Understand How to Safeguard the Well Being of Children and Young People

Question 1: Why is it important to safeguard children and young people? Without providing the service of safeguarding for children and young people who are not developed enough to do it for themselves, their future could be negatively affected. If they were to be affected by an event such as abuse, and there is no safeguarding in place, this could carry on and seriously affect their physical and emotional development. This could mean they fall behind with developmental milestones. Children need to be provided with a safe and happy environment to grow up in so they are happy to develop at a normal rate and sequence. This will help them achieve their full potential, through into adulthood. Question 2: Explain why a person-centred approach is important in safeguarding the well-being of children or young people. It is important to centre the safeguarding approach around the child or young person, as their wishes and concerns need to be taken into account to achieve the best possible outcome for them. It is important to have a good relationship with the child so the child will feel comfortable disclosing information and conveying their feelings and points of views. Having this will mean the organisation can respond in the most accurate and appropriate way. The child can then be involved in any future decisions. The organisation and carers should be there to support and explain everything to the child to try to comfort them so the situation is not so daunting and the child can explain clearly what they want for their future.

Managers motivate workers

Frederick Hertzberg came up with a two factor theory of motivation also referred to as the Hygiene theory. According to Hertzberg, there are factors in the work place that cause job satisfaction and these he called them motivators. On the other hand, there are factors whose absence causes job dissatisfaction. The factors that cause satisfaction are a complete contrast to those that cause dissatisfaction. For instance whereas recognition causes satisfaction, supervision leads to dissatisfaction. According to Hertzberg, managers motivate their workers in the following ways:- recognition, growth, achievement job interest,   responsibility and advancement. These factors would make workers feel motivated in the work place. On the other hand factors such as salary, security, company policy, work conditions and supervision fall under hygiene factors. Their presence or lack of it does not necessarily motivate the employees rather causes dissatisfaction. (Michael, 2000) Responsibility: – When workers feel responsible for their work, they feel motivated. They need to be in touch to their work. The best way managers can motivate their workers therefore is by giving them more authority and autonomy over their jobs. Employees with good performance should also be given more responsibilities as a way of improving their motivation levels. Work itself: – Employees feel motivated when they feel that the work they do is significant and relevant. Managers should try to make use of what the employees have done so that they can be able to see that whatever they are doing is meaningful. Growth: – People desire to work more when the work is challenging as well as interesting. Managers therefore ought to make the jobs interesting and also challenging. The expected outcome of this is that the turnover rate of employees shall reduce. Failure to do this will cause demotivation on the part of the employees. (Harris, Desimone, 1994) Advancement: – Workers can be motivated through trainings and development. They feel motivated when something is done that improves their careers. Managers can also use Hertzberg’s two factor theory in the following ways to motivate their workers: Make workers specialize in doing specific tasks. This would make them become experts in their respective fields. Make workers to be more accountable in all that they do Come up with new and more challenging tasks Allow workers to perform whole work units to do as opposed to piecemeal work. With this, they feel motivated when the outcome of the work is associated with them.(Alkhafaji,2003) I do not agree with the fact that the hygienes are only associated with job dissatisfaction and not motivation. Look at remuneration/salary. Does it mean that one would not be motivated if his/her salary is increased? My answer tends to be a â€Å"yes†. It can be both a hygiene and motivational factor. The distinction of a factor being either a hygiene or motivator is not true. My second reservation is that when a worker is given someone’s responsibility that would motivate such a worker. In my opinion, this would bring about animosity amongst the employees. The role of a manager a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Manager as planner: – Managers play the role of planning the firm’s activities. They determine what is to be done, who is to do what how and when this is to be done. b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Control: – Managers are the ones who control the activities of the organization so that they are performed as planned with the aim of correcting any deviations from the norm. c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Facilitator/ Coordinator: – Managers integrate the work of employees so that each worker performs his duties and that nothing is duplicated. REFERENCES 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   David M Harris, Randy L Desimone; Human Resource Development, Dryden press publishers,1994 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abbas F Alkhafaji, Strategic Management: Formulation implementation and Control in a Dynamic Environment, Haworth press, 2003 3. Michael L, Understanding Business Environment; Routledge, 2000   

Contributions of Religion Essay

Explain the ways in which religion contributes to the lives of individuals and society. Religion is a set of beliefs that govern an adherents morality, ethics, values, and as a whole their daily behaviours and attitudes. Offering the cause, nature and purpose of the universe; religion provides an individual with an identity and a sense of belonging to the world and their community. Devoid of such an understanding, people wouldn’t know how to treat themselves, others and the environment; taking away the crucial sense of their place on earth and furthermore their aspirations of peace, development and survival. Naturally as consequence, religion contributes to the lives of all individuals and society. As long as humanity has existed, people have been avidly trying to find the answer to life’s profound questions; how did the universe come to be, what it is they need to do to last both on earth and after death. Due to answering such questions, religion has been used by humans to develop and improve their lives, giving life meaning and order. Maintaining such order and wellbeing is the essential basis that human society rests on. Giving people the idea of how to behave and interact with one another, religion’s order creates harmony, the factor that is compulsory for survival. Principal teachings of religion are what then coach generations on how to preserve this amity. Even if a person is not spiritual, Religion’s ethical teachings have been known to even influence the administration of each nation’s legislative acts; Separate legal systems and law reforms rising from the laws inability to discriminate people’s virtues. Moreover social welfare is a constant practice within religious traditions, care facilities such as hospitals and orphanages often developed by religious institutes. The roles and positions of people within society are also determined by religions. The place of each sex and the definitions of childhood are two main examples. This is then followed by its dictation of appropriate diet, dress and definitions of the weekly and yearly calendar. Following the guidelines that all of society are expected to follow, religion also relates to people on a more personal level. Already having answered how we all came to exist, religions and their texts bear understanding of what it means to be who people are and the relationships that are expected of them when it comes to their interactions with others and nature. This understanding is what entails the ethics, morals and values that guide the person to behave appropriately towards life. When ethical issues in someone’s life prove to be challenging, people turn to religion to help them decide on what is right and what isn’t. When it comes to the proper celebration of significant events and times in their lives, religion also gives individuals ways by which they can do so. These rituals can mark growing up, acceptance of faith, or holy unions such as when as the marriage of an upcoming priest to God. In order to stay true to each faith, religion also shares the traditions that are upheld to help each individual become a better person. Examples of such traditions are prayer, sacrifice and fasting. Overall, religion is a crucial aspect of modern day society. Without the order and meaning it has given civilization, human existence would be chaotic and seemingly futile. This is because without religion instructing individuals on how to act, and society’s general conservation of peace; life as we know it wouldn’t exist let alone be as in order. These are the ways religion has contributed to individuals and society.

Profile of World Food Organizations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Profile of World Food Organizations - Assignment Example FAO is currently engaged in food security programs and is striving to reduce hunger in the world in line with the Millennium Development Goals. Through a number of worldwide programs, FAO is promoting tangible and effective solutions to hunger, poverty and undernourishment. FAO is currently funding investment in agriculture. This is through the promotion of rural development in developing countries through identifying agricultural policies that are sustainable. It mobilizes funds from World Bank, regional development banks among other multilateral institutions. (FAO, 2003) The World Food Program has its headquarters in Rome, Italy. Its management team members include an Executive board having representatives from the thirty six member states. Ertharin Cousin is the current Executive Director. She is the head of the WFP secretariat. The WFP is funded by the European Union and various donations that are made voluntarily by the various governments in the world, private donors and corporations. The organization is currently involved in the coordination of pilot project, Purchase for Progress, which aims at helping the farmers access the agricultural market. WFP is also working towards improving the production in agriculture of the farmers in the developing countries through agricultural financing. UNDP has its headquarters in New York City. The management team members comprise of an administrator, Helen Clark, an associate administrator, Rebeca Grynspan and a number of assistant administrators including Tegegnework Gettu  from Ethiopia for Africa, Sima Sami Bahous representing the  Arab States,  Cihan SultanoÄŸlu  from Europe, Ajay Chhibber  representing Asia and the Pacifc,  Heraldo Munoz Valenzuela  representing the  Caribbean and the Latin America. At the Bureau of Management is  Jens Wandel  from Denmark. UNDP if funded majorly by private donors, governments and members.

Executive Brief Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Executive Brief Assignment - Essay Example It is thus important to ensure an organization has the ability to provide the necessary training before implementing any new programs and processes to their employees. Issue The 1990s saw several forces shaping HRM’s broad field. New technologies- information technology in particular, led to communications’ decentralization and the shaking up of on hand paradigms of organizational theory and human interaction. Computers, fax machines, satellite communications, as well as networking systems were the earlier changes experienced by the business world in terms of technology. Today, systems have become more sophisticated, aimed at the efficiency and productivity of a particular organization. As the sophistication heightens, the challenges faced by these organizations when introducing these systems to employees are also on the rise. Introducing any form of technology in any organization faces many challenges, some of which include: Lacking executive support Project resources which are minimal Little employee buy-in Limited company budgets Discussion and Analysis The market environment is becoming more competitive and constantly changing the role played by the Human Resource Manager hence the recognition that Human Resource Management should play a role that is more strategic for any organization’s success. ... Within an environment such as this, the HR expert must grasp how to effectively manage through organizing, planning, controlling and leading the human resource as well as being knowledgeable of up-and-coming employee development and training trends. Discussion and Analysis One critical problem companies face is going for technology with stretched budgets. This could be a potential reason for backfiring implementations. Each organization has entirely different requirements hence cannot implement systems based on what other organizations may have done. Going fully fledged technology may not be advisable unless mandatory for an organization. Since any form of technology in an organization requires huge investment in monetary terms as well as time wise, resources spent will be justifiable only if optimally utilized. Technology depends entirely on the operation’s scope, nature of business, and like details. Infusion of required and partial functions for any system still remains a c hallenge and thus the company may seek the advice of a consultant during the planning stages. Paul Allen of Project Management Institute explains that â€Å"80 percent of new software applications and 67 percent of reengineering efforts are abandoned or fail to meet deadlines or the projected cost benefits†. To steer clear of these statistics, there is need to understand how any technology implementation affects various areas in an organization and how much planning is needed for success. A highly crucial aspect of HRM is evaluation and measuring of program results. In addition to evaluating the internal features of programs of HRM, companies must also assess the programs’ effectiveness by the impact on business success over ally. In other terms, companies need to link their HRM methods to

W. L. Gore & Associates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W. L. Gore & Associates - Essay Example That is to say, their work is not under scrutiny, consistent monitoring and evaluation. Rather it is done in more of assisting than supervisory manner (Lussier & Achua, 2013). In the case, the crucial information entails the use of sponsorship programs. New associates are assigned a sponsor, who has the mandate of mentoring a new staff with an aim of ensuring they are successful in their respective roles. The same applies for employees undertaking new roles in the organization. As a result of employing this approach, many of the executives demonstrate their natural leadership skills, knowledge and attain the necessary expertise (Lussier & Achua, 2013). Consequently, there is creation and maintenance of high quality relationships at W.L. Gore & Associates. The quality of followership at W.L. Gore & Associates could be attributed to the structure and policies embraced by the company. For instance, new associates are not bombarded with outrageous expectations. Rather, they have a sponsor to help them achieve the targets they themselves set meaning they can concentrate on their tasks with minimal pressure. Secondly, the atmosphere created by the company makes the employees feel as part and parcel of the organization, hence a sense of ownership (Lussier & Achua, 2013). By relaxing the structures of chain of commands, the executives have a space of working leading to an escalation in

Money and Banking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Money and Banking - Assignment Example Money supply as defined by Fed does not include bank reserves. It only includes such money that may be used for exchanging goods and services. On the other hand, demand deposits and all other cash which can be used for transactions are included in the money supply.  The money supply in the form of loans is in the form of cash. so, money supply in cash is equal to the number of loans.   STRONG DOLLAR: strong dollar happens when U.S. dollar increases to a level with respect to any other currency which has a high rate of exchange for other currency which is relative to the dollar. WEAK DOLLAR: Weak dollar occurs when U.S. dollar falls to a level with respect to another currency that possesses high exchange rates for other currency that is relative to the dollar. INTEREST RATE POLICY AND DOLLAR STRENGTH: The interest rate policy affects the strength and weakness of the dollar to a great extent. An increase in interest rate will increase the demand for the dollar so that more investments can be made in U.S. assets. Thus the value of the dollar will also increase. Increase in value means strong dollar. Thus, the dollar will get stronger with higher interest rates. On the other hand, the lower the interest rates, the weaker will be the dollar due to the same reason. DOLLAR EXCHANGE RATE:   If we analyze the exchange rate of Dollar with respect to major countries Broad Index, we see that in January 2009, the dollar exchange rate was 89.5039 which reduced to 80.3001 by the end of September 2011. The decrease was gradual and consistent. However, the exchange rate rises initially till March 2009 after which it started falling. It was 77.83 by the end of July 2011. However, it rises in August and September and reaches to 80.3001 in September 2011. EFFECT OF DOLLAR STRENGTH/ WEAKNESS ON CONSUMERS, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY: The exchange rate analysis of dollar for the past two years reveals that the dollar is continually weakening. This weakness will affect all the consumers and businesses and will also have impacts on the economy of the country. The economists are of the view that weak dollar will affect every aspect of the economy. The prices of consumers clothing, electronic, the rates of mortgages and job markets will all be affected by the dollar value. The weakness in dollar value also asserts an increase in oil prices. This increase will definitely affect the producers. Their production costs will rise. Consequently, the producers will increase the prices of consumer goods. This will affect consumers and thus, the whole economy would be affected. the weakness of dollar will also affect some other currencies. This is due to the reason that as the dollar got weaker and weaker; the investors will tend to search for some other currencies to which are relatively stable as compared to Dollar. This will increase the demand for other currencies and decrease in the demand for the dollar. Consequently, the interest rate will tend to decrease. This will affect the deposits of individuals and businesses in the banks. Finally, this will again have an impact on the whole economy.

Banking Regulations And The Current Financial Crisis Essay

Banking Regulations And The Current Financial Crisis - Essay Example Thus we can say that even a stable banking system with all proper regulations in place failed to stop such a financial crisis from occurring. The paper intends to trace out the reasons behind such a failure with the help of findings and analysis and the relevant steps undertaken for this. Reasons behind failure of banking regulations Economists and policy makers of various countries have tried to find the conditions which led to the crisis. They tried to find out those faulty policies and the incorrect measures taken by the bank that led to its failure of crisis prevention. It was found that at the time of the crisis the interest rate was really low. Financial investors in such a scenario became optimistic regarding the prices of assets along with the underlying risks. The banking regulations directed towards changes in financial landscape led to extension of leverage and this made accurate risk prediction more difficult. Investors transformed into risk lovers and excessive risk taki ng began in the markets (Caruana). Neither banking regulations nor effective supervision could stop such a phenomenon. The fragmented banking regulation again proved to be wrong. No connection could be traced out in the activities of regulated and non regulated markets. All over the markets and institution there was prevalence of asymmetric information. Some loopholes existing in the legal procedures were also equally responsible (Caruana). The macroeconomic policies implemented during this time were inadequate. The easy liquidity banking policy made structures of debts, especially the heterogeneous ones more incomprehensive. Criticisms have been against the supervisory regulations of bank. Easy loans were given to individuals without careful examination of the underlying default risks (Neuman). Monetary policies were framed in such a way that cash flow becomes easy across the economy. Such an instance is proved by statistical evidence. Table1: Data showing low interest rate policy adopted by the banks Source: Neuman The interest rate considered is for the Euro zone. The data is for short term real interest rate which continued till 2005. Such data shows that banks have adopted a low interest rate policy during the given years. This paved the way for easy liquidity. The banking regulations of 2004 led to significant credit expansion and credits involving high risks became the main reasons for initiating such crisis. It first led to subprime losses in March 2008 with Bear Sterns incurring huge subprime related losses. Ultimately Federal Reserve had to take over the firm. Detoriation of subprime loan holdings eventually culminated into the crisis. Banking sectors have earlier avoided such high risk alerts generated by the economists in 1999 (Nichols, Hendrickson and Griffith). Easy financing act of 2005 became the strategy for banking operations. During this time some big American and European banks even violated banking regulations by setting up companies for s uch short term financing purpose. Such companies were not disclosed in balance sheets. Banking sectors however did not pay attention to the fact that such a low interest rate policy regime adopted by banks in 2003 after European Central Bank followed suit was slowly increasing

Sexual Discrimination Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sexual Discrimination - Case Study Example Sergeant Williams, a churchwarden at St Augustine's was uneasy that an acknowledged homosexual should be working as a caretaker at the parish school. He voiced his concerns to the school's head teacher who brought the matter to a meeting of the school's governing body. They endorse Sergeant Williams' concerns and advise that Jeffrey's contract should be terminated. This year, in the local police station, Desk Sergeant Williams took Jeffrey's statement reporting the fact that his flat has been broken into and several valuable items have been stolen, which statement also revealed Jeffrey's sexual orientation. Sergeant Williams, who was also a churchwarden of St. Augustine, reported his concerns of having an acknowledged homosexual working as the parish school caretaker to the school head teacher. Jeffrey's employment contract was terminated by the head teacher after the school's board of governors endorsed Sergeant Williams' concerns. Jeffrey filed the present application for injunctive relief to prevent the school administration from implementing the dismissal decision as well as appeal the same with prayer claiming for additional damages over and above the notice period for the period that the statutory dismissal or disciplinary procedure would have taken. The Employment Act 2002... injunctive relief to prevent the school administration from implementing the dismissal decision as well as appeal the same with prayer claiming for additional damages over and above the notice period for the period that the statutory dismissal or disciplinary procedure would have taken. II. LAW - Relevant Domestic and European Community Law, Convention and Practice i. Under the Employment Act 2002: The complainant employee alleges that the dismissal impinges upon his rights under s.35 of the Employment Act 2002: the right to procedural fairness through the internal dismissal procedure to determine whether there are extant grounds to dismiss the employee; the right to accompaniment or assistance by a trade union representative or work colleague; and The right to appeal the grievance decision. The complainant's rights under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 are asserted to be also violated. The Employment Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004 requires that the employer afford the employee the procedural fairness through internal dismissal/disciplinary procedures. The Employment Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004 provides, inter alia: Application of dismissal and disciplinary procedures 3. -(1) Subject to paragraph (2) and regulation 4, the standard dismissal and disciplinary procedure applies when an employer contemplates dismissing or taking relevant disciplinary action against an employee. (2) Subject to regulation 4, the modified dismissal procedure applies in relation to a dismissal where- (a) the employer dismissed the employee by reason of his conduct without notice, (b) the dismissal occurred at the time the employer became aware of the conduct or immediately thereafter, (c)

Hersheys Chocolate Essay Example for Free

Hersheys Chocolate Essay Hershey’s company originated with candy-manufacturer Milton Hershey’s decision in 1894 to produce sweet chocolate as a coating for his caramels. Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the new enterprise was named the Hershey Chocolate Company. In 1900, the company began producing milk chocolate in bars, wafers and other shapes. With mass production, Hershey was able to lower the per-unit cost and make milk chocolate, once a luxury item for the wealthy, affordable to all. A company on the move. The immediate success of Hershey’s low-cost, high-quality milk chocolate soon caused the company’s owner to consider increasing his production facilities. He decided to build a new chocolate factory amid the gently rolling farmland of south-central Pennsylvania in Derry Township, where he had been born. Close to the ports of New York and Philadelphia that supplied the imported sugar and cocoa beans needed, surrounded by dairy farms that provided the milk required, and the location was perfect. By the summer of 1905, the new factory was turning out delicious milk chocolate. New products, hard times. Throughout the next two decades, even more products were added to the company’s offerings. These included MR. GOODBAR Candy Bar (1925), HERSHEY’S Syrup (1926), HERSHEYS chocolate chips (1928) and the KRACKEL bar (1938). Despite the Great Depression of the 1930s, these products helped the newly incorporated Hershey Chocolate Corporation maintain its profitability and avoid any worker layoffs. HERSHEY’S chocolate goes to war. With the outbreak of World War II, the Hershey Chocolate Corp. (which had provided milk chocolate bars to American doughboys in the first war) was already geared up to start producing a survival ration bar for military use. By the end of the war, more than a billion Ration D bars had been produced and the company had earned no less than five Army-Navy â€Å"E† Production Awards for its exceptional contributions to the war effort. In fact, the company’s machine shop even turned out parts for the Navy’s antiaircraft guns. A family friend becomes a family member. The postwar period saw the introduction of a host of new products and the acquisition of an old one. Since 1928, H.B. â€Å"Harry† Reese’s Candy Company, also located in Hershey, had been making chocolate-covered peanut butter cups. Given that Hershey Chocolate Company supplied the coating for REESE’S â€Å"penny cups, (the wrapper said, â€Å"Made in Chocolate Town, So They Must Be Good†), it was not surprising that the two companies had a good relationship. As a result, seven years after Reese’s death in 1956, the H.B. Reese Candy Company was sold to Hershey Chocolate Corp. Growing up and branching out. The following decades would see the company renamed Hershey Foods Corporation in 1968 expanding its confectionery product lines, acquiring related companies and even diversifying into other food products. Among the many acquisitions were San Giorgio Macaroni and Delmonico Foods (1966); manufacturing and marketing rights to English candy company Rowntree MacKintosh’s products (1970); YS Candies, makers of TWIZZLERS licorice (1977); Dietrich Corp.’s confectionery operations (1986); Peter Paul/Cadbury’s U.S. confectionery operations (1988); and Ronzoni Foods (1990). The Hershey Company enters a new century. Today, The Hershey Company is the leading North American manufacturer of chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery and grocery products. As the new millennium begins, The Hershey Company continues to introduce new products frequently and take advantage of growth opportunities through acquisitions. HERSHEY’S products are known and enjoyed all over the world. In fact, the company exports to over 90 countries. The Hershey Company remains committed to the vision and values of the man who started it all so many years ago. A New Company: 1894 In the beginning, the Hershey Chocolate Company was simply a wholly owned subsidiary of Milton Hershey’s Lancaster Caramel Company. Using chocolate-making equipment purchased at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the company produced baking chocolate, cocoa and sweet chocolate coatings for the parent company’s caramels. But things changed with the hiring of William Murrie to sell the excess product to other confectioners. Murrie was so successful a salesman that the Hershey Chocolate Company quickly turned into a viable concern on its own. Milton Hershey became even more convinced that his future in the candy business lay in chocolate, not caramels. Sweet Chocolate Novelties: 1895 – 1909 By 1895, the Hershey Chocolate Company was manufacturing 114 different items in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Many were flavored with vanilla and given luxurious-sounding names like LeRoi de Chocolate, Petit Bouquets and Chocolate Croquettes. Chocolate â€Å"segars† and cigarettes were also quite popular. Some chocolate cigarettes and cigars, such as Vassar Gems and Smart Set Cigarettes, were purposely marketed to women as an alternative to the tobacco variety. Chocolate was also touted as a source of quick energy for athletes. The Baby in the Bean: 1898 On August 1, 1898, the company adopted a very distinctive symbol for its trademark. The small child in a cocoa bean pod appeared on cans of HERSHEY’S COCOA up until 1936, when it was finally replaced by the block lettering familiar today. The â€Å"Baby in the Bean† went through many incarnations, sometimes holding a cup of cocoa, sometimes a chocolate bar. Even the child’s hair and facial expression underwent changes over the years. The logo symbol was finally retired in 1968, when the company was reorganized as Hershey Foods Corporation. Finding the Formula: 1895 – 1904 While his company was successful enough selling sweet chocolate products, Milton Hershey was certain the real market lay in milk chocolate. The problem was in developing a formula for manufacturing it cheaply and efficiently, while still maintaining a high level of quality. Hershey built a milk-processing plant on the family farm in Derry Township in 1896 and spent the next several years developing a viable formulation for milk chocolate. Hershey worked day and night, going back and forth between the condensing room and the creamery, rarely even stopping for meals. Finally, in 1899, he cracked the recipe and became the first American to manufacture milk chocolate. Hershey Goes to Cuba: 1916 With the onset of World War I, the European beet sugar, which Hershey had been using to make his milk chocolate, became increasingly scarce. So, searching for a more dependable source, Milton Hershey started acquiring cane sugar plantations and constructing refineries in Cuba. Typically, he also established a planned community for the workers, called Central Hershey, based on the Pennsylvania model. Hershey’s Cuban holdings eventually included 60,000 acres of land, five mills, a 251-mile railroad and, not surprisingly, a school for orphaned children. By the end of World War II, the company found it no longer needed its Cuban sources, and its sugar and railway interests were sold to the Cuban-Atlantic Sugar Company. Expanding and Innovating. Stepping Stones Many Hershey products that are familiar today were originally produced for the confectionary trade and were later reformulated for consumers. HERSHEY’S powdered cocoa, for example, has been manufactured continuously since 1894. Also, Hershey was the first to sell chocolate syrup for home use beginning in 1926. Not all products under the HERSHEY brand were so successful in the marketplace. HERSHEY’S mint-flavored chewing gum, introduced in 1915, enjoyed only brief popularity. And a creation named the Not-So-Sweet bar was introduced in 1934, only to be discontinued in 1937. A Kiss and Tell Story Of course, the very first addition to the HERSHEY’S product line of milk chocolate confections was HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates way back in 1907. Originally, each one was hand-wrapped in a square of silver foil, but in 1921 machine wrapping was introduced, along with the addition of the unique â€Å"plume† which marked it as a genuine HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolate. The chocolates were not produced at all from 1942 through 1949 due to the rationing of silver foil during and immediately after World War II. HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates were wrapped in colors other than silver for the first time in 1962. HERSHEY’S KISSES with almonds were introduced in 1990 and the first successful HERSHEY’S product using white chocolate, HERSHEY’S HUGS, in 1993. Sweet Inventions Two of the most successful products launched during ‘20s were the MR. GOODBAR and KRACKEL bars. MR. GOODBAR, combining milk chocolate and peanuts, was introduced in November of 1925. According to popular legend, Milton Hershey himself named the new product. Upon tasting it, he is said to have exclaimed, â€Å"Now, that’s a good bar!† The KRACKEL bar was introduced on September 14, 1938. During its first few years, the formula for the confection changed several times, with almonds, and then peanuts, being included along with crisped rice in milk chocolate. Finally, the nuts were eliminated altogether in 1943, leaving the crispy milk chocolate recipe enjoyed by millions ever since. Mr. Reese and his Cups In 1923, a former Hershey employee named H.B. Reese decided to start his own candy company out of the basement of his home. He made several different kinds of candy, but it wasn’t until five years later that he hit upon his greatest idea: a confection of peanut butter covered by milk chocolate (purchased, incidentally, from the Hershey Chocolate Company). During World War II, he discontinued his other product lines and concentrated on producing only REESE’S peanut butter cups. Despite its dependence on only a single product, Reese’s company prospered, and in 1963 the H.B. Reese Candy Company was purchased by the Hershey Chocolate Corporation. Since then, the REESE’S product line has grown to include REESE’S PIECES candies, the NUTRAGEOUS candy bar and REESESTICKS. Going to War The Ration D Bar The U.S. Army’s requirements were quite specific. For troops engaged in a global war, they needed a ration bar that weighed about four ounces, would not melt at high temperatures, was high in food energy value, and did not taste so good that soldiers would be tempted to eat it except in an emergency. This last objective in particular was certainly a new one for the Hershey Chocolate Corporation. Nevertheless, its chocolate technologists came up with something that passed all tests. Named â€Å"Field Ration D,† it was so successful that by the end of 1945, approximately 24 million bars were being produced every week. More successful still was HERSHEY’S Tropical Chocolate Bar, a heat resistant bar with an improved flavor developed in 1943. In 1971, this bar even went to the moon with Apollo 15. Growing Global Advertising to the Nation Except for a TV and billboard campaign in Canada in 1964, the company had never really done advertising on a national scale. In 1968, the newly renamed and reorganized Hershey Foods Corporation announced plans for a nationwide consumer advertising campaign spearheaded by the famous Ogilvy Mather ad agency. Starting with a Sunday newspaper supplement in July, 1970, followed two months later by television and radio commercials, the campaign was an immediate success. Sales of REESE’S peanut butter cups and HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates, in particular, rose dramatically. But while the company today continues to advertise in all media, the quality of our products is still our best form of advertising. Milton Hershey would have liked that. E.T. Makes a Good Choice In the early 1980s, Hershey executive Jack Dowd met with Hollywood producer Steven Spielberg and struck a deal to include REESES’S PIECES candy in Spielberg’s upcoming film, E.T.: The Extraterrestrial. When Hershey Chocolate Company President Earl Spangler first saw the movie’s promotional materials, he told Dowd, â€Å"That’s the ugliest creature I’ve ever seen.†After its successful premiere, the movie was screened by the company’s managers and top brass. When the film ended, there was first silence, then wild applause. Like many others, Spangler emerged from the theater with moist eyes. â€Å"Is he still ugly, Earl?† Dowd asked. Replied the company president, â€Å"He’s beautiful!† Both the lovable alien and his candy of choice became instant hits nationwide. Hershey Goes International In addition to being the leading producer of chocolate and non-chocolate confectionary and other grocery products in North America, The Hershey Company also carries on a significant international presence with operations in more than 90 different countries. Hersheys International division exports HERSHEY’S chocolate and grocery products worldwide and maintains licensing agreements with partners in nations such as South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan. We don’t believe Milton Hershey would have been at all surprised to learn that his HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates are especially popular in Japan. Top of the Charts Through unceasing technological modernization, strategically astute acquisitions and continued new product development, The Hershey Company grew spectacularly in the last 30 years of the 20th century. From $334 million in 1969, the company’s net sales soared to $4.4 billion in 2004. The Hershey Company is the leading North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery and chocolate-related grocery products. The company also is a leader in the gum and mint category.

Forms of Contract for Construction Work

Forms of Contract for Construction Work 1.0 Introduction The Scenario A leading manufacturer of confectionery in the UK suffered a devastating fire at their factory in Sheffield. Their insurers have authorised an immediate commencement of the rebuilding work and have been paying a sum of approximately  £1 5m. per month to the insured company as â€Å"Business Continuity† insurance to cover both loss of profit and to allow products to be imported from another country for packaging and sale. The factory site has been cleared using an enabling works contract and it has been decided that an experience single contractor, who is capable of undertaking this type of work would be appointed. It is now the responsibility of an experienced project manager to administer the rebuilding of the factory, which currently is thought to be in the region of  £60m worth. The time scale and who the project manager will use to achieve the delivery of the new building and process equipment to enable the manufacture of confectionery to re-start, including any trials, performance tests and commissioning at the earliest possible opportunity is for him/her to decide. On this account, time of completion and quality is the primary concern and cost is secondary, thus, a form of contract with a procurement route or strategy that would facilitate the construction of the rebuilding to start immediately, while all other preparations (e.g Engineering works) towards the building objective are going on, would be the appropriate or desired form of contract†. Chapter 2 2.0 Forms of contract Standard form of contract for the execution of work and the appointment of consultants are basically used in the construction, Engineering and processing industries. These contracts are prepared by one body in isolation or jointly prepared by bodies representing employers, consultants and contractors. Some of the forms of contracts by these bodies are: Joint contract Tribunal (JCT) forms of contract Engineering Contract (NEC 3) forms of contract Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) forms of contract Association of Consultant Engineers (ACE) forms of contract Association of Consultant Architects (ACA) forms of contract General Condition/works forms of contact 2.1 Criteria for the Selection of Forms of Contract According to the office of building and development in Australia (1996), there are a variety of forms of contract and procurement route that are available for acquiring a new or rebuilding of building, facilities or infrastructure, which are basically determined by a number of criteria, which are: Type of client Level of involvement required by the client The project size and complexity Speed Time available for construction Risk allocation Approach to the design solution Cost certainty and method of financing the project Specialist input Capacity for variations Ability to change scope of work and Contract Administration Separation of design and management 2.2 Contract Types 2.2.1 Traditional Contract Traditional contracts are the type of contracts that separate the design from the construction stages with consultants leading on design and the contractor responsible for the construction execution. In this type of contracts, a consultant (an architect in most cases) acts on behalf of the client/employer as the contract administrator and most risks are passed to the contractors and sub-contractors. Traditional contracts embraced ‘sort it out latter mentality, where time, cost and other related problems are left to the end of the project, which often leads to dispute. Overlapping of design and construction stages in the traditional contract is not encouraged and there is wide criticism that traditional contracts polarise the parties resulting in extreme inefficiencies and encouraging dispute. However, it focuses on the clients main requirements of design control, time and cost certainty. Most of the JCT, ICE and General Conditions/work contract forms adopt the traditional contr act. According to Holt (2010), examples of traditional contracts include: JCT Standard Building Contract with Quantities JCT Intermediate contract JCT Minor Works Contract NEC Engineering and Construction Contract (option A and B fixed price) 2.2.2 Design and Build Contracts Design and Build contract is probably the recent form of procurement and it is available from most of the contract producing bodies (Keown 2010). In a design and build contract, the client employed consultant to prepare documents outlining his requirement in a form of a brief initial designed scheme (Employers Requirements). A single contractor is then appointed to deliver the designed scheme as required (contractors proposals) by employing his or her own design team and then carries out the execution of the work using both the employers requirements and the contractors proposals. The contractor could also engage the original consultant to complete the design through a novation agreement and term or use his own design team for the purpose, which would be verified by the clients design team. Under the design and build method, there is no independent contract administration rather the employer uses ‘employers agent to administer the contract. Examples of Design and Build proposed by Holt (2010) are: JCT Design and Build Contract The NEC Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) -Target cost contract with Activity schedule or Bill of Quantities (Main option C). 2.2.3 Non-Traditional (Management) Contracts Non-traditional contracts such as management contracts are specialist forms of contract, where a specialist e.g management contractor or project manager manages the construction activities on behalf of the client/employer. It is suitable for large, complex and fast-track projects such as high-rise buildings. Management form of contract tends to solve the problems associated with traditional contracts by a means of collaborative working and trying to unite the various project participants in order to avoid polarisation. It claims to remove traditional contract inefficiencies and increase cost and time certainty. Construction procurement by management contract requires great care and high level of sophistication by employer and contractor. According to Keown (2010), advantages of using management contract include: It is a quick method of procuring a competitive tendered. It facilitates a quick start of construction activities on the site. Flexibility design activities can extend into the construction period. It gives the opportunity for changes in the scope of work. It avoids polarisation of parties by collaborative work. It encourages early contractor input on the programme, buildability and content of work contract packages. The employer/client has an opportunity to stop the project before proceeding to construction, for a set fee to the contractor. Examples of Non-traditional (management) contract proposed by Holt (2010) are: JCT Construction Management Appointment JCT Management Building Contract The NEC ECC, Management Contract main option F JCT Construction Excellence (CE) Chapter 3 3.0 Review of Different Forms of Contract The JCT, NEC3, ICE, and ACA forms of contract are intended to be reviewed for the selection of a suitable form of contract for the rebuilding of the confectionery factory. 3.1 Joint Contract Tribunal (JCT) 2005 JCT form of contract, which was formerly known as RIBA contract until 1977 was the first form of building contract agreed between architects and builders established in 1931 (Chappell, et al. 2001). The JCT now comprises professional bodies, which are: Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Royal Institute of British Architects Scottish Building Contract Committee British Property Federation Construction Federation Local Government Association National Specialist Contractor Council Limited The JCT forms of contract embraced the traditional procurement philosophy and are very popular in the UK. According to the survey carried out in 2004 by Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS 2006), which was tagged RICS contracts in Use Survey 2004, approximately 78% of construction contracts were procured using JCT in the UK. As noted previously that most JCT contracts are basically traditional contract, they required well- developed design before the construction works to commence. It is a form of contract that is fairly complicated and is always criticised for polarising construction team and encouraging claims; this must always be borne in mind when considering selecting JCT forms of contract. However, it also offers collaborating working contracts like Construction Excellence (CE) that has not been tested in the market (Keown 2010). The JCT 2005, which is the current and updated form of contract, has varieties of procurement methods for small and large projects that are basically intended for building/construction work, particularly in the private/commercial sector depending on procurement criteria being considered. According to Keown (2010), most JCT forms of contract do not have any express clauses on ground condition, thus, they are often amended and include terms that exclude liability for ground conditions. So, JCT contracts are not suitable for: Rail or road related works; Civil or earthworks; Mechanical or electrical plant/installations works; Landscape or archaeological works; and Ecological or environmental works The JCT 2005 various forms of contract use to suit the ever changing construction industry are: The Minor Works (MW) Building Contract This form of contract is very popular and suitable for small construction works, which are relatively simple in nature. It is lump-sum form of contract that based on drawings and specifications, but not re-measurement contact and requires an independent contract administrator. According to Keown (2010), it is suitable for construction work that worth  £100,000 (2008 prices). The Minor Works with Contractors Design (MWD) Contract In this form of contract, which is a version of Minor works (MW), the contractor provides design, which is limited to discrete parts of the works. However, it should be noted that it is not a design and build contract. Intermediate Building Contract (IC) This form of contract is another popular form of JCT contract suitable for construction works of a simple content without complex building service installations (BrunswickIS 2007). It is a lump-sum contract based on drawing and specifications, ranging from  £100,000 to  £800,000 (2008 rough financial prices) (Keown 2010). It also requires independent contract administrator and a quantity surveyor. Intermediate Building Contract with Contractors Design (ICD) This form of contract is a version of the intermediate building contract, which the contractor can provide design that is limited to discrete part of the works. It should be noted that it is not a design and build contract. Standard Building Contract (SBC) The SBC is a modern and sophisticated construction contract, which is suitable for larger projects that value  £500,000 upwards (2008 prices) given by Keown (2010). The SBC requires considerable experience to operate and understand it effectively and an independent contract administrator and quantity surveyor are needed. It is unsuitable for projects with substantial substructure work, excavation and earthworks. SBC comes in three formats: Standard Building Contract with Quantities (SBC/Q) Standard Building Contract with Approximate Quantities (SBC/AQ) Standard Building Contract without Quantities (SBC/XQ) The SBC/Q and SBCXQ are lump-sum contracts based on drawings and specification, if there is a bill of quantities, then these rates and prices are for valuing variations. While the SBC/AQ is a re-measurement contract. All these forms of SBC made provision for the contractor to provide design known as ‘contractors Design Portion, which is limited to discrete parts of the works such as the piling, mechanical and engineering works. However, it should be noted that it is not a Design and Build Contract. Design and Build Contract (DB) JCT design and build is a sophisticated contract requiring considerable experience to be used effectively. The employer/client provides the initial design that sets out his requirement in the contract document (Employers Requirement) and the contractor completes the design (contractors Proposals) and commences the construction work. It is a lump-sum contract that requires adequate time and great care to draft the employers requirements as it does not encourage change of scope or variation without incurring an additional cost. Design and build contract does not require an independent contract administrator, rather the employer/client uses an ‘Employers Agent to administer the contract. Major Project Construction Contract (MP) JCT MP Contract is suitable for large projects, which both the client and contractor are sophisticated and experienced construction parties working on large projects that value around  £10m upward (2008 prices) (Keown 2010). It is similar to Design and Build, where the client provides initial design and the contractor completes the design and commences the execution work. Thus, adequate time and great care are required in drafting the employers requirement as there is little scope for change later.. Prime Cost Building Contract The JCT prime cost building contract is a cost reimbursement form in which the contractor is paid by a fixed fee or a percentage fee in addition to the incurred cost. According to Keown (2010), this form of contract is used where the scope of work could not be defined such as refurbishment work or where the works have to start immediately such as emergency work after fire damaged. In this form of contract, cost of the project cannot be ascertained until the completion, and it could be used alternatively to the NEC 3 ECC Main Options E, which is also a cost reimbursement contract.. JCT Management Contracts (MC) The JCT has two forms of management contracts, which are Construction management form and Management contract form. Both forms require great care and a high level sophistication and experience by the employer and the contractor. They are not popular in the UK but sometimes used on large, complex and fast track projects. Construction Management: In this form, the contractor acts on behalf of the client as only a construction manager to manage the construction work by supervising the trade subcontractors employed by the client. Management Contract: In this form, the main contractor acts as construction manager for the works and employs the subcontractor. The main contractor does not carry out any construction works but manages the work carry out by his subcontractor for a fee plus the prime cost. The JCT Construction Excellence (CE) This form of contract is radically different from all other JCT forms of contract because it is a partnering/collaborative contract newly introduced in 2007 to enter the collaborative contract market that is dominated by the NEC and PPC2000 forms. In JCT CE form, the parties are referred to as ‘suppliers and purchasers and it took the form of traditional two party contract used for procurement of construction works and construction services. The contract terms and condition are short and straightforward, and can be priced either by lump sum or by target cost having a guaranteed Maximum cost facility. What is unusual about this form is that the risk associated with the project is identified and then allocated the risks between themselves, particularly respect to time and cost. According to Keown (2010), â€Å"As of 2009, the JCT CE contract appears to be rarely used, thus, it has not been tested in the market†. In my opinion, JCT forms of contract are not the best option for the rebuilding of the confectionery factory because: JCT forms of contract are basically intended for building/construction work, thus, will therefore, be inadequate in addressing the engineering aspect of the factory. It required well- developed design before the construction works to commence, thus, unsuitable for work that would commence immediately. It is always criticised for polarising construction team and encouraging claims, thus, may not encourage a good relationships among parties involved, which is required for the success of the project. So, JCT forms of contract will not be considered for the rebuilding of the confectionery factory†. 3.2 NEW ENGINEERING CONTRACTS (NEC 3) FORMS OF CONTRACT The New Engineering Contracts (NEC 3) is a family of NEC standard contract launched in 1991 that was revised in 2005 to replace NEC 2 suite that promotes a partnering culture, and has been cited has the preferred form of contract in ‘Constructing the team, a report by Sir Michael Latham (Knowles 2001). The New Engineering Contract (NEC 3) suite adopts a different approach to the procurement and execution of construction engineering through a proactive means to construction problems as the work progress. It is a Non- traditional form of contract that embraces early collaboration of all parties involved to avoid polarisation that is claimed to be caused by traditional form, and also, intended to create an equitable balance of risk between the parties to the contract. NEC 3 is applicable to a wide variety of major and minor construction works, which include: Building and Civil engineering works; Mechanical and electrical plant/installations works; Process engineering; and Offshore fabrication. Some of the ways by which NEC 3 stage proactive features include: Early collaboration and involvement of all parties, which include the client, project manager, contractor, subcontractor, etc. The contractor proposes how to solve arising problems. It embraces parallel activities between the design and construction activities. It gives no chance for storing up of claims until after the work is accomplished. It is better suited for a project that must be completed quickly, even if that faster completion makes the project more expensive i.e. timely procedure/response and programmes are primary and cost is secondary. The pro-active approach that embraces collaboration of all parties and more man-hours administration is emphasised in the first core clause of the NEC 3, which states that ‘The Employer, the contractor, the project manager and the supervisor shall act as stated in this contract in the spirit of mutual trust and co-operation (core clause 10). The NEC 3 forms of contract that are currently in use are: NEC 3 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) NEC 3 Engineering and Construction Subcontract (ECS) NEC 3 Engineering and Construction Short Contract (ECSC) NEC 3 Engineering and Construction Short Subcontract (ECSS) NEC 3 Tern Service Contract (TSC) NEC 3 Framework Contract NEC3 Professional Services Contract NEC3 Adjudicators Contract. NEC 3 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) NEC 3 ECC is the most widely used NEC 3 contract for appointing the main contractor for building, civil and all other engineering works including any level of design responsibilities i.e. it allows the contractor to provide design (Clause 21). However, it should be noted that NEC 3 has no specific design and build contract. The ECC has six (6) main options and twenty-two (22) secondary options to choose from. The main options are: Main Option A: Contract type priced contract with Activity schedule. Pricing Mechanism Lump sum Risk Allocation Contractor Suitability suitable for contract that the client wants maximum cost certainty but the need for a complete design is important. Main Option B: Contract type Priced contract with BoQ Pricing Mechanism Re-measurement Risk Allocation Contractor Suitability suitable for contract where there are grounds works and there is uncertainty on the final quantities of the work. Main Option C: Contract type Target contract with Activity Schedule Pricing Mechanism Cost re-imbursement with pain-gain mechanism Risk Allocation Shared between the client and the contractor Suitability suitable for contract where there is a need for an early start on site or the design is incomplete or inadequate. Main Option D: Contract type Target contract with BoQ Pricing Mechanism Cost re-imbursement with pain-gain mechanism Risk Allocation Shared between the client and the contractor Suitability suitable for contract where there is a need for an early start on site or the design is incomplete or inadequate. Main Option E: Contract type Cost Re-imbursement Contract Pricing Mechanism Cost re-imbursement Risk Allocation Client Suitability suitable for contract where it is difficult or impossible to define the scope of work (e.g. refurbishment work) or where the construction works have to start immediately (e.g. emergency work after fire damaged). Main Option F: Contract type Management Contract Pricing Mechanism Cost re-imbursement Risk Allocation Client Suitability suitable for contract where both the client and contractor have experience in construction work that has to start immediately. Ø NEC 3 Engineering and Construction Subcontract (ECS) The NEC 3 ECS contract is similar to ECC but used to appoint a subcontractor after the main contractor has been appointed through the ECC. Ø NEC 3 Engineering and Construction Short Contract (ECSC) The NEC 3 ECSC contract is used for small and medium sized simple and well-defined projects that worth up to  £500,000 (2008 price), where the sophisticated systems of the ECC are nor appropriate. It does not have main options, but can be a lump sum or re-measurement contract. Ø NEC 3 Engineering and Construction Short Subcontract (ECSS) The NEC 3 ECSS contract is similar to the NEC 3 ECSC contract, but used to appoint subcontractors after the main contractor has been appointed under NEC 3 ECSC. Ø NEC 3 Tern Service Contract (TSC) The NEC 3 TSC is similar to the ECC and is used for projects where regular work is required from a contractor over a period of time such as the appointment of suppliers to manage and provide a service. A plan or scheduled of work to be carried out is agreed upon by the client and contractor, and then payment is made using any of the options A, C or E. Ø NEC 3 Framework Contract (FC) The NEC 3 FC is a simple contract which is meant to be used in conjunction with other NEC 3 forms that will provide the contracts for call off contracts. It is used to appoint suppliers to carry out construction work or to provide design or advisory services on an ‘as-instructed basis. According to Keown (2010), the JCT framework contract is probably a better choice now. In my opinion, NEC 3 ECC with option E form of Contract is the best for the rebuilding of the confectionery factory base on the reasons given in the concluding part†. 3.3 Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) Forms of Contract The ICE standard form of contract first edition was established in 1945 for mainly civil engineering and sometimes on building work that involved a large amount of earthwork. It is considered to be a traditional contract that requires a well-developed designed before the construction work can commence and contract administration under this form of contract is similar to that of the JCT. Experienced practitioners sometimes claimed that the ICE form of contract is complicated and not easy to understand, and are also frequently criticised for polarising construction team and encouraging claim just like the JCT form. According to Keown (2010), ICE contracts have different version, which include: Measurement Version Contract: it could be re-measurement or lump sum contract suitable for large civil engineering work that worth  £300,000 (2008 rough prices). Minor Work Contract: it is a shortened form of the measured version suitable for simple works with 6 months duration and up to  £300,000 worth (2008 rough prices). Design and Construct Contract: it is similar to the measurement version, but the employer provides the initial design (Employers Requirement), which would be completed by the contractor (Contractors Submission) and then carries out the construction work. Term Version Contract: it is used where there is variety of construction works or works at different locations to be executed over a period of time. It also accommodates emergency call out type work. Archaeological Investigation Contract: it is a simple contract for archaeological investigation. Ground Investigation Contract: it is similar to measured version and suitable where the employer intends to develop a site and required specialist contractor to perform substantial on-site investigation. Target Cost Contract: it is essential for a cost re-imbursement contract. However, a target cost mechanism option is provided to give the contractor incentives to control cost. In my opinion, the ICE form of contract is not the best option for the confectionery factory because†: It is mainly suitable for civil engineering works and building work that involves substantial earthwork, thus, may not be adequate for other engineering works like plant installation that is required. It requires a well-developed design before construction work could start, thus, unsuitable for this confectionery factory rebuilding situation which the work has to start immediately. It tends to polarise the construction team and encourages claim, which may be a threat to the progress of the work. 3.4 Association of Consultant Architects (ACA) Forms of Contract The ACA forms of contract is a non traditional collaborative contracts introduced in 1982. It is the only multi party standard form construction contract in the UK, where parties including the client, key consultants, main contractor and specialist subcontractors sign up the same contract i.e. all the parties are in a contract with each other, owe each other a duty of care and can sue each other for breach of contract and duty of care (Keown 2010). There is no suggested limit on cost or type of contract which this form is best suitable for because of its flexible accommodation of alternative clauses (Clamp, Cox and Lupton 2007). The ACA has different forms, which are: Project Partnering Contract (PPC 2000): it is a sophisticated and complicated partnering contract, which requires great care in setting up and running, particularly when preparing the project partnering Agreement. Specialist Partner Contract (SPC 2000): it embraces the PPC 2000 procedures and philosophy, but focuses on sub-contracting and relationship between main contractor, main sub-contractors and specialist. Term Partnering Contract (TPC 2005): it is suitable for works and services that extend over a period of time or where there is periodic/planned maintenance and can also accommodate to call out work. Extend the multi-party contract philosophy to Project Partnering Contract (PPC). In my opinion, the ACA forms of contract are unsuitable for the rebuilding of the confectionery factory because it does not give options for which someone can choose from†. Conclusion In my opinion, NEC 3 ECC form of contract with Main Option E and probably Secondary Options 5, 6, 7, 12 and 14 would be the best form of the contract options for the rebuilding of the confectionery factory because: It is suitable for engineering and/or construction work, which includes civil engineering, building, mechanical and electrical plant/installations work, process engineering and all allied industries that are adequate for the rebuilding of confectionery factory. It does not require well- developed design before the construction works to commence i.e. it encourages a parallel operation between the design and construction activities, thus, suitable for work that would commence immediately as applied to the confectionery factory. It embodies an efficient management process and stimulates good management of the relationship among all the parties involved, thus, avoid polarisation of parties involved. Its collaborative working across the entire chain optimises the project success. It uses clear and simple language, which is straightforward and easily understood. The NEC 3 ECC forms of contract with option E: cost reimbursement contract among other options of NEC 3 ECC would be considered for the rebuilding of the confectionery factory pursuant to the information given from the project proposal that it has been agreed that a single contractor would be employed to carry out the construction work and time cannot be spared for a well-developed design, since the construction work has to start immediately. 4.1 Confectionery Factory Rebuilding Project Parties and Organogram For the rebuilding of the confectionery factory, the identified parties that are likely to be involved in this project are: Client/Employer Project Manger Architect Structural Engineer Civil Engineer Mechanical Engineer Electrical Engineer Technology Specialist Quantity Surveyor Quality Assurance Officer Cost Manager CDM Regulator Facilities Manager Planning supervisors Lawyer Main Contractor Building works Subcontractor Mechanical Electrical Services Subcontractor Plant Installation Specialist Subcontractor Suppliers A detail organogram that shows these parties and their contractual relationship is attached below. 4.2 Contractual Relationships and Agreement For the NEC 3 ECC, option E: cost reimbursement contract chosen for this project, with a project manager leading and plan for a single contractor to execute the project, the contractual relationship will exist between: Client/Employer and Project Manager

Sole trader and partnership business

Sole trader and partnership business http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sole_proprietorship http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98214,00.html http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCESitemId=1073789609 http://www.myownbusiness.org/s4/ http://www.bytestart.co.uk/content/19/19_1/what-is-a-sole-trader.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/business/aims/partnershipsrev1.shtml http://www.company-wizard.co.uk/Glossary/Private_Limited_Company.htm Among the similarities between a sole trader and partnership business is that they both have unlimited liability. Unlimited liability means in the event that the business becomes insolvent, the owner will have to be responsible for paying all the debts of the business even if it means selling off his personal assets to settle the debts. In a partnership, a partner will also have to pay off all the debts of the business if other partners become insolvent but if only the business becomes insolvent the debts can be shared among partners. This however is not applicable to the sleeping partner. The way both businesses are financed is also similar. For example, they are financed with bank loans, personal savings and contributions from friends and family. The two businesses need to be registered under the Registration of Business Act and operates in the private sector. This means that none of this structure of businesses is owned by government. The owner of a sole trader and partners in a p artnership are taxed at a personal tax rate according to the profits the business makes. Dealings of both types of business are confidential and only need to be revealed to the government. Both are easy and cheap to set up. Among the differences between a sole trader and partnership business is a sole trader business has only one owner whereas a partnership has 2-20 owners. The sole trader is fully responsible for the running of the business from day to day so, the success of the business is limited to the abilities of the owner. In a partnership, business decisions are made by casting votes among the partners and they assigned specific work in the business. There are more people to contribute skills and expertise. All profits gained in a sole trader business are received by the owner whereas in a partnership the profit is split according to the ratio which was previously agreed in the partnership agreement. When dissolving the business a sole trader can dissolve by himself whereas a partnership needs consent from partners. One of the similarities between sole trader business and private company is that both of them are created to generate profit for the owners. Also both are private companies. Both need to be registered as private entities. Therefore they do not have to make reports on their business to be released to the public. Such reports need only be disclosed to the government. This maintains confidentiality in the business. Among the differences between the two business structures are the number of owners. A sole trader has only one owner while a private company has 1-50 owners which are called shareholders. A private company is a different person from the owner. This means the owner and management of the company is separated. The liability of a sole trader business is unlimited whereas in a private company its limited. This means that in the event that the company goes bankrupt the maximum shareholders of a private company can lose are the amount they have invested in the company. A sole trader business has limited life whereas a private company has perpetual existence. This means that the company will still exist even if there is a change in ownership. A private company business is taxed at a fixed tax rate of 30% whereas the sole trader can get a personal tax rate of 30% or more. Decisions of a sole trader business is made by the sole trader whereas in a private company they are made by the managemen t group. It is easier and cheaper to set up a sole trader business compared with a private company. The Sole Trader can have unlimited borrowings subject to the limit of its financial standing but for the Company, its borrowings are guided by articles as contained in their Memorandum of Association. It is easier for a Private Company to raise finance compared to a Sole Trader. I would advise Lydia to convert the business into a partnership. Assuming that the business hasnt been doing well for the past three years, extra capital that can be raised by potential partners can help the business to acquire better equipment and teachers. Also assuming that the potential partners are experts in the IT field or good businessmen they can bring in fresh ideas and expertise to help the business grow. Fresh ideas will help because a business has to always adjust according to the ever changing needs of consumers and because. Other similar businesses are always improving themselves. Therefore Lydias business has to improve too in order to stay competitive. Extra capital, expertise, and ideas from potential partners will help the business in that way. Not only that, work gets done even faster when there are more people running it. Therefore the running of the business is more efficient. Furthermore it does not take a lot of money to convert the business to a partnership. Assuming that Lydia is a friendly person, personality clashes between partners would be rare. The partnership is not likely to bankrupt assuming that Lydias potential partners have a solid financial background. It is not advisable for Lydia to form a company because it is costly to set up. Since the business has only been running for three years it wouldnt have generated enough revenue to be converted into a company. Moreover turning it to a company will increase government regulation on her business. This will greatly decrease the businesss flexibility.   It is also not advisable for her to stay as a sole trader because she needs new capital to upgrade equipments that have been in use for 3 years now and that is hard to do if she stays as a sole trader. Also assuming that she is married, the business wouldnt have to shut down temporarily because of her taking a maternity leave. This is because her partner would be able to take over the business for the mean time.

toyota motor corp :: essays research papers

Toyota Motor Corporation is a leading automobile company throughout the entire world. Toyota has a strong commitment to diversity. It is an integral aspect of Toyota’s success. The Toyota Motor Corporation understands that to continue to be successful in this day and age they must take further steps to diversify their company. Toyota Motor Corporation is one of the world‘s leading automakers, offering a full range of models, from mini vehicles to large trucks, and even new concept cars. Key competitors of Toyota include Nissan, Diamler Chrysler, Chevrolet, General Motors, and GMC. Although Toyota experiences worldwide successes, they are constantly looking for new ways to branch out and reach minorities and ethnic groups. During the week of April 6,2005 Toyota launched a Spanish-language digital game on the Spanish edition of their website. This is the first interactive game available on the Spanish-language website. This new interactive activity is a good way for Toyota to enhance their image as well as reach a younger Hispanic market. It also allows Toyota to keep a constant communication process with consumers. This new game reaches those who are not effectively reached by existing television and print ads. In addition this new game will not only offer a form of entertainment but it will get more people to visit the Toyota site Toyota is promoting this new game by using banner ads on high-traffic Spanish language outlets and web sites. The game is titled â€Å"El Invicto† and is an interactive soccer game, where players defend their Corollas with one of three different goalkeepers. All of the goalkeepers are of a Hispanic background. Toyota is one of the more innovative companies targeting a Hispanic market using online entertainment. This new game is an excellent source of support for the Corolla Hispanic TV and print executions using the same theme â€Å"El amor por el Corolla puede lograr cosas increibles† (love for Corolla can make incredible things happen.) According to data from auto researcher R.L. Polk and Co., the Corolla is the best selling US passenger car among Hispanics. A lot of young Hispanics surf the net.

Building A Campfire :: essays research papers

There are many different campfire structures that can be built to start a fire while camping. The most common are the teepee, log cabin, dugout, and tunnel structures. Almost anyone can build these fires if he or she follows some key points. A fire needs three elements: air, fuel, and an ignition of some kind. For a campfire the air element is easily accessible; it's the air a person breaths or oxygen. Fuel is equivalent to wood. Sometimes lighter fluid is used to start big fires immediately, but usually when dealing with a campfire the fuel is wood. Ignition can come from a spark, match, or lighter. It is anything that initially starts the fire. Going deeper into wood, there are three categories to classify it under. Kindling is the stuff that is easiest to burn. It could be leaves, dryer lint, or very small twigs. The next size of wood is sticks and small logs. These will range in size from one half inch to two inches in diameter. Anything larger than this is classified as the fuel. The fuel is the big logs that will burn for hours. When a fire is started it needs to be built like this: kindling first, then sticks and small logs, and then the fuel, once the fire is going good. Using this technique with the following fire structures will ensure hot easy fires. The teepee style structure is probably the most used and easiest to build, but doesn't necessarily result in the hottest or longest burning campfire. To build this fire think about the name "teepee." The end result before burning this structure looks like an Indian's teepee (If the teepee shape is not familiar, then envision a conic shape). Start by placing the intermediate size wood or sticks in the ground in a circular shape about eight to twelve inches in diameter, leaning the tips of the sticks together in the center. The sticks should already start to resemble a teepee shape. Continue layering the walls of the teepee with more sticks, but not too thick, because air needs to be able to pass through the walls easily. Leave a hole on one side large enough to place kindling inside the stick walls. This hole is also left to light the kindling from the inside and may be filled in once the fire is lit. Once this is completed, the structure should be a recognizable teepee or cone shape. The kindling should be lit on the underside inside the teepee walls through the hole

The Relationship Between the Roman Authorities and the Early Church

When early Christians began to read the Bible and follow The Way, they begun to walk the path and carved which was uniquely Christian history. Eusebius was a bishop, an overseer in the tradition of the apostle Paul and John among others. It is amazing that his detailed account during those days were not only preserved for posterity, but that he had the tenacity, the determination and the strength to identify and record people and events he was facing during his day. These were people who were being murdered or whose bodies were mutilated.We read of characters and personalities – different people – from all walks of life who had a common experience. They became disciples of Jesus the Christ and almost all of them faced the same fate which is martyrdom. The Roman government was more than a backdrop for the setting of the story that Eusebius had written. It was an empire whose rule was not to be underestimated for its intelligence and its equally determined goal to subdue all who seemed and were planning to defy that rule. Yet for some observers today, the Rome seemed tolerant for the practice of any religion.The question then remains: why did Rome persecute the Christians? And why do we look back to this period to call it as the era of the martyrs? Looking back at Rome’s policy we see the Imperial authorities as remarkably lenient over the religions of those they have power over with. If the national religions of those territories would include homage to the emperor among their other ceremonies or rites, Rome almost never get in the way. As long as the Roman authorities think that the Christians were just a sect of the Jews, followers of Jesus enjoyed immunity much like the rest of them.But upon realizing that this supposed Jewish sect were up to more than being very fanatical about their monotheistic beliefs and that this â€Å"sect† not just incessantly talked about Jesus but intended to make Christians out of the entire population o f the empire and that this was spreading like wildfire, Rome changed its stance and started to view the Christians as threats. From time to time, the Christians felt the wrath of the Roman authorities as well as its very own people. The experiences of every named disciple or follower were more than horrific.These Christians suffered torture of every kind invented by fellow human being. The main cause of the loathing and revulsion that the early Christians felt from within the Roman society lies in the former’s distinctive life-style. The real Christian is a person who is essentially unlike the rest. Problem is that men always view with suspicion people who are different. Then and now, conformity not distinctiveness, is the way to a trouble-free life. So the more early Christians took their faith seriously the more they were in danger of crowd reaction.Thus, simply by having a lifestyle in accordance with the teachings of Jesus, the Christian was a constant unspoken condemnati on of the pagan way of life. As Eusebius in his time was observing and reacting to the events that took place, it was not that the Christians went about all or any forms of censure to disparage the government and those who were not with â€Å"The Way,† nor were they consciously self-righteous and a cut above all others. It was clear then that the Christian ethic was a criticism of the pagan way of life.Fundamental to Christianity and primary cause of continual hostilities was the Christian’s rejection of the pagan gods. The Romans expectedly had deities for every facet of living- be it for harvest (sowing and reaping), or perhaps something to do with the weather. The Christians denial of them marked the Jesus’ followers as enemies of the state. There were also social events which were of themselves reasons that Christians object because they were inherently wrong like the gladiatorial combats which were intolerably inhuman.The picture is clear that it was hard f or Roman society to co-exist with a totally distinct and seemingly opposing lifestyle that to annihilate or hurt to discourage these Christians was the order of the day. This widespread hatred for early Christians helps explain the persecution in the Roman hands. There were outbursts of bloodshed which became common. Another obvious and related reason why Christians were persecuted was the slanders disseminated against them. This was both implied and detailed in the reports made to Eusebius from named persons. Once these defaming stories started they could never be stopped.The secrecy with which Christian gatherings were held aroused suspicions and bred distrust. Charges include sex orgies, cannibalism and even ridiculously, atheism. But the more serious supposed crime the early disciples of Jesus committed surfaced from the tradition of emperor worship. This practice sprang from the merits of Roman rule; what was popularly called Pax Romana or the Roman peace. The resulting peace w as a deep and heartfelt gratitude to the spirit of Rome. This was an easy step from the spirit of Rome to become the goddess of Roma and eventually evolved into one final symbol of Roman spirit which was the emperor.Any allegiance other than to that of the Roman emperor slowly spelled intimidation or threat to their governance. No other sect or group posed this threat during these times than the â€Å"fanatical† Christians who were loyal to their â€Å"Lord. † In one sense, Rome was right because there was a real conflict of loyalties. The Christians never compromised by saying â€Å"Caesar is Lord. † From then on, Roman authorities branded them as a band of potential revolutionaries threatening the existence of the Roman Empire and were then deserving of expulsion or death.

“Non dare call it education” by John A. Stormer: a review

The vast majority of American children are educated in public schools. Now, many parents start asking themselves: what’s happening to our schools. Why do schools produce children, who are unable to read, write or calculate, why do schoolchildren risk to be killed in shooting, what are the reasons for dramatic fall of moral between American teenagers. The book â€Å"Non Dare Call It Education† by John A. Stormer was aimed to investigate the adverse events, which take place in the public schools throughout America. The author brings in â€Å"horrible examples† of ignorance, illiteracy, criminal activities (including shooting at schools), alcoholism, drug addiction, moral downfall, early pregnancies and other failures inside our educational institutions. Having analyzed statistics, tests data and newspaper reports, witnessing the above stated, the author makes a conclusion, that American educational system appeared in a state of deep crisis, caused by crude educational innovations. Stormer determines two basic reasons for degeneracy of school system. The first reason is simplification and primitivization of teaching process. For example, no attention is longer paid to correct spelling. Children are encouraged to guess how words are pronounced and written, when they look at the pictures in spite of being taught to read and write the word. Correct spelling in such approach is said to be a work of computer. Mathematics textbooks teach children, that correct calculation is also not important, because it can be done by computers, so children are tolled to guess of the result, not to count it by themselves[1]. Downfall of students educational level results in downfall of teachers level. Stormer brings an example of Massachusetts’ testing for incoming teachers in 1998, where 56% of candidates failed. In order to help more teachers pass, the State Board of Education had to lower the standards of tests[2]. The second problem with recent educational reforms is that even the smartest children have to undergo manipulative techniques, which change their thinking values. They have to adopt faulty â€Å"humanistic† and â€Å"universal† values, to become future leaders of â€Å"new social order†. Stormer points, that there are many devoted teachers at schools, however, the system of education itself is ill due to government attempts not only to educate, but to change the thoughts and feelings of students to make them â€Å"correct†. The most destructive element of such manipulative changes, as Stormer believes, is undermining of traditional values, resulting in destructive social processes. Comparing textbooks, which were issued 40 years ago and modern ones, the author pointed 12 basic values, which appeared to be undermined, including marriage an family, paternal authority, substitution of situational ethics with absolute terms of good and bad, change of attitude towards national independence and sovereignty. In chapter 2 he gives an example of Illinois State Board of Education, which gave a test to 11th grade students in Illinois schools with provoking questions about their sexual behavior. The tests caused much public indignation, and the newspapers blamed, that educational bureaucrats were â€Å"determined to force their vision of permissive sex education on parents and students – even when the vision conflicts with Illinois law†. However, almost no reaction of authorities followed, and an information was passed, that the Illinois State Board of Education acted under instructions of supreme bodies[3]. Stormer specially notices, that he does not write about a conspiracy, because educational reforms are conducted openly with a declared aim to substitute intellectual development with vocational development. Public schools are substituted with Schools-to-Work. As Henry Hyde a Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee noticed, â€Å"Behavior modification is a significant part of restructuring our schools. School children will be trained to be â€Å"politically correct,† to be unbiased, to understand diversity, to accept â€Å"alternative life-styles..[4].† The modification of school system under Stormer is a systematic action, openly and deliberately conducted by the government to change the entire American society. The main value of the book is that it attracts attention to the destructive phenomena in our education and provides a good factual summary of such phenomena. Stormer attempts to explain those trends systematically and in a way succeeds. However, he does not provide any strategy of actions to overcome the situation. The book is written from traditional position and attributes all failures to â€Å"undermined values† and government efforts, not taking other factors into account, such as massive migration of poorly educated persons or objective factors of social change in the postindustrial era.   Moreover, the book concentrates only on the worst things, not analyzing positive effects of educational reforms, therefore, it appears to be a little overweighted. References John A. Stormer (1998), None Dare Call It Education, Florissant MO, Liberty Bell Press [1] John A. Stormer (1998), None Dare Call It Education, Florissant MO, Liberty Bell Press, p.- 17 [2] John A. Stormer (1998), supra note, p- 21 [3] John A. Stormer (1998), supra note, p-56 [4] John A. Stormer (1998), supra note, p-117

Plate tectonics Essay

Ever since the beginning on time, Humans believed the ground is solid and immobile. But this is not true whatsoever. The Earth is every-changing and continually in motion. The stability of the Earth is not at all what we think it is. Thinking about the rotational axis of the Earth, and possibly of what the Earth may become at a certain point in time, has a great influence on understanding all aspects of living things, either in the past, present, or future. The study of Plate tectonics is accredited to most of the creations of Mountain Ranges, the drifting of continents, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. Plate tectonics and mountains also play a big part in the geological features of our planet or any planet for that matter. Geophysics, which studies the physics of the Earth, has led to many important findings about the Earth and how it is made. Seismologic studies of planet Earth have revealed new information about the inside of the Earth that has helped to give new openings in understanding plate tectonics. The Earth is made of several significant layers. Each one of these layers has its own properties. The crust is the outermost layer of the Earth. The crust is made up of the oceans and continents. The crust has a fluctuating thickness, being thirty to seventy-five kilometres thick in the continents and ten to fifteen kilometres thick in the ocean basins. The crust is made up mainly of alumino-silicates (Fowler p472). The layer underneath the crust is the mantle, which is made up mainly of ferro-magnesium silicates. The mantle is approximately two thousand, nine hundred kilometres thick, and is separated in to the upper and lower mantle. It is in the mantle where most of the centralized heat of the Earth is located. Big convective cells in the mantle disperse heat and produce the plate tectonic processes. The core is the last layer of the Earth, which is broken down into the liquid outer core and the solid inner core. The inner core is about thirteen hundred kilometres thick and the outer core is about twenty-three hundred kilometers thick. A nickel-iron alloy mixture makes up the outer core, and the inner is almost all composed of iron. The Earth is separated in layers based on composition and mechanical properties. The top layer is the lithosphere, which is comprised of the solid upper mantle and the crust. It is divided into plates that move due to tectonic forces. The lithosphere floats on top of a semi-liquid layer that is called the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere allows the lithosphere to move around since it is much weaker (Tarbuck p605). Early scientist believed that one huge supercontinent existed over two hundred million years ago. The name for this supercontinent is Pangaea. Pangaea was broken in to several pieces, and each piece was a part of the lithosphere. They believed that the pieces of Pangaea formed the continents that we know of in present day geology. When Pangaea existed, the rest of the Earth was covered by an ocean called Panthalassa. Eventually, Pangaea split into two land masses, Laurasia to the north and Gondwanaland to the south. The theory of plate tectonics does in fact have an explanation for the movement of the Earth’s crust. The fact that Pangaea did exist could be quite plausible. Scientist also believes that as the Pacific Ocean is closing, a supercontinent may form in millions of years to come. In present day geology, we can consider Eurasia as a supercontinent because the Ural Mountains separate Europe from Asia and make a line of compression and change where the two continents smashed in to each other (Tarbuck p606). In 1620, Sir Francis Bacon wrote in his book Novan Organum and noted that the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean seemed to be parallel to one another. However, the plate tectonic theory really started to begin in 1915 when Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift. Alfred Wegener believed that the continents bulldozed through crust on the ocean basins, which would explain why most of the coastlines look like they could fit together. Wegener was not the first one to realize that the continents looked like they could fit together because Magellan and other early explorers noticed this also. However, he was the first person to realize that the Earth’s surface has changed over time, and that continents that are not together now could have possibly been joined together at some point in the past (Twiss p532). Many people were against Wegener’s theory because he did not really have an explanation for why the continents moved. During that time, geologist believed the Earth possessed these features because the planet went through periods of cooling and heating. Anti-mobilists were people that were against Wegener’s theory. People who were in favor of Wegener were known as mobilists because they had seen proof of continental movement in the Alps (Fowler p475). In a few short years, Wegener’s theory was denied. However, his theory was the first time the idea of continental movement was announced to the science community. His theory laid the foundation for the advancement in twenty-first century plate tectonics. Years would pass and more evidence became available to support the idea that plates were in fact in motion and changed over a period of time (Fowler p476). After the Second World War, more information was discovered which supported the theory of plate tectonics. In the sixties, a bunch of seismometers were installed to collect data on nuclear bombs, and these instruments sparked curiosity among geologists. It showed that volcanoes, earthquakes, and other features were along the Pacific Ocean and ran along the continents edges for the most part. It turned out that all of these edges became known as tectonic plates (Kearey 2009). Further studies showed a pattern of magnetic fields in the ocean basins. The rock basalt contains a lot of magnetic minerals called magnetite. The lava forms and cools and the magnetic minerals align with the North Pole. This proves that the Earth has gone through several magnetic reversals; this would not be possible if the lithosphere was not in motion. Since all of this has been discovered, plate tectonics has gained acceptance as the Earth processes (Kearey 2009). Plate tectonics is made up of the study the motion and change in the Earth’s crust. This is based on the theory that the lithosphere is divided into seven major plates and several minor plates, and they all move in accordance with each other. They also move in relation to hot spots, which is where mantle material comes up. The plate tectonic theory tries to tell us that the Earth’s crust moves over a period of time. The crust moves in a rigid way, which explains the change that we see. The theory is based on a few beliefs. New material is made by the spreading of the ocean floor and eventually become part of a plate, and motion of plates occurs only at plate boundaries. Plates are rocks that pretty much float on top of the asthenosphere. The crust has two types, the oceanic and continental; they both differ because of composition. The continental crust is made up of mostly granite. This brings us to the conclusion that the rocks have a lot of quartz and feldspars. However, most of the oceanic crust is made up of basalt. Basalt usually has other minerals like olivine and mafic minerals (Fowler p477). There are three types of plates, divergent, convergent, and conservative. Wide places of change are usually around plate boundaries because of the two plates colliding. We know that these boundaries exist because of their motions. One sort of plate is the divergent boundary. At this boundary two plates move apart. As they move apart it creates a crack in the crust and magma comes in to the ocean and cools. When the plates move, more and more crust is formed. Divergent boundaries are believed to be the reason for the plates moving. The formation of the new crust pushes the two plates apart, this is apparent in the mid-ocean ridge, which helps to move Europe and North America further and further apart. Mid-ocean ridges are mountains under water. They can even be as tall as mountains that are on land, this process is known as convection. Magma is pushed up by convection currents. Some magma erupts through the crust and some moves under the crust away from the ridge crest. The magma flows and helps move the plates away from each other to allow more crust to be created and to grow; this is called convection cells. We know this to be sea-floor spreading. The mid-ocean ridge plays a big part in the plate tectonic theory because of the minerals uniqueness within the basalt. It contains a lot of magnetic minerals that align with the Earth’s magnetic field when it crystallizes. In the past, scientist has known the Earth’s magnetic field to change. When the magnetic minerals align scientist can use it to date the crust. This plays an important role in the theory because it is first proof that plates were in fact moving and have been for almost Earth’s existence. We can use the magnetic information to prove that the plates are moving, and we can also determine that new crust is being formed and that the old crust was erased in a continuous process that has been going on for all of Earth’s past. The oldest crust ever dated is approximately one hundred million years old, which is quite recent in geologic time. This may lead you to question, where did all of the old crust go (Fowler p478). This brings me to my next discussion which is convergent boundary. A convergent boundary is when another plate overrides another plate, causing one plate to go underneath it. Most of the boundaries can be found in island systems and trenches. Most of the old crust goes in to these systems as new crust is formed at spreading centers. This explains why scientist cannot find any crust that date past the Cretaceous period. The old crust was destroyed by the process of subduction. Earthquakes are very active in subduction zones. The earthquakes occur because one plate slides under another. Although this movement is not visible, it has very strong effects on the Earth. The outer edges of the Pacific Ocean are referred to as the â€Å"Ring of Fire† because the subduction zones go all around the Pacific Ocean. Volcanic activity is also caused by subduction zones because when one plate goes under another it gets hotter. The reason it gets hotter is because it is closer to the mantle. When the old crust gets close to the mantle, it melts and forms in to magma. The magma eventually runs up through the crust and forms volcanoes. One good example of a subduction zone surfacing is the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska (Twiss p536). When two plates collide, subduction zones do not always occur. Continental crust is less dense than oceanic crust, and when they collide, they do not run over each other. Instead, they kind of plow in to each other and create mountains. This type of boundary is called a collisional boundary. An example of two plates colliding is the Himalayas in India. The third type of boundary is the transform boundary. It is called this because plates are not destroyed or created, but they slide past each other. A good example of a transform boundary would be the San Andreas Fault in California. In California, the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate are sliding past each other. This is why many earthquakes occur in that region. The earthquakes occur because of the strain that the two plates exert as they slide past each other (â€Å"Historical perspective). The Earth changes in many ways, however there are three forces the cause change within the Earth. When these forces act, they create stress and they change the volume and shape of a material. The three main types of stress are shear, compressional, and tensional. Stress puts a lot of strain on the Earth which causes the change in rocks and the Earth’s crust. Compressional forces may cause a rock to compress or shorten. Tensional forces may cause a rock to become longer and pull apart. Shear forces can cause rocks to slip past each other (â€Å"Historical perspective). Faults are places where rocks have been broken and have been changed. There are three big types of faults. These are strike-slip, normal, and reverse. The stresses caused by motion of the plates build up over a course of time and ultimately cause the Earth’s crust to break when the rocks rub past each other. Usually when a fault happens, an earthquake occurs. Every plate boundary has some characteristic of a type of fault. Normal faulting can be affiliated with crustal extension. Normal faults can usually be found at divergent boundaries. Crustal shortening can be affiliated with reverse faulting. Reverse faults can usually be found at convergent boundaries. Strike-slip faulting is affiliated with sideways movement of the crust. These faults usually form at transform boundaries (Twiss p538). Even today, we are constantly reminded that the plates are in motion. One recent catastrophe caused by plate tectonics was the earthquake that happened in Haiti. Studies suggest that the earthquake occurred due to a strike-slip fault. The Caribbean sits on its own little plate and is surrounded on three sides by the bigger North and South American plates. Scientists believe that the North and South American plates are moving westward at approximately two to three centimeters per year. Based on the recordings of the earthquake, the Haitian quake seems to have occurred close to the Enriquillo Fault. The Enriquillo Fault is a big strike slip fault that runs across the southern border of Haiti. Scientists presume this is the fault that most likely ruptured because it is closest to the epicenter of the rupture. Although this was a big catastrophe for human life on the island of Haiti, it was not really unusual given the plate tectonic activity in that area. Unfortunately for Haiti, it is one of the most poorest and underdeveloped countries in the world. Its government was not really in the position to have any preparations in line for such a huge earthquake, and this caused thousands of people lost their lives (Kearey 2009).