Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Marketing Plan - Essay Example First and foremost, marketing research should be carried out in order to establish the targeted customers. In this case, the target market includes the young and old people who are conscious about their health care issues. This will help us to establish the major threats and opportunities that might be faced by the product. This is followed by setting the marketing objective of this new product. In this case, the main objective is to achieve 10 % of the market share in the beverages industry during the first year of the product launch. The marketing strategy will involve the careful use of a marketing mix of price, product, place and promotion. When the marketing strategy has been outlined, then it is turned into specific action programs. This includes outlining the tasks and the people who will perform them in order to achieve the stated objectives. After implementation of this particular marketing plan, the company formulates control measures with the aim to monitor progress and to allow management to review implementation results and identify the areas that would be performing poorly. This ought to be an ongoing process. The first goal is customer satisfaction. The company targets to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction and improving on it every year. In so doing, the company aims at maximizing on opportunities for repeat business. In all cases, if a customer is satisfied by the goods offered in a company, they will be the biggest marketing tool since they will spread the word about goods and services. The second goal is to achieve good planning and reporting systems. This will help the company attract more investors and lenders hence, will serve top guide as a building pillar for the company. The third goal is employee training and development. This will help the company achieve maximum input and output from its employees. It facilitates efficiency such that things are done according

The Israeli Palestinian Conflict Analysis

The Israeli Palestinian Conflict Analysis The Israeli Palestinian conflict is the conflict that has been going on between Israel and Palestine. It refers to the political tensions and hostilities between the Arab and Jewish community in the Middle East that lasted over a century. The conflict started in the late nineteenth century. This was the period that Ottoman Empire rule where Arabs at the ottoman Palestine considered themselves part of the overall Arab territories which were under the rule of the same empire. The disputes that arose in this time were caused by religious affiliations. Discussion The start of the conflict is traced to Jewish immigration to Palestine after the Zion movement was established. It is seen as part of Arab nationalism. The central argument is that the people of the Arab universe constitute one nation that is brought together by a common language, culture, religion and historical heritage. The conflict started as a political and national affair that was about competition for territorial issues following the failure of the Ottoman Empire (Milton-Edwards 15). In 1917 to 1948 the Jewish Arab conflict arose over the land of the Palestine. Both parties were under the British rule. Between 1948 and 1967 Israel was declared a state and was followed by a war that lasted six days. British mandate was terminated from Palestine. For armies from Jordan, Syria, Iraq sand Egypt invaded the then formed Israel. The war ended with Israel winning. It took territory beyond borders for a proposed Jewish state and the borders for a proposed Palestinian state. From 1967 to 1973 Arab leaders met in Khartoum to try and respond to the war. They resolved not to recognize, not to initiate peace and not to negotiate with Israel but instead started the attrition war in order to make Israel give in the Sinai Peninsula. The war ended in 1970 after the death of Nasser. In 1973 Egypt and Syria attacked Israel. The Israel army was not prepare and took sometime to get themselves organized. The use and the Soviet Union joined. When Israel started taking control of the war USSR threatened to intervene with its military. The USA made a cease fire in October 1973 avoiding the nuclear war. Egypt signed a treaty with Israel in 1979 to end the conflict. The Sinai Peninsula was given back to Egypt and the Gaza strip remained with Israel. Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. In 1981, Israel attacked Iraq and decoyed the nuclear equipment that had been created. The gulf war erupted and Iraq fired 39 missiles to Israel which did not respond to this to eliminate chances of encouraging a great war (Gunderson 93). In September 1970, on the black September, thousands of people died mostly Palestinians when Hashemite king Hussein quashed the autonomy of Palestinian organizations. From 2000, violence between Israel and Palestinian armies intensified. The violence has mainly featured Hamas militants, Hezbollah fighters, and Palestinian and Israeli soldiers. Groups on the two sides including Hamas and gush emunim created religious arguments on their uncompromising beliefs. Israel through the likud party puts forward that they have a biblical right over the land of Israel and its attachments. Christian zonists support the Israelites because they agree with the ancestral right of land for the Jews to Israel. Muslims also claim that they have a religious connection to the land of Israel through the Quran. The Muslims argue that Israel was promised to all descendants of Abraham including the children of Ishmael, Abrahamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s eldest son. The Jewson the other hand claim that Israel was given to the descendants of Abraham`s younger son Isaac only. The Muslims despise all holy places that Jews bring out from the bible for example the temple mount and put their own such as the dome of the rock. Thus Muslims claim that Muhammad passed through Jerusalem when he was going to heaven making Israel the Islamic waqf that must be ruled by Muslims. Apart from the religious issue, the land issue also aggravated the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The two nations have been for a long time been involved in conflict over land issues. Israeli settlement in the western part has been the main land issue. The occupation of the wet bank and Gaza strip has been the main focus. Palestine wanted Israel to return all the land that it conquered in the 1967 war. Israel refused to do so and instead continued to develop settlements through out the peace process. Refugees that were pushed away from their homes in 1948 when Israel was created and others who were affected in 1967 has been an issue in the conflict. Palestinians want these refuges to be resettled at their original homes in Israel. Israel has opposed the resettlement of these refuges claiming that it will result to Arab Palestinian majority and would finish Israel as a state for Jews (PappÃÆ' © 188). The Palestinian state has also been an issue of concern. The Palestinian liberation movement wanted a two state solution which Israel is against. Mainstream Palestinian wants a state to be created in the west bank and Gaza. Israelis are opposed to this because they think it will act as a breeding ground for terror associations. Israel repression in response to Palestinian violence became a major issue of concern in the conflict. It did this first by reducing the entrance of Palestine at the border. This brought down Palestinians standards of living and was humiliated at the check points. Following terror attacks, Israeli forces opened fire quickly sometimes killing innocent civilians (Gelvin 123). The conflict between Israel and Palestine has had some serious implications. Monetary implications have been great for the two countries. Much money and funds have been used to purchase arms and equipment used in the war. Millions of dollars have lost, stagnating the economic growth of the two countries. Heavy budgeting on the war has had a negative influence on the economies of the two countries. The conflict has contributed to a water crisis in the Middle East. Population growth has exuded the water available for the two nations. Water is perceived as a gift from God to which people should have an inalienable right. The Dead Sea which is located at the lowest elevation is slowly vanishing. This is due to the gradual water loss. The sea ha split in to two separate lakes and its coastline resided considerably. Israel and Arab governments have diverted the water for agricultural and industrial purposes. This replenishes the red sea. The Palestinian government has demanded that it wants a fare share of the water. Official and unofficial actors from the international community should seek to create forums and time to promote brainstorming and exchange of ideas that involve Israeli and Palestinian communities with regard to peace and ways of achieving it. This not only raises the awareness of each others grievances but also formation of equal and strong networks where ideas are voiced without consequence. Communities and leaders must be ready for and be encouraged to make compromise in order to achieve peace. Arab states are supposed to help Palestinians in this process. Americans and Europeans are supposed to work through political options ahead of negotiations. This support would enable Palestinian leadership to pick up on the positive Israel gestures and proposals as well as pressure Israeli leadership to respect international momentum towards peace. Conclusion Lastly there is need for leaders and communities to face the hard truths of the conflict. The basic issues such as the borders, security, refugee return and settlement are not going away but must be faced in peace efforts. Efforts must address the security of Israel and the finality of the agreement, making clear to Palestinians Arabs that it is final.

The Powerful Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay -- Adventures Huckle

The Powerful Adventures of Huckleberry Finn      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Samuel Langhorne Clemens first published his story, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, he was criticized severely. On top of that, the book was banned from libraries and schools alike. The book was thought to be a bad influence on children because it represents the breaking of the law as moral, it recommends disobedience and defiance on the part of young people, it portrays churchgoers as hypocritical, and the most admirable characters in the book habitually lie and steal and loaf (Johnson XII). In this day and time, though, the book has become required reading for many schools, and is found in almost every library in the country. Why has there been a change in attitude about the book? I believe that it was Twain's ideas on slavery, and his views on the "code of honor" of the South that made critics and readers alike come to love his book and see it for what it really was below the surface.    Twain was completely and utterly against slavery. He viewed it as immoral and wrong. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain writes on two aspects of slavery that particularly bothered him. One is the legal concept of the slave as property, and the other is the endorsement and support of slavery on religious and moral grounds by the established church. Repeatedly in the novel, the reader is reminded of the cruel absurdity by which one human being pretends to own another, much as one would own a cow or a horse, and that this is done in the name of religion adds makes it even more perverse (Johnson 110). The idea of a slave as property is introduced immediately after Jim, one of the main characters and a slave, runs away. He speaks of himself as property: "... ...m completely that it was a very foolish way of life.    Works Cited Adams, Richard P., Unity and Coherence of Huckleberry Finn. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Simpson, Claude M., ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1968. Crowley, Donald J., ed. One Hundred Years of Huckleberry Finn: The Boy, His Book, and American Culture. Columbia: U of Missouri, 1985. Johnson, Claudia Durst. Understanding Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood P, 1996. Poirier, Richard, Huck Finn and the Metaphors of Society. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Simpson, Claude M., ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1968. Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. (1884) Secaucus: Castle, 1987.   

Philosophy of the movie Big Fish Essay

The philosophical twist of mixing fact with fairy tale in story telling put a great spin on the plot. It gave the director the ability to make the impossible seem probable! The movie is about a very interesting father named Ed whom loves to tell facts with a little bit of flavor, as quoted in the movie. However we portray them as tall tales, but since he tells them with such a seriousness and attachment to his own life you want to believe them. However the son, will, does not enjoy these stories. He believes they are all lies which create a detachment between him and his father. But as the movie goes on, the real question for will to discover is, are all these stories really fake. Inspired by the scientific phenomena of a gold fish growing in accordance to the size of its surroundings, Ed applies this theory to his life and embarks on a journey to satisfy his ambition! In this journey we witness Ed convincing a giant to leave town and be partner in discovering life, finding a hidden town that had lush grass for streets, catching a fish with his wedding ring, or viewing his final hours in the eyes of a â€Å"witch†. The stories in this movie are good examples of improbable stories with poetic truths. For example in the story of the fish, we learn that to catch the uncatchable women you have to give her a ring! The movie does a great job of blurring â€Å"fact† with â€Å"fiction†. For instance, if we were to view the stories in this movie as real life, how would we react? In my opinion with my realist mentality, I would look at these stories and believe they are complete nonsense! But, if I took a step back and try to look at the stories with the most objective mind I can, the possibilities of these stories actually happening seem more probable. Use the story of the witch and her futuristic eyeball. There is a spiritual realm that is all around us. Is it crazy to think that some woman could have been in touch with, let’s say evil spirits, which gives her the power to scare people with visions? Or is it really impossible for a man to catch a fish with a shiny object? Or is it really impossible for a town to be self-sufficient, maintain healthy grass, and not build any streets? I would like to think so! So with that being said, the concept of there not being much of a distinction between â€Å"fact† and â€Å"fiction† would be true! As the movie concludes we find out, just like will, that these stories are in fact true. When Will attends his father’s funeral he sees the Giant, the Siamese twins, Winslow the poet, and many more of the story characters! However all of the character appeared different in real life compared to the â€Å"Flavorful Facts†. Nonetheless, this confirmed his father’s stories showing the small distinction between fact and fiction! It is at this time Will’s eyes are opened and it gives him the ability to see poetic truths behind the stories. In the end we hear will’s son telling friends one of Ed’s stories, and Will concludes with this phrase, â€Å"A man tells his stories so many times that he becomes his stories—they live on after him and in that way he becomes immortal. †

Glory Movie Essay

Glory is both an awe inspiring and heart wrenching movie about the first all black volunteer company to fight in the civil war. The movie starts off with Col. Robert Gould Shaw leading a company of soldiers in Antietam which suffers heavy losses. Soon he is promoted to Colonel and given command to the 54th Massachusetts volunteer infantry; the first all black regiment. The first volunteer to sign up is an educated black man named Thomas Searles who is also Shaws friend. Many more men join the regiment including an escaped slave named Trip, a free black man named Jupiter Sharts, as well as the gravedigger Rawlins. After realizing the regiment in never going to be more than anything but manual labor, Colonel Shaw confronts his superiors and demands to be transferred to somewhere where they will see some fighting or else he will report him to the War Department for suspicious business. Shaws request is granted and is transferred to South Carolina where they successfully fight off a group of confederates. This movie was a huge hit. Released in 1989, it won a total of 16 awards including 3 Oscars and god nominated for 12 more awards. The Director Edward is well-known for his heroic movies that include Glory (1989), and the breathtaking works of art that include Legends of the Fall (1994) as well as modern hits such as Love and other Drugs (2010) and Defiance (20080. Zwick has also been known for his thoughtfulness as a director, and for his record of working with television series and other films as a producer. The movie itself was destined for greatness with huge Hollywood names such as Denzel Washington who played Trip and Morgan Freeman who played John Rawlins also great supporting actors like Matthew Broderick who played Colonel Shaw and Andre Braugher to play Thomas Searles. The movie budget was 18,000,000 and grossed a total of 26,830,000. In my own rating system 5 being the best and 1 being the lowest the movie got a 4. The movie deserved every award it got. There were amazing battle scenes as well as some very emotional scenes as well. Denzel Washington was an amazing actor, the scene where he was getting whipped for deserting (which we later find out was to find shoes) while the colonel was watching was one of the most heart wrenching scenes in the movie. As well as great acting the story never skips a beat. There’s never a dull moment. The movie had a clear plot and you could easily understand why something was happening. The movie gave a realistic view of how hard things were for African Americans were and their hunger to fight for what they believe is right. The historical accuracy of Glory is pretty questionable. It does a good job addressing the hardships and discrimination the 54th did go through. However like all Hollywood history movies it does have its rights and wrongs. Most of the volunteers in the movie were depicted as fugitive slaves when in reality they were free men in Massachusetts. Of the major characters in the movie’s version of the regiment, only Robert Gould Shaw was a real person. The rest are made up characters. The name of Shaw’s executive officer (Cabot Forbes) is a combination of the first name from one of the real Shaw’s friends and the last name of another. Colonel Shaw was a married man yet in the movie it wasn’t shown. Though it may not have been a big point in history it was a big part of Colonel Shaw’s personal life. At the end of the movie it states that â€Å"over half† of the regiment was lost during the assault on Fort Wagner. However, official records state that the 54th sustained 272 casualties, which is closer to 40%. Of these casualties, only 116 were fatalities, just under one fifth of the men to storm the fort, however if you include the 156 that were captured it would bring your total to over half. Most aspects of the movie however are true. When the black soldiers refused pay due to discrimination Colonel Shaw did refuse his pay as well. Against all expectations the 54th rose above that and proved them wrong. They proved their valor and honor throughout several battles during the war. There was a memorial made to Colonel Shaw and his 54th and thus solidifying their regiment as one of the most influential and memorable of all time. Bibliography * Glory. Dir. Edward Zwick. Perf. Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman. TriStar Pictures, 1989. * â€Å"Glory.† IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. . * â€Å"The 54th Massachusetts Regiment in Myth, Memory, and History.† Civil War Memory RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2013 * â€Å"Museum of African American History, Boston – Black Heritage Trail Site 1.† Museum of African American History, Boston – Black Heritage Trail Site 1. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2013.

10 insightful tips to nail a career in digital marketing

10 insightful tips to nail a career in digital marketing If you’re thinking of pursuing a career in the industry of digital marketing, now is the best time to do it. Yes, now! As the industry itself ripens, so are the door of opportunities for many aspirants too.Digital marketing platform, Smart Insights, found that 39% of the companies within their survey hired new digital marketers that help expand the number of marketing agencies. It also pushes many brands to employ an in-house marketing team to fill in their marketing needs, all of which means one thing job opportunity.Just like outsourcing a call center, the demand for digital marketers grows at all levels starting from entry level up to management level skill sets. But how do you nail a gig once you have the skills? Worry no more as this article is intended for those who want to be part of the digital marketing industry. Check out the ten insightful tips below.Take InitiativeAn excellent digital marketer knows how to make brands stand out from the noise and the crowd. In sho rt, they know how to pitch a sale. A potential employer wont trust you with their marketing dollars if you don’t possess even the most basic skills and qualities.One surefire way to land a role in marketing is to sell yourself to the hiring manager and tell why you’ll make their company look good.But before diving into the application process, be sure to identify your top skills first and make a self-concept that shows who you are and what you can bring to the company. Think about what you can deliver beyond the requisite skill set. Think out of the box.Showcase Your CreativityJust like call center services, the world of marketing is all about communication across media. Hence, creating a powerful message is the key to nailing a job in the field.You can start with that one-page list of bullet points, skill lists and job titles called resume. Put some life into it. Digital marketing is a battlefield for creativity and wits so might as well start the game with your resum e.Make a customized landing page specially made for the person you’re trying to get a job with and then send a link instead of just sending a physical and regular-looking resume. This approach renders multiple benefits. Apart from showcasing your intellect, creating and telling stories, it will also reflect your work ethics.The campaigns in digital marketing frequently move at a breakneck pace, and creating and adapting on the fly shows that you’re up for a digital marketing career.Pitch YourselfCraft your pitch according to what the employer’s story is trying to tell if you want to stand out from other competitive job seekers. Ask yourself if what are the challenges of the company that they face at work every day, how they measure their success and what are the problems that they can solve by hiring you.A successful marketing campaign shows how a particular product or service will solve a consumer’s problem. This principle also applies to job seekers who convince hiring managers that they’ll be able to help and solve the issues of the company.It always helps to use empathy when applying for a job. Make a pitch to potential employers by drawing their attention with your compassion and understanding. After showing your sincerity, paint a picture of them about what the company will look like when you have eliminated their challenges. Only then can you tell them why you’re the best person for that particular job.Contact the Employers in a Creative WayEmployers or hiring managers are also canny marketers themselves. So, you shouldnt have a hard time finding them and tailor your pitch to get their attention.Tracking these people is one of the best ways to find out their corporate whereabouts and go there. If you’re going to use email, write something memorable that could catch their attention. You can also comment on what they said at a recent lecture or in their article or book that you read. Feel free to be provoca tive my friend!Know What You ‘Can’ and ‘Can’t’ Bring to the TableBetween how to hold yourself, what to wear, and how to correctly answer the interview questions that make your insides squirm, acing an interview is a difficult skill to master. An exceptional digital marketer knows about the strengths and weaknesses of the product, so should you.Playing with your strength is an easy way to get through an interview. But understanding and being honest about your weaknesses allows you to convey your inclination to grow and learn in a role. You’ll be much more comfortable going to an interview if you’re aware of what you know and what you don’t.It may sound clichà ©, but be honest with where you’re at in your career and just be yourself.Build Connection FirstMarketers by default are social beings because it’s what their job requires them to do so communicate and partner with different people and companies. It’s t he reason why it’s important to build a network of connection in the digital marketing industry.The people you meet will become your network of support whenever you encounter problems. They will also help open the doors of opportunities for you, in case you haven’t found one yet.You can start by attending industry conferences and meetups in your area to develop a potential network with other digital marketers and boost your skills through comprehensive workshops and presentations.Be a T- Shaped MarketerA T-shaped marketer is a term created by Rand Fishkin of Moz. It’s about having a basic understanding of different marketing disciplines but only specializes in one or two specific skills.It’s not surprising for companies to find candidates with a gamut of skill set that are indeed valuable assets because there are many crossovers between the different channels. It also helps you in choosing a significant path where you want to specialize.Arm Yourself   W ith Technical BasicsMost people often perceive digital marketing as quite glamorous, but the truth is, it’s more about data and technicalities than we would care to admit. You will not develop websites from scratch, but you’ll certainly need to communicate with a team of web designers or developers who are responsible for incorporating your recommendations.Thus, a basic knowledge of graphic design, Javascript and HTML will help you to stand among the not-so-technical minded candidates.Feed Yourself With the Right KnowledgeDo you know your CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) from your CPC (Cost Per Click)? If you want to ace an interview, you can discuss the return on ad spend that you run yourself for a campaign. It’s always a breeze to talk about creative concepts that you made. However, one fact remains money talks.You need to comprehend the performance of each marketing channel and their key learnings as well.Get CertifiedThe lack of entry nets is one of the issues t hat the digital marketing industry faces. It means that anyone with little knowledge of the terminology in the industry can potentially land a job in a company.As the digital marketing industry matures, recruiters are now becoming more cynical about which candidate can walk the talk and who can’t. Thus, formal training will leverage your chance of landing a career.Learning from industry experts, as opposed to self-learning, opens your eyes about the digital marketing challenges in the real world. It also gives you a forum to dispose of your specific technical questions or doubts.TakeawaySuffice to say; there are numerous ways to start a career in the digital marketing industry. And just like any field, be it an outsourcing call center, construction, or medical, passion and determination are essential to help you nail an opportunity. So, what are you waiting? Go out, spread your wings and get that position you’ve been aiming.About the author:Patrick Panuncillon is digit al marketer by profession and the ingenious mind behind LinkVista Digital Inc., a promising startup that offers various services in digital marketing, contact support, and staff leasing, to name a few. He is also a writer by heart and loves to write just about anything within his field and interests. You may connect with Patrick on LinkedIn.

The 3 Best College Finders and Search Tools

The 3 Best College Finders and Search Tools SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips College finders can be a useful tool in your college search. College finders allow you to search for colleges based on specific criteria like size, selectivity, and cost. You select what you’re looking for in a college and then the college finder will spit out its results. In this article, I will explain what makes a college finder good and detail the pros and cons of some of the better college finders on the internet. What Makes a College Finder Good? The best college finders possess these qualities: Offer Ample Search Criteria The bad search finders will only allow you to search colleges based on a few items. Most of the subpar finders will limit their search criteria to only very general categories like location (US region), size, and type of college ( 2-year or 4-year and public or private). If you can only search for the location and the size of your ideal college on a certain finder, that may not help you narrow down your college search effectively. You may get hundreds of results that match what you’re looking for in those categories. You’ll more easily be able to find colleges that are a good fit for you if you can search for colleges based on many factors like cost, selectivity, majors offered, diversity, and extracurricular activities. At a minimum, a college finder should allow you to search for location, size, college type (2-year or 4-year and public or private), selectivity (admission rate and average GPA and SAT score), majors offered, extracurricular activities available, cost, and average financial aid awarded or percentage of financial need met. Allow You To Pick Multiple Options in Specific Categories A good college finder will allow you to select multiple options in the same search category.For example, better college finders will allow you to search for schools that are both large and medium size, as opposed to only being able to select one option. Give You the Ability to Choose How Important an Option Is to You Good college finders will allow you to prioritize how important specific search criteria are to you and will factor that into their search results. Maybe you’d prefer to go to a selective college, but that’s not extremely important. On good college finders, you’ll be able to indicate that that’s only somewhat important to you. Provide Important Facts and Statistics About the Colleges It Finds On good college finders, when you click on one of the colleges in your results, you’re given information about the school like its average SAT/ACT score and GPA, application deadline and requirements, student size, cost, and average financial aid award. How to Use a College Finder Effectively Think about your priorities for what you want in a college before you begin using a college finder. If it’s very important to you to go to a school with a stellar reputation, then â€Å"selectivity† will be an essential factor you should search for.For most college finders, selectivity is determined by the admissions rate and the average SAT and ACT score of the college. Schools with low admissions rates and high SAT and ACT scores tend to have a higher caliber of student and the best reputations. Search for colleges using the most important factors to you to help narrow your search.I think the most important factors you should search for when using a college finder are location (rural or urban and geographic region/state), selectivity, and majors offered. Some finders allow you to select a more general area of study or select multiple majors. If you just look for big colleges and get hundreds of results, that probably won’t be very helpful. To really narrow down your search results to a reasonable number, you’ll probably also have to select search criteria like extracurriculars, cost, percent of financial need met, and diversity. I think a good number to aim for in your results is 15-40 colleges. If you get more than 40 colleges in your results, add more factors or increase the level of importance of certain factors. If you get fewer than 15, you can remove some search options or decrease the level of importance of certain options. If you feel like you need everything you searched for, then those could be the schools you should apply to. Make sure you’re applying to at least a couple of safety schools. Generally, when you go through the search results, you’ll be able to eliminate at least a few of the options because they won’t have a quality that you must have in a college. Finders will give you a list that matches most of the criteria you’re looking for, but not every school in your results will match everything you searched for. I did a hypothetical search on the college finder College Board's Big Future based on qualities I'd want in a college if I ever got a chance to do my undergraduate experience again. I guess I like to think about things that are impossible. I got 33 results, but I was able to immediately eliminate more than half of them because they were in a state or city I wouldn’t want to live in (I searched by region) or they were either religious or tech schools. I wouldn’t want my second undergraduate institution to have a specific focus. Once you get your results, after you do any immediate eliminations, click on each individual result to get more information about the college. After reading about the school and its statistics, if it still interests you, save it (this is also an option in certain finders) or write down the name of the school. After you've gone through all the results in your search, you should be left with a list of potentially good college options for you. Then, it's your job to research those schools more extensively. Look at their websites, read college guidebooks like Fiske or Princeton Review's Top 380 Colleges, and consult teachers, counselors, and alumni. Additionally, you can gather information about specific colleges and learn about their reputations from college ranking lists. Reviews of College Finders All of these finders are completely free to use. They do require registration, which is also free, to use features like saving your searches or search results. Big Future Big Future is the College Board's college finder. How Does It Work? Step #1: Select filters on the left to narrow down your college search. Enter the most important qualities to you in your dream college first. As you're entering search factors, the number of results is updated and displayed. Under each category, there are related subcategories. For example, under "Test Scores Selectivity,† you can enter your SAT/ACT score and the level of selectivity (by acceptance rate) you’d like your college to have. Step #2: Add more search filters until you're left with about 15-40 schools, and you've selected everything that's important to you. Step #3: Click on the colleges in your search results that interest you to see full profiles where you can get useful information like average standardized test scores, graduation rates, application requirements and deadlines, and the most popular majors. Profile for Abilene Christian University Step #4: From all this information, determine if each college still interests you. If it does, write down the name of the school, or you can click "Add to My College List." If you register at the site, you can save your college list when you're done. Step #5: You can click "Compare Colleges" for a side-by-side comparison of major statistics for up to 3 colleges from your list to help you rank them or eliminate schools from consideration. Step #6: After you’ve read about and compared the colleges from your search results, you should be left with a list of anywhere from 6-20 colleges to research further. If you’re in the preliminary stages of your college search, you can do multiple searches as you consider what you’re looking for in a college. For efficiency purposes, I recommend doing no more than 3 searches. If you’ve determined some basic priorities for you before you use the finder, this shouldn’t be an issue. Keep in mind that most college experts recommend that you apply to about 6-12 colleges (including at least 2 safety schools) so that you have options, but you’re not applying to so many schools that the application and selection process becomes overly burdensome and time-consuming. Each student’s situation is unique, though. I know recruited athletes who only applied to one school because they were guaranteed admission and offered full scholarships to colleges they wanted to attend. Additionally, many students only apply to one school if they apply early decision to their #1 school and are admitted. On the other end of the spectrum, I know wealthy students who applied to over 20 colleges because they were able to incur the costs and they had multiple people helping them with the application and selection process. As a note, there are application fee waivers for students who can’t afford application fees. Step #7: After you apply to schools and get your acceptance letters, you can return to the finder to do more research or get statistics on the schools that admitted you to help you select the college you’ll attend. Pros Before you even do a search on the finder, there’s an interactive guide that breaks down each of the search criteria and asks you questions to answer to help you determine what you’re looking for in a college. Check out the info from the guide about â€Å"Location.† On Big Future, you can select how far from home or any other specified zip code you want to be, from within 20-3000 miles. Another advantage of Big Future is for each search category, you can choose how important it is to you from "Don't care" to "Want" to "Must have." Additionally, there are multiple search options within each category. For example, under "Type of School," you can select 2-year or 4-year, school size, public or private, and religious affiliation. One unique search category in Big Future is "Support Services." You can choose options like services available for learning disabled, services for minority students, and services for low-income students. Support services can be extremely beneficial resources to enable your success in college. Also, you can pick multiple options in different search categories. If you're searching by US region, you can select as many regions as you like. Another great feature is that you can see how your GPA and SAT scores stack up against other applicants if you click on "How Do I Stack Up?" From this feature, you'll get a better idea of how competitive the school is and how likely you are to gain admission. I made up some SAT scores for myself and this is what I was shown on the Abilene Christian profile: Finally, Big Future offers a quality user experience and is easy to use. The search criteria and results are displayed prominently. The information for each college in the results is organized clearly, and the font and organization of information allow you to see all the info easily. Cons While all the categories are extremely objective, there aren’t really any categories related to campus life or quality of life. On other finders, you can search for things like the quality of the party scene and whether a college is located in a great college town. Under diversity,you can choose the percentage of diversity when searching, but there isn't a search filter to help search for the level of representation of specific groups. While you can look for historically black colleges, if you’re an African-American student looking to go to a school with a sizable African-American student population, you can’t search for that on Big Future. College View College View is another good finder that provides a wealth of information and unique features. How Does It Work? Step #1: Select filters on the left to narrow down your college search. Enter the most important qualities to you in your dream college. There are 24 major search categories. Select as many search filters as possible. You can determine the importance level of each factor from "kinda" to "must-have." Step #2:Once you enter your first search category, you can choose the number of results that are displayed regardless of how many factors you search for, 10, 20, 50, 100, or 250. I recommend searching for 20, but you can search for 50 colleges if you are in the very early stages of your college search. Step #3: Click on the colleges in your search results that interest you to see full profiles where you can get useful info like links to virtual tours, graduation rates, application requirements and deadlines, and average standardized test scores. Step #4:From all this information, determine if each college still interests you. If it does, write down the name of the school, or you can click â€Å"Pin It!† If you register at the site, you can save your search and pinned schools when you’re done. You can pin up to 25 colleges for any search. Step #5:Click â€Å"Compare pinned schools† for a side-by-side comparison of the major stats for all your pinned schools. However, you can only view the info for 5 colleges on the screen without having to click the right arrow at the top of the screen. Step #6: After reviewing the info from the schools in your results and comparing them, make your list of schools that you’re interested in for further research. If possible, try to give the colleges preliminary ranks or put them in tiers from â€Å"most interested† to â€Å"kinda interested.† The ideal number of schools to research at this point is about 6-20 before you finalize your list of schools to apply to. If your priorities change during the college research process, you can use the finder again to update your list. Step #7:You can use the College View finder to help you with the college selection process after you learn of admissions decisions. Pros There are 24 search categories; you're able to select numerous filters to help find colleges that possess the qualities you want. College Viewdoes have more categories that can impact quality of life like â€Å"liberal-conservative,† â€Å"party scene,† â€Å"greek life† and â€Å"great college towns.† Also, unique to this finder, you can search for schools with a strong LGBT support system. For the colleges in your search results, you’re given a ton of information. I was especially intrigued by links to virtual tours and important application advice from each college’s website. In College View, you can search for colleges that have â€Å"high,† â€Å"typical,† or â€Å"low† representation of African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, or Caucasians. Cons Some of the results didn’t seem to match what I was looking for. I did a search and selected that it was â€Å"very important† to find a â€Å"very selective† school (admitting less than â…“ of applicants) and it was â€Å"very important† to me to find a school that matched my made up SAT score of 2130. Based on the other options I selected, one of the search results was Northern New Mexico College, which doesn't even require SAT or ACT scores for admission and isn't considered a selective school. The user experience is not as good as Big Future’s. The design and font make search options hard to locate. The information looks cluttered and it’s not as easy to identify all the listed information. While it does have â€Å"special services† and disability services† categories, you can’t search for colleges with services for minority students and services for low-income students.In my college counseling experience, I know programs like EOPcan be very beneficial for low-income and first-generation college students. Finally, for cost, you can only search for the cost of tuition and required fees. In Big Future, you can search for the percentage of financial need a school meets and for colleges that have work-study programs, financial aid for international students, and college application fee waivers. Keep in mind that the listed cost of attendance is not what you'll have to pay if you demonstrate financialneed. College Data College Data is a good finder option for those of you who are especially interested in financial information. How Does It Work? Step #1:Select search filters to narrow down your college search. Enter the most important qualities to you in your dream college. Select as many factors as possible to limit the size of your search results. Step #2: Once you’re done selecting all of the factors that matter to you, you can view your results. The colleges in your results will be listed along with their statistics. Step #3: Click on the colleges that interest you to read about them and get helpful information like freshman retention rates, application requirements, organizations, and class size. Step #4: After reviewing the info from the schools in your results and comparing them, make your list of schools that you’re interested in for further research. Step #5:Do additional searches later on if your priorities change or to assist you during the college selection process. Pros There is much more extensive financial information in College Data than in Big Future or College View.You’re given many more statistics regarding financial aid for the colleges in your search results. For example, here is the financial aid information for Boston University. Also, there's a "financial friendliness" search category. You can search for the percentage of financial need met, amount of student debt, and percentage of students that receive merit aid. Additionally, you can search for colleges by their level of representation of students from particular backgrounds, including Native American, African-American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and international. For each group, you can select â€Å"No preference† or greater than or equal to 2%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 40%, 50%, or 75%. Lastly, you can select up to 3 majors or disciplines from a very extensive list to help limit your search results and find the college you're looking for. Cons There are far fewer search categories than in Big Future and College View. College Data only has 9 major search categories. You can't look for schools based on your SAT score or religious affiliation. Also, you have to register before you can use a number of the best features to investigate the colleges in your search results. Some of these features include estimating your chances of gaining admission, calculating your net price (cost after financial aid), and saving colleges from your search results. I was reluctant to register because College Data is sponsored by 1st Financial Bank and a student credit card is advertised on the home page. I thought if I registered, I might get a bunch of spam. Big Future is run by College Board, a non-profit, so you don’t have to worry as much about Big Future trying to sell you stuff. Like College View, the user experience isn’t great on College Data. The design and display of information makes information hard to locate. Also, the font size and style make everything a little difficult to read. Finally, for most of the search categories, you can only select one option, and you can't select how important search options are to you. Examples of Bad College Finders Big Future, College View, and College Data are three of the better college finders on the internet, mainly because they offer tons of information and unique features to help you find the best college for you. Here are a couple of bad college finders. They're less beneficial to use. Niche Niche only has 9 search categories and no subcategories. There are no search categories that you can’t find on other search finders. Nothing is uniquely good about this finder and it doesn’t have many of the options of the better finders. Peterson's Peterson's only has 8 search categories. All can be found in other college finders, and you can’t choose how important a search option is to you. While the user experience is good, this finder is far too general. There is so much more information on the better finders. Final Tips Overall, I think Big Future is the best finder. It offers the best combination of features, information, and user experience.However, College View is good to use if you want to do a search focusing on campus life or quality of life criteria. College Data is good to use if you want to do a search on or get extensive information about cost and financial aid. College finders should only be one tool, albeit a valuable one, in your college search. You should use college search websites, guidebooks, ranking lists, and guidance from teachers, parents, and counselors to help you select a college. Remember that these finders aren’t perfect and can’t determine for you which school is the best fit. They can give you insight and information to guide you, but after deciding what’s important to you, doing your research, and visiting colleges (if you have the chance), it’s up to you, and possibly your parents, to decide. What's Next? Make sure you read this excellent article on how to choose a college. Also, learn more about the differences between public and private colleges. Finally, look at this post to help you decide if you should go to a big or small college. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

English Test Options for ESL Students

English Test Options for ESL Students Students need to take English tests, as well as other tests! Of course, learners need to take English tests at school, but they are often required to take English tests such as the TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC or FCE. In a number of instances, you can decide which English test to take. This guide will help you begin to choose the best English test to take for your English learning needs and goals for both further education and career. Each of the major English tests is discussed and point towards more resources to study and prepare for these all important English tests. To begin with, here are the major tests and their full titles:   TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign LanguageIELTS - International English Language Testing SystemTOEIC - Test of English for International CommunicationFCE - First Certificate in EnglishCAE - Certificate in   Advanced EnglishBULATS - Business Language Testing Service These English tests are created by two companies that dominate the English learning system word wide: ETS and the University of Cambridge. TOEFL and TOEIC are provided by ETS and IELTS, FCE, CAE, and BULATS are developed by the University of Cambridge. ETS ETS stands for Educational Testing Service. ETS provides the TOEFL and the TOEIC test of English. It is an American company with headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey. ETS tests focus on North American English and computer based. Questions are almost exclusively multiple choice and ask you to choose from four choices based on information you have read, heard or have to deal with in some manner. Writing is also tested on the computer, so if you have difficulties typing you may have difficulties with these questions. Expect North American accents on all listening selections. University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge based in Cambridge, England is responsible for a wide range of English exams. However, the main international tests that are discussed in this overview are the IELTS the FCE and the CAE. For business English, the BULATS is also an option. Currently, the BULATS is not as popular as the other tests, but that may change in the future. The University of Cambridge is a dominate force in the entire English learning world, producing many English learning titles, as well as administering tests. Cambridge exams have a wide variety of question types including multiple choice, gap-fill, matching, etc. You will hear a wider variety of accents on University of Cambridge exams, but they tend towards British English. Your Objective The first and most important question to ask yourself when choosing your English test is: Why do I need to take an English test? Choose from the following for your answer: I need to take an English test for study at UniversityI need to take an English test to get a job or improve my careerI want to improve my overall skills in English, but not necessarily for a purpose such as getting a better job or going to a university Study for University If you need to take an English test for study at a university or in an academic setting you have a few choices. To focus solely on academic English, take the TOEFL or the IELTS academic. Both are used as qualifications for entrance into universities. There are some important differences. Many universities around the world now accept either test, but they are more common in certain countries. TOEFL - Most common exam for study in North American (Canada or United States)IELTS - Most common exam for study in Australia or New Zealand FCE and CAE are more general in nature but are often requested by universities throughout the European Union. If you live in the European Union, the best choice is either the FCE or the CAE. Free TOEFL Exam PreparationFree IELTS Exam PreparationFCE Exam PreparationCAE Exam Preparation Resources Study for Career If career motivations are the most important reason in your choice of English test, take either the TOEIC or the IELTS general test. Both of these tests are requested by many employers and test an understanding of English as used in the workplace, as opposed the academic English which is tested in the TOEFL and IELTS academic. Also, the FCE and CAE are excellent tests for developing overall English language skills in a wide range of areas. If your employer is not specifically asking for the TOEIC or the IELTS general, I would highly recommend considering the FCE or CAE. Free IELTS Exam Preparation General English Improvement If your goal in taking an English test is to improve your overall English, I would highly recommend taking the FCE (First Certificate in English) or, for more advanced learners, the CAE (Certificate in Advanced English). In my years of teaching English, I find these tests to be most representative of English usage skills. They test all aspects of English learning and the English tests themselves are very reflective of how you would use English in everyday life. Special Note: Business English If you have worked for a number of years and want to improve your English skills exclusively for Business purposes, the BULATS exam administered by the University of Cambridge is by far the best choice. For more information from the provider of these tests you can visit the following sites: TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language IELTS - International English Language Testing System TOEIC - Test of English for International Communication FCE - First Certificate in English CAE - Certificate in   Advanced English BULATS - Business Language Testing Service

Sociology - Family Relationships - Marriage Essay

Sociology - Family Relationships - Marriage - Essay Example It is both a physical and a mental need of every human being. People need to get married in order to develop a healthy society where children know who their parents are and the parents are liable to fulfill their children’s individual, social and economical needs. This is fundamental to the development of a progressive and humanistic society. Marriage squeeze is potentially an imbalance between the number of brides and grooms in a certain community. For example, the African America men tend to marry white American ladies leaving almost 43% African American women between the ages of 30 to 34 years unmarried. (Newsweek cited in Darleene, 2007). However, the women of the community tend to restrict themselves to African American men because of several reasons. Thus, there are more grooms in the African American community than brides. Marrying down is a term used to refer to the cases when an individual from a certain social and economic class tends to marry another from a lower class. Most African American women tend to marry down as they usually find no choice but to marry lower class men of their race. Some of the key factors that play a decisive role in the continuation of marriage are unemployment, lack of trust, lack of love and sincerity, abuse (either verbal or physical or both), infertility, unrealistically high expectations and financial distress. These are the factors that tempt the individual partners of the couple to break down the marriage in general. However, the most fundamental factors that decide whether or not a couple will stay married are the ability of either of the two partners to compromise, the degree of importance they impart to their relationship and the time they allow for the issues to get settled. If a couple is determined to stay married, nothing can destroy it. Sooner or later, every thing gets settled down and the two start to find comfort and peace in their

Quiz on Philosophy and Psychology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quiz on Philosophy and Psychology - Assignment Example 2. Ancient Greek society witnessed the emergence of two of the most prominent thinkers the world has known today, namely, Plato and Aristotle. They each have contributed a great deal to philosophy and political science and have formed the basis for most of the subjects in the field of social science that people have tried to understand and take forward. Plato mainly wrote Socratic dialogues that have been used to understand his views on the mind, self and society. According to him, it is important for a man to have a stable thought process. He laid down theories like the Allegory of the Cave in order to depict the kind of limited knowledge that a man might have about the world around him and talked about society on the same lines. Aristotle on the other hand has been regarded as the father of political science and he said that society is made of people who need to live with accordance to the state that has been created by man as well. According to him, the mind is a tumultuous region within every man’s mind and should be understood by a man himself before being comprehended by another party so that a man does not conform to societal needs and wishes and is able to think for himself with respect to society. 3. Medieval philosophy is highly related to religion and theology and several doctrines were laid down during this period by renowned scholars and philosophers like Avicenna and Averroes. They argued about the differences between faith and reason, one of the highly debated topics of this period. They spoke along the lines of ancient Greek philosophers however, they tried to defend arguments directly related to faith and reason and at the same time, during this very period, religion came up in such a strong manner that it did not allow a large number of philosophical investigations to go beyond the existence and very authority of God. Their views on the mind, self and society were also related to faith, reason and in some cases, religion. 4. Psychology is the study of human behaviour; it aims to understand the science of mankind and how a man responds to and undertakes certain actions during the course of his lifetime. The Scientific Revolution stemmed the need to study this very subject because it instilled in people the love for reason and that is why people began to question the science behind acts undertaken by man. The 17th century has been regarded by most people as the age of enlightenment and two prominent thinkers of the very period were Galileo Galilei and Rene Descartes. They both argued under the roots of science however Galilei’s arguments concerned the more scientific aspects of the world in the matters of physics and astronomy whereas Descartes was famous for his various discourses on methods and philosophy concerning the existence of the mind and society that a man lives in. 5. An outside reality refers to a world outside a person’s imagination; it helps a man to understand that every physical entity in the universe has its own existence, outside a man’s mind. In the 18th century, philosophers like Voltaire and Montesquieu contributed the works of their intellectual capacities to

Organizational culture is fundamentally about symbolic meaning and as Essay - 2

Organizational culture is fundamentally about symbolic meaning and as such cannot be managed. Discuss - Essay Example 92). Although it is an important concept, yet organizational culture is too subjective to be defined concretely. In spite of that, an integrated, explicit, consisted, and accepted organizational culture is deemed important to achieve success in the organizational performance. Keeping this into consideration, it is quite likely that the dynamism and richness of the organizational processes may be seen, shaped, and improved with the help of the cultural lens. An organization’s culture has an eminent influence on the actions and decisions taken within the organization. The ideas, attitudes, beliefs, and values that prevail in an organization often unconsciously serve as a guide for the thinking, actions, and feelings of the employees. Developing the understanding of culture is important to describe and analyze the organizational phenomena. Culture for some is a glue that compiles and bonds all aspects and units of an organization together whereas for others, culture serves as a c ompass that provides the organizational personnel with the direction (Tharp, n.d., p. 2). ... The â€Å"culture has† view holds that corporate leaders can create and modify the culture. There are three fundamental debates; one is about concerning the way managers can make the weak culture of their company strong, the role culture plays in the innovation of a company and its rapid adjustment to the environmental changes, and the role of leaders’ management styles and vision in the management of their cultures. The â€Å"culture has† view suggests that the senior company executives should execute cultural leadership that has both an innovation and a maintenance dimension. Symbolic leadership is essentially a way by which leaders can make the employees feel that their efforts are directed at achieving something that is worthwhile. This inculcates the motivation in them to be more productive and work harder. Leaders can influence the culture this way rather than the managers. Managers serve as heroes who serve as role models for the employees of the organizat ion internally, and internally for the outside stakeholders including the customers, government, and the public at large. The managerialist view suggests that it is possible to help the employees to internalize the values of the organization. On the other hand, the â€Å"culture is† view suggests that the organizational culture is composed of a subjective reality of meanings, rites, and rituals. This is essentially a shared cognitions, social constructionist, or symbolic perspective that refutes the notion that culture constitutes any independent and objective existence that is given to the employees. The â€Å"culture is† view holds that the culture of an organization cannot be measured or quantified easily. It

How People Are Changed by Suburbia Occupation Essay

How People Are Changed by Suburbia Occupation - Essay Example The essay "How People Are Changed by Suburbia Occupation" discusses the following issues: what makes suburban life pattern more acceptable, what are the positive and negative aspects of the suburban occupation, how do the people of a suburban culture feel the difference and if they are completely satisfied with their new pattern of life. William Whyte and Herbert Gans present both sociological and psychological aspects of the topic under discussion, whereas Lewis Mumford describes the social aspects of the subject matter and Betty Frieden deals with the psychological impacts of suburbia occupation of the individuals especially the women.The endurance of pressures exerted by society against an individual is termed ‘social ethics’ by William Whyte. Such pressures are treated as morally legitimate. He ascribes this ethics as the factor of mounting pressures on individuals in a society that leads to the formation of suburbia. Park Forest inviting newcomers to its fold happil y advertises itself as a friendly small town instead of the lonely big city. Babysitting bank delineated in his work depicts the convenience felt by housewives of the suburb. Suburbs are created to get away from a machine like busy cities. Suburbs are providing ample leisure. Entertainment and play find large scope in suburbs to change the lifestyle of the people. Herbert Gans views the social life of individuals in Levittown is relatively better than other suburbs, where he supposes proximity does not nurture an intimate friendship.

Law UCC Essay and Multiple Q&A Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law UCC and Multiple Q&A - Essay Example This Article is regulatory in function both protecting the payee and signee of the order/payor (Cornell University Law School, 2005). Because Article 3 deals directly with the definition of payments and how it is coursed through from institutional bodies such as banks to the payee, specific terms and conditions apply to its sections. I have observed that portions of sections in this Article is clear and simple to follow. One such illustration is Section 3-114 wherein terms on an instrument are made understandable as guidelines to settle contradictions. I perceive that written words representing numerical values are likely than written numbers. Hand writing is most valued than typewritten documents while printed papers are the least utilized in filling up an instrument. One reason for all these is that specific presentation of values, such as spelling, and handwriting offers a proof of participation of the instrument’s signee in the payment system. Essay 2 Article 4: The Fourth Article of UCC is about the applicability of banking in business transactions. It clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the bank and its relationship with its customers. Bank responsibilities, in legal terms with respect to an item for the purpose of payment, presentment or collection are governed by law of the place where the bank is (Cornell University Law School, 2005). This Article [4] are also within  Articles 3 and 8, they are subject to  those Articles.  Ã‚   If there is conflict,  this Article  governs Article 3, but  Article 8  governs this Article.† (Cornell Law University, 2005). There is overlapping of statements of Articles 4, 3 and 8, which shares the same topic. These terms are included to provide for the relationship of bank and customer according to the presiding bank law in the area. If this violates a specific existing guideline on banking, Articles 3 and 8, automatically governs the transaction. Another example of overlapping of stateme nts is in Article 4-106a-c. The difference between â€Å"payable thru† and â€Å"payable at† creates enormous variation in the payment process. Moreover, there are two alternative clauses with â€Å"payable at† both has different methods of payment. The payee either can receive a draft drawn on the bank or the payment which was collected from the payor. The latter process involves the bank as channel and requires the bank to collect only and is not authorized to pay.

Cat's Paw Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cat's Paw Theory - Research Paper Example Once the cat burns his paws the monkey runs off with all the chestnuts they had picked up together. Cat’s paw can be defined as a person that uses another person as a tool or dope. This concept was recently used by a judge to make a ruling regarding a human resource issue in courts. A company had fired an employee claiming that the firing was based on bad performance when in reality the motivation was based on discrimination against military personnel. The employee had taken several leaves due to military obligations. The cat paw theory comes in into effect because the supervisors duped the human resource manager into thinking the firing was based on legit reasons when in reality it was based on discrimination. The termination was illegal because it violated the Uniformed Services Employment Rights Act. In order to avoid a ruling against a company based on Theory HR resource managers can take measures to prevent its occurrence. The HR manager should educate himself on all the current anti-discrimination laws and he should ensure that the company’s policies are aligned with the law. Whenever an HR manager is faced with a termination decision the person should never take the word of the supervisor at face value. He is supposed to investigate the situation and eliminate the possibility that the incentive for the termination is based on discriminatory practices. The use of employee evaluations to be performed on a recurrent basis can help an HR manager determine whether the claims of a supervisor are true.

Law UCC Essay and Multiple Q&A Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law UCC and Multiple Q&A - Essay Example This Article is regulatory in function both protecting the payee and signee of the order/payor (Cornell University Law School, 2005). Because Article 3 deals directly with the definition of payments and how it is coursed through from institutional bodies such as banks to the payee, specific terms and conditions apply to its sections. I have observed that portions of sections in this Article is clear and simple to follow. One such illustration is Section 3-114 wherein terms on an instrument are made understandable as guidelines to settle contradictions. I perceive that written words representing numerical values are likely than written numbers. Hand writing is most valued than typewritten documents while printed papers are the least utilized in filling up an instrument. One reason for all these is that specific presentation of values, such as spelling, and handwriting offers a proof of participation of the instrument’s signee in the payment system. Essay 2 Article 4: The Fourth Article of UCC is about the applicability of banking in business transactions. It clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the bank and its relationship with its customers. Bank responsibilities, in legal terms with respect to an item for the purpose of payment, presentment or collection are governed by law of the place where the bank is (Cornell University Law School, 2005). This Article [4] are also within  Articles 3 and 8, they are subject to  those Articles.  Ã‚   If there is conflict,  this Article  governs Article 3, but  Article 8  governs this Article.† (Cornell Law University, 2005). There is overlapping of statements of Articles 4, 3 and 8, which shares the same topic. These terms are included to provide for the relationship of bank and customer according to the presiding bank law in the area. If this violates a specific existing guideline on banking, Articles 3 and 8, automatically governs the transaction. Another example of overlapping of stateme nts is in Article 4-106a-c. The difference between â€Å"payable thru† and â€Å"payable at† creates enormous variation in the payment process. Moreover, there are two alternative clauses with â€Å"payable at† both has different methods of payment. The payee either can receive a draft drawn on the bank or the payment which was collected from the payor. The latter process involves the bank as channel and requires the bank to collect only and is not authorized to pay.

Experience in a Group Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Experience in a Group Project - Essay Example The Cardinal Newman College owns St Augustine Centre that is essentially is a leisure centre. Located in the heart of Avenham, the St Augustine Center has a lot of facilities to provide the community with that include but are not limited to sports, library and recreation. Newman College is one of the best colleges in the area and is for students aged between 16 and 18 years. St. Augustine’s Regeneration Trust (START) was the original owner of this building. The centre opened in 2005 with the aid of Diocese that loaned  £500,000 to START along with forwarding a Letter of Comfort to the bank worth 1.1 million. Unfortunately, money was used wrongly and the loan had to be raised to  £700,000. After some years, Diocesan Trustees resolved to give this building in the control of Cardinal Newman College and proposed that the local community secured the facilities. The Diocesan loan has been returned. Our goal was to enhance the use of this center by the local community. For that, we had to generate awareness among the community, increase center and gym memberships among the local community, improve the quality of fitness programs, and develop retention methods. In order to accomplish the task, five students were assigned to our group, me included. For the rest of the paper, I shall refer to them as A (me), B, C, D, and E. After our group had formed, the first challenge that we had to face was the selection of company with a problem that fell in the scope of our domain and was also worth spending the time finding solution for. Different members came up with different proposals, but either the problem was too aggravated to be solved in the time we had or else, the company was not willing to let us intrude into their business. After much search and days of uninterrupted struggle, we were able to find Newman College with the problem of church utility. Soon after we had found it, we conducted a thorough literature review of the college to see the origin of the problem, what events had happened since its formation till now, and the challenges that the college administration was facing with respect to the church. We approached the college administ ration for this, introduced ourselves and proposed to find a solution for their problem. They happily agreed to provide all assistance that we might need in our way of finding the solution for this long cultivated problem. The five of us took care of the different areas. I was chosen as the leader, so my task was to administer the project, enhance the coordination and cooperation among team members, keep the project on the track, and keep track of time and cost because we had time and cost constraints and could not spend beyond the amount specified by our college. I would provide all team members with the required equipment and facilities and would ensure their maximum utility. B took the charge of generating awareness. C was responsible to improve the center and gym memberships. D was to devise and improve the quality of fitness programs and E was supposed to develop the retention methods. Marketing, finances and human resources happen to be the key elements for success in any proj ect, so our first meeting with Cardinal Newman was about these elements. From our side, B met with Katie O’Reilly, the Director of Corporate Resources. This meeting was very useful and generated important information for us regarding the project. After the first meeting, B was assigned the task of conducting all correspondence and meetings with Katie. The meetings were not scheduled strictly. They were irregular in general but were conducted quite often.

Impact of Mobile Communications on Construction Industry

Impact of Mobile Communications on  Construction Industry 1. INTRODUCTION The total annual turnover of the building and construction industry in most economies around the world amounts to billions of dollars per annum, contributing approximately 10 per cent of GDP (Olomolaiye et al, 1998, quoted in Farin et al 2001). Although the Construction sector is pivotal in any economy as noted above, it is however an industry which is plagued by inefficiency which is caused by the lack of communication within organisations involved in the delivery of a project solution. According to Bowden and Thorpe (2002), 65% of contractor rework is attributed to insufficient, inappropriate and conflicting information on construction sites. The problem of communication on most construction sites are exacerbated because many operatives working in the field capture data manually (or maybe use a standalone handheld device) which is then physically transported to office. The information may then have to be manually keyed into the office computer system. This process is time consuming and requires extra workforce to re-enter data into the office computer. The introduction of Internet and communication technologies has seen the urgency in the expectations of people within the industry to have access to the latest information produced at any point in the project life. These expectations reflect the increasingly competitive pressure within the construction sector to deliver quicker and cheaper solutions. It also reflects the increased electronic awareness that internet use has cultured, realising a one-stop information on demand medium. The invention of handheld computing device enabled with a suitable wireless capability has proved a valuable innovation which reduces travel costs, increase operative efficiency, and speed data transfer. Data can easily be keyed on site and communicated wirelessly to the office computer. This information can further be uploaded on from the computer to the internet or extranet enabling faster and quicker process which reduces times. The use of project extranet solutions (a single project database shared by all project members: Client; Designer; Contractors; Suppliers) and document management systems is now common on large projects. Mobile communication technologies therefore can strategically be implemented to reduce cost and increase returns on investment. There are many applications of mobile communications in the construction industry. This report however focuses on the impact of mobile communication technologies in the construction industry. 2. Mobile Communication Mobile communication is a technology that eases communication by linking individuals or groups who are not physically present at the same location via wireless means. There are various software and hardware been used such as PDA, mobile phones, CAD application, data capture, project management etc. The mobile phone is still the king of mobile communication, and it has evolved to include smart features such as picture messaging, diary management, e-mail and web browsing. Likewise, many handheld computers (Personal Digital Assistants) are being produced with phone capabilities. For many individuals however, affordable smart phones have become feature rich enough to lure them away from their handheld computer, mainly because smart phones are more compact (Kinns and Babtie, 2005). As smart phones win over the personal computing device market, handheld computers are being developed more for the business computing market. Users in this market are more willing to sacrifice device size for increased computing power, and so devices such as the Tablet PC and Ultra Personal Computer (uPC) are being developed. Unlike most personal use, business use of mobile communication is concerned with the transfer of all forms of electronic data. Equally important is the way in which data and information is captured, and then managed to ensure it is readily available to other people/ devices when and where required. Improved cost effective mobile computing power will further reduce the office/ field divide. The uptake of integrated mobile communication computing devices and services has been significant. This growth in use will continue as smart phone devices gain more features, and handheld computers gain increased computing power. This is the belief of many leading players within the construction and telecom industries. Companies need to plan for this wireless future, and exploit the expected growth in their business strategies. 3. BENEFITS OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION With the introduction of laptops into the work environment as a substitute for personal computers, the potential of the mobile worker became evident(Bowden et al, 2005). 3.1. Reduction in construction time and capital cost of construction According to (Bowden et al., 2005) mobile technologies can help minimise time and cut capital cost in the construction industry. Generic benefits of the provision of mobile technologies to point of activity workers include: doing away with retyping/redrafting, minimizing travel time in order to retrieve information and cut travel time to view point of actions or activities. Further explanation of cost savings and time are touched on in each of the developments assisted by mobile technologies below. 3.2. Reduction in operation and maintenance costs Mobile technology can help reduce maintenance cost and operation by improving upon the efficiency of workers and as well gather and provide information throughout the life cycle of a building or structure. The following construction industries (Network Rails London, North East and East Anglia Region) are using a PDA, GPS and GIS system to perform earthworks checks; look at the integrity of their embankments and cuttings. Network Rail currently obtains data from the inspections team on a week to week basis instead of waiting till the end of a 4-month inspection. This allows Network Rail to proactively organise their workload systematically. Getting Data using GIS can easily be grouped by condition enabling the identification of all ‘poor’ earthworks, including their location (automatically recorded by the GPS). A maintenance team can then be instructed to rectify groups of faults in a single pass. Within 1 year Network Rail achieved benefits for the solution(Bowden, 2004) . GPRS connected to PDA has been implemented by Rosser and Russell for obtaining new developments in terms of information from their maintenance engineers and delivering work orders. This has caused a significant change in administration required to accomplish their maintenance operation (Gooding, 2004). According to (Gooding and Bowden, 2004) GPS trackers are been utilised by Biwater for the implementation of fleet management system. This has given them the opportunity to able to analyse and track the actual position of their maintenance crews. Time has reduced drastically since the nearest crew to an incident could be spot on and instructed. The improved planning and implementation has considerably reduced maintenance cost, mileage, and also the fuel costs of the fleet. 3.3. Reduction in defects There have been several changes in national initiative that challenge the construction industry to target zero defects in handover. An example, even though Egan(Egan, 1998)came up with target for United Kingdom construction industry as a 20% annual reduction in the number of defects on handover, Egan proposed that there is considerably number of evidence which suggests that within 5 years the aim of zero defects could be achieved across the construction industry. Egan again touched on how some clients in the United States and the United Kingdom have already attained zero defects on handover. Taylor Woodrow and Mace piloted digital pen and paper solution and PDA solution respectively in their project. Both results gave them the knack to gather data electronically at source in a standardized format, and later were stored in a central database. The following trends could be searched on the database; reoccurring fault, re-offending subcontractors and setbacks in correcting errors. The various trends could be outline proactively. An additional benefit of having a central system for defect management is that the costs of rectifying snags can begin to be understood and hence a more proactive approach to managing quality throughout the construction process should be adopted to avoid these costs(Sommerville et al, 2004). According to (Newton, 1998) a research conducted in Australia depicted that 65% of contractor-rework is attributed to inadequate, unsuitable or contradictory information. Tablet PC system linked to a central database via a wireless LAN was developed by 3.4. Reduction in accidents For workers to report near misses, Mobile technologies could provide a mechanism that would increase the number of near misses reported in the construction industry. Those areas which need improvement in terms of electronic data could be analysed and highlighted. According to (Kiser and Fosbroke, 1994) the most common fatal injury is falling from height. OSHA Fall-Safe programme in the USA came up with a tablet PC audit tool(Becker et al, 2001). The work concluded that contractor control of fall hazards were improved when the conduct of an audit and the reports were generated. Next to fall from height are workers being struck by a moving vehicle which accounted for 10 fatalities in the UK in 2003/2004. In the Oil and Gas industry work is been carried out on the application of virtual exclusion zones for oil platform cranes. Cameras mounted on a crane boom can compute the position of personnel in an area hence could provide audible alert for the crane driver and personnel who are in d anger. Although, some vehicles give audible alerts this caution is not directed specifically to the person in danger and can be overlooked and identified as surrounding noise. This virtual exclusion or information zone could be utilized in the construction industry providing warning around machinery such as piling rigs or cranes and to provide information when entering areas with specific safety requirements. A step further along the line towards improving health and safety on-site is the possibility of automated construction, eliminating the need for personnel to be in dangerous areas. An example application is presented by 3.5. Reduction in waste Construction and demolition (CD) debris constitutes the waste generated during construction, renovation, and demolition projects. CD waste commonly includes building materials and products such as concrete, asphalt, wood, glass, brick, metal, gypsum wallboard, roofing, insulation, doors, windows and frames, flooring, and furniture. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that approximately 136 million tons of building-related CD debris were generated in 1996 — the majority from demolition (48%) and renovation (44%). New construction generated only 8% of building-related CD debris(Fishbein, 1998). The first step in understanding and reducing wastage on-site is to know what materials and equipment have been delivered. Several construction suppliers are currently considering or piloting Mobile IT solutions to facilitate their goods delivery process, providing electronic goods received notes (GRNs) and proof of delivery. A commonly held view is that the weakest point of the supply chain in the construction industry is the site; paper gets delivered and then lost. It may not get filed properly and the people on-site have no real awareness of how all the documents in the supply chain are linked. Lost GRNs are a huge problem for both the contractor and the supplier. One supplier stated that out of 4.5 million tickets issued each year contractors asked them to replace 300,000 GRNs. A contractor stated that on a  £45M project  £133,000 of invoices was being queried on any one day; Chen et al, 2002). The benefits achieved in relation to waste reduction include: faster location of materials/equipment; certainty that only the correct materials are used, reducing costs associated with damaged items; reduction in lost or stolen items; easier maintenance of a materials tracking database. CPIC (Centre for Performance Improvement in Construction) has developed a toolkit for measuring performance on-site; CALIBRE 2000. Wastage in time, materials and energy are collected by construction â€Å"observers† using a PDA device, which is then synchronised with a central database. The PDA enables information to be collected in real-time and it is then available for analysis by the site team the next day. (Chen et al, 2002).According to (Chen et al, 2002)suggest the use of bar-codes to facilitate a crew-based incentive reward programme (IRP). The workers are rewarded according to the amounts and values of materials they saved from their operations. This resulted in a 10% saving of material wastage. In both of these examples the drawback is that collection of the data still requires manual intervention. (Li et al, 2005). This reduces the possibility of damage to materials from ingress of weather and movement of people, plant and equipment within temporary storage facilities. As stated above, the majority of CD waste is generated during demolition and renovation. RFID tagging provides the capability of attaching information permanently to building components, which in turn offers the opportunity to provide future owners with information about the make-up of each component. Items can then be easily identified for recycling or reuse; even those items that cannot currently be recycled may be recyclable in the future. This would eliminate some of the prohibitive costs associated with identifying and sorting materials, making recycling a more viable option. 3.6. Increase in productivity Productivity is defined as the ratio of the amount of work produced to the resources used in its production. Productivity is increased if it takes fewer resources to do the same amount of work, or the same number of resources can achieve more. The drive for improved productivity in the construction industry has come with the recognition that productivity is inextricably linked to international competitiveness(Teicholz, 2004). Several of the national construction change initiatives promote the use of information technology as a tool to increase productivity, through automating tasks and enhancing collaboration. Task automation provides the following productivity enhancements: delivery of required information e.g. method statements; production of reports e.g. daily progress reports; alerts e.g. notification of safety hazard; data collation, reduces number of administration staff required. One area where significant losses in productivity occur is downtime on-site due to unforeseen problems. The opportunity for mobile technologies to provide immediate access, from the point of activity, to the personnel which may be able to resolve the problem has been an ongoing subject of research(Ballard and Howell, 1994). The Last Planner system has been set up to facilitate this method of planning and its toolset includes: collaborative programming; look-ahead meeting; weekly work plan meeting. The premise is that better planning improves productivity by reducing delays, getting the work done in the best constructability sequence, matching manpower to available work, and coordinating multiple interdependent activities 3.7. Increase in predictability The construction industry is noted for its delays in project delivery and over budget(Bourn, 2001). This is engineered by the following reasons methods of procurement, communication issues and culture. This section of the industry could be transformed by using mobile technology to provide precise real-time progress and cost information as the project progresses. In the above sections it can be observed that communication enhancement from one phase to the other became possible and in some situations have been achieved by most of the construction industries. The following Mobile applications are already in use progress reporting, timesheet, materials management and plant utilisation. This should now pave a way for most construction industries to compare and contrast planned programmes or budget and use this information in future projects. 4. CURRENT USE OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION. 4.1 Software and Hardware Innovations in Mobile Communications 4.1.1 Software Mobile CAD applications: Mobile devices equipped with CAD applications used by Construction personnel can mark-up, view, create and edit 2D/3D AutoCAD compatible designs at any place at anytime on construction site. CAD application may contact engineers, drafters and designers etc. who needs supports of designs and drawings in the construction site. Majority of mobile CAD applications are compatible with well-known mobile devices that run Windows mobile and Windows CE operating systems (COMIT, 2003). In order to communicate drawing files with desktop PCs, mobile CAD applications can connect and swap data with PCs by using ActiveSync for Windows OS or HotSync for Palm OS. The following are some of the CAD applications been used PocketCAD, PowerCAD and ZipCAD. Data capture applications: Bar code scanning, wireless sensors network and data capture are the three various types of data capture application used on sites. One of the mobile data capture system known as SHERPA enable users to collect real time piling work data by using mobile computers through a wireless local area network (WLAN) (Ward et al., 2003). Mobile construction chain supply(M-ConSCM) also named as bar- code enabled PDA, has been developed to create convenience and improve information flow in the construction supply chain environment through the integration of bar code scanner and PDA combined (Tserng and Dzeng, 2005). A new innovation has come into play i.e. Wireless sensor network that consists of various devices capable of a cooperative sensing task and is compared with the concept of ubiquitous computing. A mass concrete curing management system (CMS) has been developed to investigate the possibility of applying wireless sensor network to on-site data collection proces ses (Lee and Kang, 2006). This system can allow the collection, transfer, and delivery of the recorded curing temperature data automatically in real time in a wireless sensor network environment. Project management applications: Applications in the project administration area provide users with the capabilities of project and programme management such as construction activity review, activity monitoring and updating, progress management, risk management, Microsoft Project file view and update, and material and equipment management, through their on-hand mobile computers. Available commercial applications include Primavera Mobile Management, CYtools, and OnSite FDM. 4.1.2 Hardware Palmtops / PDA – Personal Digital Assistance PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), sometimes known as a Palmtop, is a mobile computer that allows you to store, access, and organize information. More sophisticated PDAs can run word processing, spreadsheet and industry specific applications and also provide e-mail and internet process. Some models now offer the functionality of a mobile phone and a PDA in a single unit. These units use either a Palm or Microsoft Windows Pocket PC operating system. In general, the more functions offered on the device, the shorter the battery life. Currently, there are no rugged devices available in this category, since they could be seen as more akin to a non-rugged mobile phone. Many of these devices use an electronic pen (called a stylus) rather than a keyboard for input. This is associated with special operating systems that support handwriting recognition so that users can write on the screen or on a tablet instead of typing on a keyboard. Hand-held Computers A hand-held computer offers the main functionality of a laptop in a smaller package. They feature a full QWERTY style keyboard and a landscape display. Typically, they run on a Windows-based operating system, like a desktop PC. Because they have a keyboard, this type of device is probably best suited where it can be used on a stable base, for example in a pick-up truck. Although the Windows CE OS is more demanding on battery life and memory, many of the devices will compensate for this by providing more memory space and larger capacity batteries as standard. 4.2 Health and Safety One of the most hazardous industries to work in the is the construction industry; it is noted that 3.6 per 100,000 workers in the United Kingdom encounter fatal injury, associating with 70 people, depicts an unfavourably average of 0.81 in the industry(Mckerman, 2001). 4.2.1 Case Study (Health and Safety-Skanka) The civil engineering division of Skanska known as Skanska Tekra Oya in Finland is currently using SMS/WAP and MMM based system which propels them to collect data electronically by using the supervisor’s phone. It then passes problem notifications on to the subcontractors who then respond with via SMS when problem is resolved. Issues which took days to complete could be dealt with in few hours and since then accidents have decreased drastically with the use of the system. The gathered data are stored on a central database facilitating the classification of trends to be automated. Continual non application can be emphasized and a more positive approach of doing away with their reoccurrence can be established, such as training preventative measures put in place e.g. warning signs placed at dangerous areas and barriers around overhead electricity cables. In addition, subcontractors who are time and again causing safety issues and are reluctant in putting an end to them can be dea lt with properly. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health came up with a mobile system that replicates MVR safety method for civil engineers and is used in most construction industry in Finland. Coming up with a single tool and comparing across construction sites will smooth the progress of improvement hence reduce. The â€Å"Accident Triangle†(Heinrich et al, 1980)illustrates that fatal injuries are just the tip of the iceberg (Fig 1). Theory states that â€Å"if you reduce the number of near misses, this in turn will reduce the number of fatalities†. The records show near misses is performing badly. The reason could be the number of times they occur and the amount of paperwork that has to be completed and recorded. 5. Emerging Trends and innovation The core reason of mobile in the built environment is its mobility. Mobile phones (speech and text messages), cameras in cell phones, GPRS are the commonly used within the construction industry. In terms of logistics, quality control and control of equipment, RFID reader is applied. Additional use of RFID is the access right control, emerging in janitorial services; access rights controls and mobile access managements with very short-range wireless point-to-point interconnection technology. This technology is likely to become common in mobile phones, and in fact such kinds of phones are been in use in the industry offering intuitive and user-friendly touched based communication. The interactions that exit between the two devices are reasonable in terms of price and also low immunity to eavesdropping. According to (Tolman et al., 2006b) the new messaging and communication systems been used gives current method and possibilities to communicate and manage with embedded sensors networks in a buildings with general terminal equipments through local or global information networks. During the past decade the port of services has been rated as one of the most powerful trends in information technology. Services offered by web can be thought as environment where services are delivered in a formal way and this formal are interpreted by client side browsers. With the nature of all browsers been able to use all services it is of no importance to install locally specific software to use a specific service. Web paradigm is gradually taking place in mobile devices but there have been several impediments that slow down the trend. In technology mobile browsers are not in the same level as compared with that of desktop browsers and top of that since the web has been design with more resources, the of resources in mobile devices are limited hence makes it a problem. That indicates that mobile devices that use web pages should be designed for them. Web paradigm is a natural fit to mobile devices as distributing software to mobile devices is cumbersome and leads to difficult maintenance problems. 6. Challenges of mobile Technology in the construction industry Though the above benefits of mobile technology shows a headway for most construction industry in using mobile technology there are several challenges faced by the industry that needs to be addressed. 6.1. Hardware for Mobile Technology Handheld computers, lightweight and compact laptops have come into extensive use over the past few years; other devices like wearable computers are also making great impact as well. Where improvement has been sluggish the integration ofmobilehardware seams to bridge a user’s desktop, activities whilemobile, and the Internet. There are four basic issues that complicate implementation and design (Satyanarayanan, 1996). In relation to static element mobile elements are resource-poor in terms of weight, size and power. Due to the transmission of data through open space mobile communication are vulnerable to security violation. In addition, wireless connectivity is very unpredictable in reliability and performance. Finally,mobile elements must rely on limited energy sources. It is important to note that these issues are not artifacts of current technology but are intrinsic to mobility. Collectively, they complicate the design ofmobile technologysystems. As a result, even though imp ortant research progress has been conducted, the implementation and design of mobile computing systems still remain a problem. 6.2. Location-Sensing One of the most widely used location-sensing today is the Global Positioning System (GPS). Using time-of-flight information derived from radio signals broadcast by a group of satellites in earth orbit. GPS makes it possible for a relatively cheap receiver (on the order of $100 today) to deduct latitude, longitude, and altitude to an accuracy of a few meters (Hightower and Borriello, 2001). The U.S. Department of Defence maintained the expensive satellite infrastructure, but with the investment been made many civilian benefits from it. Without a doubt, the past few years there has been a real sudden increase of GPS-based services for the consumer market. Although GPS is certainly important its location mechanism is not universally applicable. It cannot function indoors, particularly in places where there are steel-framed buildings and for many applications its resolution of a few meters is not adequate. GPS requires coordinates relative to specific objects whereas some applications (e .g., guidance systems for robotic equipment) use an absolute coordinate system. Further, the specific mechanism required for GPS impose cost, energy use requirements and weight that are difficult formobilehardware. Consequently, the following mechanism for tracking location (e.g., active badges, e911, and Cricket) considerably varies in their capabilities and infrastructure requirement. System costs vary as well, reflecting different trade-offs among device portability, device expense, and infrastructure needs. For applications involvingmobileobjects, orientation sensing (determining the direction an object faces) is also important, and this continues to be an active area of research. 6.3. Wireless Communications There has been a tremendous growth in the deployment of wireless communication technologies in the past decade. Although there has been considerable increase in data communication technologies, the most recognised one is voice communication (cell phones) which has been the primary driver. With many vendors offering hardware that supports the IEEE 802.11, wireless LAN technologies is now widely embraced in the construction industry (Williams, 2000). Although Bluetooth offers no bandwidth advantage as compared with 802.11, its standard has been backed by a number of hardware and software vendors and it is cheap to produce and frugal in power demand (Haartsen, 2000). The lowest-cost wireless technology in the market is the Infrared wireless communication this is due to the fact that it is primarily used in TV remote controls. IrDA supports handheld computers, laptops and other peripherals devices like printer been used today. Infrared wireless communication must be by line of sight, wit h range limited to a few feet. It is also affected adversely by high levels of ambient light, such as prevail outdoors during daylight hours. Greenhalgh claim that WI-FI network do perform well in open space when on construction site, due to the fact that when projects starts, getting wireless signals is easy but at a stage when they are boxed there seems to be interferences (COMIT, 2003). It is difficult to foresee what new wireless technologies will emerge in the future. Power consumption clearly will be an important factor for untethered devices, such asmobile computers, PDAs, and Smart Dust. In addition, it is clear that advances will be constrained by trade-offs among four factors: frequency, bandwidth, range, and density of wired infrastructure. Devices operating at a higher frequency could have greater bandwidth but would require major advances in high-frequency very-large-scale integration (VLSI) design. Advances also will be constrained by policy decisions on frequency usage (spectrum allocation) by the Federal Communications Commission. Range is fundamentally related to transmission power, but generating high pow er at high frequency always has been a difficult technical challenge. This is not a short-term annoyance but a core, long-term requirement of successful system architectures 6.4. Privacy and Trust Mobile computing and distributed system have been experiencing problems when it comes to privacy and this is greatly complicated by pervasive computing. Smart spaces, surrogates imonitor and location tracking are mechanisms used on a continuous basis. As a users keep on depending on this pervasive computing systems, they get more knowledge about the behaviour pattern, habits and the movement. Utilising this information becomes vital to successful proactivity and self-tuning. In addition, unless information used is strictly controlled, they will be unsafe from targeted spam to blackmail. Indeed, the constant loss of confidentiality will discourage users from using computing system. Greater dependence on mobile communications on site means that users should have confidence in that infrastructure to a considerable extent. On the other hand, the infrastructure has to be confident enough to authorise and identify users credential before responding to request. It is very challenging to cre ate this mutual trust in a manner that is minimally intrusive and thus preserves invisibility. Privacy and trust are likely to be enduring problems in Mobile communication technology in the construction industry. 7. Conclusion The current usage of mobile communication in the construction industry brings many change improvements wished for within the industry by enabling point of activity workers to participate in the electronic flow of information using mobile technologies. Although this is not the only solution to the problems to be addressed, it does offer the potential of significant impact in reducing construction time and cost, defects, accidents, waste