Coursework for information retrieval knowledge management course Essay

Coursework for information retrieval knowledge management course - Essay Example creation and management." The authors write, "†¦effective organizations need to grow not just as individuals but their own intellectual capital and property and their ability to deploy them effectively". Drucker (1998, p.9) in the Harvard Business Review on Knowledge Management has suggested that, information-based organizations require clear, simple common objectives that translate into particular actions". In How Organizations Learn by Anthony DiBella and Edwin Nevis (1998, p.124), the authors suggest that "involved leadership" can be enhanced by benchmarking within the organization; providing coaches; leadership development activities; and conducting studies on processes. Searching, Gathering, aggregating, analysing and disseminating information from diverse internal and external information sources. Since all the required and relevant information cannot be gathered from a single source and is usually spread over a number of files and web locations therefore it needs to be searched and consolidated from different business information vendors, websites, enterprise databases and spreadsheets, then distribute visual representations of their research and analysis in the form of easy-to-navigate charts. The concept of crawling is also relevant in this type of solution as it uses aggregation of diverse information spread across documents and URLs. Crawler is written specifically for gathering or capturing data by working recursively within various links or URLs. It does this by starting with a single URL and searching for some specific keywords then it replicates itself for all the links found and starts searching on all of them. This way extensive search is carried out in parallel saving precious time and gathering vast amount of valuable information. Enables the visual discovery and analysis of intelligence in both online and enterprise information formats. The solutions are typically used in the areas of competitive intelligence, risk management, mergers and

The First World War Essay Example for Free

The First World War Essay The First World War though had the majority of the countries of the world involved in it, yet the major protagonists were European. Some of the historians and researchers even go as far as to name this war as an Imperialistic war. This is because one of the major reasons for the war to erupt was â€Å"due to the rivalries triggered off by the pressures of highly organized financial monopolies operating in the different European countriesâ€Å"(Henig, 2002, p. 38). Though this does not entirely explain the cause of the war, it nevertheless points towards the prominent presence of the European countries in the war. One of the major reasons for the war to erupt was due to the German’s interest in occupying colonies in Africa and Far East. There was a deep mistrust of the remaining European countries about its objectives. The colonial ambitions till this point were dominated by England, Russia and France, and to an extent Spain, and these countries had fought multiple wars amongst themselves regarding their colonial expansions. This created a power bloc in the European region which emerged clearly during the Morocco crisis. France entered the war fearing an invasion from Germany and also because of a long dispute for the areas of Alsace and Lorraine which it had lost to Germans in an earlier was in 1870-71. England entered the war because the successful invasion of France as well as Belgium would have made Germany very powerful. Germany and Russia in turn were in the war because they wished to defend themselves against their powerful European enemies. However much of the tensions caused due to this reason would have been sorted out without the need for any need for a war on such a scale. The catalyst for the war was yet another European crisis which actually led to the World war. The crisis occurred in the Balkan regions. Germany and Russia in order to gain allies supported Balkan countries i. e. Austria-Hungary and Serbia. When France Ferdinand, the crown prince of Austria-Hungary, was murdered on 28th June 1914, Serbia emerged as the hand behind it because they wished to be free from Austria-Hungary. Russia supported the Serbs because it considered it to be strategically important. This led to Germany declaring a war on Russia, from which point the war started and quickly spread through the entire Europe and in turn their colonies due to the tensions already present between the countries. Japan, though was not a colony of any of the European countries entered the war because it had a military agreement with Britain to aid it in any war, and so Japan declared a war on Germany (Strachan, 2001). There were two countries – Italy and United States, who had policies for a neutral approach during the World war at the start. In case of Italy, Allies persuaded it in to the war against its former allies i. e. Germany, Austria- Hungary by promising large territorial gains in the Austria-Hungary region. This made Italy join the war with the Allies in 1915. United States was one of the last countries to enter the war. United States was purely a capitalist country and had no interest in subscribing to wars. In fact President Woodrow Wilson had declared a policy of absolute neutrality in the war at its outset. However, President Wilson was the one to break its stance and join the war. This was because of the German stance for unrestricted submarine warfare which would have threatened America’s commercial shipping. The American commercial shipping was directed towards the Allies, and so it did have a great risk of being attacked by Germans, and when the attack did take place America reluctantly joined the war towards the very end in 1917. The impact of the World War was huge on all the countries involved. There was a huge loss of life and property on both the sides. Imperialism lost out and there was a period of intense socialism and communism, especially in Russia. The social class system became more liberal especially in Britain and France. Since the cost of the war was in billions, there were heavy taxes put on the traders to recover the costs, and this led to large scale economic problems in many countries, which was brought to a head during the Great Depression period in the 1920s and 1930s. United States came to be reckoned as a world power because of its decisive role in the war. In Europe many new states were created. League of Nations was created to sort out international problems, which would prove to be a failure soon. To take care of the down spiraling economic conditions many countries like Russia, Italy and Germany went in for military dictatorships (Henig, 2002). However, the impact was worst for the losing side. Germany became an outcast in front of the rest of the world. Million of people had died or become disables which meant a huge scale of unemployment. It was excluded from the League of Nations and had to give up a lot of territory to the winning side especially the disputed area of Alsace and Lorraine. Austria and Germany were separated and there was a limit on the size of the army of the countries. The countries also had to pay a lot of money to the winning sides to pay for the war damages which did moral as well as economic damage to the countries and the people living in these countries (Strachan, 2001).

Essay example --

The impact of non-native species and invasive threats are one of the most serious threats that native amphibians are facing today. Many invasive species are able to adapt to their new environments quickly. They can often out-compete natives for food resources or they simply prey on the native species. Amphibian declines have become an increasing issue. While amphibian diversity is severely threatened by habitat destruction, the threat from non-native predation and competition is rapidly contributing to amphibian population declines (Ficetola et. al, 2007; Young et. al, 2001). Amphibians are threatening amphibians, and the threat from invasive species is a global issue. In Mexico and Central America this threat is just as real if not more so due to the tropical rich biodiversity. Many of the southern Central American countries boast some of the richest ecosystems in biodiversity in the world (Reid, 1993; Young et. al, 2001). American bullfrog (Rana catesbeinana) The American bullfrog (Rana catesbeinana), a member of the family Ranidae, or â€Å"true frogs† is threatening several habitats and native species in Central America. Native to North America, the American bullfrogs are found in freshwater habitats from Nova Scotia, Canada, throughout the eastern United States into Northern east Mexico. (see figure 1-1) Among the largest frogs in North America, they are easily distinguishable by their size. The bullfrog is a large amphibian that challenges native amphibians for food and habitat resources, but the bullfrog has a voracious appetite and will consume any prey that it fit into their mouths. They can grow to a length of eight inches and weight up to two pounds in their native habitats. In artificial market nurseries they... ...at attracts a collector. Unfortunately like many exotic pets, the owners soon lose interest and instead of doing the responsible things, by finding a suitable owner, they release them thinking that it’s an acceptable practice. Management and inspection of the plant nurseries and the pet trade is still poorly governed. While some countries are implementing policies and regulations on inspections and trades it is will continue to be a problem. Solutions must come from the international community. It must also include educating traders, collectors, inspectors as well as other stakeholders and the public. The small size of theses frogs coupled with the high procreation rate has made control of established colonies difficult to manage. Several countries that have been infested by this tree frog are doing live captures and then humanely euthanatizing individuals.

Agricultural_Development

Before the start of the 20th century, the overwhelming majority of increases in agricultural production were the result of an increase in the amount of cultivated areas. However, the start of the 21st century has come to demand that nearly all increases in agricultural production result from the increased productivity of existing cultivated areas, thereby leaving an extremely window of time for countries to make the dramatic shift from a system of production that has long been based on resources to one that is based on science (Ruttan, 2001 p. 179).To quantify the shift in terms of population, as the global population neared $1 billion, the increased demand for agriculture was met by expanding farm land area. In sharp contrast, the population, and consequently the demand for agriculture, more than doubled after 1950. Virtually all of the demand, which suddenly doubled, was met by increasing farm productivity (Federico, 2005 p. 388).For developed countries, the shift from a most resou rce-based system to a science-based system began in the 19th century. But, unfortunately for developing countries, these changes did not begin to take place until the second half of the 20th century, thereby leaving the developing countries at a disadvantage because the demands place on agriculture had doubled by this time.Population and income growth were the underlying causes of this two-fold increase. Because demands are expected to rapidly double again, substantial and scientific and technical effort will be required in the world’s poorest in countries in order for them to complete the transition to the science-based system (Ruttan, 2001 p. 179).Since the 1950s, the overall understanding of agriculture’s role in economic development has increased. In the past, development economists in premodern and traditional societies viewed agriculture as static as sustained annual growth rates as low as 0.5 to 1% were feasible over extended periods.With industrialization, agri cultural output growth rates increased to 1.5% to 2.5%, rates which were sustained for extended periods of time in Western Europe, North America, and Japan. Since 1950, growth rates have shifted further upward to 3%.This increase primarily took place in newly developing countries like Brazil, The People’s Republic of China, and Mexico. As output growth rates steadily increased, economists came to adopt the new view that agriculture was dynamic rather than static (Ruttan, 2001 p. 180).By 1960, the high-payoff input model merged as a new theory by which economists were attempting to understand agriculture. It took into consideration agroenvironmental constraints and is based on the conclusion that these constrains make agricultural technology location specific.For example, it was discovered that technologies that were developed in highly developed countries were generally not transferable to less developed countries which had different climates and resource endowments.Additiona lly, it appeared evident that because poor countries were not providing peasant farmers with technical and economic opportunities, reallocating resources in traditional peasant agriculture would only produce marginal productivity gains.Under the high-payoff input model, it was argued that developing economies could be transformed by investments from the public and private sectors to make high-payoff technical inputs available to poor farmers (Ruttan, 2001 p. 187).Between the 1970s and mid 1980s, Hayami, Ruttan ,and Binswanger developed a new agricultural model in which conditions in the economic system arose from technical and institutional change. This model was based on the recognition that there is more than one path to technological development.These different paths to development make it possible for a country to substitute more abundant factors for scarce factors. Techniques which allow for the substitution of other labor factors are termed â€Å"labor saving†, while te chniques which facilitate the substitution of other land factors are referred to as â€Å"land saving†.Mechanical technology corresponds with labor saving technology, as it substitutes power and machinery for labor. Biological technology, which tends to substitute intensive production practices and industrial inputs for land, corresponds with land saving techniques.Chemical fertilizers, increased recycling of manures, pesticides, and pathogen-resistant crops are example of land saving technologies. Mechanical technology and mechanical processes were the driving force of the industrial revolution. But biological and chemical technologies became more prominent in the latter half of the 20th century (Ruttan, 2001 p. 188, 190).

Most Important Person in Your Life

One person in my life that influences me the most would be my mother. My mom is by far the strongest person I know and she has gone through more struggles than any person should have to. She had to raise me on her own while facing many health issues and did whatever she had to do to give me what I needed. While I was growing up, she did not get to spend as much time with me as she would like because she worked a lot to take care of the bills and she was often in the hospital sick. We also moved around a lot until I was about 12, then we finally owned our first house and stated to spend more time together.Things started to improve from here, until my Grandpa passed away. This affected my mom and I greatly, but especially my mom. She started to become more distant and she stopped working for a while. I tried to make her smile and get back the close relationship we had. After a few months things went back to normal, she was back to the fun, loving woman I knew. Over the last few years m y mom has grown to be my best friend, we do everything together, but her health has also been progressively getting worse.Even though she is always sick, she does whatever she can to make me happy. Although I do not always appreciate it, my mom has made many sacrifices for me and has taught me many life lessons. I have learned to be responsible, caring, ambitious, confident, and most importantly strong. She has influenced me to become a better person and to always make the most out of what I have. Because of her I know that I can achieve great things and she has inspired me to be the best person I can be.

Aristotles opinions on Democracy essays

Aristotle's opinions on Democracy essays Aristotle, in pondering the study of the state, first decides to break down the state into its component parts: the family unit. The family is the association established by nature for the supply of mans everyday wants (1253a, 12). Uniting several families aims at more than just the daily needs of one family and this creates a village. Several villages when combined equal a state. The family unit is a patriarchal unit in which the man of the house is the natural leader. These earlier forms of society are natural and therefore the state is natural; it is the end of them and a nature is somethings end (13). The household is a patriarchal environment where the man is the sovereign, ruling over the women, children, and slaves. Aristotle comments For that some should rule and others be ruled is a thing not only necessary, but expedient; from the hour of their birth some are marked out for subjection and others for rule. This antidemocratic sentiment would lead people to believe that Aristotle supports monarchal or oligarchic versus democratic ideals. He continues to use the family unit as an analogy for society. Within each family unit is the master male figure that rules over the wife, both rule over the children and all rule over the slaves. He theorizes that the Father has a royal rule over the slaves and a royal rule over the children. He then says the man rules the woman constitutionally (an almost democratic thought) and with some exceptions, the male is naturally fitter for command then the female. He claims the rule works like this: the nature of citizens is equal, but whe n one rules over another a difference is created in the forms of names and titles of respect (1259b, 5). Aristotles position on the equality of women and men is confusing; he goes back and forth saying the woman is weaker and less fit for rule but then comparing their relationship to that of equa...

The History Of The Yo Yo essays

The History Of The Yo Yo essays It spins! It sleeps! It flips! It turns! It's the amazing yo-yo! So many people have busted a few moves with a yo-yo, or at least tried to, sometime in their lives. It's seems that it's been a toy that's been around forever. But, of course, it is a man-made object, therefore it must have an inventor, time, and place it came from. Now I will speak on the history of the yo-yo. You will discover aspects about it's origins, all the way up to becoming one of the world's most popular toys. Although you might see this study and research as pointless, you will be amazed at the immense history this simply stringed gadget has. Being a toy created in the ancient era, the yo-yo is one of the world's oldest toys, second only to the doll. Some people believe that the yo-yo was developed in ancient China. But, the oldest surviving yo-yo dates back to 500 BC, and is Greek. Proof of this, a Greek vase from the BC period shows a young boy playing with his yo-yo. Among other materials that could have been used to make these ancient toys, (such as wood, metal, and stone) historians have found that many were made of terra-cotta. Terra-cotta is a fragile, clay-like material. A yo-yo made of this material would break easily. Many of these were found on temple sights. Thus, archaeologists believe that Greek children gave their toy to the gods as a coming of age offering, rather than using it during their afternoon playtime. In Africa, images of young people yo-yoing adorn the walls of ancient Egyptian temples. A wooden box found in India depicted a scene of a girl playing with a yo-yo. On a more serious note, hunters i n the Philippines used a yo-yo like device to hunt animals from the treetops. In some cases, the yo-yo was thought to have been used as a weapon during skirmishes between the local tribes. Through time, the yo-yo survived and shifted from nation to nation, lasting through culture changes, wars, shifts of power, and many other historical ha ...

Five ways your web writing is annoying your readers - Emphasis

Five ways your web writing is annoying your readers Five ways your web writing is annoying your readers Having a website is a wonderful thing: it allows you to confuse and  frustrate people thousands of miles away without ever having to hear their complaints. This makes it very hard to see what the problems are – and very tempting to pretend that they don’t exist. Your web pages don’t have to be like that. It all comes down to avoiding the five most common web-writing traps. Here’s how. Skip the happy talk Imagine stepping into a lift or elevator and hearing this announcement:  Ã¢â‚¬ËœThank you for entering this building’s lift. We’re pleased you’ve chosen the number one lift provider in this building. To select your desired floor, please use the illuminated buttons.’ Clearly ridiculous – yet a similar thing happens on many web pages:  Ã¢â‚¬ËœThank you for browsing our widgets. We are the market leaders in widgets and are dedicated to producing the best widgets for you. We’ve been making widgets since 1990. To browse our widgets, click on the links below.’ Web usability expert Steve Krug calls this kind of space-filling, meaningless text ‘happy talk’, and recommends a simple test to root it out: read it out loud. If you hear a quiet voice saying in your head ‘blah blah blah’, then it’s happy talk. In this example, the only potentially useful information is ‘To browse our widgets, click on the links below’. But if simple tasks such as browsing your site require instructions, there’s a very good chance that it’s not better phrasing you need, but more intuitive web design. Don’t be afraid of keeping text content to a minimum, if it makes things clearer. An excellent example of this is the Gov.uk site, which won the Design of the Year award in 2013. See the section for drivers as an example. There’s no happy talk or clutter, and all the links are self-explanatory. Answer the golden question Everyone visiting your web pages will have a need. This can range from the highly specific, such as a need to buy a particular product, to a vague need for distraction. You need to work out which of these needs also benefits your organisation, then tailor your website to meet them. This is hard because people can arrive in a bewildering variety of ways. Imagine a large shopping centre with an underground car park, an internal metro station, a bus-stop, a helipad, several pedestrian entrances – and, just for added complication, a few ladders leaning up against windows. Where do you greet the visitors, and how do you establish what they need? Website visitors can come from search engines, social media, reference by a friend, a link from a site, by directly typing the address into their browser after seeing an advert, or just from memory. You have no way of telling where the next one will come from, and no control over which page they see first. This means each page, by itself, needs to answer the golden question of web writing: ‘Am I in the right place?’ Within about five seconds. This is a hard test to pass. Try it for yourself: Get someone who isn’t familiar with your website to look at an important page. Ask them what they think that page is about after a few seconds. There’s a good chance you’ll be surprised by their answer. Go to FiveSecondTest.com (the free version is fine for this) and ask some anonymous people from the internet to do the same thing. If this all sounds too painful, try it on the sites of your competitors or similar organisations. You’ll be surprised at how many of them fail. This can be quite satisfying, but bear in mind that your site probably suffers from some of the same problems. People will tend to stay on your site if they think they’re in the right place – just as you’ll keep searching for what you need in a department store if you think you’re likely to find it. However, you’ll need to make sure they can find it reasonably swiftly, as anyone who’s ever stormed off in an empty-handed huff will attest. Be credible If Google is to be believed, the world is crammed full of ‘world leaders’, hundreds of thousands of them, all leading the world in something or other. A Google search for ‘world leader in the field of’ returns more than five million results. Phrases like this give no information and are not by themselves credible. They only take a few key strokes to type and anyone can claim them – and your readers know it. They will filter it out. This applies most obviously to marketing copy, where a handful of testimonials from satisfied people are worth more than anything, however wondrous, the company claims about itself. But it also applies in a more subtle way to non-marketing claims. For example, if you claim you are ‘always there to help’, then back it up by making your contact details easy to find. Make your headlines work The pressure on headlines is staggering, which makes writing them hard. But it doesn’t have to be, if you follow three rules: They must be informative. They’re the first thing the reader scans, and often the only thing they’ll bother to read, so they need to communicate essentially what the page is about. They need to be concise, to the point and short. And they have to be easy to understand for everyone in your target audience. So think twice before using industry-insider terms that a new customer may not understand. When writing a headline, keep in mind the golden question: ‘Am I in the right place?’ Your headline needs to answer that in as plain a way as possible. Gov.uk does well again here – its section covering areas as diverse as apprenticeships, school applications and university loans is summarised as ‘Education and learning’. It’s short, informative and easy to understand. The body copy (also very short) lets people know the detail. KISS with confidence Keeping it Short and Simple is a fundamental part of all professional writing, and it’s particularly important when you’re writing for the web. On the web, you’re always fighting to hold your audience’s attention (and to keep them away from the back button), so the shorter the sweeter. Also, your visitors will have different levels of English comprehension – some may have lower levels of literacy, including those for whom English is not a first language. Keeping it short and simple will help all the visitors to your site by making it easier to use and understand. This in turn increases trust, and helps your visitors achieve their goals quickly and simply. Bob’s your uncle Apply these five rules to your website, and you’ll soon see your communications becoming leaner, cleaner and more efficient. And while you may not be able to see your website visitors’ blood pressure lowering, you’ll soon start to witness the effects. When they realise they’re able to find what they’re looking for on your website quickly and easily, they’ll trust your organisation to be able to meet their needs with the same efficiency. To find out how to optimise your web writing for search engines, see  A beginner’s guide to keyword research.  For tips on how to keep it short and simple, see Three ways to tame your sentences and the  Power up with the active voice  video.

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business management - Essay Example Nevertheless, society seemed to have heeded the call. Burke (2002) elucidated on the necessity of change in organizations as an avenue for survival and viewed such change as a means of adapting to their particular environment. In the realm of work and organizations, critical contrast is now being focused on modernism and post-modernism. I also believe that the gradual switch from the former to the latter workplace standard can provide an idea of how much change work and organisations endured in this generation. Grint (2005) ascribed ‘certainty, stability and consensus’ to modernist organizations vis a vis their opposites of ‘instability, uncertainty and dissensus’ to the post-modernist ones. Grint’s three sets of opposite words generalize the paradigm shift from modernism to past modernism in the course material depiction of structural change from rigid bureaucracies to flexible organizations; the consumption trend from mass markets to niche markets; from technological determinism to technological choic e; from differentiated, demarcated and de-skilled to highly de-differentiated, de-demarcated and multi-skilled jobs; and from central and standardized to complex and fragmentary employment relations based on Knights and Willmott (2006). Although the current model of organizational processes have revolutionized society and industry in more ways than one, I do, however, also acknowledge Harding’s (2003) argument that the so-called modernist epoch was never ‘superseded’ (Jameson, 2002) and has not really gone away, but metamorphosed into the ideals we know now as post-modernist to ‘fill voids of understanding that exist in the modern world’. Viewed in this sense, the transformations we perceived are not necessarily changes, but continuity, which in a way animates Weil’s (1968, cited in Grey, 2005) remark

Analysis of the business situation of the Virgin Mobile Essay

Analysis of the business situation of the Virgin Mobile - Essay Example bile operates as a virtual network operator, riding on the physical network of T-Mobile, and later Everything Everywhere (Answers Corporation, 2014; Virgin Mobile USA, 2009; Telecompaper, 2014; RCRWirelessAdmin, 2011; RCRWirelessAdmin, 2013; Thomas, 2013; Ofcom, 2013). Virgin Media UK provides a breakdown of financial data for Virgin Mobile in its UK investor relations reports of financial performance. That aside one can get a glimpse of the kinds of numbers that Virgin Mobile is able to generate too, by looking at the financial and subscriber data for Virgin Media, which is the owner of Virgin Mobile in the UK. As of end of December of 2013, Virgin Mobile had about three million customers, a third of whom are prepaid customers, while more than two million are postpaid customers. They offer voice and data services to this customer base, as well as content. The direction of growth is towards increasing the base of postpaid customers (Virgin Media, 2013; Virgin Media, 2014). Moving on to the financial numbers, total revenues for 2013 amounted to 1.846 billion pounds, a substantial slowdown from revenues of over 3 billion pounds for 2011 and for 2012. As a group, this slowdown reflects a general drop in total revenues for the Virgin Media Group, from about 4 billion pounds for 2011 and for 2012, to just 2.3 billion pounds for 2013. The large drop can be attributed to the large drop in revenues for Virgin Mobile (Virgin Media, 2013; Virgin Media, 2014; Google, 2014b). The chosen SBU unit for analysis in this paper is Virgin Mobile n the UK, as a subsidiary of Virgin Media. In turn, Virgin Media has been bought by Liberty Global, with the Virgin Group being able to retain a small share of total ownership after the acquisition. In terms of competition, the big players include BT, Vodafone, and a slew of broadband players like BSkyB also making plays in the same set industry. EE also competes in this same space, the firm providingVirgin Mobile with the physical

Assess the hierarchical structure of the court system in England and Essay - 1

Assess the hierarchical structure of the court system in England and Wales. To what extent does the common law doctrine of bindi - Essay Example The England and Welsh courts have a hierarchical structure that is found within both the criminal and civil courts and represents the different levels of authority within the courts. The supreme court of the United Kingdom is considered as the most superior and senior court in the land that is tasked with high ranking litigations and court cases. These courts are tasked with different roles and constitutional functions within the English jurisdiction. Legal systems are guided to a larger extent by judicial precedents and historical rulings on cases which have striking similarity with the cases at hand. Within the English law and precedent, processing of the applicability and quality of a precedential ruling enables the courts to only apply liable legal rulings that bear similarities to their cases. As stated by the doctrine of binding precedents, the rules and legal laws used in arguing the case in reference must be fully studied and used to form an informed basis of whether to apply the precedent or not (Thomas, 2005). In this paper, the legal system of the Wales and England judicial structures will be analysed to provide their roles as enshrined in the English law enactment of the United Kingdom legislative enactment. ... United Kingdom supreme court The United Kingdom Supreme Court is considered as the final court of appeal in the country that is tasked with various roles and responsibilities that has ensured the development of the English law. All cases heard by the court, whether they are appeal in nature must have been referred to it by other courts below it. According to Hondius (2007), the United Kingdom Supreme Court is the ultimate court of appeal in the United Kingdom that is allowed to hear all cases from all the four kingdoms in the union. It thus makes determination of cases brought before it from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland after the cases have been referred to it by other courts below it. Apart from high profile civil cases, the court is tasked with the determination of high profile cases of public interest and concern which are beyond the jurisdiction of other courts below it. Apart from the general cases considered of great public interest, the court is also tasked with consti tutional interpretation functions especially on cases involving the different kingdoms and their internal governments (Stone, 2009). Appeal courts of England and wales It is considered as the most senior court below the Supreme Court and hears a number of civil cases brought before it by other courts within the land. One of the major roles played by the high court of appeal of England and Wales is the supervision and directional leadership it has over other subordinate courts below (Gillespie, 2007). As a major court within this judicial jurisdiction, the court has three branches tasked with different roles and responsibilities. The Queen’s Bench division, the family division and the chancery division are the

Why are organisations seeking to implement their chosen strategies Essay - 1

Why are organisations seeking to implement their chosen strategies through projects - Essay Example He can manage well and hence the reason that he is preferred over his colleagues for the post of the project manager. The key competencies of a project manager are immense but a few of them are mentioned within the length of this paper. Within the literature review for this topic, the emphasis would be laid on the fact that project managers commit their own selves whole-heartedly towards the cause of the project at hand and that they exhibit some of the very intrinsic traits within their professional duties and their personal capacities which make them stand head and shoulders with the rest of the employees within the organization. It is their single-ness in terms of management expertise which is given its due credit and thus they are appointed as the ones who will lead the organization towards success whilst accomplishing the results that are envisaged in the wake of a peculiar project. The literature review will explore the exact basis upon which project managers have achieved higher ranks, broke new grounds, taken care of new possibilities and in essence made their mark within this field of management itself. The key competencies of a project manager entail a number of strengths on his part and the time is right to make a clear cut understanding of the very same in the following paragraphs. (Frame, 2002) Decision making in science and indeed any other field of study is a difficult thing and for this, one needs to understand what are the basic ways in which a decision can be arrived at, without wasting much time and using the best tools and techniques in order to achieve the same. These decisions are very crucial to the outcome of a project and a project manager is accountable for the very same. At times, certain things should be kept in mind like the fact that information is the single most significant thing in this whole process. Decision-making is indeed a very

Masters Entry Diploma in Management - Management Development Essay

Masters Entry Diploma in Management - Management Development - Essay Example OBJECTIVES OF STUDY Measuring the effectiveness of a sales or marketing technique requires comparing it against other methods under similar conditions. This study will have three major objectives to achieve the purpose of comparing hard-sell techniques to other sales techniques. The first objective is to define and describe what a consumer would consider hard-sell techniques, based on previously extant literature and studies. The second objective will then be to assess customer opinions of and responses to salespeople that use the previously-defined hard-sell methods. Finally, the third objective is to compare those responses with responses to sales pitches that do not use those techniques and analyse the results to determine if the aggressive tactics are as or more effective at closing the sale. LITERATURE SEARCH Academic sources define hard-sell techniques as those sale tactics that tell customers to take action and use forceful language (Englis, 1994, pp. 143). A hard-sell techniq ue sets up a framework between the salesperson and the customer â€Å"where there is a 'winner' or 'loser'† (Meredith 2009, pp 36). ... Generally, what a consumer refers to as a hard sell approach involves pushy and possibly rude salespeople, overly long sales pitches, and multiple demonstrations of a product they have already turned down (Consumer Affairs, 2002). Alternatively, the low-pressure or â€Å"soft sell† salesperson focuses on forming a relationship with the customer (Meredith 2009, pp 36). These techniques advocate listening to the customer, asking the right questions, and waiting for the customer to request a solution before offering a product (Rosen, 2007). According to an analysis by Pine and Davis, manufacturing of custom products to fill an individual customer's needs is the future in many industries (1999, pp 263). Customization would be the epitome of soft-sell techniques, as exactly what the customer requests is what the salesperson could provide. What is not covered in their study, however, is whether the availability of customization will replace the need for strong sales tactics; simply being able to solve a customer's problem does not guarantee a sale. When using a hard-sell method, the salesperson must be careful not to ignore what the customer needs in the interest of moving product; but a less aggressive salesperson may take too long in offering a specific solution and lose the sale in that way (Rosen 2007). Both of these failures to please the customer could hurt repeat business. Customer satisfaction, with not only the product but with their experience of the sale, is the key determinant of whether the customer will return for future business, recommend the product or service to a friend, or purchase upgrades and other services (Ahearne et al, 2005). Customer

Why are organisations seeking to implement their chosen strategies Essay - 1

Why are organisations seeking to implement their chosen strategies through projects - Essay Example He can manage well and hence the reason that he is preferred over his colleagues for the post of the project manager. The key competencies of a project manager are immense but a few of them are mentioned within the length of this paper. Within the literature review for this topic, the emphasis would be laid on the fact that project managers commit their own selves whole-heartedly towards the cause of the project at hand and that they exhibit some of the very intrinsic traits within their professional duties and their personal capacities which make them stand head and shoulders with the rest of the employees within the organization. It is their single-ness in terms of management expertise which is given its due credit and thus they are appointed as the ones who will lead the organization towards success whilst accomplishing the results that are envisaged in the wake of a peculiar project. The literature review will explore the exact basis upon which project managers have achieved higher ranks, broke new grounds, taken care of new possibilities and in essence made their mark within this field of management itself. The key competencies of a project manager entail a number of strengths on his part and the time is right to make a clear cut understanding of the very same in the following paragraphs. (Frame, 2002) Decision making in science and indeed any other field of study is a difficult thing and for this, one needs to understand what are the basic ways in which a decision can be arrived at, without wasting much time and using the best tools and techniques in order to achieve the same. These decisions are very crucial to the outcome of a project and a project manager is accountable for the very same. At times, certain things should be kept in mind like the fact that information is the single most significant thing in this whole process. Decision-making is indeed a very

Green energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Green energy - Essay Example However, the ongoing debates have led to the rise of people against green energy. Critics who claim that green energy can only be technically achieved rather than being achieved in real life. Green energy can be harvested from natural sources such as the sun, wind and tidal waves in seas and oceans. Scientist has proven the use of green energy technically possible. However, how will the public take the new technology on green energy? That question has caused mixed reactions in energy debates globally. Not all people in the society may accept green energy. The producers may go ahead and produce green cabs and cars but who will buy them? Most people prefer buying vehicles that they have been used to rather than those using green energy such as electricity. In some cases, since they have not undergone massive tests, they do not work as to the set standards and conditions. For example, one may purchase a green vehicle to help in solving the global warming change but he/she makes a very s mall fraction of the whole population globally. These ideas are mostly generated in developed countries and introduced to markets in the same countries. However, in the second and third world countries, the problem of pollution is still a menace. Industries and production firms that produce poisonous gases into the atmosphere leading to global warming may not make their ways in developed countries but in the third world countries. Legal and economic structures in these countries are not stable like those found in the developed countries. This means that with all the ideas, there are no enough implementation plans that backup technology. For example, due to inappropriate leadership styles in underdeveloped countries, factories and industries may continue polluting the environment. This at times happen in the presence of strict warning and fines but due to corruption they continue producing. This means that the use of green energy is realistically impossible. There is an

Medieval Diary Essay Example for Free

Medieval Diary Essay Tomorrow is the day I start out on my journey to King Richard’s court. I will not be bringing much in my wagon, as I only have one horse and it cannot carry a significant amount of weight over that far of a distance. Perhaps I will bring some old wine bottles or blunt daggers for my performance in front of the King, as well as a few scrolls of my most favored jokes and poems. Since this will be my first time appearing before the King, I am quite nervous and wish to make him laugh as much as possible. Not only are the King and his court going to be witness to my act, but a large audience as well. When I was summoned, I was told that this was going to be an ornate fayre. Even though I have always received applause by the Dukes and other Lords I have performed for thus far, I hear that King Richard have proven himself to be quite fierce and ferocious, especially in battle; and I only hope that this does not carry over to his sternness in court next week. I am planning on returning home right after the King’s festivities, as I have greatly missed this humble house by the river. Canterbury is always so pleasant this time of year, and traveling around the country for the entire summer and winter of 1196 was extremely exhausting. To be honest, the thought of a long trek ahead leaves me a bit weary; but since this is the first time the King of England has personally requested the services of me, Henry Walter the Jester, I absolutely could not refuse. 4 April 1197 It is noontime right now, and I am resting after a few hours of travel. I did not feel the need to set out too early, as I have given myself enough travel time so that my horse and I may travel at a moderate pace. This morning was a great treat, as I was visited by Rowan the baker, who gave me half a dozen of his freshest loaves of bread, two large sacks of grain for my horse, a sack of oats, and two of his famous meat pies. He had gotten word that I will be appearing before the King and offered me all of this food as a congratulatory gift. Together, with the wheels of cheese, salted pork slabs, and jugs of ale I have already packed, this will surely be enough rations to last me to the King’s fayre and back; and of course, there are several villages I may stop at along the way. I probably loaded up one too many jugs of ale, but it is the surest thing that will keep me in high spirits during my journey. 5 April 1197 Today, I came across a minstrel named Ulric while resting my horse. He is also headed towards King Richard’s fayre, so we have decided to travel together. I suppose one could say it is safer to travel with a companion, but he is quite an interesting character and makes the trip not so monotonous. He comes from York and travels around the same way as I do, earning wages and receiving ample food and shelter from the nobles for which we perform. We both have similar lives and we are both lucky enough to be experienced enough in our professions as wandering performers to make a sizeable income. He, too, was summoned by the King. After we set up camp for the night, Ulric showed me some of the songs he could play on his lute, along with some of the poems he would recite with his music. I must say, he is a very talented musician. I offered to lend him some of the poetry I have brought; but after I showed him my poetry scrolls, he pointed out that they are much too comical to be paired with the performance he had planned for the King. He prefers more artistic pieces of literature based upon love. Perhaps I have spent too much time as a single man to particularly care about love, but I would rather make jokes about the subject and exercise my unique right of having the complete freedom to say anything I wish, mocking anything I choose. 6 April 1197 Ulric and I had to make a quick stop at a village today. During our lunch break, I was searching in my wagon for a jug of ale when I accidentally knocked my jester hat into a muddy puddle; so we had to make haste and find a well. Luckily while I was laundering my hat, Ulric somehow managed to find a box holding a worn chess board with its pieces intact. We spent nearly two hours tonight playing chess, trying to see who had the superior mind. To anyone who mistakes jesters for being uneducated and foolish, I ask them to come and witness a show of my intellect as it is displayed during this game! It does get tiring when ladies and lords all over England assume that I am nothing more than a dunce, simply because of the way I make a living. Could a fool make up witty jokes and stories? I think not. People are so quick to forget that humor is one of the greatest signs of intelligence. 7 April 1197 As I write tonight, I am huddled by the fire. The night air has been so frigid, that I have developed a sore throat. If my voice is too hoarse, then I will not be able to speak will proper volume or unleash my signature robust laugh in the King’s court. I plan to speak very quietly and sparingly until my performance, and eat lots of hot pottage. Ulric may become bored with the lack of conversation, but at least now we have chess. There is no need for conversation when there is chess. During these hours of quiet, I have come to realize how much I truly love my humble home in Canterbury by the river. It is no grand castle, but my village is welcoming and nurturing, and makes me feel as if I have a great extended family. All of their faces greet me whenever I come back from a long journey of being a jester in courts all over England, and it is comforting to know that they will all greet me again after I return from this fayre. 8 April 1197 I am so tired, I can hardly write in this diary even though it is only noon. I did promise myself I would document every step of my first performance before a King, however, so I cannot go without writing for the day. Ulric and I are hoping to arrive at the palace by nightfall and be able to sleep in comfortable quarters rather than the backs of our cramped wagons. As much as I would like to celebrate the end of our journey by finishing off the last two jugs of ale, I plan on retiring early tonight. My throat is feeling much better and my normal voice has returned, so I refuse to do anything to sabotage my recovery. Our horses are nearly done feeding, so I must get ready to travel the last bit of our trek if we are to arrive tonight. 9 April 1197 After a good night’s rest in a comfortable bed, I feel refreshed and ready to be seen by King Richard the Lionheart. I have decided to perform an exaggerated victory of a battle between two lions as a pun on his nickname. As a jester, after all, nobody is off-limits in terms of mockery—not even the King himself. If I am to gain his favor and make him laugh, I might as well use all of my tricks and wit to do so. I must say, this is the grandest of all fayres I have witnessed. Ulric has been charming the court all afternoon with his lute playing and poetry, there are lines of trumpeters, archery tournaments, and hoards of people enjoying the festivities. I cannot wait until after the King’s royal feast, when it will be my turn to be granted an audience. Although my nerves are a bit on edge, I feel confident. My new red outfit is freshly pressed, the bells on my hat are extra shiny, my marotte is in hand, and I am positive that I have enough energy to evoke laughter from all people of the court. I am certain that today’s performance will be the greatest I have given, and that I will return to Canterbury with only positive stories to tell.

Formal And Informal Framework Of Policies And Rules Commerce Essay

Formal And Informal Framework Of Policies And Rules Commerce Essay Organizational Structure can be defined as the formal and informal framework of policies and rules, within which an organization arranges its lines of authority and communications, and allocates rights and duties. Organizational structure determines the manner and extent to which roles, power, and responsibilities are delegated, controlled, and coordinated, and how information flows between levels of management. This structure depends entirely on the organizations objectives and the strategy chosen to achieve them. In a centralized structure, the decision making power is concentrated in the top layer of the management and tight control is exercised over departments and divisions. In a decentralized structure, the decision making power is distributed and the departments and divisions have varying degrees of autonomy. An organization chart illustrates the organizational structure [1]. An example of organizational Structure as shown: Fig 1.1 [2] ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: Organizational culture is an idea in the field of Organizational studies and management which describes the psychology, attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values (personal and cultural values) of an organization. It has been defined as the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization. This definition continues to explain organizational values also known as beliefs and ideas about what kinds of goals members of an organization should pursue and ideas about the appropriate kinds or standards of behaviour organizational members should use to achieve these goals. From organizational values develop organizational norms, guidelines or expectations that prescribe appropriate kinds of behaviour by employees in particular situations and control the behaviour of organizational members towards one another. Organizational culture is not the same as corporate culture. It is wider and deeper concepts, something that an organization is rather than what it has. [3] 1.2 RELATION B/W ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND CULTURE The literature has suggested that structure and culture in organisations exist in close alignment. Structure is one of the determinants of culture; conversely, culture has been shown to have an influence on the organisational structure and operational systems in an organisation. Both are mechanisms for the coordination of organisations: structure as an integrating mechanism for organisational activities, and culture as an integrating mechanism concerned with behaviour and values within organisations. Organisations and individuals need an understanding of these mechanisms in order to manage uncertainty in the face of ever-changing markets and business conditions. An effective alignment of structure and culture provides a means of getting people to work together to reach strategic goals and achieve an organisations vision. Together they provide a focus to enable organisations and individuals to reduce uncertainty, variability and ambiguity, so providing a framework for acting in a consistent manner. Structure and culture have overlapping functions, but one mechanism is not necessarily a substitute for the other. Both are needed. The literature also shows no one pattern or right way for the development of a relationship between structure and culture. However, it offers many examples of this relationship generated by a range of variable factors inside and outside organisations. In one example, ONeill, Beauvais and Scholl (2001) propose that different organisations face different problems in reducing organisational variability. Variable structural factors such as the complexity of tasks and the geographic dispersal of employees act to increase uncertainty. They demand different responses even within similar cultures. Likewise, differences in organisational culture can explain why organisations in the same industry, with similar structures, can be quite different. This goes some way to explain why TAFEs, with similar structures, and which exist in the same system, can still vary widely in the way they operate. From another perspective, Hodge, Anthony and Gales (1996) observe that while an organisation might authorise a formal structure, an informal structure not necessarily sanctioned by the organisation also exists. This informal structure, whose interactions are shaped by culture and sub-cultures, comes about in part because of ambiguity in the formal design or because of changes in conditions the organisation faces. This further explains some of the operating variability within RTOs. [4] 1.3 FACTORS INFLUENCING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AT WORK It is the quality of the employees workplace environment that most impacts on their level of motivation and subsequent performance. How well they engage with the organization, especially with their immediate environment, influences to a great extent their error rate, level of innovation and collaboration with other employees, absenteeism and, ultimately, how long they stay in the job. Many studies have revealed that most employees leave their organization because of the relationship with their immediate supervisor or manager. So, what are the workplace environment factors that need to be taken into consideration by any serious manager? Described below are the key factors and how each can be utilized by supervisors and managers to boost performance. Workplace Performance Factors Goal-setting Involve employees in setting meaningful goals and performance measures for their work. This can be done informally between the employee and their immediate supervisor or as part of an organizations formal performance management process. The key here is that each employee is actively engaged in the goal-setting process and takes ownership of the final agreed goals and measures. Performance feedback Regularly feed back to employees information on how they are performing. This should consist of both positive feedback on what the employee is doing right as well as feedback on what requires improvement. Role congruity Work to ensure that the role that the employee is required to perform is consistent with their expectations on joining the organization and any subsequent training. The organizations role expectations are typically reflected in formal documents, such as Job Descriptions and Role Specifications. These expectations should be consistent with tasks allocated by the employees immediate supervisor. Defined processes Many errors, defects and customer complaints are the result of poor process management. Constrain the variability of how work is actually performed through documenting processes and communicating such expectations to employees. Verify on a regular or random basis that the work is actually performed in the way required. Along with goal setting, getting employees to help define and improve processes is a powerful opportunity for engagement. Workplace incentives Determine what motivates your employees in particular and set up formal and informal structures for rewarding employees that behave in the way required. Rewards may consist of a mix of internal rewards, such as challenging assignments, and external rewards, such as higher compensation and peer recognition. Supervisor support Act as advocates for employees, gathering and distributing the resources needed by them in order for them to be able to do a good job. Immediate supervisors and managers need to display the interpersonal skills required to engage employees and enhance their self-confidence. This includes providing positive encouragement for a job well done. Mentoring/coaching Make available to employees skilled and respected people to help them perform better in their current role and to assist them develop further into a future role. Mentors and coaches may be internal to an organization or external. Either way, they will need to possess the necessary facilitation skills to assist employees apply existing sills and develop new skills. Resource availability The vast majority of employees take pride in their work and try hard to do a good job. Make sure that individual workloads and organizational systems and processes do not hinder employees from applying established skills or from practicing newly learned skills. Adequate time and material resources need to be available to enable them to perform to the best of their ability. Money is not a sufficient motivator in encouraging the superior workplace performance required in todays competitive business environment. Managers and supervisors will need to be comfortable with working with the whole gamut of workplace factors that influence employee motivation. Last but not least, to drive their organizations to peak performance managers and supervisors must put out front the human face of their organization. Paramount here is the human-to-human interaction through providing individualized support and encouragement to each and every employee [5] TASK 2 2.1 ORGANIZATION THEORY PRINCIPLLES AND PRACTICES OF ORGANISING AND MANAGEMENT Leadership is stated as the process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Definitions more inclusive of followers have also emerged. Alan Keith of Genentech stated that, Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen Tom DeMarc says that leadership needs to be distinguished from posturing. Contexts of leadership Leadership in organizations An organization that is established as an instrument or means for achieving defined objectives has been referred to as a formal organization. Its design specifies how goals are subdivided and reflected in subdivisions of the organization. Divisions, departments, sections, positions, jobs, and tasks make up this work structure. Thus, the formal organization is expected to behave impersonally in regard to relationships with clients or with its members. According to Webers definition, entry and subsequent advancement is by merit or seniority. Each employee receives a salary and enjoys a degree of tenure that safeguards her/him from the arbitrary influence of superiors or of powerful clients. The higher his position in the hierarchy, the greater his presumed expertise in adjudicating problems that may arise in the course of the work carried out at lower levels of the organization. It is this bureaucratic structure that forms the basis for the appointment of heads or chiefs of administrat ive subdivisions in the organization and endows them with the authority attached to their position. In contrast to the appointed head or chief of an administrative unit, a leader emerges within the context of the informal organization that underlies the formal structure. The informal organization expresses the personal objectives and goals of the individual membership. Their objectives and goals may or may not coincide with those of the formal organization. The informal organization represents an extension of the social structures that generally characterize human life the spontaneous emergence of groups and organizations as ends in themselves. Leaders emerge from within the structure of the informal organization. Their personal qualities, the demands of the situation, or a combination of these and other factors attract followers who accept their leadership within one or several overlay structures. Leadership versus management Over the years the philosophical terminology of management and leadership have, in the organisational context, been used both as synonyms and with clearly differentiated meanings. Debate is fairly common about whether the use of these terms should be restricted, and generally reflects an awareness of the distinction made by Burns (1978) between transactional leadership (characterised by eg emphasis on procedures, contingent reward, management by exception) and transformational leadership (characterised by eg charisma, personal relationships, creativity Leadership by a group In contrast to individual leadership, some organizations have adopted group leadership. In this situation, more than one person provides direction to the group as a whole. Some organizations have taken this approach in hopes of increasing creativity, reducing costs, or downsizing. A common example of group leadership involves cross-functional teams. A team of people with diverse skills and from all parts of an organization assembles to lead a project. A team structure can involve sharing power equally on all issues, but more commonly uses rotating leadership. The team member(s) best able to handle any given phase of the project become(s) the temporary leader(s). Additionally, as each team member has the opportunity to experience the elevated level of empowerment, it energizes staff and feeds the cycle of success.[6] 2.2 COMPARE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO MANGEMENT AND THEORIES OF ORGANIZAING USED BY TWO ORGANIZATION You should be able to: Summarize the quantitative approach to management Describe the contributions of the early organizational behavior advocates Explain the importance of the Hawthorne Studies to management Describe the effects of: globalization, workforce diversity, entrepreneurship, e-business, need for innovation and flexibility, quality management, learning organizations, and knowledge management Academic Disciplines that Affected Management Anthropology work on cultures and social environments Economics concern about the allocation and distribution of scarce resources Philosophy examines the nature of things Political science effect of political environment on individuals and groups Psychology seeks to measure, explain, and change human behavior Sociology studies people in relation to their fellow human beings SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT F.W. Taylor Principles of Scientific Management Use of scientific methods to define the one best way for a job to be done Perspective of improving the productivity and efficiency of manual workers Applied the scientific method to shop floor jobs Frank and Lillian Gilbert Use of motion pictures to study hand-and-body movements Therbligs classification system for 17 basic hand motions[7] TASK 3 3.1 DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP STYLES AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS There are a number of different approaches, or styles to leadership and management that are based on different assumptions and theories. The style that individuals use will be based on a combination of their beliefs, values and preferences, as well as the organizational culture and norms which will encourage some styles and discourage others. Charismatic Leadership: The Charismatic Leader gathers followers through dint of personality and charm, rather than any form of external power or authority [8]. Participative Leadership: A Participative Leader, rather than taking autocratic decisions, seeks to involve other people in the process, possibly including subordinates, peers, superiors and other stakeholders. The question of how much influence others are given thus may vary on the managers preferences and beliefs, and a whole spectrum of participation is possible, as in the table below [9]. Highly participative > Autocratic decision by leader Leader proposes decision, listens to feedback, then decides Team proposes decision, leader has final decision Joint decision with team as equals Full delegation of decision to team Situational Leadership When a decision is needed, an effective leader does not just fall into a single preferred style, such as using transactional or transformational methods. In practice, as they say, things are not that simple. Factors that affect situational decisions include motivation and capability of followers [10]. Yukl (1989) seeks to combine other approaches and identifies six variables [11]: * Subordinate effort: the motivation and actual effort expended. * Subordinate ability and role clarity: followers knowing what to do and how to do it. * Organization of the work: the structure of the work and utilization of resources. * Cooperation and cohesiveness: of the group in working together. * Resources and support: the availability of tools, materials, people, etc. * External coordination: the need to collaborate with other groups. Transactional Leadership The transactional leader works through creating clear structures whereby it is clear what is required of their subordinates, and the rewards that they get for following orders. Punishments are not always mentioned, but they are also well-understood and formal systems of discipline are usually in place [12]. Transformational Leadership Transformational Leadership starts with the development of a vision, a view of the future that will excite and convert potential followers. This vision may be developed by the leader, by the senior team or may emerge from a broad series of discussions. The important factor is the leader buys into it, hook, line and sinker [13]. The Quiet Leader The approach of quiet leaders is the antithesis of the classic charismatic (and often transformational) leaders in that they base their success not on ego and force of character but on their thoughts and actions [14]. In personal humility they put the well-being of others before their own personal needs, for example giving others credit after successes but taking personal responsibility for failures [14] [15]. Servant Leadership The servant leader serves others, rather than others serving the leader. Serving others thus comes by helping them to achieve and improve. There are two criteria of servant leadership: The people served grow as individuals, becoming healthier, wiser, more autonomous and more likely themselves to become servants (Greenleaf, 1977) [16]. The extent to which the leadership benefits those who are least advantaged in society (or at least does not disadvantage them). Spears (2002) lists: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to growth of people, and building community [17]. EFFECTIVENESS OF LEADERSHIP A leader is a person who influences a group of people towards a specific result. It is not dependent on title or formal authority. Leaders are recognized by their capacity for caring for others, clear communication, and a commitment to persist [18]. An individual who is appointed to a managerial position has the right to command and enforce obedience by virtue of the authority of his position. However, she or he must possess adequate personal attributes to match his authority, because authority is only potentially available to him. In the absence of sufficient personal competence, a manager may be confronted by an emergent leader who can challenge her/his role in the organization and reduce it to that of a figurehead. However, only authority of position has the backing of formal sanctions. It follows that whoever wields personal influence and power can legitimize this only by gaining a formal position in the hierarchy, with commensurate authority [19]. Leadership can be defined as ones ability to get others to willingly follow. Every organization needs leaders at every level [20]. 3.2 MOTIVATIONAL THEORIES MOTIVATION: Motivation is to inspire people to work, individually or in groups in the ways such as to produce best results. It is the will to act. It is the willingness to exert high levels of effort towards organizational goals, conditioned by the efforts and ability to satisfy some individual need. Motivation is getting somebody to do something because they want to do it. It was once assumed that motivation had to be injected from outside, but it is now understood that everyone is motivated by several differing forces. Motivation is a general term applied to the entire class of drives, desires, needs, wishes and similar forces. To say that managers motivate their subordinates is to say that they do those things which they hope will satisfy these drives and desires and induce the subordinates to act in a desired manner. In the initiation a person starts feeling lackness. There is an arousal of need so urgent, that the bearer has to venture in search to satisfy it. This leads to creation of tension, which urges the person to forget everything else and cater to the aroused need first. Because of the performance of the activity satisfaction is achieved which than relieves the tension in the individual [21]. THEORIES Some of the theories that are used for the motivation process are discussed as under [22]. 1. Jeremy Benthams The Carrot and the Stick Approach: Benthams view was that all people are self-interested and are motivated by the desire to avoid pain and find pleasure. Any worker will work only if the reward is big enough, or the punishment sufficiently unpleasant. This view the carrot and stick approach was built into the philosophies of the age and is still to be found, especially in the older, more traditional sectors of industry. For centuries, however, they were too often thought of as the only forces that could motivate people. At the same time, in all theories of motivation, the inducements of some kind of carrot are recognized. Often this is money in the form of pay or bonuses 2. Abraham Maslows Need Hierarchy Theory: One of the most widely mentioned theories of motivation is the hierarchy of needs theory put forth by psychologist Abraham Maslow. Maslow saw human needs in the form of a hierarchy, ascending from the lowest to the highest, and he concluded that when one set of needs is satisfied, this kind of need ceases to be a motivator. As per his theory these needs are: (i) Physiological needs: Food, water, warmth, shelter, sleep, medicine and education are the basic physiological needs which fall in the primary list of need satisfaction. (ii) Security or Safety needs: These are the needs to be free of physical danger and of the fear of losing a job, property, food or shelter. It also includes protection against any emotional harm. (iii) Social needs: People try to satisfy their need for affection, acceptance and friendship. (iv) Esteem needs: According to Maslow, once people begin to satisfy their need to belong, they tend to want to be held in esteem both by themselves and by others. It includes both internal esteem factors like self-respect, autonomy and achievements and external esteem factors such as states, recognition and attention. (v) Need for self-actualization: It is the drive to become what one is capable of becoming; it includes growth, achieving ones potential and self-fulfilment. It is to maximize ones potential and to accomplish something. 3. Theory X and Theory Y of Douglas McGregor: McGregor, in his book The Human side of Enterprise states that people inside the organization can be managed in two ways. The first is basically negative, which falls under the category X and the other is basically positive, which falls under the category Y. On analysis of the assumptions it can be detected that theory X assumes that lower-order needs dominate individuals and theory Y assumes that higher-order needs dominate individuals. An organization that is run on Theory X lines tends to be authoritarian in nature, the word authoritarian suggests such ideas as the power to enforce obedience and the right to command. In contrast Theory Y organizations can be described as participative, where the aims of the organization and of the individuals in it are integrated; individuals can achieve their own goals best by directing their efforts towards the success of the organization. 4. Contributions of Elton Mayo: The work of Elton Mayo is famously known as Hawthorne Experiments. He conducted behavioural experiments at the Hawthorne Works of the American Western Electric Company in Chicago. Although this research has been criticized from many angles, the central conclusions drawn were: * People are motivated by more than pay and conditions. * The need for recognition and a sense of belonging are very important. * Attitudes towards work are strongly influenced by the group. 5. The Porter and Lawler Model: Lyman W. Porter and Edward E. Lawler developed a more complete version of motivation depending upon expectancy theory. Actual performance in a job is primarily determined by the effort spent. But it is also affected by the persons ability to do the job and also by individuals perception of what the required task is. 6. Equity Theory: As per the equity theory of J. Stacey Adams, people are motivated by their beliefs about the reward structure as being fair or unfair, relative to the inputs. People have a tendency to use subjective judgment to balance the outcomes and inputs in the relationship for comparisons between different individuals. Accordingly: If people perceive that they are rewarded higher, they may be motivated to work harder. 7. Reinforcement Theory: Skinner states that work environment should be made suitable to the individuals and that punishment actually leads to frustration and de-motivation. Hence, the only way to motivate is to keep on making positive changes in the external environment of the organization. 8. Goal Setting Theory of Edwin Locke: The goal setting theory states that when the goals to be achieved are set at a higher standard than in that case employees are motivated to perform better and put in maximum effort. It revolves around the concept of Self-efficacy i.e. individuals belief that he or she is capable of performing a hard task. MOTIVALTIONAL THEORY AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICE The job of a manager in the workplace is to get things done through employees. To do this the manager should be able to motivate employees. But thats easier said than done! Motivation practice and theory are difficult subjects, touching on several disciplines [23]. Human nature can be very simple, yet very complex too. An understanding and appreciation of this is a prerequisite to effective employee motivation in the workplace and therefore effective management and leadership. The schematic below indicates the potential contribution the practical application of the principles this paper has on reducing work content in the organization. Motivation is the key to performance improvement There is an old saying you can take a horse to the water but you cannot force it to drink; it will drink only if its thirsty so with people. They will do what they want to do or otherwise motivated to do. Are they born with the self-motivation or drive? Yes and no. If no, they can be motivated, for motivation is a skill which can and must be learnt. This is essential for any business to survive and succeed. Performance is considered to be a function of ability and motivation, thus: * Job performance =f (ability) (motivation) Ability in turn depends on education, experience and training and its improvement is a slow and long process. On the other hand motivation can be improved quickly. As a guideline, there are broadly seven strategies for motivation. * Positive reinforcement / high expectations * Effective discipline and punishment * Treating people fairly * Satisfying employees needs * Setting work related goals * Restructuring jobs * Base rewards on job performance These are the basic strategies, though the mix in the final recipe will vary from workplace situation to situation. Essentially, there is a gap between an individuals actual state and some desired state and the manager tries to reduce this gap. Motivation is, in effect, a means to reduce and manipulate this gap. It is inducing others in a specific way towards goals specifically stated by the motivator [23]. TASK 4 4.1 NATURE OF GROUP AND GROUP BEHAVIOUR GROUP A small collection of people who interact with each other, usually face to face, over time in order to reach goals The size of the group can vary from three people to seven to 20. Normally the smallest number is considered which is capable of performing the task TYPES OF GROUPS BEHAVIOUR Groups come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. Most managers belong to several different groups at the same time, some at work, some at community, some formally organized, and some informal and social in nature. The most basic way of identifying types of groups is to distinguish between [24]: Formal groups Informal groups Formal Groups The organizations managers to accomplish goals and serve the needs of the organization deliberately create formal groups. The major purpose of formal groups is to perform specific tasks and achieve specific objectives defined by the organization. The most common type of formal work group consists of individuals cooperating under the direction of a leader. Examples of formal groups are departments, divisions, taskforce, project groups, quality circles, committees, and boards of directors. Informal Groups Informal groups in organizations are not formed or planned by the organizations managers. Rather, they are self-created and evolve out of the formal organization for a variety of reasons, such as proximity, common interests, or needs of individuals. It would be difficult for organization to prohibit informal working relationships from developing. Informal groups develop naturally among an organizations personnel without any direction from management. One key factor in the emergence of informal groups is a common interest shared by its members. For example, a group of employees who band together to seek union representation may be called an interest group 4.2 FACTORS FOR EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK Whether in the workplace, or in sports, or amongst members of a community, effective teamwork can produce extraordinary results. However, that is easier said than done, for, effective teamwork does not happen automatically. There are a number of factors that are required to cohere together, working seamlessly, for an effective team to develop and work. So, what makes an effective team? Well, given below are some of the factors that are vital for building a good team that works successfully [25]: Good Leadership Effective Communication Defining Clear-cut Roles Creating Procedures for Conflict Resolution Setting a Good Example Good Lead

Essay --

State Building in Turkey vs. Afghanistan Introduction: In the twentieth century the governments of Turkey and Afghanistan made attempts to build states in their countries. However, each country’s geopolitical and socio-economic structure directly impacted the state building process. State building in Turkey was unique, inevitable and had a sustained development process while for Afghanistan it was crucial, chaotic and had bad repercussions that caused the Afghan state to collapse. Both Kemal Attaturk and Amanullah Khan pioneered the concept of state building in their countries but the existing forces, constraints and challenges resulted into different achievements for them. During the era of Kemal Ataturk, the period of state building was very successful because Turkey was close to the center of modernization and possessed strong institutions, topography and easier social interaction of state with people. In Afghanistan, due to mountainous terrain, and a landlocked topography, with the majority of people being illiterate, impleme nting the state building strategies were far more difficult. In addition, the institutions in Afghanistan were fragile and the state-building process was largely dependent on foreign subsidies as well as there was less interaction between the state and the people. Thesis : At the beginning of the twentieth century, both Turkey and Afghanistan launched a state-building effort. However, due to the inherent geo-political and socio-economic conditions in place in both societies, the state building endeavors diverged into two different directions. Brief background about how the Turkish and Afghan states were established: Under the leadership of Ataturk, and following the War of Independence in September 19... ...d communitarian society. It was for the first time that rulers in Afghanistan had experimented with state building. Democracy, national assembly, building a professional army and political party were new practices for statesmen in Afghanistan. While the Turkish had centuries of state building experience, particularly during the rule of Ottomans, Afghans used to revolt, resist and take revenge from the state through intervention. Afghans have never adopted state building successfully in the past. Turkish state building compared to Afghanistan, therefore, was victorious. Turkey was able to rise on human resources, economy and society structure, modern culture and secular political institutions, while Afghanistan due to inherent socio-political and geo-political conditions embedded in its society was unable to implement similar state-building strategies successfully. â€Æ'

Liveable Cities

Urban Transportation: Towards A Liveable City CHUAH PEI JIN ABSTRACT Cities as we know them today are already dramatically changing. Our living environments are reshaping the way we live. Malaysia is planning for long-term sustainability, encouraging us to think about how we can shape it and new ideas that can transform our future. The importance of ecosystem has resulted in the concept of Livable City that becomes a popular concept which is widely used in most city center of established country but in Malaysia it is still considered a new concept.It is obvious that the concept has contributed a great deal to the urban environment. This research will discuss the contribution of urban transportation bringing forwards our country to become a livable city by taking Penang as its case study. Achieving livable city concept is important as it subsequently enhance city with benefits that sustainable lifestyle can provide in terms of environmental, economic and social. Therefore this initiat ive will be further enhanced on policy commitment by the Penang State Government to make Penang a Cleaner, Greener and Healthier city.What has constantly guided our approach to sustainable development is far-sighted, holistic, and comprehensive planning, which enables us to take into account future development needs through an integrated planning process. INTRODUCTION The twenty-first century finds civilization heavily based in cities that have grown into metropolitan areas. Many of these focal points of human activity face problems of economic inefficiency, environmental deterioration, and an unsatisfactory quality of life–problems that go far in determining whether a city is â€Å"livable. A large share of these problems stems from the inefficiencies and other impacts of urban transportation systems. The era of projects aimed at maximizing vehicular travel is being replaced by the broader goal of achieving livable cities: economically efficient, socially sound, and environ mentally friendly. This explores the complex relationship between transportation and the character of cities and metropolitan regions. Transportation for Livable Cities dispels the myths and emotional advocacies for or against freeways, rail transit, bicycles, and other modes of transportation.The consequences of excessive automobile dependence and shows that the most livable cities worldwide have intermodal systems that balance highway and public transit modes while providing for pedestrians, bicyclists, and para transit. The policies necessary for achieving livable cities: the effective implementation of integrated intermodal transportation systems. Traffic impact mitigation measures can be divided into two categories: those related to land use and those related to transportation.Two case studies in Bangkok, Thailand showed that measures related to land use were effective in reducing congestion in the area surrounding a development, while traffic-related measures were useful in al leviating site-specific impacts. In the centre of Bangkok, the ineffective implementation of measures related to land was considered one of the major causes of traffic congestion. It is recommended that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration should develop more explicit policy tools for mitigating the traffic impact of new developments.DEFINATION OF LIVEABLE CITY A liveable city is cities that provide a good quality of life for its citizens. * Develop in an environmentally responsible manner * Sustain a robust a vibrant economy BACKGROUND Penang is a state in northern part of peninsular Malaysia. Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia and consists of Penang Island and Seberang Perai on the mainland. Penang Island consists of about 1048 km2, with an estimated population of around 1520 thousand, while Seberang Perai occupies an area of about 738 sq km, with a population of 670 thousand.The major urban centers on the island are Georgetown, which is the administrative centre, and Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam on the mainland. Penang Island has an international airport and is linked by a ferry service and a bridge to the mainland. The major port facilities are on the mainland, while passengers and minor cargo vessels are handled at Swettenham Pier on the island. Penang is a highly urbanized state, with a vibrant economy driven primarily by manufacturing industry and tourism.Known as the â€Å"Silicon Valley of Asia†, it is home to most of the major electronics and semiconductor giants in the world and is a major centre for international industrial investment. With its beaches, multicultural and heritage attractions, Penang is also a leading tourist destination for both domestic and international visitors. Until the current financial crisis, the state was experiencing a rapid rate of economic growth with an average of 12 per cent growth in gross domestic product between 1992 and 1997. CURRENT URBAN TRANSPORT ISSUES IN PENANGCities are locations hav ing a high level of accumulation and concentration of economic activities and are complex spatial structures that are supported by transport systems. The larger the city, the greater its complexity and the potential for disruptions, particularly when this complexity is not effectively managed. The most important transport problems are often related to urban areas and take place when transport systems, for a variety of reasons, cannot satisfy the numerous requirements of urban mobility.Urban productivity is highly dependent on the efficiency of its transport system to move labor, consumers and freight between multiple origins and destinations. Additionally, important transport terminals such as ports, airports, and rail are located within urban areas, contributing to a specific array of problems. Among the most notable urban transport problems are: i. High private vehicle dependency To be continuing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ii. Public transport inadequacyThe limited capacity, poor reliability a nd quality of public transport facilities in the state is a major determinant of mode of transport choice. Presently, over 60 per cent of those travelling by bus (schoolchildren, factory workers, migrant workers, the poor and elderly) are captive passengers who do not own a private vehicle (Penang State Government 1995). Despite significant improvements having been made to the bus system in the last few years, such as the introduction of air-conditioned buses and minibuses and the expansion of routes, the proportion of bus passengers on he busiest routes is estimated to remain below 30 per cent. While bus users complain about delays and missed schedules, bus operators are frustrated by buses being unable to follow fixed schedules due to traffic congestion during peak hours. iii. High rate of traffic accidents The number of road accidents in the state more than doubled between 1991 and 1995, while the number of casualties and deaths increased by 235 per cent and 175 per cent respecti vely. Casualties per 1,000 vehicles also increased from 3. 5 in 1991 to 9. in 1995. The rate of fatalities in 1995 (34 per 100,000) was more than twice that in 1991 (13 per 100,000) and significantly higher than the level considered acceptable (5-10 per 100,000). More than 50 per cent of fatalities and 60 per cent of casualties are motorcyclists. It is also significant to note that between 1992 and 1996, 12 to 15 per cent of total fatalities and 10 to 13 per cent of total casualties were pedestrians, and 5 to 7 per cent of total fatalities and 5 to 6 per cent of total casualties were cyclists. iv.Inadequate facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and the mobility-impaired Existing pedestrian footways are of inadequate quality and do not provide sufficient levels of safety and comfort to encourage walking. Facilities for cyclists, such as bicycle lanes, are non-existent. The transportation needs of the mobility-impaired such as the elderly and the disabled, as well as those of young chi ldren have also been seriously neglected. v. Traffic Congestion and parking difficulties Traffic congestion in Penang has reached fairly serious levels due to the rapid increase in traffic volumes on the major urban roads.Traffic volumes between 1975 and 1995 more than doubled on most roads, with increases of up to 5 times on certain road sections in Seberang Perai. In terms of vehicle concentration, there has been an increase of almost 40 per cent since 1980, with an estimated doubling in travel delays. Traffic is growing at an average of 7 per cent annually on most of the major roads in the state (Highway Planning Unit 1995) in close correlation with the average 8 per cent annual growth rate in the total number of cars and motorcycles.While congestion reduces travel speed, which causes much inconvenience and economic loss, it also results in higher vehicle emissions due to engine idling and the frequent acceleration and deceleration associated with stop-and-go conditions, as most vehicle emissions (except nitrogen oxides) typically decrease with speed. vi. Environmental impacts and energy consumption To be continuing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ SUGGESTION * Improve bus service with Rapid Penang [Initiatives by Penang State Government] To be continuing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Introduce Park and Ride System [Bridge Express Shuttle Service] The BEST service was introduced by the Penang State Government in March 2011 as the country's first park and ride service as an effort to promote more efficient connectivity via public transport in the state. On average, some 800 passengers commute between Penang island and the mainland daily. From 3 September 2012, in addition to the existing park and ride hub at Sunway Carnival Mall, the BEST service introduced two new feeder hubs at Bandar Perda and Auto City at Juru. Save on fuel and toll charges, park your car and take a free ride on the BEST service.If you stay on the mainland and drive to work daily in the Bayan Lepas FIZ, the BEST service i s made for you. Park your car at Sunway Carnival Mall for RM 1. 00 (per entry) or park for FREE at Bandar Perda* and Auto City. BEST covers all areas in FIZ 1, 2, 3, 4, Technoplex and BLlP. -lQ the evening, the BEST service takes you back to your car. * CATS (CENTRAL AREA TRANSIT SERVICE) Rapid Penang CAT (Central Area Transit) is the free bus service funded by Penang state government with frequencies of every 20-30minutes around the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Georgetown.Tourist can just hop on the bus without any fare. * Cycling action plan To be continuing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ * Improve public space leads to increase quality of life To be continuing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ * Walking areas, proper sidewalks and car-restricted zones To be continuing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ CONCLUSION REFERENCES DAP PENANG . (February 5th, 2013). Building a cycling city. Available: http://dappg. org/11735/cky_20130204b/. Last accessed 27 Feb 2013. Vukan R. Vuchic (December 31, 1999). Transportation for livable cities. US: C enter for Urban Policy Research. 376.Liang Fook Lye, Gang Chen (2010). Towards a Livable and Sustainable Urban Environment: Eco-Cities in East Asia. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.. 222. HOKAO, K ; MOHAMED, S S (1999). TRAFFIC IMPACT MITIGATION FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS: A WAY TO REDUCE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN MAJOR CITIES. London: Transport Research Laboratory. 1-32. Dietrich Garbrecht. (1999). Walkability: A Prerequisite for Livable Cities. Available: http://www. livablecities. org/blog/walkability-prerequisite-livable-cities. Last accessed 1 March 2013 . Liveable Cities Urban Transportation: Towards A Liveable City CHUAH PEI JIN ABSTRACT Cities as we know them today are already dramatically changing. Our living environments are reshaping the way we live. Malaysia is planning for long-term sustainability, encouraging us to think about how we can shape it and new ideas that can transform our future. The importance of ecosystem has resulted in the concept of Livable City that becomes a popular concept which is widely used in most city center of established country but in Malaysia it is still considered a new concept.It is obvious that the concept has contributed a great deal to the urban environment. This research will discuss the contribution of urban transportation bringing forwards our country to become a livable city by taking Penang as its case study. Achieving livable city concept is important as it subsequently enhance city with benefits that sustainable lifestyle can provide in terms of environmental, economic and social. Therefore this initiat ive will be further enhanced on policy commitment by the Penang State Government to make Penang a Cleaner, Greener and Healthier city.What has constantly guided our approach to sustainable development is far-sighted, holistic, and comprehensive planning, which enables us to take into account future development needs through an integrated planning process. INTRODUCTION The twenty-first century finds civilization heavily based in cities that have grown into metropolitan areas. Many of these focal points of human activity face problems of economic inefficiency, environmental deterioration, and an unsatisfactory quality of life–problems that go far in determining whether a city is â€Å"livable. A large share of these problems stems from the inefficiencies and other impacts of urban transportation systems. The era of projects aimed at maximizing vehicular travel is being replaced by the broader goal of achieving livable cities: economically efficient, socially sound, and environ mentally friendly. This explores the complex relationship between transportation and the character of cities and metropolitan regions. Transportation for Livable Cities dispels the myths and emotional advocacies for or against freeways, rail transit, bicycles, and other modes of transportation.The consequences of excessive automobile dependence and shows that the most livable cities worldwide have intermodal systems that balance highway and public transit modes while providing for pedestrians, bicyclists, and para transit. The policies necessary for achieving livable cities: the effective implementation of integrated intermodal transportation systems. Traffic impact mitigation measures can be divided into two categories: those related to land use and those related to transportation.Two case studies in Bangkok, Thailand showed that measures related to land use were effective in reducing congestion in the area surrounding a development, while traffic-related measures were useful in al leviating site-specific impacts. In the centre of Bangkok, the ineffective implementation of measures related to land was considered one of the major causes of traffic congestion. It is recommended that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration should develop more explicit policy tools for mitigating the traffic impact of new developments.DEFINATION OF LIVEABLE CITY A liveable city is cities that provide a good quality of life for its citizens. * Develop in an environmentally responsible manner * Sustain a robust a vibrant economy BACKGROUND Penang is a state in northern part of peninsular Malaysia. Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia and consists of Penang Island and Seberang Perai on the mainland. Penang Island consists of about 1048 km2, with an estimated population of around 1520 thousand, while Seberang Perai occupies an area of about 738 sq km, with a population of 670 thousand.The major urban centers on the island are Georgetown, which is the administrative centre, and Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam on the mainland. Penang Island has an international airport and is linked by a ferry service and a bridge to the mainland. The major port facilities are on the mainland, while passengers and minor cargo vessels are handled at Swettenham Pier on the island. Penang is a highly urbanized state, with a vibrant economy driven primarily by manufacturing industry and tourism.Known as the â€Å"Silicon Valley of Asia†, it is home to most of the major electronics and semiconductor giants in the world and is a major centre for international industrial investment. With its beaches, multicultural and heritage attractions, Penang is also a leading tourist destination for both domestic and international visitors. Until the current financial crisis, the state was experiencing a rapid rate of economic growth with an average of 12 per cent growth in gross domestic product between 1992 and 1997. CURRENT URBAN TRANSPORT ISSUES IN PENANGCities are locations hav ing a high level of accumulation and concentration of economic activities and are complex spatial structures that are supported by transport systems. The larger the city, the greater its complexity and the potential for disruptions, particularly when this complexity is not effectively managed. The most important transport problems are often related to urban areas and take place when transport systems, for a variety of reasons, cannot satisfy the numerous requirements of urban mobility.Urban productivity is highly dependent on the efficiency of its transport system to move labor, consumers and freight between multiple origins and destinations. Additionally, important transport terminals such as ports, airports, and rail are located within urban areas, contributing to a specific array of problems. Among the most notable urban transport problems are: i. High private vehicle dependency To be continuing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ii. Public transport inadequacyThe limited capacity, poor reliability a nd quality of public transport facilities in the state is a major determinant of mode of transport choice. Presently, over 60 per cent of those travelling by bus (schoolchildren, factory workers, migrant workers, the poor and elderly) are captive passengers who do not own a private vehicle (Penang State Government 1995). Despite significant improvements having been made to the bus system in the last few years, such as the introduction of air-conditioned buses and minibuses and the expansion of routes, the proportion of bus passengers on he busiest routes is estimated to remain below 30 per cent. While bus users complain about delays and missed schedules, bus operators are frustrated by buses being unable to follow fixed schedules due to traffic congestion during peak hours. iii. High rate of traffic accidents The number of road accidents in the state more than doubled between 1991 and 1995, while the number of casualties and deaths increased by 235 per cent and 175 per cent respecti vely. Casualties per 1,000 vehicles also increased from 3. 5 in 1991 to 9. in 1995. The rate of fatalities in 1995 (34 per 100,000) was more than twice that in 1991 (13 per 100,000) and significantly higher than the level considered acceptable (5-10 per 100,000). More than 50 per cent of fatalities and 60 per cent of casualties are motorcyclists. It is also significant to note that between 1992 and 1996, 12 to 15 per cent of total fatalities and 10 to 13 per cent of total casualties were pedestrians, and 5 to 7 per cent of total fatalities and 5 to 6 per cent of total casualties were cyclists. iv.Inadequate facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and the mobility-impaired Existing pedestrian footways are of inadequate quality and do not provide sufficient levels of safety and comfort to encourage walking. Facilities for cyclists, such as bicycle lanes, are non-existent. The transportation needs of the mobility-impaired such as the elderly and the disabled, as well as those of young chi ldren have also been seriously neglected. v. Traffic Congestion and parking difficulties Traffic congestion in Penang has reached fairly serious levels due to the rapid increase in traffic volumes on the major urban roads.Traffic volumes between 1975 and 1995 more than doubled on most roads, with increases of up to 5 times on certain road sections in Seberang Perai. In terms of vehicle concentration, there has been an increase of almost 40 per cent since 1980, with an estimated doubling in travel delays. Traffic is growing at an average of 7 per cent annually on most of the major roads in the state (Highway Planning Unit 1995) in close correlation with the average 8 per cent annual growth rate in the total number of cars and motorcycles.While congestion reduces travel speed, which causes much inconvenience and economic loss, it also results in higher vehicle emissions due to engine idling and the frequent acceleration and deceleration associated with stop-and-go conditions, as most vehicle emissions (except nitrogen oxides) typically decrease with speed. vi. Environmental impacts and energy consumption To be continuing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ SUGGESTION * Improve bus service with Rapid Penang [Initiatives by Penang State Government] To be continuing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Introduce Park and Ride System [Bridge Express Shuttle Service] The BEST service was introduced by the Penang State Government in March 2011 as the country's first park and ride service as an effort to promote more efficient connectivity via public transport in the state. On average, some 800 passengers commute between Penang island and the mainland daily. From 3 September 2012, in addition to the existing park and ride hub at Sunway Carnival Mall, the BEST service introduced two new feeder hubs at Bandar Perda and Auto City at Juru. Save on fuel and toll charges, park your car and take a free ride on the BEST service.If you stay on the mainland and drive to work daily in the Bayan Lepas FIZ, the BEST service i s made for you. Park your car at Sunway Carnival Mall for RM 1. 00 (per entry) or park for FREE at Bandar Perda* and Auto City. BEST covers all areas in FIZ 1, 2, 3, 4, Technoplex and BLlP. -lQ the evening, the BEST service takes you back to your car. * CATS (CENTRAL AREA TRANSIT SERVICE) Rapid Penang CAT (Central Area Transit) is the free bus service funded by Penang state government with frequencies of every 20-30minutes around the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Georgetown.Tourist can just hop on the bus without any fare. * Cycling action plan To be continuing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ * Improve public space leads to increase quality of life To be continuing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ * Walking areas, proper sidewalks and car-restricted zones To be continuing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ CONCLUSION REFERENCES DAP PENANG . (February 5th, 2013). Building a cycling city. Available: http://dappg. org/11735/cky_20130204b/. Last accessed 27 Feb 2013. Vukan R. Vuchic (December 31, 1999). Transportation for livable cities. US: C enter for Urban Policy Research. 376.Liang Fook Lye, Gang Chen (2010). Towards a Livable and Sustainable Urban Environment: Eco-Cities in East Asia. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.. 222. HOKAO, K ; MOHAMED, S S (1999). TRAFFIC IMPACT MITIGATION FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS: A WAY TO REDUCE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN MAJOR CITIES. London: Transport Research Laboratory. 1-32. Dietrich Garbrecht. (1999). Walkability: A Prerequisite for Livable Cities. Available: http://www. livablecities. org/blog/walkability-prerequisite-livable-cities. Last accessed 1 March 2013 .