Saturday, August 31, 2019

Helios Essay

The author makes a point that the corporations should look to the city of Helios for new business opportunities or a new location. Author makes this point on the evidence that the unemployment in the city has been lower when compared to the regional average and that it has historically provided more manufacturing jobs than its share of the region. Further, the author says that Helios is attemption to expand its economic base by attracting companies to focus on Research an developmen of innovative technologies. However, the evidence provided by the author does not straight away lead to the conclusion that the corporations should consider Helios as a new location for seeking business opportunity. The following paragraphs explains how the evidence is not sufficient and the assumption incorrect. Firstly, the author states that the unemployment rate was lower in Helios when compared to the regional average. However, Helios being a industrial center of a particular region, its unemployement rate can’t be compared with the region, but shall be compared with other developed cities. Further, author states that Helios has provide more than its share of region’s manufacturing jobs. It fails to provide the information regarding its share of jobs in other sectors. The author wrongly assumes that the high share of jobs in manufacturing sector as a representative of its share of total jobs. Further, unemployment rate and high share of manufacturing jobs are not the criterions that corporations look for when investing in a new location. The author should have provided some other information which corporations look for in order to make a more logical conclusion. Further, author states that Helios is attempting to expand its economic base by attracting companies that focus on research and development of innovative technologies. Author fails to state what is being offered by Helios to attract the corporations. Author once again fails to provide complete information. Author must have stated the various schemes, stimulus packages, tax exemptions, land allocation etc which could be offered to the companies if they invest in Helios. Thus, the author does not provide valid evidences and complete information in order to evaluate the argument putforth. Author should provide additional specific and relvant information so that corporation can evaluate whether to invest in Helios or not.

Friday, August 30, 2019

The paper shall proceed by providing

The paper shall proceed by providing a complete and concise introduction of amazon. ae so that a foundation can be established in order to follow further on with an elaboration upon the numerous fundamental internal and founding aspects that can influence the success of the brand. It is essential to highlight here that there are certain suppositions that have been made in the paper. However, in order to add originality to the development of the paper, it is necessary to highlight at this point that the paper has considered amazon. ae to be a UAE version of the well known website, amazon. com and shall proceed with knowledge acquired from sources that have analyzed the same in the past.Amazon. ae Amazon. ae is the world’s largest online retailing organization that generates revenues worthy of envy even from the toughest names in the business. It was founded in the year 1994, and the initial product it offered online was an online bookstore, however as the years progressed it br anched out into various product lines and brand extensions. The various product lines it adopted beneath the shade of its vast umbrella were VHS, CD’s DVD’s, furniture, toys, apparel, electronics and many others.It is due to the eventful branching out of various product lines that Amazon. ae is the most famous, easily accessible, reliable where deliveries are concerned and constitutes a large number of clientele that it maintains to its credit. Due to the difference in product lines and the necessity of marketing in regions where the products were most needed it was highly necessary that its online information be easily available in all conspicuous regions of the world where easy access would be the name of the game (Rich).Therefore it has established different websites in many different regions like, The United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Dubai, China and Japan. Due to its ultimate success in whatever product it adopted, a necessary survey and inspection was car ried which yielded a result that claimed that Amazon. ae was the favorite music and video retailer in the UK and held third position in all around global retail rankings. Although its Headquarters are in Dubai, Amazon. ae has many regional offices around the globe, which makes its services easily accessible.This way the consumers if facing any difficulties, find Amazon. ae headquarters close at hand where they can review their situation and find solutions at the customer representative’s helpline and helpdesk. This serves to make Amazon not only a web based organization that would face suspicions of fraud and mistrust, but a tangible organization with a solid background and reputation. Apart from its offices Amazon. ae has adopted many software houses to assist in its numerous features, these are located within the Indian, Chinese and USA locale.Amazon. ae not only provides retail selling services but also provides fulfillment warehousing services for various globally reputed companies in the following regions like Delaware, Phoenix, Nevada, Kentucky, Texas etc. Amazon. ae recognizes the ultimate necessity of customer and client feedback. It has established a highly efficient customer review monitoring system which monitors customer feedback, recommendations and complaints so as to leave no room for mishaps. If any negative comment is recorded, immediate action is taken to rectify the error.It is due to the caution and care with which Amazon. ae performs its duties that it is reputed as the most reliable and trustworthy web based organization with efficiency that rivals a tangible organization with tangible services. The customer reviews monitoring system is not the only extent that Amazon. ae has gone to, it has further established means for each and every customer to actually rate and comment on each product that the customer favors or shows interest in to buy. This way on a scale of 1 to 10, Amazon.ae offers products of limitless ranges, from somethi ng as cheap as a set of tarot cards and baby’s toys to intricate electronic appliances, all based on the customers likes, dislikes, needs, wants and economy of income. A fact of importance, Amazon. ae customers need not possess separate accounts; all accounts to be held by any customer of Amazon. ae are handled and maintained by Amazon. ae itself. This is a feature that provides Amazon with a distinct edge, at least an edge over eBay. StrategyIn order to develop a concrete marketing, it is essential to follow the approach that pertains to the four P’s which elaborate upon the price, promotion, and product and positioning of the brand. These four allow the complete, concise and concrete analysis and determination of the strategy that a brand should be subjected to during its development and launching. It is for the same reason that the following paragraphs shall elaborate upon the possibilities that amazon. ae can implement in light of the introduction to amazon. ae tha t has been presented above. PriceIn terms of price, it is necessary to understand that amazon. ae is serving as a sales person or as a middle man for a wide variety of products, in this regard, it is essential that in order to avoid the occurrence of instances where website visitors who are potential website visitors choose to opt for another internet based service to buy the same products that amazon. ae has to offer (McGraw-Hill). It is therefore essential that amazon. ae uses advertising space to generate the major part of its revenues and ensures that the products being offered on amazon.ae are of a price that the consumer does not feel inconvenient in any way (Sweeney). If a consumer finds a cheaper copy of the same book or a version of the same jacket at a lesser price at another online store, there will be almost no chances that the consumer will not opt to save money. In the same regard, it is just as essential to realize that amazon. ae exists in a market where there are al ready a large number of players in the same field, and it is therefore imperative that amazon.ae offers one or the other augmented product or service that consumers cannot find or take advantage of from another online source (M. Gordon Hunter). Promotion With concern to promotion, it is necessary to see that amazon. ae will be known for its reputation as a web based portal through which consumers can attain their desired products rather than as a commercial entity, it is therefore necessary to ensure that the promotion for amazon. ae is carried through the use of websites that users can be expected to switch to in the absence of amazon. ae. Hence, in technical terms, amazon.ae will be generating a void by introducing consumers to a web based portal where their multiple needs can be entertained in one go, and will then offer itself as the solution to fill that void. Product In terms of product, one cannot help but accept the fact that having established credibility and reliability, a mazon. ae has an opportunity to become the Mark & Spencer of online stores. It is therefore important to realize that amazon. ae offers itself as one product that brings a vast range of commodities in access (Rich). It is therefore necessary to ensure that amazon.ae is introduced and its reputation is maintained to be that of a complete package rather than that of a link to other links. Position Internet based services such as amazon. ae is currently providing a successful blend of products and services that enable them to attract a wide range of consumers. The can position themselves in a manner that enables them to appeal to consumers from all segments and industries from the society. Perhaps the one factor that contributes to this aspect the most significantly is that with the help of a single drop down menu, websites such as amazon.ae can direct the website visitors to the precise areas of the website where they can find their desired product, hence allowing amazon. ae to positi on itself in a manner that is somewhat compatible with as many consumer segments as possible. Works Cited M. Gordon Hunter, Felix B. Tan. Advanced Topics in Global Information Management. Pennsylvania: Idea Group Inc, 2002. McGraw-Hill. Business week. California: McGraw-Hill, 1998. Rich, Jason R. The unofficial guide to starting a business online. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2006. Sweeney, Susan. 101 Ways to Promote Your Web Site. New York: Maximum Press, 2004.

Douglas MacArthur Essay

Is Douglas MacArthur a true American hero? Just who is this man that is so famous in our American history books? Douglas MacArthur, who eventually trained at West Point was born in the year of 1880 to a military family. His dad was Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur Jr. , a man that raised a son who looked up to him as his own hero since he received the Medal of Honor. Douglas MacArthur also looked up to his grandparent, who was in politics which gave his grandson direction being so close and familiar with important men who influenced our nation. Douglas MacArthur who lived in various places during his lifetime before serving in many wars, such as World War II. Little Rock, Arkansas and San Antonio Texas were just a couple of places he resided before becoming famous for serving in France as a Chief of Staff member who was assigned to the forty-second Rainbow Division where he was promoted to Brigadier General where he was later given the title â€Å"Division Commander. † He was a leader who wanted his men on the forefront of fighting and went down in history as a man who loved to fight. I admire Douglas MacArthur for his strong views and being a man who was a strong leader instead of a follower. He was a influential person who will always be admired, respected and talked about in history classes across a strong America. A place that Douglas MacArthur firmly believed should be fought for.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Contract Acquisitions Contracting and the FAR Essay

Contract Acquisitions Contracting and the FAR - Essay Example Under such suits, those claiming received a percentage of the money recovered. The civil swindle inquiry, which was incited by a whistle-blower who had been an employee for the firm, was another severe humiliation for the Navy that is already grappling with a criminal analysis of its major ship contractor in the Pacific, Glenn Defense Marine Asia. The company’s owner,  Leonard Glenn Francis, was detained in September on accusation of conspiring to corrupt Navy officials with money, prostitutes, and trips in exchange. Those officials aided deflect ships to certain ports where Glenn Defense submitted exaggerated bills. 3 Navy officials were charged with crimes, and 4 others, together with 2 admirals, were suspended over relation with Mr. Francis (Grossman, 2003). Investigators accused Inchcape of a diverse plan: that it paid commissions to subcontractors ready to give great discounts, and then took the variation as a substitute of refunding it to the Navy. A national subpoena issued in March 2011 anticipated that Inchcape turned over its proceedings concerning Navy ships and any discounts or rebates from subcontractors since 2002. Report show that the marine Supply unit Command unmitigated Inchcape’s biggest contract 7 times since 2010, when the Justice unit began analyzing the whistle-blower’s allegations. The firm had won at least $257 million for exertion in the Middle East under the agreement. Since 2010, the Navy has given the company at least 8 other contracts, anticipated at more than $41 million, inclusive of three years. (Grossman, 2003). The FAR does not offer adequate protection to the American people because it was called for by the President to help the periodic appraisal of existing important set of laws, The FAR committee finalized its strategy to carry out a demonstration review of presented important set of laws. In May 2012, the

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Product Safety and Product Liability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Product Safety and Product Liability - Essay Example The creation and development of a legal regulatory environment conducive to business and e-business is central to the improvement of trade among the E.U members. Currently, the Lisbon Agenda of â€Å"making the E.U the world’s most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy by 2010† was already under threat because trade barriers to the development of general business and e-business had not been effectively removed. Because of this, many of the European Union’s businesses operate within an e-business environment that is full of legal uncertainties and legal impediments to the take up of e-business. Central to these legal uncertainties is the product liability directives enshrined in the Rome II regulations. The Rome II regulations, though credited for opening up trans-border trade, have also been a source of criticism for the uncertainties they have caused in respect to the choice of law applicable in trans-border product liability cases. The dominant view in this argument is that the Rome II regulations on product liabilities invade the â€Å"country of origin† principle that was more customized to allow the growth of business. Instead, the Rome II Regulation adopt the â€Å"country of reception† principle which is damaging to the security of business in the E.U. this paper will therefore look at the problems producers and businesses may face in respect of the Rome II regulations and their impacts on the businesses across the E.U members.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Dick Spencer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dick Spencer - Research Paper Example The case study highlights about Dick Spencer, who works as a Vice President in one of the large manufacturing firms. However, prior to that he was a plant manager of a Modrow Company, which was also the Canadian branch office of Tri-American Corporation. Tri-American Corporation was a major player in the aluminum manufacturing industry and it was also involved in the integrated operations such as mining of bauxite, processing and fabrication that result in various end products. The company employed around 22,000 people has presence in different parts of the world. The company followed a decentralized organizational structure that allowed plan managers to gain extra control and authority over the operation but at the same time the pressure of profitability was significant. In order to further experience growth the company had accomplished an expansion project and modernization project. The cost of this project was very high, but the return on investment was expected to surpass the ini tial investment and that made the project feasible. Despite that the plant manager, Dick Spencer was a bit more skeptical about the viability of the project and as a precautionary measure the manager initiated a campaign that encouraged employees to cut expenses in whatever ways possible. He also urged employees to reduce the expenses and cut down cost to the highest possible extent. This report seeks to identify the key factors that contributed to Spencer’s success as a salesperson and tribulations as a manager. The report will also throw light on these factors that led to success as a salesman or his failure as a manager. Lastly, the study will recommend some of the steps or techniques that could be adopted which will help have Dick Spencer to become successful as a manager. Factors Contributing to Spencer’s success as a Salesperson and Tribulations as a Manager Selling and management are two different domains of business as the duties greatly differ from one another (Boles, Brashear, Bellenger & Barksdale, 2000). However, both the functions play imperative role in the success of a company. A sale is a key organizational function and the sales personnel plays key role in bringing revenues for the organization. In doing so a sales person generally exhibits various exceptional qualities. On the contrary, management is another vital function of an organization (Matsuno, Mentzer & Rentz, 2000). It helps in ensuring the organizational tasks are accomplished in a systematic and timely manner. Furthermore, the people of management also have the responsibility to administer the organizational activities and making decisions at every point of time. However, success or failure on these given fields greatly depends upon certain factors. In this context the factors which were responsible for Mr. Dick’s failure and success are underlined below: - Charming personality and business knowledge According to the viewpoint of the colleagues of Mr. Dick, he had a charming personality and good looks. Moreover, Mr. Dick also possessed sound business knowledge. The ability to sell products also needs special mention. This allowed Mr. Dick to become one of the successful salesmen of the company. In addition to these qualities, Mr. Dick also had a tremendous amount of energy and during his initial days enjoyed the work of a salesman. Despite, friend’s advice to switch into sales management jobs, he continued to act as a salesman. This clearly reflects the extent to which Mr. Dick was a self motivating person and how passion for sales had driven him. Self Motivation Self motivation is another major factor that played a significant role in the development of Mr. Dick as a salesperson. Eminent Scholar such as Pelham (2002) emphasizes that

Monday, August 26, 2019

Week 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Week 7 - Essay Example These attacks are usually meant to coerce authorities into giving into the political, religious, and social goals of the terror groups. Therefore, terming the fight against terrorism as â€Å"war† eludes logic. As a counterterrorism measure the â€Å"combat on terror† has various questionable aspects. The main problem with the approach by the United States is that terrorism is viewed as a factor that can be dealt with through military action. According to Reese & Lewis, in 2003, United States soldiers invaded Iraq on grounds that Saddam Hussein was manufacturing weapons capable of mass destruction and that he was linked to the September 11 attacks (779). The result of the invasion was mass deaths of civilians and the abuse of human rights. Critics of this invasion, according to Reese & Lewis state that the United States was not averting any terror threats; rather, the invasion was an excuse for imperialist activities in Iraq (779). The problem with viewing terrorism as being synonymous with the September 11 attacks is that it distorts the meaning of terrorism to the general American population. According to Pillar, most Americans view terrorism almost entirely in relation to the September 11 attacks (1). The difference with the 9/11 attacks and other terror attacks is that most terrorist activities are not as organized and lethal as the 9/11 attacks. The reason for this difference is that most terror groups have neither such sophisticated weaponry nor such detailed planning. Since 9/11, almost all counterterrorism measures are equated with the fight against the Al-Qaeda, with every terror-related incident being examined for possible links with Al-Qaeda. To date, most of the counterterrorism resources are channeled towards making sure that the Al-Qaeda does not reestablish itself (Pillar 2). The practice to equate terrorism with Al-Qaeda is misinformed considering that there are numerous other terror groups the world over. For example, Pillar writes

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Discussion - Essay Example Particularly in special education, the importance of curriculum increases manifolds. I remain very prudent in designing the curriculum and consult other teachers to make it the best. A teacher has to simultaneously address the needs of students coming from different backgrounds, cultures, religions, regions, and ethnicities. Taking this into consideration, a special educator needs to be very flexible in his/her approach as his/her intended way may not suit all of the students at the same time. I know quite a lot of languages and tend to teach a student in his/her mother tongue (if I know that) when he/she is finding difficulty grabbing the concept otherwise. In order to be popular among the students, a teacher should promote diversity in every possible way. Interpersonal and communication skills which happen to be the fourth attribute as identified by (Hughes and George-Walter) are indeed, the most important competencies in context of special education. When I appreciate the good work of students, they feel honored which raises their morale and self esteem so that they remain consistent in their hard work. Likewise, I remain very prudent while being strict with a student because if the strictness goes beyond the limit, it can have adverse impact on the child. Creativity and innovation in pedagogy is essential for making the lectures interesting and improving the ambiance of the educational environment. I keep looking into journals, newspapers, magazines and other sources of information to learn new ideas and techniques to make the lecture interesting. For example, when I feel the students are fed up of the blackboard teaching, I tend to shift towards moving image for teaching them. Innovation in pedagogical can be achieved with adequate use of technology (Sharples). †¦[IT] (ie technology) basically opens up a whole world of learning for everybody, you know. You can find, up, read up, on anything you want, like in a university

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Ethics, Pirated Software and Spyware Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics, Pirated Software and Spyware - Essay Example Benefits include attracting new employees, customers, investors and retaining the employees. Lack of ethical behavior and corporate social responsibility, can damage the firm’s reputation and cause a fall in profits and an eventual business close down. There are several cases that would be eligible for an exception to the law of copyright. One of such situations is when the work is in the public domain. The work in the public domain is not protected by the copyright law and can be used freely by anyone. Another instance is when there is assurance of fair use. This provision allows copyright materials to be used for research and educational purposes (Howe 265). Other occasions may include the use of electronic reserves, libraries and archives, learning management systems like blackboards, and the application of the first scale doctrine. In the first scale doctrine, owners of legally obtained copyright material can dispose of them without the permission of the owner. However, this does not apply to music and software licenses. In music and software licenses, one has to be authorized so as to carry out a transaction. Spyware can be defined as software and applications that take information about the user’s online activities and send them back to their creators. Spyware effects include pop-up ads and browser hijacking. More serious breaches include identity theft and key logging. Each piece of spyware acts differently depending on the information collected. Some gather information for the purpose of marketing while others have malicious intents. Key logging applications monitor the user’s keystrokes and send the information a malicious recipient of the data. In the workplace, keystrokes may be directed to an administrator, who may just be monitoring the companys operations. Keylogging can happen through the email or other internet servers. There are three types of keylogging, hardware keyloggers, software

Friday, August 23, 2019

The History of Real Estate in Dubai Research Paper

The History of Real Estate in Dubai - Research Paper Example There are close to 2, 50,000 employees who are mostly south Asian working in real estate projects across Dubai. (Dubai History. n.d) In 1990, under Sheikh Mohammed governance, some very interesting real estate projects were designed and executed like the seven star Burj Al Arab Hotel which became the tallest free standing building in the world. The emirates towers became the tallest commercial building in Asia, Europe and Middle East. During the same time, other notable buildings, world class ideas, mega projects were designed and executed to make a mark in the international arena. Sheikh Mohammed wanted Dubai to be the hub and the location for international investment. The rentals and the return on investment far exceeded the expectation with greater benefits. Sheikh Mohammed also helped in promoting the development of real estate through Emaar properties which is the largest real estate company in Dubai. (Cooper, 2004) One of the turning points in the history of Dubai real estate w as on May 2002 when the government had declared freehold property on land. It was also during this period that the government had also familiarized foreigners to buy freehold property. Prior to this, only UAE nationals were allowed to buy and own property in Dubai which was only on a 99 year lease and this was not very popular with the public. It was only after the adoption of the freehold property and foreign investment that the real estate in Dubai had a boom in the residential property. Dubai then became a city which was built on good ethical practice, foreign investment and good projects. (Cooper, 2004) Foreign Investment in Dubai Real Estate Sector Until 2002, the UAE law had strict rules and policies and did not allow expatriates from owning any property. They were allowed only to rent property or own the property on a lease period approved by the federal law. It was only during this year that the Dubai government had permitted the expats to buy and sell property and this revo lutionized the real estate sector. This decision was taken after understanding that the petrol and the oil reserves which form the main economy booster might perish in 10 years. One of the main strategies of the government was to improve the service sector and the local real estate market in Dubai. (Foreign Investment in Dubai, n.d) The demand for both commercial and residential property market increased rapidly because of the change in government policy. The expatriates from non GCC countries were also allowed to hold properties in the country and this was regarded as a great leap in Dubai as this was not imposed in any other emirate country. There was a sudden increase in foreign investment especially from UK and Europe in the Dubai real estate market. (9) In the recent years the city has been a constant attraction for expat investors. The real estate market in Dubai is largely driven by foreign investment especially the non- Arab companies and individuals, their freehold investme nts total around 60-70% of the entire real estate market. Statistics state that every 3rd property is held by expatiates or foreign companies who live outside Dubai. The portfolios of the investors range from Pakistan, India and other emerging markets such as S. Korea and Brazil. (Foreign Investments Spurs Dubai Real Estate Growth, n.d) Iran is one of the leading and the major partners for Dubai and forms at least 30% of the total business done in Dubai. The

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Structured Multisensory Approach to Teaching Dyslexic Students Research Paper

Structured Multisensory Approach to Teaching Dyslexic Students - Research Paper Example However, it is unfortunate that there seems to be no known and appropriate medical interventions or alternatives that can be used to alleviate effectively the various challenges in cognitive processing which are presented in many cases of dyslexia. There is a myriad of successful approaches- with the most predominant being the structured multisensory teaching- which have been attempted and developed through a number of studies and which have shown to provide eminent solutions to this contentious dilemma.   All dyslexic students require quite a different language teaching and learning approach from the conventional ones applied in most of the classrooms. They should be taught their language’s basic elements thoroughly and slowly, putting emphasis on the letters and the sounds that represent them, as well as how to mingle the two and how to separate them. For conscious retention and organization in their learning, there ought to be plenty of practice in order for them to coordinate their ears, writing hands, voices, and their eyes. This is basically what constitutes a structured multisensory teaching approach to dyslexic students. But before we specifically discuss this approach in detail, it is imperatively important to give some working definitions and background of the dyslexia condition. Perhaps the most important question to address ourselves to at this juncture is â€Å"what is dyslexia?† For a long time, many people have not been able to distinguish between dyslexia from mental retardation. Over the decades, there have been many terminologies that have been adopted to define dyslexia.

Sonalika Traktor Essay Example for Free

Sonalika Traktor Essay Established in 1969, Sonalika group from the very beginninghastried to understand customer need so that they get better value for their money, hard earned.Sonalika has stateof manufacturing, spread in acres, located at Hoshiarpur and tax free zone at AMBin Himachal Pradesh.Sonalika is the one of the top 3 tractor manufacturing companies in India, other products include of,Multi utility vehicles, engines and various farm equipments. Today the group stands tall with anapproximate turnover of 3200 Core INR. An average growth of 30% makes it one of the fastestgrowing corporate in India. Its is also one of the few debt free companies.Group has strength of about 2000 employee technocrats. History reveals that innovation is the keyto continued progress and when applied to technology that touches human life, it can unfold a wholenew economic phenomenon that has the power to change the world.With unique initiatives like the Thought leadership Forum, Leadership Forum, sonalika have beenable to create a unique platform for learning through success stories of industry leaders. â€Å"No, doubt that the sonalika products has created a niche for themselves not only in India but also in foreign market. To maintain quality have any defect even at micro level is been takencare of and rectified. The technology for which they use, is of the high quality and world-class quality standards.† The industry has gradually transformed itself into a world-class player involved in building state-of-the-art products, solutions and technologies. As an industry, they are very conscious of responsibilityto society.Sonalika Foundation intends to become a catalyst, encouraging our members to do more, capturingbest practices for quality and harnessing a greater range of resources, from the industry and beyond,to make a major impact on the development.It has been their vision to cater to the needful agriculture and auto industry with quality productsthrough untiring dedication and activities. As they step in to their fifth decade of existence, it continueto lead the development.Tractor and car plants work in 2 to 3 shifts depending upon volume of work for maximum production.It Continue to march ahead on road to success and glory driven by the force of initiative  anddetermination to have a leading position in the tractor industry in the days to come . They haveventured in to automobi le sector also with the launching of Rhino – MUV- to write another successstory. PROJECT HEADING The Study of tractors in and around Ghaziabad specially their buying practices,specific needs, model / hp / make preferences and opinion about Sonalika tractorfor this particular segment / their specific need . INTRODUCTION OF TRACTOR INDUSTRY International Tractors Limited was incorporate on October 17, 1995 for the manufacture of Tractors and has since then built a distinct position for itself in the Tractor industry. ITL ismanufacturing various Tractors of Sonalika brand between 30 H.P to 90 H.P, and CLASS brandbetween 70 hp to 90hp. The tractors manufactured by company have secured a reputation of performance, quality and reliability in the market because of their maximum pulling power, minimumfuel consumption and low emission. All this makes ITL one of the top three tractor selling companiesin India. These tractors are also exported to various countries including South Africa, Australia,Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Canada, Bangladesh, Algeria, Zambia, Senegal, Ghana etcITL has entered into strategic alliance with YANMAR of Japan for joint manufacturing tractors inIndia. ITL has a marketing arrangement with TATA International for development of selected South American and African market. The company’s marketing efforts are promoted by dealer network of 600, and 450 subdealers. Such a networking has enabled the company to grow like a well-knit familywhose roots lie in its customers, who have providing constant feedback and support to allow thecompany to turn their dreams into products. â€Å"Our Manufacturing Process, Quality Control systems and Research Developmentfacilities are ISO-2000 certified,  by the joint Accreditation system Of Australia and NewZealand. We are the first Tractor manufacturing company in the country to beaccredited with ISO-14001. It bears testimony to fact that company is having world-classRD facilities, maintaining controls and systems of international Standard and Environment norms.† They are also manufacturing tractors, meeting norms of Smoke Mass Emission, Tested andcertified by ARAI, Pune. United States Environmental Norms Agency, Washington DC has alsocertified our Engines. These certifications enabled SONALIKA Tractors to enter into world Market.All the Models of Tractors and Combines Harvesters manufactured by us are tested approved bycentral Farm Machinery and Tractors Training Testing Institute, Bundi (MP) India, (theGovernment of India Institute authorized for issuing test reports). WELCOME TO KEY SURVEY AND STUDY A.  WHAT IS TRACTOR A  tractor  is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds,for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction. Mostcommonly, the term is used to describe the distinctive farm vehicle: agricultural implements may betowed behind or mounted on the tractor, and the tractor may also provide a source of power if theimplement is mechanised.The word tractor was taken from Latin, being the agent noun of trahere to pull. The first recordeduse of the word meaning an engine or vehicle for pulling wagons or ploughs occurred in 1901,displacing the earlier term traction engine (1859).Tractors are used extensively in mowing and land-clearing applications. In fact, the commonsuburban riding mower is basically a scaled-down tractor. Theyre also used in construction,landscaping, livestock operations, and industrial settings. B.  BASIC OF CHOOSING A TRACTOR Getting the right tractor is important: its an expensive purchase and one that you can easily last 10,20, or 30 years or more. This Buyer Zone Tractors Buyers Guide will help you through the process,answering questions such as: How much horsepower do you need? What features are most important? Which attachments are the most useful? How can you choose the right dealer? How much you can expect to pay?Start choosing a tractor by determining if one is actually right piece for you. There are three mainpoints to consider when choosing which type of equipment is right for you: FLEXIBILITY Skid steer loaders and tractors are designed to power many kinds of attachments,while excavators and loader/backhoes are dedicated to the specific tasks of digging and loading. As aresult, the specialized machines are more efficient at their specific jobs, but the generalists are usefulin more ways. SURFACE IMPACT Skid steers and excavator tracks can wreak havoc on grass or loose surfaces.In contrast, even fairly substantial tractors equipped with the right tires can work on these types of surfaces without doing noticeable damage. OVERAGE AREA Since they can move at faster speeds, tractors are more appropriate than skidsteers for work that involves covering a lot of ground: mowing or plowing large fields. Hydrostatic transmissions are the best choice if the primary operators of the tractor arent familiarwith using manual transmissions. However, theyre more expensive, and they reduce the availablehorsepower slightly when compared to manual transmissions.If your operators are comfortable with using a clutch, you can save some money and get a little morepower out of your tractor by choosing a manual transmission. SAFETY (ROPS) All new tractors are required to come with rollover protection structures (ROPS) that greatly improvesafety. When used in conjunction with a seatbelt, ROPS prevent the tractor from crushing theoperator in a rollover accident.Another safety feature to look for is an operator presence switch. These systems can detect theoperators weight in the drivers seat –  and if theres no one in the seat, they automatically shut off theengine.Most tractors will have basic lights and flashers for road operation, but you should check localregulations for any rules about driving tractors on public roads to see if there are more specificrequirements. TIRES Your application will also determine what type of tires you should choose. Tractors can use manytypes of pneumatic tires: agricultural tires for working in loose dirt; industrial tires for heavy mowingand loader work, or turf tires that reduce damage when mowing finished lawns. Your dealer shouldshow you several types of tires that appropriate for your use. F.  TRACTOR ATTACHMENTS While the tractor itself provides the power to get your job done, the attachments are what actually dothe work. As one dealer told us, a tractor without attachments is basically a slow ride to the mailbox.Buying the right  attachments for the job you need to do is an essential part of a tractor purchase. Themost common type of application is moving materials around, and for that job, a front-end loader isa great choice. A simple scoop on two arms, a loader can be used for carrying dirt, rocks, mulch, orother loose materials; for leveling and landscaping work; and for carrying heavy items. Unlike mostattachments, this popular tool connects to the front of the tractor, instead of the back, meaning it canbe left on while using the back end for other attachments.Some popular attachments: Box blades  are used to scrape or push earth, for grading, leveling, or bulldozing applications. Mowers  come in many types: rough cut and brush mowers for cutting through heavy growthand finish mowers for more detailed work.  In agricultural use,  tillers,  plows, and  disk harrows  are excellent tools for preparing fields. If snow is an issue in your location, front-end  plows  and  blowers  turn your tractor into asnow-removal machine. Backhoes provide serious digging power  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ   but at a high cost: theyre among the mostexpensive attachments you can buy. Not all tractors can support backhoes,either. Other attachments include  landscape rakes,  spreaders,  forks,  grapples, and  hay bailers. CONNECTING TRACTORS ATTACHMENTS Most attachments connect using a three-point hitch at the back of the tractor. This lets them use thepower take-off unit (PTO) as a power source. Almost all tractors use a standard 540 RPM PTO andthree-point hitch, which means attachments are generally interchangeable between different tractors.Verify that the horsepower rating of your PTO is enough to run the attachments you plan on using.1000 and 2000 RPM PTOs are also available, but unless you need a specialized attachment that onlyworks at those speeds, theyre not important. Some tractors have a PTO located in the middle of thetractor, beneath the operator. This can be helpful for precise mowing, but its not very common. G. CHOOSING A TRACTOR DEALER Buying a tractor involves more than just choosing the right model and the  right attachments: you haveto choose a tractor dealer you can work with for the long term. Like any piece of heavy equipment,your tractor will wear and eventually break, making your relationship with the dealer important.Having warranty coverage on your tractor isnt worth much if the dealership cant do the work youneed. Ask potential tractor dealers about their service policies: What kind of parts inventory do you keep on hand? How many technicians do you have? What is their training and experience like? Do you do on-site service if my tractor needs repairs? What about scheduled maintenance? Do you have guaranteed response times? Do you provide loaners if my tractor needs to be taken in for service? Will you pick my tractorup if it needs to go in for extensive work? You should visit the dealer’s facility. Simply seeing the parts warehouse and service areas can give you a good sense of their capabilities. REGULAR MAINTAINENCE Relatively simple tasks like changing the oil, replacing filters, and lubricating joints are an essentialpart of extending your tractors lifespan, and many tractor owners choose to take care of routinemaintenance on their own. But in addition to repairing breakdowns, your dealer should also help withthis type of preventative maintenance.They should provide you with a detailed maintenance manual, and walk you through the basicmaintenance procedures if necessary. They can also be your source for the parts and supplies youneed to keep the tractor running smoothly. Handling this routine maintenance isnt difficult, but it does require that you stick to a schedule.Because regularly scheduled maintenance is so important, it can make sense to purchase amaintenance contract. For a small yearly fee, the dealer will make sure all required maintenance isdone right and on time, either at your location or theirs. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Many tractor manufactures have been around for decades. While newer or lesser-known brands maybe cheaper, choosing a brand with longevity helps unsure that youll be able to find parts when youneed them.Better dealers will let you take a tractor for a demo at your own site. This is a great way to evaluatedifferent models: youll be able to get a feel for how well each performs in your specific applications.Youll also be able to directly evaluate subjective issues like visibility and ease of use. Lastly, don’t underestimate your personal reactions. Choose a dealer you feel is honest with yo u andeasy to work with: those impressions are often good indicators of how the dealer will treat you in thelong run. If the dealer aggressively starts selling you on a tractor without trying to determine yourneeds, you may want to keep moving. Quality dealers want to put you in the right tractor, knowingthat if youre satisfied with your purchase, youll eventually come back. softening of commodity prices preparing the ground for the industry to earn higher profitabilitymargins. The pickup in volumes also lowered the overhead expenses for the tractor manufacturers,boosting their profitability. While the OEMs did not lower the listed sales price of tractors, the benefitof lower steel prices was passed on to the end customers via discounts. This is an accepted practice inthe industry; given that once prices are lowered it is difficult to raise them subsequently. However,during H2 2009-10, the tractor majors increased the prices with the reversal of commodity prices andthe discounts have also come down INDUSTRY TREND BY REGION The biggest markets for the tractor industry include States like Uttar Pradesh (UP), Andhra Pradesh(AP), Madhya Pradesh (MP), Rajasthan, and  Maharashtra, which together accounted for around 50%of the total tractor sales in India during 2009-10. The tractor industry witnessed a strong y-o-y growthof 28.3% during 2009-10, with most of the States reporting positive growth during the year. The  northern region  remains the largest tractor market in India with sales of around 1,67,000 unitsas of 2009-10. This region reported a growth rate of 35.7% in volume sales in 2009-10 over theprevious fiscal, with the key contributors including UP, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The northernregion benefited from higher MSPs (for crops), limited availability of labour (forcing highermechanisation), and increasing non-agricultural use of tractors. Additionally, increased infrastructuredevelopment activities (especially highways) led to appreciation in land values and use of tractors fornon- agricultural purposes. In some cases, farmers also received compensation for the Government’s acquisition of select land patches (adjoining highways), which increased the availability of cash withthem. Feedback from industry players  suggests cash purchases (including purchases using KisanCredit Card) in some northern States increased to 35-40% of the total tractor volumes in 2009-10 from 10-15% in the past.Tractor volumes in UP grew by 42.7% during 2009-10, with H2, 2009-10 reporting particularlystrong growth (around 51% y-o-y) mainly on the back of high sugarcane prices for the kharif  cropand improved irrigation facilities. In the case of Punjab, tractor volumes remained strong for the fifthstraight year in 2009-10 (y-o-y growth of 42%). In Rajasthan however, growth in tractor volumes wasrelatively subdued in 2009-10 (around 24% y-o-y) as compared with the figure for the northernregion as a whole. Tractor sales in Rajasthan were especially low in H2, 2009-10 versus H1, 2009-10,due to lower kharif output on account of deficient rains and inadequate financing availability.In the eastern region, tractor volumes continued to report strong growth in 2009-10, albeit on a smallbase, and went up by 53.8% over 2008-09, being driven mainly by the higher MSPs announced forpaddy. Within the region however, many financiers remained reluctant to finance tractor purchases insome States like Bihar. Nevertheless, in Bihar, tractor volumes grew 66% over 2008-09 to around29,000 units in 2009-10, thereby accounting for over 50% of the total sales in the eastern region. TheBihar market, where tractor penetration had been lo w historically, has shown sustained growth overthe last few years and become one of the important markets for the tractor industry. Overall, in theeastern region, growth in tractor volumes is expected to moderate, going forward, as the benefit of alow base get diluted gradually.The western region  reported sales of around 92,000 tractor units during 2009-10 —   a growth rate of 35.7% over the previous fiscal  Ã¢â‚¬â€   benefiting particularly from the strong performance thatMaharashtra, Gujarat and MP posted during H2, 2009-10 (55% y-o-y growth over H2, 2008-09). Thefactors contributing to the strong growth in the region during H2, 2009-10 included a benign baseeffect, higher crop prices (of sugarcane and cotton in Maharashtra, and of cereals and soyabean inMP), and greater availability of retail finance.The performance of the southern region  in terms of tractor sales was relatively modest during 2009-10, with the growth rate being around 11.9% over the previous fiscal. While most States in the regionreported healthy growth, AP, which is the largest tractor market in the south, de-grew by 10.4% in2009-10. The AP market has been undergoing a volume correction since 2007-08, with the precedingfour to five years having witnessed a large and sustained volume growth; this factor apart, the de-growth of 2009-10 was also aided by irregular monsoons. The other big market in the southernregion, Karnataka, reported growth of 74% in tractor volumes in 2009-10 mainly on the strength of higher MSPs for rice; however, volume growth is expected to modera te in 2010-11 because of thebase effect. In Tamil Nadu, tractor sales were flat during H1, 2009-10, but the performance improvedin H2, 2009-10 mainly because of improved retail  financing by the PSBs. INDUSTRY TRENDS BY TRACTOR HORSE POWER(HP SEGMENT) The Indian tractor market has traditionally been a medium HP market, with 31-40 HP tractorsaccounting for around 47% of the total industry volumes. In 2008-09, the 31-40 HP category hadreported sales of 157,602 tractor units, which was about the same as the previous year’s figure but  lower than the 2006-07 statistic by 7%. In 2009-10 however, this category reported a strong revival,with the volume growing by 22%2 over 2008-09; the revival was led by UP, Karnataka and MadhyaPradesh.The other major segment in the Indian tractor market is the 41-50 HP range, which accounts foraround 23% of the total industry volumes. This segment grew by around 10% during 2009-10,thereby underperforming the growth in overall tractor volumes (around 19%) that year. The mainreason for this underperformance was the low growth that the southern region, the biggest market forthis segment, reported in 2009-10. The 51 HP segment of the Indian tractor market alsounderperformed the industry growth rate in 2009-10 mainly because of the de-growth in the exportswhich is a key demand area for these high HP tractors. SOME LONG TERM DEMAND DRIVERS (TRACTOR INDUSTRY) Low penetration of tractors in Indian agriculture: Indian agriculture is characterised by low farmmechanisation, fragmented land holdings, and high dependence on monsoon rains (in the absence of adequate irrigation facilities). Tractor penetration in India is low at around 13 tractors per 1,000hectares as against the global average of 19 and the US average of 29. While this does indicate therelative backwardness of Indian agriculture, it also points to the significant scope that exists forraising tractor penetration, which bodes well for tractor demand over the long term. Government support for the agricultural sector: Although agriculture contributes just around 20%  to India’s GDP, it provides employment to a large rural population, which is why the sector remains a strong focus area for the Government. The tractor industry benefits significantly from theGovernmental focus on agriculture, with measures such as nil excise duty on tractors (even the exciseduty on tractor parts has been lowered from 16% to 8%) and inclusion of tractor financing underpriority sector lending (by PSBs) serving as long-term demand drivers. Financing of tractor purchaseis of great significance for the industry, it being a key demand facilitator. Export of tractors: Indian tractor manufacturers have been increasingly targeting the internationalmarkets over the last few years. The industry exported a total of around 37,900 tractors during 2009-10, with the USA, Africa, South America, and some Asian countries being the top destinations. Theindustry leader, Mahindra and Mahindra (MM), has acquired Yancheng Tractors, the fourth largesttractor manufacturer in China (in terms of FY2008 volumes), to improve its presence in the country.In the developed markets, Indian tractors have a relatively marginal presence, with sales being largelyrestricted to the hobby farming segment.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Construction Project Delay: Causes and Effects

Construction Project Delay: Causes and Effects In this chapter, I will discuss types, causes and effects of delay of project in the construction industry. Besides that, I will also discuss the method to minimize the delays happening in construction industry 2.2 Type of Delay In construction industry, there are the categories of delays used in determining delay damage as shown in table 2.1 Figure 2.1 Types of Delay 2.2.1 Excusable delays Excusable delay as define a delay that is due to an unforeseeable event beyond the contractorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s or the subcontractorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s control. Usually, based on common general provisions in public agency specifications, delay resulting from the following events would be considered excusable such as fires, floods, owner-directed changes, errors and omissions in the contract drawing, unusually severe weather and etc. Excusable delays can be further classified into excusable with compensation and excusable without compensation. 2.2.1.1 Excusable with compensation Compensation delays are caused by the owner or the owners agents. An example of this would be the drawings late release from the owners architect. An excusable, compensable delay normally leads to a schedule extension and exposes the owner to financial damages claimed by the contractor. In this scenario, the contractor incurs additional indirect costs for both extended field office and home office overhead and unabsorbed home office overhead. 2.2.1.2 Excusable delays without compensation Non-compensable delays are caused by third parties or incidents beyond the control of both the owner and the contractor. Examples typically include acts of God, unusual weather, strikes, fires, acts of government in its sovereign capacity, etc. In this case, the contractor is normally entitled to claim extension of time but no compensation for delay damages 2.2.2 Non-excusable delays Non-excusable delays are cause by lack of performance of the contractor on the construction project. This delay can be cause by underestimates of productivity, improper project planning and scheduling, poor site management and supervision, wrong construction methods, equipment breakdowns, unreliable subcontractors or suppliers. Therefore, it is contractor responsibilities to continue their work with no entitlement to claim for extension of time or delay damages until they completed the project. For instance, a contractor failure to provide an adequate material to completed their job. 2.2.3 Concurrent Delay Concurrent delay is a problem that happening on most of the construction industry project. This issue arises when two or more delaying event at the same time in a project cannot complete on time. In this situation, both owner and contractor are responsible for the delay. Commonly concurrent delays which involve any two or more excusable delays result in extension of time. When excusable with compensation and non-excusable delays are concurrent, an extension of time can be issued or the delay can be distribution between the owner and the contractor. Concurrent delay can be categories in three types of delays: If excusable and non-excusable delays occur concurrently, the contractor only to allow claim for extension of time: If excusable with compensation and excusable without compensation delays occur concurrently, the contractor is entitle to claim extension of time but no delay damages: If two excusable with compensation delays occur concurrently, the contractor is entitled to claim extension of time and delay damages. For instance, a concurrent delay would be if the owner failure to give more detail regarding either using ceramic tile or homogeneous tile for toilet floor finishes. But at the same time contractor made with own decision and using ceramic tile for toilet floor finishes but actually owner plan using homogeneous tile. In this situation, the contractor cannot claim for damages. It is because contractor is not follow owner instruction but he can claim for extension of time with owner failure to give more detail of drawing 2.3 Causes of delays Figure 2.2 Causes of delays Based on the researched done through by journal, books, and some other reference. Project delay can be causes by a lot of parties which is shown in the Figure 2.2. They are include client, contractor, consultant, labour, material, equipment, financial and some external causes. 2.3.1 Caused of Client Related Delays Figure 2.3 Factors of client related delays 2.3.1.1 Lack of experience of client in construction According to Koushki, et al. (2005) identified factors of lack of experiences of client in construction project have high influence to the causes of delays. Some of the project delay cause by client due to not enough experience especially fresh developer. Most of the time, client facing a problem and do not know how to solve it immediately because of no experience. During client finding the way to solve the problem, some of the work could not progress. Finally, the whole project delay because of some particular work delay. 2.3.1.2 Change order According to Odeh and Battaineh (2002) mentioned the factors of change orders that contribute to causes of delaysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Client always change the design during the construction period, during the same time that will affect whole project delay. It is because contractor cannot carry out his work until the latest drawing issue by architect. Consequently contractor cannot be done within the contract period. Most of the current project delay because of change order by client. For instance, a project almost complete but client change certain part of design and instruct contractor carry out the additional work. After done the whole project, the contractor found out was exceeding contract period. 2.3.1.3 Client interference According to Long, et al. (2004) studied the factors client interference that contributes to causes of delays in construction project. Some of the client instruct contractor to carry out additional work without ask architect promise. During the contractor carry out additional work, some of the work could not progress and it will be delay immediately. On the other hand, client do not follow the procedure such as did not mention architect issue an architect instruction. Finally it will affect the whole project delay. 2.3.2 Causes of contractor related delay Figure 2.4 Factors of contractor related delay 2.3.2.1 Inadequate contractor experience Abd Majid and McCaffer (1998) studied the factors of inadequate contractor experience as contributor to causes of delays. Long, ET al. (2004) mentioned the factors of inadequate contractor experience that contribute to causes of delays in construction project. Battaineh (2002) identified the factors of inadequate contractor experience as contributors to causes of delays. In construction industry, some of the delay projects are facing a problem during construction period. But at the same time contractor could not solved the problem immediately because of no experience. During the contractor finding method to solve the problem, some of the works totally stop because of that problem. After the problem was solved, those work keeping continue but run out from the schedule. Finally, the whole project will influence delay. 2.3.2.2 Inaccurate time estimate According to Long, et al. (2004) identified the factors of inaccurate time estimating that contribute to causes of delays in construction project.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Time estimates are important as inputs into other technique used to manage and structure for all projects. An inaccurate time estimation technique may cause a project delay. For instance, in some delay project, the contractor do not allowed time for some common problem always happen during the construction stage such as breakdown of equipment, miss deliveries by supplies, accidents and emergencies and so on. Because of this problem the actual time will run out from the estimated. So, the whole project could be facing delay. 2.3.2.3 Inaccurate of cost estimate According to Long, et al. (2004) also mentioned that, the factors of inaccurate cost estimating that contribute to causes of delays in construction project. Construction estimating errors can be very expensive and embarrassing. Inaccurate of cost estimate contribute a lot of cause such as wrong measurements from contract drawing, using incorrect units of measure, material improperly priced and the most common mistakes in arithmetic . Sometime contractor because of inaccurate of cost estimate measurement again for that particular work. Finally, due to re-measurement time some of the work will influence delay and it will also affect whole project to delay. 2.3.2.4 Poor site management and supervision Battaineh (2002) studied that, the factors of poor site management and supervision as contributors to causes of delays. Chan and Kumaraswamy (1996) identified the factors of poor site management and supervision that contribute to causes of delays. In construction industry, some of the project team a lack of management and supervision due team member without any experience and skill such as hire person who are fresh graduate. Once they facing problem but do not know how to solve it. Besides that, some of the supervisor did not cooperation with their team member due to lack of communicated. Finally, because of cannot solve the problem immediately the whole project influence delay. 2.3.3 Causes of Consultant Related Delays Figure 2.5 Factors of consultant related delays 2.3.3.1 Inadequate consultant experience According to Long, et al. (2004) studied the factors of inadequate consultant experience as contributors to causes of delays. In construction industry, they are many consultants carry out their work without experience. Besides that, there are many causes of a consultant without experience which include different site conditions, mismanagement and maladministration, site access restrictions, defective plan and/or specification. For instances, some of the architects only concentrated in certain part of building and do not have any experience in other type. Once architect design on that particular type of building without experiences, he will facing a lot of mistake and no ideas during design and because of this architect will delay issue the drawing. Finally, the works cannot process and it will affect the whole project delay. 2.3.3.2 Poor design and delay in design According to Ogunlana, et al.(1996) mentioned the factors of poor design and delay in design that contribute to causes of delays in construction project. Design is every important to any project, without good design the whole project will influence delay. It is because in a project if facing poor design that will facing demolish and rebuilt again. This problem happens because of the designer lack of experience. For instance, an architect designs a column in the middle of classroom. Once the contractor without any experience and construct the work exactly shown in the drawing. Finally 2.3.3.3 Incomplete drawing and detail design Long, et al. (2004) identified the factors of incomplete drawing and detail design as contributors to causes of delays. Ogunlana, et al. (1996) studied the factors of incomplete drawing and detail design that contribute to causes of delays in construction project. During construction, the contractor is carrying out the work but because of drawing is unclear and none very detail shown in the drawing. He could not continue the work with problem, so the works have to stop immediately until get more detail of that particular drawing from consultant responds. Because of without detail drawing the work could not be progress, so it will affect the tat particular work delay and it will also influence the whole project delay. 2.3.4 Causes of labour related delays Figure 2.6 Factors of labour related delays 2.3.4.1 Labour supply Abd Majid and McCaffer (1998) identified the factors of slow labor supply that contribute to causes of delays. Odeh and Bataineh (2002) in their research identified à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the factors of labor supply as contributors to causes of delays. Besides material, the labour also consider as major source in the construction industry. Generally, labour are categories into two groups such as skilled workers and unskilled workers. In construction industry without labour project could not run. For instance, during construction, materials are ready to but no worker carrying out the work. During the same time because of no worker to progress of work, the project will confront project delay. 2.3.4.2 Shortage of skilled worker According to Chan and Kumaraswamy (1996) mentioned the factor of shortage of skill labor is the most important factor that contributed to causes of delays. Skilled worker is a worker who has some special skill, knowledge and ability in his job and also gets highest pay such as plasterer, carpenter, painter, and concreter. Those skilled workers are learning the skills on the job. In construction, some contractors do not hire skilled workers because of higher labour cost and he employs some unskilled workers. At the same time skilled workers do not want get the job from the contractor with lower labour cost. Finally the unskilled workers could not complete the work on time. So, because of shortage of skilled worker affect whole project delay. 2.3.4.3 Labor of productivity According to Ogunlana, et al. (1996) studied the factor of labor productivity having high influence to causes of delays. Labor of productivity; generally define as output per labour hour. There are many factors that influence on the labour productivity. One of the factors is workers experience, labour with high experience and high skills in field leads to high performance at workplace. Besides that, attitude also will affect productivity of labour. For instance, a worker can lay one meter square per hour but because of lazy. Finally he using three hours to finish laid the brick wall. Because of this factor, the progress work delay and it will also influence the whole project delay. 2.3.5 Causes of Material related Delay Figure 2.7 Factors of material related delay 2.3.5.1 Shortage of construction materials Koushki, et al. (2005) mentioned that, factor shortage of construction material that contribute to causes of delays. Ogunlana, et al. (1996) identified the factor of shortage of material as a factor to causes of delay. Chan and Kumaraswamy (1996) studied that factors shortage of material as contributors that contribute to causes of delays. Abd Majid and McCaffer (1998) identified the factor of shortage of material that contribute to causes of delays. Material shortage is a potential source of construction delay. The major causes of material shortage is demand exceed supply. In construction have a lot type of material and the three main courses are cement, formwork and steel bar. Besides that, material is one of the main sources in construction industry. It is because without material project cannot construct. If a project facing the material shortage problem will be delay. For instance, a project having shortage ceramic tiles even though the labours ready for tiling. In this situatio n, the project will facing delay project. 2.3.5.2 Late delivery of materials Ogunlana, et al. (1996) identified the factor of late delivery of material as a factor to causes of delay. Abd Majid and McCaffer (1998) studied the factor of late delivery of material that contribute to causes of delays. Late delivery of material as a supplier fault due to high market demand; however the long procedure of the purchasing order from head office was complained. In construction, it factor is similar to the material shortage such as the labour ready for work but no material to do their work. Once contractor cannot receive the material on time that will be delay work and it will also affect project delay. For example, workers want to install the windows but without frame because of late delivery to site. So, the work will be delay and it will affect project delay. 2.3.5.3 Poor quality of construction materials Koushki, et al. (2005) mentioned that factor poor quality of material that contribute to causes of delays. Ogunlana, et al. (1996) identified the factor of poor quality of material as a factor to causes of delay. Abd Majid and McCaffer (1998) studied the factor of poor quality of material that contribute to causes of delays. Poor quality of material is construct building with using poor quality of material. The contractor has intention to cheat owner to earn more profit by change the quality of material such as concrete. For instance, a contractor cast a column with using Y 20 steel bar but actual in contract drawing is Y 25. After site staff done the inspection for this column and found that the steel bar inside column is Y 20 and ask contractor demolish the column to rebuild. In this case, time taken to rebuild the column will also affect project delay. 2.3.5.4 Escalation of material prices Ogunlana, et al. (1996) identified the factor of escalation of material prices as a factor to causes of delay. Wiguna and Scoot (2005) studied the factor of escalation of material prices was one factor that contribute to causes of delays. Escalation of material prices will cause shortage material in construction. It is because the market rate is keeping increasing. Some of the contractor does not buy the expensive material. During same time, the construction without material cannot run so the project will influence the project delay. For instance, a contractor because of material cost of market demands higher and does not make any order for material until material shortage. Finally, the construction cannot run without material and it will affect delay project also. 2.3.6 Causes of Equipment Related Delays Figure 2.8 Factors of Equipment related delays 2.3.6.1 Insufficient number of equipment According to Ogunlana, et al. (1998) identified the factors of insufficient numbers of equipment is the most significant factors that contribute to causes of delays. In construction stage, contractors are facing not enough machinery to produce work. It is because some of the contractors do not have a large capital to purchase that machinery due to higher cost. Once the projects carry out with not enough machinery, it will influence whole project delay. For instance, there are two works to be done by using towel crane but in site only one towel crane available. Finally, two of work could not be done at the same time due to not enough towel cranes. 2.3.6.2 Frequent equipment breakdown McCaffer (1998) studied the factors of equipment breakdown as contributors to causes of delays. Ogunlana, et al. (1998) mentioned the factor of frequent equipment breakdown is the most significant factors that contribute to causes of delays. In construction industry, some of the machinery always breakdown due to improper using by worker such as do not follow the instruction. For instance, machinery only can support for five hundred kilograms of material but during worker using that machinery and his carry out six hundred kilograms of material. Finally, the machinery will breakdown. Once machinery breakdown, the work will be stop immediately and affect some work delay. Finally, because of machinery breakdown the whole project will also influence delay. 2.3.6.3 Shortage of Equipment Parts According to Chan and Kumaraswamy (1996) identified the factor of shortage of equipment parts that contribute to causes of delays. After machinery breakdown, the technical carry out the repair work for the breakdown of equipment. During the same time, some part of machinery none have stock in market. Because of no spare part to repair the machinery, some of the works facing stop progress immediately. Consequently, it will influence whole project to be delay. 2.3.7 Causes of Financial Related Delays Figure 2.9 Factors of Financial related delays 2.3.7.1 Clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s financial difficulties According to Chan and Kumaraswamy (1996) identified the factors of clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s financial difficulties as contributor to causes of delays. During the construction, client will face some financial problem arise from unanticipated emergencies or financial mismanagement such as global financial crisis. Besides that, a client proposes a new development without borrow term loan or bridging loan from the bank. On the other hand, improper cost planning is a most serious problem for those clients facing in current delay project. For instance, during pre-construction stage a client do not planning cost properly and he will facing a lot of problem in construction stage such as no enough capital to pay contractor payment. Finally, because of contractor did not receive payment to influence whole project delay. 2.3.7.2 Delay payment to suppliers/subcontractor According to Abd Majid and McCaffer (1998) mentioned the factors of inadequate fund allocation and delay payment to subcontractor/suppliers as contributor to causes of delays in construction project. Due to sub- contractor do not take their responsibility to done the work on time. The contractor will delay the payment until they complete the job. But at the same time, the sub-contractor refuse to work because of not yet receive payment. As a consequently, the whole project will be influence delay due to sub-contractor refuse to work. 2.3.7.3 Contractorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s financial difficulties According to Ogunlana, et al. (1996) studied the factors of contractorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s financial difficulties having high influence to causes of delays. Poor financial management has been known as one of the factors why certain project cannot complete within contract period. Because of contractor lack of experience and could not manage their capital properly. On the other hand, because of delay payment by client contractor not enough money to cover up all sub-contractors and suppliers payment. Finally, the sub-contractor and suppliers refuse to work and supply material to the site and because of this factor the whole will influence delay. 2.3.8 Causes of External Related Delays Figure 2.10 Factors of external related delays 2.3.8.1 Weather condition Odeh and Battaineh (2002) identified the factors of weather condition as contributors to causes of delays. Long, et al. (2004) mentioned factors weather condition as factors ofexternal related delays. AL-Momani (2000) studied the factor of weather condition as contributors to causes of delays in construction project. During the construction period, weather is a factor to influence the whole project delay. It because weather condition that interfere with planned activities. Some activities can process but other cannot. For instances, during the worker cast the ground floor slab, but because of raining that particular work to be delay. 2.3.8.2 Slow site clearance According to Long, et al. (2004) identified factors of slow site clearance as factors of external related delays. During begin of construction stage, the responsibility party should have to carry out their work for site clearance immediately. Without clearance the site construction work cannot process. In some delay project found that, the third party did not take their responsibility to finish the site clearance within the period. Consequently, the whole project delay because of site clearance works delay. 2.4 Effect of Delays According to Aibinu and Jagboro (2002) identified the effects of construction delays on project delivery in Nigerian construction industry. They also said that the six major effects of delays follow by rank which include time overrun, cost overrun, dispute, arbitration, litigation, and total abandonment as shown in the Table 2.11 Effects of Delay Rank Time overrun 1 Cost overrun 2 Dispute 3 Arbitration 4 Litigation 5 Total Abandonment 6 Source : Aibinu and Jagboro (2002) Table 2.11 The effect of delays 2.4.1 Time overrun Time overrun it mean contractor could not carry out their work within contract period. In generally, time overrun can be categories into two group which include excusable delays and non-excusable. Once the project facing time overrun, it will affect the progress of work cannot finish on time. Besides that, the fault party will take the responsibility to pay the relevant parties for damages because of delay. For instance, during the project almost completed, but at the same time contractor because of exceptionally implement weather cannot completed the project within contract period. In this situation the contractor entitle to claim extension of time. On the other hand, if that contractor cannot complete the work within contract period due to his own fault. So the contractor no entitle to claim extension of time and he need to pay liquated damages. As stated in Persatuan Arkitek Malaysia form 2006 (PAM form 2006), which certain clauses stating about the damages by employer due to this event. It stated that in clauses below. 2.3.1.1 Clause 22.1 Liquidated Damage and Certificate of Non-Completion If the contractor fails to complete the works by the Completion Date, and the architect is of the opinion that the same ought reasonably so to have been completed, the architect shall issue a certificate of Non-completion. Upon the issuance of the certificate of Non-Completion the contractor shall pay or allow to the Employer a sum calculated at the rate stated in the Appendix as Liquidated Damages for the period from the Completion Date to the Date of Practical Completion. The Employer may recover such sum from the Performance Bond. The Employer shall inform the contractor in writing of such deduction or such debt due to from the contractor. The imposition of Liquated Damages by the Employer shall not be taken into account by the Architect in the issuance of payment certificates and Final Certificate, and is not subject to the set-off procedures under clause 30.4 and adjudication. 2.3.1.2 Clause 23.1 Submission of notice and particulars for extension of time If the Contractor is of the opinion that the completion of the Work is or will be delayed beyond the completion Date by any of the Relevant Event stated in Clause 23.8, he may apply for an extension of time provided always that 2.3.1.3 Clause 23.8 Relevant Events Exceptionally implement weather 2.4.2 Cost overrun During construction stages, the client and contractor always facing of cost overrun. Cost overrun  is an unexpected  cost  incurred in excess of a budgeted amount, due to  cost underestimation. Cost overrun is related to time overrun, once a project cannot be done in time, it will also affect the cost of project over budget. Commonly, cost overrun always happen due to contractor own fault such as inaccurate of cost estimate and he need to take responsibility to pay owner loss and expense. For instance, a contractor because of improper cost planning due to cost overrun. Finally, the owner set of his loss and expense from the contractor interim payment. 2.4.3 Dispute In construction industry, some of project delay because of dispute between contractual parties such as client, consultants, contractor and some relevant parties. Those disputes because of client failure make payment to the contractor. Once dispute happen, the relevant parties will go through with mediation. The mediator will make a decision to solve the problem. But if one of the parties does not accept the decision made by mediator, the parties will appeal the decision with arbitrator. If both parties accept the decision and the fault parties will take responsibility to pay damages for project delay. 2.4.4 Arbitration In current delay project, some of the contractual parties do not accept the mediator decision and they appeal in arbitration. Arbitrator will also make the decision to solve the problem. But if one of the parties does not accept the decision again made by Arbitrator, they still can appeal the decision in litigation. 2.4.5 Litigation In some delay project, the relevant parties because of still do not accept with the arbitrator decision. They are appeal the result in litigation which is dispute resolution in the courts. In litigation, the parties have a trial either by a court alone or by jury. If those parties are not satisfied judgment again, then they can appeal again if they have any new evidence to proof their right. But one the parties accept with the judgment, the faulty of parties need take responsibility to pay the penalty 2.4.6 Total abandonment Total abandonment it means the whole project stop immediately because of client facing financial difficulties. Some of the current delay project totally abandoned because of clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s or contractor problem which include clients bankruptcy, contractor run away, poor marketing and sales strategies and so on. The effect of project totally abandoned will affect many parties such as contractual parties which include contractor, consultant, sub-contractor, supplier and some other relevant parties. Besides those parties, the purchasers will also suffer in cost damages due to project abandoned. 2.5 Methods of minimizing construction delays According to Nguyen, et al. (2004), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“studied the factors that can be applied as a method of minimizing of construction delays as follows: competent project manager; frequent progress meeting; accurate initial cost estimates; accurate initial time estimates; awarding bids to the right/experience consultant and contractor.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? During pre-construction stage, a client should employ a depth knowledge project manager to organize a good project team member to progress the work. Besides that, the project team member should be always discussing with the problem having during the site progress. On the other hand, contractor should be employs some employee with experience such as quantity surveyor. So that, during the time or cost estimate they can add on some unforeseen event to avoid the cost and time overrun. Furthermore, the developer should be hire some experience consultant and contractor.iot is because once they facing problem, they can refer previous project to so lve the problem immediately. So, the project can process with smoothly. According to Aibinu and Jagboro (2002), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“identified two methods to minimize or if possible eliminate time overrun were: acceleration of site activities, and contingency allowance.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? During construction stages, the contractor should carry out his responsibility to make sure the work progress can complete in time. If found that work progress are not equal to the estimate schedule. The contractor may carry out with acceleration such as hire additional worker. Besides that, the client may allow contractor standby some extra cost for unforeseen event such as accidents. According to Koushki, et al. (2005), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“revealed that the minimization of time delays and cost overruns would require: ensure adequate and available source of finance until project completion; ensure timely delivery of materials.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? During pre-construction, a client may prepare a good cash flow within the contract period. Once the client does not enough money to cover up construction cost, he can borrow a term loan or bridging loan from the bank to cover the cost until the whole project completed. It will avoid project delay due to client not enough capital. Besides that, the contractors make sure that material are order with a reliable suppliers and can receive it on time. Acco

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Effectiveness of Play Therapy in Enhancing Social Skills

Effectiveness of Play Therapy in Enhancing Social Skills Effectiveness of Play Therapy in enhancing Social skills in Intellectually Disabled Children by Azka Tauqeer Asjad Abstract The present study was targeted to measure the effectiveness of play therapy in enhancing social skills in pre-diagnosed intellectually disabled children of mild and moderate level. The research was comprised of ten intellectually disabled children of mild and moderate level of ages 5-15 from Army Special Education Academy Rawalpindi. Social skills were considered as dependent variable, whereas play therapy as independent variable in this study. The method of this research was quasi, pretest-posttest type with an experimental and control group. Social Skills Checklist (Heather Thomas, 2013) was administered in pretest and posttest. It was hypothesized that play therapy on experimental group will be effective as it will produce significant positive results in enhancing social skills as compared to the control group. The analysis included paired sample t-test and findings were presented in tabulated form. The current study will help in understanding the use of play therapy to facilitate children with intellectual disability and it will bridge the gap between the mental health needs of exceptional children and the available services. Play therapy is a therapeutic process between the client and the therapist where the therapist uses play as a therapeutic intervention for solving the child’s emotional and social difficulties and for incorporating required skills and appropriate behavior (Association for Play Therapy). Play therapy acts as a mode of communication between the therapist and the child. This method is based on the assumption that play is a way of children making contact with their environment. Play therapy is to children what counseling and psychotherapy is to adults. Young children express themselves comfortably through play when they cannot through meaningful conversation. Therefore, play is an indirect way for therapists to understand and alter children’s perceptions, cognitions, and behaviors. Intellectual disability stands for impairments in overall mental abilities which affects adaptive functioning skills of three multiple domains or areas that arise during the passage of children’s development. Limitations should be present in comparison to other peoples of the same age, gender, and social-cultural upbringing. These individuals show difficulties perceiving and assimilating new informa ­tion, learning new things quickly and completely, applying knowledge and skills to solve new problems, thinking imaginatively and flexibly, and responding swiftly and correctly. The criteria identify three domains of adaptive function ­ing i.e. conceptual, social, and practical. Individuals with intellectual disability should show impair ­ment in at least one domain. The first one is conceptual domain that includes skills in language, reading, writing, mathematics, reasoning, knowledge and the ability to learn and remember information and skills. The second domain is social skills which includes interpersonal communication skills, empathy rules following, social adjustment, understanding others, making and maintaining friends. The last domain is Practical skills and it includes activities of daily living skills including personal care safety, home activities, school/work skills recreational activities and using money. (DSM V) In the case of children with intellectual disability, thorough training is required to integrate appropriate social behavior. If the intellectually disabled children are provided the opportunity to socialize with others during childhood, they will achieve social competency. Therefore training should be started very early (NIMH, 1990). Social development is multidimensional processes through which children gain competencies and the required social behavior that enable them to function in a social environment appropriately, in a way that is favorable to their welfare and to that of others as well. Social skills have been described in various terms. Eisenberg and Harris (1984) have defined it as developmentally related abilities that lead towards achieving the optimal level of social competence. According to Charon (1986), social skills are a composition of skills that enables us to interact, socialize and develop relationships with others. They are comprised of both verbal and non-verb al types of communication. According to American Psychological School Association (2012), schools are a source of enhancing and developing social skills. According to them, social skills stand for the acceptable set of behavior and etiquettes to behave and interact in the society and to refrain from the negative behaviors unacceptable in the community as a byproduct of these positive influences and interactions. If there are services provided in school environment where concern is focused by the counselor on the social skills and interpersonal development of the students, it can also boost the academic performance (McClelland, Morrison, Holmes, 2000). If the children achieved meaningful and positive interpersonal relationships in the elementary years i.e. 6-12 ages; they will have the ability to face the challenges of adolescence and perform much better in their social and academic lives (Feldman, 2014). Wlkinson and Carter (1982), author of the Social Skills Training Manual; included social behaviors which are: greeting behaviors such as hand shaking; smiling; hugging; saying: â€Å"Hi†; in communicating with others, maintaining eye contact and be at a reasonable distance. Inappropriate social behavior of intellectually disabled children may be due to their incorrect perception about their social environment and situations. They may be facing difficulties in understanding and identifying social relationships, misguiding others feelings and inability to understand the required social rules conformity. They may also be unable to understand different manners and ways of communicating with peers, adults and family (Kronick, 1983). Children express themselves freely in play therapy because it is a condition which does not lead to any serious consequences although it is fun and joyful. It helps the child in forgetting the frightening world and it provides a safe environment where risk can be taken and there can be no rules or social conformity and the child is independent from the real world (Skynner Cleese 1983:298). Play is not any artificial environment created by the therapist or experimenter; instead it is child’s natural world where they could be free from obstacles of daily life charades. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights states that play is an undeniable right for every child in 1989. The American Academy of Pediatrics published a white paper to commemorate the significance of play for the healthy growth and development of the children (Ginsberg, 2007). Play therapy provides a safe, nurturing and comfortable environment where children play out what they have experienced, their reactions and feelings about those experiences, what they need in their lives, and how they feel about themselves. Play is also use to teach new skills to the client. Therefore it is a complete therapeutic process. Play therapy is the most effective way as it makes the child feel safer. It is a place which is completely safe, a place where the child is accepted as the person he is. It is an active process where the child is allowed to be creative, make mistakes and be himself. Play is a mode of embracing new information and making it part of their personalities. Social Skills and Play Therapy Social skills stand for the ways which the child could in order to relate with others, to make new friends, to express their needs. It makes the child understand his boundaries, others feelings and needs and he learn cooperation. For the social skills to be developed completely, the child has to understand and be familiar with multiple actions and behaviors and be aware about the consequences. As stated by Landreth (2001), all children can gain positive behaviors and influences by engaging in a controlled play therapy where they are given the chance to exercise their social skills. Group play therapy could also benefit the child in refining new skills, accepting their social self and their peers, identifying their social capabilities and in achieving self-control (Landreth et al., 2005). Counseling provided at elementary level in the school setting help children in learning of new skills as well as in becoming aware and responsive of their customs, values and priorities (Gladding, 2011). Working along a small group who are experiencing the same difficulties enhance the abilities of students to work out their social, psychological and emotional challenges (Campbell Bowman, 1993). Functional skills are important for the intellectual disabled children to learn in the educational process as unlike to normal children who could adopt the required behaviors and skills through observation of their environment and daily experience. The curriculum of intellectually disabled children is planned by keeping in the view the importance of teaching daily life skills. Even the basic things such as putting nuts and bolts together are practiced by the children. The intellectual disabled children require direct training in specific activities and tasks lo learn generalization and to perform the tasks more regularly and easily (Narayan Kutty, 1998). Teaching the age appropriate social skills helps the child in acquiring the skills compulsory for living independently in the social community. The program for teaching such skills differs from the regular academic curriculum and it maximizes the self-esteem, independence and competence in daily life of the children (Heward, 2006). It is stated that a small group intervention can contribute positively in the process of developing social skills (Kayler Sherman, 2009). Group interventions provide the opportunity to develop and sustain relationships as well as enhance the personal characteristics that could influence accomplishment. It is a multidimensional, effective and efficient method of teaching new behaviors and skills (Akos Milsom, 2007). Theories of Intellectual Disability The intellectual disabled also progress through the same cognitive developmental stages defined by Piaget as their peers (Zigler, 1969). The only difference is that their cognitive stages develop much slower and their cognitive abilities cannot be compared with a non-disabled individual. An intellectual disabled individual cannot reach the mature level of cognitive functioning at any point. According to the various studies, intellectual disabled individuals will perform poor on cognitive tasks as compared to the control group of same mental age level. It was known was â€Å"mental-age lag† phenomena (Spitz, 1982). According to developmental theorists, children suffering from intellectual disability also experience the similar information restructuring as explained by Piaget, but their process is much slower as compared to the normal children. According to Anderson, Children with intellectual disability have slower speed of processing and this is the reason that they could understand information in chunks as compared to information in whole. The individuals with intellectual disability, whether they are children or adult, they will face deficits in intellectual abilities and knowledge processing in comparison to the individuals with same mental age. It means that intellectual disability has an enduring and lasting effect which cannot be reversed. The consequences of intellectual disability may differ from person to person as different abilities level present in people without any such difficulty. Approximately 90% of the intellectual disabled are at mild level and they only differ from normal population as they are much slower in learning new set of skills and information. Rest of the 10% will have complications in daily functioning and social skills (Gallagher et al., 2000). If they are diagnosed in early years and a proper individual educational plan is formulated according to their specific needs; they can become a supportive and contributing member of the society. Children with intellectual disability have the capability to learn things in the same 12 learning techniques as other normal children do, but due to their labeling and exclusion from normal education, they are often failed to see as learners. This is the lead reason which cause low literacy level in intellectual disabled population. The researcher conducted a meta-analysis of the researches on intellectual disability and learning in special education and only one of the research results pointed out that special education proved useful for children with intellectual disabilities. In the other researches, learning at home and normal institutions also seemed to benefit the intellectual disabled (Jackson, 1994).

Monday, August 19, 2019

Bessie Coleman :: essays research papers

Elizabeth â€Å"Bessie† Coleman was born on January 26, 1892 to Susan and George Coleman who had a large family in Texas. At the time of Bessie’s birth, her parents had already been married for seventeen years and already had nine children, Bessie was the tenth, and she would later have twelve brothers and sisters. Even when she was small, Bessie had to deal with issues about race. Her father was of African American and Cherokee Indian decent, and her mother was black which made it difficult from the start for her to be accepted. Her parents were sharecroppers and her life was filled with renter farms and continuous labor. Then, when Bessie was two, her father decided to move himself and his family to Waxahacie, Texas. He thought that it would offer more opportunities for work, if he were to live in a cotton town. While Bessie was young, and her older brothers and sisters started to work in the fields, Bessie took on some new responsibilities. She would now look after her sisters, and sometimes even help her mother in the garden. Bessie started school when she was six years old and walked four miles to school everyday. In school, she was very intelligent and excelled at math. Then, in 1901, when Bessie was nine, her life changed dramatically, her father George Coleman left his family. It was said that he was tired of the racial barriers that existed, and so he returned to Oklahoma (Indian Territory as it was called then) to search for better opportunities. When he was unable to convince his family to come with him, he left Susan and his family. Shortly thereafter, her older brothers also moved out, leaving Susan with four girls under the age of nine. This caused Susan to have to get a job, which she found very soon. She became a housekeeper for Mr. and Mrs. Jones, who allowed Susan to still li ve at home, and they would also give her food and other handed-down clothing. Since her mother was now at work, Bessie took on the responsibility of acting as a mother and a housekeeper. Every year at the cotton harvest, Bessie’s routine was changed because she now had to go out into the field and pick cotton for her family to be able to survive. This continued on until Bessie was twelve, and this was when she was accepted into the Missionary Baptist Church, where she completed all of her eight grades.