Freud And Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Essay - 2531 Words

Freud And Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist and at the forefront of the humanist movement in psychology, proposed a theory concerning basic human motivations that are based upon a hierarchy of needs. (Boeree 1998, 2006) Often described or pictured as a pyramid, basic physiological drives like thirst, hunger and sleep, as well as the need for safety, shelter and some feeling of security are the motivational needs that occupy the bottom tiers of the pyramid.. They provide the foundation for higher levels of needs to become present and available that the individual is aroused or driven to attain. Once those physiological and safety needs are met then the individual looks to love and be loved, to belong†¦show more content†¦While the constraints of brevity in paper length and the minimal knowledge held by the author of the life of Sigmund Freud does not do justice to the complex person that is Freud, we can still hopefully garner a better understanding of Maslows hierarchy of need s and the person that is Sigmund Freud. While concerning ourselves more with Freud the person, as opposed to how his work or theories might fit into Maslows pyramid, lets move Freud through the five original levels of Maslows hierarchy and see what we might learn of both Maslows theory, and Sigmund Freud. Maslows foundation tier, the one upon which all others are built upon, is the physiological need. Air to breathe, food and water, and adequate sleep are all basic biological needs that the individual must have met. Not only to be motivated by the next level of need in the hierarchy, but to survive. The bodys biological drives to fulfill these needs will predominate all other activities, as the very life of the organism is at stake. ( Boeree 1998, 2006) Built just atop these most basic of biological needs is a need for safety. Shelter is imperative for the survival and growth of the individual and her immediate loved ones. Beyond just shelter, however, the safety need motivates theShow MoreRelatedMaslows Hierarchy of Needs Essay1247 Words   |  5 Pagesmotivations that was based upon a hierarchy of needs. Basic physiological drives like thirst, hunger and sleep, as well as the need for safety, shelter and some feeling of security are the motivational needs that must first be met. They provide the foundation for higher level of motivations to become present and available as needs the indvidual is aroused to attain. Each higher order of motivational need is built upon a more basic need. After physiological and safety needs are met then the individualRead MorePersonality Paper1187 Words   |  5 Pagesbecause of the movie, â€Å"A Beautiful Mind†. Taking a look at John Nash and his personality and how psychologists, such as Jung and Freud would see John Nash through their diagnoses. Also taking a look at how different theories would go up against John Nash and his everyday life. The different theories that will be looked at are the Five-factor model and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. John Forbes Nash John Nash â€Å"is by now arguably the best-known living scholar to have done serious academic work on economicRead MoreAbraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory Essay1019 Words   |  5 PagesAbraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs is one of the first theories of motivation and probably the best-known one. It was first presented in 1943. in Dr. Abraham Maslow’s article A Theory of Human Motivation in Psychological Review, and was further expanded in his book â€Å"Toward a Psychology of Being†. Maslow tried to formulate a needs-based framework of human motivation. His research was based upon his clinical experiences with humans, rather than priorRead MoreThe Theory And The Psychoanalytic Theory1475 Words   |  6 Pagesbattling to explain these dynamic ideas. Of these theories, is the unorthodox Psychoanalytic theory, developed by the Sigmund Freud, and the Humanistic theory, advanced by Abraham Maslow. The psychoanalytic theory was first devised in 1886, and was used to explain behaviours in terms of their interaction with the various components of personality. In the beginning, Freud divided the human mind into the three parts; the conscious – the part that contains our present feelings and thoughts, the preconsciousRead MoreThe Psychodynamic And Humanistic Perspective1640 Words   |  7 Pagescharacteristics that give both consistently and individuality to a person’s behaviour† (Feist, pg. 4). The two perspectives we will be exploring are the psychodynamic and the humanistic perspective. The psychodynamic theory; influenced by the work of Sigmund Freud; stresses that our unconscious mind plays a major part in an individual’s personality, whereas, the humanistic theory; influenced by the work of Abraham Maslow; focuses on free will and experience in the development of personality. I chose these twoRead MorePersonality, Cognitive, And Humanistic Perspect ives Essay1373 Words   |  6 PagesSigmund Freud (1856-1939). Freud was one of the first psychologists to discuss the unconscious mind and its role in behaviour. Freud believed that there are three levels of consciousness and used the comparison of an iceberg to describe them. The unconscious mind which exist outside of your awareness at all times. Freud argued that this part was one of the most important aspects of personality (McLeod, P. 2014). It like an ice berg the most important part you cannot see from this Freud believesRead MorePsychodynamic approach: the basics1202 Words   |  5 Pagesof development and explain how it accounts for the psychological development, health and behaviour of the individual. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was considered the founding father of the psychodynamic approach. Psychodynamic theory is a view that explains personality in terms of conscious and unconscious forces, such as unconscious desires and beliefs, Sigmund Freud proposed a psychodynamic theory according to which personality consists of the id, the superego and the ego (Chegg. (2003). DefinitionRead MoreTaking a Look at Personality Theories777 Words   |  4 Pagesof Neurotic Needs. Freud’s theory of Psychosexual talked about how personality develops during childhood. Erikson’s theory of Psychosocial Development is best-known for describing the impact social experiences has throughout the whole lifespan. And at last, Horney’s theory of Neurotic Needs focused on neurosis and how basic anxiety can be caused by interpersonal relationships. I believe the Psychoanalytic theory was probably the most influential force because it was inspired by Freud and was expandedRead More A Deconstruction of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Essay793 Words   |  4 Pagesmisfit in society.   He is often unaware of the world around him and reacts in what others would call a negative way to those situations he actually responds to.   However, close examination of the text used by James Thurber to portray him prompts a need to deconstruct the character Walter Mitty.   In doing so, we find that, far from being a misfit, he is actually the one member of society that is truly sound. To determine that he is truly unique, we must first show that Mitty has elevated himselfRead MoreMaslow and Jung: Life and the Workplace955 Words   |  4 PagesWorkplace We work, strive, succeed, and sometimes we fail. What drives us to succeed, or in some cases keeps us from success? Perhaps a better understanding of our motives, and the motives of our colleagues would help us make the personality changes we need to succeed. The way we interact with others in the workplace and our personal life may be improved. The Freudian theories opened our minds to many of our odd behaviors but did little to provide methods of self-examination. Very few of us have the

Corporate Governance and Social Responsibilities

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Governance and Social Responsibilities. Answer: Introduction This study is based on the subject area of corporate governance and social responsibility. In order to get better knowledge over the subject, the case study of James Hardie is selected for this study. The analysis of the case study of James Hardie provides a clear view of the corporate responsibilities and corporate governance activities of a business organization. In this study, the corporate governance responsibilities, corporate governance issues as well as the actions taken by the stakeholders of James Hardie are evaluated and analyzed in the answers of six different questions. At the end of the study, the conclusion is derived by jotting down the findings in overall study. Identifying various stakeholders of James Hardie and corporate governance responsibilities of the company Stakeholder Group of James Hardie Corporate Governance Responsibilities Owed by Directors of James Hardie Employees The primary corporate governance responsibility of the directors at James Hardie is providing healthy working environment at the workplace. At the same time, it is also the duty or corporate governance responsibility of the directors to inform the employees about the possible harm while working within the organization (Tricker 2015). Apart from these, the directors at James Hardie are also responsible for ensuring sufficient compensation package that will be given to the employees for any kind of physical damage caused by the activities of the company (Azeez 2015). Investors The directors of James Hardie also have some corporate governance responsibilities towards the investors. The first corporate governance responsibility is to provide all relevant information related to the business activities and financial position of the company to the investors. Along with that, it is also the responsibility of the directors to file the actual return on the investments on time in the annual report of the company (Galloway 2016). Shareholders Towards the shareholders, the directors of the company are also responsible. It is the corporate governance responsibility of the directors to provide all information in detail to the shareholders along with the investors. At the same time, the cost structure of the company and the investments made by the company in different areas are also needed to be disclosed to the shareholders (Moerman and van der Laan 2015). Apart from that, the directors also need to provide the pros and cons of the business activities of the company to the shareholders. Government Towards the government, the corporate governance responsibility of the directors is to provide each detail of the financial performances of the company like they provide the information to the shareholders and investors (Anderson and Lama 2015). Along with that, it is also the responsibility of the directors to ensure that the company is maintaining the rules and regulations like, Corporation Act 2001, provided by the government of the country or state. Society The corporate governance responsibility of the directors towards the society is to maintain the healthy environment, where the company is having its plant. At the same time, the corporate governance responsibility of the directors is to ensure that the company is producing and delivering of better quality products (Galloway 2016). Customers The directors of James Hardie are responsible to provide each detail of the products to the customers, while selling the products to the customers. If the product is including any harmful element or material, then also it is essential to disclose that fact also along with the possible harmful effect of the product (Lama and Anderson 2015). Corporate governance issues at James Hardie ASX Principles Key Corporate Governance Issues Corresponding to that ASX Principles Lay solid foundation for the management and the oversight of the company The board of directors at James Hardie failed to develop proper policy so that the management of the company can manage the operations properly. Due to this particular problem, the business operation of the company was ceased by the government authority. The corporate governance policies of the company concentrated more on enhancing the profitability and tried to conceal the unethical business of the company. Therefore, the ASX principle has not been properly followed by James Hardie (Sharma 2015). The company must promote the ethical and responsible decision-making for the business operation The board of directors or the higher management at James Hardie failed to promote the ethical and responsible decision-making. As the management of the company was aware of the negative impacts of manufacturing asbestos-based products, they should have disclose the fact to the employees and needed to provide proper compensation to the employees (Du Plessis, Hargovan and Bagaric 2010). However, there was nothing mentioned in the reports of the company regarding the asbestos related issues. At the same time, the corporate governance policies had not included any such compensation until the case of workers compensation occurred in the year 1939 (Jameshardie.com.au 2016). The company must safeguard the financial reporting integrity The company failed to safeguard the financial reporting integrity also. In the year 2001, James Hardie declared that the company will meet the liabilities and all of the future and past claims and at the same time, it will provide required fund to the Medical Research Compensation Foundation or MRCF. In 2006, it was founded by KPMG that the company had not funded MRCF with required amount, but the activities of the company had not break the legal boundary. However, the company had not made reliable estimates and misleads the public statements (Moerman, L., and van der Laan 2015). The company must provide respect to the rights of the shareholders The corporate governance policies at James Hardie showed that the company has provided proper respect to the rights of its shareholders. However, in reality, the company had misled the financial statements. The company stated that the liability of asbestos-related diseases is A$1.5 million. However, the company used A$30 million shareholders fund in order to meet the liability. At the same time, company had not disclosed that the MRCF is underfunded until it was founded by KPMG. These show that the rights of the shareholders were ignored by the company (Wan 2015). The company must recognize the possible risks and try to manage them The higher authority at James Hardie was aware about the fact that the manufacturing of asbestos-related products is injurious to health of the employees as well as for the neighbors of the manufacturing plants. However, until 1939, the company corporate governance had not included any policy related to the management of the risks. Moreover, the company had not stopped its asbestos-related products manufacturing and did not provide required compensation and did not provide required fund to the MRCF (Jameshardie.com.au 2016). The company must provide fair remuneration and responsibility It is one of the primary principles of ASX that the company should provide fair remuneration and responsibility to the employees. However, the company had not paid proper remuneration to its base level employees as per the risk that the employees bear during the manufacture of the asbestos products (Boggio 2016). Actions that James Hardie could have take ASX Principles Actions that the company should have taken to comply with the ASX guidelines Lay solid foundation for the management and the oversight of the company (Council 2007) The board of directors of the company that is James Hardie should have disclose the possible negative impacts of manufacturing the asbestos-related products in the annual report and at the same time, the management could have stated the proper measures to manage the impacts in the corporate governess policies of the company. If the company had taken this action, then negative impacts of companys activities would have been clear to the government and the other stakeholders of the company (Rainford 2015). At the same time, the stakeholders of the company would have been aware about the steps to manage the situation. The company must promote the ethical and responsible decision-making for the business operation (Council 2007) In order to meet the guidelines provided by ASX, the directors of James Hardie could have stop the usual procedure of manufacturing the asbestos-related products and could have start more improved procedure that is less harmful. At the same time, the company needed to take proper decision regarding the compensation scheme to the employees (Gopalan and Guihot 2015). Along with that, as the work of the base-level employees was full of health-related risks, the company needed to provide high wage to the employees. These decisions or actions would have been more ethical because these show that the company is responsible towards its employees. The company must safeguard the financial reporting integrity This particular guideline of ASX could have been followed by the company by stating all the actual financial figures in the financial statements of the company. The company needed to provide more fund to the MRCF. If it was impossible for the company to provide more fund to MRCF, then the company could have at least mention the actual funded value in its financial statements. At the same time, the management needed to consider reliable estimates and mentioned that in the financial reports. These actions would help the company to maintain the transparency of its financial activities (Lindgren and Phillips 2016), which would enhance the trusts of the stakeholders on the activities of the firm. Along with that, maintenance of proper financial transparency could have save the company from any kind of operational guilt. The company must provide respect to the rights of the shareholders (Council 2007) In order to provide proper respect to the rights of the shareholders, the company could have disclosed the actual costs structure of it to them. The matter of underfund of the MRCF could have been disclosed in front of the shareholders. These actions would have increased the reliability of the shareholders on the activities of the company (White 2015). The company should not have done misleading communication with the shareholders because if a company misleads the shareholders, it becomes impossible to attract new shareholders towards the company. The company must recognize the possible risks and try to manage them In case of James Hardie, the company knew that its business activities are injurious to the health of the employees and the other people. however, in order to manage the matter in a better way, the company could have disclose the real impact of asbestos-products manufacturing on the health of the employees. Along with that, the company also could have mention how the employees can get rid of this problem (Gopalan and Guihot 2016). For this, the company could have provided extra medical facilities and allowances to the employees for taking care of their health. This action would help the organization in better management of the risks. The company must provide fair remuneration and responsibility (Council 2007) In order to maintain this principle or guideline, the company could have increase the remuneration packages of the employees after the disclosure of the fact that the manufacturing activities of James Hardie is having negative health impacts. If the company had done this, then the employees might not claim for extra compensation and the brand image of the company could have been maintained (Lindgren and Phillips 2016). Effects of the decisions taken by the directors of James Hardie on the long term interests of each stakeholder Stakeholder Group of James Hardie How long term interests of stakeholder groups were affected or exacerbated Employees Due to the continuation of the manufacturing the asbestos-based products during 1960s to 1987, the health of the employees degraded more and the effects of the unhealthy working environment remained for 15 to 30 years after the employees exposed to the asbestos dust. At the same time, the employees were in loss of proper amount of compensation for their health issues (Boggio 2016). Investors As the company announced that it is liable for the manufacturing of unhealthy asbestos-based products and responsible for the health issues of the employees, the investors believed that the company will act ethically and meet the liabilities. Due to this the investors continued their investments (Moerman and van der Laan 2015). However, the company did not stop the production. At the same time, the company also misstated the financial figures in the annual report. Due to which the investors did not get proper return and as the company continued the operation, which negatively affected its reputation (Rainford 2015). For this, the financial performance of the company declined. Shareholders The company withdrew excessive amount of money from the shareholders fund for meeting the liability, however, actually, the liability was less. This affected the return percentage of the shareholders. Along with that, due to the controversies, the share value declined and company had to pay high amount of money as penalty. This again decreased the income of the shareholders (Du Plessis, Hargovan and Bagaric 2010). Government Due to the continuation of the operational activities from 1960s to 1987 and underfunded the MRCF, NSW sate government charged A$4.5 billion from James Hardie for Final Funding Agreement. At the same time, with the support of Australian Taxation Office, the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund Limited received high annual income from the company (Wan 2015). Society The environmental condition of the places beside the manufacturing plant of James Hardie declined due to the continuation of the production. This affected the health of the people in the society became weak and they were affected by the lung cancer and many other diseases. Comment on the decision taken by the board of director in mid 1960s In mid 1960s the higher authority of James Hardie disclosed the asbestos-related diseases information to its employees and announced that the company will pay the liability and compensation to the employees for their health issues. However, the company continued the operations or the manufacture of asbestos-related products. As per the KPMGs report, the financial decision taken by the management or the board of directors of the company was under the law. However, the estimates made by the company were not proper (Jameshardie.com.au 2016). From the legal point of view, the activities and decisions of the company were right. However, if the analysis is made from the moral ethical point of view, then it can be clearly said that the activities of the company were unethical. The higher authority of the company was always aware of the negative effects of the production of asbestos-related products, but they never disclosed the fact (Lindgren and Phillips 2016). In fact, the management did not even provided proper compensation to the employees for their health issues. Moreover, after 1939, when the workers compensation case happened, the company did not stop its operation and it announced that it will meet the liabilities. The production of asbestos-based products not only affected the health of the employees, but it also affected the health of the people in the society (White 2015). On the other side, the company had also provided misleading statements in its reports. Therefore, by considering all of these matters, it can b e stated that the activities or the decisions taken by James Hardie were morally unethical. However, from the business ethics point of view, it can be said that the decisions taken by the management of James Hardie were in favor of the business growth of the company. The board of directors of the company highly concentrated on increasing the profitability and maintaining the business growth, which were ethical from business point of view. However, as it misled its employees, it was against the business ethics (Boggio 2016). Identifying the effects of the actions taken by stakeholders on James Hardies sustainability The activities done by James Hardie were morally unethical and due to that different stakeholders of the company had taken different actions. These actions affected the corporate sustainability of the company. The effects of the actions taken by the stakeholders of James Hardie are discussed below: Specific stakeholder group How did the action threaten James Hardies corporate sustainability Government The state government in NSW claimed total amount of A$4.5 billion from the company for the Final Funding Agreement. At the same time, the company was also charged by the Injuries Compensation Fund Limited to pay a percentage on its free cash flow and capital percentage on an annual basis. These charges affected the financial position of the company. At the same time, due to the breach of the Corporation Act 2001, the investigation has been carried on the corporate structures of the company in different countries. All of these affected the reputation of the company. At the same time, the JHIL shares of the company were cancelled and the company was failure in the proper disclosure of information. Due to this, the company was penalized. As the reputation of the company was highly affected, the company failed to gain the competency in the market and as a result, the sustainability of the company came in to unstable situation (Tricker 2015). Employees The employees of James Hardie demanded for proper compensation and as the government of the country was in favor of the employees, the company was bound to meet the liabilities or pay the compensation. This increased the cost structure of the company. Due to this, the financial and market position of the company was badly affected (Azeez 2015). Conclusion In this study, it has been identified that the operational activities of the company that is James Hardie were morally unethical. The interests of the stakeholders of the company were negatively affected due to the unhealthy and unethical business operations of the company. The study has found out that James Hardie continued its unhealthy production activities after knowing that the production will affect the health of the employees as well the people in the outside area of the manufacturing plant. It has also been identified that the company has not maintained the ASX principles in the proper way. However, the study has mentioned about some essential steps, that the company or the management of the company could have taken in order to manage the situation in a better manner. At the same time, the study has found out that due to the unethical business activities of James Hardie, the stakeholders of the company have taken several steps, which affected the sustainability of the company. Reference list: Anderson, W., and Lama, T. 2015. Company characteristics and compliance with ASX corporate governance principles. Azeez, A. 2015. Corporate governance and firm performance: evidence from Sri Lanka.Journal of Finance,3(1), 180-189. Boggio, A. 2016.Compensating Asbestos Victims: Law and the Dark Side of Industrialization. Routledge. Council, A. C. G. 2007. Corporate governance principles and recommendations. Du Plessis, J. J., Hargovan, A., and Bagaric, M. 2010.Principles of contemporary corporate governance. Cambridge University Press. Galloway, C. 2016. Crisis Communication Research in Australia.The Handbook of International Crisis Communication Research,43, 337. Gopalan, S., and Guihot, M. 2016. Cross-Border Insolvency Law and Multinational Enterprise Groups: Judicial Innovation as an International Solution.George Washington International Law Review,48(3). Jameshardie.com.au. 2016. Jameshardie.com.au. Retrieved 7 August 2016, from https://www.jameshardie.com.au/ Lama, T., and Anderson, W. W. 2015. Company characteristics and compliance with ASX corporate governance principles.Pacific Accounting Review,27(3), 373-392. Lindgren, M., and Phillips, G. 2016. Asbestos Memories: Journalistic Mediationin Mediated Prospective Memory. InMemory in a Mediated World(pp. 158-175). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Moerman, L. C., and van der Laan, S. L. 2015. Silencing the noise: Asbestos liabilities, accounting and strategic bankruptcy.Critical Perspectives on Accounting,27, 118-128. Moerman, L., and van der Laan, S. 2015. Exploring shadow accountability: The case of James Hardie and Asbestos.Social and Environmental Accountability Journal,35(1), 32-48. Rainford, J. 2015. NSW taxpayers funding James Hardie's asbestos debts.Green Left Weekly, (1047), 11. Sharma, S. 2015. Review of The Corporate Governance PracticesAn International Perspective.Scholedge International Journal of Business Policy Governance ISSN 2394-3351,2(3), 28-32. Tricker, B. 2015.Corporate governance: Principles, policies, and practices. Oxford University Press, USA. Wan, W. Y. 2015. Directors defence of reliance on professional advisers under Anglo-Australian law.Common Law World Review,44(1), 71-93. White, R. 2015. Environmental Victimology and Ecological Justice. InCrime, Victims and Policy(pp. 33-52). Palgrave Macmillan UK.

Performance Measurement Essay Example

Performance Measurement Essay The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/0263-7472. htm Performance measurement in facilities management: driving innovation? Michael Pitt and Matthew Tucker School of the Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK Abstract Purpose – This paper aims to examine the state of knowledge of performance measurement in facilities management, in particular regarding the concepts underlying benchmarking in relation to its ability to drive innovation in the industry. Design/methodology/approach – An evaluation of the key issues surrounding performance measurement and the effective application of benchmarking systems are examined, exploring the possibility of applying a benchmarking technique to measure facilities performance. Findings – The paper suggests that a fully developed performance measurement solution via effective benchmarking can deliver as a business tool in facilities management (FM), whilst acting as a driver in the innovation process. Practical implications – With the nature of performance measurement having changed over the past few decades, the paper acts as a catalyst to how performance measurement systems and techniques operate within FM and stimulate innovation. Originality/value – By adopting the notion of innovation to performance measurement, the paper highlights new areas of thought to facilities management and how performance measurement is strategically applied to the industry. Keywords Performance measures, Benchmarking, Facilities, Innovation Paper type Research paper We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Measurement specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Measurement specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Measurement specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Performance measurement in FM 241 Received October 2005 Revised August 2007 Accepted May 2008 Introduction Performance measurement is an area to which companies have paid much attention recently. Performance is regarded as a major competitive issue (Tran? eld and Akhaghi, 1995). In facilities management (FM), there is a wide range of choices in measuring FM performance, re? ecting the varied nature of the ? eld. The focus on FM skills and techniques should be in the areas that contribute to the overall management of a business, ? nancial and ersonal criteria (Barrett, 1992). This paper aims to review the state of knowledge of performance measurement in FM and seeks to explore how measuring service performance is linked to innovation processes within the organisation. Benchmarking is a key performance measurement tool that allows organisations to achieve added value and â€Å"superior performance† (Camp, 1989). The discussion focuses on the proposition of adopting benchmarking techniques in measuring facilities performance, driving a framework of an FM performance measurement solution. It is important to stress however that by researching such an approach, with the emphasis on benchmarking, it does not contend that benchmarking should be the only performance instrument implemented to organisational performance measurement Property Management Vol. 26 No. 4, 2008 pp. 241-254 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0263-7472 DOI 10. 1108/02637470810894885 PM 26,4 systems. It merely identi? es the importance of benchmarking as a stimulant to achieving innovation in performance measurement. Facilities management overview FM is a relatively new discipline. It has developed since around 1978 where the Herman Miller Corporation, the worlds leading furniture manufacturer, staged a conference on â€Å"Facilities Impact on Productivity†. This might be seen as the beginning of FM. FM as a discipline emerged out of practice, just as the great established professions. It emerged with the integration of three main strands of activity: property management, property operations and maintenance and of? ce administration (Kincaid, 1994). More signi? antly it established a focus on the management and delivery of the business â€Å"outputs† of both of these entities; namely the productive use of building assets as workplaces (Varcoe, 2000). The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) adopt the following de? nition, â€Å"the practise of coordinating the physical workplace with the people and work of th e organisation: it integrates the principles of business administration/architecture/behaviour/ engineering science† (US Library of Congress). FM can be de? ned as the integration and alignment of the non-core ervices, including those relating to premises, required to operate and maintain a business to fully support the core objectives of the organisation. Over the years, FM has been growing as a business ? eld and also as a scienti? c discipline, slowly ? nding and anchoring its position among organisations’ business processes. Nowadays, the dedication of FM organisations to new developments and continuous innovation processes seems to be the way to stay in business, constantly exceeding customers’ expectations and adding value to the core business of the client organisation (Mudrak et al. , 2004). Performance measurement principles and revolution The traditional view determined by Teague and Eilon (1973) of performance measurement is that it has three broad purposes: (1) to ensure the achievement of goals and objectives; (2) to evaluate, control and improve procedures and processes; and (3) to compare and assess the performance of different organisations, teams and individuals. An early attempt at developing ? nancial measures was made by Du Pont (Walters, 1997). Du Pont is widely acknowledged as being the founder of ? nancial performance measurement, by introducing a pyramid of ? ancial ratios as early as 1903. However, in the late 1970s and 1980s, numerous authors expressed a general dissatisfaction with traditional backward looking or lag accounting based performance measurement systems. In the 1990s, attention on performance measurement shifted to quality and consumer satisfaction. A broader conceptualisation of business performance emerged, as the emphasis on operational performance (i. e. non-? nancial performance) was added to indicators to measure business performance (Venkatraman and Ramanujam, 1986). 42 Traditionally the use of ? nancial indicators has determined the way in which businesses operate – if the cost is low, and the pro? t is high then they are happy. With the considerable in? uence of the changing business marketplace however, this philosophy is no longer sustainable, and the emergence of non-? nancial or qualitative indicators, speci? cally focused on process, structure and change, instead of traditional cost, pro? t, and output, has drastically changed the way in which businesses perceive performance. Drucker (1993) described traditional measures as not adequate for business evaluation and fail to meet new business needs as they are lagging indicators. By this, they mean that traditional indicators are not able to provide real time performance, they are always set on past periods. This was reiterated by Varcoe (1996) terming traditional indicators as being â€Å"past their sell by date†. Kaplan and Norton (1996) contended that â€Å"companies were in the midst of a revolutionary transformation† as they shifted from industrial age competition to information age competition. By this, they urged that it was no longer feasible to gain â€Å"competitive advantage† within business merely through the deployment of new technology (Kaplan and Norton, 1996). To this, a shift has occurred, as Kaplan and Norton (2001) claim that ? nancial measures are historical in nature, they report only on outcomes and the consequences of past actions. Amartunga and Baldry (2003) summarised the views advanced in the debate on traditional performance measurement as follows: . Criticism of traditional management control (Brown and Laverick, 1994; Stone, 1996; Letza, 1996; Rangone, 1997; Neely, 1998). Need to represent non-? nancial measures (Olve et al. , 1999; Ernst Young, 1998). . Lack of prescription on how to implement the measures (Olve et al. , 1999; McFadzean, 1995). . Lack of strategic focus (Hally, 1994). The debate and the criticism on traditional performance measurement show that ? nancial performance measures are not a solution to the measurement of business p erformance. Therefore the principles of performance measurement become revolution, as contemporary ideas and practices of how to strategically measure business performance change. For Nani et al. (1990) performance measurement systems were developed as a means of monitoring and maintaining organisational control: Organisational control may be de? ned as the process of ensuring that an organisation pursues strategies that lead to the achievement of overall goals and objectives. Performance measurement in FM 243 Hronec’s (1993) work emphasises this, de? ning performance measures as a vital sign of the organisation, showing how well activities within a process or the outputs of a process achieve a speci? c goal. According to Zairi (1994) performance measurement is the systematic assignment of a number of activities. Kanter (1995) claims that in today’s dynamic business environment the emphasis has shifted to the â€Å"three C’s† – concepts, competence, and connections, which drives from investments in innovation, education and collaboration. As cited in Wilson (2000), the roles of performance measurement have been intertwined with the premise that organisations achieve PM 26,4 244 success (meet their objectives) by delivering services with greater ef? ciency and effectiveness than their competitors (Ghobadian and Ashworth, 1994). Further themes emerging in contemporary academic literature that relate to adding value to performance measurement systems have been determined and analysed by Wilson (2000). The themes are: . Measurement for improvement, which states that measurement systems are service functions and only have the right to exist if they add value to the organisation (Van Schalkwyk, 1998). . The integration of broad measures, which see the challenge for performance measurement systems as being the ability to balance multiple measures (i. e. cost, quality and time) across multiple levels (i. e. he organisation, the process and the people) (Hronec, 1993). . Clear communication and dissemination, where, if information is poorly presented, it may be misunderstood, poorly assimilated or at the extreme completely ignored (Harvey, 1984). Research by Amartunga and Baldry (2003) described performance measurement as a process of assessing progress towards achieving pre-determined goals, including information o n the ef? ciency by which resources are transformed into goods and services, the quality of these outputs and outcomes, and the effectiveness of organisational objectives. Therefore, the basic foundations of performance measurement are the quali? cations of elements, which impact on organisational objectives, management control and evaluation. Fitzgerald et al. (1991) examined performance measurement in service businesses. They highlighted the complexity of measuring performance within the service sector, as opposed to that of the manufacturing sector, as services are intangible in nature. For example, Fitzgerald et al. (1991) talk about air travel where there are many intangible factors such as the helpfulness of the cabin crew, but also more tangible factors, such as the measure of luggage with passengers. Fitzgerald et al. (1991) contended therefore that â€Å"a range of measures† is required, which act as a â€Å"contingency theory† to the uniqueness of performance measurement within the service sector. Fitzgerald et al. (1991) stressed however that the selection of a range of performance measures should be made according to the strategic intentions of the organisation. What this means in essence is that measures should have a balance so that one dimension is not dominating the performance system and consequently skewing the strategic goals of the organisation. Facilities performance and innovation The objectives and roles of performance measurement to achieve organisation goals have been expounded as FM is growing and enhancing into this business. However, as business performance becomes revolution, the need for learning, growth, and innovation becomes crucial. There are as many de? nitions of innovation as there are of FM. Innovation can be de? ned as a continuous process of bringing new ideas into practical uses (Tidd et al. , 2001). A broad de? nition as cited in Mudrak et al. 2004) is that innovation is: a management process, involving multiple activities, performed by multiple actors from one or several organisations, during which new combinations of means and/or ends, which are new for creating and/or adopting a unit, are developed and/or produced and/or implemented and/or transferred to old and/or new market-partners. Performance measurement in FM 245 According to Tidd et al. (2001) the innovation processes in product and service de velopment are similar in principle; however, they vary in speci? routines and activities performed, by which the innovation processes are enabled. One of the more common debates concerning the de? nition of innovation asks whether innovation should be regarded as a process or a discrete event (Cooper, 1998). Either a process or discrete event, innovation is a synergised element to organisation growth and competition in the market. According to Cooper (1998) understanding of learning processes is a key requirement for the facilitation and optimisation of improvement and innovation in business processes. By understanding and optimising learning processes, managers in organisations will be able to achieve behavioural change leading to performance measurement. With respect to performance measurement and the innovation process in organisations’ it shows that performance measurement is the driver. Buckler (1998) explained the link between learning and performance improvement and stated that by understanding and optimising learning process, managers will be able to achieve behaviour change leading to performance improvement (Figure 1). Therefore the growth in performance measurement within the FM discipline seems to relate and directly impact on the organisations performance and actual innovation of that performance. Facilities performance measurement The focus of facilities management skills and techniques should be in the area that contributes to the overall management of a business by relating accommodation and support infrastructure issues to business, ? nancial and personal criteria (Barrett, 1992). Therefore the issue of measuring facility performance is a critical task to the facilities manager. However, why should FM organisations want to measure performance? From a classical management perspective there is a need to assess performance in order to guide management decision-making, and as FM is a subset of general management, performance measurement applies to management in the FM context (Amaratunga et al. , 2000). Further, performance measurement is a driver to an innovation process in an organisation. Alexander (1996) identi? es measurement of performance as one of the â€Å"three essential issues for the effective implementation of a facilities strategy†. Thus Figure 1. The link between learning and performance improvement PM 26,4 246 performance measurement has become increasingly important both for reasons of justi? cation to general management and to support management and practise within FM organisations. The measurement of facilities has three main components, namely, physical, functional, and ? nancial (Williams, 1996). Physical performance relates to the behaviour of the building fabric and embraces physical properties such as structural integrity, heating, lighting, energy ef? ciency, maintainability, and durability. Functional performance concerns the relationship of the building with its occupiers and embraces issues such as space, layout, ergonomics, image, ambience, communication, health and safety, and ? exibility. Finally, ? nancial performance arises from the physical and functional performances of the building and comprises capital and recurrent (life-cycle) expenditures, depreciation and ef? ciency of use etc. According to Amartunga and Baldry (2003), the contribution made by FM will be judged by organisations’ stakeholders over a wide range of performance criteria, including the hard metrics of ? ance and economics. FM is seen to be able to contribute to the performance of an organisation in many ways, including strategy, culture, control of resources, service delivery, supply chain management, and perhaps most importantly, the management of change. Quality, value and the management of risk also emerge as signi? cant factors. Thus it is important to have systems to measure the ef fect of the FM functions on an organisations core business, together with systems to measure FM’s own performance. There is a wide range of choices in measuring FM performance re? ecting the varied nature of the ? eld, and is regarded as a major competitive issue (Kincaid, 1994). Facilities managers must understand the nature and the business of the organisation and their work process in order to derive the effective and ef? cient measurement tools. Besides this, the facilities manager may also have to clarify the purposes of measurement before deciding on the technique to be applied for assessing facilities management performance. Measuring facilities performance: a practical insight The key determinant in achieving effective performance measurement is to view FM strategically, where FM is aligned to support the core objectives of the organisation. To exemplify how this may operate practically, let us take one element of FM, the reception service. The reception service is at the front-line of the business. Often it is the ? rst service that the customer comes in contact with, and consequently has a signi? cant impact on their initial perception of the organisation. One could assume therefore that the most ef? ient method to measure the performance of the reception service is through customer satisfaction indicators. However, is this comparable for all organisations? Here is where FM performance measurement must be viewed from a strategic context. This can be further exempli? ed by comparing three different organisations delivering a reception service. Firstly, the reception service within a telecommunications of? ce. Primarily, the core business objectives within the telecommunications industry are centred on the customer through the delivery of a product. All business operations must meet the needs of the customer in order to generate mass customer satisfaction and stimulate market sales. Hence, when measuring the ef? ciency of the reception service within a telecommunications of? ce, the primary indicators will be focussed on customer satisfaction, such as the helpfulness of staff, the ability of staff to deal with a query, and the comfort of the waiting area. Second, the reception service within an international bank. Again, primarily core objectives if an international bank are centred on the customer, in this case however through the delivery of ? ancial support and management. Here, the core business objectives differ slightly, as the bank is still primarily selling services to the customer and therefore needs to promote high levels of customer satisfaction, but also has an important security element involved due to the nature of the core business. When measuring the ef? ciency of the reception service within the bank, the indica tors will be different, focussed around two key factors – ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction, and ensuring security measures are in place when dealing with customers. This is likely to involve ensuring that standard identi? cation checks are taking place, such as cross-checking personal details within a database. Third, the reception service within a government security building. Here, the core business objectives differ dramatically to the previous two examples, as the primary focus is centred on security. In this instance, measuring the levels of customer satisfaction of the reception service fall much further down the list of priority indicators, and are overtaken with robust security measures ranging from ensuring that standard identi? ation checks are taking place, to more sophisticated measures involving rigorous scanning and checking of visitors entering and exiting the building. Through using the example of one element of FM, it illustrates the importance of how the practical application of performance measurement must be centred on the core business objectives of that organisation. FM performance measurement however is often too internall y focussed. Measures can therefore be benchmarked in order to understand how an organisation is performing compared to industry overall. However, the scope of benchmarking data depends heavily on the diversity and depth of the particular sector in which the organisation functions. From the examples above, benchmarking reception performance is much more accessible in the ? rst two examples. However, obtaining benchmarking data on high level security buildings is more dif? cult. The paper now seeks to understand how benchmarking can be used as a tool to measure facilities performance, and what impact this can have on driving innovation in FM performance measurement. Using benchmarking as a tool to measure facilities performance Benchmarking is essentially a cost reduction method (McDougall and Hinks, 2000). The principle of benchmarking evolved out of the total quality management movement and allows managers to place their performance measurement in context (Camp, 1989). It is the most powerful technique for gaining and maintaining competitive advantage (Codling, 1992). Sarkis (2001) outlines that from a managers perspective, benchmarking has been de? ed as a continuous, systematic process for evaluating the products, services and work processes of organisations that are recognised as representing best practices, for the purposes of the organisations’ improvement. For Camp (1989), benchmarking in the ? rst instance is about practices, not metrics. Many immediately consider benchmarking as a set of outputs, just like many confuse innovation as a one off invention instead of a process. Benchmarking is not as simple as gathering indicators t ogether so an organisation can evidence that they are measuring something. Because what are they measuring, and how relevant is it to their overall objectives? Hence, there must be a meaning before the measurement, a process Performance measurement in FM 247 PM 26,4 before the output, or in Camp’s case, a practice before the metric. To this, Camp de? nes benchmarking as follows: Benchmarking is the search for industry best practices that lead to superior performance. 248 In order to achieve this, Camp identi? es four basic steps that are fundamental to benchmarking success: (1) Know your operation – evaluate internal operation strengths and weaknesses. 2) Know the industry leaders or competitors – know the strengths and weaknesses of the competition. (3) Incorporate the best – emulate the strengths of the leaders in competition. (4) Gain superiority – go beyond the best practices installed and be the best of the best Hence, benchmarking techniques can signi? cantly help FM organisations to gain â€Å"superiority†, a nd can signi? cantly drive innovation in their performance measurement systems. Benchmarking within FM began to take shape in 1984, where the IFMA started to collect data on facilities trends and demographics. This was expanded in 1987 to include occupancy costs, which coincided with the initial interest in such data in the UK (Varcoe, 1996). In FM, benchmarking as a performance measurement technique is now well known however, and the application of benchmarking to FM performance criteria is now apparent within large organisations (McDougall and Hinks, 2000). It is the ideal tool for setting corporate goals and transforming them into tangibles which are delivered to the end customer and it is the tool that enables the senior manager to answer questions such as: where are we now? Where do we need to be? How do we get there? How could we remain there? The desired standards of performance are therefore to optimise process performance in order to deliver total quality and 100 per cent value to the end customer (Zairi, 1994). Gilleard and Yat-Lung (2004) stated that FM benchmarking issues are typically driven by ? nancial, organisational, change management, and customer-related needs. They may be either internally focussed or external driven. Therefore it has put pressure on FM teams that value customer-driven issues such as delivery of quality and timely services. It also fails to take into account how an organisation performs at a strategic level, whether from the worker or the workplace perspective. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI, 1993) produced an executive guide and point out the importance of benchmarking against: . The best you can ? nd whether within your industry or outside. . What is relevant to your customers view of what is important. . That thing that affects ? nancial performance. From an FM context, many people think that benchmarking is only about comparing cost levels. However Wauters (2005) revealed there are other aspects of FM that can be benchmarked. The most prominent of these aspects are: . Space use: Benchmarking the space use is a prime aspect as it drives all of the premises costs. The ? oor areas need to be known for the purpose of comparing costs of maintenance, cleaning etc; . . FM management: Benchmarking the effectiveness and cost of the facilities management operation on a strategic/tactical level; and Computer-aided FM systems: Benchmarking of the costs and effectiveness of the help desk. Performance measurement in FM 249 In addition, Hinks and McNay (1999) emphasise the need to measure performance gaps between service delivery and customer satisfaction. Hence, Hinks and McNay stress the need to rank benchmarking criteria, linking these to performance and service in such a way that their overall in? uence may be evaluated against business-driven imperatives. Further, Hinks and McNay suggest that the application of a manage-by-variance tool. The tool identi? es business and facility key performance indicators (KPI), helping to create a rank order among the benchmarking criteria. Further literature on benchmarking techniques focused within the FM discipline has come from Wauters (2005), Gilleard and Yat-Lung (2004), Loosemore and Hsin (2001), Massheder and Finch (1998), Akhlagi (1997) and Varcoe (1996). According to Wauters (2005) benchmarking is one of the techniques that has been used by many organisations and if applied correctly will lead to effective value management of facilities services. By this Wauters means that to use benchmarking effectively, you must identify the â€Å"ideal performance†, and hen emulate it. Benchmarking and service performance in FM Most services are provided through facilities (Brackertz and Kenley, 2002) and it has been suggested that the measurement of facilities should relate to the core business objectives such as customer satisfaction or service delivery (e. g. Walters, 1999; Tucker and Smith, 2008). As an integrated approach in managing the workplace, service is one of the key components facilities managers put for ward and seriously consider in achieving the set-up goals of the organisation. In service provision, FM is wide in scope, concerned with the major strategic decisions to the very detailed decisions such as posting the signs to the ladies’ toilet in a restaurant (Looy et al. , 2003). Therefore, in order to achieve organisational objectives, measuring service performance is crucial to the facilities manager. However, applied models that link facilities performance measurement to organisational strategy have to date, been limited (Brackertz and Kenley, 2002). It has been noted that in service ? ms, the importance of the physical setting depends on the nature of the job as well as the consumption experience. Consequently, she presented a typology of service environments or â€Å"servicescapes†, being those categories of a service based on who is performance in the servicescape (the customer, employees, or both) as well as the complexity of the servicescape. According to Looy et al. (2003), the customer perceives the servicescape holistically. They sug gest the environmental dimensions where customers value the service. Environmental dimensions comprise ambient conditions, spatial layout and process, and sign, symbols and artefacts (Figure 2). Ambient conditions refer largely to background characteristics such as noise, temperature and scent. In short, all the elements of our human environment affect the human ? ve senses. Spatial layout and process includes elements of the environment that are closely related to the core elements of service delivery. These dimensions refer to the way of arrangement and the physical and psychological effects on the customer. PM 26,4 250 Figure 2. Servicescape environment The other dimension relates to sign, symbols and artefacts. It is the item in the physical environment that serves as explicit or implicit communications to its users about the place. Tucker and Smith (2008) explored the importance of user perceptions within an organisational context, and how their perceptions can be evidenced and applied within FM. Tucker and Smith contended that there is a â€Å"logical customer performance ladder† (LCPL) that organisations should aspire to climb in order to achieve optimum levels of service delivery (Figure 3). The ladder acknowledges the importance of the initial user input to determine innovative ways of delivering what is important; to the internal business processes that will enable this delivery to be successful; to the strategic direction of the performance measures in line with their core business objectives; and to the consequent added value by increased customer satisfaction. Figure 3. Logical customer performance ladder Performance measurement is integral to the effective implementation of continuous improvement and added value within business (Tucker and Pitt, 2008a) and can act as a key driver for embedding innovation into the mindset. Tucker and Pitt (2008a) illustrate the importance of incorporating a performance-focused strategic concept in FM (Figure 4), emphasising that in order to achieve strategic FM, organisations should incorporate performance measurement through a balance of competitive service delivery and the application of best value principles, which will in turn feed directly into the core objectives of the organisation. Research in benchmarking and innovation in FM Generally the review of the literature has determined the area of proliferation in measuring FM performance. Measuring facilities performance contributes to the organisational successfulness to the innovation process. Benchmarking is among the accepted approaches involved in measuring â€Å"hard† and â€Å"soft† issues in facilities performance without denying the weaknesses of the technique itself. Hence, the innovation process of performance measurement systems, can be signi? cantly enhanced via the application of effective benchmarkin

Essence Essay Example

Essence Essay Example Essence Essay Essence Essay The materials and design we chose before construction consisted of eight or more large pieces of wood, small and large nails, a hammer, screws, drill, bungee cords and screw hooks in order to create a large scale catapult. The design process included a rectangular base made from the large pieces of wood with more weight in the back to hold it down. Two medium size pieces of wood will be drilled into the the top of the triangles to hold the release. The release will be hooked to the PCP pipe so that it can swing freely. A second piece of PCP pipe will be placed Just so that the release stops at a 45 degree angle. The release will be held back tight with a bungee cord that will be pulled in order to create the tension that will allow the release to go and throw the egg. After some hard work and long discussion or design plan has changed. Time was of the essence and a large scale catapult Just wasnt feasible. We decided to create a small scale catapult instead. This small scale one still had the same idea as the large one but Just cut down. We created a 72 inch base with a height of 7 % inches. Two triangles were created on each side with a piece in the middle for the release to be ttached to so it could swing freely. There will be another piece on the back of the base that will hold the tension for the release. Because we switched to small scale, the materials changed. For the base we used a 72 inch piece of plywood. Then, in order to make the triangles, we used four Popsicle sticks that were super glued to the base. Then we broke a piece of barbeque stick in half, and glued it to the middle of the two triangles. Before we glued it we cut a piece of straw and placed it around the stick so that the release could move. We then used bottle cap and glued it to another Popsicle and glued that Popsicle stick to the straw piece of the catapult. Next we placed 2 paper holders on the back of the base holding a rubber band. We then super glued a paper clip to the bottom of the release stick that will connect to the rubber band creating the tension. Then we glued another piece of barbeque stick lower on the triangle so that the release would stop at 45 degrees. We placed a cell phone on the base to hold it down and the placed the ammunition in the bottle cap, pulled back and let it fly.

Persuasive research paper- concealed handgun laws Essay

Persuasive research paper- concealed handgun laws - Essay Example Pro Majority of the criminals are less daring to target individuals who are highly trained and fully equipped with weapons. Citizens must take privilege of this fact and utilize it for their personal protection. They must use the lawful approach for acquisition of legally authorized protective weapons. The armed officials can take absolute advantage of the fact that criminals mostly tend to attack people who are unarmed, and disguise themselves in general public attire to trap the criminals. In 2000, John Lott, PhD conducted a research that clearly asserted that â€Å"shall-issue† commandments have diminished slaughtering by 8.5%, intensified the attacks by 7%, abductions by 5%, and burglary by 3% (Wilson 60). Lott further clarified that if government would have passed the law of authorization of obscured handguns in 1992, which it dissolved in the year 1977, then 1570 assassinated people, 4177 abductions, 60,000 exaggerated attacks and 12000 burglaries would have been avoided in these fifteen years. The modified US bill clearly states that the possession of unrevealed handguns is absolutely lawful and it is not an offense. The modified US constitution further elaborates that there is no harm in legalizing the possession of hidden guns by private army personnel, and there is undoubtedly a dire need for such measures for the security of the people living in a democratic nation. According to the 1997 statistics of National Crime Victimization Assessment, the burglary and battering sufferers who had guns to protect themselves were less probably harassed or experienced a grievance, as compared to those implementing alternative techniques of self-protection, or those people who do not oppose at all in self defense (Wilson 55). Though carrying a concealed handgun is not always a necessity for a grown-up, but it undoubtedly generates a strong sense of self protection in an individual and delivers a state of liberation to go outdoors at night or in treacherous a reas. Many grown-ups who are lawfully carrying concealed handguns are honest and self controlled people who do not abuse their weapons and do not violate the county’s laws. In a report by William Sturdevant (2000) circulated by Texas Concealed Handgun Association website, the common man encounters a 5.7 times greater incidence of being lawfully punished for brutal crimes and 13.5 times more probable to be put up in police lock-ups for peaceful wrongdoings, than licensed hidden arms holders (Bird 38). Bearing a secret handgun possibly will aid in finishing public victimization extravaganzas. If there was a citizen carrying concealed handgun during the slaughtering incidents that were experienced during 1999 in the Columbine High School in Virgina Tech firing event on April 17,2009; then several lives could have been saved. The management cannot assure the security of its inhabitants (Elmer 2012). Every citizen must understand that it is their individual responsibility to prote ct themselves, their families and their community. Any citizen who considers himself bold enough to proudly take this responsibility, then government must not create an obstacle for that person in legal acquisition of concealed handguns. The question of importance that arises here is that if criminals can illegitimately avail concealed hand guns to victimize the innocent people, then why they should the responsible citizens suffer more by

My opinion about Alternative Worlds Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My opinion about Alternative Worlds - Article Example Megatrends describe the major and progressive changes that will define and shape the world in the near future. The world in 2030 will certainly be a lot different than the world at present as different factors, including individuals’ position, ownership of power, demography, and availability of food, water and energy, would have changed. According to the article, the major trends in the near future are likely to concern individual empowerment, diffusion of power, demographic patterns, and growing food, water and energy nexus. Each of these megatrends is discussed as below. Individual Empowerment refers to the individualistic power that people in future are likely to possess as compared to the present. In the next 15 to 20 years, the level of poverty is likely to reduce thus causing a rise in the number of people categorised as middle class in the entire world. Also, such people would be more educated, have access to modern communications and manufacturing technologies, as well as live in a world with better health-care facilities. This trend is significant as it determines the amount of power that an individual possesses. Unlike the present where individual power is limited, this trend will give people much say in matters that affect them. Diffusion of power describes power shift from powerful states such as United States and Europe, to other emerging economies in the world such as China and Brazil, and finally to non-state groups or coalitions. As other economies grow, it will be difficult for some few states such as the U.S. to assume total power. In addition, emergence of groups that own most factors of production and communication networks will cause power to further shift from states to amorphous coalitions. This trend is significant as powerful states such as United States will lost much of the power to the other players in global leadership. The third megatrend is in demographic patterns and this describes the composition and the nature of the

Tessellation Patterns Essay Example for Free

Tessellation Patterns Essay A tessellation is â€Å"the filling of a plane with repetitions of figures in such a way that no figures overlap and that there are no gaps† (Billstein, Libeskind, Lott, 2010) . Tessellations can be created with a variety of figures, including triangles, squares, trapezoids, parallelograms, or hexagons. Tessellations use forms of transformations to show the repetitions of the figures. The transformations can includes translations, rotations, reflections or glided reflections. Any student would be able to create their own original tessellation by piecing together a variety of geometric shapes in a repetitive pattern by a transformation, either by hand or on a computer. The tessellation that I have created includes hexagons, squares, and triangles. I placed the squares and triangles around the hexagon to fill in the open spaces; this is to ensure that it is a complete tessellation. I did that because I found it to be very eye catching and adding the colors makes it a visually stimulating piece. This tessellation has the transformation of translation. Each shape is moved from one point to another in a straight line. The line can either be up or down, left to right, or even diagonally, but the shape itself is a copy of the original. The different colors of the hexagons allow you to see where the repetition occurs. Tessellations have been found in real-life. Soccer balls, plaid clothing, honey combs, and brick lying are examples of tessellations. One of my favorite things as a child was a kaleidoscope. This was a toy the when you held it the light showed a tessellation and if you rotated the scope, the tessellation would change. It was a fascinating toy for a child and it introduced them to the idea of a tessellation without knowing about them. Tessellations are a visual stimulate and cause many of happy days in my childhood and hopefully will be that way for my children as well. Reference Billstein, R., Libeskind, S., Lott, J. (2010). A problem solving approach to mathematics for elementary school teachers (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Addison Wesley..