Planning Issues In The Construction Industry Construction Essay

Planning Issues In The Construction Industry Construction Essay Construction is an everlasting activity across the globe. Its profitability like of any other business fluctuates according to the law of demand and supply. In most countries, construction activity constitutes 6-9% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and constitutes more than half of the fixed capital formation as infrastructure and public utilities capital works required for economic development. Construction activity contributes to the economic development of a country. The GDP per capita and the investment in the construction per capita generally follow a straight line relationship, that is construction activity increases with the increase in per capita income. Construction projects are intricate and time-consuming tasks. For the total success of any particular project a wide chain of specialized services is necessary for the timely completion of the project. During the construction process, itself even a project of small or medium proportions requires many attributes, materials a nd involves many different types of operations. The assembly process must follow a natural order of events that, in total combination, constitutes a complicated pattern of individual time requirements and restrictive sequential relationships among the many segments of the structure (Project Quality Management in Construction, K. Lambrou, G.J. Besseris and C. Alafodimos, MSc in Quality Management, TEI of Piraeus and University of Aisley).Mismanagement of resources has become a prevalent problem in many construction firms. This mismanagement of resources contributes to numerous construction firms ineffectiveness and frequent failures each year. Hence, it is necessary to take appropriate steps and follow the process to improvise the output of construction industry by using proper planning methods and techniques. This can be done through adoption of modern and improvised planning techniques in construction industry such as CPM, PERT, Supply Chain Management etc, which will be discussed in detail in main dissertation work. In the literature review of planning issues in construction industry, different aspects of social-cultural-economic importance of planning and modern planning techniques has been highlighted. This dissertation focuses on analyzing the major hindrances caused by the positive and negative issues in planning and execution phase of the project. 2. Background Planning is a key ingredient in the successful completion of any construction project. It provides the road map for the project to follow and the milestones by which its progress is measured. To understand the loopholes in the planning process it is necessary to dismantle the planning objectives, so that all the aspects regarding the project could be thoroughly capitalized. Four planning objectives which characterize the whole of the planning process are execution of work, coordination of all the activities, control over the materials and manpower and forecasting. Safety is a major concern to every successful construction project because of humanitarian concern for the workers and the cost ramifications of a poor safety record. Major construction firms had proposed the usage of network planning techniques, mainly because of owners demand. The relationship between project planning and construction safety is sometimes subtle, and the impact it has on the project is not as readily apparent as the importance of planning and safety as separate entities. A comprehensive planning and scheduling specification system can aid in the planning of job sequence, financial needs, workforce needs, material needs, and equipment needs. It also can aid the scheduling of actual activity start or completion and provide feedback to control the schedule, cost, and use of resources. A critical step in the execution of any construction project is the selection of planning and scheduling specification clauses to be included in the construction contract. Numerous project characteristics should be taken into account when determining which planning and scheduling clauses to be included. Project is a mission, undertaken to create a unique facility, product or services within the specified scope, quality, time and costs. With the emerging global opportunities, projects cross geographical boundaries, corporate channels, traditional systems and cultural diversities. The knowledge areas needed to manage such projects comprise project management techniques, general management practices and technology-related subjects. The project management techniques of planning, scheduling and controlling are the tools and devices that bind the subjects knowledge areas. These techniques can be applied to all types of projects. This research focuses on the application of all these techniques in the construction industry. It is widely recognized that effective planning can play a major role in the success of projects. Whether project success is based on the traditional measure of time, cost and quality or newer measures of critical success factors (Westerveld, 2003), effective planning can also contribute to the prevention of accidents and ill health of site personnel (Duff and Suraji, 2000; HSE, 2003). These objectives become increasingly difficult to achieve, however, in construction projects. Construction sites can be extremely busy places where the working environment is ever changing. Unfortunately, in addition to this, the construction industry tends to be under resourced and under planned in relation to other industries (Egan, 1998), which can lead to a crisis management approach to production risk, a feature of construction culture which can impact heavily on health and safety. Despite this, activities requiring intensive planning as those required in a temporary rail possession, almost invari ably run smoothly. There is little chance of an unsafe incident, due to the heightened risk awareness resulting from the meticulous planning. 3. Aims and Objectives To study various minute details affecting the process of planning. The objective of this research is to assess the modern methods of planning and scheduling a construction contracts which can be applied in todays construction industry and to also discuss the issues involved in the application of those tools. To compare and analyze a planning strategy which has a solution for various issues in the planning process. 4. Research Methodology The research methodology is the approach through which the researcher collects the data useful for the chosen topic and then the analysis is done on the basis of that. In my dissertation, I will be using qualitative research as means to study planning and scheduling in construction contracts. 5. Scope and Limitations of Dissertation The limitations of the dissertation are: This research targets only construction industry, hence the results cannot be implied on the others sectors. This analysis will be done for Indian and UK industry. However, the study done on India and UK is not necessary applicable for other nations as well as because of cultural differences. Planning techniques for different countries is different which adds to more misery. The unavailability of proper planning and management techniques, which could possibly solve the issues of planning even when proper resources are not available. Construction Industry has flourished domestically as well as globally over the years. Economic development of any particular country also largely depends upon the construction projects. Major factors that affect the overall result of any project would be size, complexity, quality, productivity, completion time and cost. These factors would be achieved only when proper planning is done, which forms the base of construction management. A project plan is always formulated during the planning phase. Planning in its broader perspective, involves advance thinking as to what is to be done, what are the activities, how it is to be done, when it is to be done, where it is to be done, what is needed to do it, who is to do it and to ensure that it done. A project plan would be adversely affected if cost overruns and delays take place. The effect of past construction experience, on the quality of management in general and on planning effectiveness in particular, is addressed only rarely in const ruction-management research; the few studies doing so explicitly are in agreement with the findings of the present study. NEDO (Faster 1983) reports the contractors inexperience in similar projects as a major source of difficulty in construction [Faster building for industry (1983). NEDO-Building EDC, National Economic Development Office, London, England.]. All the perseverance put into the invention of new techniques did not gave the satisfying results in the construction planning sector (Choudhury 1981, Mason 1984, Morton 1983). Sometimes people fail to recognize the difference between planning and scheduling. Progress in the usage of new computer techniques has resulted in the misconception of standardization of project scheduling. Projects have been a part of our society for quite a long era. Indication of total efficiency would be seen by completing project on time, but construction process is subjected to too many fluctuations and unforeseeable factors which results from many sources (Sadi. A. Assaf, Sadiq Al-Hejji, (2005)). Construction organization lives in the ever-changing and their effectiveness depends on their ability to adapt to new demands and opportunities. This industry needs to adjust itself to the changes occurring in its working environment in order to become effective. Construction projects are intricate and time-consuming tasks. The total development of a project normally consists of several phases requiring a diverse range of specialized services. In progressing form initial planning to project completion, the typical project passes through successive distinct stages that demand inputs from such disparate groups as financial organizations, government agencies, engineers, architects, lawyers, surety companies, contractors, and building trade-persons. Most challenging part of these modern techniques is implementing these methods to achieve a particular goal or task. Construction Industry faces a lot of problems because of the working patterns and inefficient planning techniques to reach to complete a particular function. Following the modern planning techniques reduces the dilapidation of resources and economically strengthens the company. A constant focus should be given on the improvisation techniques which include mutually collaborating one or more techniques which would lead to a profitable project and reduce the loss due poor performance and cost overruns. The constructions industry in India and UK has realized the importance of the proper usage of modern planning techniques which has improvised the margins of profits and truncate the overall project cost. In India planning is an open process (Planning in India RICHARD S. ECKAUS MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ).If design completion is not done at proper time it would prove to be costly, as it would lead to construction delays. In India a prevalent method to planning is not sufficient as there are many situations which includes Limitation or inexpertness of human beings in there respective fields (Human Errors). Influence of external factors beyond human control (E.g. Natural Hazards: this could have an adverse effect on the planning process). The external components interact with the construction firm from outside of the organizations environment. Such external components are material suppliers, financial institutions, and surety companies, end users of products, owners, and architects. The project is also influenced by external causes due to scarce availability of resources in the market (Techniques and Technology). The project covers important framework of an integral system; therefore considerable economic or technical consequence could result from faulty usage. (An approach to planning and control of advanced projects Giorgio Caroni, Roland0 Matteelli and Alfred0 Berti) In order to have a competitive edge over other construction companies, perfectly planning techniques should be used. Main Body CASE STUDY: Even though India is one of the developing countries the approach towards planning is comparatively more advanced as compared to other developing countries. (Planning in India, RICHARD S. ECKAUS, MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY). In India, for small scale project ranging between 1million £-10million £ specific planning techniques cannot be implemented, as a lot of unavoidable problems usually arise due to many reasons. Comprehensive survey of the location of the project clearly marks the project area and its boundaries. Soil investigation is to be done to ascertain the soil strength so as to decide the type and other specific details of the foundation. Depending upon the soil investigation reports, finalize the type of foundation i.e., pile foundation or open foundation up to hard strata strength. Necessary approvals, clearances, no objection for all the concerned government departments, local or self governing authorities should be obtained before starting the project. To ascertain whether any public utility service lines like Water pipe lines, sewage pipe lines, electrical cables or over head lines, telephone line or any other Public/Private items or assets are crossing /passing through the designated project area. Specific measures must be taken to relocate the service lines or public assets before starting the project. Drawings incorporating all the specific details, dimensions and other specifications must be accurate and must be got approved from all the relevant authorities before starting the work If any of the above fundamental issues are neglected at the planning stage, you are steadily heading for a project period over run and project cost overrun. TYPICAL CASE STUDIES FROM INDIA BUILDING PROJECT OF CBI(CENTRAL BEAURAU OF INVESTIGATION) BUILDING 1) Name of Work : Construction of Administrative Building including all infrastructure Amenities for C.I.D Pune. at Pune 2) Client : Maharashtra State Police Housing Welfare Corporation. Limited, Mumbai 3) Tender Work Order No : PHC/TB/CID PUNE/1152/2005 Dated 15.07.2005 from General Manager 4) Contractor : M/s. Deepa Engineers, 42, Welfare Chambers, 1st Floor, Sector-17, Vashi, Navi Mumbai 400 705 5) Architect : M/s. Arc-Aids. Pune 6) P.M.C : M/s PP Ventures, Pune 7) Tendered Amount : 5, 43, 04,161/- 8) Date of Starting : 02.09.2005 9) Stipulated period of completion : 31.05.2007 10) Area as per tender : 5483.57 Sq.Mtr 11) Area as per actual construction : 7217.19 Sq.Mtr. Including Common Facility. 12) Common Facility Area : 109Sq.Mtr 1) Septic Tank = 36 Sq.Mtr 2) Meter Room = 19 Sq.Mtr 3) Pump House = 54 Sq. Mtr 13 Area Constructed : 7108.19 Sq.Mtr (7217.19-109 = 7108.19 Sq.Mtr) 14) Actual date of completion/ : 31.03.2009 Taking over 10.07.2009 15) Difference in Area : 1669.62 Sq.Mtr. 16) R.A. Bill No. 21st (pending) : 30,70,629.00 17) Final Bill yet pending : 26,01,169.00 18) Security Deposit : 13,57,604.00 19) Retention money deducted From 20th R.A. Bill : 1,38,747.00 20) Retention money deducted From 21th R.A. Bill : 1,52,052.00 21) Extra Items Amount : 1,83,210.00 22) Inauguration Expenditure : 3,10,000.00 23) Bank Guarantee En cashed : 13,57,604.00 Total Claims overdue : 91,71,015.00 + Difference in Constructed Area amount Conclusion Departmental interaction between various service agencies of the state, like the police housing Department and PUNE Municipal Corporation must have been initiated at the planning stage of the tender itself. Though the project is commissioned successfully on 10th July-2009 and the C.B.I has occupied the Administrative Building, with all the proposed amenities the Contractor has suffered huge financial losses. Presently the case is under arbitration Justification for the delay of work 1) M/s. Arc-Aids, (Architect) M/s. PP Ventures, Pune (PMC) were new to the department lack of coordination between them with Police Housing and the contractor resulting in bad delay in furnishing the requisite drawings and other relevant details for the timely execution of the work. 2) Delay due to the shifting of approx One Meter Diameter Water pipe line of Pune municipal corporation which was not shown in the layout drawing of the tender, passing through the site feeding water supply to Pune City Delay 10 Months. The work was coordinated by Deepa Engineers and executed by Pune Municipal Corporation without any financial obligations to PHC. Drawings must incorporate all the details accurately, after carrying out proper survey of the project area. 3) Non releasing of the payments in time by holding of Running Bills payment by imposing heavy penalty as given below, which was against the terms conditions of the Tender, since the delay was caused by reasons beyond the responsibility control of the contractor Sr.No. Particulars No. of days Amount to be recovered from Bill in Rs. 1 Rs. 1000/-per day w.e.f. 1/6/07 to 15.01/08 229 2,29,000/- 2 Rs. 5000/-per day w.e.f. 16/01/08 to 15/02/08 31 1,55,000/- 3 Rs. 10000/-per day w.e.f. 16/02/08 to 12/05/08 87 8,70,000/- 4 Rs. 15000/-per day w.e.f. 13/5/08 to 30/06/08 49 7,35,000/- 5 Rs. 65000/-per day w.e.f. 1/7/08 to 10/07/09 375 2,43,75,000/- Total 771 2,63,64,000/- This holding of payment was waived and released by Hon. S.S. Virk after joining as M.D. of Police Housing Corporation and assured that the penalty will be waived and the difference in area constructed will be consider after completing the work. Accordingly the work is restarted and completed on 31.03.2009 and handed over on 10.07.2009. Month wise requirement of funds if predicted during the plannings stage itself, the payment schedule flow of money will not be hampered. B) Name of Project: 1) Construction of three storeyed of 300 seated Post Graduate Hostel including internal Water supply, Sanitary installation, Drainage wok and internal electrification work for Vishweshwarayya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India Name of Contractor : M/s. DEEPA ENGINEERS, 42, WELFARE CHAMBERS, 1ST FLOOR, SECTOR-17, VASHI, NAVI MUMBAI Estimated Cost : 5,33,56,856/- Tendered Amount : 9,34,63,099.00 Time allowed : 16 Months including monsoon Period Commencement Date : 12.07.2007 Stipulated date of completion : 11.11.2008 Security Deposit : 46,73,155.00 (Bank Guarantee) Project Management : Central Public Works Department, Superintending Engineer, Central Circle, Nagpur. Architects : do B) Name of Project: Construction of Additional storey (100 seated) over proposed 300 seated Post Graduate Hostel at Vishweshwarayya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur. Name of Contractor : M/s. DEEPA ENGINEERS, 42, WELFARE CHAMBERS, 1ST FLOOR, SECTOR-17, VASHI, NAVI MUMBAI Estimated Cost : 1,78,70,130.00 Tendered Amount : 2,36,39,902.00 Commencement Date : 28.11.2008 Stipulated date of completion : 27.05.2009 Security Deposit : 11,82,000.00 (Bank Guarantee) Time allowed : 6 Months Project Management : Central Public Works Department, Superintending Engineer, Central Circle, Nagpur. Architects : do Actual date of Completion : 31.03.2010 Parameter adopted for mix design for RCC works Ready Mix Concrete Nominal maximum size of aggregate : 20 mm angular as per C.P.W.D. description Degree of quality control : Good Type of Exposure : Moderate Maximum water cement Ratio : 0.50 Cement Content : 410/Kg/cum of concrete Type of Cement used : OPC 43 grade Conforming to IS: 8112 Sand : Coarse sand as per CPWD Specification Approved Admixtures conforming to I.S. 9103 permitted Fly wash shall not be used in R.C.C The Contractor shall submit the Mix Design Report from Approved Laboratory and get it approved from the Engineer-in-Charge Causes for the delay in completion of the project. Inaccurate Soil Investigation Report. The Original depth of Excavation, for Foundation fixed as 5ft(1.52 m) as per tender. At the time of actual execution the depth upto loft which resulted in huge quantity variation in excavation, quantity of steel and other items necessitating further approvals from all competent authorities. This project cost overrun and period overrun could have been avoided if proper soil investigation was carried out before tendering A Major defect in planning was the decision to have an additional floor with 100 seats after the completion of the hostel building up to 3rd floor by the contractor. The right decision to have a Four storied 400 seated Hostel building initially would have saved the Project period by at least 4 months Also there could have been a saving of the total Project cost by at least 03 % TABLE OF MILESTONE (S) CASE B(1) S. No. Financial Progress Time allowed (from date of start) Amount to be withheld in case of non achievement of milestone 1 All P.C.C. and brick works up to plinth level 120 days In the event of not achieving the necessary progress as assessed 1% of the tendered value of work will be withheld for failure of each milestones 2 Complete R.C.C structure up to terrace level 240 days 3 All brick work , flooring, internal plaster, fixing of door frames and windows etc along with all related items 355 days 4 Water proofing to terrace slab, external plaster and painting, fixing of all electrical and water supply, sanitary fitting etc. complete along with handing over of building including external service connections complete. 16 months TABLE OF MILESTONE (S) CASE B(2) S. No. Physical Progress Time allowed (from date of start) Amount to be withheld in case of non achievement of milestone 1 All R.C.C. Columns 30 days In the event of not achieving the necessary progress as assessed 1% of the tendered value of work will be withheld for failure of each milestones 2 Complete R.C.C and brick work up to terrace level 90 days 3 All brick work , flooring, internal plaster, fixing of door frames and windows etc along with all related items 150 days 4 External plaster and painting, fixing of all water supply, sanitary fitting etc. complete along with handing over of building including external service connections complete. 6 months Results from the Case Study: IN GENERAL VIEWS Table 1 List of causes of delay which may affect the overall planning is categorized below (Causes of delay in large construction projects, Sadi A. Assaf *, Sadiq Al-Hejji) No. of. Causes of delay affecting the planning process Group 1 The Original contract duration is very short Project 2 Disputes between various parts Project 3 Inadequate definition of substantial completion Project 4 Ineffective delay penalties Project 5 Type of construction contract (Lump sum contract, construction only,) Project 6 Type of project bidding and award ( lowest bidder) Project 7 Delay in payments by the owner Owner 8 Delay to furnish the site to the contractor by the owner Owner 9 Revision orders by the owner during construction phase Owner 10 Late in changing and approving the design documents by the owner Owner 11 Delay in approval of drawings and the sample materials Owner 12 Improper communication by owner and other parties Owner 13 Unwillingness to make proper decisions Owner 14 Disagreements occurring between joint-ownership of the project Owner 15 Absence of incentives for contractor for finishing the work ahead of schedule Owner 16 Discontinuation of work by owner Owner 17 Financial problems faced by contractor Contractor 18 Problems in sub-contractors schedule in execution work Contractor 19 Alterations during construction due to some minor errors Contractor 20 Affray between contractor and other parties Contractor 21 Inappropriate site management by the contractor Contractor 22 Inappropriate communication by contractor with other parties Contractor 23 Poor planning of project by the contractor Contractor 24 Improper construction techniques implemented by contractor Contractor 25 Postponement in sub-contractors work Contractor 26 Inadequate standard of work by contractor Contractor 27 Periodic changes of sub-contractors Contractor 28 Poor qualification of technical staff Contractor 29 Mobilization problems at site Contractor 30 Postponement in inspection and testing by consultant Consultant 31 Delays in the approval of major changes in the scope of work by consultant Consultant 32 Inflexibility shown by the consultant Consultant 33 Improper coordination between consultant and other parties Consultant 34 Slow to review and approve the documents by the consultant Consultant 35 Issues between the consultant and the design engineer Consultant 36 Inadequate experience of consultant Consultant 37 Mistakes in the design documents Design 38 Delay in delivering the design documents Design 39 Imperfect details in drawings Design 40 Complications in understanding of the project design Design 41 Incomplete data collection survey before design Design 42 Confusion in owners requirements by design engineer Design 43 Insufficient design-team experience Design 44 Low amount of usage of advanced engineering design software Design 45 Shortage of construction materials in market Materials 46 Alterations in the type of materials and specifications during the construction Materials 47 Immobilization of material Materials 48 Damage of sorted material while they are needed urgently Materials 49 Delay in manufacturing special building materials Materials 50 Late procurement of materials Materials 51 Late in selection of finishing materials due to availability of many types in market Materials 52 Equipment breakdowns Equipment 53 Shortage of equipment Equipment 54 Low level of equipment-operators skill Equipment Equipment 55 Lack of high-technology mechanical equipment Equipment 56 Shortage of labours Labours 57 Unqualified workforces Labours No. Causes of delay Group Labours 58 Nationality of labours Labours 59 Low productivity level of labours Labours 60 Personal conflicts among labours Labours 61 Effects of subsurface conditions (e.g., soil, high water table, etc.) External 62 Delay in obtaining permits from municipality External 63 Hot weather effect on construction activities External 64 Rain effect on construction activities External 65 Unavailability of utilities in site (such as, water, electricity, telephone, etc.) External 66 Effect of social and cultural factors External 67 Traffic control and restriction at job site External 68 Accident during construction External 69 Differing site (ground) conditions External 70 Changes in government regulations and laws External 71 Holding up the work from the important utilities i.e., water, electricity etc External 72 Final inspection has been delayed by a third party External Literature Review: Definitions and Concepts of Planning and Planning issues Planning can be defined as any one of the following: 1. A decision-making process. 2. A process of anticipatory decision-making to decide what and/or how to perform actions due at some point in the future. 3. A process of integrating interdependent decisions into a system of decisions. 4. A hierarchical process evolving from general guidelines to objectives, to the elaboration of means and constraints that lead to a detailed course of action. 5. A process that includes part or all of a chain of activities comprising information search and analysis, development and design of alternatives, analysis and evaluation of alternatives and choice making. 6. The systematic employment of procedures (standardized and formal to varying degrees). 7. Documented presentation, in the form of plans. (Is construction project planning really doing its job? A critical examination of focus, role and process, A. Laufera; R. L. Tucker, Department of Construction Management, Technion IIT, Haifa, Israel b Construction Industry, Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA) Social-Cultural-Economic Importance of Planning(POSTIVE AND NEGATIVE) Cultural Aspects: (International Measurement of the Economic and Social Importance of Culture, Prepared by John C. Gordon and Helen Beilby-Orrin) . The Australian statistical office

Robert Frost: A Man Of Many Words :: essays research papers

Robert Frost was born on March 26th, 1874. Frost was the son of William Prescott and Isabelle Moodie. His parents named him after the confederate general, Robert E. Lee. (Encyclopedia of World Bio) Robert Frost began kindergarten in 1879; unfortunately he was struck with stomach pains on the first day and never returned. He was then home schooled by his mother, whom was a teacher. Before his schooling was over he had been accepted to Lawrence High School, and finished at the head of his class. Frosts first job was teaching however he is best known for his writing, and his life's tragedies. (American Decades)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1912 Frost moved to England, and started writing full time. Within months he had written his first book, A Boy's Will, which was accepted for publication. (Contemporary Authors) I think Robert Frost is a master student because he liked school and strived for what he believed in, he accomplished goals he set despite tragic episodes in his life, and he became an inspiring author. Robert Frost strove for what he believed in which was becoming a successful writer. He had written his first published poem before he finished high school. He published a few more pieces, and then he graduated with Valedictory honors. He moved on to Dartmooth College. After leaving he was accepted to Harvard and was awarded the Sewall Scholarship for Academic Excellence. Frosts publishing went world wide and had people envying him everywhere in the world he went.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Robert Frost was also a master student because despite all the tragic times he was faced with he still dug deep to become one of the best writers of all time. Some of the tragedies he went through were, the death of his first son Elliot to cholera. His daughter Marjorie was sickened to perpetual fever. Two years after this incident his wife Elinor died of heart failure. Despite all of these tragedies Frost surrounded Himself with loving colleagues and continued to write successfully.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As an author Frost has inspired many. He had began delivering speeches, talks, and lectures. Frost did not only inspire those he lectured to, but he was inspired by the audience and fans to write more. Some of his best work was said to have happened after the start of his public speeches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion I believe Robert Frost to be a master student mainly for the inspiration he's given.

Vengeance of the Gods :: essays research papers

What is an epic? An epic is an extended narrative poem recounting actions, travels, adventures, and heroic episodes and is written in a high style. The Odyssey, by Homer, is definitely one of the greatest classic epics known to man. This tale contains numerous epic elements such as in media res or â€Å"in the middle of things† to grab the reader’s attention and make the reader keep reading to get the full story. Throughout the story, Homer included the epic element of divine intervention where the gods play a role in the outcome of actions of mortals. The theme of hospitality to strangers is also present in this celebrated epic. The Odyssey is worthy of being an epic because of these three conventions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Homer uses the epic element in media res to pull the reader in by starting in the middle of the story. The reader is then filled in by flashbacks or the main character re-telling his tale. By using this convention, Homer keeps the reader curious and interested and makes the reader keep reading until he or she finishes understanding the whole plot. In The Odyssey, the reader does not know half of Odysseus’ journey until he enlightens Alkinoos and Arà ªte as to what events took place before he was washed ashore on Kalypso’s Island. The reader always expects for the story to go directly to Odysseus, but instead the story follows the gods. Homer used in media res to show respect to the gods by starting the story â€Å"In the bright hall of Zeus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I. 42). The author depicts conservation between Zeus and Athena about the fate of Odysseus to show that the gods always come first even before the main character. Homer uses the curiosity of the r eader to his advantage by starting out Odysseus’ long journey home in media res.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Divine intervention is another major component of this epic. At the beginning, Homer placed the role of the gods to determine the fate of Odysseus. â€Å"With this Athena left him/ as a bird rustles upward, off and gone. / But as she went she put new spirit in him, / a new dream of his father†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I. 368-371). Without the involvement of the grey-eyed goddess Athena, Telemakhos would never have gain the courage to journey out into the world to find the fate of his father. Throughout the epic, Athena appears on earth disguised as everything from a little girl to Odysseus’s old friend Mentor to spin Odysseus’s long journey home.

Slade Plating Case Management Summary Essay -- Business Management Stu

Slade Plating Case Management Summary Despite the success of the Slade Company as manufacturer of metal products designed for industrial application, the production manager, Ralph Porter, was concerned about the dishonesty among employees in the Plating Department. Some of the workers were misusing the punch in-out system for those who wanted to leave early or arrive late. Given the long working hour and low payment, they lacked of motivation in performing their tasks, resulting in the dishonest action. However, because of informal groupings among some of them, they operated as a team to work harder doing peak orders. Therefore, the desired output of the department was still satisfied. Yet, some employees who were not in the main group were slack off and misused the system even during the peak period, which potentially resulted in internal conflict in the department. Thus, in order to motivate employees and prevent the dishonesty, we propose to remove punch in-out system and launch a better payment system with both financial and non-financial incentives. Also, the working environment should be improved with various campaigns to enhance the unity in the department. We also move an employee who could not perform fully his talent to other department to maximize his capacity. With these solutions, the Slade Company could motivate their employees, encourage the teamwork, avoid internal conflict, and finally increase the productivity in the Plating Department. Analyzing the present situation There were 38 workers in the Plating Department of the Slade Company. Their jobs, working conditions, values and tasks varied significantly. They were all dependent on each other as they only received their workload after work at the previous stage was done. Work was supervised by a punch in-out system and a supervisor, Otto Schell. Payment was low and the working hours were long due to the company policy to keep training and benefit cost down by requiring overtime instead of hiring new workers. In addition, informal groupings were formed in the department, which significantly affected the daily run of the work. The largest group was the Sarto group, which could practically influence the whole department as others tended to copy this group’s ideas and values. Without doubt, this group was a real driving force of the department, both ... ... However, for Herman Schell, he is found to be inappropriate and non-manageable and thus to be removed from the department, to say, â€Å"promoted† to other department to maximize his personal abilities and talents that we unfortunately cannot utilize in this department. This, we acknowledge, is a very easy and usually not the manager’s way to solve an issue like that. But we believe we just identified the case when a significant and sustainable change is not likely at all and by getting rid of him would eliminate the conflict source from the group and enhance group dynamics on the floor in all. Of course, a con to that is the feeling of safety, the lifetime job experience of the workers. Yet, we believe this does not endanger the good workers’ positions and therefore does not pose threat to the regular employee. A reason why he might not have been sacked before – apart from the general practice of the department – is probably the family ties to Otto Schell, the supervisor. In our opinion, such ties can be good but in no way shall be hindering performance, and this shall not be a base for delivering improper results both professionally and personally in the workplace.

The Effects of Music on Laboring Moms

Coping with labor pain when you are a first time mom is usually an experience filled with great anxiety. The first stage of labor is called the latent phase, in which she may be excited and anxious for labor to be well established [ (Marcia L. London, 2011) ]. The laboring mom may be unable to cope with contractions because of fear, anxiety, or lack of information [ (Marcia L. London, 2011) ].The nurse’s response should be to be supportive and provide encouragement and to establish a trusting relationship [ (Marcia L. London, 2011) ]. The challenge for the labor nurse is to reduce the pain and anxiety and to help make the labor and delivery a positive experience. The application of music therapy may be an appropriate tool for reducing anxiety and pain [ (Marcia L. London, 2011) ]. Music therapy has become popular in medicine in the last two decades.Studies show that the impulses from the auditory stimulus override the pain signals carried by the smaller nerve fibers, and music perceived by the right brain may stimulate the pituitary gland to release endorphins for decreasing pain [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. Music may also alter pain perception by improving mood, increasing relaxation, and reducing anxiety. Music also increases control and distraction to pain perception. The purpose of the study I read was to undertake an evaluation of music therapy on labor pain and anxiety in Taiwanese primiparas.It was hypothesized that primipara women receiving music therapy would perceive less pain and anxiety and have higher fingertip temperatures, an indication of less pain, during labor than those participants who had not received music therapy but received standard routine care [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. This controlled study provided evidence that music therapy for women during the latent phase of labor provided psychological and physiological benefits from pain [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ].The participants in the study were primipara women giving birth with the fol lowing criteria; they had a normal pregnancy, their pregnancy had gone to term, they planned to undergo a vaginal delivery, they had a single, normal fetus to deliver, they did not intend to use pharmacological analgesics during labor, and they consented to the participate in the study [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. In this study pain and anxiety were the main outcome measurements. Ultimately 60 participants were included in the analysis, 30 women were entered in the experimental group and 30 women were entered into the control group.Participants were instructed to choose types of relaxing, anxiety-reducing music. In addition to receiving standard nursing care, the experimental participants listened to music for at least 30 minutes during the latent phase and active phase of labor. Measures for pain and anxiety scales were given before and after 30 minutes of music listening during the latent and active phases of labor. Participants in the control group were not aware that they had the opportunity to listen to music, but they received the standard routine care after admission.Both groups completed the same pretest and posttest measures at the same phases of labor as the music group. Twenty-four hours after childbirth, women in the experimental group were asked to complete an open-ended questionnaire to indicate their perceptions of the effectiveness of music therapy on pain and anxiety and a five-point scale to evaluate the helpfulness of music. All the outcome measures for latent and active phases were analyzed separately because of the different level of pain.The results indicated that women in the music-listening group had lower pain and anxiety and higher fingertip temperatures than their peers in the control group during the latent phase, but the outcome measures were not significant during the active phase. Music seems to have multiple functions in pain reduction, including focusing, distracting, and stimulating pleasure responses. The study provides evidenc e that preselected music that is slow, relaxing and calming in nature, with little variation in tempo or volume is helpful for laboring women in the early latent phase [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ].In the active phase of labor the slow music was not effective. This is when contractions are more intense and more painful and it is possible that the auditory cue did not synchronize with the women’s rhythmic short, rapid breathing [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. It could be that music with a more rapid tempo would be more helpful. Pain and anxiety can influence heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, peripheral blood flow and fingertip temperature (FT). Elevation of FT is a significant indicator of physical relaxation through the sympathetic response [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ].This study shows that music can promote relaxation and decrease muscle tension which can increase peripheral blood flow as well as skin temperature as evidenced by the increased FT [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. In conclusion, this controlled study provides evidence that music therapy for women during the latent phase of labor provides quantifiable psychological benefits. The findings of this study may provide an evidence-based music therapy protocol for women in labor.Clinical health care professionals such as nurses could consider providing music as part of their routine when working with women who face the first-time childbirth process. Nurses could apply music therapy in reducing the pain and anxiety for women who are at the early phase of labor. Music does not have harmful side-effects and is easy to administer, so if it is yet another way to ease the pain and anxiety of a laboring patient and could help make the childbirth experience a positive one, the nurse should consider offering the therapy to her patients.

Why Young People Should Be Encouraging To Develop A Personal Action Plan

Describe how to manage risks associated with conflicts or dilemmas between an individual’s rights and the duty of care. In every type of work setting, there will always be different opinions on certain things that will lead to conflicts or dilemmas. Work setting where there are children involves is no different. Conflicts happen almost everywhere. In a school setting there could be conflicts or dilemmas between the children, the children’s family, staff members and teachers. The most important thing is to do the right decision in favour of protecting and safeguarding the concerned child.There are various ways to deal with risks associate conflicts and dilemmas. Diligent exercise of duty of care must be balanced with children’s rights and parents’ responsibilities. The duty of care could conflict with children’s rights to have experiences which facilitate their development and learning. Challenging and risk taking activities and in children’s play is essential. This helps them to learn to predict and avoid dangerous situations. When a practitioner seeks to ‘wrap the children in cotton wool’ that is not letting them discover and taking risks with a limit, then the practitioner is carrying her duty of care too far.Allowing children to explore with the practitioners’ guidance is vital in a child’s development. Sometimes rights may take precedence over duty of care. Practitioners should discharge their duty of care in ways that support children’s rights acquire life skills through learning how to cope with risky situations. Making children and young people aware of potential hazards and dangers is very important to help children choose between right and wrong. In other situations, duty of care may prevail over rights.A practitioner’s duty of care to protect children from abuse must be balanced with families’ rights to have their private information treated confidentially. A pra ctitioner must avoid intruding into their lives in a way that infringe their rights or the responsibilities of their parents. If a practitioner comes across a serious suspicion in a case of abuse, he/she must report immediately to the Child Services and leave everything in their hands. If individuals insist on doing something that you disagree with, you can only advise and encourage them.You cannot force them to do anything. For example, if an individual refuses to take medication and their well-being depends on this medication, you cannot force them to take the medication. You should immediately contact your supervisor / manager and seek advice. You should also make sure you record what has happened and the action taken. Professional guidance and support is always useful to help in such situations practitioners come across. It is important to take second opinion of a higher authority when deciding on such conflicts or dilemmas.

Electrical gadget

Want to make your computer experience a little†¦ Bulgier? For sure you want to watch your favorite movie in a big screen because it easy to watch, and give you a lot of satisfaction. II. When I want to decide to watch TV using computer a few years ago, I really have no idea how to connect the cable. Then, at that time my friend shows me easy steps on how to do it. Ill. I have learned about the steps during that time and I did additional research for this speech. IV.Today I will inform you three main steps f how to using television as a computer monitor which are consist consideration about condition of TV and computer, connections between them and changing computer settings. (Transitions: Let's start by looking for what are the considerations) Body l. The first step Is to take considerations about the condition of television and computer In order to get the best result after changing it. A. Keep the television at the right height for computer use 1. It is best to keep the televi sion at a height where your eye level is roughly % of the way up the screen, much like with a monitor.B. Make sure your television has good resolution 1. When your computer sends the image to the television, it's going to be designed for a much smaller screen. 2. Even with a high resolution TV, some text may appear blurry. 3. With a lower resolution television, you may have a very difficult time reading text C. Find your computers output options 1. Look at the back of your computer and identify the output options. 2. These are sometimes labeled, but they may be easier to identify by looking at images of the outputs online D. Find your television's input options.