and Rothman did not make use of any standardized psychological testing instruments. The reason may be due to the fact that it is a study aimed at determining the advancement of a framework of health assessment. However, they still integrated valuable statistical testing in psychology to explain clearly the findings they have gathered. Effectiveness of the Psychological Testing Instruments Used The main premise of Suls and Rothman’s article is that the biopsychosocial model has proven remarkably successful in shaping the way health psychologists view an individual’s overall functioning (Suls and Rothman, 2004). To prove this point, the team proceeded to measure the familiarity of the concept among health psychologists by reviewing published journals in Medline, and four other notable medical journals. The raw data collected was then subjected to different statistical tests commonly applied in the field of psychology. From there Suls and Rothman were able to formulate recommendations vital to the advancement of the biopsychosocial model as a valid instrument in health assessment. The effectiveness of psychological testing is based mainly on two factors, validity and reliability. Validity measures the soundness of a test against its set objectives. On the other hand reliability measures the accuracy of the test in terms of producing consistent results. To determine whether the result of psychological testing is effective, researchers usually turn to statistical tests. In this case where no standardized psychological testing instruments were used, the effectiveness of the study may be directly correlated with the quality of the results produced by the statistical tests used by Suls and Rothman. Suls and Rothman resorted to frequency test to explain their findings on the use of â€Å"biopsychosocial† as a term in medical journals. The test confirmed their initial assumption that the biopsychosocial model has helped in advancing health psychology in the last 25 years. The frequency test showed a consistent rise in the use of â€Å"biopsychosocial† as a term in medical journals. However, Suls and Rothman are quick to stress that this may also be due to the increase of the number of articles published that deal with behavior in recent years (2004). They also used frequency test to assess the integration of behavioral approach to medical science (Suls Rothman, 2004). The results attested as well to the increased integration of behavioral approaches to medical science in the last 30 years (Suls Rothman, 2004). Finally a factor analysis test was conducted to determine the reliance of health psychologists on the variables essential to the biopsychosocial model. The factor analysis test clearly showed that health psychologists are still biased in considering psychological issues over biological, and even social. This correctly proved the initial postulation of Suls and Rothman. Considering that the statistical tests in psychology used in the research of Suls and Rothman ably supported their theory, it can be said that they were effective. However, since the study is mostly a review of journals it is not enough to completely determine the actual advancement of the biopsychosocial model as a tool for health assessment. George Schwartz in his book suggested that the biopsychosocial model faces a challenge with the use of empirical testing (1982). Empirical testing is a vital component to any psychological research. Another is that the model remains a concept in research. It has yet to transcend from research to practice, then back to research (Keefe, Buffington, Studts Rumble, 2002). This is when the recommendations of Suls and Rothman become important. They were able to identify important areas that are tangible and measurable that will help in the transition of the model from a mere conceptual framework to a fully working tool in health assessment. As a stand-alone article, Suls and Rothman presented a thorough exposition of their chosen subject. However, based on the criteria of the article review, it did not meet the standards required. The fundamental component needed in the review is psychological testing in which the article did not have. On the other hand, the statistical tests were very helpful in understanding the basis of Suls’ and Rothman’s conclusion. Considering the statistical tests were properly chosen and used, it can be concluded that in the end the article of Suls and Rothman was a success. References Gorsuch, R. (1983). Factor analysis. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum Green, J. D’Oliveria, M. (1982). Learning to use statistical tests in psychology 3rd edition. NY: Open University. Keefe, F. , Buffington, A. , Studts, J. , Rumble, M. (2002). Behavioral medicine: 2002 and beyond. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70, 852-856. Lane, D. (2004, Augus 10). Frequency polygons. Connections. Retrieved August 25, 2010,

France and French culture Essay Example for Free

France and French culture Essay Despite the recent backlash against France and French culture in the past few years, as well as there being no shortage of jokes on television and on the radio at the expense at the France, the truth is that if it were not for the French and their involvement during the American Revolution, America would not have gained their independence from Great Britain. This assertion, despite the fact that historians do not like to play the game of â€Å"what if,† the large majority agree on this point. Historians from Gore Vidal, Stephen Ambrose and David McCullough all agree that had it not been for the assistance of France, America would not gave gained their independence. The â€Å"bear† is Great Britain. An aggressive pursuit of imperialism on behalf of Great Britain in the late 18th and throughout the 19th centuries had not been seen since the end of the Roman Empire. The reasons for France’s involvement in the American Revolution might have been more a question of revenge against Britain than the involvement of spreading democracy throughout the world as France itself would experience only 10 years after their initial entrance into the war with their own French Revolution. When the French entered on the side of colonists, the war was going badly in general. There had been a number of victories for the Colonists but America’s only hope that a sustained war, brought on by implementing guerilla tactics would eventually lead to a tiring of the British troops. Also, it was the entire motivatation of the Colonists to get France on their side. Ben Franklin was pressing the French constantly for their help during this time. Also, it was not out of a coincidence that Franklin was chosen and not others since Franklin were adored by the French. Thomas Jefferson also was instrumental as well in getting France involved on the side of the Colonists. It is also not a coincidence that France was being targeted for their help. They, along with Great Britain, were the powers in the world at that time. That is why such a statement as â€Å"Daddy and I killed the Bear† is accurate and correct. The bear is Great Britain. They did not conquer 1/3 of the world by being nice. â€Å"Daddy† is France and the child is America. â€Å"Daddy† is usually the stronger of the two and is more established. He is responsible for the care and well being of the child and helps the child to grow and to mature until eventually, the child exceeds the father in stature, independence and strength. However, the child would not be allowed to grow if not for the effort exerted on the part of the father. A father who neglects his son and does not raise him up in a proper way and the chances increase exponentially, for that child to fail to fully realize his full potential. The very same occurred in this instance and therefore, the aforementioned statement is accurate and carried a great deal of weight and validity.

Health and Safety in Construction

Health and Safety in Construction This chapter begins with a general discussion on the concept of safety before examining the modern concern with workplace health and safety, specifically in the construction industry. To better relate to the scope of this study, it will also review the current workplace safety and health situation in the Singapores construction industry. Subsequently, an overview of the safety legislations and policies undertaken in Singapore to improve construction safety will be investigated. Introduction to Safety Although the term safety is very often used in our everyday life, the concept of safety can have various meanings for different people. According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, safety is defined as the condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk or injury. Moreover, as safety is commonly viewed from the perspective of specific injury domains, some injury preventive researchers defined safety as the prevention of crime and violence whereas the others described it as a feeling of being out of danger or as a satisfaction of the basic human physiological needs. Hence, due to the multitude of views on the definition of safety, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centres on Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention has developed an international consensus on the conceptual and operational aspects of safety in 1998 (Nilsen et al., 2004). They have defined safety as a state in which hazards and conditions leading to physical, psychological or material harm are controlled in order to preserve the health and well-being of individuals and the community. This definition of safety contains two dimensions, of which one is objective and can be assessed by measuring behavioural and environmental parameters whereas the other is subjective and can be evaluated according to the feeling of being safe (WHO, 1998). In addition, safety is a resultant of a complex process which integrates humans behaviour and interaction with their physical, social, cultural, technological, political, economic and organisational environment. According to Maurice et al. (2001), the optimum level of safety can only be attained with the presence of four conditions that proved beneficial in defining the domain of safety. Table 2.1 indicates the four basic conditions for safety. Table 2.1 Four basic conditions that define the domain for safety Four Conditions for Safety 1)  A climate of social cohesion, peace and equity between groups that protects human rights and freedoms 2)  The respect of the values of individual and their physical, material and psychological integrity 3)  The prevention and control of injuries and other consequences or harm caused by accidents 4)  The provision of effective measures to cope with undesirable traumatic events Source: Maurice et al. (2001) Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Before 1880s, there was little interest in work safety and minimal protection for the safety of workers in their workplaces because legislation, precedent and public opinion were all in favour of the management (Pearson, n.d.). Moreover, workplace accidents were perceived to be cheap and were often disregarded because there were no workers compensation laws that protect the interest of workers. Thus, work-related accidents were common then. However, in the late 1900s, workers safety and health in the workplaces begun to receive increasing attention due to the rapid industrialisation of the United States (U.S.) and the establishment of unions that promote the need for safer working conditions. Hence, the high fatalities and injuries rate then compel the federal government to implement various acts to force the industries to reduce the occurrence of work-related accidents or illnesses so as to improve on the safety standards of their workplaces (Aldrich, 2001). Some initiatives of the federal government include passing of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) in 1970 and the enactment of the workers compensation laws. Therefore, tighter employers liability and the steep increase in the cost of accident due to the compensation laws have initiated the employers interest and concern with work safety (Aldrich, 2001; Alton, n.d.). As a result, significant improvement in the workplace safety and health performance can be observed as fatalities rate in the U.S. declines from 27 deaths per 100,000 workers in 1950 to 3.5 in 2011 respectively (BLS, 2012; Kaufman, 1997). The safety performance in British industry had also improved significantly since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) in 1974 as the fatalities rate has decreased from 2.9 per 100,000 workers in 1974 to 0.5 in 2011 (HSE, n.d.). Like OSHA, HSWA is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in the United Kingdom (UK). Figure 2.1 illustrates the work-related fatalities rate among different countries. Safety in the Construction Industry Safety has always been a major issue in the construction industry. In many developed and developing countries, the construction industry has constantly been ranked as one of the worst industries in terms of the frequency of fatalities and work-related injuries. Unlike the other industries where it mostly consists of a stationary fabrication setting with little changes in working procedures, equipment and labour force, the working environment in the construction industry is generally complex and ever-changing. This is due to the multidisciplinary and multitasked aspects of the parties involved in the project and also the use of sophisticated plants, equipment and construction methods (Teo, Ling, Chong, 2005). Thus, this highly differentiated and unstructured nature of the construction industry makes safety management extremely challenging (Gambatese, Hinze, Haas, 1997; Lingard, 2012; Zhang, Teizer, Lee, Eastman, Venugopal, 2012). Many research and studies over the years have attemp ted to look into improving construction safety using various concepts such as designing for safety (Gangolells, Casals, Forcada, Roca, Fuertes, 2010), HR practices (Lai, 2009; Lai, Liu, Ling, 2011) and BIM technologies (Azhar, Nadeem, Mok, Leung, 2008; Kiviniemi, Sulankivi, Kà ¤hkà ¶nen, Mà ¤kelà ¤, Merivirta, 2011; Qi, 2011; Zhang et al., 2012) For instance, the Britain authorities have long recognised that safety should be addressed from the very start of a project and they are the first to introduce the Construction (Design and Management) Regulation in 1994 and revised in 2007 respectively. This regulation places duties on clients, designers and contractors for consideration of safety issues from design through the demolition stage of a project (Hecker Gambatese, 2003). According to Gibb (2002), this regulation has lead to an increase in the profile of construction safety among designers in several European Union (EU) countries. Additionally, Australia has also introduced the Model WHS Regulation 2011 whereby have to provide a Safe Design Report that specify the hazards relating to the design of the structure to the person carrying out the construction work (Safe Design Australia, 2011). Therefore, good safety planning and management throughout the project life cycle become an essential prerequisite for most construction projects because without a thorough understanding of safety issues on site, undesirable work-related accidents will occur. This will then incur additional costs, unnecessary project delays and in the worst situation, the loss of lives (Lai et al., 2011). Therefore, the next section will attempt to understand the different safety issues on sites by first identifying the various root causes of accidents. Causes of Accidents According to Teo (2009), accidents are unintentional and undesirable events that can cause pain, suffering, damage and injury to the affected person(s) or property, if not a combination of both. While not all work-related accidents will cause physical injuries or damages, the occurrence of any accidents on site will definitely challenge the quality of the construction site operation. Therefore, there is a need to understand the various causes influencing safety performance in the construction industry so as to better develop strategies to tackle this concerning issue. A review of the literature on construction safety reveals that much research efforts have been directed to understand the factors and causes that can influence construction accidents (Abdelhamid Everett, 2000; Hamid, Majid, Singh, 2008; Hughes Ferrett, 2008; Suraji, Duff, Peckitt, 2001). Many types of theories have been developed throughout the decades to understand the accident causation factors. The earliest research can be traced back into the 1930s were Heinrich (1931) had pioneered the accident causation theories by developing the five-domino model of causation. The domino theory had been the foundation work of many other models that were developed by other researchers thereafter. According to Ridley (1976), most of the accidents on site are either caused by unsafe acts, unsafe conditions or frequently a combination of both. An unsafe act refers to a violation of an accepted safety procedures which then permits the occurrence of an accident whereas an unsafe condition refers to a hazardous physical condition or circumstance that are in violation of contemporary safety standards. Table 2.2 present the development of different theories that were developed to understand the accident causation factors. Table 2.2 Development of different models to understand the accident causation factors Types Characteristic of Model Model / Theory Authors Accident Causation Models Understand the various accident causation factors Develop tools for better accident prevention programme Domino Theory Henrich (1932) Multiple Causation Model Petersen (1971) Stairstep Model Adams (1976) ARCTM: Construction Model Abdelhamid Everett (2000) Behaviour Models Studies the tendency of humans to make errors under various situation and environment conditions Accidents are mainly a result of human unsafe characteristic only Accident proneness theory Accident (1983) Goals freedom alertness theory Kerr (1957) Motivation reward satisfaction Petersen (1975) Sociological theory of accidents Dwyer and Raftery (1991) Human Factor Models Holds human error the main cause of accidents Unlike the behaviour model, the responsibility not only fall on human unsafe characteristic alone The responsibility also fall on the design of workplace, which does not take into consideration the limitation of human Ferrel theory Ferrel (1977) Human-error causation model Petersen (1982) McClay model McClay (1989) DeJoy model DeJoy (1990) Source: Abdelhamid and Everett (2000) To tailor to the need of the construction industry in identifying the root cause of accidents, Abdelhamid and Everett (2000) had developed an Accident Root Causes Tracing Model (ARCTM) after further development and synthesis from various existing accident causation models. ARCTM proposed that unsafe conditions can occur before or after the start of an activity and they can either be caused by human-related or nonhuman-related factors. Table 2.3 illustrates the different causes of unsafe conditions that might lead to accidents. Similar to that proposed by Abdelhamid and Everett (2000) and Suraji et al. (2001), Toole (2002) has also tried to identify and attribute the basic root causes of construction accidents to factors such as lack of proper training, poor enforcement of safety, use of unsafe equipment, methods or sequencing, unsafe site conditions and a poor attitude towards safety. The aforementioned are just some of the many studies undertaken by researchers in an attempt to identify the root causes of work-related accidents so as to develop better preventive strategies (Hill, 2003). Even though there has been a significant improvement in the safety performance of the construction industry as compared to the past, more has to be done to further reduce the fatalities and work-related injuries frequency rate. Table 2.3 Main causes of unsafe conditions which can lead to accidents Main Causes of Unsafe Conditions Human Factors Management action or inaction Worker or co-workers unsafe acts Fail to provide proper or adequate personal protective equipment Violate workplace standards Insufficient ventilation Poor housekeeping Poor design Sabotaging equipment Unauthorised operation of equipment Insufficient rest while working Removing safety device Source: Abdelhamid and Everett (2000) Construction Safety in Singapore The construction industry in Singapore has been one of the fastest growing industries since Singapore embarked on her various industrialisation programme in the early 1960s. However, the safety situation in the industry then deteriorated so drastically that the government had to introduce the Factories Act in 1973 to regulate occupational safety and health in Singapore. Since then, Singapores statutory OSH regime was governed by the Factories Act. However, due to the high-profile and fatal accident that took place in Nicoll Highway in 2004, this had called attention to the need for a reform of the current legislative approach to OSH (Teh, 2006; Teo, 2009). This has therefore led to the unveiling of a new Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) framework in 2005 and the introduction of the WSH Act in 2006, which will repeal and replace the former Factories Act. The new WSH Act became the key legal instrument for the WSH framework and it aims to cultivate good safety and health practices among all individuals in their workplaces. Additionally, WSH 2015 Strategy was developed concurrently so as to complement with the new framework. This strategy aims to halve the workplace fatality rate from 4.9 fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2004 to 2.5 by 2015. As a result of the dynamic and changing WSH landscape, a full-fledged industry-led WSH Council was established in 2008 and a new national target was developed by identifying enhancements to the previous WSH 2015 Strategy. This new strategy, named WSH 2018 aims to achieve an even more challenging goal, which is to reduce the fatality rate to less than 1.8 fatalities per 100,000 employed workers by 2018 (WSH2018, 2009). With the introduction of WSH Council, WSH Council (Construction Landscape) Committee was formed and Implementing WSH 2018 for Construction Industry was developed specifically to guide the efforts of the construction industry to achieve better WSH performance. Following these efforts to increase the safety performance in the construction industry, it is noted that there is a remarkable improvement in the safety performance in 2011. According to the WSH Report 2011, construction industry was the only one that saw a drop in fatality numbers as the fatality rate decreased from 8.1 per 100,000 employed persons in 2010 to 5.3 in 2011, as shown in the Figure 2.2 (WSH, 2011). This is a significant improvement as the fatality rate of 5.3 in 2011 is the lowest-ever since 2006. Furthermore, the number of work-related injuries has also fallen by 22% as compared to 2010 (channelnewsasia, 2012). Despite the positive progression in the safety performance, it still remains as a serious concern as fatality rate continued to account for the highest among all industries in Singapore as shown in Table 2.4. Thus, in order to achieve the targeted result set aside for the construction industry as seen in Figure 2.3, all stakeholders will have to commit themselves to work towards a safe and healthy workplace with a vibrant WSH culture and zero injury (WSH2018Construction, 2010). In addition, more efforts have to be put to prevent falling from height because it remains as the major contributor to fatal accidents (see Figure 2.4). Till date, many studies have been conducted to look into improving construction safety in Singapore. For example, Ling, Ofori, and Teo (2004) have constructed a model to predict the safety level of a construction project site. Moreover, Ling and Teo (2006) have studied the intrinsic and external incentives on increasing worksite safety and found out that there are many personal factor that can affect site safety. Safety Policies and Legislation Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is the government regulatory body responsible for the enforcement of workplace safety and health legislations. Throughout the years, MOM, in collaboration with other government agencies and stakeholders have put in extensive efforts in achieving significant and sustained improvement in the WSH performance for the construction industry. In this section, various policies and legislations that have been introduced particularly to improve on the safety performance in the construction industry will be discussed. Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act In the past, Singapores primary legislation in the construction safety regime was governed by Chapter 104 of the Factories Act and Section 68 and 77 of the Building Operations and Work of Engineering Construction (BOWEC) Regulations (Cheah, 2007). However, due to the spate of high-profile accidents in 2004, MOM saw the need for a fundamental reform of the former safety policies and legislations in order to curb the rising numbers of work-related accidents on site. Hence, as part of the new WSH framework that was introduced in 2006, the Factories Act was repealed and replaced by the Workplace Safety and Health Act on 1 March 2006. As a result, the OSH regulation has evolved from a highly prescriptive (rule-based) system to a more descriptive (performance-based) approach. Unlike the former Factories Act where industry players were expected to comply with a fixed set of safety guidelines, the new WSH Act is focused on three guiding principles reduce risk at source, instil greater ownership of safety and health outcome by industry players, and impose higher penalties for poor safety management. This is a paradigm shift from the former Factories Act because it encourages every industry player to be more proactive rather than reactive to safety issues. Workplace Injury Compensation Act (WICA) The former Workmens Compensation Act has been replaced by the Workplace Injury Compensation Act (WICA), which came into effect on the 1st April 2008. Unlike the former Act which only covers manual and non-manual workers earning $1,600 or less per month, WICA is applicable for all employees regardless of their level of earnings. The enactment of WICA is essential because it safeguards the interest of all employees and employers as the former are now able to claim compensations for work-related injuries promptly without having to prove fault whereas the latter are protected against the fraudulent claims of errant employees (MOM WSHC, 2008). At the same time, this new Act enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of the compensation process and indirectly, influences the employers to pay more attention to workplace safety and health issues. In order for WICA to stay updated with the current market situation, amendments have been to WICA and it will take effect from 1st June 2012. The key objectives of the recent changes are to maintain a fair balance between the pay-outs for the injured employees and the responsibilities that fall on the employers and also, to ensure that the WICA framework remains efficient so that injured employees can receive compensation promptly (MOM, 2012). Some of the major changes include increasing the compensation limits, prohibiting compensation due to work-related fights and work-related exclusion clauses and expanding the scope for compensable diseases. Table 2.5 illustrates the recent amendments to the compensation limits. Safety and Health Management System (SHMS) Safety and Health Management System (SHMS) is a systematic process that is mandatory for all workplaces such as worksite, shipyard and factories in Singapore. It provides a platform for goal setting, performance measurement and clear management commitments and direction in order to manage human and organisational risks (MOM, n.d.-b). SHMS guides the efforts for an effective and proactive implementation of risk control measures to reduce work-related injuries, which will subsequently lead to a long-term reduction in operational costs (Baliyan, 2008). To build up an effective SHMS, it has to adhere to the relevant WSH legislation and guidelines set out for the construction industry, such as the SS 506 Part 1: 2009 Occupational safety and health (OSH) management system and CP 79: 1999 Safety management system for construction worksites. In tandem with the SHMS, audits and reviews must also be carried out periodically on SHMS to ensure its continual performance (MOM, n.d.-a). Table 2.6 s hows the requirements for SHMS audit or review depending on the projects contract sum. To make sure that SHMS is effective and relevant in addressing construction safety, Teo et al. (2005) have developed a model to measure the effectiveness of the SHMS of construction sites in Singapore. Summary of Chapter This chapter has looked into the concept of safety before focusing on workplace health and safety especially in the construction industry. It has also reviewed on the construction situation in Singapore and highlighted the various policies and legislations that are in place to improve the safety performance for the construction industry in Singapore. References Abdelhamid, T. S., Everett, J. G. (2000). Identifying root causes of construction accidents. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 126(1), 52-60. Retrieved from http://faculty.kfupm.edu.sa/CEM/jannadi/Identifying-Root-Causes-Of-Constuction-Accident.pdf Aldrich, M. (2001). History of Workplace Safety in the United States: 1880-1970. EH.net Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/aldrich.safety.workplace.us Alton, G. (n.d.). The history of workplace safety and health. eHow. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_5305608_history-workplace-health-safety.html Azhar, S., Nadeem, A., Mok, Y. N., Leung, H. Y. (2008). Building Information Modeling (BIM): A new paradigm for visual interactive modeling and simulation for construction projects. Paper presented at the First International Conference on Construction in Developing Countries (ICCIDC-I), Auguest 4-5,Karachi, Pakistan. Baliyan, S. (2008). Effective implementation of safety and health management system (SHMS). Retrieved from https://www.wshc.sg/wps/themes/html/upload/cms/file/EffectiveImplementationofSHMS.pdf United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012). Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.nr0.htm Workplace safety in construction sector can be improved: Hawazi Daipi. (2012, June 28). channelnewsasia. Retrieved from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/specialreport/news/1210442_170/1/.html Cheah, C. Y. J. (2007). Construction safety and health factors at the industry level: the case of Singapore Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 12(2). 81-99. Retrieved from http://web.usm.my/jcdc/input/JCDC%20Vol%2012(2)/5_Charles%20(p.81-99).pdf Gambatese, J., Hinze, J., Haas, C. (1997). Tool to design for construction worker safety. Journal of Architectural Engineering, 3(1), 32-41. doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)1076-0431(1997)3:1(32) Gangolells, M., Casals, M., Forcada, N., Roca, X., Fuertes, A. (2010). Mitigating construction safety risks using prevention through design. Journal of Safety Research, 41(2), 107-122. doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2009.10.007 Gibb, A. G. (2002). Safety in design: A European/UK View. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the Power Through Partnerships 12th Annual Construction Safety and Health Conference, Chicago, IL. 552-557 Hamid, A. R. A., Majid, M. Z. A., Singh, B. (2008). Causes of accidents at construction sites. Malaysian Journal of Civil Engineering, 20(2), 242-256. Retrieved from http://eprints.utm.my/7537/1/AbdulRahimAbdulHamid2008_CausesofAccidentsatConstructions.pdf Hecker, S., Gambatese, J. A. (2003). Safety in design: a proactive approach to construction worker safety and health. Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 18(5), 339-342. doi: 10.1080/10473220301369 Heinrich, H. W. (1931). Industrial accident prevention: a scientific approach: New York: McGraw-Hill. Hill, D. C. (Eds.). (2003). Construction safety management and engineering. Des Plaines, IL: ASSE. Health and Safety Executive (HSE). (n.d.). Trends in work-related injuries and ill health since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 1974. Retrieved from http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/history/index.htm Hughes, P., Ferrett, E. (Eds.). (2008). Introduction to Health and Safety in Construction. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd. Kaufman, B. E. (1997). Government regulation of the employment relationship. In Burton J.F., Chelius, J.R (Eds.), Workplace safety and health regulation: rationale and results (pp. 253-347 ). Cornell University Press. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=Jb9TnhR2l-wCpg=PA181lpg=PA181dq=Government+regulation+of+the+employment+relationship.source=blots=KDlMYbJq1wsig=EwCohN7wU6pVGPmvw9uiscNaoHohl=ensa=Xei=tIBkUObWLoHNrQfrxYGoAwved=0CDwQ6AEwBA#v=onepageq=Government%20regulation%20of%20the%20employment%20relationship.f=false Kiviniemi, M., Sulankivi, K., Kà ¤hkà ¶nen, K., Mà ¤kelà ¤, T., Merivirta, M. L. (2011) BIM-based safety management and communication for building construction. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. Retrieved from http://www.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/tiedotteet/2011/T2597.pdf Lai, D. N. C. (2009). Adopting human resource (HR) practices to improve construction safety. (Unpublished undergraduate dissertation). National University of Singapore, Singapore. Lai, D. N. C., Liu, M., Ling, F. Y. Y. (2011). A comparative study on adopting human resource practices for safety management on construction projects in the United States and Singapore. International Journal of Project Management, 29(8), 1018-1032. doi: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2010.11.004 Ling, F. Y. Y., Ofori, G., Teo, A. L. (2004, 2 7 May 2004). Predicting safety levels of constriction project sites. Paper presented at the Proceedings of CIB world Building Congress: Building for the Future, Toronto, Canada. Ling, F. Y. Y., Teo, A. L. (2006). Increasing worksite safety: intrinsic behavior vs. external incentives. Paper presented at the Proceedings of CIB W99 International Conference in Global Unity for Safety Health in Construction, Beijing, China. Lingard, H., Rowlinson, S. (2005). Occupational health and safety in the construction project management. Taylor Francis Inc. Maurice, P., Lavoie, M., Laflamme, L., Svanstrà ¶m, L., Romer, C., Anderson, R. (2001). Safety and safety promotion: definitions for operational developments. Injury Control and Safety Promotion, 8(4), 237-240. doi: 10.1076/icsp.8.4.237.3331 Ministry of Manpower, MOM. (2012). Changes to Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA). Retrieved from http://www.mom.gov.sg/newsroom/Pages/HighlightsDetails.aspx?listid=88 Ministry of Manpower, MOM. (n.d.-a). Audits and reviews. Retrieved from http://www.mom.gov.sg/workplace-safety-health/safety-health-management-systems/audits-review/Pages/implementation-review.aspx Ministry of Manpower, MOM. (n.d.-b). Safety and health management systems. Retrieved from http://www.mom.gov.sg/workplace-safety-health/safety-health-management-systems/Pages/default.aspx Ministry of Manpower, MOM and Workplace Safety and Health Council, WSHC. (2008). A guide to the work injury compensation benefits and claim process. Retrieved from http://www.mom.gov.sg/Documents/safety-health/WICA%20Guide%20(English).pdf. Nilsen, P., Hudson, D. S., Kullberg, A., Timpka, T., Ekman, R., Lindqvist, K. (2004). Making sense of safety. Injury Prevention, 10(2), 71-73. doi: 10.1136/ip.2004.005322 Pearson, C. (n.d.). The history of work safety. eHow. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_7522903_history-work-safety.html Qi, S. T. H. (2011). Adopting building information modelling (BIM) to improve workers safety. (Unpublished undergraduate dissertation). National University of Singapore, Singapore. Ridley, J. (1976). Safety at work. London: Butterworths. Safe Work Australia (2012). Safe work health and safety statistics, Australia. Retrieved from http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA/AboutSafeWorkAustralia/WhatWeDo/Publications/Documents/677/Key_Work_Health_and_Safety_Statistics_Australia_2012.pdf Safe Design Australia (2011). Model work health and safety act revised draft 23. Retrieved from http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA/AboutSafeWorkAustralia/WhatWeDo/Publications/Pages/model-work-health-safety-act-23-June-2011.aspx Suraji, A., Duff, A. R., Peckitt, S. J. (2001). Development of a causal model of construction accident causation. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 127(4), 337-344. doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2001)127:4(337) Teh, L. (2006, May 3). Workplace Safety and Health Act Emphasizes Self-Regulation. Singapore International Law Office. Retrieved from http://www.internationallawoffice.com/newsletters/Detail.aspx?g=43a52fd5-ae7b-47bb-9818-2cf5b725e871 Teo, A. L. (Eds.). (2009). Safety, health and environment management. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Education (Asia). Teo, A. L., Ling, Y. Y., Chong, F. W. (2005). Framework for project managers to manage construction safety. International Journal of Project Management, 23(4), 329-341. doi: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2004.09.001 Toole, T. (2002). Construction Site Safety Roles. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 128(3), 203-210. doi: 10.1061/~ASCE!0733-9364~2002!128:3~203! Workplace Safety and Health Committee, WSHC. (2009). WSH 2018 A national strategy for workplace safety and health in Singapore. Retrieved from https://www.wshc.sg/wps/themes/html/upload/cms/file/WSH2018_lowres.pdf Workplace Safety and Health Committee, WSHC. (2010). Implementing WSH 2018 for the construction sector in Singapore. Retrieved from https://www.wshc.sg/wps/themes/html/upload/cms/file/WSH%20Construction%20Sectoral%20final_lowres(1).pdf Workplace Safety and Heath, WSH Ministry of Manpower, MOM. (2011). Workplace safety and health report 2011. Retrieved from https://www.wshc.sg/wps/themes/html/upload/announcement/file/WSH%20Stats%20Report%202011.pdf. World Health Organiation on Community Safety Promotion, Sweden, World Health Organiation on Community Safety Promotion, Quebec World Health Organisation (1998). Safety and safety promotion: Conceptual and operational aspects. Retrieved from http://www.phs.ki.se/csp/pdf/Publications/safety_promotion1998%20.pdf Zhang, S., Teizer, J., Lee, J.-K., Eastman, C. M., Venugopal, M. (2012). Build information modeling (BIM) and safety: Automatic safety checking of construction models and schedules. Automation in Construction, 13. doi: 10.1016/j.autcon.2012.05.006

Al-Ahsa Dialect :: Hasawi Dialect

1. INTRODUCTION. Hasawi is a variety of Arabic whose roots refer to the family of Central Semitic Languages such as Hebrew and Aramaic. The Hasawi dialect is spoken in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia, exactly in Al-Ahsa (Al-Hasaa) province. Therefore, the dialect of Al-Ahsa, or Hasawi (HD), is also known as the Eastern Arabian dialect. In fact, it is considered the dominant dialect in the area although there are other local dialects found in the same area, such as Badawi which is spoken by some Bedouins tribes. In 2009, the number of Hasawi speakers was estimated as 200,000 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ('Arabic, Gulf Spoken, Ethnologu', 2009). There are three reasons for selecting Hasawi for this study. First, there is little previous work related to Hasawi even though it is considered an enormous dialect because it is expanded to other Gulf countries, such as Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. Thus, HD is also spoken as a minor dialect in the previous mentioned countries so that Hasawi is sometimes called Gulf Arabic 'Khaliji'. Secondly, the emergence of a new dialect a few years ago which is Modern Hasawi, a blend of old Hasawi and Najdi, threatens the existence of the original Hasawi in Saudi Arabia in spite of the massive expansion of the dialect to the neighboring countries. Finally, the dialect of Al-Ahsa is seen as a humorous matter among other Saudi dialects because it is hard to understand (Bassiouney, 2010). Probably the cause of such difficulty refers to the sociolinguistic impact of non-Arabian languages, such as Farsi 'Persian' and Turkish. However, it would be proven at the end of t his paper that this unattractive dialect has unique acoustic features. Hence, the overall goal of this study is to investigate the Hasawi plosive phonemes and how they shape different allophones. This paper is divided into five main sections: the first section is an introduction of the topic including an overview of the dialect; the second section is a review of the literature which includes brief previous related studies; the methodology used for this study is described in the third section; the fourth section demonstrates the findings of this study; and finally the conclusion. 1.1. RESEARCH QUESTIONS. †¢ Does Hasawi dialect have various allophones of its plosive sounds? If so, what phonemes are pronounced differently? †¢ What are the phonetic facts of Hasawi allophones? 1.2. PHONOLOGICAL BACKGROUND. This part of the first section presents the inventory of Hasawi phonemes as a good reference for Results section. Al-Ahsa Dialect :: Hasawi Dialect 1. INTRODUCTION. Hasawi is a variety of Arabic whose roots refer to the family of Central Semitic Languages such as Hebrew and Aramaic. The Hasawi dialect is spoken in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia, exactly in Al-Ahsa (Al-Hasaa) province. Therefore, the dialect of Al-Ahsa, or Hasawi (HD), is also known as the Eastern Arabian dialect. In fact, it is considered the dominant dialect in the area although there are other local dialects found in the same area, such as Badawi which is spoken by some Bedouins tribes. In 2009, the number of Hasawi speakers was estimated as 200,000 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ('Arabic, Gulf Spoken, Ethnologu', 2009). There are three reasons for selecting Hasawi for this study. First, there is little previous work related to Hasawi even though it is considered an enormous dialect because it is expanded to other Gulf countries, such as Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. Thus, HD is also spoken as a minor dialect in the previous mentioned countries so that Hasawi is sometimes called Gulf Arabic 'Khaliji'. Secondly, the emergence of a new dialect a few years ago which is Modern Hasawi, a blend of old Hasawi and Najdi, threatens the existence of the original Hasawi in Saudi Arabia in spite of the massive expansion of the dialect to the neighboring countries. Finally, the dialect of Al-Ahsa is seen as a humorous matter among other Saudi dialects because it is hard to understand (Bassiouney, 2010). Probably the cause of such difficulty refers to the sociolinguistic impact of non-Arabian languages, such as Farsi 'Persian' and Turkish. However, it would be proven at the end of t his paper that this unattractive dialect has unique acoustic features. Hence, the overall goal of this study is to investigate the Hasawi plosive phonemes and how they shape different allophones. This paper is divided into five main sections: the first section is an introduction of the topic including an overview of the dialect; the second section is a review of the literature which includes brief previous related studies; the methodology used for this study is described in the third section; the fourth section demonstrates the findings of this study; and finally the conclusion. 1.1. RESEARCH QUESTIONS. †¢ Does Hasawi dialect have various allophones of its plosive sounds? If so, what phonemes are pronounced differently? †¢ What are the phonetic facts of Hasawi allophones? 1.2. PHONOLOGICAL BACKGROUND. This part of the first section presents the inventory of Hasawi phonemes as a good reference for Results section.

Essays --

Identity is defined as one’s personal characteristics or attributes and their membership of a social category. In today’s society it is important to note how social media impacts upon our individual identities. To begin with, we technically are not born with identity; it is a socially constructed attribute. Identity is a transient thing, which changes over time as we grow and mature. The self-concept, which is our own personal understanding of who we are, combines with self awareness to cultivate a cognitive representation of the self, called identity (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2010, p.118). In other words, who we are is controlled by internal and external factors that combine to make us who we become. Bring new media outlets into the equation, such as the internet, and media is now regarded as an "extension of everyday life and a tool of cultural change" (Singh, 2010). Thus, identity formation, as a social concept, is being transformed in new and even more global ways. When we talk about social media and identity, what comes to mind? We all know they have a pretty complicated relationship, but how exactly is social media related to identity? In exploring the connections between social media and identity, we have realised there has been a gradual but obvious transition within the social media- identity relation. Within this essay I am going to take a look at how the linkage between social media and identity has evolved over the course of my studies. Whether consciously aware of what is being displayed or not, media plays a substantial role in influencing consumption patterns and lifestyle. Researchers noted television's power to influence even people who are illiterate. Smith-Speck and Roy (2008) explained that even individua... ... by creating alternative personas –her different facebook profiles serving as a manifestation of the life she wished she could have had; media was a way out. The television series of this show â€Å"Catfish† shows us that there are many individuals out there like Angela, who create completely fabricated identities, for many different reasons. Whether it is malicious or a release for the person; It is an escape from reality in most cases. This alerts us to the dangers of social media, and makes us wary of meeting new people online, as all may not be what it seems. In a way, this creates a suspicious environment in the world of social media. If we don’t know the individuals we befriend on social media sites personally, how are we to know if they are real people or fictional characters produced out of the mind of someone else. In this way, a sense of identity is destroyed. Essays -- Identity is defined as one’s personal characteristics or attributes and their membership of a social category. In today’s society it is important to note how social media impacts upon our individual identities. To begin with, we technically are not born with identity; it is a socially constructed attribute. Identity is a transient thing, which changes over time as we grow and mature. The self-concept, which is our own personal understanding of who we are, combines with self awareness to cultivate a cognitive representation of the self, called identity (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2010, p.118). In other words, who we are is controlled by internal and external factors that combine to make us who we become. Bring new media outlets into the equation, such as the internet, and media is now regarded as an "extension of everyday life and a tool of cultural change" (Singh, 2010). Thus, identity formation, as a social concept, is being transformed in new and even more global ways. When we talk about social media and identity, what comes to mind? We all know they have a pretty complicated relationship, but how exactly is social media related to identity? In exploring the connections between social media and identity, we have realised there has been a gradual but obvious transition within the social media- identity relation. Within this essay I am going to take a look at how the linkage between social media and identity has evolved over the course of my studies. Whether consciously aware of what is being displayed or not, media plays a substantial role in influencing consumption patterns and lifestyle. Researchers noted television's power to influence even people who are illiterate. Smith-Speck and Roy (2008) explained that even individua... ... by creating alternative personas –her different facebook profiles serving as a manifestation of the life she wished she could have had; media was a way out. The television series of this show â€Å"Catfish† shows us that there are many individuals out there like Angela, who create completely fabricated identities, for many different reasons. Whether it is malicious or a release for the person; It is an escape from reality in most cases. This alerts us to the dangers of social media, and makes us wary of meeting new people online, as all may not be what it seems. In a way, this creates a suspicious environment in the world of social media. If we don’t know the individuals we befriend on social media sites personally, how are we to know if they are real people or fictional characters produced out of the mind of someone else. In this way, a sense of identity is destroyed.