Punishments in Primitive Soceity Essay Example for Free

Punishments in Primitive Soceity Essay Introduction: The most usual criteria for punishment in primitive societies is the principle of Eye for an eye. According to this principle if a person has taken the eye of another the chief orders that the eye of the criminal should be taken.Blood for blood is the ancient principle of retribution in primitive societies. Thus punishment is based on retributive principle. This is so since most of the tribal people believe that crime is a violation of divine system or rules. Hence it is believed that the criminal is evil and should be given suitable punishment so that he may become free from evil.The evil souls must be punished. Besides retribution, another basis for punishment is compensation of the loss. Punishment in the form of fine is usually based on this principle. A fine is imposed since it compensates the loss.But the most important principle in the primitive system of punishment is the principle of collective responsibility.According to this principle punishment is not necessarily awarded to the individual who has committed the crime but his family, clan and local group may also be punished. For example, punishment of death is given for a murder, but this punishment may not be awarded to him who has murdered.In his place some other member of his family, group or clan may be killed since the group is collectively responsible for the criminal act of each member. CHARACTERISTICS OF PRIMITIVE LAWS It is a part of natural and supernatural principles. It is based on kinship types. It is originated from the moral and ethical notions and public opinion. In primitive law there is no difference between civil law and criminal law. Primitive law doesnt distinguishes between crimes and torts, public and private issues. It gives importance to sin and supernatural punishments. In here kinship group looks after law, therefore, there is collective responsibility for protecting the law. Kinds of Evidence (a) Oath. The offender has to take an oath and then he is asked to state whether he has committed the offence or not. It is generally believed that, if the offender tells a lie, he falls a prey to the supernatural anger for taking a false oath. (b) Ordeal. Sometimes the persons accused are put to torture in primitive societies before the declaration of judgment in criminal cases. If the accused persons escape without injury, they are acquitted as they are supposed to be not guilty. Kinds of Punishment 1. Different types of punishment are prevalent in different primitive societies. While in some societies compensation and social extermination are the more usual punishments, in other societies different types of physical injuries are inflicted as punishment. Similarly, in some societies fines are imposed and community feast is demanded to wipe off the crime. 2. Capital sentence is generally given in a case of homicide; but sometimes the death penalty is given to one of his family members or to one of his kins instead of inflicting it up to the person who has actually committed homicide. 3. They-believe that it is not the individual who is regarded to have been wronged but the whole kin-group to which he belonged and his kin-group, therefore avenges itself on the kin- group of the accused and not necessarily on the accused himself. 4. In some other societies the criminal is publicly insulted by blackening his face and carrying him through the entire village seated on a donkey. In America, in a tribe an unfaithful wife is given the punishment of death by drowning in water. In an Uganda tribe there is provision of jail for the criminal. The criminal, however, can be set free for a night. 5. If the crime is very serious the criminal is fixed to a pole till he dies. Murder is usually punished by capital punishment but most of the tribes do not have the provision for hanging till death. The provision for jail, however, is very exceptional. Usually, one does not find prison houses in tribal societies. 6. The misbehavior done to an ordinary individual is lightly punished, when the same misbehavior done to a chieftain is punished severely. For example, adultery with the wife of a king or chieftain is a capital crime and punished with death whereas adultery with some ordinary individual is not punished so severely. 7. The punishment of imposing a fine is not found among the punishments for crimes in primitive societies. Where fines are charged in a primitive society, they are paid by way of compensation to the aggrieved party. 8. The accused, very often, has to give a feast to the whole village in compensation for his crime. Even in case where fines are paid by way of compensation for the wrong done, attention is paid to the person who has done the wrong as well as to the person who has been wronged, if a person of a low standard offends a person of a high status, the find imposed is very heavy. But, if a person of a high status offends an ordinary person, the amount of compensation is very small.

The Inspiration of Country Singers and Country Music Essay Example for Free

The Inspiration of Country Singers and Country Music Essay Jason Aldean, Country singer and Guitarist, has released four Albums and 14 songs to the radio in only six years. It would be unfair for us to say he is a superstar in the making, the reason being he has had concert sold-out amphitheater shows. Jason Aldean has been nominated and won many awards for his magificent music. Aldeans music talks about familys, life, relationships, to losing a family member,and everything else you can think of, all of his music will inspire you in different ways even if it puts a smile on your face, or even if it makes you cry. Jason Aldean grew up in Macon, Georgia. His parents seperated when he was three years old, and spent his life growing up with his mother in Macon. The times he got to see his father was the summer time. His father taught him how to play the guitar while he was there with him. Aldeans father lived in Homestead, Florida. The Georgia native was listening to country music before he could talk. He was going to country concerts by the time he was in grade school. He was playing guitar before he reached his teens and was performing country music professionally while he was a junior-high student. Aldean fell under the spell of Country music, and inspired him to do what he loved to do the most. Aldean made his first public appearance as a singer at a VFW hall in Macon when he was 14 years old. After all he has done he became a regular at talent contests, then continued on pursuing a music career on a full-time basis. He graduated from High School, also continued on to College. Aldean privately financed an eight-song CD to sell at shows recording it in Nashville in 1996. Jason Aldean is a major country star. He also had won the ACM award for the top Male Vocalist. He will continue to inspire many people all across the world with his compassionate music and the effort and love he puts forth into his singing he will always be an inspiration to many across the United States. Aldean is always wearing his cowboy hat anyone would rarely see him without one on, once in awhile he would change up to wear a baseball cap, its pretty much his signature style to wear his cowboy hat. Jason Aldean has a beautiful wife Jessica, he married his high school sweetheart, and now they have two loving daughters, who look up to their father. Aldeans daughters honestly have their dad wrapped around their fingers. Jason Aldean also fell into several flaws with starting to moving on with his passion of country music, to write, to sing and be a guitarist of the music he loves. Jason also thensigned into another record deal but then soon after it was dropped in 2000 because he kept postponing recording sessions one after another. His manager at the time; Lawrence Mathis, who had said to him that Aldean has six more months to get a record deal, or Aldean was moving back to Georgia. Jason Aldeans debut album is a country-music triumph, and maybe thats because hes been working toward it, quite literally, all his life. In my opinion, his move to Nashville was a great move for him and recording was his destiny. Like the old saying goes, the darkest hour is just before dawn. In the summer of 2003, Jason was ready to throw in the towel. Hed been dropped from a record companys roster. His songwriting contract was expiring. He had a new baby, a mortgage and two car payments to make, and nothing looked promising on his musical horizon. For five years hed been trying every way he could think of to make it in Nashville, and all he had to show for his efforts was a broken dream. Jason signed with Broken Bow Records. This just shows how committed Jason is to his career, to never just give up, or forget about it, but to keep on pushing forward with it. This shows his fans and family that he will never quit or give up, just to stay strong and keep their heads held high.

Time and Cost Performance in Construction

Time and Cost Performance in Construction One of the most essential problems confronting the water and sanitation sector in the northern region of Ghana is performance of cost and time. In most cases time overruns occur in the donor-funded projects and in the extreme cases cost overruns. Time and cost overruns occur in almost all related water and sanitation construction projects in the northern region of Ghana. It is therefore essential to define the actual performance difficulties in order to make light of and avoid the delays and increasing cost in any donor-funded water and sanitation project. In the ESAs funded water and sanitation projects, the aim of project control is to ensure the projects finish on time, within budget and achieving other project objectives. It is a complex task undertaken by project managers in practice, which involves constantly measuring progress; evaluating plans; and taking corrective actions when required (Kerzner, 2003). During the last few decades, numerous project control methods, such as G antt Bar Chart, Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) and Critical Path Method (CPM), have been developed (Nicholas, 2001) (Lester, 2000). A variety of software packages have become available to support the application of these project control methods, for example Microsoft Project, Asta Power Project, Primavera, etc. Despite the wide use of these methods and software packages in practice, many of these donor-funded projects in the north still suffer time and cost overruns. This chapter reviews literature concerning the major issues of and cost and time performance in order to recognize the related information regarding those issues. Definition of Time and Cost Performance Time Performance Time performance is defined as meeting the duration baseline in the initial planning process of the project. Time overruns occurs when there is an extension of time beyond planned completion dates traceable to the major stakeholders (Kaming et al., 1997). Delays are incidents that impact a projects progress and postpone project activities; delay causing incidents may include unavailability of resources, communication problems, slowness in decision making, design delays, etc. In general, project delays occur as a result of project activities that have both external and internal cause and effect relationship (Vidalis and Najafi, 2002). (Choudhury and Phatak, 2004) and (Chan-Albert, 2001) defined the time overruns as the differentiation between the actual completion time and the estimated completion time. Project delays are those that cause the project completion date to be delayed (Al-Gahtani and Mohan, 2007). Cost Performance Cost performance is defined as the zero difference between the budgeted/original cost estimate of the project and in some cases spending below the estimated cost of the project. Cost variance occurs when there is an excess of actual cost over budget or below budget. Cost variance in construction projects often result in an overrun which is also occasionally called cost escalation, cost increase, or budget overrun. (Zhu and Lin, 2004). Cost overrun is defined as the change in contract amount divided by the original contract award amount .This calculation can be converted to a percentage for ease of comparison (Jackson, 1999). (Choudhury and Phatak, 2004), defined the cost overruns as the differentiation amid the original cost estimate of project and actual cost on completion of works of a commercial sector construction project. Cost is among the major consideration throughout the project management life cycle and can be regarded as one of the most important parameters of a project and the driving force of project success (Azhar et al., 2008, p. 7). (Gido and Clement, 2003), mentioned that cost performance is an effective technique in project management effort expended and it is widely accepted in the literature and industry. Earned Value Analysis (EVA) is used to evaluate cost performance of different types of projects. Cost control, cost estimating, and cost budgeting are three cost related processes that interact among each other and with other scopes of construction projects. Time variance for water and sanitation projects Time variance (Tv) is the time between the scheduled contract time and the completion time in undertaking the projects. Bromilows Time-Cost Model Bromilow was the first to develop an empirical model for the prediction of construction time using the project cost. The model known as Bromilows time-cost (BTC) model, developed and published in Australia in 1969, was developed for giving a fast and construction schedule estimate using project cost. The model provides a forecast of construction schedule using the estimated final cost of the project. Bromilows model disclosed that the construction duration was highly correlated with the project cost (Bromilow, 1969). The model was developed by the use of a linear regression model. (Hoffman et al, 2007), confirmed that, Bromilow was triumphant in providing a point estimate as well as upper and lower quartile limits of construction duration using past project data. (Ameyaw et al, 2012). The correlation was re-tested by (Bromilow, 1988) collaborated with the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS) in two transcribe contract time performance studies, in 1976 and 1988. (Bromilow, 1988), investigated 408 projects built between 1970 and 1976 and establish that despite indication of superior disparity between the time performance of projects of comparable value, the correlation between construction duration and project cost revealed in the 1960s is pertinent. Even though project time is influenced by many other factors including cost, some success has been chalked in an attempt to model project time. The model as first developed by (Bromilow, 1969) is expressed as T = KCB. T represents project duration, C actual cost of the project including fluctuations and variations, K is a constant showing the level of time performance for a unit of C, and B is a constant describing how the time performance was affected by project size as measured by the cost. (Long et al, 2 009), argued that the application of Bromilows time-cost model in estimating and benchmarking the project duration has been vigorous while some studies have suggested that the application of this model is unsuitable. More importantly, (Mensah, 2010), adopted the Bromilows time cost model to estimate project duration on donor funded feeder roads in Ghana and found it applicable. Auxiliary analysis showed the original Bromilow time-cost model is not the best fit regression form, and alternative models were proposed. All the researchers identified cost was a poor forecaster of time performance, and further proposed an alternative model to that proposed by Bromilow (1969). (Kaka and Price, 1991), used the time-cost model for both civil and building projects and indicated that the original model, as introduced by (Bromilow, 1969), remained unchanged but the coefficient of the equation changed with the project type. (Al-Momani, 2000), stated that the owner satisfaction for performance can be defined as the gap between what the owner expects and the level of performance they believe is being delivered by the contractors. (Lehtonen, 2001), stated that performance measurement is a basis for progressive improvement and monitoring of company productivity. (Chan and Kumaraswamy, 2002) remarked that project performance measurement include time, budget, safety, quality and overall client satisfaction. (Thomas et al., 2002), defined performance measurement as monitoring and controlling of projects according to regular basis. (Kuprenas, 2003), stated that project performance measurement means an improvement of cost, schedule, and quality for design and construction stages. (Long et al, 2004), stated that a project performance measurement is related to many indicators such as time, budget, quality, specifications and stakeholders satisfaction. (Navon, 2005), defined performance measurement as a comparison between the desired and the actual performances. Problem of Performance in Construction Industry The failure of any construction project is mainly related to the problems and failure in performance. Moreover, there are many reasons and factors which attribute to such problem. (Ogunlana et al., 1996), stated that the construction industry performance problems in developing economies can be classified in three layers: inadequacies in industry infrastructure (resources supply), clients and consultants caused problems and contractor incompetence/inadequacies. (Okuwoga, 1998), identified that the performance problem is related to poor budgetary and time control. (Long et al, 2004), remarked that performance problems arise in large construction projects due to many reasons such as: incompetent designers/contractors, poor estimation and change management, social and technological issues, site related issues and improper techniques and tools. (Navon, 2005), stated that the main performance problem can be divided into two groups: (a) unrealistic target setting (i.e., planning) or (b) cau ses originating from the actual construction (in many cases the causes for deviation originate from both sources). (Samson and Lema, 2002), found that the traditional performance measurement systems have problems because of large and complex amount of information with absence of approaches to assist decision maker understand, organize and use such information to manage organizational performance. (Navon, 2005), remarked that traditional project performance control is usually generic (e.g., cost control techniques). It relies on manual data collection, which means that it is done at low frequency (normally once a month) and quite some time after the controlled event occurred (i.e., not in real-time). Moreover, manual data collection normally gives low quality data. (Ling et al., 2007), remarked that architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) firms may encounter challenges managing construction projects performance in China because of unfamiliarity with this new operating environment. (Kim et al., 2008), stated that international construction projects performance is affected by more complex and dynamic factors than domestic projects; frequently being exposed to serious external uncertainties such as political, economical, social, and cultural risks, as well as internal risks from within the project. Project Management and Performance There is a strong relation between project management and project performance. Management in construction industry is considered as one of the most important factors affecting performance of works. (Brown and Adams, 2000) studied a new approach to the measurement of the effect of Building Project Management (BPM) on time, cost and quality outputs using 15 `cases derived from UK data. The evaluation undertaken demonstrates that BPM as it is presently implemented in the UK fails to perform as expected in relation to the three predominant performance evaluation criteria; time, cost and quality. (Lehtonen, 2001), obtained a model for performance measurement which assist both firms top management and operational managers for continuous feedback on operational activities. (Thomas et al., 2002), stated that documenting and archiving performance data could be useful for future reference, such as for settling disputes on claims, and in maintenance and repair works. (Kuprenas, 2003), remarked that quantification of the impacts of the project management processes are identified through three steps of analysis: comparison of summary statistics of design performance, proof of statistical significance of any differences and calculation of a least squares regression line of a plot of design performance measurement versus amount/application of project management as a means to quantify management influence to design phase cost performance. (Cheung et al., 2004), studied the project performance related to project managers and remarked that development of a Web-based construction Project Performance Monitoring System (PPMS) can assist project managers in exercising construction project performance indicators and can help senior project management practitioners, etc., in monitoring and assessing project performance. (Pheng and Chaun, 2006), stated that while project management is only one of the many criteria upon which project performance is contingent, it is also arguably the most significant as people formulating the processes and systems who deliver the projects. (Ugwu and Haupt, 2007), stated that an adequate understanding and knowledge of performance are desirable for archiving managerial goals such as improvement of institutional transformations, and efficient decision making in design, specification and construction, at various project-level interfaces, using appropriate decision-support tools. (Ling et al., 2007) , investigated Project Management (PM) practices adopted by Singaporean construction firms and dogged the level of performance of their projects in China; they identified PM practices that led to better performance; and recommended key PM practices that could be adopted by overseas construction firms in China to improve project performance. Water and Sanitation Projects and Performance Success of projects depends mainly on success of performance. Many previous researches had studied performance of construction projects. (Dissanayaka and Kumaraswamy, 1999), remarked that one of the principal reasons for the construction industrys poor performance has been attributed to the inappropriateness of the chosen procurement system. (Reichelt and Lyneis, 1999), remarked three important structures underlying the dynamic of a project performance which are: the work accomplishment structure, feedback effects on productivity and work quality and effects from upstream phases to downstream phases. (Thomas et al., 2002), identified the main performance criteria of construction projects as financial stability, progress of work, standard of quality, health and safety, resources, relationship with clients, relationship with consultants, management capabilities, claim and contractual disputes, relationship with subcontractors, reputation and amount of subcontracting. (Chan and Kumarasw amy, 2002), stated that construction time is increasingly important because it often serves as a crucial benchmarking for assessing the performance of a project and the efficiency of the project organization. (Cheung et al., 2004), identified project performance categories such as people, cost, time, quality, safety and health, environment, client satisfaction, and communication. It was obtained by (Navon, 2005), that a control system is an important element to identify factors affecting construction project effort. For each of the project goals, one or more Project Performance Indicators (PPI) is needed. (Pheng and Chaun, 2006), obtained that human factors played an important role in determining the performance of a project. (Ugwu and Haupt, 2007) remarked that both early contractor involvement (ECI) and early supplier involvement (ESI) would minimize constructability-related performance problems including costs associated with delays, claims, wastages and rework, etc. (Ling et al., 2007), obtained that the most important of practices relating to scope management are controlling the quality of the contract document, excellence of reaction to perceived variations and extent of changes to the contract. It was recommended for foreign firms to adopt some of the project management practices highlighted to help them to achieve better project performance in China. Information Technology and Water and Sanitation Projects Performance Information technology technique is very important in the entire world. Information technology (IT) opens new visions in the businesses and industries performance of the world. The construction industry is considered as one of the industries using IT technique such as software management systems, database and communications. For many years, many processes, functions, operations were done difficulty because of absence of IT field. In addition, most of the work was done manually which lead to more cost, time and poor performance. Furthermore, IT usage in the construction industry leads to many changes, innovations and developing in many aspects which lead finally to good and strong performance. There are many benefits and relations of using IT in the construction projects such as: greater use of IT correlates with better project performance, owners and contractors realize meaningful benefits, IT affects schedule compression beneficially, and overall project cost savings which lead to a success performance of project (Schwegler et al., 2001). (Nitithamyong et al., 2004), remarked that information Technology (IT) is now routinely used in the construction industry as a tool to reduce some of the problems generated by fragmentation. The use of IT improves coordination and collaboration between firms participating in a construction project, leading to better communication practices and so good performance. Its benefits include an increase in the quality of documents and the speed of the work, better financial control and communications, and simpler and faster access to common data as well as a decrease in documentation errors. (Thomas et al., 2002), proposed contractor Performance Appraisal and Reporting (PAR) system for reviewing contractor performance at an organizational level. Advancements in World Wide Web techniques provide enhanced capacities to collect compile and disseminate performance-related information to various construction stakeholders in a timely and cost-effective manner. (Becerik, 2004), stated that the rapid advances of web-based project management and collaboration technology offer new opportunities to improve existing construction project performance. (Cheung et al., 2004) obtained framework software to measure project performance based on project performance measurement system (PPMS). The system contains four stages which are data entry, database, reporting and action. This system has eight categories to measure performance which are people, cost, time, quality, safety and health, environment, client satisfaction, and communication. (Goh, 2005), remarked that information technology m anagement leads to performance improvement in the construction industries. For instance, in Singapore 2003, general administration, design, project management and site management were enhanced by using of IT. In addition, there were more advantages as quick working, good quality of work and fast access of information. Factors Affecting Performance of Managers (Ogunlana et al., 1996), recommended the need for focused effort by economy managers and construction industry associations to provide the infrastructure needed for efficient project management and performance. (Dissanayaka and Kumaraswamy, 1999), stated that the knowledge that would influence potential performance enables project managers to pay special attention to control performance more effectively. (Chan and Kumaraswamy, 2002), remarked that effective communication and fast information transfer between managers and participants help to accelerate the building construction process and performance. (Kuprenas, 2003), studied the impact of the use of a project management based organizational structure, project manager training, frequency of design meetings, and frequency of design reports on design phase cost performance. The process of a design team meeting frequency and the process of written reporting of design phase progress were found to be statistically significant in reducin g design phase costs. (Navon, 2005), stated that data are collected and used for construction managers as a basis to evaluate the Project Performance Indicators (PPI) actual value to compare it with the planned value and forecast its future value based on past performance. (Pheng and Chaun, 2006), identified the importance of the working environment variables for the performance of a project manager in the private and public sectors according to three main groups which are job condition, project characteristic and organizational related categories. The result revealed that working hours, physical condition of project site, complexity of project, material and supplies, project size, duration of project and time availability were viewed differently in terms of importance by the contractors and consultants groups. Team relationship was ranked as the most important variable affecting the performance of a project manager. It is obtained that project managers experiences do not have much effect on how they perc eive their working environment. Time Impact Analysis Time is an essential part of every plan organisations develop for performing contract work. There is a relationship between the schedule, the scope of work, and the project conditions. According to (Anabari, 2003), Time Impact Analysis is typically associated with the modeling of the effects of a single delay. It requires a CPM schedule that is able to show the pure CPM calculation differences between a schedule that does not include a delay and one that does include an activity modeling a delay. The difference for project completion between the non-impacted schedule and that of the schedule with the impact is considered to be the impact of the delay for time duration considerations. Project Cost Time Relationship Total project costs include both direct costs and indirect costs of performing the activities of the project. Direct costs for the project include the costs of doing work related to some specific activities of the project. Indirect costs, on the other hand, are the necessary costs of doing work which cannot be related to a particular activity, and in some cases cannot be related to a specific project (Davison, 2003),. If each activity was scheduled for the duration that resulted in the minimum direct cost in this way, the time to complete the entire project might be too long and substantial penalties associated with the late project completion might be incurred (Dlakwa and Culpin, 1990). Thus, planners perform what is called time-cost trade-off analysis to shorten the project duration. This can be done by selecting some activities on the critical path to shorten their duration. As the direct cost for the project equals the sum of the direct costs of its activities, then the project direct cost will increase by decreasing its duration. On the other hand, the indirect cost will decrease by decreasing the project duration, as the indirect cost are almost a linear function with the project duration (Al-Khalil and AL-Ghafly, 1999). Factors Affecting Cost and Time Performance (Chan and Kumaraswamy, 2002), remarked that studies in various countries appear to have contributed significantly to the body of knowledge relating to time performance in construction projects over the past three decades, while (Iyer and Jha, 2005), remarked that project performance in term of cost is studied since 1960s. These studies range from theoretical work based on experience of researcher on one end to structured research work on the other end. Moreover, (Pheng and Chaun, 2006), stated that there have been many past studies on project performance according to cost and time factors. (Chan and Kumaraswamy, 1996) stated that a number of unexpected problems and changes from original design arise during the construction phase, leading to problems in cost and time performance. It is found that poor site management, unforeseen ground conditions and low speed of decision making involving all project teams are the three most significant factors causing delays and problems of time performance in local building works. (Okuwoga, 1998), stated that cost and time performance has been identified as general problems in the construction industry worldwide. (Dissanayaka and Kumaraswamy, 1999), remarked that project complexity, client type, experience of team and communication are highly correlated with the time performance; whilst project complexity, client characteristics and contractor characteristics are highly correlated with the cost performance. (Reichelt and Lyneis, 1999), obtained that project schedule and budget performance are controlled by the dynamic feedback process . Those processes include the rework cycle, feedback loops creating changes in productivity and quality, and effects between work phases. (Chan-Albert, 2001), identified that the best predictor of average construction time performance of public sector projects in Malaysia is T = 269 C 0.32. This relationship can serve as a convenient tool for both project managers and clients to predict the average time required for delivery of a construction project. (Kuprenas, 2003), stated that process of a design team meeting frequency and the process of written reporting of design phase progress were found to be statistically significant in reducing design phase costs. Otherwise, the use of project manager training and a project management based organizational structure were found to be processes that do not create a statistically significant in reducing design phase costs. (Iyer and Jha, 2005), remarked that the factors affecting cost performance are: the competence of project managers; support of top management; coordinating and leadership skills of project managers; monitoring and feedback by the participants; decision making; coordination among project participants; owners competence; social condition, economical condition and climatic condition. Coordination among the various participants of the project was as the most considerable of all the factors having utmost influence on cost performance of projects. (Love et al., 2005), studied project time-cost performance relationships by using project scope factors for 161 construction projects that were completed in various Australian States. It was noticed that gross floor area and the number of floors in a building are key determinants of time performance in projects. Besides, the findings indicate that cost is a pitiable forecaster of time performance. (Chan and Kumaraswamy, 2002), proposed specific technological and managerial strategies to increase speed of construction and so to upgrade the construction time performance. It is remarked that effective communication, fast information transfer between project participants, the better selection and training of managers, and detailed construction programs with advanced available software can help to accelerate the performance. (Jouini et al., 2004): stated that managing speed in engineering, procurement and construction projects is a key factor in the competition between innovative firms. It is found that customers can consider time as a resource and, in that case, they will encourage the contractor to improve the time performance. Identifying factors that influence cost performance Previous research has attempted to establish reasons for the difference between the tender sum and the final account. This segment identifies the factors that influence cost performance. Four factors were identified from the obtainable research findings, (Morris, 1990), (Kaming et al., 1997) and (Chimwaso, 2001). These are; design changes, inadequate planning, irregular weather conditions; and fluctuations in the cost of building materials. To expand the research it was decided to synchronize the above list of factors with other factors gleaned from the final account reports. These were compared with the factors from the existing research findings, and a final list of 18 factors was prepared. These were then separated into two groups of seven significant factors and nine other factors, which are usually ignored, but perceived to be of equal significance (Chimwaso, 2001). Measurement of Project Performance (Karim and Marosszeky, 1999), stated that performance measurement systems have been one of the primary tools used by the manufacturing sector for business process re-engineering in order to monitor the outcomes and effectiveness of implementation. (Brown and Adams, 2000), obtained an evaluation framework to measure the efficiency of building project management (BPM) by using conventional economic analysis tools such as time, cost and quality. (Lehtonen, 2001), stated that performance measurement systems are imminent in the construction firms. (Samson and Lema, 2002), stated that effective and efficient management of contractors organizational performance requires commitment to effective performance measurement in order to evaluate, control, and improve performance today and in the future. (Tangen, 2004), obtained that performance measurement is a complex issue that normally incorporates at least three different disciplines: economics, management and accounting. Measurement of performance has garnered significant interest recently among both academics and practitioners. (Tangen, 2004), remarked the choice of a suitable measurement technique depends on a number of factors, including the purpose of the measurement; the level of detail required; the time available for the measurement; the existence of available predetermined data; and the cost of measurement. (Navon, 2005), defined performance measurement as a comparison between the desired and the actual performances. For example, when a deviation is detected, the construction management analyzes the reasons for it. The reasons for deviation can be schematically divided into two groups: (a) unrealistic target setting (i.e., planning) or (b) causes originating from the actual construction (in many cases the causes for deviation originate from both sources). (Navon, 2005), stated that performance measurement is needed not only to control current projects but also to update the historic database. Such updates enable better planning of future projects in terms of costs, schedules, labor allocation, etc. (Pheng and Chaun, 2006), stated that the measurement of project performance can no longer be restricted to the traditional criteria, which consist of time, cost and quality. There are other measurement criteria such as project management and products. (Cheung et al., 2004), stated that New South Wales Public Works Department in Australia launched a Project Performance Evaluation (PPE) framework, which covers an extensive array of performance parameters. PPE parameters are communication, time, cost, quality, safety, claims and issues resolution, environment, contract relations. PPEs purpose is to broaden project performance procedures to envelop soft parameters also, such as communication and resolution of dispute. In the UK, a performance measurement tool for project referred to as the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) was developed by the KPI working group under the UK Construction Industry Best Practice Programme to include time, cost, quality, client satisfaction, change orders, business performance, health and safety. The implementation steps of KPIs are as follows: Decide what to measure, Collect data and calculate the KPIs. That notwithstanding, both the PPE and KPIs are valuable tools for measuring performance of a project over a period of time. Anyway, it is obtained from previous study that both methods PPE and KPIs can be used for measuring of performance as the indicators are similar in two methods. In this study KPIs method will be used to measure performance. (Iyer and Jha, 2005), stated that measuring the performance of any construction project is a very complex process because modern construction projects are generally multidisciplinary in nature and they involve participation of designers, contractors, subcontractors, specialists, construction managers, and consultants. With the increasing size of the project, number of participants in the project also increases. The objectives or goals of all participants need not be same even in a given project. Hence to measure performance of a project witho

Duke Ellington :: essays research papers

Edward Kennedy Ellington, American jazz composer, orchestrator, bandleader, and pianist, is considered to be the greatest composer in the history of jazz music and one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. He composed over 2000 works and performed numerous concerts during his musical career. A compilation of some of his most popular music is collected on a CD called "The Popular Duke Ellington." Ellington personally created most of the music played by his orchestra. He often wrote pieces for specific players with distinctive musical styles in his band, such as "Concerto for Cootie" (1940) for fellow musician and trumpeter, Cootie Williams. With the help from American trumpeter James "Bubber" Miley, Ellington often incorporated in his music the jungle effect. This effect was made by placing a plunger at the opening of a brass instrument, therefore, muffling or muting the notes played out. The result sounded like a person wailing, giving the piece a voice-like quality. In "Concerto for Cootie," Cootie Williams does a solo using the jungle effect, making it sound like a voice is singing along. His opening solo is repetitive, going over the same set of notes over and over again. The overall feeling is as if the music is wooing the listener. Ellington's other innovations include the use of the human voice as an instrument, such as in "Creole Love Call" (1927). He also placed instruments in unusual combinations, illustrated in the piece "Mood Indigo" (1930). When the orchestra performs this piece, three soloists stand out in front of the stage, playing three different instruments. Improvisation was a big part of Ellington’s music. One of Ellington orchestra’s signature tunes is "Take the ‘A’ Train" (1941). This piece was not written by Ellington but by American composer Billy Strayhorn, who became Ellington’s musical collaborator. This piece is very jumpy and light, making you feel like tapping your feet and following the beat. In the background is a piano in stride style that accompanies the brass instruments. Ellington often wrote evocative music, such as "Caravan" (1936), which he intended as a portrait of an exotic locale. The piece is a cross between Latin jazz and music that is Aladdin like. The brass instruments in the background are playing in ostinato form. This piece was written by Puerto Rican Juan Tizol who played the trombone solo. Cootie Williams would later improvise on the piece, coming up with his own version of "Caravan.

Essay --

George Bilgere, an American Poet writes a touching but sad poem about his personal life. Bilgere who is the main character in the poem takes his readers on a journey about the survival of his struggles in life. Coming from a family with divorced parents, alcoholic father and mother who passed away lead him to be more open with his poetry. In the poem â€Å" Like Riding a Bicycle† Bilgere informs his readers about the struggles he had to face throughout his childhood due to not having a mother or father figure around at a young age. Throughout the poem, Bilgere shows that even though you struggle in life, there is alway a way to find yourself as a successful individual. Bilgere was a young boy who suffered from alcohol abuse. The first few stanzas of the poem started off showing happiness when describing his father teaching him how to ride a bicycle. Getting deeper into the poem, it turns to a rough point when Bilgere compares the push while riding a bike to his own marriage. For instance â€Å" As I make some perilous adult launch / like pulling away from my wife.† (462) Knowing that his father and mother split up when Bilgere was a young child, shows that the divorce affected his future. Bilgere’s father alcohol problem destroyed their family. The line â€Å" On their own divorce, their balance / long gone and the hard ground already / rising up to smite them† ( 462) shows the feeling of being abandoned and left alone. His father's alcoholism caused his actions to become violent. For instance â€Å" He swore and stomped off.† (462) which demonstrates to the reader that the father had trouble controlling his temper towar ds his son and wife. Throughout the entire poem, it shows that Bilgere had strong anger towards his father but learns to appreciate ... ...er evening† (463) gives us the thought of him remembering it all, but â€Å" the pacific shoreline† (463) which proves that the bicycle ride was representing a new life. Bilgere gives his readers the conclusion to never give up even when life turns upside down. Bilgere was a young boy who survived a tough childhood and grew up to be a successful man. Even though he didn't have the childhood most children have shows that anything is possible. We shouldn't give up on anything when life gets difficult for us. Bilgere proves to his reader that giving up doesn't get you anywhere; doing something about it does. Knowing that Bilgere was about to find happiness and be confident in the person he had became gives me the hope of a better future. Life will through some tough punches but better to take the pain than to give up because god has something better stored for the future.

Essay on Sophocles Antigone :: Antigone essays

In ancient Greece, men who died in war fulfilled the civic ideal to the utmost.   The women, destined to live out a degrading life, died in bed.   Certainly, not all men died in battle, but every epitaph shows in one way or another, the city would always remember the men who died in war.   Additionally, not all Athenian women died in bed; nonetheless, it was left to her family to preserve the memory of her not the city.   No matter how perfect a woman was she would never receive the same status or level of social expectations from the city that a man received. No accomplishments were allowed beyond living a life of motherhood and submissiveness to a man, namely her husband.   In fact, in early Greece, women were typically viewed as subservient to men, submissive in their actions, and of a status only slightly above slaves; however, Antigone was not your typical Greek woman.   Many ancient Greek Philosophers have written and expressed their views on women’s’ status in ancient Greece.   One author, Sophocles, wrote plays about how you cannot escape fate, because the Gods give fate and men cannot escape what the Gods decide. Sophocles shows his case in point, that human laws can destroy a city, using Antigone as a noticeable illustration to show his points.   Pericles according to the author Thucydides has hardly anything to say about women, but when he does, it is in a demeaning statement.   Socrates never says anything in reference to women, but more to society in a whole.   Finally, Sappho’s writings have been threatened to be destroyed because of her indifferent views towards women and how she portrayed them.   In the play Antigone, Sophocles stretches the role of a woman. There is a battle between what is right and laws of Gods or laws of man.   Sophocles places Antigone in this fight against her Uncle Creon.   Antigone stands up for ancient law and Creon stands up for man’s law.   Creon voices his opinion on how he feels about women in ancient Greece.   Creon states â€Å"We must defend the men who live by law, never let some woman triumph over us.   Better to fall from power, if fall we must, at the hands of a man – never be rated inferior to a woman, never.† (Pg. 77 – line 755-762)   Antigone, with her sharp tongue, challenges Creon with what she feels is right  Ã‚   â€Å"It wasn’t Zeus, not in the least, who made this proclamation – not to me.

‘A PhD in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences’ †Statement of Purpose Essay

Statement of Purpose I am determined to pursue a PhD in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences with an emphasis on formulation and development of new drug entities. During pharmaceutics lab sessions in my second year as an undergraduate, I was engaged in making different drug formulations (Pharmaceutics). It was here I began to wonder how these dosage forms were being formulated to achieve optimum therapeutic response which led me to the goal of pharmaceutical technology. During my B.pharm in Pune University, my appetite for pharmaceutics led me to pursue a master’s in pharmaceutics. I worked hard, studying various Novel drug delivery systems such as Micro-particulate systems, chrono-modulated drug delivery systems, various polymeric dosage forms, etc. Not to negate this hard work, I couldn’t be more proud of what I accomplished in my research on the â€Å"Development and evaluation of Floating microspheres of Pioglitazone hydrochloride† and developed new dosage form for the delivery of the anti-diabetic drug. As compared to conventional dosage form (tablet) of Pioglitazone hydrochloride, this new dosage form prolongs the delivery of drug and retains it for nearly 12 hours in the stomach region, where maximum release of the drug is possible. My mark on the field has just begun My interests grew as I viewed at close quarters current developments in pharmaceutics, in particular as it relates to formulation and development of drug molecules. It is marvellous to see how a molecule, inefficacious in conventional formulations, can do wonders when used in a Novel Drug Delivery System like ‘Microparticles’. I feel the need to delve more deeply into my Master’s research topic of Microparticles and do more research into areas of Micro/nanotechnology, to study in detail the development of Micro/nanoparticles as carriers to deliver aniticancer agents, genes, vaccines, etc. I have published 2 research papers, 1 other is accepted for publication and another one under revision, which gave me intense experience of the overall procedure for publication from designing experiments 25/8/2013 2:13 PM ‘a PhD in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences’ – Statement of Purpose http://www.essayforum.com/graduate-essays-4/phd-field-pharmaceutic†¦ Inspiration and enthusiasm well up in me when I am at work; I have gained professional experience by working for about 1year as Trainee chemist (F&D) at Zest Pharma and about 6 months as Chemist (F&D) at Aristo Pharma in India. During this period I become completely familiar with Preformulation studies, Formulation development and standardization of different oral solid dosage forms. Of course now I want to move forward ahead toward a Ph.D. I chose National University of Singapore (NUS) because of the exceptional research projects in the field of Pharmaceutics. I am mostly intrigued by Dr. Chan’s project concerning study of different techniques of microencapsulation and also Dr. Liew’s projects on Granulation and pelletization techniques. I am confident of making an original contribution to the field of Pharmaceutics and also because the facilities at NUS seem to foster a healthy research environment as I could gather from the brochure of your department. Also NUS provides a very thorough and effective foundation for work in the Industrial/Organizational field. I intend to pursue a career in the area of research and development for private industry; therefore NUS’s high placement rate, along with all above qualities, is imperative to me and my career. It is my intention to make a significant contribution to my chosen field and I look forward to our relationship with great eagerness.   Nov 7, 2011, 06:43am #2 any one can please take a look at my SOP and comment on possible changes EF_Susan [Moderator] Nov 10, 2011, 12:25pm #3 My mark on the field has just begun. I feel the need to delve more deeply into my Master’s research topic of Microparticles and to do more research into areas of Micro/nanotechnology, to study in detail the development of Micro/nanoparticles as carriers to deliver aniticancer agents, genes, vaccines, etc. I have published 2 research papers, and one other is accepted for publication and another†¦ I have taught lectures & have taken practicals of Physical Pharmacy (Pharmaceutics-II) of second year under-graduate students. Of course n Now I want to move forward ahead toward a Ph.D. Looks like they’ll be very lucky to have you as a student!   Similar discussions: PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Rejected for the last time when applied) Reasons for applying Master of Science (MSc) programme in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Dynamic research group of UF; University of Florida/ PhD(Pharmaceutical Sciences)-SOP   Thesis statement for my sop (field of lifesciences/clinical sciences) – Need ideas! Research on Jacalin plant; Study Objective for Fulbright – Pharmaceutical Sciences Statement of Purpose for a major in Fluid/Thermal Sciences (MS Mechanical) Statement of Purpose for Graduate School in Bioarchaeology field in the UK Statement of Purpose for Chemical engineering in smart polymer’s field (the field of Oncology) Statement of Purpose Masters in Physician Assistant â€Å"The burgeoning field of Computer Science† – my Statement of Purpose Random: Obeying to the demands of Mrs. Sanderson; Significant Experience/ UC This thread has been closed. 25/8/2013 2:13 PM ‘a PhD in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences’ – Statement of Purpose 4 of 4 http://www.essayforum.com/graduate-essays-4/phd-field-pharmaceutic†¦ 25/8/2013 2:13 PM