PROJECT MANAGEMENT- The Scottish Parliament Building (Edinburgh) Essay

PROJECT MANAGEMENT- The Scottish Parliament Building (Edinburgh) - Essay Example The following paragraphs will explain the project management events from the point of view of managing risks, human resources and costs. Managing Costs After the project handover in 1998, the primary cost escalations came about. In the early 2000, there was a debate on the redesign of the project. This caused the space and budget requirement to go up (Fraser, 2004). Additionally, the cost further went up because Kenney granite was used in the construction and a foyer roof was constructed. It was initially estimated that the cost would be L50 million, however the cost went up by L17 million because of risk allowance provisions. On the 23 March 1999, it was submitted by the officials of the project that the total financial provision would reach L107 million (Bain, 2005) . The cost increases of the Scottish Parliament Building became highly controversial with time. The choices of location, design, architects and the choice of construction companies have been severely criticized by Scott ish people, the politicians as well as the media (Shenhar & Levy, 1997). The Scottish Parliament Building was supposed to open in 2001, but it opened in 2004, and moreover, the cost was initially estimated to be between ?10 million and ? 40 million; however the actual cost of the project was a staggering ?414m (Bain, 2005). The project was criticized by the public enquiry which was headed by Lord Peter Frazer. The enquiry concluded that the project was not successful and the cost management of the project along with the design changes was criticized by the enquiry (Shenhar & Levy, 1997). Managing Human Resources The procurement guidelines by the HM Treasury give an indication that the construction of the building required sound human resource management by the project management team (Fraser, 2004). Some of the important aspects mentioned in the guidelines included having a project team which had sufficient knowledge, resources and skills for matching the demands expected by the pro ject, having a chain of command which was clear and provide better basis for accountability and decision making, having proper arrangements for project monitoring and project appraisal, which includes budgetary control (Bain, 2005). The human resource department managing the construction of the Scottish Parliament Building had a team which had relevant skills as well as experience for the project; specifically the project sponsors and the project management had relevant skills and experience (White & Sidhu, 2005). In fact, the project management had a mixture of relevant experience and skills. What’s more, the advice from the Head of the Building Directorate and the chief architect in the Scottish Office was often taken by the management team (Fraser, 2004). Additionally, the human resource department inducted project sponsors and project owners who were senior and tenured administrative civil servants. The appointment of the project managers for the construction project was also on the basis of their specialist area and experience in the field of project management (Fraser, 2004). It was however questioned by the Auditor General whether it was an optimum mix of skills and experi

7.Is the world radically different from how it appears to be Explicate Essay

7.Is the world radically different from how it appears to be Explicate and assess Russells arguments for the distinction between appearance and reality, in Chapters 1 and 3 of his Problems of Philosophy - Essay Example To him, it is essential to clarify: first, if there is an external physical world, or is the world known merely an orderly combination of concepts and ideas; and secondly, the quality of knowledge held about the physical object. In this paper, we aim to provide a concise exploration of Russell’s ideas about reality and perception by going through his process of knowing, and the issues surrounding the authenticity of human awareness. Then, we assess his ideas by evaluating the strength of its logic from the metaphysical point-of-view. The self is able to connect with the external world through the senses. Knowledge, in this regard, starts with the experience of a physical object through seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or touching. What is obtained about the object is called sense-data, and what allows for the capturing of these data is called sensation. For example, in the self’s experience of an apple, its redness and smoothness are regarded to be the sense-data which are captured through sensation—by seeing and touching. Through this thinking, it can be further said that the mere presence of the physical object in the external world allows for the emergence of these sense-data, for if there is no apple to begin with, there would not be any redness or smoothness identified. Therefore, the process of knowing clearly distinguishes perception and reality. In the context of seeing and touching an apple, what appears to be the apple and its features are clearly separate from what the real apple is and its features. Building on the previous discussion, it can be said that the fundamental differences between perception and reality have led to the development of two critical issues: (1) the questioning of reality; and (2) the questioning of the truths obtained about the physical object. In expounding on these issues, we intend to establish, first

MGM P1 Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGM P1 Paper - Essay Example This essay will discuss various factors regarding a dismissed employee who claims that she was treated unfairly by being made to work overtime with no extra pay. The employee was a salaried exempt manager and is seeking $ 18,000 in unpaid overtime. This paper will discuss her probability of winning or losing and the case. The paper will also determine the amount of money that the company is may win or lose if the case goes to court, estimate the lawyers’ fees, amount of time lost by company personnel, list two unique factors to this scenario, consider long term effects and the psychological costs associated with this lawsuit. The probability if this dismissed employee winning the case is very low. The employee is highly likely to lose the case because of the status of her employment. The employee was a salaried exempt department manager. The reason as to why she is likely to lose the case is because salaried exempt employees are those who do not get paid for working overtime, even when they work a lot more than the regular hours (Duncan & Schroeder, 2007). With salary exempt employees whose jobs are 40 hours a week, they may be expected to work up to 168 hours a week without being paid extra for the job they have done. She is therefore unlikely to win the case because she is not entitled to overtime in the first place. The terms and conditions of a salaried exempt employee do not entitle him or her to overtime payments. She therefore has no right to demand overtime from her employer (Abrams, 2000). If the case goes to court, the company is less likely to lose any money. This is because the company was not wrong by not paying the employee her overtime because she is not entitled to overtime, being a salaried exempt employee (Abrams, 2000). Even though it is difficult to say with certainty the costs of lawsuits, if the company loses the lawsuit, it is likely to pay the employee any amount from $ 500,000 to $ 1,000,000, depending on the court, the amount of time taken to solve the lawsuit and the expenses incurred by the employee when filing the lawsuit. However, since the company is unlikely to lose the case, it is more likely to win some money from the employee. If the company wins the case, the employee will have to pay for the costs of the company’s lawyers and other litigation fees (Duncan & Schroeder, 2007). Lawyers’ fees in lawsuits are very expensive. Most defense lawyers are known to charge their clients on an hourly basis. This ranges from $ 100 to $ 350. The employee and the company may also be charged a flat rate of about $ 5,000 if the case does not take a long time, i.e. less than 15 hours with good lawyers (Duncan & Schroeder, 2007). Litigation fees may amount $ 50,000 or more because there are many charges involved in such a case. These include complaint filing fee which will be paid by both parties, motion filing fee, deposition fees, copies, experts and appeals if necessary (Abrams, 2000). The amount of time lost by the company personnel will depend on the professionalism and experience of the company’s lawyers. If the company hires good lawyers, the case can take a very short time of up to 15 hours because the lawyers are conversant with all the necessary steps to prepare and file a defense (Duncan & Schroeder, 2007). One factor that is unique with this case is the fact that the employee is a salaried exempt

Importance of Community in El Tonto Del Barrio Essay -- Tonto Del Barr

Importance of Community in El Tonto Del Barrio  Ã‚     Ã‚   The title of Jose Armas’ story, "El Tonto Del Barrio" (or "The Barrio Dummy"), may be interpreted two different ways. The first interpretation is literal and applies to the simple-minded Romero, who with the help of his community is able to function in the real world. The second interpretation is ironic; it applies to the Harvard-bound Seferino, who though he means well is so lacking in experience that he turns Romero’s world upside down and nearly gets him committed to an institution. Many readers see the second interpretation as the more interesting, but to see the story in this light is to overlook a very important element. This element is the significant role of the community that is the setting for this story. If we consider the importance of the community, Romero is justly the title character. Romero gives the community character through his positive attitude, and he is a great role model to the children in terms of his work ethic. In return, the neighbor s treat Romero with kindness, loyalty, and respect. In a successful community, everyone must work together and help one another. Sometimes there are people in the community who seem strange to outsiders. They may even seem strange to the community members. The more peculiar residents may be ridiculed and put down, but not in Romero’s community—he is both respected and well-treated, and in return he treats members of the community with consideration. In this way Romero’s situation demands the best of his community, and in demanding their best, he makes the community stronger. Although Romero was not quite normal, he has a mature attitude towards his job, and he always made sure his work was done thoroughly: "R... ... everyone is taught to help anyone who needs it and to respect everyone, no matter how odd he or she seems. These values come through strongly in Armas’ story. Overall, the reader can see that this community does band together to support Romero. Romero is a bit touched, but he manages to teach everyone in the town some important lessons. He exemplifies a work ethic that is probably stronger than any else’s in the community. Despite his affliction, Romero is always cheerful and full of vitality. Even though he is the "village idiot" by conventional definition, he is a blessing to this barrio. Works Cited Armas, Jose. "El Tonto Del Barrio." Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. NY: HarperCollins, 1991. 1137-1142. Works Consulted Armas, Jose. Cuban Consciousness in Literature: 1923-1974. Miami, Florida: Ediciones Universal, 1978.      

International Business Mnc Essay

Introduction Multi National Corporation engages in domestic and foreign product development. Sometimes the host country has a product (labor, ingredient, part, etc) that is rare or less costly than producing it in the home country; therefore establishing a Multinational Corporation is a win-win for the host country as far as supply, demand, labor and cost. Many corporations currently engage in Multinational Enterprise and are successful in their efforts. Having businesses that are active in MNC truly creates a global business community where mutual interests and product development are core to the needs of the customer, business and boost foreign economies with jobs, businesses and exporting goods. Country Economic system Political environment Legal environment Technological China Mixed economy Socialism Complex regulations Japan Mixed economy Capitalism Complexity France Mixed economy Capitalist/Socialist Complexity Ethical system Social responsibility indicators Cultural dimension Confucianism Laws & regulations Collectivism Laws & regulations Collectivism Laws & regulations Collectivism Product, Business Plan and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Acai berry is native to Central and South America and the plant is a great anti-oxidant that can be used for several purposes. My company, Natural Beauty, has partnered with Acai palm tree companies in Belize to provide the product and have manufacturing warehouses located in Belize. This foreign direct investment offers a win-win situation for all of the companies involved. We have chosen the downstream vertical FDI as a means to partner with Acai palm tree farms and companies in Belize. The home country is the U. S. and although the product is not sold in Belize however it is distributed in other countries such as the United States, Brazil, France, England, China, Japan, and Qatar. There are multiple advantages of an FDI as show in the ownership, location, and internalization (OLI) framework (Peng, 2011). Understanding the framework I understand that ownership allows for possession and leveraging of resources, value and other added components to allow a competitive market. The Location component ensures that we are close to our main ingredient with the product, that we are able to have labor, ingredients and manufacturing at the lowest cost available while providing a boost to the host countries local economy and creating global competition. We are in several countries which provide internalization and we have intellectual property rights over all of our products, processes and business plan. We protect our businesses by knowing our dissemination risks and safeguarding against them as much as possible. Since we know our dissemination risks we are able to safeguard against direct competitors that may branch out from local distributors. We also are aware of market imperfections and do our best through our international legal team to stay abreast of international trade, business and government regulations. We also have safeguards against agglomeration due to the international craze over the Acai berry, plant and trees. We do this through our contract clauses which state other companies cannot be located within a certain distance, city, or space as ours in host countries. Natural Beauty, Inc. understands the intricacies of business and politics, especially within an international structure. We are in no way operating as a monopoly or radical imperialist (Peng, 2011) business. We believe in free market and working with our host country partners to ensure that each of them are maximizing their capacity and invested in the good and services provided by our joint venture. It is important that the FDIs benefits outweigh the costs and it is truly a win-win for all parties involved. Cost and Benefits of FDI As we can only imagine, there are benefits and costs to both the host and the home countries involved in Multinational Corporation. The benefits for Belize are the capital inflow, technology, management and job creation. The other countries of distribution have the same benefits that boost local knowledge, economy and globalization. The costs for the host countries are loss of sovereignty, capital outflow, and competition. The largest benefit is creation of jobs and expanded knowledge. The largest cost is loss of sovereignty. The benefits for the host countries must outweigh the costs and only the local governments and direct companies involved can project overtime which is more beneficial for them. The benefits for the Natural Beauty in the U.S. are earnings, exports, and learning from abroad whereas the costs are capital outflow and job loss. The latter can be quite devastating if the proper precautions and business plans are not in place in addition to being aware of local/international politics. However job loss here means possible savings in salary/wages in other host countries where the earning are not as high which saves the company money. The largest benefits are earnings and learning from abroad. The largest cost is job loss and the political climate around American companies that take their businesses abroad (remember NAFTA). Another threat is that local business can learn your process and then become your largest competitor and they have the â€Å"home field† advantage. This is known as the contagion effect (Peng, 2011). We recognize that FDIs can be complex and must be mutually beneficial for all parties involved and therefore we make a conscientious effort to recognize the need for location advantages, licensing and outsourcing knowledge/expertise and understanding of constraints (political and business in order to be successful). Future of MNC The future of Multinational Enterprise is contingent upon true understanding of global communities and global business. Understanding that free market, consciousness and international trade laws will dictate most of the business efforts and establishments. Many companies are already engaging in MNC successfully (BMW, Coca Cola, etc) and those interested in exploring this option should create several case studies looking at the successful and not so successful efforts in this realm to learn from them. I think that host MNC countries participating in FDI should be careful not to lose their power and prestige in the name of partnering for monetary gain. It is easy for smaller less powerful countries to get lost in the MNC FDI advantage for the sake of job creation and boosting local economy; however not at the cost of their culture, citizens and green space (for those working with rainforest communities or those with precious agriculture). The future of MNC can be bright when all partie s involved are up front and conscious about maintaining and win-win business. References Peng, M., (2011). Global. 1st Edition; Mason, OH, Cengage Learning www.alibaba.com/†¦/CN/technological-environment.html Luthans, F., & Doh, J. P. (2012). International management: Culture, strategy, and behavior (8th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

Major Innovators of Early Motion Pictures

The first machine patented in the United States that showed animated pictures or movies was a device called the wheel of life or zoopraxiscope. Patented in 1867 by William Lincoln, it allowed moving drawings or photographs to be viewed through a slit in the zoopraxiscope. However, this was a far cry from motion pictures as we know them today. The Lumià ¨re Brothers and the Birth of Motion Pictures Modern motion picture making began with the invention of the motion picture camera.  French brothers Auguste and Louis Lumià ¨re are often credited with inventing the first motion picture camera, although others had developed similar inventions at around the same time. What the Lumià ¨res invented was special, however. It combined a portable motion-picture camera, film processing unit, and a projector called the Cinematographe. It was  basically a device with three functions in one. The Cinematographe made motion pictures very popular. It can even be said that Lumieres invention gave birth to  the motion picture era.  In 1895, Lumiere and his brother became the first to demonstrate photographic moving pictures projected onto a screen for a paying audience of more than one person. The audience saw ten 50-second films, including the Lumià ¨re brother’s first, Sortie des Usines Lumià ¨re à   Lyon (Workers Leaving the Lumià ¨re Factory in Lyon). However, the Lumiere brothers were not the first to project film. In 1891, the Edison company successfully demonstrated the Kinetoscope, which enabled one person at a time to view moving pictures. Later in 1896, Edison showed his improved  Vitascope  projector, the first commercially successful projector in the U.S. Here are some of the other key players  and milestones  in the history of motion pictures: Eadweard Muybridge San Francisco photographer Eadweard Muybridge conducted motion-sequence still photographic experiments and is referred to  as the  Father of the Motion Picture, even though he did not make films in the manner in which we know them  today. Thomas Edisons Contributions Thomas Edisons interest in motion pictures began prior to 1888.  However, the visit of Eadweard Muybridge to the inventors laboratory in West Orange in February of that year certainly stimulated Edisons resolve to invent a motion picture camera. Whereas film equipment has undergone drastic changes throughout the course of history, 35mm film has remained the universally accepted film size. We owe the format to a great extent to Edison. In fact, 35mm film was once called the Edison size. George Eastman In 1889, the first commercial transparent roll film, perfected by Eastman and his research chemist, was put on the market. The availability of this flexible film made possible the development of Thomas Edisons motion picture camera in 1891. Colorization Film Colorization was invented by Canadians Wilson Markle and Brian Hunt in 1983.   Walt Disney Mickey Mouses official birthday is November 18, 1928. Thats when he made his first film debut in  Steamboat Willie. While this was the first Mickey Mouse cartoon released, the first Mickey Mouse Cartoon ever made was  Plane Crazy  in 1928 and became the third cartoon released.  Walt Disney  invented Mickey Mouse and the multi-plane camera. Richard M. Hollingshead Richard M. Hollingshead patented and opened the first drive-in theater. Park-In Theaters  opened on June 6, 1933, in Camden, New Jersey. While drive-in showings of movies took place years earlier, Hollingshead was the first to patent the concept.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The IMAX Movie System The IMAX system has its roots in EXPO 67 in Montreal, Canada, where multi-screen films were the hit of the fair. A small group of Canadian filmmakers and entrepreneurs (Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor, and Robert Kerr) who had made some of those popular films decided to design a new system using a single, powerful projector rather than the cumbersome multiple projectors used at that time. To project images of far greater size and with better resolution, the  film is run horizontally so that the image width is greater than the width of the film.

Exploring Characters and Themes in A Good Man Is Hard to...

Exploring Characters in A Good Man is Hard to Find Flannery OConnor once said of her writing, All my stories are about the action of grace on a character that is not very willing to support it, but most people think of these stories as hard, hopeless and brutal. This statement is especially true when matched with OConnors A Good Man is Hard to Find, in which character plays such an essential role within the story. Through her characters, particularly the Grandmother and the Misfit, OConner manages to inject many elements; the characters embody symbols and themes such as OBriens message of Christianity. The primary character in this story is the Grandmother whose epiphany at the end of the story gives the†¦show more content†¦In many ways, Bailey becomes more of a tangible character later when he is led off and shot; in his absence, we are shown that the Grandmother does indeed love him as she desperately calls out Bailey Boy. She is condescending to her grandchildren as well, but in a more direct matter. There is humor to be found in their interactions, because she often reprimands them, but they have feelings of superiority to her. Her granddaughter, June Star, mirrors her Grandmother in certain manners--she too is rude and annoying but not it the same passive manner. June Stars brother John Wesley is depicted as relatively ordinary; his main function in the story is his eagerness to see the house that leads to the familys death, but like his sister he also provides quite a bit of humor. The Grandmothers superiority reaches far beyond her family. She reveals a racist and ignorant nature when she calls a poor Black child a pickaninny. At the barbecue restaurant the family stops at, she has a conversation with the owner, Red Sammy Butts about the problems the world is facing and they reminisce about better times. 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