Costs of Conflict Essay

Conflict produces several things that are often times not seen and most of it loses. It can be considered as the cost of conflict, which represents a drain of resources on the part of the parties that are involved. It also causes unhappiness and discomfort. Although it is not clearly seen in many cases but conflict does cost and it cost a lot of which money is involved. We may not see it but being into some kind of conflict does cost us money and other things that are considered to be valuable and these are considered as the cost of conflict. Conflict really does cost a lot in several forms however, these forms can be classified into five types defending on how money is lost in resolving the said conflict and how the conflict affects the persons involved. Cost of conflicts can be direct cost and opportunity cost that is divided into direct loss and opportunity cost, continuity cost and emotional cost. Although these are different from one another but it does not necessarily mean that the cost of conflict can be classified into one of these categorize. A conflict may cost two or three type of these types and even all of them. Most people have the inability to face conflicts and so they hire professionals to settle the conflict, this is called direct cost. The amount that the conflict cost can be seen visibly and counted as well because they involve money directly for the resolution of the conflict. Those that are involved in the conflict pay people like lawyers and other professionals to solve the problem. By doing so, it can clearly be seen that the particular conflict cost money. An example would be divorce in which a couple pays legal fees in order to be separated from each other in the legal way. This of course cost much and for those that the only asset is their home, they even transform their residence in order to provide the legal fees needed for the divorce paper. Another cot of conflict is the productivity cost the person’s time as well as the value of his or her effort that is lost in the conflict. This form is divided into 2 types; the direct loss and the opportunity cost. The direct loss is the value of money that a particular person should be paid for but had not been paid because of the conflict. If a particular company employee had been absent in his or her work because a conflict arise that he or she must settle then he will not receive payment for the time that is used in solving the conflict. Opportunity cost on the other hand refer to the value of money that someone might be earning if his or her energy had been focused on the producing products in which he is being paid for. An example would be people who are being paid depending on the amount of work that they are able to finish. If a sewer is paid depending on the number of items that she is able to do then, the energy and time wasted on resolving a conflict will affect that person’s income. Continuity cost on the other hand includes the lost of relationships and even community because of conflicts. The main cause of this kind of cost is being stuck in the past conflict that happened. If two employees of a certain company have problems with each other, they will not be able to work effectively. This will be for the company’s disadvantage that will cause losses and will greatly affect the work place. Also if because of the conflict they decided to quit and look for another job, a community is lost; the community of the employees in which they had work for some time. The last cost of category of costs of conflict involves the emotions or inner state of the persons involved, the emotional cost. When it comes to conflicts I can say that it is the most common type of cost that a conflict is likely to develop. There are times in which it is so hard to let go of hurts that occurred in a conflict. It might be because of a fight with those that you do not know like someone that bumps into your car and even those that are close to you like your friends, coworkers and even members of the family. We are help prisoners by negative emotions like anger, fear and grip that we cannot let go. These emotions held us captive and make us unproductive. It saps our energies that should be focused on our job or doing something worthwhile. Instead of focusing on the business we are consumed by anger and vengeance for the other person especially in cases in which we feel that we had been maltreated or had been abused or oppressed. We kept on telling ourselves that the wrongdoer had to be punished for what he or she had done. We use our energy on our negative emotions adding to the loss that we already had on the time of the conflict. The energy and time that we use will never be recovered and as long as we focused on these negative emotions, more and more energy and time will be lost. A conflict may involve these types of costs; it may cost the person’s money directly trough hiring professionals or indirectly like the time that could have been used for earning. Also because of the same conflict your community in which you work for may be lost. Also the hurts of that particular conflict may enslave you causing you to be unproductive and full of grief and revenge for the wrongdoer. Examining closely these costs we can realize that being involve in a conflict really does cost a lot. However being involved in a conflict cannot be totally avoided because we really cannot please everybody. What is important is that in every experience that we had, we are able to learn valuable lessons that teach us how to live our lives the best way that we can. If you commit the same mistake twice, it is definitely your fault. We cannot be good to all but we must learn to be good to us much as we can in order to minimize being involved in a conflict because no matter how the situation ends, we will certainly never win. We will definitely lose something of importance and of value. Reference Overveen, C. (No Date). The many Costs of Conflicts. Retrieved December 6, 2007 from http://www. trimitra. com/articles/costsofconflict. html Levine, S. (1998 December). The Many Costs of Conflicts. Innovative Leader Volume 7, page 12. Retrieved December 6, 2007 from http://www. winstonbrill. com/bril001/html/article_index/articles35

Best Buy Essay

The key factors that lead to Best Buy’s success include: Growth in the consumer electronics retail sector and the internet boom: Constant growth in the demand for consumer electronics has grown over the previous decades which has supported Best Buy’s successful turnout into the top consumer electronics store. The internet also played a significant role in increasing the sales of Best Buy as it had already ramped up its computer product offerings prior to 1995. The internet boom positively affected the consumer electronics industry in general. Knowledgeable sales staff: Best Buy’s salespeople did not work on commission which helped creating a low pressure shopping experience for the customers and built a consumer friendly environment. This also lead Best Buy to attract a well read sales force which would guide the customers to make the choices more customized to themselves and helped the buyers in decision making. Also merchandise was arranged by brand name instead of by price range. Both of these were unusual practices in the superstore industry but worked well for Best Buy. Focus on customer service (Geek Squad): Best Buy’s belief in offering outstanding customer service through product warranties, personal services and at-home delivery helped Best Buy to differentiate itself from other competitors in the space. This also helped Best Buy in gaining trust and building a strong customer base. Acquisition of the Geek Squad to service computers 24Ãâ€"7 differentiated Best Buy as an excellent product and service provider. Customer-Centricity: Target market segmentation by Best Buy’s Customer-Centric approach and extensive research and analysis of its customer base helps Best Buy in configuring its stores and training its work force to cater to the individual needs of its market segments which encourages customers to revisit for multiple purchases. Also the approach to customize the store at times in terms of some local requirements helps Best Buy in increasing its sales significantly. Risks going forward include increased competition from other retailers and wholesalers like Wal-Mart , Costco, Target etc who also have a very strong distribution network and customer base. Best Buy has to decide whether to spend money on its sales force and customization strategies or to compete in terms of price with these other retailers especially in this low margin growing industry. Best Buy also has to decide to enhance its online sales and product offerings in order to compete with the like of Amazon and Ebay in the online electronic sales market which is growing rapidly. Stores like Wal-Mart are growing tremendously fast in the retail segment and Best Buy has to compete with them in terms of opening new retail outlets as well. Another important risk Best Buy faces is investing in the international markets looking at the current economic scenario or to maintain strong hold in the local US market. . Looking forward Best Buy can compete against Wal-Mart and online companies in the following ways: Continuing to differentiate itself as an excellent customer oriented business Best Buy offers the latest technologies at its stores and to attract and hold customers who are technology savvy it is essential for Best Buy to dwell on its approach of customer service because in the space of advanced technology, nothing can replace the in store experience of actually intera cting with knowledgeable salespersons. Developing the online product offerings: Best Buy must also focus a little more on its online business in order to avoid being overtaken by Amazon and Ebay which are growing their business extensively. In order to keep up to its customer oriented approach, Best Buy must offer more detailed view of its product offerings than any other online competitor. It must increase its online product offering to a wider range and variety of products to grow in the online segment. Increase international presence: At the moment, Best Buy is majorly dependent on the local US market. The international markets are growing fast and competitors like Wal-Mart are growing their business wide, therefore Best Buy must increase its international presence quickly to avoid losing out to its competitors in the international markets and also in order to hedge the risk of being completely dependent on the US market. Also labor expenses being less in a number of international markets, Best Buy can afford to maintain its excellent customer service and enhance its brand value. SWOT Analysis for reference: Internal| Strengths| Weaknesses| 1. Strong market presence 2. Knowledgeable workforce 3. High quality technical support service 4. Strong financial performance 5. Financial resources to spend money on advertising ;amp; promotion, introducing new products. 6. Increased market share and strong brand presence. | 1. Low margins 2. High dependence on local (U. S) market. 3. High costs of maintaining stores and employees. | External| Opportunities| Threats| . Growing global computer and electronics retail sector 2. Customer centric operating model 3. Expansion in the international consumer electronics retail market. 4. Strong private brand potential. 5. Failure of competitors like Circuit City ;amp; CompUSA has opened gates to improve market share. 6. Online sales| 1. Rising competition from lower price outlets like Wal-Mart and Costco. 2. Online competitors like Amazon, Ebay. 3. Economic slowdown 4. Rising labor wages|

Impossible

The word Impossible Impossible is a word that has been used to describe a multitude of situations. People have been told forever that their dreams and ambitions were impossible; this has inspired greatness and made the world what it is today. Everyone that has achieved anything great has been told that their idea was impossible. Daymond John, like all successful entrepreneurs, inspired me by defying the odds of his time and never listening to the word impossible. Daymond John is the CEO and Founder of the world recognized clothing company FIJBU.He is from Queens, New York and from an era that was all about defying what the world's version of â€Å"impossible† was for him. He is a 44 year old African American that started a clothing company out of his house that has become a 317 million dollar company that has taken on the world and defied everyone that said his dreams were impossible. From a young age the word impossible is something I have always loved to defy I grew up in Ro ckwood Oregon and went to Reynolds Middle school where the majority of my friends and kids were apart of gangs and doing drugs.My teachers told me I was not smart enough to get out the there and that I would end up like everyone else eventually. My parents moved me to the opposite part of town where I kept my mentality that my dreams and aspirations were going to be impossible. Until a teacher I hated told me I was not going to be anything and I was determined to change my life eventually I Joined the United States Army. Before Joining the army I was told that I would not make it because of the physical demands they were going to ask of me and I was too defiant.I was determined to prove everyone wrong in four years I became a SGT and got over a 300 on my physical aptitude test also shot an expert after every qualification. The word impossible became my potential. I thrived in high stress environments. Even though from a young age I have been told that most of my ambitions were impos sible. I never believed them. My Father told me a story when I was growing up that his dad always told him: he was† living in a fantasy land† when my Father would alk about robots in the future.Now days my Father is a head engineer for Intel and works on robots all day. When my Father tells me my dreams are impossible I tell him â€Å"l am Just living in a fantasy land and want to show the world what is in it. † My interpretation stands that nothing is impossible if I am willing to put in the work to prove to the world, but most importantly myself, that I am able to do whatever I put my mind to.At the times when I find myself questioning if I am going to be able to omplete my dreams and if the word impossible is going to finally defeat me, I remember a quote by Muhammad Ali that one of my Drill Sergeants told me to remember: â€Å"Impossible is Just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world theyVe been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing. â€Å"- Muhammad Ali Impossible By dougwilliamsmp

The Foundation of French Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Foundation of French Literacy - Essay Example It relates to historical incidents of battle of August 15, 778 in which the rear-guard of Charlemagne’s retreating Frank forces is attacked by Basques. A large number of top knights and Duke Roland of the Brittany Marches were killed in the massacre. Ganelon was the master architect of this great act of betrayal. When he was picked by Roland for the peace mission, his relatives and other knights expressed their sympathy as they firmly believed that his life would not be safe. Ganelon accepted the task, certain that he would die. He threatened Roland, "If God should deign that I come back again then I shall stir up such a feud with you that it will last as long as you're alive!" (Anonymous, 1957, 20, pp. 289-291). Emperor Charlemagne was firm about sending Ganelon and said his command must be followed implicitly. Ganelon had no other option, but to comply with the order. In the fight against Muslims in Spain Charlemagne made great strides and Saragossa was the only surviving ci ty ruled by the Muslim King Marsile. Knowing the might of the army of Charlemagne, he dispatched messengers to Charlemagne promising his conversion to Christianity and submission of treasure. In return, he urged him to go back to France. Charlemagne too wished to buy peace as he and his men were tired of the long war. The issue was about selection of a messenger who would represent the King at Marsile’s court. The choice fell on Ganelon, stepfather of Roland. Ganelon, however, viewed this selection with suspicion and feared that he was being sent deliberately to die in the hands of the cruel pagans. He had always hated his stepson and he thought that he had an opportunity to settle scores with Roland. Joining the Saracen peace ambassadors, Ganelon talked at length with Blancandrin as they rode together back to Saragossa. He spat venom against Roland and blamed him for inciting the Franks for the war that was fought without intermission. â€Å"If someone killed him," said Gan elon, "we might all have peace" (Anonymous, 1957, 29, pp. 391). Blancandrin was greatly excited about this observation and both of them pledged to each other and decided to design a plot to get rid of him. Roland was brave but failed to gauge the consequences of his actions and due to this weakness, treacherous Ganelon succeeded in outwitting his knightly companions and his army. Roland’s flaw was his superlative confidence and pride, and he was unwilling to reacquire aid for him and for his army at the time of war, when the situation demanded it. Viewed from this angle he was a poor tactician. Ganelon departed with his retinue. While travelling to Saragossa, he got enough time to talk with his accomplices about the intended plot to kill Roland. Both of them reached to the outdoor assembly of Marsile, who was seated in surroundings that displayed his grandeur. As planned, the meeting began with a stormy start as Ganelon told Marsile that if he failed to accept the terms and c onditions set forth by Charles, he would be doomed to meet his death after the capture. Marsile reacted violently and moved to attack Ganelon, but controlled himself well in time. Ganelon stuck to his assertion and was able to impress the Saracens with his candid disposition. Marsile read Charlemagne’s letter aloud for the benefit of those present in the court, in which he mentioned Basan and Basile, the executed Frankish representatives, and, if interested in saving his life, he must depute his uncle the caliph as the hostage. He warned him about the impending death if he failed to comply and he might have to die "in squalor and disgrace." (Anonymous, 1957, 33, pp. 437) Ganelon told them about the danger posed by Roland and to the question when the war would end he categorically stated

Communication, Ethics, and Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Communication, Ethics, and Society - Assignment Example According to Forbes, in the last few years, GoDaddy.com has been a target for several unethical practices. One issue was when a CEO killed a wild elephant in Africa in 2011. Again, in 2011, GoDaddy underwent scrutiny by offering support for SOPA which was an example of people not being able to exercise a freedom of speech or what they wanted to do while online. GoDaddy pulled its support because people were going to boycott the company (Clay, K. 2012). The advertisement was simply controversial because it portrayed women as sex symbols, showing them partying in the workplace. It was an issue of sexism and since it was shown during the Super Bowl, it was a direct attempt at men that is the general demographic of people that watch football. Instead of offering an intelligent response, the company still maintains to show sexism in their ads, with one of their sexiest ads ever to appear during the 2013 Super Bowl where a â€Å"hot† model was in a deep lip lock with a nerdy man. This advertisement increased sales for GoDaddy.com tremendously (Huffington Post, 2013). It was uncomfortable to watch and still continued to use women as sexual objects that could use control over men to get what they want. In my opinion, viewers ignore it and find it humorous though the underlying message is disgusting. GoDaddy has not learned its lesson at all and seem proud to offend others. The public is desensitized to seeing women as sex symbols a nd it is a role that is reinforced through other companies such as Victoria’s Secret and Hooters. Feminists should be livid over these companies that use these examples and though Victoria’s Secret is geared at women to buy lingerie, every single one of these examples should issue an apology to women everywhere for depicting them as

Three Positions on Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Three Positions on Abortion - Essay Example The conservative stand rejects abortion at any cost. This position is largely based on religious beliefs regarding the sanctity of life. Conservatives also cite the ‘slippery slope’ argument, where the right to end life could be extended to other situations, such as euthanasia. The liberal position permits abortion unconditionally. Liberals accept various justifications for abortion, including the woman’s right to make decisions over her own body, the quality of life of fetus and mother, and monetary and career considerations. The conservative and liberal positions are both reflections of the uncompromising rigidity which often characterizes any debate on the issue of abortion. On the other hand, the moderate position on abortion recognizes the moral implications it entails, and acknowledges that the rights of the mother and the fetus are in conflict in this situation. Moderates accept the need for abortion, but limit their acceptance to situations entailing defor mity in the fetus, health risks to the mother, and cases of rape and incest. I agree with the moderate position on abortion because of its attempt to reconcile two extreme stands. The moderate position appeals to me as it represents a genuine attempt to reconcile two opposing viewpoints: the conservative and the liberal. ... From the liberal perspective, the moderate position accepts that several mitigating factors, largely concerned with the well-being of the mother, can justify the overruling of the right-to-life of the fetus. However, it rejects a casual attitude towards the suffering of the fetus. This middle-of-the-road position ensures that the issue of abortion can be taken on a case-by-case basis. After all, each case has its own unique circumstances, and the conservative stand of unilaterally ruling out abortion is unacceptable. For example, if the pregnancy poses a risk to the health of the mother, abortion can be justified. Similarly, moderates do not condone abortion out-of-hand. This sets curbs on the overly permissive liberal position, which could generate a laissez-faire attitude towards casual sex and pregnancy. Abortion without any restrictions would lead to sexual permissiveness and lack of responsibility. The moderate position approaches the issue of abortion without any preconceived i deas of morality, and adopts a non-judgmental stand which particularly appeals to me. Just as the moderate position on abortion is a calculated compromise between two extreme viewpoints, it incorporates several ethical approaches into its deliberately balanced stand, and rejects any rigidity. The moderate position, by nature of its flexibility, and willingness to accept compromise, rejects the Deontological Ethical Approach, because the latter emphasizes rigid moral obligation. Moral obligation, without any consideration of the resulting consequences, is foreign to moderates. Similarly, moderates reject the Intuitive Approach, based on the perception that this approach is often individual morality, or personal prejudices, painted in stubborn

Genetic drift Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Genetic drift - Research Proposal Example But it is not quite easy to confirm the exact path an evolutionary process would take. One way of tracing evolutionary history of an organism would be to trace it by examining available fossils but their availability in an exact chronological sequence is also a very big question mark. Further, there is absolutely no guarantee that fossils would be discovered in exactly the same chronological order in which they had formed as new fossils keep being discovered every year. There is intense desire to know how human species has developed and study of fossils have, though provided important insights, are still not a complete and comprehensive record of our evolution as a specie. Dating of objects found in burial sites have helped us to get a glimpse of our evolution so also study of cultures in different ages but extinction of our close evolutionary relatives prevent us from unambiguously visualizing our evolutionary process. Research Question In spite of the fact that humans exhibit genet ic diversity and mutations through generations, does our inability to categorically chart our evolutionary process give us the right to believe that we are not subject to the laws of evolution? Reference Enger, Eldon D., Frederick C. Ross, and David B. Bailey. Concepts in Biology. Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill, 2005.

Book review for chinese whispers by Hsiao-Hung Pai Literature

Book for chinese whispers by Hsiao-Hung Pai - Literature review Example ntensity brought out the issues that the Chinese workers face each day, and how although there is a high awareness of the issues being faced by people working in the sweatshops in developing countries like India and China, however one thing which most people tend to overlook is the people who work at the local sweatshops even now operating within Britain. The author brings out in this book that there is a major issue that the Chinese migrant workers tend to face mainly due to high levels of exploitation and due to their own vulnerable nature as well. The author has very effectively explained the ill effects of globalization and has also brought out how the boom of the new Chinese economy is in a number of ways killing a number of people within the country itself. The author brings out that the strategic decisions being made by people to overcome and stop the sweatshops and child labor in other developing counties is not the only areas that need to be considered. The sweatshops within Britain are also following unruly manners of dealing with the people and to a great extent, are leaving the Chinese illegals to be living in inhumane conditions. This needs first attention and focus rather than focusing on other areas in other countries. Although the author does not express this as incorrect strategy, the author tries to explain the need to stop the Chinese exploitation in the UK. The Chinese are brought to the country illegally and are forced to work in different jobs with no breaks and made to live in inhumane conditions with no care from anyone. This the author explains is a major issue in the strategies of people trying to assist and cut down the ill – treatment of people. This is a sector of the society that needs assistance and needs to be focused upon to help the people and to ensure that the people are not exploited. The main errors here is that although the people have the work permits and are allowed to work, the policies in the United Kingdom government

IS CBT EFFECTIVE IN MANAGING SCHIZOPHRENIA Essay

IS CBT EFFECTIVE IN MANAGING SCHIZOPHRENIA - Essay Example According to the http://www.schizophrenia.com/szfacts.htm, there is no cure for schizophrenia so all talk of "treatment" or "therapy" may pertain to â€Å"management† and not actual â€Å"treatment† of the condition. In this work, we review three articles that I consider important in how cognitive behaviour therapy can be useful in the management and treatment of schizophrenia. We review three studies: Barrowclough et al. (2006), Turkington et al. (2006a) and Turkington et al. (2006b). Barrowclough et al. (2006) sought to evaluate the effectiveness of group cognitive behavioural therapy for schizophrenia. To do so, 113 people with chronic schizophrenia, the Barrowclough et al. study assigned each of the 113 people to receive either the group cognitive-behavioural therapy or the usual treatment. The primary measure employed to assess the efficacy of treatment were the positive symptom improvement on the positive and negative syndrome scales while the secondary measures w ere â€Å"secondary outcome measures† like symptoms, functioning, relapses, hopelessness and self-esteem (Barrowclough et al. 2006, p. 527). The finding of Barrowclough et al. (2006) is that there was no significant difference between the two methods of treatment. However, the individuals subjected to group cognitive-behavioural therapy have a reduction in â€Å"feelings of hopelessness and in low self-esteem.† Thus, the conclusion of the Barrowclough et al. (2006) study is that â€Å"although the group cognitive-behavioural therapy may not be the optimum treatment for reducing hallucinations and delusions, it may have important benefits, including feeling less negative about oneself and less hopeless† (p. 527). The Barrowclough et al. (2006) study exhibited adequate adherence to professional and research ethics. Perhaps, an important indication of this is that the study sought an ethical agreement with the local research ethics committee. The inclusion criteria for the study are very clear in Barrowclough et al. (2006, p. 527). One of the inclusion criteria is that informed consent from the patient was required although the study does not discuss whether the informed consent is merely verbal or written or whether the relatives or the guardians of the patients were made co-signatories in the informed consent mechanism. I believe that concurrence of relatives or guardians may be necessary because schizophrenic patients may be considered legally incompetent to respond to requests for consent (even if symptoms have not exacerbated six months prior to the study). In building cognitive behavioural therapy groups, the study built groups from the 113 individuals who were the subject of research. Those who administered the group cognitive-behavioural therapy composed another group who operated a program independent of the Barrowclough et al. research team. In the opinion of this researcher, the Barrowclough made due consideration for the welfare o f patients by putting in their inclusion criteria the requirement that the patient had one month of stabilisation if they had experienced a symptom exacerbation in the last six months (Barrowclough et al. 2006, p. 527). At the same time, however, the inclusion criterion implies that the results of the study should be qualified or that the positive benefits of the group cognitive behavioural therapy for schizophrenia, if any, apply only to that population

Managing Project End-Date and Resource Allocation Essay Example for Free

Managing Project End-Date and Resource Allocation Essay Project management is one of the most effective means by which to manage and control just about any project. Construction management, Information Technology, Engineering are just a few of the many fields that are positively complimented and capable of utilizing project management to benefit processes from beginning to end as well as providing a platform for inclusion of all team members and an excellent level of communication to keep shareholders, corporate boards fully informed about a project. In addition, it provides the Project Manager with a means to â€Å"overview† the status of the project without having to micromanage team members, and allows them the freedom and flexibility to utilize their talents. Project also points out weaknesses in the project and team members as well. So, the following areas will be points of discussion: 1.General project management practices. 2.Allocation of resources. 3.Resolution of over allocated resources. General Project Management Practices All projects begin with a plan to get the work done. From there the project manager applies â€Å"best practices† based on his/her interaction with the owner, shareholders, and project team. On occasion there may be a tendency to â€Å"jump† right into the project without proper planning, but considerable time and money can be saved as well as increase in quality of the project. (Karim, 2011) So the following aspects to be included in the project definition would be: 1.Project overview, objectives, and scope. 2.Assumptions about the project, risks, and approach. 3.Organization, getting shareholders to approve and buy-in to and approve the project by signing the signature page for the project document. 4.The initial cost, duration and front end efforts are important even though they are just the â€Å"best guess† estimates that can change throughout the life of the project. Regardless of what occurs in the project, it is imperative that the project manager pay close attention as the project progresses. His/her quick actions are what will help the project to successful or unsuccessful for that matter. So, the importance of resource allocation is key here. Allocation of Resources Allocating resources on the front end of a project is also a lesson in estimating a â€Å"best guess† for the project. However, as the project manager more closely reviews the different aspects of the project allocated resources whether they be first, second, or third iteration (if any exist) will be pointed out by PM software such as MS Project. Its correct use will allow over allocation to be corrected which in some cases may bring the project in earlier and under budget. (de Sousa) In my analysis, the Huntsville Plant Project will not be ready by June 2012. In fact, it appears that the project will be extended to completion to take place at July 6, 2012 according to the project schedule. The approximate duration of the project is 64 weeks from the planning phase through final phase of distribution. To allow the project to complete on or closest to the project finish date, the over allocated resources could be used to bring the project closer to the approximate completion date of June 30, 2012. (Gido Clements, 2011) esolution of Over-Allocation of Resources A few examples from the Huntsville of over allocation are: 1.Item # 8 (Establishing Building Concept) is scheduled for 11 days, but could be reduced to 6 days ending on 5/8/11 which would decrease the lag by 5 days allowing item # 9 ( Create Building Design) to perhaps begin on 5/10/11. I chose to allow one day of lag in the event of inclement weather which most always throws a damper on most business behavior/activities. In this case, creating the building design can begin 5/11/11 and run through 5/14/11 with 2 days of lag remaining. 2.Item # 3 (Select Architect) could also be streamlined to 4 days instead of 11 days. 3.Item # 12 (Obtain Permits and Approvals) could be shortened by moving the start date to 5/15/11 to get the required approval from the municipal planning commission in a more timely fashion to keep the project on track. So, (Site Prep) could begin closer to 6/24/11 4.Item # 19 (Procure Equipment) could be shortened by one month to 10/11/11 giving 30 days lag. The Huntsville project shows over allocation of resources during the months of April, May, June, and July of 2011. However, careful review of the Resources Worksheet, Resource Graph, and Network Diagram will allow you to make the best use of project resources. The Team Planner can be used to clearly see work resources, and tasks can be dragged to make required adjustments. So, the allocation a resources is very important and should be done carefully, and reviewed often to help with the project final completion dates, avoid cost overruns, and be successful. While there is no such thing as the â€Å"perfect† project, we can certainly determine problem areas and resolve them before they affect the project negatively. Resources Karim, S. (2011, July 20). Best practices in project management or better practice?. Retrieved from http://blogs.pmi.org/blog/voices_on_project_management/2011/07/best-practices-in-project-mana.html de Sousa, S. (n.d.). My PM Expert. Retrieved from http://www.my-project-management-expert.com/project-management-resource-allocation.html Gido, J., Clements, J. P. (2011). Successful Project Management . (5th ed., pp. 216-219). Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning. DOI: www.cengage.com

Strategy For Sustainable Construction 2008

Strategy For Sustainable Construction 2008 According to OGC Guide (2003), sustainability includes environmental, social and economic factors, and construction affects all three areas. HM Treasury launched a three-year Sustainability Action Plan in June 2000 which sets out how the government client would take forward the sustainable development agenda through better procurement of new works, maintenance and refurbishment. The Strategy for Sustainable Construction aims to achieve sustainable construction through procurement, good design, innovate the construction process, continuous professional development of people, better regulation, climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation; reduce per capita consumption of water, enhancement of biodiversity, reduction of construction waste to landfill and using materials having least environmental and social impact. (HMG, 2008) According to Glover (2008), the following points should be taken into account while drafting construction contracts Identify the client and principal contractor; Identify who is responsible for complying with the regulations and drafting and updating the SWMP; Decisions in relation to sustainability provisions; Identify the different types of waste that will be produced in the course of the project and describe what waste management action will be taken; Identify who is responsible for removing the waste Construction Projects and contracts are already subject to certain sustainability provisions like clause 4.18 of the FIDIC Red Book entitled Protection of the Environment. Similarly, clause 16 of the JCT 2007 form states that the provider will assist the employer and the other project participants in exploring ways in which the environmental performance and sustainability of the Tasks might be improved and environmental impact reduced, for instance, selection of materials and adoption of construction techniques which result in reductions in waste. The wording of Clause 16 of the JCT 2007 form is similar to paragraph 56 of JCT Framework Agreement Guide. The government has introduced a number of legislative provisions like Site Waste Management Plans Regulations 2008, Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2008, Housing and Regeneration Act 2008, Landfill Tax and Code for Sustainable Homes 2008. (Glover, 2008) Having identified sustainability as a key issue, the JCT conducted preliminary discussions with senior industry figures. As a result of those discussions, the JCT launched a consultation, to deal with sustainability in construction contracts and ultimately the issue of how sustainability should be addressed in JCT contracts. The findings of the consultation were published in a guidance notes called Building a sustainable future together. It revealed that detailed requirements should be contained in the project specification rather than in the contract. The guidance notes also sought to address the feeling amongst participants that guidance was needed for tackling sustainability in contractual documentation. (Law-Now, 2009) The incorporation of suitable provisions in guidance notes or clauses in construction contracts offers the clients to incentivise to improve sustainability. Areas for possible inclusion under the heading of sustainability, are: sustainability targets, desired levels of energy, and water use; targets for waste minimisation and recycling; requirements for use of materials that come from sustainable sources; targets for health and safety of the workforce on site; targets for training and appropriate skills levels; requirements for use of up-to-date integrated supply chain methods including improved logistics and use of logistics plans; and targets for improved working conditions for staff both on and off site. Considerations on the transport side, both for bringing staff on site and bringing materials to the site will also be important to the overall carbon footprint of the project. (JCT Consultation Paper, 2008) Sustainability Objectives have to be reflected in the employers requirements and carried through into contract drafting. There are already a number of existing contractual provisions in many standard form contracts which can be tailored to address sustainability, for example, clause 2.15 of JCT 2005 Design and Build regarding Changes of law. A mechanism similar to liquidated and ascertained damages can be an effective means of ensuring delivery of sustainable requirements. Use of clear objectives and deliverables linked to a compensation mechanism is the key to delivering sustainable development through contract drafting. (Douglas and Oats, 2008) The principal purpose of Revision 2 is to recognise the increasing importance of sustainability and to provide a flexible framework. The sole alteration has been the insertion of the new Seventh and Eighth Recitals (Framework Agreement and Supplemental Provisions). Entries are provided against the references to them in Part 1 of the Contract Particulars. The default position for each Supplemental Provision is that it applies unless otherwise stated. (JCT Guide, 2009) The sustainability wording encourages the contractor to suggest economically viable changes to the works, which might result in environmental benefits to the works and requires the contractors to provide the employer with information on the environmental impact of the materials they select and use. (Law-Now, 2009) JCT SBC 05 has fall-back provision regarding sustainable development, which is according to clause 2.1 which deals in compliance with the contract documents, the construction phase plan and the statutory requirements. The key to sustainable construction is that the sustainability provisions are incorporated in the design and specification. In sustainability terms (as with any contract), there are two questions that need to be asked which are, what is the loss and what are the ordinary standards applicable when asked to incorporate sustainability provisions. (Glover, 2008) Under the Society of Construction Law Delay and Disruption Protocol, it is possible to build sustainability provisions into the definition of practical completion i.e. a project is not complete unless certain sustainability standards have been achieved. The contractor might require the addition of a new relevant event under clause 2.29 of the JCT Standard Building Contract to account for the risks of such provisions. Clause 2.29.12 already deals with the risks of a change in the law i.e. the introduction of new environmental regulatory provisions. The client and the contractor have to decide who carries the risk for increase in prices of commodities for sustainable construction. (Glover, 2008) According to Glover (2008), the collateral warranty in terms of sustainability can be stated as The consultant warrants and undertakes to the employer that it has and will continue to use reasonable skill and care that it shall endeavour at all times to specify for use materials from the BRE Green Guide to Specification. To conclude, the JCT seems to be deciding between Aspirational clauses and specific obligations. The key to incorporating sustainability provisions into your contract lies with getting your specification right. When it comes to enforcing that specification, there are two options. Firstly, monitor the performance of the contractor through the use of Key Performance Indicators, which must of course be agreed in advance. Secondly, make sure that the achievement of practical completion is linked to the achievement of the sustainable goals you want incorporated into your project. (Glover, 2008) 2. According to NEC3 clause 10.1, the Employer, the contractor, the project manager and the supervisor shall act as stated in the contract and in the spirit of mutual trust and co-operation. This is similar to JCT 05, Schedule 8 (Eighth Recital) paragraph 1, which states that the parties shall work with each other and with other project team members in a co-operative and collaborative manner, in good faith and in spirit of trust and respect. In the NEC3, when Option C, D, E F are used, Clause 20.3 states that the contractor advises the project manager on the practical implications of the design of the works and on subcontracting arrangements. Clause 20.4 states that the contractor prepares forecasts of the total defined cost for the whole of the works in consultation with the project manager and submits them to the project manager. According to NEC3 clause 25.1, the contractor cooperates with others in obtaining and providing information which they need in connection with the works. According to NEC3 clause 40.3, the contractor and the supervisor each notifies the other of each of his tests and inspections before it starts and afterwards notifies the other of its result. These clauses illustrate the collaborative working environment. (Telford, 2008) JCT SBC 05 contains an express undertaking to comply with the statutory requirements and Construction Phase Plan in clause 2.1 which covers Health and Safety legislation. According to clauses 3.23 and 3.24, the contract also makes provision with respect to the CDM Regulations and a CDM Co-ordinator as well as a Principal Contractor is appointed by the Employer. The Part 2 of the CDM Regulations sets out the duties of clients, designers and contractors. According to JCT 05 Schedule 8 (Eighth Recital) paragraph 2, the parties will endeavour to establish and maintain a culture and working environment in which health and safety is of paramount concern. This supplement provision adds an obligation to comply with non-statutory HSE and HSC codes. (JCT Guide, 2009) This is similar to NEC3 clause 27.4, the contractor act in accordance with the health and safety requirements stated in the works information. It is necessary to include in the contract any particular requirements which the employer has and are in parallel with statutory requirements. These requirements may include such matters as the safety regulations of the factory, a health and safety plan for the whole site, submission of safety policies and which party is responsible for maintaining areas used by several contractors in a safe condition. (Telford, 2008) Also, clause 91.3 of NEC3 deals with the termination of the contractor in substantially breaking a health and Safety Regulation. For further reading on Health and Safety issues, there is a guide on Health and Safety in the Achieving Excellence suite which identifies how client decisions and activities impact on health and safety. (OGC, 2003) According to NEC3 clause 16.1, the contractor and the project manager give an early warning by notifying the other as soon as either becomes aware of any matter which could increase the total of prices or impair the performance of the works. Also, the intention of clause 16.3 in NEC3, regarding risk reduction meeting is to take action or make decisions which avoid or mitigate the effects of identified risks on cost, quality and time which helps in saving cost. The concept of Contractors share is used in Option C D of NEC3. The purpose of the Contractors share is to encourage effective management control of the final Price of Work Done to Date relative to the target i.e. for saving cost and value improvements. (Telford, 2008) The clause 63.10 of NEC3 deals with the reduction of price if the effect of the compensation event is to reduce the total defined cost. Similarly, the intention of clause 63.11 is to encourage the contractor to apply value engineering principles to the works inf ormation and save cost and improve value. (Telford, 2008) This is similar to JCT 05 supplement provision Schedule 8 paragraph 3, according to which, the contractor is encouraged to propose changes to designs and specifications for the works and to the programme that may benefit the employer in the form of reduction of cost of the works. It is during the pre construction phase that most value improvements are derived by value engineering exercises. Further opportunities for value engineering exercise arise in context of variations where cost saving can be done. (JCT Guide, 2009) For further reading, there is a guide on Whole-life costing and cost management in Achieving Excellence Procurement Guide suite which provides advice on producing whole-life cost models and explains what needs to be done to keep costs under control at key stages in the project. (OGC, 2003) Sustainability Development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (Glover, 2008) According to JCT 05 supplement provision Schedule 8 paragraph 4, the contractor is encouraged to suggest economically viable amendments to the works which may result in an improvement in environmental performance in the carrying out of the works and the contractor shall provide all such information that the employer requests regarding the environmental impact. According to clause 2.3 and clause 2.9, the JCT has taken an active role in establishing the importance of proper information being available on the environmental impact of materials and goods selected by the Contractor. (JCT Guide, 2009) Also, JCT SBC 05 has fall-back provisions regarding sustainable development, which is according to clause 2.1; the contractor shall carry and complete the Works in a proper and workmanlike manner and in compliance with the contract documents, the construction phase plan and the statutory requirements. This is similar to NEC3 Option X2 regarding Changes in the Law. Any legislation or regulation by the government regarding sustainable development can be incorporated in the NEC3 through this clause. As well as Option Z can be used in NEC3 to incorporate sustainable construction in the contract by adding additional conditions to the contract. Performance can be measured by Standard Key Performance Indicators, Post-project implementation reviews and Client performance surveys. The Improving Performance: project evaluation guide as well as benchmarking can be used to measure performance throughout the life of the project. (OGC, 2003) According to NEC3 Option X20, the contractor reports to the project manager his performance against each of the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) stated in the Incentive Schedule and if the target is not achieved then the contractor submits a proposal to the project manager for improving his performance. If the target is achieved or improved then the contractor is paid the amount stated in the Incentive Schedule. Also, the employer may add a Key Performance Indicator and associated payment to the Incentive Schedule. (NEC3, 2008) This is similar to JCT 05 supplement provision Schedule 8 paragraph 5, according to which, the employer shall monitor and assess the contractors performance by reference to any performance indicators stated in the contract particulars and where the employer considers that the target may not be met, he may inform the contractor who shall submit his proposals for improving his performance. Another feature of NEC3 Option X17 is that, if a defect included in the defects certificate shows low performance with respect to a performance level stated in the contract data, the contractor pays the amount of low performance damages stated in the contract data. The performance of the contractor is certified by the supervisor following a specified performance test to be carried out between completion and defects date. (Telford, 2008) In JCT 05, according to Section 108 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act (HGCRA) 1996, a construction contract should enable a party to give notice at any time of his intention to refer a dispute to adjudication. If a dispute arises, the parties should consider whether to allow a reasonable period for negotiation before recourse to adjudication or other external means of resolving the dispute. (JCT Guide, 2009) This is similar to NEC3 which has also incorporated HGCRA 1996 in Option Y (UK) 2. According to NEC3 clause 13.7, a notification which this contract requires is communicated separately from other communications. In NEC3, Dispute Resolution is dealt using two options namely Option W1 which is used in international contracts outside UK and Option W2 which incorporates HGCR Act 1996 and is used in UK. According to NEC3, Option W1, disputes are notified and referred to the Adjudicator in accordance with the Adjudication Table. While in case of Option W2, a party may refer a dispute to the Adjudicator at any time. According to clause W2.3, a party gives a notice of adjudication to the other party with a brief description of the dispute. Within seven days of a party giving notice of adjudication he refers the dispute to the Adjudicator, provides information and send a copy of the information to the other party. If the subcontract allows, the contractor may refer the subcontract dispute to the Adjudicator at the same time. The Adjudicator may review and revise any action or inaction of the Project Manager or Supervisor, take the initiative in ascertaining the facts, instruct a party to provide furt her information or instruct a Party to take other action. The Adjudicator decides the dispute and notifies his decision and his reasons within twenty eight days. If a party is dissatisfied by the decision of the Adjudicator, he may notify the other party within four weeks that he intends to refer it to the tribunal. The tribunal has the power to reconsider any decision of the Adjudicator. The parties can settle the dispute through arbitration as well. (NEC3, 2008) According to JCT 05 clause 9, the parties can settle the dispute in four ways i.e. through mediation by using a third party to assist the negotiation process(Clause 9.1),refer disputes to Adjudication (Clause 9.2) and the procedure is similar to NEC3, refer disputes to arbitration (Clause 9.3 to 9.8) and litigation (Article 9). According to JCT 05 supplement provision Schedule 8 paragraph 6, each party shall promptly notify the other of any matter that appears likely to give rise to a dispute or difference. The senior executives nominated in the contract particulars shall meet as soon as practicable for direct, good faith negotiations to resolve the matter. In the case of the sixth Supplemental Provision (Notification and negotiation), there is a further entry for nominated employees. (JCT Guide, 2009) Word Count: 2862 References: Issaka Ndekugri and Michael Rycroft, 2009, the JCT 05 Standard Building Contract: Law and Administration JCT Consultation Paper, 2008, Sustainability JCT 05 Standard Building Contract Guide, 2009 JCT (2009), Standard Building Contract with Quantities 2005 Jeremy Glover, 2008, Sustainable Development in the Construction Industry, Retrieved from: http://www.fenwick-elliott.co.uk/files/Sustainable%20Development%20in%20the%20Construction%20Industry.pdf (Accessed on 25th January, 2010) Law-Now, 2009, Construction industry body embeds sustainability in its standard form contracts, Retrieved from Blackboard NEC3 (2008), Engineering and Construction Contract 2005 Simon Oats and Tom Douglas, 2008, Sustainability Contracts Strategy for Sustainable Construction, 2008, retrieved from: http://www.strategicforum.org.uk/pdf/1381-Report.pdf (Accessed on 25th January, 2010) Sustainable construction, Retrieved from: http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/sectors/construction/sustainability/page13691.html (Accessed on 25th January, 2010) Thomas Telford, 2008, NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract 2005 Guidance Notes

Research Strategy Justification Of Methodology Psychology Essay

Research Strategy Justification Of Methodology Psychology Essay The following chapter initially provides a brief insight by discussing few research approaches and philosophies, which were considered during the literature review. The second section of the chapter will compare different research methodologies. Different opinions from writers are presented and critically compared to provide the reader with sound knowledge about quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies. This is followed by the justification of the specific methodology, which will be used in-order to investigate the specific case study. In the middle part of the chapter, research strategy, research design, the sample size of the research, rejected methods and procedures will be discussed followed by the selection of specific research method to collect information from the FLMs in focus group and HR manager is discussed in-detail. The next part of the research is to discuss how to ensure validity of data. Validity and reliability of data is very essential of any research. Data collected from multiple sources can be cross-referenced to ensure the research is valid. At the end of the chapter limitation of the research will be discussed followed by ethical issues, which will be considered during the extensive research. 3.2 Research Philosophies In the following section different research approaches and philosophies are discussed which were considered during the detail literature review. First of the approach considered was the epistemological approach which is a part of philosophy that asks questions such as what can we know? or what can we be sure of? and questions such as How do we get beyond opinions and data to the real facts and knowledge?. The realistic objectivity is based around what is know about the HR function in the specific case study, its strategy, formal structure and systems that managers have to work within and what could be considered as constants. The subjective entities of the conceptual framework i.e capacity development, mentoring, support and coaching mechanism, overall involvement in the policy and procedures formulation and handling difficult issues related to grievance disciplinary and sickness absenteeism policies that are not easy to measure and are not fixed or constant. They can only be fully understood through interpretivist means as this part of the conceptual framework assumes that reality isnt always observable and in this instance that is very much dependant on the human relationships between HR advisors, FLMs and managed staff. Using the approach HR and devolution of role to FLM can be implemented in the specific case study and different stakeholders can interpret the actual HR role and responsibilities that it contains, in different ways i.e. it is more subjective by nature. 3.3 Comparison between Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Method According to (Denzin, Norman K. Lincoln, Yvonna S. (Eds.). (2005) in social sciences quantitative research is often contrasted with qualitative research which is the examination, analysis and interpretation of observations for the purpose of discovering underlying meanings and patterns of relationships. The qualitative research doesnt involve mathematical models although, it has been argued again and again that the two go hand in hand. Some writers always argue that there was a disagreement about the proper place of qualitative versus quantitative research. The new method of qualitative research evolved to address the perceived problems with reliability and imprecise modes of data analysis. Both the research methodologies have a different assumption about the world. According to (Taylor Bogdan, 1984) Quantitative research is based on a positivist philosophy, which assumes that there are social facts with an objective reality apart from the beliefs of individuals. Qualitative resear ch is rooted in a phenomenological paradigm, which holds that reality is socially constructed through individual or collective definitions of the situation. The second major comparison between both the approaches was done perfectly by (Richard Cook, 2003) where the writers explains that quantitative study portrays a world of variables and static states whereas qualitative study describes people acting in events or a program. The writer gave an example of how director tells using hiring interviews to encourage staff to actively sell services or an informant tells about the political battles that led to the legislation governing sales. The writer further argues that differences presented between qualitative and quantitative studies having different descriptive strengths. The quantitative study assesses the magnitude of relationships more precisely. One can say rather clearly that 61% of the variance in student learning is explained. The qualitative study concludes with more ambiguous statements like strong leadership is necessary, but not sufficient for excellence. The author further highlights the issues of approach regarding these research methodologies where the quantitative researcher typically employs experimental or correlational designs to reduce error, bias, and other noise that keeps one from clearly perceiving social facts. The prototypical qualitative study is the ethnography, which helps the reader understand the definitions of the situation of those, studied. The author investigate the issue of purpose regarding the research methodologies where quantitative research seeks to explain the causes of changes in social facts, primarily through objective measurement and quantitative analysis. Qualitative research is more concerned with understanding the issue and viewpoints. (Lindlof, T. R., Taylor, B. C. 2002) emphasis that quantitative study persuades by de-emphasizing individual judgment and stressing the use of established procedures. While the lang uage of hypothesis testing is avoided, the impression is given that the whole study is a disciplined exploration of a pre-existing conceptual framework where is qualitative study there is less attention is given to describing procedures and how individual judgment is disciplined in the qualitative study. The study is presented as frankly exploratory. The strategy is one of comparing pairs of agencies known to be different in order to discover what might explain those differences. The search is not described as strongly controlled by pre-existing theory. There is no preliminary model. Instead, reference to past research is incorporated into the presentation of findings. Quantitative research designs are characterized by the assumption that data, evidence, and rational considerations shape knowledge (Horna, 1994). Qualitative research designs are those that are associated with interpretative approaches, from the informants point of view, rather than ethically measuring discrete, observable behavior (Jones, 1997). Neither quantitative, nor qualitative method, however, is superior over the other, for each has its own strengths and weaknesses, especially when considered in relation to a particular problem. (Halfpenny, 1994) however, mentions that there is some polarity between the two methods; where quantitative approach is described as hard, objective and rigorous; the other is considered to be soft, subjective and speculative. At the same time, many researchers have shown that both the approaches may complement each other (Burgess, 1984) and may be integrated in the practice of social research. Mixed methods research has thus come of age (Creswell, 2002). The most widely used term given to the concept, encompassing use of more than one method employed within one piece of research, is triangulation between methods (Creswell 2002). Whilst not arguing for a hierarchy of research methods, this third way, the mixed methodology, provides even greater strengths to the researcher, and may enhance both the quality and the perception by others, of the research. The study involved both secondary as well as primary research and concurrent triangulation approach can be adopted. It is useful as a model when a researcher uses two different methods in an attempt to confirm, cross-validate, or corroborate findings within a single study (Creswell, 2002). Creswell also emphasizes that this model generally uses separate quantitative and qualitative methods as a means to offset the weaknesses inherent within one method with the strengths of the other method. 3.4 Research Strategy: Justification of Methodology The study is an effort to explore the barriers preventing successful devolvement of Human Resource Management to First Line Manager in specific case study (in Pakistan Textile Industry). The research will provide analogy by comparing the views and experiences of FLMs against the HR Manager to identify the key barrier that are preventing successful devolvement of Human Resource Management to the Front Line Manager. The study also provides a constructive conclusion on the impact of devolved Human Resource on the FLMs and the organisation itself. The methodology, which will be employed, in this research will draw the existing knowledge, utilising the conceptual model and the most crucial is the researchers experience working in this textile industry will be very useful. Still there will be questions which will still need more detail answers so open semi structure interview will be used that will be directed towards the FLMs (See Appendix B:I for semi-structure interview). After the data is collected from FLMs, the semi-structure interview will be conducted (asking the same set of questions) with the HR manager to compare the views and experiences so that we can identify the key barriers that are preventing successful devolution of human resources responsibilities to the FLMs (See Appendix B:I). This approach will collect information qualitative in nature, rather than any numerical collection of data or explanation based on the attributes of the graph or source of data. As reinforced by (Guba, E. G., Lincoln, Y. S. 2005) Qualitative research is often used for policy and current working procedures since it can answer certain important questions more efficiently and effectively than quantitative approaches. Qualitative approaches have the advantage of allowing for more diversity in responses as well as the capacity to adapt to new developments or issues during the research process itself so it would be more suitable to use in the research project to investigate the current problem. So qualitative methodology would be more suitable as reinforced by (Richard Cook, 2003) where author highlights the difference between two methodologies where the quantitative researcher typically employs experimental or correlational designs to reduce error, bias, and other noise that keeps one f rom clearly perceiving social facts. The prototypical qualitative study is the ethnography, which helps the reader understand the definitions of the situation of those, studied. The qualitative study is more concerned with the understanding of the issues and viewpoints of the people and issues related to them. The study is based on the specific case study (in Pakistan Textile Industry). According to (Fisher, 2007), case study approach will enable a holistic account of the subject, which will help to investigate and explore relationships between the experiences of FLMs against the HR Manager. The study will try to answer the questions whether the expectation from different stakeholders was expectable and justifiable? What are issues related to the devolution of HR responsibilities to FLMs? Did both the main stakeholder agreed or disagreed on the key barriers to the successful devolvement of HR responsibilities to FLMs? Were key players able to carry out their duties due to these barriers? What were the underlying reasons if there are any key barriers to the successful devolution of HR responsibilities. This is particularly the case for understanding how and why certain outcomes were achieved (not just what was achieved) but also answering important questions about the functions and procedures of HR and their relationship with the FLMs. Also to explore the impact on FLMs being able to take HR role effectively, and identifying the key barriers in the overall devolvement of HR. This will be achieved by using semi-structure interviews from the FLMs. These types of research can be expensive and time-consuming to conduct, many fields of research employ qualitative techniques that have been specifically developed to provide more succinct, cost-efficient and timely results. For this research, a specific case study is used which provide a single case holistic approach. The research is focused on investigating the barriers preventing successful devolvement of Human Resource Management to First Line Manager in specific case study (in Pakistan Textile Industry). The other major reason of using the specific case study is, that we can collect multiple views from different stakeholders, which are involved in the organisation. The multiple views from different FLMs and HR manager can give a detailed insight about the organisation and allow the researcher to understand fully the issues related to the research topic. The research focus on the FLMs only not the staff and would like to investigate the barriers to the effective HR devolvement . One more key benefit of using the case study is that it provides easy approach to the FLMs to get their opinion and then to broaden the knowledge after the semi-structure interviews then involve the experiences of HR manager with the semi-structure interview to understand the underlying key issues and barriers that are effecting the overall successful devolution process. The main drawback with a single case study is that it doesnt allow any sort of comparison or critical evaluation of responses from other research case. This can be limited if the research wants to draw conclusion from another case study. 3.5 Research Strategy for the Specific Case Study The following section will discuss the strategy and analysis process that has been formulated and will be used in the research. The analysis process describes the basic elements of data analysis and interpretation and its fluid. First of the research is based on a specific case study which will provide a holistic account of the issues related. The case study approach will allow to understand the overall situation and have a sound knowledge how these entities interact with each other and their relationship. To gain detail understanding of all the issues around the devolvement of HR this can only be achieved using semi-structured interviews and qualitative questionnaires due to time constraints and the limited access time to FLMs working for the case study. The research is not looking to compare the individual FLMs against each other or compare different departments against each other. The main focus of the study is to consider FLMs as a single entity or element and identify and explor e the barrier in the overall devolvement process. Then HR Manager will be asked about the key barriers that are affecting the devolution of HR responsibilities to FLMs. These difference of experiences and opinion will be compared and contrasted to find the problem. The good analysis of data depends completely on understanding the data that has been gathered and having in-depth knowledge about the issues related to the problem that is being investigated. During the qualitative analysis the data gathered should be studied in-detail and also any noticeable impression should be recorded which can be further investigated from different focus groups of FLMs. The focus should be on the quality of data because sometimes information provided doesnt add any meaning or value. The process of detailed evaluation and analysis will lead to what you want to find out. This will identify few key questions that you want your analysis of the research to answer. This will be noted and help to decide how to begin. The key questions can change but the focus will be maintained. In this approach the focus will be to analyze how individuals or focused group responded to the open ended questions. This stage will be crucial because all the responses will be collected in o rder to identify the consistency and differences. The data from each question will be put together. Then the researcher will explore the connection and relationships between questions and their responses collected. During different research various methods are used to categorize information such as coding the data or indexing the data. To bring the real meaning to the data collected different key themes or pattern will be organized based on ideas, concepts, behaviours, interactions or key phrases. Then organisation into coherent categories will be summarized and bring meaning to the text. This process can be very time consuming and labour intensive depending on the amount of data that will be collected. The process has to be thorough and the data collected will be re-read multiple times to identify the coherent categories or key themes. The key themes will get the focus of the study and areas that need further investigation. In the research using the preconceived themes or categorie s, you read through the text and find the themes or issues that recur in the data. This approach allows the categories to emerge from the data. These categories or key themes are defined after you have worked with the data or as result of working with data. The initial list of categories can change as you work with the data and investigate further. This is an iterative process and some new themes can emerge or different subcategories can emerge to get the focus. As you are organizing the data into different key themes and categories either by the questions you will begin to see the key pattern and connections both within and between the key themes. Assessing the relative importance of different themes will be crucial for the analysis of data. To identify which categories appear to be more important, you can count the number of times particular themes comes up, or the number of unique respondents who refer to certain themes. These count can provide a very rough estimation of relative importance of key themes. Also during the analysis of data you can find that two or more themes that can occur together consistently in the data. When one theme is found the other appears automatically. It can be cause and effect relationship or create sequence through time. For example, respondents may link that the barriers to successful devolution to HR are because of certain reason whereas another focus group repeat the same shows the cause effect relationshi p. These connections if identified are important to look for, because they can explain why something is happening and helps to identify the problem and better understanding of the underlying issues. Then the researcher should ask himself how do things relate with each other? What are the key themes and what relationship they have with each other? What can be other factors that may contribute? Then they key themes and connections will explain the findings. The researcher will avoid to get side tracked by the details and the rich description in the data and focus on the important issues and key relationships that are being investigated in the research. The interpretation of data will take place provide meaning and significance to the analysis of data. The good place to initiate is to develop a list of key points or important findings that will be discovered as a result of categorisation of key themes and sorting the data. Then the next phase of analysis of data is to stand back and th ink about what you have learned. What are the major lessons? What new things that have been learnt due to the process? In the final part of the analysis development of an outline presenting the results and writing the final report. The report can include quotes or descriptive examples to illustrates the points and bring the data to real existence. The length and format of the report will depend on the target audience. Sometimes to support the description of the information different diagrams with boxes and arrows can fit all the pieces together. By creating models may reveal gaps in your investigation and connection that remain unclear. These areas can be investigated for further study. 3.6 Selection of Research Methods In-order to investigate the study; research methods, which will be used, are as follows for Initially semi-structured interviews with focus groups of FLMs will be conducted. The semi-structure interviews via a series of three focus group (4 FLMs in each focus group. Total 12 FLMs). Each semi-structure interview with each of the focus group is designed to last for 90 minutes and will take place on 24/1/2012, 26/01/2012, 30/1/2012 FLMs are selected from different departments with wide range of experiences and different level of qualifications. 3 out 12 FLMs have university qualification whereas the remaining FLMs have basic college qualification. The semi-structure interview will be conducted at the premises of the Specific case study. During the semi-structure interview the key areas that need further explanation will be highlighted and asked from different focus group to get their opinion. Also opinion from the HR Manager will be collected as well. The themes needing further explanation telephonic interviews and emails will be used To compare and contrast the view, semi-structure interview will be conducted with the HR Manager. The same set of questions related to key themes will be asked from the HR Manager to present the finding (took place 08/02/2012). The Interview with the HR Manager is designed to last not more than 2 hours. Open Ended questions will be asked at the start of the investigation phase so that participants can feel relax. Documentation related to case study HR policies and structures will be reviewed. FLM job role will be reviewed to find out what they prefer to do Different authors and writes agree in the literature that using semi-structure interview would allow in the future to investigate more areas as they gather probing replies. This was reinforced by (Maxwell and Farquharson, 2007) semi- structure interview offer consistency in lines of enquiry with the ability to offer opportunities for further probing responses. The methods have been deployed in different researches and have earned credibility in different qualitative research. To ensure credibility of the research and data which is collected, is verified using different multiple methods and sources are used. These multiple methods will allow triangulating of the facts, which have been gathered. In the study the data from the previous chapter in the literature review will be compared against the focus group (FLMs) semi-structure interview data and further consolidated and checked during semi structure interview with HR managers responses. This will ensure all facts gathered are authent ic and valid. In-order to receive a detail feedback from the semi-structure interviews open-ended questions will be used rather than closed ended. Also using focused group will encourage all the participants to think about different emerging themes discussed and it will build on relevant themes. To follow up on different themes and issues raised during the focus group, will be investigated further with the senior HR manager. The interview will be based on issues surrounding devolved HR, and what have arisen from the interviews with FLMs. 3.7 Research Design Procedures. The aim of the study is to explore the barriers preventing successful devolvement of Human Resource Management to First Line Manager in specific case study (in Pakistan Textile Industry), which shouldnt be ignored while designing the open-ended question for semi-structure interviews. The questions were considered from a range of themes relating to the conceptual model, which was formed out of literature review. The semi-structure interviews via a series of three focus group (4 FLMs in each focus group. Total 12 FLMs). These Front Line Managers comes from different departments from the same case study. To break the barrier between the researcher and the focus group, initially during the semi-structure broad questions about the specific case study HR functions, its polices and structures will be asked and what issues they think are the barrier to successful devolvement of HR responsibilities to the FLMs. These broad and generic questions will make respondents comfortable and encourage them to engage with the overall research process. After the initial engagement then the second set of questions will be more focused around specific hard and soft elements of HR. The information collected from the FLMs focus group and themes emerging will be further investigated, compared by conducting semi-structure interview with the HR manager. The interview questions from HR manager will be the same set of questions so that experiences from all stakeholders can be compared against each other. This would be a very important opportunity to fill any gaps and press the HR managers to answer all those queries in-detail. 3.8 Rejected Approaches The following section of the study will provide the reasoning and justifications why different research approaches were rejected. The section will briefly highlight the reasons of the rejection and why a specific approach was not deemed appropriate to be used in the research for the specific case study. At the initial stages of the research, all different types of research methods as identified in both Saunders (2009) and Fisher (2007) were critical evaluated and considered but they were rejected due to certain reasons. Ground Theory was not a viable option and it was rejected because it attempts to theorise peoples subjective understanding of their world, and researchers look for these themes in interviews and observations (Fisher, 2007). According to (Glaser Strauss, 1967 and Strauss Corbin, 1990), the theory is developed inductively from a corpus of data. According to the authors if done well, this means that the resulting theory at least fits one dataset perfectly. It works in a reverse fashion as compared to traditional research and it appears at the start that its in contradiction to the scientific methods. Rather than begin with a hypothesis, the first step is data collection, through a variety of methods. From the data collected, the key points are marked with a series of codes, which are extracted from the text. The Ground Theory believe that academic understanding only arises from what the research itself tells us i.e. it is emerging theory and not based on theories chosen in-advance of the research established. This approach is not appropriate for the research for the specific case study as in the study there is a research question with set aim and objectives to be achieved and the approach will not be appropriate to be used. Whereas Action Research was rejected simply because of its explicit focus on actions, learning by doing things or a group of people identify a problems and do something to resolve it and in particular it promotes the change process, that was not the purpose of this research. The Experiment research method was rejected; as they are more align towards scientific objective studies or scientific invention. The Experiment Research is a scientific approach, which manipulates one or more variables, controls and measures any change in other variables. The approach is not suitable for the current specific case study, as it doesnt have relations with the variables or scientific objective studies. Whereas Survey Research method needs a much larger sample size. Also the research would require the use of questionnaires that would be central to being deployed, neither of which were considered appropriate because the researcher didnt want those being interviewed to be aware of any detail of what they would be asked other than them knowing that the research was in relation to HR devolvement only. The main aim of the research was to get the real answers and positions, which they didnt think would be possible with these approaches. The other two rejected methods Ethnograp hy and Archival Research were deemed to be too costly and time consuming and were not considered appropriate for research within the resources available. 3.9 Ensuring Validity, and Reliability Validity and reliability of data is very essential of any research. Data collected from multiple sources can be cross-referenced to ensure the research is valid. In the study to ensure that reliability and validity of the data collected using semi-structured interview will be further validated by structure interviews. So for this case study, the literature review has been used to highlight the major theme for open-ended questions for the qualitative semi-structure interviews. Then the outcomes from these focus group semi-structure interviews will have emerging areas and queries, which need further explanation. This can be done by designing structure interview, which are directed towards the HR senior manager who will provide further explanation. By verifying the data collected from the research it will enable the researcher to discover whether the qualitative data collected from the focus groups is telling them what they think is correct or need further explanation. 3.11 Limitation of Research This study has some limitation. There is less number of respondents available for carrying out the research. The sample size of the study is small. The time is another factors which is the limitation to carry out details research. 3.12 A consideration of any ethical or professional issues raised by your proposals. In the project choosing participants with various experiences increases the possibility of shedding light on the research question from a variety of aspects. So it would be very beneficial to involve staff member who have more experience, which can provide insight to the problems faced by textile industry. The other major professional issue, which is raised due to the research project, is the aspect of interpretation of text, which will be gathered during the interview process. According to (Patton, 1990) the text can involve multiple meanings and the researchers interpretation is influenced by his or her personal history. Since the researcher is often the one who collects the data as well as the one who performs the analysis, the question of the researchers qualifications, training and experiences is important. During the research perform a balancing act with interpretation of data. On one hand, it is impossible and undesirable for the researcher not to add a particular perspective to the phenomena under study. On the other hand, the researcher must let the text talk and not impute meaning that is not there. These issues will be considered while carrying out the research process. 3.13 SUMMARY This chapter presents a helicopter view of the research methodology used for the completion of this study. The chapter further elaborates research approach and strategy undertaken for the completion of this project. The study also highlights different data collection method used for the conduction of the research. Further more, this section also describes the analysis methodology for descriptive and qualitative research technique. Finally, the chapter also describes the limitations of the research. The next chapter will be Presentation analysis, which will present the finding of the research. Different questions will be asked in-order to investigate the problem further and the chapter will give insight to the problems and challenges faced by the industry.

Essay --

Islam does not define only the spiritual side of the life, but also material side. Muslim civilization played a significant role in the history of the world and continues to have quiet an influence on the modern world . Today, there are over 1 billion Muslims all over the world: more than 40 countries are members of the organization of the Islamic Conference. There are many Muslim diasporas in Europe, around 15 million people , and around 6 million people in the United States. Unlike other modern civilizations, Islam is not directly linked to any region, but covers almost the entire modern world. Where people belong to different cultures, races, traditions and languages. And despite the fact that it is difficult to speak of a common historical destiny of the Muslims, Islam still acts as a unity in diversity. However, this civilization solidarity is not non- conflict . It does not exist in a pure form and is more likely to be viewed as a result of cross-cultural interaction between different civilizations , value, political ideas, the way of life, the foundations of which are rooted in Islam . This civilization is one of the most viable world religions , and it dynamically adapts to the traditions of the various peoples. However, the Islam religion is connected with many serious problems. Since 1967, the media and the research literature has often used the term " Muslim factor", after the Iranian revolution in 1979 became associated with Islam a threat to world order , and in the 80s with the danger of extremism and terrorism , up to the conclusions that the entire Muslim civilization is a potential source of conflict in the world today. But a closer look at the Islam shows us, that in assessing the role of Islam, the stereot... ...ot achieved , contractors are not allowed to operate freely . And they expect that the government will take resources from the rich and give it to the poor. Therefore, the moral aspects are an essential element of the difference between the market economy and Islamic concepts . The Islamic market is being very profitable, but the effectiveness of the operations has been relatively limited due to lack of development of the business unit due to the short existence of the moderm history. As of now, we can say that the process of forming the national government identity of Muslim countries is not yet complete. It is being affected by radical religious and social changes, that doesn't allow us to speak about the Muslim world being ready to walk side by side with other civilizations. However, we cannot ignore the obvious breakthrough of some individual Arab countries.

Life and Work of Langston Hughes :: Biography bio Hughes Langston Poet Essays

Life and Work of Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes, an African American, became a well known poet, novelist, journalist, and playwright. During the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes gained fame and respect for his ability to express the Black American experiences in his works. He was one of the most original and versatile of the twentieth century black writers. Influenced by Paul Laurence Dunbar, Carl Dandburg, and his grandmother Carrie Mercer Langston Hughes, Langston Hughes began writing creatively while he was still a young boy (Barksdale 14). Born in Joplin Missouri, Langston Hughes lived with both his parents until they separated. Because his father immigrated to Mexico and his mother was often away, Hughes was brought up in Lawrence, Kansas, by his grandmother Mary Langston. His grandmother embedded Hughes? sense of dedication. Her second husband (Hughes's grandfather) was a fierce abolitionist. She helped Hughes to see the cause of social justice. Although she told him wonderful stories about Frederick Douglas and Sojourner Truth and took him to hear Booker T. Washington, Hughes did not get all the attention he needed. Furthermore, Hughes felt hurt by both his parents and was unable to understand why he was not allowed to live with either of them. These feelings of rejection caused him to grow up very insecure and unsure of himself. Because his childhood was a lonely time, he fought the loneliness by reading different books. ?Books began to happen to me, and I began to believe in nothing but books and the wonderful world in books where if people suffered, they suffered in beautiful language, not in monosyllables, as we did in Kansas? (Hughes 16). Langston Hughes began writing in high school, and even at this early age was developing the voice that made him famous. High school teacher and classmates recognized Hughes writing talent, and Hughes had his first pieces of verse published in the Central High Monthly, a sophisticated school magazine. An English teacher introduced him to poets such as Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman, and these became Hughes?s earliest influences. In 1921 he entered Columbia University, but left after an unhappy year. Langston was very fascinated and influenced by Harlem?s people and the life itself, there. The Big Sea, the first volume of his autobiography, provided ?such a crucial first person account of the era? that much of what we know about the Harlem Renaissance we know from Hughes?

Improvement of the International Trade Essay

Introduction Organizations are facing increased global competition, economic uncertainties, and changing markets. Technology is changing the way we conduct business and manage information. Outsourcing of goods and services enables companies to take advantage of lower costs in areas such as labor, energy, land and capital. By doing this, companies hope to lower their overall cost structure, improve profit margins, and enhance product quality, reliability and distribution, thus allowing them to compete more effectively. Suppliers and vendor partners may be located in the same city, region or country. But they are just as likely to be located halfway around the world, adding new challenges to business management. The growth of international strategic partnerships has risen exponentially in the last twenty years. Competing in a global marketplace has made it increasingly important to align business strategies with a risk management strategy that includes strengthening global supply chains and vendor partnerships. In the near future, it is supply chains that will compete, not companies. Global supply chains must be carefully selected and monitored to ensure the competitive edge required to achieve success in the global market place. Typically, the first order of business has been logistics and operations. 1. Logistics moves the entire economy Economic developments in recent years have led to the creation of complex company networks and systems of goods flow – in the process, the globalization of procurement, production and sales as well as the division of labor have increased. In addition, the complexity of international logistics systems in many sectors has grown as a result of increasing product variations and differentiation. Another factor is that many companies are concentrating on their core skills and are reducing their vertical integration. The efficient management of the resulting global flows of goods has boosted both the business and economic significance of logistics. Structure of Global Trade International trade, both in terms of value and tonnage, has been a growing trend in the global economy. It is important to underline when looking at the structure of global trade that it is not nations that are trading, but mostly corporations with the end products mostly consumed by individuals. Inter and intra corporate trade is taking place across national jurisdictions is accounted as international trade. The emergence of the current structure of global trade can mainly be articulated within three major phases: †¢ First phase (immobile factors of production). Concerns a conventional perspective on international trade that prevailed until the 1970s where factors of production were much less mobile. Prior to the end of World War I, global trade was mainly structured by colonial relations. Particularly, there was a limited level of mobility of raw materials, parts and finished products. After World War I international trade became fairly regulated with impediments such tariffs , quotas and limitations to foreign ownership. Trade mainly concerned a range of specific products, namely commodities, (and very few services) that were not readily available in regional economies. Due to regulations, protectionism and fairly high transportation costs, trade remained limited and delayed by inefficient freight distribution. In this context, trade was more an exercise to cope with scarcity than to promote economic efficiency. †¢ Second phase (mobility of factors of production). From the 1980s, the mobility of factors of production, particularly capital, became possible. The legal and physical environment in which international trade was taking place lead to a better realization of the comparative advantages of specific locations. Concomitantly, regional trade agreements emerged and the global trade framework was strengthened from a legal and transactional standpoint (GATT/WTO). In addition, containerization provided the capabilities to support more complex and long distance trade flows, as did the growing air traffic. Due to high production (legacy) costs in old industrial regions, activities that were labor intensive were gradually relocated to lower costs locations. The process began as a national one, then went to nearby countries when possible and afterwards became a truly global phenomenon. Thus, foreign direct investments surged, particularly towards new manufacturing regions as multinational corporations became increasingly flexible in the global positioning of their assets. †¢ Third phase (global production networks). There is a growth in international trade, now including a wide variety of services that were previously fixed to regional markets and a surge in the mobility of the factors of production. Since these trends are well established, the priority is now shifting to the geographical and functional integration of production, distribution and consumption with the emergence of global production networks. Complex networks involving flows of information, commodities, parts and finished goods have been set, which in turn demands a high level of command of logistics and freight distribution. In such an environment, powerful actors have emerged which are not directly involved in the function of production and retailing, but mainly taking the responsibility of managing the web of flows. The global economic system is thus characterized by a growing level of integrated services, finance, retail, manufacturing and nonetheless distribution, which in turn is mainly the outcome of improved transport and logistics, a more efficient exploitation of regional comparative advantages and a transactional environment supportive of the legal and financial complexities of global trade. Trade Facilitation The volume of exchanged goods and services between nations is taking a growing share of the generation of wealth, mainly by offering economic growth opportunities in new regions and by reducing the costs of a wide array of manufacturing goods. By 2007, international trade surpassed for the first time 50% of global GDP, a twofold increase in its share since 1950. The facilitation of trade involves how the procedures regulating the international movements of goods can be improved. It depends on the reduction of the general costs of trade, which considers transaction, tariff, transport and time costs, often labeled as the â€Å"Four Ts† of international trade. United nations estimates have underlined that for developing countries a 10% reduction in transportation cost could be accompanied with a growth of about 20% in international and domestic trade. Thus, the ability to compete in a global economy is dependent on the transport system as well as a trade facilitation framework with activities including: †¢ Distribution-based. A multimodal and intermodal freight transport system composed of modes, infrastructures and terminals that spans across the globe. It insures a physical capacity to support trade and its underlying supply chains. †¢ Regulation-based. Customs procedures, tariffs, regulations and handling of documentation. They insure that trade flows abide to the rules and regulations of the jurisdictions they cross. Cross-border clearance, particularly in developing countries, can be a notable trade impediment with border delays, bottlenecks and long customer clearance times. †¢ Transaction-based. Banking, finance, legal and insurance activities where accounts can be settled and risk mitigated. They insure that the sellers of goods and services are receiving an agreed upon compensation and that the purchasers have a legal recourse if the outcome of the transaction is judged unsatisfactory or is insured if a partial or full loss incurs. The quality, cost, and efficiency of these services influence the trading environment as well as the overall costs linked with the international trade of goods. Many factors have been conductive to trade facilitation in recent decades, including integration processes, standardization, production systems, transport efficiency and transactional efficiency: †¢ Integration processes, such as the emergence of economic blocks and the decrease of tariffs at a global scale through agreements, promoted trade as regulatory regimes were harmonized. One straightforward measure of integration relates to custom delays, which can be a significant trade impediment since it adds uncertainty in supply chain management. The higher the level of economic integration, the more likely the concerned elements are to trade. International trade has consequently been facilitated by a set of factors linked with growing levels of economic integration, the outcome of processes such as the European Union or th e North American Free Trade Agreement. The transactional capacity is consequently facilitated with the development of transportation networks and the adjustment of trade flows that follows increased integration. Integration processes have also taken place at the local scale with the creation of free trade zones where an area is given a different governance structure in order to promote trade, particularly export oriented activities. In this case, the integration process is not uniform as only a portion of a territory is involved. China is a salient example of the far-reaching impacts of the setting of special economic zones operating under a different regulatory regime. †¢ Standardization concerns the setting of a common and ubiquitous frame of reference over information and physical flows. Standards facilitate trade since those abiding by them benefit from reliable, interoperable and compatible goods and services which often results in lower production, distribution and maintenance costs. Measurement units were among the first globally accepted standards (metric system) and the development of information technologies eventually led to common operating and telecommunication systems. It is however the container that is considered to be the most significant international standard for trade facilitation. By offering a load unit that can be handled by any mode and terminal with the proper equipment, access to international trade is improved. †¢ Production systems are more flexible and embedded. It is effectively productive to maintain a network of geographically diversified inputs, which favors exchanges of commodities, parts and services. Information technologies have played a role by facilitating transactions and the management of complex business operations. Foreign direct investments are commonly linked with the globalization of production as corporations invest abroad in search of lower production costs and new markets. China is a leading example of such a process, which went on par with a growing availability of goods and services that can be traded on the global market. †¢ Transport efficiency has increased significantly because of innovations and improvements in the modes and infrastructures in terms of their capacity and throughput. Ports are particularly important in such a context since they are gateways to international trade through maritime shipping networks. As a result, the transferability of commodities, parts and finished goods has improved. Decreasing transport costs does more than increasing trade; it can also help change the location of economic activities. Yet, transborder transportation issues remain to be better addressed in terms of capacity, efficiency and security. †¢ Transactional efficiency. The financial sector also played a significant role in integrating global trade, namely by providing investment capital and credit for international commercial transactions. For instance, a letter of credit may be issued based upon an export contract. An exporter can thus receive a payment guarantee from a bank until its customer finalizes the transaction upon delivery. This is particularly important since the delivery of international trade transactions can take several weeks due to the long distances involved. During the transfer, it is also common that the cargo is insured in the event of damage, theft or delays, a function supported by insurance companies. Also, global financial systems permit to convert currencies according to exchange rates that are commonly set by market forces, while some currencies, such as the Chinese Yuan, are set by policy. Monetary policy can thus be a tool, albeit contentious, used to influence trade. The close relationship between international economic growth and logistics Mobility is a critical condition for gains to be achieved in productivity, growth and employment in a macroeconomic context. The connection between economic growth and demand for product-transporting services is the result of various effects. These effects can clearly show the growing significance of the economic sector of goods distribution: 1 The effect of goods volume For a long time, it was assumed that in highly developed economies fewer and fewer quantities of goods were produced for the macrologistics system and that the transport volume rose at a slower pace than the economy. Today, it can be assumed that the development actually goes in the opposite direction as a result of the increasing inter-company division of labor created by intensified outsourcing in some highly developed countries. Transport intensity – that is, transport performance per production quantity unit – increases for many types of goods. Individual parts or components of a product are transported numerous times during various stages of the value chain, e.g., transports between plants. 2 The effect of goods structure In highly developed economies, the number of high-quality consumer and production goods rises. The share of mass goods, on the other hand, stagnates or even falls. The distribution of goods then shifts to high-quality products that must be shipped quickly. Because of the relatively low costs, road transports Road transport generally benefit. Railroads and inland water transports generally suffer because of their low speed. 3 The effect of logistics Logistics systems constantly undergo optimization. Supply chain management Supply chain management, production-synchronization deliveries that employ just-in-time Just-in-time concepts, the forgoing of storage and global outsourcing are just a few examples of this. But the application of modern logistics concepts affects the economic sector of goods distribution. This is because the new logistics focus of industrial and trade companies has altered the demands placed on the goods-distribution system. Road transports can react relatively flexibly and well to these demands. Railroads and inland water transports have a difficult time making this switch. At the same time, air-freight transports profit from time-critical shipments. 4 The effect of integration The creation of large economic regions gives rise to international, cross-border logistics systems. For instance, the European Union and regulations from the World Trade Organization [World Trade Organization (WTO) have propelled globalization Globalization in the goods-distribution sector. As economic regions spread, cross-border trade expands and the distances that must be covered by logistics systems lengthen. The effect of integration describes the increasing demands placed on the economic sector of goods distribution that are arising from the creation of larger economic regions and cross-border logistics systems. Conclusion: In all likelihood, globalization will continue and intensify. Trade is critical to economic growth and to global development. Trade facilitation has been pointed out as the lowest-hanging fruit in this respect. It has also been argued that logistics services play an important role in matching entrepreneurs in poor countries with foreign customers, whether these are retailers or downstream manufacturers. In particular, as the traditional wholesalers are increasingly being bypassed in modern supply chains, developing countries need to ensure that their entrepreneurs have access to modern intermediaries that can help match local suppliers with foreign buyers and with ensuring that products meet quality as well as time reliability requirements. The future growth of world trade will not be evenly spread, any more than world trade has ever been evenly spread in any period in world history. Individual countries are in very different positions with respect to their ability to benefit from world trade. Part of that is luck – having a coast, and rich neighbors help. But part of it is skill. Countries that are open to world trade, that create the infrastructure, and above all the right attitude, will be best placed to weather the current hiatus more successfully, and to prosper in the years ahead. References: http://www.dhl-discoverlogistics.com/cms/en/course/trends/macroeconomics.jsp http://www.na-businesspress.com/Wisma.pdf http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch5en/conc5en/ch5c2en.html http://www.unece.org.unecedev.colo.iway.ch/fileadmin/DAM/trade/agr/meetings/ge.01/document.r/wppdf.pdf