Construction Planning and Scheduling - 1974 Words

Introduction Construction activities are often exposed to various weather conditions, and often construction productivity is dependent on these weather conditions. Weather conditions are local, seasonal, and sometimes unusual. Inclement weather conditions often result in project disruptions, delays, and disputes between the project parties. Many trades such as earthwork, concrete, roofing, and landscaping are often affected by severe weather, meanwhile other trades such as carpet installers or sheetrock installers may not be directly affected by the weather. Owners, general contractors, and subcontractors all face many risks associated with weather conditions. In order to mediate weather risks, all of the involved construction†¦show more content†¦Frozen ground magnifies the difficulty of movement and compaction of soils. Frozen soil conditions greatly reduce the equipment productivity. As cold weather affects the operator of the equipment, the soil conditions affect the effectiveness of the equipment. Weather Delay Day What type of weather qualifies as a weather delay day? A weather delay day is a day in which work must be completely stopped because efficient construction operations will be difficult to achieve with the weather conditions. Three key factors affecting weather delays and disruptions are; type of construction, on-site drying conditions, and the intensity of rainfall. The threshold values for adverse weather vary from location to location. The threshold values also depend on the trades working and various other social and natural factors. However, a weather day should be decided based on the combination of the threshold values, type of work affected, and common sense. Table 1 below shows a sample adverse weather day calendar. (Glavinich n.d.) Table 1: Sample Adverse Weather Allowances Month JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Adverse Weather Days 6 6 5 4 5 2 2 4 5 5 4 4 Weather Calendars Once threshold values are determined, the adverse weather days can be incorporated into the plan. Normally many weather incorporation methods can be used to satisfy the contract requirements. In order to claim time for unusually severe weather, it isShow MoreRelatedPlanning And Scheduling Construction For Decades1352 Words   |  6 PagesCritical Path Method has been extensively utilised for planning and scheduling construction for decades. As mentioned earlier, the study conducted by Tavakoli and Riachi (1990) results from responding industries has shown overwhelming satisfaction of using the CPM technique for planning and scheduling projects. The first steps in building the CPM technique is the activity list. 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Tools for Complex Projects-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Complex Projects. Answer: Introduction Project process planning and control in most situations sees engineering encountering complication while managing a project. Any seasoned engineer will know that every project carries with it an 80% chance of encountering a complexity. The complexity is likely to slow a project and require the engineers to develop innovative approaches, solutions, and tools to resolve the problem (Pollack and Remington 2012). For a seasoned engineer, this is what makes the engineering profession thrilling, since you are always encountering hurdles and developing solutions to resolve them delivers true satifaction. Definition of Complex Projects A Complex project is any process, procedure or project which encounters a complication or hurdle making is difficult to execute and complete. The nature, size or type of project does not limit it from being a complex project and complex projects can be found right from ones home to multimillion civil and mechanical engineering projects (Thamhain, 2013). The secret behind these projects is being able to anticipate and resolve the problems without encountering serious delays or even halting the entire project. To understand the versatility of a complex projects two examples shall be discussed below which a better understanding will related to the definitions of complex projects. Household Complex Project Terrace Leaks Many top floor apartments will begin experiencing water seepage and leaks as the building grows older. This is directly related to the roof slab developing cracks over time which allows water to seep into the apartment. Sadly many apartment owners will face major complications related to stopping this water seepage and this will have a direct negative effect on the property value. The situation is even worse if the water seepage finds its way in to the electrical wiring pipes can cause shot circuits within the terrace (Vokey, 2012). Removal of the terrace is not an option and laying additional layers of concrete is not effective resulting in a complex and unresolvable problem for the home owner. Complex Industrial Projects Oil and gas have become a basic energy source most people depend on globally. To reduce and lower transportation costs oil companies lay under-water pipelines to transport the oil and gas. Earthquakes and other natural forces will sometimes damage the pipeline resulting in a serious problem. These are classified as being among the most complex industrial projects due to the nature and location of the pipelines which need maintaince (Wang, Cao, Luan and Zhang 2008). Engineers are forced to work under water using specializes tools and will face serious limitations which hamper the projects. Mapping Project Complexity Complex project surround us in our daily lives making it important to be prepared for such incidents and retain an open and cool mind towards resolving the complication. Only by remaining open minded towards the projects complications can any individual or engineer be able to devise solutions to the problem. Once a problem has been encountered the first step linked to finding a solution is mapping the problem and its complexity. This allows the engineer to understand the extent of the problem thus allowing them to consider approaches to resolve the problem. Mapping the complexity is critical towards understanding the problem and tracing it back to its origin or cause (Gransberg, Shane, Strong and Puerto 2012). This is important as is helps resolve the problem from its source thus preventing such a problem from developing again in future. For an engineer simply replacing a broken part is not the solution but understanding why the part was compromised in the first place allows the engi neer to first resolve the trigger than replacing the broken part which ensures smooth and undisturbed operations. Always look beyond the broken part to understand what causes the part to break in the first place. In some situations, this could be directed identifiable and in other situation requires additional intuition but this is the train a project engineer must have to tackle complex projects and achieve success. Complex Project Tool Development Every project will require certain tools to be used on the project making it important for the engineer to know all available tools so and how they are used so as to utilize them on a project. Tools used on projects are not necessarily limited to hardware used on the project but also include computers, software, robots and another specialized tool (Brinkkemper 1996) An engineer should be able to understand the problem and request for or design a tool to be used on the complex project. Analysis of the Problem The first steel linked to complex project tool development is being able to understand the problem and its causes. This requires the engineer to analysis and studies the problem closely and devises an approach linked to resolving it. Tool Design and Development The Tool development process involved the designing of a new tool or redesigning of existing tools to fix the problem. This could involve using conventional tools, computers as well as robots to handle a scenario (Selby, Treffinger, Isaksen, and Lauer, 2004) There is no limitation related to complex project tool development but in most situations, this tool will be a prototype which would continue being used on the project. Tool Redesign and Refinement Over time the tool will also continue to be redesigned and modified to improve its performance and ability to resolve even more complex problem scenario which may be encounter on the project. Most projects are long terms thus the tools used for each project will continue being utilized throughout the duration of the project. Staff and Engineer Tool Use Training Projects which have long term duration will also require the senior engineer to train staff on how to use the tools developed specifically for the project. This frees the engineer to focus on other areas of the project which may require his attention and would allow the staff and personnel to utilize the tool to resolve the complex problems they encounter on the project. Project problems are only classified as complex when they are new, recurring because not identified and no permanent solution identified (Corbridge, Rugg, Major, Shadbolt and Burton 1994). Once solutions and tools have been designed and developed to resolve the complex problem the issues are classified as just a problem since a solution to resolve it has been identified. Conclusion Process Planning, Control, and effective management require for every engineer to analysis a problem without focusing on its complexity so as to develop an effective solution to the problem. Every project is expected to experience some major complication which would require for tools to be developed to resolve the complex problem. Having the knowledge and experience to utilize computers, software and existing hardware to develop tools to resolve the complex problem are what certifies engineers as a qualified, experienced and capable professional capable of handling even complex projects. References Corbridge, C., Rugg, G., Major, N.P., Shadbolt, N.R. and Burton, A.M., 1994. Laddering: technique and tool use in knowledge acquisition. Knowledge Acquisition, 6(3), pp.315-341. Pollack, J. and Remington, K., 2012. Tools for complex projects. Gower Publishing, Ltd.. Selby, E.C., Treffinger, D.J., Isaksen, S.G. and Lauer, K.J., 2004. Defining and Assessing Problem?Solving Style: Design and Development of a New Tool. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 38(4), pp.221-243. Thamhain, H., 2013. Managing risks in complex projects. Project Management Journal, 44(2), pp.20-35. Vokey, D.E., Detec Systems Llc, 2012. Method and apparatus to detect and locate roof leaks. U.S. Patent 8,319,508. Wang, Z., Cao, Q., Luan, N. and Zhang, L., 2008, April. Development of new pipeline maintenance system for repairing early-built offshore oil pipelines. In Industrial Technology, 2008. ICIT 2008. IEEE International Conference on (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

What is at is Optimal Rate of Inflation an Example of the Topic Economics Essays by

What is at is Optimal Rate of Inflation? The optimal Inflation rate can be negative, zero or slightly positive or can be any rate. The optimum rate depends on the economic perspective of the monetary Authorities and political imperatives. (Pally.T, 1998) That means the monetary policy can be based on the Friedman perspective, Neo Keynesian perspective and other economic models such as neo-classical perspectives as well it also depends on the experiences and unique market conditions in goods, labor market financial market and how they form expectation of inflation and how they react to inflation and the combination of perspectives used to determine the optimum rate of inflation. ( Akerlof G. A, Dickens.WT.Perry.L.G,2000) Need essay sample on "What is at is Optimal Rate of Inflation?" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Friedman perspective of optimum rate of inflation under perfect market conditions. University Students Often Tell EssayLab writers:I'm don't want to write my essay. Because I don't have the timeSpecialists suggest: Academic Papers For SaleAcademic Writing Services Buy Essay Online Cheap Essay Company College Essay Writing Service In a perfect economy any goods is priced at its marginal cost. (Sinclair.P Nominal rate of interest is composed of two elements.(Sinclair.P They are the real interest rate, which is positive in the long-term and expected inflation. (Sinclair.P If the nominal interest rate is zero and optimal means having a monetary framework where the prices are declining and inflation to be negative to keep the nominal interest rate negative or prices are expected to keep declining not the optimum rate of inflation positive but negative there fore under Friedman perspective discussed above the optimum rate of inflation must be negative. (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco 1997). The case for positive or zero optimum rate of inflation In a neo-classical perspective the long-term Philip curve is vertical at non-accelerating Inflation rate of unemployment (NAIRU).(Hoover.K.D). That is in their perspective if government wants to reduce unemployment to reduce further than NAIRU it can achieve in the short term however the market will tend gravitate towards NAIRU in the log-term and the rate of inflation will be more than before.(Hoover.K.D). If it controls inflation say my monetary policy at NAIRU the inflation rate will come down n the short-term however in the long-term the inflation will come back to the NAIRU level. .(Hoover.K.D). In their perspective optimum rate of inflation can be any rate given the structural market conditions in an economy and the fiscal and monetary policies adopted. They assume the market will always gravitate towards the NAIRU as there exist no price rigidities or stickiness in prices and wages as well all economic participants are rational in forming inflation expectation and react to inf lation in a completely rational manner. .(Hoover.K.D). However most monetary authorities even they have some faith in the NARU they have inflation targeting policies or to determine optimum inflation rate or to control inflation to this target rate my monetary and fiscal policy initiatives.(Palley.T 1998). However there are plausible arguments to have a slightly positive inflation rate by many economists. They prefer some neo-Keynesian perspectives and some perspectives of neo classical but have their own assumption regarding how economic agents form inflation expectation and particularly how they react to inflation. The fundamental arguments are in a real market economy prices and nominal wages are sticky and minimum inflation has the effect of reducing the market power and help reduce prices. .(Sinclair.P In practice economy has occasional recessions which may be a symptom of market failure and the nominal rate cannot be zero if they are to be cut to boost aggregate demand and there fore the optimum inflation rate cannot be negative.( Sinclair.P In practice economy has occasional recessions which may be a symptom of market failure and the nominal rate cannot be zero if they are to be cut to boost aggregate demand and there fore the optimum inflation rate cannot be negative. .(Sinclair.P The effect of reducing the market power and help reduce prices. .(Sinclair.P In practice economy has occasional recessions which may be a symptom of market failure and the nominal rate cannot be zero if they are to be cut to boost aggregate demand and there fore the optimum inflation rate cannot be negative. .(Sinclair.P The effect of reducing the market power and help reduce prices. (Sinclair.P In practice economy has occasional recessions which may be a symptom of market failure and the nominal rate cannot be zero if they are to be cut to boost aggregate demand and there fore the optimum inflation rate cannot be negative. .(Sinclair.P In addition a mild inflation, which is positive make less attractive to hold currency and may be a breaker of the damage caused by the retail-banking sector. .(Sinclair.P Public finance consideration, which is the cause of market failure means that it is reasonable to tax money by mild inflation. .(Sinclair.P There is evidence to support that a mild inflation may lower-unemployment in the longer term. For example for the US Unemployment minimizing rate of annual inflation by Akerlof, Dickson and Perry to be some where between 1.5% and 4%..(Sinclair.P As well Aherlof, Dickson and Perry argued that modest inflation have an effect of clearing the market and lower unemployment. .(Sinclair.P Wyplosz looks at the data for France, Germany, Switzerland and Netherlands and concludes that inflation is not completely independent of unemployment of the rate of inflation and tally with the view that with a little inflation helps to cut unemployment not temporarily. .(Sinclair.P But it does not tell how high the inflation must be and these findings cannot be extrapolated for other countries and in time periods because of many reasons. .(Sinclair.P The public finance argument is supported by Phelps and he argues that if public goods and transfers have to be financed by the wasteful distortionary tax es why should money holdings go un taxed and taxing money may alleviate such distortions and it may also tax informal-economy transactions which are normally conducted by cash. .(Sinclair.P Conclusion The above analysis at least suggests that a slight optimum rate of inflation is plausible at least in the advanced industrialized countries. However the optimum rate of inflation can be different for different countries because of the different monetary Institutional structure and policy framework as well due to different market conditions and differences in the behavior of economic agents. How ever in a real market economy there are plausible arguments in favor of positive mild inflation rather than negative optimum inflation. This is at least empirically true on many advanced industrialized countries. The Friedman perspective of optimum negative inflation is not applicable at least in the advanced industrialized countries because of the plausible arguments discussed above and the empirical evidence supporting it. The determinants of the optimal inflation rate can also be in a policy level can also be influences in actual practice by political considerations and may change over time because of different economic models applied because of the usefulness and its theoretical and practical usefulness given the conditions and institutional changes and changes in the actual behavior of the economic agents. However given the complexity of economic workings and the occurrences of recessions and nominal rigidities and market imperfections in the labor market in particular empirically suggests that inflation targeting or the search for low-unemployment Optimum inflation rate is plausible monetary policy at least in the more advanced Industrialized countries. Bibliography Akerlof. G.A Dickens.W.T Perry.G.L. (2000). Near-Rational Wage and Price setting and Optimal Rate of Inflation. Retrieved February 27, 2007, from http://eml.berkeley.edu//~akerlof/docs/inflatn-employm.pdf Economist.Com, Falling Inflation is a World Wide Worry. (2001). Jubilee Research. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. (1997). What is the Optimal Rate of Inflation, Economic Research & Data. Hoover.K.D. Phiilips Curve, The concise Encyclopedia of Economics Palley. T (1998). Zero is not the Optimum Rate of Inflation. Sinclair.P & Norman. H (2003) The Optimal rate of Inflation: an academic perspective, Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin.

Whats the Difference Subsidized vs Unsubsidized Loans

What's the Difference Subsidized vs Unsubsidized Loans SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If there's a gap between what you actuallyhave to pay for college and your school's price tag, you might be considering taking out student loans. What you might not know is that there are different types of student loans, with different terms and restrictions. First, we'll cover the basics of what it means to take on student debt. Then, we'll walk you through the differences between two major federal loan types: Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized. If you want a quick overview, just jump to the end of the article for a side-by-side comparison! First of All, What Does It Mean to Take Out a Loan? It's not uncommon for there to be a gap between what students can afford, and what college actually costs. This is where student loans come in: you can borrow money to pay for school, with the understanding that you'll pay it back (in addition to a bit extra) after you graduate. The amount of money that you actually borrow is called the principal, whereas the "extra" amount is called interest. A Little More About Interest Interest rates are always set as a percentage, so when you pay back your loan (principal + interest), you're paying back what you borrowed plus a percentage of what you borrowed. Lower interest rates = better loans, because the percentage of "extra" money you have to pay back is smaller. Here's a very simple example to demonstrate what I mean: If I borrow $100 with an annual interest rate of 10%, and I want to pay off the principal + interest in full one year later, I would owe $110 ($100 principal + 10% of $100 = $110). If I had an interest rate of 1%, though, I would only owe $101. Student loans work in the same way, although students usually borrow a bit more than $100. The amount of money you actually end up paying back depends of course on your loan principal and interest rate, but also on how often your interest capitalizes. Capitalization is when accrued (accumulated) interest is added to your principal, so you would pay interest on your original principal + capitalized interest. Bigger principal = more interest, so the less often your interest capitalizes, the better. The amount of money you end up paying back in interest also depends on how long it takes you to pay off your loan. You usually don't pay off your loan at once; you make monthly payments on interest + part of your principle. Many student loans set monthly payments that assume you will pay off your loan in 120 months, but you are free to make more than the minimum payments.The longer it takes you to pay your loan, the more interest accrues. All loans charge interest, but some lenders offer better interest rates than others. The federal government tends to offer comparatively low interest rates to student borrowers; in the rest of this post, I'll be discussing the two major types of federal student loans. The lower your interest rates, the less you'll owe in the long run. Direct Subsidized Loans Direct Subsidized loans are meant to help eligible students pay for the cost of highereducation. The thing that's most unique about Direct Subsidized loans is that the U.S. Department of Education pays the interest on your student loans during certain periods. When your interest is being paid, it can't accrue or capitalize, so your principal doesn't grow (this is a good thing)! If you have a Direct Subsidized loan, you won't accrue any interest during the following periods: when you're in school at least half-time for the first 6 months after you leave school (this is called agrace period) during a period of deferment (a postponing of loan payments) You can apply for a Direct Unsubsidized loan by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Eligibility Limits First, because Direct Unsubsidized loans are forms of federal student aid, you must meet all federal student aid requirements to be considered eligible. You can get more information about these requirements here. Direct Subsidized loans are only available to undergraduate students with financial need. Your school ultimately decides how much you can borrow; the amount cannot exceed what they determine to be your financial need. There is a maximum eligibility window for you to receive Direct Subsidized loans, equivalent to 150% of your program length. For example, if you're enrolled in a 4-year college, you can only receive subsidized loans for 4*150% = 6 years. If you're enrolled in a 2-year college, your limit would be 2*150% = 3 years. Finally, there's a limit to how much you can borrow in Direct Subsidized loans - this amount depends on your year in school. The following chart outlines the annual limits and the lifetime max for Direct Subsidized loans. Year Subsidized Loan Limit 1st Year Undergrad Annual Limit $3,500 2nd Year Undergrad Annual Limit $4,500 3rd Year Undergrad Beyond Annual Limit $5,500 Subsidized Total Loan Lifetime Max $23,000 Direct Unsubsidized Loans Direct Unsubsidized loans are similar to Direct Subsidized loans in that they're meant to help students pay for the cost of higher education. Unlike Direct Subsidized loans, interest starts accruing as soon as the loan is disbursed (paid out). You do not have to make payments while you're in school, or during a grace or deferment period. You can apply for a Direct Unsubsidized loan by submitting a FAFSA. Eligibility Limits Direct Unsubsidized loans are a bit more flexible than Direct Subsidized loans. You still must meet all federal student aid requirements to be eligible, but these loans are available to both undergraduates and graduates. Additionally, you're not required to demonstrate financial need in order to get an unsubsidized loan. Ultimately, your school will determine how much you can borrow depending on your cost of attendance and the rest of your financial aid package. For example, if your cost of attendance is covered by grants, scholarships, and Direct Subsidized loans, you may not be able to take out a Direct Unsubsidized loan. Unlike Direct Subsidized loans, there is no maximum eligibility window or period. There is a maximum borrowing amount, which depends on your year in school. All the maximums below also include any federal subsidized loan amounts (for example, if you're a dependent student who receives $1,000 in Direct Subsidized loans your freshman year, you could take out a max of $4,500 in Direct Unsubsidized loans): Year Dependent Students Independent Students 1st Year Undergrad Annual Limit $5,500 $9,500 2nd Year Undergrad Annual Limit $6,500 $10,500 3rd Year Undergrad Beyond Annual Limit $7,500 $12,500 Graduate/Professional Student Annual Limit Not applicable $20,500 Subsidized Total Loan Lifetime Max $31,000 $57,500 for undergrads $138,500 for grad/professional students (includes any federal loans received for undergrad study) Loan Interest Rates Fees I've discussed how important interest rates are when you're considering taking out student loans. When you take out loans from a private lender (from a bank, from example), interest rates may vary based on credit history. Federal student loan rates for Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans are standardized, and are typically pretty low; this means that interest rates are the same for all students, regardless of personal or parental credit history. This chart shows interest rates based on loan type and borrower type for loans disbursed (paid out) before 7/1/2016: Loan Type Borrower Type Interest Rate Direct Subsidized Undergraduate 4.29% Direct Unsubsidized Undergraduate 4.29% Direct Unsubsidized Graduate/Professional 5.84% We've already talked a bit about how interest is sort of like a charge that you pay in return for being able to borrow a principle. Unfortunately, there's another fee that you're charged when you take out a subsudized or unsubsidized loan. This fee isn't interest, so it doesn't accumulate; instead, a percentage is deducted from the amount you borrowed automatically when the loan is disbursed. You're responsible for paying back the entire amount that you borrowed, and not just the amount you received after the fee is deducted. The following chart outlines loan fee percentages by disbursement date - the fees are the same for subsidized and unsubsidized loans: First Disbursement Date Loan Fee On or after 10/1/14 and before 10/1/15 1.073% On or after 10/1/15 and before 10/1/16 1.068% A Real You've just been presented with a lot of information about the differences and similarities between subsidized and unsubsidized loans. I've come up with an example based on typical student debt amounts so that you can see different financial outcomes based on subsidized vs. unsubsidized loans. The average student has about $26,000-$29,000 in federal student debt at graduation from a 4-year college (students who have graduated from private schools tend to be at the higher end of that range, whereas students from public schools tend to be at the lower end). That comes out to about $7,000 in loans per year. For the sake of this example, let's say I take out the maximum amount in subsidized loans my freshman year ($3,500), and take out another $3,500 in unsubsidized loans for a total of $7,000.Interest will accrue while I'm in school on my unsubsidized loan, so my balance due at graduation will differ significantly based on loan type, even though the original principals were the same. I would end up paying about $900 more on my unsubsidized loan than on my subsidized loan. UNSUBSIDIZED SUBSIDIZED Amount Borrowed $3,500 $3,500 Interest Rate 4.29% 4.29% Interest Accrued During School (4 years) $640 $0 Balance Owed at Graduation $4,140 $3,500 Time to Payoff at $50/month (Interest accrues for both subsidized and unsubsidized loans during this period) 99 months 81 months Total Amount Paid $4,950 $4,050 Usually, standard loan repayment happens over 120 months, not 99 or 81. Minimum monthly payments for these loans are $50, though, which is why the repayment periods are a bit shorter here. Most students who take out federal loans have some combination of subsidized and unsubsidized. The average 4-year college graduate will have monthly student loan payments of about $275 on the standard 10-year repayment plan, and will ultimately pay back $32,600 in principal + interest. Side-by-Side Comparison We've gotten into all the nitty-gritty details, but here I've put everything together in an at-a-glance reference. If you're looking for distilled information on the differences between Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized loans, this is the section for you. For any points of clarification, just refer back to the corresponding sections earlier in the post. DIRECT SUBSIDIZED LOAN DIRECT UNSUBSIDIZEDLOAN Lender Federal government Federal government Interest accrual during school, grace period, deferment period NO YES Eligibility Undergraduate only Undergraduate graduate/professional Must demonstrate financial need? YES NO Maximum eligibility window YES (150% length of program) NO Maximum award amount YES (see chart above) YES (see chart above) Interest Rate (7/1/15-7/1/16) 4.29% 4.29% undergraduate 5.84% graduate/professional Loan Fee 1.073% 10/1/14-9/30/15 1.068% 10/1/15-9/30/16 1.073% 10/1/14-9/30/15 1.068% 10/1/15-9/30/16 Application FAFSA FAFSA What's Next? Loans aren't the only type of federal financial aid. Want to learn about money that you don't have to pay back? Check out our guide on how to get a Pell Grant. Before you apply, learn more about Pell Grant eligibility requirements, limits, and application instructions. 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Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Assignment - Essay Example The mayor of London was bestowed with the authority to take over the strategic roles and responsibility that would oversee the performance of different departments. In this consultative agreement, the mayor was assigned a major role to stimulate socio-economic expansion and development of the environment (Imrie, 2009). Moreover, the mayor was endorsed with the role of setting legislative strategies on various sectors in London such as transport, planning, and waste management. The aim of the statutory strategies was to improve the welfare of the people of London city as well as increase the power of the mayor of London. Moreover, the mayor was made responsible for setting up the budget of the city and the entire Greater London Authority. Moreover, the mayor was to oversee the budget planning of the subsidiaries of Greater London Authority such as the London Development Agency (LDA), the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) and London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), Tran sport for London (TfL). In this agreement, the mayor was also responsible for appointing boards for the TfL, and LDA (Allmendinger, 2006). Literature Review Following the agreement, the mayor formulated policies that gave support to the development of sustainable environment. The aim of these policies was to facilitate well-organized age group use, and supply of energy in London. In addition, the aim of these policies by the mayor was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to deal with issues of climate change. Change of climate has been one of the most daring threats for the lives of the people of London city. Furthermore, London is challenged by lack of fuels therefore necessitating the formation of policies which would that would emphasis on the environment especially the issues that facilitate preservation of the surroundings for better well-being among the people (Greater London Authority, 2010). In his policy, the mayor of London was supposed to develop a legislative responsib ility that permits formulation of strategies that favor energy policies that are auspicious to the environment. The policies would achieve this through distribution of energy efficiency expenses to meet the wants of diverse individuals in the city. Recent research has predicted that water will be an unavailable resource in London owing to climate change and the growth of population in the region. The policies have led to the formation of Mayor’s Water Action Framework that is accountable for the regulation of water price limits in London (Greater London Authority, 2010). According to The Greater London Authority (2010), the framework molded would function under the leadership of environment agency. It is mandatory that all issues related to energy sources and water distribution be environmentally friendly in order to safeguard the well-being of the people of London is enhanced. It is imperative to take into consideration that manufacturing firms can easily contaminate the env irons through emission of fumes such as Carbon IV oxide, which destroys the ozone layer. Furthermore, discarding waste products such as chemical compounds, which are by-products of manufacturing processes, can also contaminate the surroundings through pollution of water particularly in the

Astronomy - Dark Matter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Astronomy - Dark Matter - Essay Example 23 percent is dark matter, which we cannot observe and is invisible to us and 73 percent is dark energy which is countering the effects of gravity and hence driving the expansion of the universe. The idea of dark matter came after observing the motion of spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way. Motion of the stars in Andromeda Galaxy, which is our nearest, was observed. In case of spiral galaxy, it was expected that the stars at the outer layer or arms of the galaxy would move faster than the ones on the inside to keep up with the shape of the galaxy. The observations, however, were contradicting this notion and readings showed stars at the outside moving with almost the same speed as the inner stars. Since gravity depends on mass of the object, it was calculated that the visible mass of the galaxy was not enough to keep it together. The anomaly in the motion of spiral galaxy suggested that the mass of the galaxy might be more than it seems. We see circular motion all around us in the universe from the motion of our planets around the sun and in a similar way motion of stars around galactic center. Calculations suggested that the visible mass of the galaxy did not have enough gravitational force to overcome the centrifugal force in spiral galaxies and with the mass of visible matter; the galaxies would lose their spiral shape and break away. Since, this is not the case and we see spiral galaxies all around us; there must be invisible matter that seems to have a gravitational effect but does not interact with visible matter. This invisible matter is called dark matter and it has mass which in turn gives it gravitational force. An explanation for this missing mass was given that red dwarfs or remnants of supernovas which are difficult to observe because they are low light sources, could account for this missing mass; but, the idea was soon ruled out because the missing mass discrepancy could not be justified with even dwarf galaxies. Dark matter may not be visible to us, but, there are strong observations pointing towards its existence. Gravitational lensing is an effect which points towards existence of dark matter. As per Einstein’s theory, light bends with the gravitational effect of massive objects. Dark matter does not interact with light, but, because it has mass, light from distant galaxies bend around areas with dark matter. The area of dark matter in between the telescope and the galaxies, act as a giant lens and distorts the image, magnifies some galaxies and even causes circular lines distortions typical with common lenses (Kleingrothaus and Arnowitt 27). It is further observed that galaxies form within clumps of dark matter. Dark matter is thought to be the skeleton aiding in formation of galaxies. It is still not completely understood how the galaxies form, but when computer simulations are run for creation of galaxies with only the visible matter, the result point towards a failed galaxy that could not hold itself togeth er. However, with the inclusion of dark matter or extra mass, the evolution of galaxies as per the computer simulations line up with the images we observe in the universe (Clavin 2). Visible matter joins in the clumps of dark matter and stars initially form because of increased effect of gravity. Over time galaxies evolve from elliptical to circular disks and eventually in their present form that is spiral galaxies. The mystery of dark matter questions

Lonrho Plc Essay Example for Free

Lonrho Plc Essay An evaluation of Lonrho’s corporate strategy should start from the two main key issues: in what businesses the firm should compete and how corporate headquarter should manage those businesses. Lonrho’s profile in 1996 included Agriculture, Sugar, General Trade, Hotels, Manufacturing, MiningRefining and MotorEquipment. The level of diversification was clearly high and the firm was pursuing a unrelated strategy, with less than 70% of revenues that came from the dominant business (Mining ) and without common links between businesses. The corporation was divided into country groups or related business lines and each division had a top manager whose responsibilities were similar to those of a group CEO. So the headquarter control of these groups was not very formal and all important decisions were in the hands of Rowland, that used to follow his strategies without consulting the board. Tiny Rowland wasn’t a pure manager but an entrepreneur interested in doing deals, so he made no efforts to share activities or to transfer core competences between different areas. The main interest was to find undervalued assets and try to make them profitable. Hence we can easily analyse the operational relatedness, since the firm didn’t share either primary or support activities. Corporate relatedness needs a deeper analysis. All these businesses seem to be related by Rowland’s huge experience in conducting affairs and by his effective skill in building relationships with African leaders, pursuing the policy of â€Å"investment in people†. But no more corporate-level competences were transferred among Lonrho’s assets, maybe because businesses were too different and Tiny did not want to move key people into new management positions. So from these evaluations, the natural conclusion is that Lonrho’s corporate strategy is an unrelated diversification. In my opinion the corporate level strategy in itself was good (exhibit 1 and 2: high revenues until 1991), but the way in which Rowland managed it was totally wrong. The main strength in its extreme diversification, was the reduction of the risk among the firm’s businesses. However, this is not enough to make the evaluation positive because there were also several negative aspects. Starting with corporate governance, the first big problem was the lack of power by board’s members: Tiny surrounded himself with â€Å"yes-men† and he, not the board, decided what to do in case of critical issues. So the entire conglomerate was managed by a man who used to define himself as an entrepreneur and not a manager. Besides the level of control was low, if we consider that Lonrho was a big and really complex company. Moreover, and here we have the second big problem, among Tiny’s investments, several ones defected in economic rationality. For instance, he became interested in trophy investments, only to gain prestige (that the company couldn’t exploit properly because corporate relatedness was low) although they may have been loss making. Finally, the firm was facing huge cash flow problems, due to large headquarters’ payroll, an inefficient dividend policy and Rowland’s excessive lifestyle. All these issues contributed to destroy the level of revenues and profits over the years and conducted to the only practicable way: an internal restructuring of assets. What future direction(s) should Lonrho take in terms of its corporate-level strategy? The two main options that Lonrho has for come out to the crisis are move in the direction of focusing the business, or continue as a conglomerate. Most important, the company must immediately start a corporate restructuring strategy. The main purpose should be the limitation of losses, instead of the value and profitability creation. Lonrho could pursue this restructuring strategy both in related business lines and in country groups. For related business lines, hotel and general trade segments were cyclical, capital intensive and they were performing below average, so the firm should try to sell its remaining assets to other companies. Regarding country groups, exhibit 2 shows that in United Kingdom, Europe and America, Lonrho was not doing well, so the board should find a way to leave these areas. With this easier structure, now the firm has to take a definite position. i) A business focusing means that Lonrho will concentrate only on one of the three businesses left. Sugar represented 6% of Lonrho revenues and 18% of operating profit in 1996, and despite low production costs and an access to a favourable mix of markets, this seems the most suitable for being abandoned, just because is the smallest asset in the company’s portfolio. Lonrho Africa is diversified both geographically and in business lines. With an operating profit of ? 52 millions, is a valuable segment, but with Tiny no longer in the picture, Lonrho do not have a real Africa specialist. Finally the mining segment is the most important asset for the firm, because represented 22% of 1996 revenue and 41% of operating profit. In my opinion, if the company has to make a choice, this could be the right market to sustain. Some investments are required for Ashanti Goldfields in Ghana and to improve the export capacity of Duiker mining subsidiary in South Africa. However, if Lonrho will be focused only on this business I think that it will have the types and levels of resources and capabilities needed. Nevertheless I do not think that this corporate strategy is the best. This strategy is mainly concerned with making choices among the last two alternatives. So the corporation would be constrained to relinquish the enormous promise of African continent, or the 41% of mining profit if it chooses to focus in Lonrho Africa. ii) The firm can continue as a conglomerate but for the reason said above, also in this case Lonrho should leave the sugar market. Now we have two businesses left and I would like to make a comparison with the Boston Consulting Group chart. With this corporate strategy, the firm could use mining as a â€Å"cash cow† market, trying to exploit the high percentage of the revenues that comes from the asset. Than it can use this cash flow in Lonrho Africa, a proper â€Å"star† market, with its enormous promise but also with a lot of investments needed. So with its management expertise, technical skills and a respected name, mixed with new financial resources, Lonrho could undertake some projects in Africa that few other firms could. I think that these are the right actions that the firm should take in term of corporate strategy.