B2B and B2C: Their ethical, legal, and regulatory environments Essay

The marketplace of internet commerce is rapidly expanding. Although there are wide variations within each category, internet-related businesses are usually classified as being either B2B (business-to-business), or B2C (business-to-consumer) enterprises. The economic landscape in which these companies operate is always changing. For that reason, it is all the more necessary for there to be a firm concept of the ethical, legal and regulatory responsibilities within this emerging marketplace. B2Bs and B2Cs share many of these responsibilities in common. In some cases, however, there are particular nuances of operating a B2B that may call for a different framework than is necessary for operating a B2C and vice versa. The variations between these businesses are continually widening, meaning that the particulars of the ethical, legal and regulatory frameworks will differ. The overall goal of these frameworks is the same-establishing the concept of trust. Trust is the key to establishing any reputable, successful and long lasting business. Overview B2Bs (business-to-business) are business that interconnect using the internet. In other words, they are businesses that buy and sell to each other. B2Cs are businesses that use the internet to sell to the end consumer. It may be the internet site of a well-established department store, or it may be a business that uses the internet as its only point of contact with consumers. The world of internet business is still relatively new. As it continues to grow, it will have to adapt to regulatory and legal changes. The continued emergence of variations within the E-marketplace is a challenge to those concerned with ethical and regulatory issues. Far from being on the wane, these issues are more common than ever. According to market forecasters â€Å"Security and privacy issues along with e-business regulatory issues will become more prevalent† (Warholic, 2007). Ethical environment Conduct of B2B transactions is reliant on the two-way sharing of information. As a result businesses on both ends of the transaction must make sure that information platforms are secure, and accessible only to authorized personnel. Since trust is a critical element in E-business as well as more traditional forms of business, professional codes already in existence are applicable in both areas. Unfortunately, industry-wide adherence to these codes is lacking. Companies are struggling with the wide array of issues raised by internet commerce. A recent report on the publications industry highlighted one of the many potential ethical problems of conducting business in an advertising-driven media. â€Å"†¦several respondents indicated that there was too much of a blur between editorial and advertising departments† (ASBPE, 2006). Another likely area of ethical focus for the B2B industry is highlighted by Laura Spense: â€Å"What about the facilitating of fraudulent activity? (Spense, 2002). In an environment with a multitude of partners, platforms and subsidiaries how much responsibility does a B2B company bear for the actions of its partners? In Spense’s example, a B2B bank was knowingly enabling one of its partners to conduct illegal activities overseas. Again, examples similar to this could arise in any number of industries. Ethical responsibilities for B2C companies often revolve around the protection of customers’ information. Some companies have developed software limiting customer information to only a few responsible parties. Others have not been able to resist the financial lure of information sharing or selling. This division is likely to continue until it is addressed more completely by legal and regulatory efforts. In the mean time, there is an opportunity for ethical businesses to develop strong reputations that will benefit them far into the future. Legal environment Legal concerns in E-business span a wide array of areas. There are the obvious concerns such as customer security and privacy, internet fraud and identity theft that relate most often to B2C businesses. Most case law that has been developed addresses these issues. Because these crimes are the most high profile, they are the predominant focus of the legal system. As criminals adjust to these legal efforts in any number of ways it will require a sophisticated and ongoing effort to prevent their actions. There are also possible legal issues below the surface that can be just as important. For example, the difficulty of determining the legality of electronic documents can pose issues, particularly for multinational B2B companies. What appears to be a legal document may not be admissible in court as evidence. Time differences can also result in an agreed upon document bearing one date in one country but having another effective date in another country. Because B2Bs can employ many networks and partners, it can be difficult to determine legally who bears responsibility on a particular issue. These are examples of small details, in the B2B context, that can have large legal consequences if not properly attained to. Regulatory environment The internet is still relatively unregulated. That is beginning to change in a few areas, however. Most regulation is targeted toward B2C companies, coming in the form of consumer protection measures. The government is becoming more assertive in prosecuting internet fraud, gambling, child pornography and spamming violations. It is likely that additional laws in these areas will be enacted in the coming years. The issue of taxation is also currently under debate. This is of particular concern to B2Cs, which in years past have been able to lure customers by selling their product without any sales tax. That practice has already been ended in some states. As more states become cash-strapped, this process is likely to continue. B2C firms will have to innovate in order to continue the growth of their customer base. The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) applies to both B2B and B2C enterprises. The UCC outlines warranty, ownership and expert status issues, making some delineation between the responsibilities of B2Bs and B2Cs. For example, under the UCC, a business client is assumed to have a greater level of expertise about the transaction at hand. Therefore, statements or claims made to that client do not necessarily have to meet the same standards of reliability as statements made to an end user in a B2C transaction. The main regulatory concern in regards to B2Bs involves the prevention of monopolistic practices, including price fixing. The formation of some large B2B firms such as Covisint, a firm formed by Ford, DaimlerChrysler, and General Motors, has raised concerns about the potential domination of market share. Critics fear the emergence of monospony – a shift of pricing power from buyers to sellers (IGE, 2001). Conclusion The only thing that is certain about the internet business environment is that it will continue to change and evolve. The government will likely become a bigger factor in terms of laws and regulations, particularly within the B2C market. The B2B market, in contrast, is better able to self-regulate. Ethically both markets would be best served by anticipating potential regulatory and legal action. This has a dual purpose. It helps to establish the company as a trustworthy entity. Also it can help to head off future government interference in the market. The consequences of a lack of trust are particularly high for a B2B company, but the issue is important for any company hoping to operate profitably over the long-term.

Educational Technology

Exam Name___YVETTE TORRALBA-MOSES___________ TRUE/FALSE. Write ‘T' if the statement is true and ‘F' if the statement is false. 1) Technological literacy cannot serve as the primary rationale for integrating educational technology. 1) _T______ 2) One thing we have learned from the history of technologies in education is that teachers rarely have time to develop their own instructional media for teaching. 2) __T_____ 3) Research over the past 40 years has shown conclusively that technology-based methods are usually superior to traditional ones. 3) _F______ MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 4) Educators who come from a vocational background and belong to the ITEA professional organization use this term to refer to uses of technology for teaching and learning. 4) B______ A) instructional technology B) technology education C) educational technology D) instructional systems 5) In which of the following eras did Integrated Learning Systems (ILSs) become popular? 5) _D______ A) Internet Era B) Post-Internet Era C) Pre-microcomputer Era D) Microcomputer Era 6) What is one thing we have learned from the history of technology in education about the role teachers will play in the future? 6) __B_____ A) To be effective, schools must keep up with new technology-based methods. B) Despite technological innovations, human teachers will always be very important. C) Due to technological innovations, human teachers gradually will be phased out. D) The most successful teachers are ones who integrate technology into their methods. 7) What does AUP stand for? 7) __D_____ A) Authorized Use Procedures B) Authorized Uniform Procedures C) Authorized Uniform Policies D) Authorized Use Policies 8) Why do teachers need to develop their own rationale for using technology in education? 8) __A_____ A) Integrating technology is time-consuming and relatively expensive to use. B) Parents are often opposed to their children using technology in classrooms. C) Teachers often have to persuade administrators to support technology uses. D) Newer technologies continue to require different rationales than older ones. 9) Which of the following is one of the â€Å"big issues† shaping the current and future climate of educational technology? 9) ___B____ A) Macintosh vs. Windows platform usage in schools B) directed vs. constructivist learning strategies C) cooperative vs. individualized learning strategies D) web-based vs. broadcast distance learning delivery SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question. 10) Though many educators tend to think of technology as devices, Saettler reminds us that the historical function of educational technology was a/an ________ rather than a product. 10) __tool and process______ 11) This term evolved from â€Å"computer literacy† and has come to mean technical skills that help prepare students for the workplace. 1) _____________ 12) What kind of software, first introduced in 1994, marked the beginning of more widespread Internet use? 12) Computer assisted learning________ 13) Attacks on computer systems by hackers and viruses make it necessary for schools to install firewalls and this kind of software. 13) _firewall software______ 14) What term is used to describe the disparity between the u se of computers by girls and boys which some people feel leads to girls entering science and mathematics fields less often than boys? 14) _____________ 15) ISTE has worked with groups such as NCATE to identify this set of technology skills that should be required of all American teachers. 15) _NETS______ TRUE/FALSE. Write ‘T' if the statement is true and ‘F' if the statement is false. 16) Using drill and practice to promote automaticity is a directed strategy. 16) _F____ 17) Having small groups work cooperatively to develop a hypermedia product is identified more with constructivist models than with directed instructional ones. 17) ___T___ 18) One of the essential conditions for effective technology integration is adequate technical assistance for teachers. 8) __T____ MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 19) Which of the following technology-based strategies might Skinner have considered an effective way to shape learned behavior? 19) ___C___ A) forming responses through multimedia rewards for good behavior B) using visual examples to bridge adult/expert and c hild/novice levels C) drill and practice that gives reinforcement for correct answers D) using Internet illustrations to stimulate recall of prerequisite skills 20) Which of the following might be a kind of technology strategy based on constructivist learning models? 20) _C_____ A) Identifying skill weaknesses and targeting tutorial and drill software to them B) Giving students a German language tutorial because a teacher is not available C) Showing video-based problems that students solve through small group work D) Letting students write papers by word processing, rather than by hand 21) What two kinds of instruments can teachers design or select during Phase 3 of the TIP Model to assess changes in attitudes during a technology-enhanced lesson? 1) __A___ A) Rubrics and semantic differentials B) Likert scales and semantic differentials C) Rubrics and observation checklists D) Likert scales and rubrics 22) In writing outcomes and objectives for technology-enhanced lessons, which of the following should teachers always consider? 22) __A___ A) skills and attitudes to be learned B) teaching approaches to be used C) learning processes to be used D) technology skills to be learned 23) Which of the following should be asked during Phase 6 to determine if the technology-enhanced lesson worked as planned? 23) B_____ A) Have the technology resources been integrated well? B) Could a different technology produce a better result? C) Do teachers agree that the technology was necessary? D) Were all available technology resources used? 24) What is one of the most important guidelines for teachers and others to follow when writing proposals to obtain technology funding? 24) _D____ A) Give descriptions of relevant background for all personnel. B) Make sure to address the primary goals of the funding agency. C) Give detailed explanation to justify funds for technology resources. D) Make sure sufficient research history and background is included. SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question. 25) Howard Gardner would probably approve of assigning different roles in small group multimedia development projects because they can help address this concept that is central to his theory. 25) _Theory of Multiple Intelligences__ 26) What would Vygotsky call a process of helping students develop new math skills by using video-based problems to build on their own knowledge and experience? 26) _social process in learning_______ 27) What do teachers see when they determine that a technology-based strategy is better than the traditional one they were using? 27) _____________ 28) This model gives teachers a general approach to address challenges involved in integrating technology into teaching. 28) _Technology Integration Planning Model_______ 29) This software prevents access to specific web site addresses or to web sites that contain certain keywords or phrases. 29) _Firewall Software_ 30) What is the name for the policy that schools should have students sign to help make sure they are aware of appropriate behaviors on the Internet? 30) _Authorized Use Policies______

Buddism: Political, Social and Economic Essay

Ancient China was a time of for religious influences. Belief systems dominated China from 500 B. C. E to 1000 B. C. E. The impact these beliefs left on the country were. A particular belief system, Buddhism impacted China profusely. This belief system impacted china in a number of various factors. The belief in Buddhism impacted China china’s culture through many political, social and economic stances. After defeating 100,500 men in violent warfare, Asoka felt great remorse. Despite the victory he was consumed with grief. Asoka found comfort in the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama and converted to Buddhism. After his conversion, he began to govern his kingdom under the teachings of Buddha. The laws and principles of non-violence, virtue and love where strictly enforced in the kingdom. Buddhism strongly reigned over Asoka’s political empire. With the belief system he was able to bring the kingdom from a state of warfare to peace the India has not seen since his reign. Because of his conversion to Buddhism, Asoka remains one of the greatest leaders of antiquity. One of the greatest impact religion can have is it’s social appeal. While India was being controlled by the Caste system, so were religions. Your social class also determined your religion. Buddhism was highly popular with the lower cast. The practices and rituals were affordable for those who could not afford. Because of Buddhism, Monks had homes in the monosaries. Buddhism greatly accommodated the people of low social status but that didn’t mean those of higher class could not practice it too. Soon after Buddhism had become so wide spread that Mahayana Buddhism became the Buddhism â€Å"for the masses† According to Buddha, the root of all evil is suffering. This is not the average economic principle. Siddhartha Gautama made this theory however when he abandoned his lavish life to find enlightenment. He witnessed much suffering and made a very impactful theory. After this great revelation, Buddha strived to base his economics of selflessness. His teaching thought that material wealth was not important. He insisted that obsessing over one’s self was the cause of suffering and the only way to be ended is through giving up your love and attachment for material possessions. After sometime the popularity of Buddhism died out. However, the impact it left on China from 500 B. C. E to 1000 B. C. E did not. The spread of Buddhism shaped China as a whole for many centuries to come. From 500 B. C. to 100 B. C. E, Buddhism impacted society’s structure in many aspects of history.

Pros and Cons of a Federal System of Government Essay

Pros and Cons of a Federal System of Government - Essay Example Given the basic definition, a federal system of government consist of two or more levels of governments existing within an established territory governing through common structures/institutions with shared or overlapping powers prescribed by a supreme constitution (Shafritz, Edwin and Christopher, 2010). The central government is at the level of the sovereign state tasked with responsibilities of maintaining national security and conducting international diplomatic relations, covering the right of signing binding treaties. The central government is basically mandated to make binding laws for the whole federation; the power that local governments do not posses. Within its structure, the central government functions with ministries, departments alongside agencies in administering the federation. Federalism is thus a political as well as a philosophical concept that outlines how political power is divided or rather distributed to different levels of governments. The extent of division o f power between the levels of governance in a democratic nation may vary. However, the most vital powers relating to security and the stability of the entire union are granted to the center, with regional governments sharing subsidiary responsibility. ... In particular, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany and Brazil are all examples of federal governments. With regard to the United States, federalism has been an ever evolving relationship between state governments and the federal government. From a system of dual federal system, the American governance structures have evolved to that of associative federalism. In the "Federalist No. 46," James Madison asserts that both levels of governments "are distinct agents and trustees of the citizenry, constituted with distinct powers." According to Alexander Hamilton, ("Federalist No. 28), both levels of government were constituted to exercise authority to the benefit of the citizens. That is to say, if in case the peoples' rights were trampled upon by either of the two, they could make use of the other level of government as the instrument of redress (Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, 1961). As with every system of governance, federalism as a model of governance characterized by sharing of power is not perfect, neither is it any close to achieving perfect harmonious relations among its components. As a system corrected through the ages to achieve its current status in the United States, it is an obvious fact that federalism has its merits and the disadvantages. One of the prime benefits of a federal system is the degree of autonomy granted to regional governments in deciding their local laws, in spite of being a part of a whole. In the US, every state has the authority to modify local laws to fit the local demands. The system is also advantageous with respect to degree with which governance is simplified to achieve the distribution of power. In effect, local problems are dealt with at the local level without letting them gravitate to the national level

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

Art Review - Essay Example Most of the foot prints are in opposite directions or overlapping and crossing each other. The background has been further ornamented with colourful blocks and circular designs in bright blue, orange, green and yellow shades. The larger footprints are mainly in darker colours of blacks and greys while the smaller ones are dominated with brighter colours of orange and yellow. The painting has been used as a metaphor for Africa. The merge of bright, vibrant colours is used to represent the political clashes and instability in Africa. The artist has used two fragmented canvases which have footprint designs in different directions, crossing each other or in the same direction. This is a metaphor for the conflicting agendas and ideologies of the African people and the two canvases represent the fragmentation of the continent on the basis of politics, culture and social agendas. Isichei explains that the painting is a representation of the continent’s instability which has disabled them from discovering their beautiful land and succumbing to contradictory ideas, agendas and political mayhem, exploiting their beautiful land. The painting grabbed my attention at the Denver Art Mueseum because of its boldness and vibrant display. The beauty of the art lies in its simplicity to convey a social or a personal idea, yet in a visually attractive manner. Still Searching by Romanus Isichei appeared as an appealing display on the wall, screaming for attention with its vivacious colours and straightforwardness. To represent the African instability only with the crossing footprints in the background of contrasting shades is indeed a beauty in itself. I have always loved to play with different contrasting bright colours and paintings that use them in a shrewd manner to express feelings and meaning, always fascinates me. I observe the paintings in Denver Art Museum that try to reach out to the observer with

Question 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Question 4 - Essay Example The boons of this technology do not end here. It s a new generation technology that lay unrecognized for a long time owing to high costs, and has now come into focus (Z Corporation, 2005). Thus 3D printing technology has the potential to affect almost each and every industry and varied aspects of the personal lives of people. Revolution in the modern industrialization: 3D printing technology The benefits of the 3D printing technology are being increasingly realized in the medicine industry. Production of medicine pills or capsules might be changed forever with new bio-printers actually printing human tissue, advancing the methods of pharmaceutical testing. Along with process of production the rate of production of these pills would also undergo vast improvements. The construction business and architecture is changing fast under the effect of this technology. Nowadays, designs of intricate architectural drawings are developed quickly in the form of 3D-printed models. This process is f ound to be relatively less expensive and also as less time consuming than the traditional process of building prototypes of handcrafted models made of cardboard. Even experiments are being made by â€Å"printing concrete structures† (3dprinter, 2013) using gigantic 3D printers. ... Beautiful objects, starting from artistic sculpture to household fixtures, now are not needed to be build with ones hand; they are simply designed using computer software (3dprinter, 2013). Hence one has the liberty to â€Å"imagine a future in which† (Barnatt, 2013) solid objects can be printed by a device attached to a computer. In this future industries have the prospect of moving to a new height and services be improved to the extent that tangible goods might be delivered to common households at their desktops. ‘Atomization’ of computer generated designs would lead to the creation of virtual prototype objects or even real user-end objects in much less time than it is required at present. The internet can be used to connect different producers and suppliers and also the consumers. It would allow modern industries to abandon their processes of â€Å"mass pre-production and stock-holding of a wide range of goods and spare parts† (Barnatt, 2013). The jewell ery industry 3D printers are â€Å"capable of outputting physical objects† (Barnatt, 2013) and are therefore getting installed in different manufacturing plants in different industries. In the jewellery industry it has started to generate a multitude of innovative digitalized manufacturing capabilities. Many companies in the jewellery industry are adopting this latest technology. Process of gold/silver printing The method of 3D printing uses the ‘additive manufacturing technology’ (Tyagi, n.d.). It is a process of â€Å"printing an object† (Hembrey, 2013). It involves the process of transferring some material onto a surface in the printer on which the object is to be build, layer after layer, in the method of spraying. These layers are â€Å"placed one on top of the other until the

Effects of homelessness on students Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effects of homelessness on students - Essay Example They are most often separated from their families and forced to live with foster parents. Violence within the family leaves them stressed. They lack regular medical care and emotional support. Most homeless children and youth face difficulties in enrolling, attending and succeeding in school and this is precisely what the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act intends to provide. Under the McKinney-Vento program, the State Educational Agencies (SEA) has to ensure that each homeless child or youth has equal access to the same free appropriate education as other children, including a public preschool education (USDoC, 2004). This also provides the homeless students rights to other educational services that would enable them to meet the challenges and achieve the standards like other children. The Act prohibits the school from segregating the homeless student in to a separate school. Transportation to and from school have to be ensured. All decisions have to be taken in the best interest of the child including the choice of school as desired by the parents or the guardian. This Act also provides for obtaining immunization, which is the responsibility of the local liaison appointed by the local educational agencies (LEA) apart from identifying the needs of the homeless. They have to work with the families and make them aware of the rights for their children unde r this Act. The Act also provides the students the rights to continue in the same school where they went before becoming homeless. The students have a right to enroll and attend school without being forced to give a permanent address without complete documents normally required for enrollment. Having homeless students in the class can be challenging and requires patients and creativity in the teachers (Maronek, n.d.). School can provide the stability and help the homeless cope with the situation. After providing the basic needs, the teachers should assess the level of academic ability. They should be

Industry Solutions and Services Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Industry Solutions and Services - Assignment Example The report concentrates on the factors that enable the development of products and services in a customer oriented manner. The organizational structure depends on the product and services the company develops and offers. This affects the working of functional divisions of the organization. To manufacture the customized products and services ZBZ Company should have a separate unit additional to that of production unit for installation purposes of the hardware the company produces. In the previous context the company used to manufacture and market the products for a large customer base and the installation process used to be done by distributors or assemblers of the hardware into a computer. Now this is not the case and the comp [any needs a separate division in marketing and sales department for the purpose of discussing the needs of the customers. The findings of the department should be conveyed to the production and installation departments for enabling the development of customized products. The work of the scheduling department previously used to be about the planning of production, distribution and marketing. Now the scheduling department can be assigned the work of appointments with the industry leaders to discuss about the customization of the products and to convey the results to the production department. The involvement of production department managers in the discussions of the customization processes with the customers also should be a duty of scheduling department. Previously the scheduling department was not supposed to interact with the customers but now it is inevitable. The customization of the product will decide the internal time variances in the production and marketing activities. The functional divisions of the organization have the responsibilities of marketing function making the production accountable for standards and variances. The responsibility of quality control now will be increased and this division needs much rapport with the production division to avoid the lapses in customized products. This needs the revision of traditional structures in the org anization. The organizational structure in the customized products manufacturing will receive information in the following manner. The marketing division will pass information about the customer requirements to manufacturing division and that division will pass them on to the design division, planning and cost estimation divisions. The design, planning and cost estimating divisions can coordinate their activities with manufacturing or production division to know the feasibility of the project and the priorities of the customers. After this the feedback will sent to marketing division and in turn the information is sent to customers. This sharing of information can be enabled by the scheduling department. This sharing of information from customer to all the crucial departments in the organization will achieve near zero defect in the quality. In the previous structure of the company standards are guiding forces for performing, monitoring and controlling all the activities of the compa ny. In the course of manufacturing customized products, the Quality Zero Defect, Maintenance Zero Breakdown, Materials Zero Inventory, Business Processes Zero

Sexual harassmen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sexual harassmen - Essay Example The most common means of reprimanding employees found to be complicit in sexual harassment in the workplace are termination of employment, a verbal/written reprimand and a mandated apology. It has been found that employees of a company or organization that tend to lean towards harsher punishments for sexual harassment feel the company takes the problem seriously. This establishes a relationship of trust between employees and management that can create an atmosphere that discourages sexual harassment (Nelson, 2007). Organizations that avoid firing, reprimanding and mandating apologies risk alienating employees. Sexual harassment claims will be less likely to be made because of the perception that nothing will be done or it will be swept under the carpet by some sort of secret deal. Perceptions among employees that sexual harassment is tolerated as a result of the established organizational culture, combined with a that witnesses the harassment’s political beliefs can discourage reporting of observed sexual harassment (Benavides, 2010). Considering that the NRA is a pro-business lobbying group, the current president needs to take the probable political affiliations of employees as a consideration when considering changes to the sexual harassment policy at the NRA. Also of importance in this incident is how the current president of the NRA reviews the existing sexual harassment policy. This is important because individuals outside of the organization tend to judge the organization being accused of providing an unsafe work environment more harshly if they are not playing by their own rules. If there is a sexual harassment policy that had been violated, or if there is no sexual harassment policy at all, jurors tend to award the plaintiff more monetary damages (Cass, 2010). The lesson that needs to be learned from this finding that can be applied to the current situation is this: the public and

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 10

Human Resource Management - Essay Example In this respect, the company has contracted Valmax consultancy to conduct training needs assessment and subsequent training for the employees of Coca-Cola Company. In addition, the Coca-Cola Company offers training and development courses for its associates through the Coca-Cola University (CCU) that engages the associates in e-learning and classroom learning. Although the Coca-Cola Company has done well in training its employees, it needs to focus on the personal component of the training program and offer equal training opportunities for its staff across the globe. The Coca-Cola Company is the global leader in beverage production, distribution, and sale, with presence in virtually all countries in the world. Presently, the company produces over 500 brands of soft drinks and other beverages with the main ones being Diet Coke, Fanta, Coca-Cola Zero, Sprite, and Dasani. The company boasts as the leader in the production and distribution of sparkling beverages, juice drinks, and ready-to-drink coffees. Owing to the popularity and huge market share of the Coca-Cola Company, it has a distribution system that covers more than 200 countries. In addition, The Company employs hundreds of thousands of employees at various levels. Since the Coca-Cola Company does close to 2 billion servings of beverages on a daily basis, it requires well-trained and motivated employees who will deliver good results even when the market experiences a slump. With over 700,000 employees worldwide, the Coca-Cola Company commands a huge workforce that requires prudent human re source management through constant training and development of employees (Kurtz & Boone 2011, pp. 281). In order to enhance the performance of the company and make it retain the competitive edge that it has, the Human Resource Department at the Coca-Cola Company extends education to all its associates at various levels. The development and educational programs that the company offers ensures the realization of full

Coyne and Messina Articles, Part 2 Statistical Assessment Term Paper

Coyne and Messina Articles, Part 2 Statistical Assessment - Term Paper Example This variable is not expressed with numbers that have a true zero. Instead, a Likert-type, five-point scale for measuring patient satisfaction is used (1 stands for very poor, 2, poor, 3 fair, 4, good and 5, very good). The data obtained is subsequently converted to a scale that ranges from 0 to 100. The 1-5scores are averaged, with 0 being equated to the low end (very poor) and 100, the high end (very good). The independent variables are inpatient admissions in nonteaching and teaching hospitals. The statistic chosen is multivariate. The statistical significance is set as r= -.28, p= .0.08, when discussing the relationship between patient satisfaction and patient admission in a combined sample. This intimates a direct correlation between patient satisfaction and lower volumes of inpatient admissions. When it comes to admission in teaching hospitals, patient satisfaction is stated as standing at 25.76, and the z-statistic is used. In the use of the z-statistic, z=-4.1, p This statistical significance also takes care of the degree of error. The degree of error may emanate from the fact that the 14 hospitals that had been designated as the research sample may have been hailing from distraught socioeconomic environments, and therefore, a good fraction of the patients might have been too grumpy to lighten up because of the physicians’ prowess, personal touch and dexterity. In this case, it is therefore safe to say with Messina, Scott, Ganey, Zipp and Mathis (2009) that there is a direct relationship between inpatient admissions and patient satisfaction in both teaching and nonteaching hospitals. Thus, because the statistical significance is very strong, the hypothesis of the study has been verified and found to be true. In statistical

Looking to the future Essay Example for Free

Looking to the future Essay The purpose of this assignment is to identify and describe my personal, professional and academic goal, apply the Smart Goal process and explain each component, create how I will predict success in achieving my goals based on my past positive experiences, and my personality as it relates to being an online student. Obtaining my BA in Complimentary and Alternate Health while, attending Ashford University online will most definitely help with achieving my long-term academic, personal and professional goals. My Goals and SMART Goals Creating a game plan for success can be challenging, however after evaluating my future, building on past positive experiences, I need to determine what I need, to reach my long-term goal which is to become a Registered Dietician by the age of 48. By starting with my BA in Complimentary and Alternate Health I can achieve my short-term goal. This is a four year degree program that requires 120 credits to complete the Degree program. In the past, I attended school while being a full time mom and employee. I worked long hours and attend school at night; I was able to complete college with an Associate Degree in Business Office Technology. This is an example of setting SMART goals. After completing my degree program online at Ashford University I plan to continue with online classes at Auburn University. My long-term goal is to achieve my Master of Science with an emphasis in Nutrition Science. These goals will take hard work and commitment but they are realistic as well as achievable. Accountability and Countering Challenges Accomplishing these goals will take accountability, which starts with me. I am responsible for my success so I must have a plan that includes; overcoming obstacles that might have a negative impact on me being successful in school, I must set expectations for myself and meet them.

The Cold War An Introduction History Essay

The Cold War An Introduction History Essay The Cold war is a period of sustained political and military duress and unrest between the Western Superpowers, viz. The USA Of America , and its NATO allies , and the  communist world, led by the erstwhile  Soviet Union, its  satellite states and allies 1947 1991. It occurred post the 2nd world war, and was a mixture of religious crusade in favour of one ideology or the other, and of the most ruthless power politics, striking out for advantage or expansion not only in Europe but all over the world.  [1]   The war was cold only in that the USA and USSR never fought each other in a direct military confrontation, but both superpowers threatened each o with  nuclear annihilation  and participated frequently in proxy wars by supporting allied nations in numerous hot wars in places like  Korean,  Vietnam), and  Angola. The Cold War defined both countries foreign policies through the second half of the twentieth century, as Americans and Soviets competed for allies to maintain and widen their respective spheres of influence around the world. Each side viewed the Cold War as a battle between civilizations; in the worldwide clash between American capitalism and Soviet Communism, only one could prevail. For more than forty years, the Soviet-American conflict hung heavy over global affairs, shaping the world with massive  military buildups, a never-ending  nuclear arms race, intensive  espionage, and fierce  technological competition  as each side tried to gain the upper hand in preparation for the thermonuclear hot war  all humans feared would someday come.  [2]   The causes of the Cold War. We can divide the causes of the Cold War into two types of causes viz. The underlying causes and the immediate causes. The Underlying Causes are :- (i) Ideological Causes: The USA and the Soviet Union represent two opposing systems of government. In the USA, the government is elected by free elections i.e. the people can form political parties to voice their political opinions. They also possess the right of assembly, of speech and of the press. In the Soviet Union, the government is formed by the Communist Party. The people do not have the right to form their own political parties. They do not enjoy the right of assembly, of speech and of the press. Since these two systems of government are diametrically opposed to one another, there can be little compromise between the USA and the Soviet Union. (ii) Economic Causes: The USA wanted to encourage free trade throughout the world and the USSR wanted to shield off its own sphere from international commerce. Russia feared that trade with the West would involve the risk of Russia being opened to western influences which would have eroded the strength of the totalitarian regime. These differences led to much ill feeling between the USA and the USSR. Immediate Causes of Cold war: Incipient conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States began at the peace-time conferences. Their conflict was intensified after President Truman declared the Truman Doctrine and launched the Marshall Plan in 1947. (i) Extension of Russian influence in Europe: Even before the end of the Second World War, the Soviet Union had gradually extended its influence in Europe. By 1944, it controlled a large part of Eastern Europe. By 1945, at the Yalta Conference, the Soviet Union obtained the Curzon Line as its new boundary line with Poland and also gained control of the eastern part of Germany. As the war was drawing to a close in May 1945, the Soviet Union quickly consolidated its control of eastern Europe. (ii) The reactions of the United States: Despite the increasing Russian influence in eastern and central Europe, many politicians in the United States were optimistic about the chances of co-operation with the Soviet Union after the war and did not advocate strong resistance against Russian expansion. But from May 1945 onwards, the situation was changed. The U.S. government favoured a policy of strong resistance against Russia. This was because President Roosevelt -who was optimistic, believed that though eastern Europe had fallen under the influence of Russia, Russia would keep its promise made at Yalta by setting up freely elected parliamentary governments in the area and so did not advocate strong resistance against Russian expansion- died on April 12, 1945. He was succeeded by Harry S. Truman who was a complete contrast to Roosevelt. He did not believe the communists. He thought that the communists would not set up democratic governments in Eastern Europe. He also believed that after the Soviet Union had established its control in Eastern Europe, it would continue to extend its influence into Western Europe. Thus President Truman favoured a policy of strong resistance against Russian expansion. The  second reason  was that just before the Potsdam Conference was to take place, the United States had successfully exploded its atomic bomb. President Truman thought that since the United States alone possessed the atomic bomb, it could adopt a stiff attitude towards Russian expansion in Europe. The  third reason  was that President Truman was disgusted at the non-co-operative attitude of the Russians at the Potsdam Conference where Russia was determined to exact heavy reparations from Germany. Russia also accused the British of upholding a reactionary monarchy in Greece and supporting an Italian Fascist regime in Trieste. Stalin also blocked Trumans proposal on the internationalization of all principal waterways. (iii) Poor relations between the United States and the Soviet Union: The deteriorating relations between the Soviet Union  and the United States were reflected in two minor incidents in the year. Land-Lease was abruptly terminated by the United States and the Russian request for American economic aid for the purposes of post-war reconstruction was ignored by the government of the United States.  (During the Second World War, the U.S. supplied much war material to the Allied nations through a Lend and Lease programme. As the Lend and Lease programme was suddenly stopped, the war-ravaged Soviet Union could not obtain American material support to help its post-war economic reconstruction.) The poor relations between the East and West were also reflected in a speech by Churchill. In March 1946, Churchill made a speech at Fulton, Missouri in which he said, From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent . Behind that line lie all the capitals of the central and eastern Europe all are subject in one form or another to not only to Soviet influence but also to a very high and increasing control from Moscow.  [3]   (iii) End of World War II and events leading up to the Cold War Once the World War II ended, it was obvious that the alliance between USA, Britain, and USSR would end, as there were tension between the west and the east. The USSR joined the allied forces only after Hitler betrayed them. Also, the huge difference in their political and economic ideologies would not let them stay allied for a long time. The events that led to the Cold war are 1) Yalta Conference (February 1945) Held during the war, on the surface, the Yalta conference seemed successful.  Ã‚   At Yalta, the negotiations went very much in Stalins favour, but this was because Roosevelt wanted Russian help in the Pacific, and was prepared to agree to almost anything as long as Stalin agreed to go to war with Japan.   Although the Conference appeared successful, however, behind the scenes, tension was growing, particularly about reparations, and about Poland.  Ã‚     Ã‚   After the conference, Churchill wrote to Roosevelt that The Soviet Union has become a danger to the free world.   And on their return home both he and Roosevelt were criticized for giving away too much to the Soviets: The Potsdam Conference (July 1945) Serious differences arose over the future of Germany and Eastern Europe , and also Truman Revealed to the USSR that it had a powerful new weapon ( the atomic bomb) which kick started the Nuclear Weapons Race that characterized the Cold War. The Truman Doctrine (March 1947) It was the unofficial policy of the US to stop the spread of communism in Europe and other places which conflicted with the USSRs desire to convert other countries to communism. This also led to the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan (June 1947) This was about US aid to European countries, with which they ended up forming the NATO alliance. Conclusion Summing up, we can say that the main causes of Cold War are the events that run up to it , such as the Truman Doctrine , The Marshall plan , the Potsdam conference and the Yalta Conference , and the conflicts of the USSRs and USAs political and economic ideologies.

Deviance in sport

Deviance in sport Deviance in Sport I would prefer even to fail with honor than to win by cheating. Sophocles. Could you find people who think like Sophocles nowadays? Ancient Greek said about global problem that have covered whole life branches now and even gained the sport. Unfortunately people ready to do everything to win and often this everything means deviance. Recent incidents well show that even sport stars make unfair actions to reach their aims. Whoever would have thought that Thierry Henry, popular footballer, will cheat to qualify into the summers World Cup or Formula-1 Renault team driver Nelson Piquet Jr will make crash to help his team-mate wins. Two very different kinds of sport but linked with one serious theme deviance. Cheating it isnt simple rules violation, it is ethics failure, when sportsmen put themselves above other people, make unfair advantage. And its doesnt matter how they made it, its more important why people do that, why they decide to take cheating way. Generally they want to be the best, to get rewards, money and popularity. Cheating is a big issue and actual nowadays. Firstly, because its an unfair game that is an infringement. Secondly, it makes competitions senseless, because it breaks the general sense of competition, wins not the strongest sportsman but cheater. Thirdly, it covers all world countries and even involves politicians, how it recently happened with football match between France and Ireland. About this incident people discus every day and Thierry Henry became public enemy. Henry could have been a hero. But hes a cheat. Richard Williams. It was last match minutes and France was losing 0-1 when Thierry Henry had an excellent chance to make the perfect goal cross to his team-mate and he done it. Whole should be well, but Henry stopped the ball with his hand that is unacceptable in football. Referee didnt see it and France has qualified into next year World Cup final. Of course, lot of people think that Henry is a hero because he has saved national team, but how? He cheated! However, some people believe that is wasnt intention action, but simple reflex. Nevertheless he touched the ball twice. Why he did it and why FIFA on the France side in this problem? To answer this questions lets make little research. France national team twelve times was participated in World Cup final and once won it in 1998, two times was UEFA EURO champion (1984,2000), lot of other rewards and now is taking 7th place in FIFAs World Ranking. What about Ireland? Only three times participated in World Cup final without successful results and now is taking 36th place in FIFA ranking. Now it becomes clear that France has greater influence and authority than modest Ireland. Result above face cheating, replaying decline, France into World Cup. However Thierry Henry apologised for his handball even said: Of course the fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control. There is little more I can do apart from admit that the ball had contact with my hand leading up to our equalising goal and I feel very sorry for the Irish. I have said at the time and I will say again that, yes, I handled the ball. But this apologises will not help him now and we will see fans abusing soon.   Lets take another example. Absolutely different kind of sport, Formula-1, where some month ago was happened big scandal. Simon Barnes: Nelson Piquet Jr, son of the eponymous three-times world champion, a young man desperate to make his mark on the sport and yet struggling to keep up with its demands, was told to have an accident at the Singapore Grand Prix last September. As a result of his crash, Piquets team-mate, Fernando Alonso, was able to win a race he would otherwise have not, taking advantage of the safety procedures that are laid down in Formula One. From one hand it looks two different cheatings. Formula One driver has risked with his and other drivers life, because it is very dangerous to make crash in racing and history knows forty-five world drivers that have died in the accidents. In due course, Henry cheated without any risk for his health. Fact that Nelson Piquet Jr didnt cheated willfully, because he carried out Renault teams instructions, but Henry decided to win unfairly by his own mind. That means in Formula One we see simple manipulation by principal, that so often happens also in political life. Simon Barnes: That is what happens when leading commercial concerns get mixed up in sport: their ultimate goal is profit, not sporting success. Terrible but true. Nelson Piquet Jr was a victim and he didnt obtain any profit from this hidden cheating. Hidden because all people knew about it only after 1 year, but situation with Henry was very visual. Thousands of spectators, TV watchers and internet surfers saw this cheating. However Henry didnt show it, he celebrated teams score like nothing unfair happened. Next day mass-media has been overflowed by articles and loud statements. Even politicians have started to interfere to the match result. The positive thing that Henry agreed that he has broke rules, but its impossible to change anything now and France became Irelands enemy number one. REFERENCES http://www.fifa.com

Making Funeral Speeches More Dramatic in Julius Caesar :: William Shakespeare Julius Caesar Essays

Making Funeral Speeches More Dramatic in Julius Caesar As every schoolboy knows, Shakespeare’s play of Julius Caesar isn’t a play based on reality but is a play about ‘Was Brutus right to kill his beloved Caesar?’ Therefore, the funeral speeches were written to allow Brutus a chance to prove that he was right to kill Julius Caesar whereas it also gives Antony the opportunity to convince the Plebeians how it was wrong to assassinate Julius Caesar. For these speeches to become livelier and not dull, this scene will be changed into a thrilling play for the spectators to watch and enjoy! Firstly, the Roman-set play has the stage picture of fruits and used objects scattered all over the floors of the closed down markets to mourn Julius Caesar’s death (in other words an excuse for a holiday)! There is an elevated rectangular area in the middle of the stage and there also is a door to the elevated area. The Patricians (Antony and Brutus) have to open this door and go up a small flight of stairs to reach the top of this raised section. Here everyone all around them will see them. A red striped toga clothes these Patricians whereas the civil servants are wearing green striped togas. Dirty rags to show the audience what they earned from their worthless jobs are clothing the Plebeians. A balcony is used for speculation of the play. This is where a few Plebeians mix with the audience along with a few civil servants blending into the crowd of watchers. All of the Plebeians and the civil servants have a major role to play in the external part of the play, which shall be explained later. The stage is covered in debris and Plebeians are also scattered between and outside all four corners of the stage. Secondly, the properties, which are probably the most important aspects of this attractive scene, include a large proportion of Antony’s properties. However, Brutus doesn’t have any properties. In addition to these, there are also visuals and music. Antony’s assets are inclusive of: - 1) The Will- of Julius Caesar 2) The Corpse of Julius Caesar- that is put on the front of the raised rectangular area to create trepidation in the weak hearts of the gullible Plebeians. So as to cause more perturbation in the Plebeians hearts, the bayonet that Julius Caesar was killed by is laid by the corpse pointing vertically downwards. As for the music, an hautboy (oboe) is heard playing swiftly in the background- but not disrupting the funeral speeches. Ultimately, there is a spotlight shining up from beneath the orator’s feet and its

Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay -- Lord of the Flies Good V

Lord of the Flies by William Golding Lord of the flies was written by William Golding in 1954. It is an enthralling, book that explores the concept of the behaviour of man when he is exempt from society. Golding achieves this by stranding a group of British schoolboys on a secluded island, in the midst of a war. Throughout this period the boys evolve from being civilised and let savagery take over. This book is well written and effectively presents the theme of the story: the evil that man is capable of. Once read, this book will stay in your memory for its provocative idea that humans are a flawed race. The story takes place on a remote, tropical island. As the island is secluded, there is no contact from the outside world. This is significant because this means that the rules that applied in the outside world don’t apply here. The boys are now free from society, which holds together people’s judgement of what is right and what is wrong. The absence of such an influential factor to the peace of man, permits anarchy to break out. The island is a microsm of the real world. This means that the same fundamental activities that take place in the real world also take place on the island, just on a smaller scale. For example the outside world is fighting an intense war; a war is also taking place on the island, the battle of civilisation and savagery. The lord of the flies presents many themes and ideas. The major ones being good versus evil or civilisation versus barbarism and the evil man is capable of. Golding portrays that there are two major impulses in man. Order and civilisation or anarchy and savagery. He also implies that anarchy is the more dominant impulse. He depicts the battle of good ve... ...brutality and evil of man. They have just killed piggy and have compared his body to one of a dead pigs, they don’t even view him as a human, let alone value the life of a human. The contrast presented in the quote, â€Å"Which is better – to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?† paints a picture of the central theme of the story. Civilisation or Savagery. The boys finally get rescued at the end of the book by a navy officer. Linked to the outside world it is ironic because this officer, dressed in white is depicted as an angel, their salvation. However this very soldier is a symbol of the evil man is capable of, by fighting in the war. This book has demonstrated that humans are flawed. We are capable of great evil. This is still relevant in today’s society because, put under the right situations, you too could carry out unspeakable atrocities.

Symbols in The Great Gatsby :: Free Essay Writer

Symbols in The Great Gatsby In the Great Gatsby, a lot of things can be looked at as symbols. The weather, Daisy’s dresses, the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, and even the lights. By using symbols, Fitzgerald makes the story more deep, and enjoyable for some readers. Fitzgerald also uses various themes throughout his story of the Great Gatsby, like Gatsby’s â€Å"American dream.† The two most important symbols in the story are the green lights at the end of daisy’s dock, and the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. The green lights represent Gatsby’s â€Å"American dream† and his yearning for daisy. The reader doesn’t understand this for a while though. Fitzgerald shows us later that this is what they stand for, to show how something simple can represent so much. The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg is simply a sign that lingers over the valley of ashes. The reader can interpret it as anything he/she wishes. Toward the end of the novel, however, George Wilson interprets the eyes as the eyes of God, and he must act properly under them. Gatsby’s American dream is the theme throughout the story. He lives a life of luxury, throwing huge parties, and living in a mansion. Gatsby wanted this life since he was a kid. He also wants the girl of his dreams, Daisy, in his life, only he can’t have her because she is in love with Tom. Gatsby makes Daisy a symbol of everything he wants because of her beauty, wealth, and worry-less attitude. There are also small symbols and themes in the story as well. The color of daisy’s white dress, for example, sets the mood for the scene. And on the hottest day of the year is when Tom and Gatsby have their confrontation. Overall, the symbols and themes in this story seem to come together because of Gatsby’s dream for Daisy, which is the symbol of the green lights, who is everything Gatsby wants.

Value Management in Construction and Property

BRE 533 Value Management in Construction and Property Final Report Propose Development of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Phase 8 Development 30 April 2010 Content Executive Summary| | Introduction| Background to the value management study| Function of the value management workshop| Project objectives| Value management workshop objectives| | Information Phase| Overview of presentations| Q&A of the presentation| | Function Analysis Phase| List of functions of FCLU| Functional matrix| FAST diagram| | Creativity Phase| List of brainstormed ideas to satisfy selected functions of FCLU| |Evaluation Phase| Criteria for evaluation of brainstormed ideas| List of P1, P2, P3 ideas| Weighted evaluation technique| | Development Phase| Action Plan| | Presentation Phase| | Summary and Conclusion| | Reflective journals| | Appendices| Appendix A| List of roles of participants| Appendix B| Workshop agenda| Appendix C| Photo of VM Workshop| Executive Summary As Phase 8 development of Polytechnic U niversity is proceeding actively. To ensure all stakeholders’ needs were accounted for, a one day value management workshop was held at Polytechnic University Room W610 to discuss the use of campus, at no. 5 Wylie Path. Representative of various interested groups, government departments and stakeholders were present. The representatives were carefully selected by due process as the success of the value management workshop is dependent upon the input of participants. The workshop followed the Lawrence Miles approach which was widely accepted in international standards and all groups, departments and stakeholders thus gone through all major stages: 1. Pre-workshop Phase namely information phase, 2. Workshop Phase – function analysis phase, creativity phase, evaluation phase and 3.Post workshop Phase – reporting/development phase to input new ideas and rule out any unnecessary functions These three phases were worked by the team members in order to achieve better v alue for money for FCLU. The information stage of the workshop comprised, in addition to the presentations by participants, a structured question and answer session and a functional analysis section, which identified forty areas or objectives to be idea generated in relation to option 5; the first ranked option.The idea generation produced which ultimately were converted into a series of working lists. This included seven design notations which represented stakeholders’ needs and were, by consensus, to be included as part of the preliminary concept design. A preliminary assessment of risk associated with the project was undertaken following the value management process. This will form an introduction to a full risk assessment which will be done when a preferred proposal is announced.The participants were well familiar with the issues surrounding the project and this step has provided preliminary information for that later During the workshops, all participants have expressed their ideas and all information are recorded through the interactive value management software. To enhance sustainable development concept of whole project scheme, evaluation criteria were identified, defined and rated. These evaluation criteria were applied to each agreed alternatives and were rated on the scale of 1 -10.The idea generation stage of the job plan produced ideas for the refinement of sustainable design and were developed into action plans which are found in the body of the report. Introduction 1. 1 Background to the value management study The Phase 8 development is formerly design to be located at â€Å"former Livestock Depot†, northwest of the existing campus. The anticipated move in date is at the end of 2012. Upon completion, the development will provide approximately 25,600m2 net floor area for implementation of the new academic system and other academic development.However, upon completion of the design of Phase 8, the government would like to donate the lot no. 15 Wylie Path to the PolyU for expansion of the campus. To minimize the occurrence of abortive design, it is intended to relocate the Phase 8 development to no. 15 Wylie Path with additional facilities to ensure fully utilized of the land piece. The Associate Dean of FCLU, requested to conduct a VM workshop for the briefing process of this new project scheme to gain wider public consultation. 1. 2 Function of the value management workshopThe workshop provides the vehicle for bringing together the groups, departments and key stakeholders in a forum which: * Maximizes their contribution; * Draws on the combined knowledge of people from a variety of disciplines; * Takes advantage of group dynamics, rather than relying on input from individuals in isolation; and * Helps to bring into perspective the project as a whole, rather than as a collection of independent elements. Therefore, the number of participants should be actively managed so as to not become unwieldy, while maintain ing a wide representative.The list of role of participant is attached in Appendix A. While the workshop should be properly managed due to time constraint, an agenda is required and is enclosed in Appendix B. 1. 3 Project objectives The objectives of the project are: * Expansion of new campus to cope with the new â€Å"3+3+4† academic system. * Avoid abortive design due to relocation of Phase 8 development to no. 15 Wylie Path with additional facilities to make full use of the piece of land. * Facilitate green building design. * Enhance the concept of sustainable development. Improve the image/reputation of the university. * Minimize impact to the public and adjoining community. 1. 4 Value management workshop objectives The value management workshop objectives are: * To provide a forum to discuss the use of the land no. 15 Wylie Path to achieve sustainability and value for money. * To discuss the functions of FLCU in order to make adjustment to the former design of Phase 8 for locating at no. 15 Wylie Path. * To determine the additional facilities to be located in no. 15 Wylie Path apart from Phase 8 development. . 5 Workshop strategy The Workshop followed began in the five-stage Job Plan identified in Value Management Literature. Information stage The development project workshop began in the room W610 at the PolyU campus where presentations and keynotes speeches provided information on various aspects of development. Analysis stage The rationale behind a Value Management study is that the functions under study are analyzed to determine whether they can be carried out more efficiently and cheaply without reducing either quality or performance.With the large number of participants, analysis was not as rigorous as to determine the functions Over lunch in the staff canteen in the PolyU of the day of the workshop, we were set a task of identifying key areas of importance, which were then combined into a workshop-wide list. The necessary functions were deter mined through asking the participants what was important to them. This was carried out in a rolling approach. First, each participant was asked to think of the important aspect, then discuss them amongst their team and finally promote them to the whole workshop.Later, a mixture of functions and evaluation markers resulted in the whiteboard. The result was then used to direct the creative thinking and evaluation sessions. Creative stage The number and diversity of creative ideas that emerged from the workshop were satisfying, as to be expected from the value management process. Majority of the creative thinking process have run smoothly. Evaluation stage At the end of the creative thinking session, teams were asked to present their ideas. This allowed a certain amount of evaluation to take place before the presentation as teams only presented their best ideas.The further evaluation and development of ideas took place with all the participants in the workshop together. Development sta ge The workshop ended with an action plan which set out tasks that were required for the ideas raised in the workshop to be taken forward. This action plan is seen as an important step to change the workshop from a talking shop to one with a definable outcome. Information Phase Overview of presentations Presentations were carried out in the order of the following functions: * Project design teams – including architect, building services engineers, landscape architects, etc. o present their roles, the available preliminary design, concept of their design and how their design can meet with the sustainable development goal and the new academic system. * Government departments – including Buildings Department, Highways Department, Architectural Services Department, etc. to present their roles, the current and necessary statutory requirements imposed on the project and the views in terms of government. * End users or related interested groups – including different fa culties, student union, planning office, etc. o present their roles, their concerns of the project, their needs and expectations from the project in view of the new academic system. * Potential contractors – including main contractor and subcontractors to present their roles, the anticipated planning of works and their expectations in terms of design, waste management and contractual arrangement. Some participants make use of the computer facilities to deliver their ideas/expectations through Microsoft Powerpoint slides while the majorities are presented via general speech and causal discussion.The content of the presentations is based on the context of the background papers prepared by all participants. After the general introduction by the facilitator, speakers gave several presentations on the major issues surrounding the project. They were as follows: Speaker| Topic| President| Aim to meet the need for providing the use of the land No. 15 Wylie Path to achieve sustainabil ity and value for money. | Consultant Architect| Review of permissible land use, deliver of preliminaries project design and type of contract procurement. | Campus Planning Officer| Introduce the preliminaries planned requirement. Associate Dean of FCLU| Role of Associate Dean of FCLU| Facility Management| The importance of Facility Management| Head of BSE| Sustainability development| Head of CSE| Role of Head of CSE| Student Union| Role of Student Union| Landscape Architect Project Manager| Review of statutory requirement, deliver of preliminaries landscape design concept. | Consultant Landscape Architect| Review of statutory requirement, deliver of preliminaries landscape design concept. | Building Services Consultant| Self promotion| Fire Safety Engineer| The importance of Fire installation| Quantity Surveyor| Role of QS in the project|Lands Department| Land Use of Site| Architectural Services Department| Role of ASD on Public Building Projects| Environmental Protection Departmen t| Potential Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures| Electrical & Mechanical Services Department| Monitoring the Quality and Workmanship of Lifts and Escalators and Administrate Registers of Registered Electrical Workers (REW) and Contractors (REC)| Buildings Department| Statutory Standards of Buildings| Contractor| Time, Cost and Quality Construction| Building Sub-contractor| Sustainable Development and Value for Money| Overview of PresentationsThe key points of the presentation listed in the table above are found as follows: President President of PolyU presented the aim of this VM workshop and such approach is to meet the need for providing the use of the land No. 15 Wylie Path to achieve sustainability and value for money. The development phase describes how to relocate the Phase 8 development to no. 15 Wylie Path with additional facilities to make full use of the piece of land was briefly conducted. Also, background information about the project had been clearly presente d during the VM workshop. â€Å"The Phase 8 development is proceeding actively.It is originally design to be located at â€Å"former Livestock Depot†, which is in the northwest of the existing campus. The anticipated move in date is at the end of 2012. However, upon completion of the design of Phase 8, the government would like to donate the lot no. 15 Wylie Path to the PolyU for expansion of the campus. So, intent to avoid abortive design, the Associate Dean of FCLU (Faculty of construction and land use) suggested conducting VM workshop for the briefing process of this new project to gain wider public consultation. † Consultant Architect Consultant Architect clarified the current land use of the land denoted from overnment and the mechanism of the land use change under current statutory requirement. He also presented his preliminaries design of the project including the project scope and nature in accordance with the statutory outline zoning plan. Typical design consi derations were also reviewed by him and he also further adopts various forms of energy efficient features:- (a) Water-cooled chillers and evaporative cooling towers; (b) Rotary heat wheel for primary air-handling units; (c) Demand control of fresh air supply with carbon dioxide sensor; (d) Occupancy and daylight sensors for lighting control; e) Light-emitting diode (LED) type exit signs; and (f) Automatic lighting and ventilation control for lifts. Finally, the contract procurement by means of design and build contract was introduced. Campus Planning Officer Campus Planning Officer reviewed the necessaries of shuttle buses between the old and new campus and introduced the overall project development time frame. They also planned that the development shall provide approximately 25,600m2 GFA for general teaching facilities including lecture theatres and classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, conference facilities, office accommodation and amenities facilities.Associate Dean o f FCLU * Associate Dean of the Faculty is responsible for the promotion of whole-person development of undergraduates in the Faculty and is responsible for matters in relation to the development of undergraduate curriculum, including general education, transition to the 4-year normative degree, and outcome-based teaching and learning. * * As the president of HKIVM who initials the use of VM workshop in facilitating with over years experiences of being facilitator in VM workshop.Being a Certified Value Analysts (CVA) recognized by the UK IVM and also the certified facilitator (List A) in HKIVM, Associate Dean of the Faculty is used to be secretary, editor and vice president of HKIVM. Facility Management Facility Management is the process by which an organization integrates its people, work process and physical assets to serve its strategic objectives. As a discipline, facility management is the science and art of managing this integrative process from operational to strategic levels for promoting the competitiveness of organizations.The HKIFM hence recognises Facility Management as both a process and a discipline. It also affirms the integrative approach adopted in Facility Management world-wide and promotes the synergy of effective people and building/ asset management that can enhance a corporation’s competitiveness. In addition, HKIFM accords Facility Management to the highest professional level whereby facility managers are instrumental in the strategic decision making of an organization. * * Head of BSE As the head of BSE, they would introduce sustainability development.Sustainable development is a pattern of using resource that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only at the present, but also for future generations. Engineering plays a crucial role to the success of this new technologies and applications. The various aspects of sustainable design have to be considered which consists of enhanc ed of the physical environment, energy conservation, visual and noise impacts, indoor environmental quality, water management, solid waste management, operation and maintenance.Energy conservation- There should be integration of architectural design to enhance energy efficiency. Building orientation and building envelope design, including sunshades and glazing should be considered to adopt the overall thermal transfer value and the overall energy approach. Energy consumption display panel can be used as educational facilities to promote awareness of building occupants. Visual and noise impacts- The cultural and heritage values of a building should be well considered in order to reduce the visual impact.The noise impact can also be reduced through building envelope design, provision of noise barriers and introduction of noise prevention measure, etc. Indoor environment quality- Natural ventilation is recommended to use and the indoor air quality can be maintained by specifying materi als and products with low volatile organic compound emission as well as by air treatment and filtration. The use of daylight should be maximized while visual privacy from exterior is maintained. Both glare and light pollution should also be minimized. Water management- Reduce, reuse and recycle can be applied.The use of low-flow spray taps with sensor operation can reduce water consumption while being more hygienic. Development of biotechnology enables maximizing the recycle of grey water by using micro-organisms. Recycled grey water can be reused for toilet flushing and irrigation of plants. Solid waste management- During the design stage, space should be allocated for the disposal of domestic waste from building occupants and allowed for sorting and storage. The use of prefabricated building construction system and the adoption of re-usable metal or fibreglass formwork are good to use.Operation and maintenance- As the design and construction stages of a building is shorter than op eration and maintenance stage, sustainable design can save a lot of wasteful alterations and excessive consumption of energy during the life span of a building. A good example can be adequate metering for measurements and performance monitoring of the building. Head of CSE As the Head of Department of Civil Services Engineering, they need to prepare a proposal to employ some best academic professions and other supporting staffs, budget, and others auxiliary facilities to our senior management for approval.And the important role is to implement PolyU Strategic Plan to proceed. * Head of Student Union The Students' Union organizes a wide range of activities every year for its members. These include sports, recreational, academic and cultural functions, ranging from aquatic and athletic meets, students' festivals, orientations to Open Days for the public. Union representatives serve as members on a number of University committees, thus maintaining an effective link between the Universi ty Management and the student body. Consultant Landscape Architect / Project ManagerConsultant Landscape Architect clarified the procedure about the preparing of master landscape plan compliance with statutory requirements. Typical landscape design considerations were also review by him and he also further adopts various forms of landscape design concept for D&B contractor to follow:- 1. Communal sky garden; 2. Communal podium garden; 3. Green Planting at all floor balconies 4. Water feature fountain at the main entrance 5. Trees planting along the Boundary/Fence wall 6. Lawn at non-accessible public areaBuilding Service Consultant BSE Asia  is in a position to offer the benefits of a strong local base with a staff compliment of around 390 within the region together with the ability to support any major development in  Asia with both specialist engineering expertise and technology from an international forum through our group companies. Currently BSE Asia is actively  involved in various large scale  projects located in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Philippines, Vietnam and the Middle East. We have extensive experience in most Asian countries.Our experts and engineers have been responsible for large number of landmark infrastructure and building projects throughout Asia. Our clients have been able to take full advantage of our comprehensive regional presence in the knowledge that this can be further supplemented by world class resources from our other world-wide offices. Our range of work sectors covers the whole field of the building environment for the design of large retail scheme, office building, private housing, factories and  leisure facilities to the civil engineering of roads, railways, bridges, ports or communication systems.Our range of skills covers the whole industry of building and construction  from structural and building services design to the civil engineering and the design of environmental management programme ranging from contamin ated sites to noise and vibration control. * BSE Asia is confident  to successfully deliver engineering design and implementation of the project due to our extensive experience and knowledge and deep understanding of the local culture in Asia. * Fire Safety Engineer The reliable fire protection system is very important to safety of the properties and the occupants in a building.The fire services installations, including the fire detection; fire alarm and fire-fighting systems shall be designed to comply with the regulations of the Fire Services Department as a minimum. A sensitive but reliable early fire warning system and effective fire suppression system is very important to make sure that the fire is detected when it is still in its smoldering stage, to put out or retard the development and spread of the fire and smoke when the fire is still its early stage.On the other hand, the fire detection and alarm system shall be accurate as not to result in high volume of false alarms t hus causing undue panic and serious disturbance to the tenants. The fire alarm system shall be fully interfaced with other building services installations, including electrical, mechanical ventilation and smoke control, emergency announcement, and lift installations, etc. such that the entire services installations will operate as an integrated system in response to the emergency situation.The fire services installation equipment including fire detection, fire alarm and fire fighting system shall be designed to comply with the regulations according to Fire Services Department requirement. Quantity Surveyor Quantity Surveyor introduced their roles in the project and the important of cost planning for project development. Lands Department Lands Department (LD) presented the administrative procedures and relevant regulations on land use. LD reminds the VM workshop members that the requirements of planning application under Section 16 of the Town Planning Ordinance.LD expressed that she would give corresponding feedback from their enquiry about the issue of land use. They would carry out detail assessment on review, consideration and approval for lease modification. If necessary, LD will incorporate other departments such as Buildings Department and Architectural Services Department for solving relevant technical issues Environmental Protection Department Environmental Protection Department (EPD) presented their role on preparing plans, programmes and legislation for environmental protection and overseeing the conduct of studies, investigation and surveys.They liaison with other government departments, educational and professional institutes, public organizations (such as District Councils) and other private sectors on environmental protection task. EPD concerns the construction site environmental and sustainability issue of the Project. Their concern as stated follows: 1. Noise Impact & management 2. Air quality impact 3. Waste management 4. Green and Sustainable Buildings 5. Green Procurement and Supply Chain Environmental Management 6. Avoid & Reduce Waste in construction site Electrical and Mechanical Services DepartmentRegarding to the PolyU Phase 8 Development, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) would monitor the quality and workmanship of the lifts and escalators to be installed in the project, by certification system of Lift and Escalator Engineers and worker, providing advisor services of life safety and approving the use of lifts and escalators. EMSD administrate registers of registered electrical workers (REW) and contractors (REC) and monitor their performance. They remind the Contractor shall employ REW and REC to carry out any electrical works in the Project.EMSD reminds all VM workshop members that all the fixed electrical installation shall be in accordance with the Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulation, published by our department. The electrical system shall be registered in the departme nt by form WR1 signed by REW. They would also carry out spot check to these registered electrical systems. During the operation stage, EMSD would perform checking and endorsement of Periodic Test Certificate and inspecting fixed electrical installations in the building.Buildings Department Buildings Department (BD) presented their responsibilities in the workshop is to provide expertise to ensure all proposals for the expansion of Phase 8 Development will meet with all statutory standards, safety and other requirements. In case of any breach of statutory provisions and missing of relevant documents are identified, suggestions will be provided for the project team and other stakeholders allowing revision of design in the initial stage.On the other side, BD expressed the progress of the project. The original layout and design of Phase 8 development is upon completion, all plans are ready to submit for approval by Buildings Department. They are then to advise the project team any fores eeable objections will be raised by other Government Departments regarding the original design and suggest how to re-layout or revise the design not to breach any statutory requirements and in full compliance of Building Ordinance for the expansion development proposal.BD expects that their advice can probably help the project team to minimize the time spending on checking with the compliance of Building Regulations so as to speed up the whole project not only in initial stage but also the construction stage as well as the whole process. Contractor One of the potential contractors, Hong Kong First Class Contractor Limited (HKFC), presented their staff arrangement, time, cost, quality, safety and environment management and site layout planning in this phase.HKFC will allocate sufficient competent personnel at head office and site for maintaining the standard of works on site and co-ordination with project stakeholders including clients, consultants and sub-contractors. HKFC provided a proposed master schedule of the project. They shall begin the project commencing from the date for procession in April 2009 and complete the project by March 2012. Based on the tender documents provided by the consultant quantity surveyor, HKFC estimated the tender price is HKD 1,128 million for this projectHKFC expressed that they would adopt ISO 9001 and ISO 14000 international management systems for this project to achieve client requirements and statutory standards. HKFC presented their safety plan for this project specifying that two potential safety risks are identified – deep excavation and finishing works at external walls. They have taken positive actions to reduce the impacts of those risks including provision of temporary scaffolding and monitoring system. For site layout planning, HKFC pointed out that the site area is sufficient large to locate all facilities.Building Sub-contractor The building sub-contractor, A & G Building Construction Ltd. (A&G), attended t his VM workshop and expressed views on this project in respect of waste reduction, buildability enhancement, project procurement system improvement and construction innovation. A&G recommends several solutions on above issues. For waste reduction, they suggested to solve the problems in three aspects: design, site management and procurement method. For buildability enhancement, they recommended to improve the design and site operations.Questions Raised as a Consequence of the information Phase Following the presentation, the VM workshop participants, had the opportunity to ask the relevant questions through a structured process. As the presentations of all participants were able to express the concern and important issues of the project, there were no questions raised on the presentations. There was only one debate when end users group presented their ideas on drainage system, the secretary of the workshop had posed a query on the feasible of such idea.The question was satisfactoril y solved through the facilitator stimulation and discussion between parties. Function Analysis Phase During the workshop, we learned the concept of function analysis and its use at the strategic briefing stage of a project to derive the project’s mission through function diagramming. One of the objectives of the use of function analysis at the strategic briefing stage is to lay the foundation for the â€Å"best value for money† solutions to the project problems.The function analysis technique relies upon the discovery of all relevant information through the issue analysis and the structuring of that information in a way that leads to the recognition of the primary objective of the project. There are three steps to the construction of a function diagram: 1) GENERATION OF FUNCTIONS A function is the specific purpose or intended use for a product, it is the characteristic that makes it work, sell, generate revenue, or meet requirements (Dell’Isola,1982).The generat ion of functions starts with the facilitator leading the teams to creatively explore the functions required by the project. These functions may be high order executive functions or relatively low order ‘wants’. All functions are explored as an active verb plus a descriptive noun, and are recorded on sticky notes and scattered randomly across the wall mounted white board.. The facilitator was continually prompt the teams to generate functions by referring back to the information from the issue analysis, timeline and REDReSS. A typical list of creatively explored functions is shown in Table A ) SORTING OF FUNCTIONS / CONSTRUCTING PROJECT FUNCTION —-PRIORITY MATRIX After the completion of the brainstorming session, the teams are invited to sort the notes into the more organized form by putting the highest order ’needs’ into the top right – hand corner of the white board and the lower order ‘’wants’ into the bottom left â€⠀œ hand corner. ‘Needs’ are the fundamental requirements that the project must possess to serve the client’s basic intentions and ‘wants’ are the embellishments which it would be nice to have but are not necessarily needed.The project function priority matrix is constructed from responses gleaned from each â€Å"sticky notes† function as to whether that function is technical or strategic and whether it constitutes a need or a want. The note is transferred to the appropriate box in the matrix where its position is ordered relative to the other function in the box (Table B). The higher priorities are listed at the top of the respective boxes. It should be emphasised to the team that this procedure is an iterative process and one of our team member was entitled to move a previously ordered sticky note.Although this activity sounds confrontational but there was disagreement to occur and the correct ordering of all the functions were achieved. TABL E A: TYPICAL LIST OF CREATIVELY EXPLORED FUNCTIONS FOR THE PHASE 8 DEVELOPMENT 3) CONSTRUCTION OF FUNCTION DIAGRAM A strategic or customer oriented FAST diagram is constructed by focusing on the strategic needs and wants The highest order needs tend to form the mission of the project with supporting functions being positioned to the right. The strategic wants tend to be positioned below the centerline of the mission statement.The mission statement will require to be word crafted to make it read as a flowing statement. It is important to have unanimous team agreement that the statement truly reflects the mission of the project, the mission at this stage does not necessarily imply a building. TABLE B: A PROJECT FUNCTION PRIORITY MATRIX Describe the Function Analysis and how to use this technique? Function analysis as used here is the process of analyzing the functional, rather than the physical, characteristics of a system. A function may be stated in the form {verb,noun}.It is an act ion upon something. Eat food, go to work, and cash paycheck are very important functions in the life of most of us. Akiyama (1991) notes that †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. The aim of function analysis is to reveal each of these actions and thus identify the nature of the products and services to which they belong. All products and services are endowed by their creators with certain purposes. Function analysis reveals the intentions or purposes behind the creation of a product or service and thereby identifies the nature of that product or service.Although products and services exist as physical objects or systems, they are not created out of nothing. They are preceded by an idea – a concept – which is the basis of their creation. Function analysis identifies the nature of products and services by revealing these concepts. Having determined the nature of an object, one can then conceptualize many physical realizations which serve the purpose and choose the realization with the best value. In this manner breakthroughs are designed.Functional decomposition is the process of asking â€Å"how† for each higher level function to derive lower level functions. Functional composition is the process of asking â€Å"why† for each lower level function to derive higher level functions. The result is a tree or systematic diagram of functions which fall under some ultimate top level function. Function analysis is also a primary tool for quality function deployment, requirements engineering, and value engineering. Function Analysis System Technique Function Analysis System Technique is an evolution of the value analysis process.FAST permits people with different technical backgrounds to effectively communicate and resolve issues that require multi-disciplined considerations. FAST builds upon Value Analysis by linking the simply expressed, verb-noun functions to describe complex systems. FAST is not an end product or result, but rather a beginning. It describes t he item or system under study and causes the team to think through the functions that the item or system performs, forming the basis for a wide variety of subsequent approaches and analysis techniques.FAST contributes significantly to perhaps the most important phase of value engineering: function analysis. FAST is a creative stimulus to explore innovative avenues for performing functions. The FAST diagram is an excellent communications vehicle. Using the verb-noun rules in function analysis creates a common language, crossing all disciplines and technologies. It allows multidiscipline team members to contribute equally and communicate with one another while addressing the problem objectively without bias or preconceived conclusions.With FAST, there are no right or wrong diagrams or result. The problem should be structured until the product development team members are satisfied that the real problem is identified. After agreeing on the problem statement, the single most important o utput of the multi-disciplined team engaged in developing a FAST diagram is consensus. Since the team has been charged with the responsibility of resolving the assigned problem, it is their interpretation of the FAST diagram that reflects the problem statement that's important.The team members must discuss and reconfigure the FAST diagram until consensus is reached and all participating team members are satisfied that their concerns are expressed in the diagram. Once consensus has been achieved, the FAST diagram is complete and the team can move on to the next creative phase. The importance of the FAST approach is that it graphically displays function dependencies and creates a process to study function links while exploring options to develop improved systems. Value analysis and its more robust cousin, Function Analysis System Technique, are important analysis tools.These methodologies lead to improved product designs and lower costs by: †¢ Providing a method of communication within a product development team and achieving team consensus †¢ Facilitating flexibility in thinking and exploring multiple concepts †¢ Focusing on essential functions to fulfill product requirements †¢ Identifying high cost functions to explore improvements The strategic fast diagram for development of POLYU phase 8 development Creativity Phase The purpose of the Creative Phase is to develop a large number of ideas for alternative ways to perform each function selected for further study.The two approaches to solving a problem are analytical and creative. In the analytical approach, the problem is stated exactly and a direct, step-by-step approach to the solution is taken. An analytical problem is one that frequently has only one solution that will work. The creative approach is an idea-producing process specifically intended to generate a number of solutions, each of which solves the problem at hand. All solutions could work, but one is better than the others; it i s the optimum solution among those available.Once a list of potential solutions is generated, determining the best value solution is an analytical process. Creative problem-solving techniques are an indispensable ingredient of effective VE. By using the expertise and experience of the study team members, some new ideas will be developed. The synergistic effect of combining the expertise and experience of all team members will lead to a far greater number of possibilities. The subsections that follow describe the activities in the Creative Phase. Once the value study determines the frame, creativity process begins.When a team is present, high-performing team processes are in full affect by now. We usually use at least four creativity techniques. Two brief ones actually occur during the information phase. Two very extensive ones occur during this phase. In the creative phase the value management team put forward suggestions to answer the functions which have been selected for study. T here are a number of creative techniques, for example: brainstorming, the Gordon technique, the synaptic technique and many more. The main features as below: * ? Purpose and need * ? Managing divergent thinking * ?Brainstorming techniques * ? Unrestricted idea generation * ? Large quantity of ideas is the goal * ? Suspending judgment until the The team develops a broad array of ideas that provide a wide variety of possible alternative ways to perform the function(s) to improve the value of the project. After the FAST diagram and/or cost models have been completed, the VE Team should begin to generate ideas for each of the poor value basic functions. The objective of brainstorming is to generate as many ideas as possible that could conceivably be developed into alternatives to the original concept.The typical brainstorming session consists of the VE Team spontaneously producing ideas related to the performance of the required function. The Facilitator’s role during brainstormi ng is to encourage creative, divergent thinking by the team members. This may be especially critical when the team members, who have been selected for specialized technical expertise, have difficulty considering innovative or unique technical applications. The team leader must enforce the need to defer judgment on ideas until as many as possible are generated. Every idea must be recorded for future evaluation, even those which initially seem absurd.Generate Alternative Ideas In this phase of the study, it is important to generate a free flow of thoughts and ideas for alternative ways to perform the functions selected for study, not how to design a product or service. While creativity tools are available for problem-solving situations, no specific combination of techniques is prescribed for all VE efforts, nor is the degree to which they should be used predetermined. The selection of specific techniques and the depth to which they are used is primarily a matter of judgment and varies according to the complexity of the subject under study.The following describes some idea-generation techniques commonly used in the VE context: a) Brainstorming. Brainstorming is a free-association technique groups use to solve specific problems by recording ideas individuals in the group spontaneously contribute. Brainstorming is primarily based on the premise that one idea suggests others, and these suggest others, and so on. Brainstorming could be done by an individual, but experience has shown that a group can generate more ideas collectively than the same number of persons thinking individually.Spelling has suggested combining group and individual brainstorming. He found that after the group brainstorming process was complete, individual brainstorming can generate additional ideas of comparable quality. There are various rules which apply to the management of a brainstorming session of which the two most important are: firstly, no criticism of any suggestion by word, tone of v oice, shrug of shoulders or any other method of indicating rejection is allowed. Secondly, the exercise is one of generating as many suggestions as possible. The good suggestions will be randomly scattered amongst all suggestions. In workshop has indicated that in any sample, the number of good suggestions remains fairly constant as proportion of wild suggestions, so the more suggestions that there are, the more good suggestions will be obtained. ) All suggestions are recorded and none are rejected on the grounds of apparent irrelevance. b) Gordon Technique. The Gordon technique is closely related to brainstorming. The principal difference is that no one except the group leader knows the exact nature of the problem under consideration. This difference helps avoid premature ending of the session or egocentric involvement.A participant may cease to produce additional ideas or devote energy only to defending an idea if convinced that one of the already proposed ideas is the best soluti on to the problem. It is more difficult to select a topic for such a session than for a brainstorming session. The subject must be closely related to the problem at hand, but its exact nature must not be revealed until the discussion is concluded. c) Checklist. This technique generates ideas by comparing a logical list of categories with the problem or subject under consideration. Checklists range in type from the specialized to the extremely generalized. ) Morphological Analysis. Morphological analysis is a structured, comprehensive system for methodically relating problem elements to develop new solutions. In this approach, the problem is defined in terms of its dimensions or parameters, and a model is developed to visualize every possible solution. Problems with too many parameters rapidly become intractable. e) Attribute Listing. This approach lists all the various characteristics of a subject first and then measures the impact of changes. By so doing, new combinations of charac teristics (attributes) that will better fulfill some existing need may be determined. ) Input-Output Technique. The input-output technique (1) establishes output, (2) establishes input as the starting point, and (3) varies combinations of input/output until an optimum mix is achieved. In the creative thinking stage, the workshop participants are divided into groups, each of which is asked to resolve issues identified in the information stage. The spokespersons of each group are then asked to present the findings from their group to all study participants so that further ideas can be created from the other participants.All ideas are welcome, as even those which are seemingly unsuitable, may spark the creative thinking process. Using focused creative lateral thinking process, list, for the select functions, the numerous alternative ideas or options for performing existing or proposed functions. A large quantity of ideas should be generated and recorded at this stage, without ant stopp ages for judgment or criticism. Brainstorming is a creativity technique extensively used in value management and much can be found written about it in value management literature.Essentially a brainstorming session is a short-term intensive group exercise, where a team of individuals will generate as many ideas as possible for risk events that may adversely affect the project. In a sense, this may be termed â€Å"negative brainstorming† as the team of individuals is trying to determine all the things that may go wrong with the project i. e. the downside risks, as compared with more conventional value management brainstorming where the team is trying to generate ideas for fulfilling functions.Evalution phase The main tasks in this phase inculdie setting up criteria, evaluating and selecting alternatives generated during the creativity phase. Various models and techniquees, such as, cost models, energy models, LCC models and weighted evaluation technique may used during this ph ase. n this phase, the question â€Å"what does each alternative cost and how does it perform? Will be answered. Evalution of Ideas Generated Screening Ideas into Categories: -Realistically possble (P1) -Remolely possible (P2) -Fantasy (P3)Weighted Evaluation Technique is relevant in Value Mznagement, and particularly value management exercises in situations where a decision needs to be made in selecting an option from a number of competing options where the best option is not immediately identifiable. The first stage in the weighting and scoring methodology is to determine the criteria by which the options are to be judged. In selecting criteria it is important not to select criteria which are highly correlated, for example, when judging between floor finishes , we should not includ criteria such as ease of cleaning with cost of cleaning since the two are highly correlated.For example, when considering internal partitions setiing upbetween the different spaces, a number of options are suggested. In determining the criteria for judging the optons the following are agreed. * The ability of demountable. * Good noise attenuation. * Attractive finish. * Ability to conceal services. * Ability to support fittings and fixturees. * Cost. * Reliability of supply over a period of years. A paiired comparison exercise is then held to determine the weighting to be given to each attribute as shown in the Figure A. The weights are carried forward to the scoring matrix and entered under their respective attributes Figure B.The scoring exercise then determines how well option meets the attributes based on a scale of 1 to 5. These score are entered in the top left triangle in each cell of the matrix. The score is multiplied by the weight in each cell and the amount entered in the bottom right triangle. all amouts are summed for each option and the total entered. Based upon the decisions taken by the team a traditional stud and plastered blockwork a close scond. the proprietary partitins did not score well in the exercise and this may require a second look.Indeed a sensitivity analysis should take place by changeing some of weights and some of scores to see the impact. In the exercise below the team gave a high weight to sound attenuation against which some of the proprietary partitions scored poorly. In the evaluation process,the weighted evaluation technique is used to more formally organize the process. Weighted evaluation ensures optimm decisions. good decisions are made by placing the proper emphasis on all criteria. During evaluation, it is impotant to discuss and weigh the following areas: * Needs Vs desires Important Vs Unimportant * Design tradeoffs Vs requireed function. On the other hand, the Value of the weighted evaluation technique are: * Information / Knowledge sharing * Consensus building * Number of criteria and options Limitatons of the weighted evaluation technique are: * May be very time – consuming * Consistency in the process * Use of other methods such as Analytical Herarchy Process (AHP) may be the possible ways of mitigating the limitations. Since the optimum time to conduct a value review is after the preliminary submittal stage and before working drawng are started.The principal reasons for reistance to changes recommended by VM studies are lack of understanding of VM. On the contrary, VM is designed to be an additional technique for economy and for promoting greater cost effectiveness, but there always generally lack of knowledge of the priniciples and application of VM in the construction area. To overcome the limitations, initially, it was recognized that the preferred place to do VM was during the design phase. Next, all the available information, including cost data, was gathered. Finally, a VM study team wass assembled.The team checked the cost estimate, and then conducted the information and speculative phases of the job plan. The obective was to verify cost and to develop a list of ideas of probable savings without expending too much time and money. Development Phase When completed the above four stages (Information, Financial analysis, Creativity and Evaluation phases ) then we will reach a critical phase is Development phase. Because the main task of this phase is included investigate selected alternatives in depth, developing them into written recommendation for mplementation and establishing an action plan with action to be taken and present responsible. This stage is not only to let our client to know all technical and economical evaluation. We should also consideration of the probability and operability of successful implementation, such as availability of labour and materials, capability of building contractor and his sub-contractors. During this stage, we should only tight monitoring the job progress and also periodically review the progress to make the project can reach the optimal result and include client’s requirement and expectation.Action Plan Upon completion of VM shop, ideas and suggestions have been sought from the VM team members regarding to the development of this Phase 8 – Land No. 15 Wylie Path Project. To facilitate the fore coming preliminary design of the projects, an action plan has worked out. We believe this action plan can be utilized as a guideline for the members to carry out follow-up action and also presented as a clear list for subsequent counter-parts to undertake the detail design and even giving indications and advices for future construction works. Item| Action Description| | Environment Issue| | Liaise with BEAM and seek their advice for the building design| 2| Investigate the feasibility of planting more trees around the development| 3| Consult from the designer about the natural night design| 4| Investigate the feasibility of using recycle construction materials| 5| Encourage the use of modular building designs and precasting of building components| 6| Encourage the use of lean construction à ¢â‚¬â€œ the use of lean construction design such as using thinner walls| 7| Prompt good handling of raw materials during construction| 8| Advise the designer to use of automatic-switching system for air-conditioning and lighting devices. 9| Consult from environmental specialist to minimize the noise during construction| 10| Undertake tree survey to preserve the existing trees as many as possible. Avoid tree felling. | | General Recommendation| 11| Assess Traffic impact to the public during construction| 12| Encourage better cater service to the new development| 13| Incorporate more amenities area to the campus | 14| Improve the accessibility of the location. Liaise with relevant public transport company. 15| Investigate whether hair cutting service to be established inside campus| 16| Equip with better wi-fi service| 17| Investigate the feasibility of school bus service| 18| Incorporate with wide diversify cater service| 19| Plan for more hall bed | 20| Encourage with more activitie s rooms| 21| Consider planning for better IT equipment in the campus| 22| Investigate the possibility of introducing beauty workshop for the girl student| 23| Consider planning for an equipped fitness centre| 24| Encourage students to participant more extracurricular activities in this campus|Presentation Phase During our presentation phase on 10 April 2010, Dr. Fan – Technical Director of the Hong Kong Institute of Value Management had been invited as our group facilitator and he had also given some critical idea. During the presentation phase, we have divided into four small groups and each person should also show their name and party involved, such as Client’s representative, construction team members, professional consultant, user’s departments and relevant government departments etc.During the presentation phase, each parties had been introduce their contribution on the VM workshop and some members also raise-up some questions when they have queries, and th e concerned members will explain his/her opinion and we want to solve all queries on the workshop or change proposal usually include a statement of the follow-up procedure which are necessary to ensure the implementation We found that be a competent value management specialist is not easy but it is valuable to find a VM specialist to hold a meeting, especially in some large construction project.During the presentation phase, we had learnt that the subject aims to all student that he/she should be able to use some value management methods more efficiently to hold the meeting, such as: 1. To understand the value management methodology; 2. To use value management tools/techniques such as functional analysis in workshop; 3. To organize and manage value management workshop in different phase of a project life cycle; 4. To exercise practical creativity skills and work with a team of stakeholder to arrive at innovative solution; 5.To ensure value for money for project by applying value man agement in business and/or technical situations; 6. To implement the value management methodology and technique in real-life projects. If we can follow all steps and apply suitable technique and lead the value management workshop then I believe that we can reach client requirements. Besides, Hong Kong government also support value management methodology apply in some large public project and this instruction also written on the technical circular 16/98 by Works Bureau in 1988 and technical circular 35/2002 by environment transportation and works bureau in 2002.Finally, if we want the value management workshop more effectively that a value management specialist must be a smart, full of tactic and fully understand the whole construction procedure then he/she can ensure to achieve value for money methodology and also fulfilled client’s requirement. Summary and Conclusion With the help of Mr. Shen in the morning and Jacky in the afternoon, acting as the facilitator, the VM worksh op was completed successfully in early of April.With a brief introduction, we had a clear idea of objectives for the project as well as the VM workshop. Different phases such as information phase and function analysis phase were carried out during the workshop, some key features were learned from each phase. In the Information phase, a short brief was carried out by core team members (i. e. chairman, contractors, consultant, government bodies, etc. ). As such, team members could know more about the projects as well as different roles acted by team members.The main tasks in this phase including collection of historical cost data; identifying client’s needs, wants and requirements; clarifying project givens and assumptions; obtaining design standards as well as specifications; having a thorough understanding of the project. In the functional analysis phase, the main tasks in this phase are to identify and classify functions and select elements for detailed studies. Techniques s uch as Function Analysis, FAST Diagram, Function Hierarchy, Priority Matrix may be used during this phase. In our workshop, FAST Diagram and functional matrix were used to determine the function of the Phase 8 Development.Team members understood the use of FAST Diagram and selected suitable functions for further analysis. In the creativity phase, the main task in this phase is to generate a large number of alternative solutions for accomplishing basic functions required by the clients. This task is normally supported by creativity stimulating techniques, such as Brainstorming, Golden Technique, Synectics, Lateral Thinking. Alternative solutions to the selected functions were proposed in our workshop. Selections of score from 1 to 5 were elected through team members’ choices.In the evaluation phase, the main tasks in this phase include setting up criteria and evaluating and selecting alternatives generated during the creativity phase. Various models and techniques, such as, co st models, energy models, LCC models, and weighted evaluation technique may be used during this phase. In our workshop, WET is used for evaluation and 3 functions were chosen In the development phase, the main tasks include investigating selected alternatives in depth, developing them into written recommendations for implementation, and establishing an action plan with actions to be taken and persons responsible.This involves not only detailed technical and economic evaluation but also consideration of the probability and operability of successful implementation. Through the VM workshop, we can understand and be able to select appropriate projects for VM studies. Besides, we learn to manage critical success factors to ensure successful execution of VM studies. Furthermore, we can understand project under-performance and how VM can address this issue. The last but not the lease, we can know the benefits of VM applications in property and construction.The following are some benefits a nd advantages that could accrue to a development if VM is utilized: – It provides a forum for stakeholders – Generally the team spirit is enhanced – It provides an overall review of the project which many stakeholders previously may not have had access to – It identifies constraints, issues and problems which might not otherwise be obvious or have been considered – It provides an optimum value for money project with improved functionality – It identifies any deficiencies, omissions or superfluous items and any unnecessary costs – Assists in crystallizing a client’s brief Creates a large return for a minimal investment in the VM study. VM generally pays for itself Apart from the academic view points, many team members express their opinions during the last session in which a numbers of good ideas are inspired. Most of the team members agreed that many techniques for VM have been learnt in the VM workshop, and such outcomes are u seful in the construction industries and also daily life. Some special opinions are also raised in this session such as ‘keeping silence is equal to agree, voice out is more proactive in selecting score for functions’.Besides, some members pointed out that in selecting the functions, there is no specific guideline or judgment in evaluating the score, making the score is not subjective. Reflective journals Fong, P. S. W. and Shen, Q. (2000), â€Å"Is the Hong Kong construction industry ready for value management? † International Journal of Project Management, 18, pp. 317-326. Grosvenor, R. (1997), â€Å"Introduction to Value Management. † Value Manager, 3(4), pp. 4-6. Hill and Bowen (1997), â€Å"Sustainable construction: principle and a framework for attainment. † Construction Management and Economics, 15(3), pp. 223-239.SAVE International, Value Methodology Standard, â€Å"The Value Society†, 1998. http://www. value-eng. org/pdf_focs/monogra phs/vmstd. pdf Shen, Q. P. and Liu, G. W. (2004), â€Å"Applications of value management in the construction industry in China. † Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 11(1), pp. 9-19. The website of The Hong Kong Institute of Value Management http://www. hkivm. com. hk/ Ann T. W. Yu, Geoffrey Q. P. Shen, John Kelly and Kirsty Hunter. A How-To-Guide to Value Briefing. The Hong Kong Polytechnis University and Glasgow Caledonian University 2006 VM in Hong Kong: Research and Development Geoffery QP ShenBoddy, D. (2002) Managing Projects – Building and Leading the team, Pearson Education, UK. BSI (2000) Value Management, BS EN 12973:2000 Dell’ Isola A. J. (1982) Value Engineering in the Construction industry, 3rd edition, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New Work Construction Industry Board (1997) Brief the team, Thomas Telford Publishing , London Gallupe, R. B. and Cooper, W. H. (1993) Brainstorming Electronically, Sloan Management Review, Fall pp. 27-36 General Condition of Contract for Building Work 2005 http://www. hkbeam. org. hk/fileLibrary/_BEAM%20Plus%20NB. pdf SAVE International (1998) Function: Definition and AnalysisShen, Q. O. (1993) A knowledge-based structure for Implementing Value Management in the Design of office Building Thiry, M. (1997) Value Management Practice, PMI Publications, Philadelphia Appendix A – List of roles of participants NO. | Student Name| Student No. | Party| 1| CHAN Chun Ming| 08585004g| EMSD| 2| CHAN Ho Man| 08534329g| SU| 3| CHAN Wai Hung| 08569551g| Bldg sub-contractor| 4| CHAN Wa