Corparate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Corparate finance - Essay Example In the case of Hoad limited the capital investment is the resources needed to acquire new and replace old production equipment. Organizations should come up with efficient capital investment plans for how the budget should be allocated and how the financing will be acquired. An organization can obtain funds through two approaches namely equity and debt. Equity investments refer to a situation where the company offers ownership to investors or uses retained earnings to finance projects (Dow, 2009: p.91). In the case of Hoad limited, the retained earnings and issuing of more stock won’t be adequate to fund their intended capital expenditure. The other option that is viable to Hoad limited is the use of debts. Debt financing involves acquiring investors who receive a promise of future payments without acquiring ownership of the organization (Dow, 2009: p.91). Deciding on the best funding approach is relevant for Hoad Limited given that investment is a crucial component for organizations. Though markets may be the preferred mode of financing in developed countries for organizations, establishing an alternative finance option is critical in regions with underdeveloped stock exchange (Allen, Carletti, Qian, & Valenzuela, 2012: 4). In regions with under-developed stock exchange, a well-established system is crucial in exploiting the gains from trade. These opportunities ought to be matched with relevant funding based on the standard and non-standard sources and also domestic and international sectors. Before Hoad limited decides on the best approach to adopt in acquiring debts to finance the capital expenditure, the organization has to evaluate its capital structure and determine the best way forward. The business has to decide whether to use more equity or more debt in its capital structure (Dow, 2009: p.95). The company can increase its expected returns when the return from a capital investment is greater than the cost of

Exam 1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Exam 1 - Research Paper Example This event requires adequate replacement mechanisms for the economic continuity of the nation. Chronological trends indicate that replacement of the retired workforce has been a challenge to the regime. The low application turnout towards governmental vacancies has been attributable to the negative perspective from college graduates. The graduated professionals from colleges have a very low opinion towards serving the regime. Most of these seniors from college do not have a vivid understanding of government jobs. Additionally, the government takes an extremely lengthy duration to recruit a single employee. In this case, the government ought to implement strategies to attract college graduates and professionals towards the available posts in agencies. The government should shorten the recruitment span. This would entail superficial recruitment of workers without investigating the individual in great depths. A span of probation would determine whether the individual deserves the post. Additionally, the government should also educate the college graduates about serving in diverse posts. This would inculcate a new perspective of serving the government into the college graduates. Pay banding The General schedule has dictated on the compensation channels to the employees serving in the regime. Under the schedule, the level step of an employee determines the payment. The time of experience within the post determines the step of the employee. For instance, a one year old employee in service might belong to step one. This philosophy surfaced much focus on time spent in service, rather than an individual’s performance. Managers have minimal discretion, while technicians express immense authority within the urgency. The technicians decided the grade of equipment to a department in the agency. Pay band strategies performed a replacement of the General Schedule. These strategies oversaw the delegation of much authority and support to the managers. The strategies also focused on performance of an employee to determine payment. Pay banding initiated immense advantage even to the recruitment process. This system required new recruits to receive their pay according to their range within the agency. Consequently, it would appeal for more attention and attraction from the college graduates and talents. Evidently, this was a remedy to the concept of the General schedule. Category rating In this system, line managers have utmost authority towards the recruitment procedure. This system was a remedy to traditional methodologies of recruitment within agencies. The traditional methodologies used the philosophy of â€Å"rule of three.† According to this principle, the recruitment process involved picking three best candidates. This was regardless of the close performers of the top applicants. Category rating implemented a new strategy of grouping the applicants according to their performance. For instance, there would be clusters of â€Å"highly qua lified,† â€Å"qualified,† and â€Å"not qualified.† This would give the appointing manager a platform to choose an individual from the top category. Upon exhausting the first list, the manager has an alternative to choose from the subsequent category. This was an outstanding recommendation for the governmental agencies. The selection procedure is more accurate and fair. Question 2 Government agencies have the capacity of maintaining well-adjusted and trained workforce. The government

Blood Brothers Essay Example for Free

Blood Brothers Essay Blood Brothers is a play that is so dramatic it made me change my emotions form happy to sad in the space of 5 minutes. It highlights the differences between the upper and lower classes and covers the terrible dilemma of a mother who gives one twin away to another person who lives up the road, of a much higher class. It makes me wonder what I would do if I were in that situation. The emotions portrayed in the play are much more intense than those within the book. I think it was a good idea for us to have studied the play in class as we read through it and acted it out. This gave us a very good idea of what to expect within the performance at the theatre. While studying the play we looked at freeze frames and even produced a piece of coursework on one we did where we showed the deaths of both Mickey and Eddie and interpreted it in our own way. We also focused a lot on characterisation and really looked at trying to portray the emotions of the characters through our body language, facial expressions, proxemics, and movement. I feel this really helped when we went to go and see it as it made me focus on how the characters are portraying there emotions to the audience and how my way of showing the same emotion was done differently through a different character. Having heard the songs before and listened carefully to the words, made it much more emotional within the performance and really helped me understand the story and try and get inside the characters heads. The songs gave away a lot about the characters and also related the events happening with other things that have happened in the past. I really did enjoy going to see it, it made me realise how dramatic the play actually was. From reading the book it was easy to tell the storyline was dramatic, but from watching it made it so much more than just dramatic. The performances on stage were brilliant and had such emotion and feeling from each of the characters. The production is set in Liverpool and was written in the 1980s. Willy Russell uses the play to show how different levels of class can have a huge effect on peoples lives and chances in life. Mickey was kept by his mum but grew up in a lower class family and his lifestyle was always limited. He lived in a council house and had a poor education while he was growing up. Meanwhile Eddie his twin brother was given away and brought up by a middle class family and went on to a high education and he was the one who got the better job as a result. The conflict between the two classes was very significant and I think Willy Russell portrayed it very well as the two boys from completely different classes became best friends and he showed the difference in classes right from the beginning when they first meet all the way up until they were grown men. The way in which he raised honesty as an important issue within the play was very well done and told so much about the story and how it was all going to end. The way in which he keeps the secret about the boys throughout the whole play and they do not have a clue they are twins is just so dramatic as when they do find out within 2 seconds they are both dead. It leaves the other characters in belief that it was fate and this was all going to happen no matter what. I think the narrator is such an important character throughout the play as he watches everything fall into place and builds the tension up within the other characters throughout the play. In my view the narrator was the one who made everything happen, because every time a character did something drastic he was always there and they always looked at him just before anything happened. Mickey Mickeys social class is portrayed in this play through many different acting skills. His language used and his accent shows he was brought up in a lower class family with not much discipline. His actions also suggest he has not yet learnt write from wrong and needs a push in the write direction but the audience knows it will not happen as the surroundings and people he is growing up with are just like him. The way in which he interacts with others for example when he first meets Eddie illustrates the fact that he doesnt see Eddie as someone with a bigger authority or who is in a different class to him, but treats him just the same. The soon changes throughout the play and is shown by the way Mickey ends up wanting to be Eddie because he can see that Eddie has a better life. Although Mickey is in a lower class to Eddie, Mickey has much more awareness to the real world than Eddie does. This is shown by the way Mickey learns more about sex and other issues at a younger age than Eddie. Also Mickey grows up a lot quicker than Eddie and starts thinking about responsibilities and building a life while Eddie is still a young boy at heart who just wants to have fun all the time and stay a teenager. Mickey and Lindas relationship starts of with them just being kids and close friends, but then Mickey realises Linda loves him and he cant handle the fact that his childhood friend Linda who he used to throw rocks with and play his air pistol with is falling all over him, he shows his discomfort to this situation by blocking her out and never saying what he really feels. But he also knows he really likes her but doesnt want Linda to find out. When Mickey starts outlining his appearance this shows he is not dealing with puberty and he compares himself to Eddie but he doesnt know that Linda loves him and only sees his good qualities and looks past his bad ones. As Mickey and Linda grow up they eventually start going out and later on get married and have a child. Mrs Lyons Mrs Lyons is first portrayed as a rich snob who looks down on anyone that is a lower class than she is. Unfortunately she cannot have children but her maid, Mrs Johnstone cant stop having them. This gives Mrs Lyons the perfect opportunity to raise a child as her own so her views of Mrs Johnstone soon change and she now looks up to her in hope of a child. The way Mrs Lyons gets Mrs Johnstone to agree to this, is by offering her money something Mrs Johnstone does not have much of but Mrs Lyons has plenty. She makes Mrs Johnstone see how wonderful her life would be with more money and how her child would grow up better than she thought. By offering Mrs Johnstone money Mrs Lyons is still portraying her authority over Mrs Johnstone, as she knows that Mrs Johnstone will not be able to resist because she needs the money. Mrs Lyons language that is used is much more complex than Mrs Johnstone, and her accent is completely different Mrs Johnstones. This also portrays the levels of class and shows the audience just who has more power over who. Because Mrs Lyons has a much wider spread vocabulary selection she can easily persuade Mrs Johnstone to do just what she wants. As Mrs Lyons idea about her having her own child progresses her facial expressions and gestures are much more aware to everyone in the audience who are concentrating on just how much this means to her. As soon as Mrs Johnstone has had her twins, Mrs Lyons is straight away in her face attempting to get her baby. But Mrs Johnstones change of heart make Mrs Lyons that much more eager to have one and tells her that she swore on the bible and if someone finds out about this she will be in a lot of trouble. And warns her that if she tells either child he was once a twin something bad will happen, they say that if either twin learns that he once was a pair, they shall both immediately die, this means that they are going to grow up unaware of the others existence. This is where the fear of Mrs Johnstones superstition is added to the plot. As Edward Lyons grows up, Mrs Lyons fears of what she never wants to happen seem as if they are which turns her into a growing mad woman. Happenings start to evolve around the superstitious nature. It begins to affect the play, as the characters start to behave differently. Mrs Lyons is now haunted by the superstition and it ruins her life as she approaches a mental breakdown which the change in her behaviour is effected by the superstition of having a sold child. As Edward and Mickey grow up and become friends again, when they are older, this tips Mrs Lyons over the edge as she finds a locket with which contains a picture of Mickey and Mrs Johnstone inside which belongs to Edward. The thought of Mrs Johnstone giving her son Edward this sends Mrs Lyons into a panic and she just lashes out at Mrs Johnstone. The affect this has on the up coming events is just undescribable and she is to blame for the brothers to find out who they really are. This play is a fast pace performance and has quick scene changes, which sets of the play very nicely. Because there are quick scene changes you are able to see just how different the surroundings for the scenery for the Lyons house and the street in which The Johnstones live are. Because there isnt any scenery for inside of Mrs Johnstones house I think it is a very important detail that all they need is the surroundings outside there house just to see the difference of being in a lower class family is to the scenery of The Lyons house which is a middle class family in a nice house. You can tell the diffference in social class straight away with just the scenery in place never mind the acting. The street has graffetee everywhere broken glass in the windows and just portrays this image of a bunch of kids that hang around there with no respect for the place in which they live. But The Lyons house shows a nice big sofa, a table, very spacious rooms and a very nice family feel to the environment. When the families move to the country side theres a much clearer image that the move was good as there are views of fields and there isnt as much pollution and there is much more space to run around and play. I think the scenery plays a big part in the performance as it gives you an idea of the surroundings and how people react when they are placed somewhere they are not used to. The style of the music was superb, the way the tone and pitch of the music changed to what was happening on the stage was perfect timing. Also before I had seen the play I was wondering why Willy Russell thought so thouroughlly about the effect the music had on the actuall performance and after I had seen it I knew exactly why he chose the style of songs and words for the songs to be sang at each part of the pley. The music summed up most of the play. The style of music in some songs changed from an up beat happy song to a deeper more depressing song in a matter of minutes, I thought the idea of this was brilliant and you could really tell how the music effected the performers on stage. The band was situated of stage which I found dissapointing as in other theatres I had been told the band was on stage hidden by scenery but you could still see it which I think would of made the music more affective. And it would have been more of a part of the play if the band was on stage. Although the band was of stage you could still see them in front of the stage facing it. I thought the way the characters moved from speaking to singing was so clever as you could never tell when they were going to break out in song. I really liked the use of the soft music playing in the background while someone was speaking and then just a line was sung and then it went back to the character speaking again. That idea made me really focus on the importance of that one line that had to be sung. The loud music on the fast pace killing scenes was brilliant, I loved it. It really made me feel like I was involved with the action going on and also made the atmosphere a lot more tense. The costumes within the play are very significant to the character being played. Mickey always wore ripped, dirty clothes that didnt look like they fitted him, whilst Eddie was always smartly drest with his shirt tucked in to his trousers and his clothes were always clean and also looked as if they had been ironed. The costumes clearly establish time, age and economic circumstance. The styles of the clothes show that this play must have been set in the early 80s, as this was the fashion back then. Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnstone had a very different sense of fashion within the play. Mrs Lyons usually wore nice fitted suits that looked like they would of cost her a quite a bit of money, whilst Mrs Johnstone usually wore tatty flowery dresses, with stains over them and the colour looked as if it had been drained out of them. Linda usually wore really little amounts of clothing, as she was out to impress Mickey, and needed her character to look good in the clothes she wore but to also to show how much she really liked Mickey. Lindas wardrobe I think really reflected her personality and social status. It portrayed the life she was living as all the girls in her estate probably wore similar clothes. But if she were from a middle class family she would probably be wearing long skirts down to her ankles, or pretty dresses that made her look sweet. Through the course of this learning scheme we have been focusing on key moments in the play. The freeze frame at the beginning and also repeated at the end is a significant moment I think in the play. It sums up a lot about the characters and also tells a story without any movement or sound. In class we were told to remake this freeze frame as our own and interperate it how we wanted to. I think we did this really well and even though it was a lot different to the freeze frame performed at the theatre it was still very imaginative and a well thought out piece. When we went and watched the performance the way they showed this particular moment was I thought very well done, it had Mrs Johnstone in between her two sons who are lying on the floor dead and she had placed there hands together with hers and I think that is just a lovely way of showing the tragedy which has just occurred. This sets the tone for the rest of the play by showing what things are going to make this happen and how fate is going to play itself for the upcoming events. Throughout the performance all I could think about while the play was progressing was theres no hope its all going to end badly anyway. Although some people may think this isnt very effective as you know whats going to happen and the element of surprise is sometimes much better. But not in this play because everything that happens you know in the back of your head it is happening for a reason and you notice the mistakes the characters are making for the story to be told. Also every time there is a decision made or something occurs that you know shouldnt, you are sitting at the edge of your seat just wanting to shout out Stop, no dont do that! But it happens anyway and you know exactly why. After seeing this play I fell in love with all the characters even the bad ones and just wanted to be able to get up and start acting on there with them. I thought it was the most thought provoking play I had ever watched and I really didnt want it to end. The way it was performed was just phenomenal, I really felt as if I was inside each of the characters heads and I knew how they were feeling. I felt very attached to each of the characters as I had sat there and invested my time and energy into following these characters since they were seven years old. The simple, witty lyrics and light hearted scenes just draws you into the world of the families portrayed, and pulls you into a false sense of security which is then rapidly twisted in the second half to be made as a tragedy. I loved the way the adult actors played seven year olds they produced such lovely scenes and it added to the comedy of the play, which made the ending even more shattering than expected. I was so impressed when saw Anthony Costa from blue, playing Mickey in this production he was amazing at it and I think he added to the performance shown. The opportunity to go and watch this performance I think was fantastic. I have learnt a lot about the play and it has really helped me understand the characters within the play.

Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Concept Analysis

Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Concept Analysis Jin Thai, Chong In this assignment, the notion of Triple Bottom Line (TBL) reporting is being analysed critically. The definition of the term, created by John Elkington, as well as its concept and general principles (social, environment and economic lines) are discussed in this report. Representations of TBL in the Business and Government Organisations sectors are further explored with its five different interpretations: Wait and see, Packaging information for community right to know, stakeholder alignment, endorsing core principles, and holistic cultural perspective. The relationship between sustainable development and TBL is discussed in the report by considering the environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and social sustainability, with a backing example of the TBL Toolkit and the The Capital Works Sustainability Statement practiced in the city of Melbourne. The application of TBL in sustainable construction and its indicators of social and environmental, and economic performance us ed in the construction sector are also discussed in the report. Lastly, a case study has been done on Enviro-Cottage constructed in Spring Hill, Brisbane. The project has addressed TBL reporting considering the sustainable development and construction aspects. TABLE OF CONTENTS (Jump to) Introduction Principles of Triple Bottom Line Sustainable development Application of  TBL in sustainable construction Case study: Enviro-Cottage   Conclusion   Introduction Triple bottom line (TBL) reporting is becoming more common across many sectors of society. Although the concept was born out of the corporate and business world to report corporate social responsibility conveniently, it has been embraced by many organisations to give social and environmental agendas more prominence in the face of corporatist globalisation (Price, R n.d.). The term Triple Bottom Line was formed by John Elkington in 1997. Based in UK as a consultant to companies like BO, DuPont and the World Bank, John Elkington has been described by Business Week as a dean of the corporate responsibility movement for three decades (John Elkington 2010). Instead of the usual financial bottom line, Elkington define and expanded the baseline for measuring performance using social, environmental and economic bottom lines (Centre for ISA Information Sheet 7 n.d.). Elkington stated on his book, Cannibals with Forks that: The triple bottom line focuses corporations not just on the economic value they add, but also on the environmental and social value they add and destroy. At its narrowest, the term triple bottom line is used as a framework for measuring and reporting corporate performance against economic, social and environmental parameters (Elkington,, J 1998). Generally, Triple bottom line is an integrated management approach that consists of managing, measuring and publicly reporting performance in business and government sectors (Potts, T 2004). TBL also acts as a medium to discuss issues regarding the organisation and the community. According to A Tool For Measuring, Communicating, And Facilitating Change In Local Governments by Tavis Potts, TBL is a correspondence and process for reporting on sustainability and the results allow for communities to engage in an ongoing discussion. For sustainable organisations this means balancing the needs of the organisation against the environmental, economic and social factors, as depicted in Figure 1 to enhance the quality of life. Business Sector In the business sector, the growing tension between increased social values and conventional forms of value creation has forced consideration of sustainability (including TBL reporting). Pressure has been applied on organisations to be more socially and environmentally responsible in their pursuit of profit (Beilin, R Paine, M, Pryor R 2007). As an example, BP Australia reported that a TBL approach to business provides them with a sustainable competitive advantage and it is also in a good business sense to do so. It demonstrates to stakeholders the integrity of a business or industry, thus it improves its reputation, increases investor confidence and enhances marketing and profit opportunities. Governments Sector Similarly to businesses, local governments have adopted the TBL in response to community concern about issues of environmental sustainability. In the governments sector, the field of organisational accountability has broadened. Government organisations must now consider the wider impacts of their practices on other local, regional, national and even global stakeholders (Beilin, R Paine, M, Pryor R 2007). Growing government interest in corporate social and environmental responsibility is expressed in policy at local, State and Federal levels. TBL reporting has changed the appearance of the role of government in regulating private businesses and industries. Further, TBL has come to demonstrate good public relations in government organisations with its integrated focus on social, environmental and economic outcomes of practice. Principles of Triple Bottom Line The three vital aspects of corporate and government performance are based on Triple Bottom Line are the economic, social and environmental lines. TBL is also interpreted in 5 ways in business and governments sectors. The Economic Bottom Line The economic bottom line is the organisations record of economic performance (revenue and profit) and integrity. Even though the companies make profits in the business, profit is treated as the economic benefit for the enjoyment of the employees and community as a whole within a sustainability framework. The Social or People Bottom Line The social bottom line is the organisations record of social or people performance as it affects employees, consumers, and communities. This also refers to fair, ethical, and beneficial business practices toward employees, community, and country in which a corporation performs its business. The Environmental Bottom Line The environmental bottom line is the organisations record of performance as it considers all the issues related with environmental concerns. The goal of 21stà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ century companies is not only to help protect the environment by producing green or environmentally responsible products but also to have their own sustainable, environmentally-sound business operating practices. Organisations are expected to function in an environmentally responsible approach, through initiatives such as taking steps to reduce their own environmental footprint, consuming less energy and little or no non-renewable resources and producing less waste. Five interpretation of TBL Five broad categories capture the current diverse state of TBL performance measurement and reporting in Australia according to Triple Bottom Line Measurement and Reporting In Australia. The five categories are more to show the diverse business rationales and analysis of community expectations for triple bottom line measuring and reporting (Suggett, D, Goodsir, B 2002). Wait and see Wait and see is the category where organisations are satisfied with their present approaches to communication and accountability. Examples of such companies are Fosters and Woolworths. This may due to the fact that a change is not necessary in their business priorities, as well as a sense of potential benefit as it is still early in their business to use the TBL approach without understanding the directions of the business. Packaging information for community right to know By observing the community right to know attitude and supporting the notion of greater responsibility to the community for their business performance, other organisations make an obligation to their stakeholders to be open and transparent. To meet this commitment, they collect and package internal information or report for external audience. This report shows the values they seek to meet, their performance against those standards and a description of their activities. Examples of companies practising this approach of TBL in environmental reporting are Wesfarmers and Orica. As they continue to collect data, report on and verify approaches, those organisations do not see that a change in approach is required to embrace social or economic scopes. Stakeholder Alignment This approach analyses the relationship between stakeholders expectations and corporate strategy. In order for TBL reporting to derive maximum value, it is necessary that the information reported aligns with business strategy and objectives and accurately reflects the focus of the company activity. This serves to strengthen the significance of companies developing indicators in a structured way that reflects their objectives and the requirements of key stakeholder groups. As the stakeholders could be the shareholders, investors, employees, customers, suppliers, the community and government, organisations practicing this approach will be required to set up new management systems and in a long run is intensive on the business resource. One example is the WMC. WMC continues to expand in this direction and a number of other companies have embarked on the first steps, such as Westpac and ANZ. Endorsing Core Principles A few organisations outline their response to stakeholder expectations into values that guide their business activity: sustainability principles. Examples of organisations are Rio Tinto and Shell. This approach is directed at integrating these core principles into management practices. Holistic Cultural Perspective Organisations in private ownership define their business purpose and their commitment to sustainability values and accountability as a whole. Their business success depends on this cultural perspective. The Body Shop is the often-quoted example and the Co-operative Bank in the United Kingdom. Sustainable Development Sustainability is a pattern of resource use that aims to simultaneously meet human needs and preserve the environment so that these needs can be met not only for the present generation, but also for future generations. Sustainable development ties together the concern for the carrying capacity of natural systems with the social challenges (Sustainable construction gives a competitive edge n.d). Conceptually, sustainable development can be broken down into three constituent parts: Environmental sustainability Economic sustainability Social sustainability Sustainable development is often portrayed as the act of balancing economic, ecological and social concerns, and the TBL is commonly used internationally to prove corporate performance on sustainability and its approach to sustainable development in the corporate world. However, in sustainable development, TBL also concentrates on the external structure of development and excludes the internal structure of development. In other words, TBL also focuses on technological, economic and institutional development while excluding cultural and personal development (Riedy, C 2003). As an example, the City of Melbourne is using TBL approach to accomplish the goal of sustainable development. The city has developed a TBL Toolkit which includes checklists, guidelines, templates and case studies for the application of TBL decision-making and reporting (Triple-Bottom-Line Evaluation Approach Shows Promise for Local Government 2004). Part of this tool is the The Capital Works Sustainability Statement and it is a rating system that recognizes the degree to which a project contributes to the Councils sustainability objectives. The Capital Works tool is being applied to different ways, such as the bidding of capital works, budget approval process, and evaluating criteria against of capital works. Through this TBL approach, councils are able to demonstrate responsibility and transparency in decision making and administration. Moreover, TBL approach in the public sector including local government has helped to develop global standards and procedures in reporting decisions at all levels (Triple-Bottom-Line Evaluation Approach Shows Promise for Local Government 2004). Application of  TBL in Sustainable Construction Construction activities worldwide consume 40 per cent of all raw material exploited globally (Sustainable construction gives a competitive edge n.d.). For this reason, the use of sustainable building materials can help improve the global environment significantly. The public demand for sustainable solutions is growing, and in the years to come, contractors who are able to document sustainable methods will have a strong presence in the market. In order to make construction sustainable, one has to practise TBL in order to consider the environmental impacts of extraction, transportation, processing, fabrication, installation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of these materials. It is easy to understand why TBL has received acceptance in sustainable construction. Indicators of social and environmental performance are used to diversify work and practices of construction sector. TBL allows organisations to assess quantitatively and qualitatively how they are achieving their key performance indicators (Triple Bottom Line: A Ticket to the Game Or The Emperors New Clothes? 2005). TBL has been applied to the construction sector in the UK where the phrase Sustainable Construction has been coined. The UK Government is seeking to apply sustainable development practices to the construction industry. Leading construction companies in the UK, USA and Europe now report annually on social and environmental performance as well as financial performance. Jim Lammie, director of Parsons Brinckerhoff in a speech on sustainability of 8 September 2004 said that over 77% of construction companies in the UK had a sustainable development policy to deal with regulation, competitive edge, client policy, enhanced reputation, legal risks and future investments as well as addressing ethical obligations. Lessons from the construction industry overseas have a place for Australian construction companies who want to outperform their counter-parts in a society becoming increasingly aware of such issues. Implementing daily practices to elicit performance under TBL can be as simple as adop ting recycling programs, giving to the workforce through university sponsorship programs and adopting best practice voluntary standards. When a full assessment of practices are made construction players may find that they are already carrying out sustainable practices but are not reaping the reward through reporting their practices to stakeholders. Truly sustainable construction practices may mean assessing projects and work practices with TBL in mind (Triple Bottom Line: A Ticket to The Game Or The Emperors New Clothes? 2005). The triple bottom line concept of sustainable construction could be achieved through the application of sustainable design principles at early stages of planning and construction. By making these decisions earlier, it creates a building which is safer, secure, flexible, comfortable, environmentally-friendly and cost-efficient in the long-run. A sustainable construction project should be designed and constructed to take account of the principles of sustainable design which is to balance the social, environmental and economic aspects (Sustainable Homes Triple bottom line 2008). The triple bottom line approach to sustainable construction is a balanced integration of design factors that consists of social, environmental and economic sustainability. Social Sustainable buildings are designed for the people considering access, safety, security; it is a design that considers the clients future needs throughout various stages of lives, such as young families, older residents or residents with varying disabilities. Sustainably constructed buildings are safe, easily adaptable to suit a diverse range of needs and comfortable for people with varying abilities at different stages of their lives. This is especially relevant considering the elderly amongst our ageing population (Sustainable Homes Triple bottom line 2008). Socially sustainable construction can also strengthen social networks and allow people of every age and ability to participate in their community throughout their life. An aesthetically pleasing and stimulating built environment will reinforce the sense of well being of residents and people in the local community of the building. Under the social aspect of TBL reporting, the local society and streetscape should also be considere d in order to ensure considerate development, enhancement of the streetscape and the community function (Triple bottom line in housing n.d.). Environmental Sustainable construction are resource-efficient by incorporating sustainable and efficient management of water, energy and waste with other features such as passive solar design by considering the orientation, ventilation, insulation, shading and building materials (Sustainable Homes Triple bottom line 2008). Resource efficiency is also related to water efficiency in the building, waste management of materials used during construction, and energy efficiency by practising good passive design and high star-rated green technology appliances and lights. It is also associated with the reduced usage of greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption. Local market for materials should be considered as well (Triple bottom line in housing n.d.). Besides that, resource efficiency also means lifestyle benefits for residents of the buildings as the thermal comfort is improved (social sustainability) and affordable running costs for the home (economic sustainability). Economic Economic sustainability of TBL reporting means designs and construction which are more cost-efficient in a long-run, considering the selection of low maintenance materials. Extra expense during construction should be provided for longer term operating cost savings as it is important to obtain the choices of design and material right the first time as it eliminates the need to make additional costly changes to the construction later. Besides that, installation of solar panels or water tanks will also increase the value of the property (Triple bottom line in housing n.d.). During the selection of building material, suppliers should consider the materials from local market. It is to optimise costs through reduced transportation expenses to the site (Sustainable Homes Triple bottom line 2008). Sustainable construction could become cost-efficiently over time by improving the design and construction features and the use of low-maintenance materials. Usage of appliances with high energy-star ratings that reduce the ongoing costs of running the home should be encouraged. By practicing sustainable construction, energy and water bills are lowered and potential future modification costs are greatly reduced, thus making the home more adaptable and flexible over its life cycle. Case study: Enviro-Cottage Enviro-Cottage is constructed in Spring Hill, Brisbane. It was built as a workers cottage in the late 1800s. During 2008, the houses were transformed from a traditional Brisbane cottage into a sustainable development for inner-city living. Enviro-Cottage as shown in Figure 2 is not a new, purpose-built house unlike other display homes. It is a renovation project that highlights the simple, technological and the necessary construction methods to help make a home more efficient by using less electricity, water and other resources, while improving how people live in the available space. Some of the ideas are very simple and easy to apply in any home renovation or construction projects to reduce its environmental footprint. Examples of sustainable construction methods used are passive design, thermal mass and solar orientation (Enviro-Cottage n.d.). Other revolutionary sustainable ideas are the installation of solar cell technology, water tank and grey water systems, glass technology, kitchen and laundry appliances, taps and showers, insulation, flooring, paints and other finishes, heating and cooling systems, and energy efficient lighting. The Spring Hill Enviro-Cottage Project has addressed the TBL reporting (Triple bottom line in housing n.d). Examples of the Enviro-Cottage TBL report considerations included in the sustainable development and construction according to Our Brisbane are: Social sustainability Enviro-Cottage is constructed to be multi-purpose. Its multi-use design is suitable for people from different background, such as families, users with disabilities, and elderly people. The cottage is constructed using the local Tuff stone to tie to Spring Hills heritage and preservation of the heritage streetscape Open front aspect to connect with local street life Open design to aid easy internal and external surveillance High security features to all doors and windows with simple and consistent locking systems The set back garage is designed and constructed to de-emphasise the role of the car Addition of two off-street parking options takes two cars off the crowded local street Preservation of the heritage streetscape Environmental sustainability The constructed building maximize the use of passive solar design features, such as implementing natural energy flows, and minimising the scale of overlaid systems lighting, cooling etc. There is no air conditioning or other mechanical heating or cooling systems required in the design. Rainwater is being capture, used, recycled and re-used as much as possible, inclusion of grey water processing system. Generation of required energy needs through onsite photovoltaic system and where possible provision of clean renewable energy back to the community. During construction, environmentally preferred materials are used (Eg. no use of rainforest or old growth forest products). Existing 1800s building are renovated to reduce consumption of new materials Materials with a lifespan equivalent to the projected life of the building are used during construction. Local products and materials are sourced where possible, thus minimising energy used to transport materials. Economic sustainability Enviro-Cottage practises passive solar design and the environmental- friendly products will take future operating costs down to a minimum. Modular design, flexible usage model, and choice of long lifespan materials selected to build the house will minimise any necessities for future renovations, thus decreasing ongoing construction costs. The Enviro-Cottage project has demonstrated sustainable development through TBL reporting and the project signified sustainable living ideas, solution and options which can be part of most constructions even when it is challenged with the many constraints facing such renovations such as council building codes, existing dwelling condition and design, and smaller block sizes. Conclusion In conclusion, the TBL concept demonstrates responsibility to stakeholders in terms of economic, social and environmental impact. The idea behind TBL reporting is sustainable success which will benefit the organisations. Benefits include better reputation and increased confidence, benchmarked performance, increased operational efficiency, stakeholder satisfaction, as well as improved risk management of the business. TBL reports may have different representations in the business and government sectors, and each of the sectors has different interpretation of TBL. TBL reporting is one way organisations can add value to their daily practices of their business. In terms of sustainable development and construction, TBL is the union of the three constituent parts social, environment, and economic. TBL is commonly used to prove corporate performance on sustainability as it covers accountability in an economic, social and environmental sense.

Analysis of Dickinson’s I heard a Fly buzz - when I died Essay

Analysis of Dickinson’s I heard a Fly buzz - when I died Emily Dickinson wrote hundreds of poems during her lifetime that dealt with death. She seemed to have an almost morbid fascination with the subject. Her poem "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" is one of the many poems she wrote about this ghastly topic. The symbols she used make this poem interesting because they can be interpreted on more than one level. The punctuation and capitalization used also give the poem an abstract quality. Like much of Dickinson's poetry, this poem is both startling and somber. One thing that stands out about this poem is that the word fly is capitalized throughout. It makes one wonder what the fly actually represents. Flies often gather around death and dead things, and on one level, the fly can be seen as a representation of death. Death, the perpetual fly on the wall, is finally making itself noticed. Although the speaker has always known that death is going to come, when it finally arrives, its modest appearance is disappointing. The fly can also be seen as an interruption in the narrator's process of dying. The fly can be heard buzzing above the "Stillness in the Room." The fly also comes between the speaker and the light in the last stanza of the poem, which is another disturbance in the speaker's dying process. The fly can also be seen in an ironic light. The speaker, like all of us, is expecting death to be an important, grandiose experience in our lives. Her own death, however, is interrupted by something as insignificant as a fly. The insignificant quality of the fly could represent the commonplace nature of death and the relative irrelevance of the death of one person. The fly is unimportant, an... ...e describing a sort of spiritual death, since she talks about the fly cutting her off form the light, which could represent God. This interpretation has some difficulties, however, since family members probably would not be present during a spiritual death. (Dickinson 1146) Dickinson's poetry is both thought provoking and shocking. This poem communicates many things about Dickinson, such as her cynical outlook on God, and her obsession with death. It is puzzling to me why a young lady such as Emily Dickinson would be so melancholy, since she seemed to have such a good life. Perhaps she just revealed in her poetry that dark side that most people try to keep hidden. Works Cited: Dickinson, Emily. "I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died." The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Vol. 1, 2nd Edition. Ed. Nina Baym, et al. New York: W.W. Norton, 1985

Inclusion in the Classroom Essay -- essays papers Education Special Ne

Inclusion in the Classroom Inclusion can be defined as the act of being present at regular education classes with the support and services needed to successfully achieve educational goals. Inclusion in the scholastic environment benefits both the disabled student and the non-disabled student in obtaining better life skills. By including all students as much as possible in general or regular education classes all students can learn to work cooperatively, learn to work with different kinds of people, and learn how to help people in tasks. â€Å"As Stainback, Stainback, East, and Sapon-Shevin (1994) have noted, ‘...the goal of inclusion in schools is to create a world in which all people are knowledgeable about and supportive of all other people,’† (Whitworth, 1999) Of the many benefits aspects for children placed in inclusion classrooms, there is none more important than the academic benefits. One way that students benefit is by learning skills of independence. Special needs students learn to depend on themselves first and then ask for help when they really need it. In the inclusive setting there won’t be as much of an opportunity for teachers or aids to assist all of the students. All children are taught through new and sometimes improved methods when put into an inclusion classroom. Teachers , through training, will learn different methods of teaching concepts that may make it easier for students to understand. Difficult concepts in math, such as volume, may be taught in a new and easy to understand way. In a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University (Success For All) it was determined that in an inclusion setting â€Å"assessments showed improved reading performance for all students, the most dramatic improvements o... ...d students gain better life skills and a better understanding of others. Reference List: Walker, K. E., & Ovington, J. A. (1998, September 6). Inclusion and its effects on students. Electric Journal for Inclusive Education, Vol. 1 Ed. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2002, from http://www.cehs.wright. edu/~prenick/JournalArchives/Winter-1999/inclusion.html Whitworth, J. W. (1998). A model for inclusive teacher preparation. Electric Journal for Inclusive Education, Vol. 1 Ed. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2002, from http://www.cehs.wright.edu/~prenick/ JounalArchives/Winter-1999/whitworth.html Stout, Katie S.(2001, November 5). Special education inclusion. Wisconsin Education Association Council.Retrieved November 28, 2002, from http://www.weac.org/resource/june96/speced.htm Special education in the regular classroom.(1969). New York, NY: The John Day Company, Inc. Inclusion in the Classroom Essay -- essays papers Education Special Ne Inclusion in the Classroom Inclusion can be defined as the act of being present at regular education classes with the support and services needed to successfully achieve educational goals. Inclusion in the scholastic environment benefits both the disabled student and the non-disabled student in obtaining better life skills. By including all students as much as possible in general or regular education classes all students can learn to work cooperatively, learn to work with different kinds of people, and learn how to help people in tasks. â€Å"As Stainback, Stainback, East, and Sapon-Shevin (1994) have noted, ‘...the goal of inclusion in schools is to create a world in which all people are knowledgeable about and supportive of all other people,’† (Whitworth, 1999) Of the many benefits aspects for children placed in inclusion classrooms, there is none more important than the academic benefits. One way that students benefit is by learning skills of independence. Special needs students learn to depend on themselves first and then ask for help when they really need it. In the inclusive setting there won’t be as much of an opportunity for teachers or aids to assist all of the students. All children are taught through new and sometimes improved methods when put into an inclusion classroom. Teachers , through training, will learn different methods of teaching concepts that may make it easier for students to understand. Difficult concepts in math, such as volume, may be taught in a new and easy to understand way. In a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University (Success For All) it was determined that in an inclusion setting â€Å"assessments showed improved reading performance for all students, the most dramatic improvements o... ...d students gain better life skills and a better understanding of others. Reference List: Walker, K. E., & Ovington, J. A. (1998, September 6). Inclusion and its effects on students. Electric Journal for Inclusive Education, Vol. 1 Ed. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2002, from http://www.cehs.wright. edu/~prenick/JournalArchives/Winter-1999/inclusion.html Whitworth, J. W. (1998). A model for inclusive teacher preparation. Electric Journal for Inclusive Education, Vol. 1 Ed. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2002, from http://www.cehs.wright.edu/~prenick/ JounalArchives/Winter-1999/whitworth.html Stout, Katie S.(2001, November 5). Special education inclusion. Wisconsin Education Association Council.Retrieved November 28, 2002, from http://www.weac.org/resource/june96/speced.htm Special education in the regular classroom.(1969). New York, NY: The John Day Company, Inc.

Confrontation

Cindy Xin Wang MBA 5500 Managing Confrontation Writing Assignment 1 Mar. 25th, 2010 Confrontation: Based on My Personal Experience Confrontation is never a pleasant process for both the one who conducts the action and the one who is confronted with. According to the textbook, crucial confrontation is defined as face-to-face accountability discussions with the aim to address and close the gap between expectations and actual performances. The gap is usually violated expectations, broken promises, or poor performances. Confrontation is not a simple discussion but deals with an urgent high-steak issue. The differences between what was promised or expected and what actually happened are very common in real life. Most of the time, however, people try to avoid confronting others even though they want to hold someone accountable. They believe the action is either unnecessary or unaffordable. After the first lectures in this class, I began to realize that some confrontations do not necessarily to be unpleasant. Some confrontations could be very effective and helpful in improving results and relationships if conducting well. Before confronting people, first, we need to analyze the consequences of either confronting or not confronting this person. Then we need to identify the real issue by unbundling with CPR (context, patter, and relation), and distill to a single sentence for the whole situation. Then we can make a decision on whether to confront this person or not. Also, to master confrontations, we need to avoid silence, violence, and hogs. This paper will discover a potential confrontation that has troubled me for quite a long time, and use the skills that I learned in this class to examine the situation and decide whether to conduct confrontation or not. The issue that bothers me for a long time is a grading discrepancy with a professor. I took that class year. I got 89. 6% of that class. Most of the students in that class were the same major with me and we’ve know each other very well. The score that I disagree with is the participation points. The grading policy was the quality of the I thought I was misjudged as Confrontation Cindy Xin Wang MBA 5500 Managing Confrontation Writing Assignment 1 Mar. 25th, 2010 Confrontation: Based on My Personal Experience Confrontation is never a pleasant process for both the one who conducts the action and the one who is confronted with. According to the textbook, crucial confrontation is defined as face-to-face accountability discussions with the aim to address and close the gap between expectations and actual performances. The gap is usually violated expectations, broken promises, or poor performances. Confrontation is not a simple discussion but deals with an urgent high-steak issue. The differences between what was promised or expected and what actually happened are very common in real life. Most of the time, however, people try to avoid confronting others even though they want to hold someone accountable. They believe the action is either unnecessary or unaffordable. After the first lectures in this class, I began to realize that some confrontations do not necessarily to be unpleasant. Some confrontations could be very effective and helpful in improving results and relationships if conducting well. Before confronting people, first, we need to analyze the consequences of either confronting or not confronting this person. Then we need to identify the real issue by unbundling with CPR (context, patter, and relation), and distill to a single sentence for the whole situation. Then we can make a decision on whether to confront this person or not. Also, to master confrontations, we need to avoid silence, violence, and hogs. This paper will discover a potential confrontation that has troubled me for quite a long time, and use the skills that I learned in this class to examine the situation and decide whether to conduct confrontation or not. The issue that bothers me for a long time is a grading discrepancy with a professor. I took that class year. I got 89. 6% of that class. Most of the students in that class were the same major with me and we’ve know each other very well. The score that I disagree with is the participation points. The grading policy was the quality of the I thought I was misjudged as