Exxon Mobil Resources and Capabilities Essay

Mobile is one of the most successful companies in the oil and energy industries today. But what makes them so successful? In an effort to answer this question, a thorough internal investigation can be helpful in determining what aspects of this company are making it an industry leader. Two aspects of this internal analysis of Exxon Mobile are the company’s resources and capabilities. Resources One of the most reputable resources that Exxon Mobil has today is a strong brand name. Exxon Mobil operates all over the world and is recognized in every part of the world (Datamonitor, 2008). When people all over the world know who a company is, what they do, and where they are located, the company gains a unique competitive advantage over the rest of the industry. A good way to analyze this resource is to use the VRINE Model (Strategic Management, 2007). This breaks down in order to analyze its value, rarity, inimitability, and exploitability. For this resource I’ll start by assessing its value. The question that must be answered is, â€Å"does this resource allow the firm to meet market demand or protect the firm from market uncertainties? † (Strategic Management, 2007). In the case of the brand name resource, I believe that it gives them ample protection against uncertainty and enables them to compete, if not lead, in the industry. Exxon operates in over 200 countries around the world (Datamonitor, 2008) The fact that this company is present all over the world, and not many other industry competitors operate in so many different regions, proves that this particular resource is very valuable to the company. If a company can possess something that another company cannot, value is inevitably created for that resource. This resource also protects them from uncertainty because this brand is already established itself within the market and can thrive in it without too much concern about the well being of the company, thus limiting some uncertainty. Next in the VRINE model is assessment of its rarity. Do any other companies possess such worldwide recognition as Exxon Mobil’s brand name can bring? There are some companies that have come close in competing with Exxon Mobil, such as ConnocoPhillips and Chevron, but none can compare with the unique profitability and opportunities that the name Exxon can bring to a region. The name is undoubtedly trusted throughout the world and rarely rivaled. Those aspects of the brand name recognition make this brand name a rarity. The next step in the VRINE model is to assess the inimitability. To assess this, the question of can competitors â€Å"acquire the valuable and rare resource quickly, or will they face a cost disadvantage in doing so? † (Strategic Management, 2007). The simple fact that the Exxon Mobil name is trademarked and registered makes it impossible for any other company to replicate its name. Also it would cost a substantial amount to buy out the company and gain its name. This alone makes the brand name inimitable. Now assessment of the nonsubstitutability is needed. The question arises, â€Å"is there protection against ready substitutes? † (Strategic Management, 2007). For Exxon, their name reputation is one that substitutes have a very difficult time matching. Exxon is leading the industry and continues to be a leader of almost every aspect of the industry today. Though substitutes are present in the industry, none can surpass the reputation of Exxon Mobil. The final step in the VRINE Model is to assess the resource’s exploitability. The question to answer is, can the firm â€Å" nurture and take advantage of the resources and capabilities that it possesses? † (Strategic Management, 2007). For Exxon, they can bring the company anywhere in the world and use the recognizable name to establish credibility and power in that region. This gives the company a considerable advantage when it comes to exploiting its brand name to establish the company around the world. After analyzing the resource using the VRINE Model, all aspects of the model have been met, so it is safe to say that this resource can give them a competitive advantage among its competitors. Another important resource that Exxon possesses is the presence of human expertise capital throughout the company (Datamoitor, 2008). Exxon employs many scientists and engineers that are researching and finding new ways to gain access to more energy resources and make the new innovations less harmful to the environment (Annual Report, 2007). This human capital has proven to be a very important resource for the company as shown by their development of new ways to increase liquid natural gas supplies and â€Å"enhancing heavy oil recovery† (Annual Report, 2007). Using the VRINE model again, I will assess this resource. In analyzing the value of the human expertise capital, again we must consider whether this resource helps the company meet market demand and can eliminate some uncertainty. In this case, I believe that the unique research department that houses these scientists and engineers is one that gives the company a great capability to compete in the market, and even excel within the industry. I believe it also eliminates some uncertainty because while the company is researching and developing cutting edge technology, it keeps them knowledgeable about all the new innovations and ideas that are throughout the industry. This makes the resource very valuable. Next, the rarity of the resource must be analyzed. I believe that this resource is rare because of the entire department (the Upstream Research Center) within the company devoted to letting these scientists and engineers use their knowledge to propel the company into the future (Annual Report, 2007). Some companies have R & D departments, but they don’t posses the funding for such expertise and capabilities within these departments like Exxon has in its Upstream Research Center (Annual Report, 2007). This makes the breadth of their scientists and engineers and rare resource among it competitors. Following the VRINE Model, inimitability is the next aspect to analyze. I believe that it would be very difficult for any company to gain the human expertise capital that Exxon has. Exxon pays particular attention to its scientists and engineers by providing opportunities to use their knowledge to help solve every day problems that the company is facing. Many of these scientists and engineers had PhDs in their respective fields, thus making their ideas more credible and valuable to the company (Annual Report, 2007). This make the human expertise capital an inimitable resource because it makes it hard for other companies to replicate the magnitude of the distinguished human capital that Exxon possesses. The next step in the VRINE Model is nonsubstitutability. It would be nearly impossible for a competing company to substitute an equally effective team of engineers and scientists. The cost would be too great for the company. Exxon is leading the way in Research and Development trends, and substitutes for the quality of employees that Exxon has would be very difficult for other companies, making the nonsubstitutability of Exxon’s human capital very high. The final step is to analyze the exploitability of the human expertise capital. Exxon has proven that the expertise that is present can be exploited to develop new and innovative ideas that help Exxon maintain as an industry leader. One example of the result of this exploitation is the development of Metallyte UBW-ES, which is a new polypropylene film for packaging that has unprecedented sealing power (Datamonitor, 2008). This example proves that the exploitability of this human expertise capital makes this resource a valuable asset to the company. After analysis of the human expertise capital resource using the VRINE Model, it can be said that this resource gives Exxon Mobil a competitive advantage in the industry. Capabilities After assessing the resources that Exxon has available to them, it is now easier to illustrate what Exxon’s capabilities are because of the acquisition and ownership of these resources. One of Exxon’s important capabilities is their extensive research and development capabilities. Exxon’s research and development capabilities are very dynamic in the sense that as new energy conservation and developments arise, they can adapt their research and development departments to meet the new technologies and innovations. Their research and development capabilities go insofar as to â€Å"improve existing products, and enhance service† (Datamonitor, 2008). Using the VRINE Model again, it can be easy to see if this capability really gives Exxon a considerable competitive advantage. First we have to look at the value of this capability. Exxon has utilized the company’s valuable resource of human expertise capital do help head the research for new improvements and innovations that help lead the way for Exxon to grow (Annual Report, 2007). One such innovation is the development of Enable mPE, which has â€Å"substantially reduced waste and energy consumption across a wide variety of film applications† (Datamonitor, 2008). This capability allows them compete within the market and gain headway in developing potentially high profit innovations, thus giving value to their research and development capability. Next the rarity needs to be assessed. Though almost all of Exxon’s competitors have research and development departments, none have invested the amount that Exxon has. Also there are only a handful of top competitors within the energy industry so that alone makes Exxon’s R & D department rare. In fiscal year 2007, Exxon invested $814 million in R & D. Though the idea of an R & D department is not a rarity in its own right, the amount invested and products produced because of their extensive R & D work makes this a rare capability among its competitors. The next assessment in the VRINE Model is the inimitability of this capability. As mentioned before many other companies have a R & D department, but not to the extent that Exxon’s is being funded and operated. In the past 5 years, Exxon has invested upwards of $3. 5 billion in research and development alone (Annual Report, 2007). Very few of Exxon’s competitors can match that without having an almost impossible financial obligation afterward. That is one feat that few companies can imitate. The next step is to analyze its nonsubstitutability.

Reflecting Journal Essay

My first team work was in the 1st semester in Research methods. The task was to form the group and write the research paper on chosen topic. Our group of four decided to look at the demographic issue in Germany. This topic was something that we were all interested in so it was not a problem choosing the topic that we all agreed on. We first decided what we wanted to look at and how we were going to achieve this. In our first meeting we decided to split the topic into more specific topics: reasons, problems caused and future predictions. We set up a next meeting in one week and agreed that each of us will do a research on these topics. In our second meeting, we discussed our findings and distributed objectives for each of us. A list was created of the tasks we needed to perform and then we allocated each task to a time slot within our meetings. Our group worked well together as everybody had almost 100% attendance and was committed to getting the project done. However, we did have problems keeping to our schedule. At the very beginning, we conducted various researches which was useful for our paper and there we reached our first challenge- a lot of necessary information was provided only in german and 50% of our group was non-german speaking person. We had to redistribute topics for each of us based on research capacities. This speeded up the whole process. A large amount of time was spent during these meetings on the summary of our findings. This left us a lot of time when we came to the write up of our report. Another problem with our report was its incompleteness. As we put our parts together it looked like there were 4 different research papers in one. We had different structures, writing styles and some of group members in his/her part included information of his/her fellow topic. These issues required extra meetings and to rewrite the whole report.

HR Working Practices & Patterns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

HR Working Practices & Patterns - Essay Example Industrial Revolution: Industrial revolution brought in picture big organizations and factories first in England and later in North America. The concept of Economies of Scale also came in the picture according to which large people were required to work to achieve cost benefits. The involvement of large number of people in work areas brought complexities. In the initial days, however, the emphasis was more on machines than people. The working conditions favored machines and their efficiency rather than people and their capabilities. As a result, working conditions were dismal for people. Welfare/Social Secretaries: The growing issues associated with the work force, made them raise their voices against human problems. Employees started forming Unions to make their voices heard. In order to deal with such issues the post of welfare secretaries or social secretaries was created. This can be considered as the most primitive form of HR function after the industrial revolution. The initial task of such secretaries was to keep workers from directly reaching managers for their grievances. Secondly, they were required to discourage employees from dealing with unions or forming unions for their problems. The creation of the post of secretaries can be considered a move to give a specialized status of dealing with the issues related to employees. Before such posts were created operating managers were also dealing with the issues of employees. The creation of these new posts relieved operation managers of this extra burden. Birth of Scientific Management: Frederick Taylor was the person who put forward the concept of scientific management. He emphasized on the inclusion of scientific study in the management arena. He suggested improvement in management practices i.e. study of different situation be carried out to bring about improvements. He basically worked on A steel plant called Bethlehem Steel Plant and studied the typical procedures and made his recommendation to improve the whole process. He also introduced an incentive system to improve the whole process and so human capital management made an important component of his study. "He worked out an incentive system that paid each man $1.85 a day for meeting the new standard, an increase from the previous rate of $1.15. Productivity at Bethlehem Steel shot up over night" (Daft 1997). Primitive HR: 1900 brought primitive HR departments within large organizations like AT&T. So welfare secretaries were replaced by these new departments that were called personnel department. This change started from the period ending World War I. "While historians disagree on the specific date assigned to the appearance of the first personnel department, most agree that, between 1900 and 1920, more organizations were employing specialists to assist with personnel matters" (Jamrog & Overholt 2004). Their tasks generally included compensation handling, dealings with unions and other employee concerns. Though a separate department was dealing with the needs of employees, but production, finance and to some extent marketing was considered important functions or departments. However, with the passage of time the personnel department started getting more attention from top management. Hawthorne Studies: Hawthorne studies conducted at Western Electric's Hawthorne plant can be considered instrumental in bringing changes in the HR function.

Security is a major problem with the Internet Essay

Security is a major problem with the Internet - Essay Example The internet has become so huge that it is now nearly impossible to keep a check on all the activity that goes on in the internet. What are these threats The most common security threats of using the computer are hacking, phishing, viruses, worms, spam, and spyware. According to Victor Sabadash, Hacking is unauthorized use of computer or network resources. (2004) This includes hacking into other people's computers and also hacking other people's passwords. This has become very common nowadays. According to Symantec Software Solutions, new threats have increased from 125243 to 711912 from 2006 to 2007. This is a 468 percent increase in just one year. (Business Standard, 2008) These figures show why this is a major problem with the internet. You can make your computer safe by installing a firewall on to it. A firewall is a program that detects unauthorized users who try to hack into your computer and it stops that activity. Phishing is uses emails to ask for personal information by using the names of reputable organizations for example Citibank etc. This fools people into giving their personal information to these hackers. These hackers use this information for financial theft, identity loss, and fraud. (Russel Kay, 2004) Symantec has seen 87963, which is a 167 percent increase, in phishing hosts in just the last sic months of 2007. (Business Standard, 2008) This increase also proves how security is a major problem of internet. The only way phishing can be avoided is to understand the occurrence of this and think before giving out your password and other personal information online. You can also check the reliability of the source of the website.A Computer virus is a program which replaces itself or attaches itself to other programs in an individuals computer without the knowledge of the owner. These infect the computer in different ways. Sometimes viruses are not noticeable while sometimes they can de stroy the hard drive. Worms are something similar to a virus. It is a program which usually proliferates through network connections. It needs a host program, otherwise it would not be able to function. (Markus Hanhisalo) In 2003, $55 billion was spent on cost of computer viruses by businesses. (Cyberoam, 2004) There are different anti viruses nowadays that deal with all sorts of viruses. Installing these anti viruses onto your computer can help you detect and delete the virus before it spreads and destroys the PC. Email is the cheapest way to pass a message to many people at the same time. Spam unwanted emails that come into your email inbox which you refer to as junk mail. These mail usually promote products and sometimes even ask for personal information, for example credit card number etc., in the email. These emails were only a nuisance but now viruses are spread through this and phishing is also becoming common because of this. The statistics show that spam is increasing. According to a source, 92.3 percent of emails sent in the first three months of 2008 were all spam and 23300 spam related web sites are discovered everyday. (Robert Jaques, 2008) This is why spam is becoming a major problem for internet security. Spywares are programs that are installed onto one's computer without his permission. These programs basically spy on the activities that take

How changes and developments in communication and information Thesis Proposal

How changes and developments in communication and information technology may influence the coordination of firms worldwide operations - Thesis Proposal Example This essay stresses that the research methodology utilised to analyse the research data and describes the various methods used in this study. This research paper basically consists of two data sets – primary and secondary. Primary data set consists of a survey and a questionnaire administered to 40 odd ICT executives and managers at firms with overseas operations. While responses to the survey would be recorded with much more accuracy and detail, responses to the questionnaire would be sifted and collated to identify significant trends and process orientations in company decisions to adopt ICT in the changing overseas markets. Secondary data is being collected through an extensive research effort conducted both online and in libraries. The researcher extensively used the books written on the topic and also studied research journals, reports, graphs, articles, newspaper articles and so on. This report makes a conclusion that the interaction is what differentiates the direct methodology from indirect methodology. Structured interviews enable the interviewer to ask each respondent the same questions in the same way. A tightly controlled structured schedule of questions and format is used, very much like a questionnaire. The questions contained in the questionnaire were planned in advance. The interviewer has some discretion how these might be elaborated/explained but the aim is to standardize data as far as possible and to eliminate biases due to different wordings.

Issues of Transformational Leadership in the Organization Research Paper

Issues of Transformational Leadership in the Organization - Research Paper Example This research report will focus on the alleged benefits of transformational leadership style as a potential tool for ensuring higher motivation, less resistance to change, the improvement of organizational culture, and generally gaining more employee commitment. The literature surrounding transformational leadership style seems to be gaining ground as an effective leadership model based on known employee behavior patterns that could effectively serve multiple business environments. It is hypothesized that transformational leadership style can bring significant value-added benefits to a diverse organization over that of other less-progressive styles. What is Transformational Leadership? To understand the potential implications of adopting a transformational leadership model, it is necessary to engage with its dimensions and understand how it applies to a contemporary, diversified organization. Transformational leadership is a progressive style, much like that of a mentor or coach, tha t inspires others through behavior, policy and attitude. This leadership design engages others to share goals and uses â€Å"inspirational appeals of authenticity to focus on the best in people: harmony, charity and good works† (Bass & Steidlmeier, 1999, p.188). In this context, the transformational leader refutes some of the fundamental concepts of management through control or even incentives usage and instead elicits charismatic leadership style that gains ground with creating affiliation and belonging while also raising the emotional intelligence of employees and other staff members. A transformational leader â€Å"opens new thinking for fresh possibilities, re-imagines purpose and vision, ignites growth for employees, gives decision-making power, and manages through commitment strategies† (Adams & Adams, 2009, p.17). This leader takes the responsibility for the role of champion toward change philosophy and also teaches others how to make fundamental shifts in thei r thinking that align the organization toward a unified culture and does this through modeling positive new behaviors (Adams & Adams). In essence, the transformational leader takes on a personal role much like that of a human resources manager with a soft HRM approach that builds confidence, autonomy, and motivation. â€Å"Employers consistently mention collaboration and teamwork as being a critical skill, essential in all working environments† (Tarricone & Luca, 2002, p.55). Many of the pre-existing models of leadership, both justified through research and also through practical experience, do not have the ability to gain motivation in employee groups and build a sense of cultural unity. Transformational leaders have a progressive methodology that influences others with persuasive techniques and also by promoting ethical behavior that is consistent for the sake of modeling by others in the organization. This makes the transformational leader considerably accountable for thei r actions when others in the environment are building concepts of trust and team-based philosophy. Thus, it should be said that the transformatio

ECO202 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ECO202 SLP - Essay Example Your answer to this question can give an interesting perspective as to how lobbying can distort economic policy and decisions. CAUTION: I am not looking for general comments that could apply to the country as a whole or any given organization, what I want is comments that are relevant specifically to your organization) Your Full Name Your Prof Name Course Name Date of Submission Lobbying for Novartis Monetary and fiscal policies can have significant impact on business operations of any firm. These policies can not only affect the top line (revenue) of the firm but also several costs and most definitely the bottom line (net profit after tax). With the goals of firms being to maximize profits, government economic policies can have a major role to play in firms booming or going out of business. The role of the lobbyist of a company is then to try to get the government to adopt economic policies that would benefit the firm while at the same time not be detrimental to the economic growth of the country. In order to identify the specific lobbying areas for Novartis, it is first important to understand some key elements about Novartis and how its business is structured. Novartis is a pharmaceutical company (operating in 140 countries) headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and does most of its research and development (R&D) activity in the US.

Simulated Chinese restaurant summarize Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Simulated Chinese restaurant summarize - Essay Example It was observed that the mode of advertising was modeled on the common usage of both posters and flyers in both restaurants. In addition, Red Lantern has adopted A La Carte Menu arrangement (Campbell & Campbell 2006). Decorations at the hotel, and store layout were very incorporative of the Chinese decorations and culture. There are a number of issues we could address to draw differences in the hotels. For instance, in considering the modes of making payments, we found that Red Lantern made offered three meals at a price of $12.50 (Roberts 2002). On the other hand, Hotel Hunan had the same offer of three meals at a price of $14.00. The difference in prices between the two hotels is a margin of $1.50. From this, we could conclude that Red Lantern is much cheaper and more economical given all its other services are top notch and excellent. In addition, the two hotels were similar in the aspect of service delivery. They have adopted use of banquet style serves. Another important similarity that is key to both restaurants is that they have both adopted use of Chinese music (Campbell & Campbell 2006). Red Lantern and Chopsticks restaurants also have their differences. To start with, Chopsticks offers both Japanese and Chinese foods in its menu. Red Lantern, on the other side offers only Chinese food in its menu. Another notable contrast is that Chopsticks has tried to set different prices for its adult and children customers. This is to ensure that the needs of each customer are taken into consideration and no one will fell oppressed. Red Lantern has no special prices for children and adult customers. Its prices are fixed for all customers. If we look at the promotion items on offers in each of the restaurants, Red Lantern promotes bubble tea and Tsingtao beer (Campbell & Campbell 2006). In hotel Chopsticks, there are no promotional items

Reading notes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Reading notes - Essay Example All he wants is to lure Florinda so that he can bed her. However, Florinda is not ready for that. He then tries to rape her, but Belvile appears. That stops the sexual abuse, but Willmore discourages Florinda from reporting the matter to the police. He blames the beauty of Florinda for his sexual arousal and provocation (Scene 3, ln 42-44). Some of the other characters think of Willmore as a rapist and a liar. Florinda and Belvile think that he is a pretender and a rapist when he attempts to rape Florinda. He is an opportunist. He takes the advantage of the serene environ at the garden when Florinda is alone. He is like Blunt in that Blunt vows to rape and defile Florinda. He argues that it will be revenge for the charm that the women use to the men through their irresistible beauties (Scene 4.5, ln 48-51). He is a contrast to other characters such as Pedro, who believe in equality and the fight against violence on

Amal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Amal - Assignment Example In the career-development world, Holland, Super, Gottfredson, Brown, and Krumboltz shed some light on process-goals. Process-goals are steps that lead to career development goals. In order for individuals to implement these strategies, it is crucial that they get exposed to real-life scenarios in which they can be able to compare and contrast their acquired skills set. For instance, increasing their proficiency would mean sitting down them individually or in small groups and explaining the concepts to them through real-life methodology. All of them also agree that collaborating is undoubtedly essential in order to thrive in any profession as the thoughts of ideas, knowledge, and practices are exchanged. They tend to agree that individuals must follow a network of collaboration, goal-setting, and practical theory that enables them to harness their career. The traditional career development model is to educate first and then apply these skills, which can be problematic because of nurtu re and nature development. Most careers entail long coursework, which may or may not be relevant to that particular skillset. This holds true in some of the technical careers, especially the ones around the automotive career involve more of practice work. I think it is crucial to understand that some immigrant families have a hard time assimilating. 2. Choose a particular population for one of the following aspects of diversity: age, gender, sexual orientation, or disability, and discuss the issues which you will need to be aware of in order to deliver career counseling effectively. Also, how will your own background and identity be a factor for you in working with this particular population? You will need to utilize a minimum of two journal articles for this question. A huge issue that only plagues immigrant, especially women immigrants as business owners is gender inequality. I have first-hand witnessed gender inequality, which has become

Academic Writing Essay Example for Free

Academic Writing Essay My interest in International Relations and my decision to continue my education in this field is the outcome of my profound interest in Asian studies. Majoring in History of India, during my final year I became especially interested in the sphere of International Relations and Foreign Policy of India, writing my thesis on Indian Foreign Policy during Nehrus Government and Indian-Chinese relations. Two trips to India 1997 and 1998 allowed me to become better acquainted with this country, refine my knowledge of Hindi and collect unique data for my research. This unforgettable experience convinced me that I had made the right choice of study, leading me to apply for a PhD Degree so as to extend my research in this field. I have so far completed two years of the PhD program at St. Petersburg State University. My dissertation aims at disclosing those problems which still hinder the process of normalization between the two Asian countries, India and China, reflecting on how Indian scholars perceive these issues. See more: Satirical elements in the adventure of Huckleberry Finn essay Thus my research covers both Regional Studies and field of International Relations as a global world system where these two countries play an important role. My presentation of a paper on Indo-Chinese Relations in 1980s at the international conference East Asia St. Petersburg Europe: inter-civilization contacts and perspectives on economic cooperation held in St. Petersburg a year ago gave me the opportunity to meet many outstanding researchers, including my referee, Marcia Ristaino, who encouraged me to continue my studies focusing specifically on International Relations and Regional Studies. For that reason I applied and was accepted to the MA Program in International Relations and European Studies at Central European University in Budapest with a scholarship from Soros foundation. The courses I am taking here will provide me with a sound background in theoretical issues in International Relations. The reason of why I am applying for another Masters Degree is that the CEU program, despite its theoretical strength, has very few courses directly related to my major interest, Regional Studies and conflict resolution and peacekeeping. For this reason I would like to deepen my practical understanding of International Relations and relate it to a more focused concentration on conflict analysis and resolution through the program of the Carleton University. I am aware of the high reputation of your school and the excellent Masters program that you offer at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. I believe it will certainly help me with my research and career objectives either through work in diplomatic service or at an international organization where I will be able to apply my knowledge and skills obtained through studies at your University. Courses such as Conflict Analysis, International Mediation and Conflict Resolution and International Organizations in International Affairs will be very helpful for my analyzing of the problems in the South Asian subcontinent and beyond it and will allow me to deeper understand the reasons for numerous interstate and intrastate conflicts that persist in the region. Moreover these courses will be of particular relevance to my career plans which are to find employment with UN or a similar institution in the field of conflict resolution and peacekeeping. The possibility to combine theoretical studies with practical skills in conflict analysis and resolution at the Carleton University will enable me to become a good specialist who will be able to contribute to the common cause of peace in the world. I am eager to become a professional orientalist, as I believe this field of study will always be important in the changing world where Asian countries such as India and China play significant roles in the international arena. MA at the Carleton University would be a precious experience both in terms of my academic and professional career. I hope you will give me the opportunity to realize my ambition. (A CEU Student reproduced here with kind permission) Sample #2 Having majored in literary studies (world literature) as an undergraduate, I would now like to concentrate on English and American literature. I am especially interested in nineteenth-century literature, womens literature, Anglo-Saxon poetry, and folklore and folk literature. My personal literary projects have involved some combination of these subjects. For the oral section of my comprehensive exams, I specialized in nineteenth century novels by and about women. The relation ship between high and folk literature became the subject for my honors essay, which examined Toni Morrisons use of classical, biblical, African, and Afro-American folk tradition in her novel. I plan to work further on this essay, treating Morrisons other novels and perhaps preparing a paper suitable for publication. In my studies toward a doctoral degree, I hope to examine more closely the relationship between high and folk literature. My junior year and private studies of Anglo-Saxon language and literature have caused me to consider the question of where the divisions between folklore, folk literature, and high literature lie. Should I attend your school, I would like to resume my studies of Anglo-Saxon poetry, with special attention to its folk elements. Writing poetry also figures prominently in my academic and professional goals. I have just begun submitting to the smaller journals with some success and am gradually building a working manuscript for a collection. The dominant theme of this collection relies on poems that draw from classical, biblical, and folk traditions, as well as everyday experience, in order to celebrate the process of giving and taking life, whether literal or figurative. My poetry draws from and influences my academic studies. Much of what I read and study finds a place in my creative work as subject. At the same time, I study the art of literature by taking part in the creative process, experimenting with the tools used by other authors in the past. In terms of a career, I see myself teaching literature, writing criticism, and going into editing or publishing poetry. Doctoral studies would be valuable to me in several ways. First, your teaching assistantship program would provide me with the practical teaching experience I am eager to acquire. Further, earning a Ph. D. in English and American literature would advance my other two career goals by adding to my skills, both critical and creative, in working with language. Ultimately, however, I see the Ph. D. as an end in itself, as well as a professional stepping-stone; I enjoy studying literature for its own sake and would like to continue my studies on the level demanded by the Ph. D. program. The following is a shortened sample SOP (with technical details removed. ) Expert comments at the end of the paragraphs point out important features. After one years work experience as a research technician at [redacted], one of the USs leading research institutes, I want to return to academic study and undertake graduate studies in Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics at the University of [redacted]. Stating what you are doing now and what you are applying for is a simple, direct way of starting an SOP. After graduating with a first class degree from [redacted], University of [redacted], I felt I should gain some practical experience working in a research environment to gain first-hand knowledge of what the life of a research scientist entails. I have loved every minute of my work: especially the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge projects and discuss ideas with senior biologists. I soon realized that, although I enjoy handling the complex equipment and processing the results, I am not going to be satisfied with carrying out routine procedures under the direction of others. I want to be part of the team that directs the course of the project. My senior colleagues have encouraged my ambition and feel that I have the potential for graduate studies. Notice how the student tries to analyze the reasons for her choices. My love of biology started in high school. We had a young and enthusiastic teacher, Mrs [redacted], who took us on field trips and visits. She made sure we did as much practical work as was feasible, and demonstrated experiments that we hadnt the equipment or time to do ourselves. She also encouraged us to read. I remember the impact reading Maynard Smiths The Theory of Evolution had on me: I wanted to be able to explain such important ideas as clearly as he did. Quite naturally my first thoughts about a future career tended towards teaching – I wanted to be another Mrs [redacted]. It is good to explain how you became interested in your subject. However, dont go too far back! Notice that a specific example helps create interest. At undergraduate level, my interests became more focused. Although physiology and ecology came easy to me, it was biochemistry and cell biology that really captured my interest. We were fortunate to have good laboratories and excellent professors. I found that cell biology was an interdisciplinary undertaking: today you need a foundation in chemistry, physics and even IT to be at the forefront in this subject. This interdisciplinary aspect of the subject suits my abilities well. I have always performed well in all science subjects and find it challenging to apply the knowledge to practical problems. For this reason I chose to undertake a project in my final year on the behavior of protein molecules in high energy fields at [redacted]. The scientists at [redacted] were impressed with my practical skills and were happy to give me a recommendation that led to my present job. Details of courses and projects help to show focus. (This student went on to describe another important college project. She also gave a full description of her current scientific work. ) Many people have asked me why I did not proceed directly to graduate studies after graduating. The answer is that I wanted to make sure that I had chosen the right subject and the right place before embarking on a course of study that would involve many years of my life. The one-year gap has also given me time to work with the local Natural History Society: we take families on Sunday trips to the nearby National Park to help create awareness about environmental issues. I have also been a member and organizer of the [redacted] Film Society: we watch and discuss films from all over the world. I am looking forward to furthering my interest in film in the [redacted] Film club, at your university, and I also hope to use my passion for teaching in the [redacted] Social Outreach program. Explain the reasons for any unusual features of your career (taking a year out, poor performance, etc.). Include social and extracurricular activities to show balance in your life or because they are relevant to the course. In selecting the University of [redacted] I have been influenced by the way your research program addresses biological questions at the levels of molecule, gene and cell. I am particularly looking forward to such courses as Developmental Biology and Bioinformatics. I am also excited to interact with Professors [redacted] and [redacted] whose work is closest to what I want to pursue for the original research component of the MS degree. I have been corresponding with [redacted], a current student, from whom I have learned about the collaborative environment at [redacted] where I will interact with talented students, teachers and industry professionals. I believe that I will be able to contribute to and learn from the academically challenging environment at the University of [redacted]. Statement of Purpose(SOP) Name: ***** Major: Master of Science in Computer Science(MS in Computer Science) â€Å"Time and tide wait for no man†, this we all know. Having done an inspiring four-year course in Computer Science Engineering. I would like to put to use this knowledge to do my PhD in Computer Science. This would give me the leading edge in technology and the practical low-down and the information I require. For the past few decades man is advancing in to the unknown realms of science and technology. This advancement is to make life easy and to increase human comfort at home and at work and I would like to be an integral part of such betterment. For this, research would be of prime importance with hands on experience in real time Applications accompanied by in-depth knowledge of the subject. Technology,today,means power in the widest sense of tem and merely the power of mind. And it is this power potential that has given it the status it now enjoys. Right from my childhood I had a strong inclination to be a Compute Science Engineer. My interest in the subject has grown with each passing year and it has reached where even PhD will not quench my thirst for knowledge. I have come to terms with the fact that there is an enormous proportion of subject to be assimilated. I want to take up a research oriented course for my career. A natural aptitude for mathematics, a sense of logic, analytical ability, capacity for diligent work and high academic credentials secured me a place in Shri Vishnu Engineering College for Women. The four years curriculum exposed me to the entire gamut of computer courses thus laying a strong foundation for both my Hardware and Software fundamentals. My main areas of interest were Computer Graphics and Multimedia. I enjoyed the course in Networks and Operating Systems. My interest in Graphics and Database led me to prepare eye-catching illustrations to explain the electronic models. I have developed many Software programs in C, Unix , Java. My final year project was Enterprise Resources Planning Procurement Process System, under CMC Limited, A TATA Enterprise. The project was completed in a period of 3 months using Java, J2EE as front End and Oracle as the back End. The field of application of technology is what interests me the most. I want to acquire the learning that will enable me to contribute to the development pf a new software, which can improve efficiency and accuracy of work in varied sphere. Digital Processing is already transforming the world of Communications. My ambition is to work at the forefront of the technology with the ability to find innovative solutions to the changing needs. You might ask as to why a degree from United States of America only. Since 1994 computers have been out performing automobiles in terms of units sold annually in the U. S. A. All in all computers contributed nearly 10% of United States of America GDP. The United Sates of America is way ahead of any other nation in computer technology, manufacture and sales and would thus provide me the best infrastructure and know-how currently available. Besides, it is a country where Science and Technology is a way to achieve social progress and where improving human life’s very important. All these factors coupled together make the United States of America an ideal place to pursue my further studies. The distinguished faculty and excellent facilities at your university make its graduation program ideally suited to my professional goals. Your University provides me a dynamic atmosphere, which will shape me to be a thinker and a learner. The flexibility of the curriculum will give me the broad-based education I need to widen the scope of my knowledge and skills. The diversity of the student’s body will open my mind to new influences, new ideas and new ways of doing things. The world is literally becoming a global village where opportunities for work are transcending physical space. With the Cyberspace connections, Indian knowledge workers are increasingly contributing to the global work force. The international education will give me the training and the caliber to meet the global clients. I look forward to being an active contributing member of the student community at your University. Continuous progress is the key to life. And for progress, knowledge and proper guidance are essentials. I am sure, the quality knowledge and impeccable guidance will mould me to be in the learning mode all my life opening the way for constant growth as a person and a professional STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Respected Graduate Admission Committee: My name is **** . I pursued my undergraduate studies in Computer Science and Engineering at MVSR Engineering College, Osmania University, India. I am planning to pursue my higher education and I really hope to get enrolled into the Masters program, for the term starting Spring 08, at University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In the following paragraphs I have summarized my educational background, motivation for graduate study and my areas of interest. Starting off with my academic’s, I completed my schooling in ****, Warangal, India. My school helped me develop better in the field of science, right from the initial stages, with different techno fests, science expos and I have secured 74% marks in 10’Th standard though I secured 86% in mathematics. Then I said to myself that I am a far better performing student than these marks suggest. Hence to prove my capability to myself I worked hard with sincerity and devotion and obtained valuable marks of 83% in my Board of Intermediate at Sri Chaitanya Junior College, Hyderabad, India. At very young age as a student in high school, computer for me was only a means of entrainment as I found it exciting to play games and generating various mathematical series and patterns thorough BASIC programming. I was dumbfounded to know that games are nothing but programs. Curious to know how to program I developed a serious interest in Computers. This keen interest in mathematics along with a strong liking for computers, and particularly programming, prompted me to choose engineering with Computer Science as my major. This decision gave me ample opportunity to consolidate my creative energies and harness my technical aptitude. Early in my undergraduate study I was introduced to basic programming languages of C, C++ and Java. I understood the key features of each language and realized that one was an improvement of the other. Java being the most powerful and robust language of all fascinated me the most. My first computer science project was â€Å"Core Banking†, which performs the operations of creating an account, assigning an account number and handling transactions involving deposits and withdrawals. This program was initially written in C++ following the concepts of object-oriented programming. Later I modified the same program with some improvements like adding a GUI interface using Java. During the second year of my undergraduate studies, I had an opportunity to visit an IT company of my father’s friend. It was here that I actually saw hundreds of computers connected to each other and performing several different operations. I had many questions on my mind – â€Å"How are computers connected and if connected, how can they be managed? † Curious to know the answers and following the advice of my uncle, I read some books on Windows Networking. I was fascinated by the concepts of Domain, Active Directory, Group Policy and DNS. In the third year of my engineering studies, I was introduced to the subject of Computer Networks. Already having a sound knowledge in practical computer networking, I was at ease with this subject. During this course, I learnt the software side of networking i. e.  how to actually implement and develop different servers. The sessions in the labs were devoted in developing programs like implementation of connection-oriented and connectionless Echo Servers, concurrent multithreaded File Transfer Server and Chat Server. Currently in my fourth year, area of Distributed Systems and especially Peer-to-Peer Systems are of great interest to me. I undertook a project in Galaxie Software Solutions as an intern to design and develop a E-Care system, is an Help Desk System which can overcome some of the disadvantages of the existing software. My work in Galaxie Software Solutions gave me solid practical knowledge of many technologies and concepts such as Java, Oracle, XML, Object-Oriented Design and Programming.. I have also presented a paper entitled â€Å"Cryptography† at Parikaran 2K7 – a National level technical fest. My predominant research interests have evolved into three categories that I believe are interconnected. The three areas of interest are Computer networks, Distributed systems and Information Security. I would be very eager to work in any of these areas or interrelated areas like Networking or Distributed Systems along with Information Security. I worked as a teaching assistant for juniors in C, C++ and Oracle programming. The teaching experience has helped me to communicate articulately and interact effectively with diversity of peers. During the last two years, besides the college academics I spent most of my time attending a number of extra-curricular workshops, seminars and conferences in different fields of computer science. I look forward to a career in research where I cannot only use my academic background to achieve my research goals but also make original contributions to my field of interest. I believe that graduate studies would provide me with the opportunities to attend advanced courses and would be the stepping-stone to my career in research. University of North Carolina at Charlotte suits my research interests because of its advanced academic curriculum and world-class research groups. I believe that it is the best environment for me to achieve my goals while gaining experience and exposure to a diverse student body and faculty. I believe that no other school provides students with the combination of culture, education and research environment, required for an overall personality development, as offered by your institution. Summarizing all written above, I believe that my serious intention for study, my projects, my certifications and strong academic background in various areas of Computer Science will be beneficial for my graduate studies and research. Attending your prestigious institution would give me an opportunity to receive high-level education under the guidance of prominent professors and excellent teachers. I would regard my admission to University of North Carolina at Charlotte not only as a great honor but also as a great responsibility and challenge to prove myself. Thank you for your time and consideration. High Regards, {NAME}. While reasoning my intentions to pursue MS in Computer Science at Oklahoma State University I would like to throw some light on my career till now, I always fancied myself with Computers right from my childhood and thought of becoming a Software Engineer got implanted in my mind at an early age. A career in Engineering seemed the most challenging and logical extension of my abilities. I was given training in the basics of the operation and the applications of the computers during my school days. From that day onwards until the 10th standard I was constantly being taught different concepts of computer in different levels. The various concepts that I am thorough with, in school, are Word, QBasic and C Fundamentals. Science has been my favorable subject right from my school days and has always been one among the toppers of my class. I have even represented my school in many competitions. I have been the member of the quiz team of our school that has won many competitions. After my higher secondary I was determined to secure for myself a position in the Information Technology field, which deals with the areas of Computers, Communications and Networks. To accomplish this I had to qualify in the EAMCET Entrance Exam for Andhra Pradesh, India. I secured a good rank in the examination and secured a seat in Computer Science Engineering in V. R. Siddhartha Engineering College, Affiliated to Nagarjuna University. At VRSEC I had the good fortune of having a well-compiled syllabus, which placed equal emphasis on theoretical fundamentals as well as practical applications. Subjects such as Computer organization, Digital Logic Design, Microprocessor Applications laid a solid foundation in the theoretical aspects of the subjects. Practical application aspects were introduced to me through subjects such as Object Oriented Programming concepts, Data Structures, Relational Database Management Systems, Internet technologies. The areas, which are of special interest to me centered on Computer communications, Software Engineering, E-Commerce applications. I am interested in learning more about encryption and artificial intelligence. My interest in Networks began when I read about the various application fields it could be used, in the Information Technology magazine. I am a regular reader of magazines such as IEEE-spectrum, potentials, chip, computer networks, and computer today, which enabled me to be in touch with the latest developments in information technology. At VRSEC I had the opportunity to interact with some of the best professors in our region. I had the opportunity to do alive project in BPL Mobile Ltd. Coimbattore and project title is Mobile High Usage Roaming Alert and the project is being implemented by the company people right now and the project is done in VB and Oracle. The next step in my career towards achieving my career goal is to pursue my Masters Program in Computer Science. I have done considerable research in this area to pursue my Higher education in a reputed University and with a good course curriculum. I found about the education in USA and its recognition. I have therefore applied to the OSU in USA. Also with some advice from my college senior who are in various colleges in USA I have opted for this College. The course MS in Computer Science. The course has been designed to give me insight into the world of academic and industrial computing research. By focusing on several currently active areas it affords me the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the topics of the course and in doing so, to develop the skills necessary to carry out innovative work with in the discipline of computing. I strongly believe that a software engineer should be instinctive, innovative, quick to adapt and adopt new technologies, which is only possible with solid foundation and profundity in his subjects. This entails and insightful and thorough understanding of the intricacies of the subject. That’s the reason why I am inclined towards MS in Computer Science. I am sure that with my interaction with the faculty and peers at your college will provide an ambience conducive for my transition from an undergraduate to a graduate. It is my strong belief that graduation from this institution will take me close to achieving my ultimate goal of becoming an efficient software engineer. While my sights are firmly set on graduation, it is my strong desire to pursue research program following my graduation. Computing Science plays an ever-increasing role in today’s society. Technological innovation has been one of the driving forces behind India’s rapid growth. It is therefore essential that every opportunity be afforded to talented Indian graduates to extend their education and skills in order to play an active role in managing the opportunities presented in the future. India is fast gaining a reputation for its computer industry and at the moment it is regarded as the centre for Software and as a result many of the top notch Multinational Corporations are establishing their contact centers in India. As a result an International Degree is focused to meet employment  opportunities with in the computing industry in India. Possible career opportunities for me in India include research and development roles in the development of new technologies such as software engineering, technical applications developers and consultants, network managers and other leading roles in computing industry. A fascination for Science Technology and keen interest in the ever-growing world of technology motivated me to take up engineering. I choose to major in Electrical Electronic Engineering with an intense urge to delve into the challenging field. During my under graduation program I learned the various fundamentals of Electrical Electronics Engineering which together with practical course work reinforce interest. Right from my school, I had a penchant towards Mathematics, Science and research in general. This basic interest led me to take up Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry as my major subjects in high school. As a part of my Physics project, I had constructed logic gates and simple latches using basic circuit elements. I was so astounded by the Power of Electrical Electronics. This interest made me to take Electrical Electronic Engineering. I would like to present my past performance as my credentials for my success in my future endeavors. My innate strength has been my quantitative and analytical abilities which instilled me a special interest for mathematical and physics. I had opted the same in my 10+2 with good marks. I was placed in the top 15% of one lakh who took engineering entrance examination. This performance helped me in getting admission into Sri Saradhi Institute of Engineering, Nuzvid, India. During the course of my undergraduate study I was exposed to various courses with applications like Electromagnetic field, Control systems, Power electronic, Electrical measurements, Linear Integrated Circuits, Electronics, Pulse and digital circuits, Computer methods in power system control, Digital Signal Processing, Power systems(1to 3), Electro mechanics(1 to 3) Micro processors Micro Controllers, High voltage engineering, Modeling of power system components, Utilization of electrical energy enhanced my subject. I secured good results in my engineering. I was well versed in programming languages like C, C++ Java. During my final year I decided to do project in Machine cutting using micro controller. From my kinder garden my medium of instruction is English. I had written GRE and got 1060 score, which adds to my English language proficiency. Excellence in any sphere of life can be achieved trough determination, hard work, preference and dedication. Yet lack of in depth knowledge of the subject leaves the conceptual skills incomplete. It in this concept that I would like to pursue a course that control system in your esteemed university. I am very much interested to do MS Computer Science in your esteemed college. I realize the need for me to study at the center stage of activity in these fields at your college in USA. My earnest desire to continue my future studies at your graduate school stems from that it is one of the top colleges in Ireland having fine record of academic excellence and is backed up by expert faculty and research facilities. The other reason why I want to study at your esteemed college is that it provides the kind of expose needed to broaden my thinking and indo any insular prejudices that might be still prevalent in me. Your college is a confluence of people from every nationality, religion and race. Overall development of the personality can be done and it helps me to broaden my concept from the narrower confines of nationalism to internationalism. I am clear as to my carrier aspiration. Educational I believe is a life long process. I there fore wish to pursue a doctoral degree after my MS and therefore combine research and teaching as carrier. I am fully aware that yours curriculum requires that I summon all my resources and I aver that I have the necessary commitment, intelligence and stamina to look forward to do it all. I am convinced that my study at your department would be meaningful and rewarding experience. I look forward to have a long and profitable association with your esteemed college. I especially thank you for giving me the opportunity given me to express about myself. Name : ******** Program Sought: MASTERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING Semester Sought: Fall 2012. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE There is a very famous adage, â€Å"If you think education is expensive, and then try ignorance†. I could not agree more. I believe research is necessary to acquire data and formulate theories, but it is just as important to know how to apply those theories and use that data in the real world. To be competent and competitive I will require a master’s degree. A master’s degree will give me the up-to-date tools and knowledge that is the need of the hour. It is after a good deal of self-evaluation that I have decided to pursue graduate studies.

The Fear Of Terrorism Criminology Essay

The Fear Of Terrorism Criminology Essay Fear is an alarming emotion that is aroused by any danger or perceived threat. It is an emotion that helps us survive occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. Terrorism is the use of violence to create fear for a political or ideological goal. The fear that terrorism has on people escalated highly after in-voluntary terrorist attacks around the world. The effect being that it creates a fear of danger in peoples minds affecting them highly in everyday life. The effect of terrorism varies among people; most have a multivariate aggression of worry and avoidance, including demographic factors, estimated color-coded alert levels, and daily activities. Much of the effect of terrorism comes from different types of demographic factors. The effects of these demographic factors correlate into the psychological minds of people to determine an arousing fear from such various activities. Recent studies show that before and after terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 have raised fear on peoples minds of an on-coming terrorist attack. The events of September 11, 2001, influenced well-being and security beyond the regions directly attacked (Tseng others 168-174). Many people throughout the United States felt they were at risk from terrorism. Risk perceptions, along with antiterrorism program, laws, and policies affected Americans lifestyles and behaviors. In the months following the attacks, 40% to 50% of US adults still feared for their safety (Silver RC others 1235-1244) and 11% reported changed behaviors such as avoiding public gatherings (Blendon RJ, Benson JM survey). Risk perception theories and research posit that individuals assess risks based on a balance of many factors, including the probability of a hazard or risk personally affecting them, the severity of the personal consequences from risk exposure, feelings of personal control, the perceived inequality of risk distribution across society, and trust in institutions managing risks (Gilk others 168-174). For instance, a national survey conducted 2 months after the attacks of September 11 found that the distance between ones home and the World Trade Center was inversely correlated with perceptions of terrorism risk among non-Hispanic Whites (Solvic P, Fischhoff B, 14-20). By contrast, Latinos and African Americans judgments of future terror risks were not affected by how far they lived from New York City (Fischoff B, Gonzalez RM, 137-151). The Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) is a post-September 11 program that may influence risk perceptions and avoidant behavior although that is not its intended purpose (Long others 164-174). The HSAS announces the Department of Homeland Securitys assessed risk of a terrorist attack on the United States via a color coded threat level and disseminates information regarding that levels risk to public safety officials and the general public (Asch others 164-174). The HSAS has 5 color-coded conditions: green, blue, yellow, orange, and red corresponding to threat levels of low, guarded, elevated, high, and severe, respectively (Long others 164-174). At each level are recommended actions for the public and government agencies to implement to reduce the likelihood or impact of an attack (US Department of Homeland Security). The value of the HSAS is debated, considering its adverse effects on well-being cause by unnecessarily raising fears and anxieties (Aguirre 103-115). The estimation of personal risk and vulnerability to terrorism may act as a key motivator to behavioral adaptations, including avoidance of usual activities or increased adoption of protective behaviors (Lindell 461-501). Those who believe they are particularly vulnerable to a risk may be motivated to perform risk reduction. Studies document that vulnerable populations, such as chronically ill, the physically disabled, non white racial/ ethnic minorities, and immigrants, bear a disproportionate burden of harm from natural disasters (Fothergill 156-173) and that there are racial/ ethnic differences in perceived risks of natural disasters (Fothergill 156-173). Similarly, research finds specifically that African Americans and Latinos perceive they are at greater risk from terrorism than do non-Latino whites (Boscarino 505-513). A survey conducted less than a year after September 11, 2001, reported that African Americans were most likely to limit their outside activities and change their mode of transportation in response to fears of terrorism (Torabi 179-192). Also a national survey found that persons with disabilities were more anxious about their personal risk from terrorism than were persons without disabilities, even when equally prepared (Harris Interactive Inc.). Another study reported that persons who increased their disaster preparations in response to the possibility of terrorist attacks included African Americans, Latinos, Persons with disabilities or household dependents, and non US-born populations (Eiseman 1-6). As with health and disasters generally, these populations may experience disparities in the effects of terrorism and terrorism policies including their risk perceptions and avoidant behavior (Long others 164-174). An Israeli survey found that large social groups, including women, had adapted their daily behaviors to minimize the impact of terrorism risks (Kirschenbaum 1-33). As studies continue to document the long-term and indirect health effects of September 11 attacks, it remains important to understand how long these risk perceptions and behavioral effects have lasted and who have been most affected (Asch others 164-174). Fear the distressing emotion that is aroused by danger and pain has been shown in terrorism highly. Many people are shown with adverse effects of this daily and must cope with it in their own difficult ways. The fear of terrorism has been escalated highly to a standpoint of psychological and physical pain. The effect of terrorism varies among people; most have a multivariate aggression of worry and avoidance, including demographic factors, estimated color-coded alert levels, and daily activities. The fear of terrorism affects everyone in their own ways. Work Citied Eisenman, David P., Gilk, Deborah, Ong, Michael, Zhou, Qiong, Tseng, Chi-Hong, Long, Anna, Fielding, Jonathan, Asch Steven. Terrorism- Related Fear and Avoidance Behavior in a Multiethnic Urban Population. American Journal of Public Health, Jan 2009, Vol.99 Issue 1, P168-174. Silver RC, Holman EA McIntosh DN, Poulin M, Gil-Rivas V. Nationwide longitudinal study of psychological responses to September 11. JAMA. 2002;288: 1235-1244. Blendon RJ, Benson JM. Harvard School of Public Health/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Survey Project on Americans Response to Biological Terrorism. Boston, MA: Harvard School of Public Health; 2001. Slovic P, Fischhoff B, Lichtenstein S. Rating the risks. Environment. 1979; 14-20. Fischhoff B, Gonzalez RM, Small DA lerner JS. Judged terror risk and proximity to the World Trade Center. J Risk Uncertain. 2003;26:137-151 US Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security Advisory System: Current Threat Level. April 1, 2008. Aguirre BE. Homeland Security warnings: Lessons learned and unlearned. Int J Mass Emerg Disasters. 2004;22:103-115. Lindell MK, Perry RW. Household adjustment to earthquake hazard: a review of the research. Environ behav. 2000;32:461-501. Fothergill A Maestas E, Darlington J. Race, ethnicity and disasters in the United States: a review of the literature. Disasters. 1999;23:156-173. Boscarino JA, Adams RE, Figley CR, Galea S, Foa EB. Fear of Terrorism and preparedness in New York City 2 years after the attacks: Implications for disaster planning and research. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2006;12:505-513. Torabi MR, Seo DC. National study of behavioral and life changes since September 11. Health Educ Behav. 2004;31:179-192. Eiseman DP, Wold C, Fielding J, et al. Differences in individual-level terrorism preparedness in Los Angels County. Am J Prev Med 2006;30:1-6. Kirschenbaum A. Terror, Adaptation and preparedness a trilogy for survival. J Homeland Secur Emerg Manage. 2006;3:1-33.

Approaches to Adult Learning

Approaches to Adult Learning Annotated Overview The focus of this writing will be on the themes of the assigned chapter readings for Week 6. These chapter reading from Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide was in the following chapters: 8, 9, and 10. This paper will also include additional learning resources (media video and instructors notes) and will outline points of interests gained from their viewing and reading. Week 5 Annotated Chapter Assignment This weeks study involved our reading of three chapters, viewing two media videos and article reading. This paper will touch on the points of interest that resonated with me in my reading as well as thoughts that I explored from the supportive learning resources (media video and instructors notes). The paper will conclude with a summary/discussion of what was gained through this learning experience and discuss ways this learning can be implemented. Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning: A Comprehensive Approach Chapter 8 Theme The overall theme of this chapter highlighted an integrated approach to learning which shows the synergistic connection and combination of the mind, body, and spirit in learning called embodied learning. It also discussed the significance of learning through storytelling and heightened learning outcomes of narrative teaching. This section will address the points of interests that inspired to onto further study. Narrative Learning There are events that happen in our life which are unique. Some are uniquely dull and some can be uniquely exciting. However, the case each has a unique storyline that when told can help others to better understand and know something of the storytellers world that may lead to a significant discovery in their own. The writer points out that Narrative knowing are not so much driven to find out more about the tangible outcomes of an event: its facts, logic and such, than they are about discovering meaning, and gaining understanding of the same event (Merriam, Baumgartner, Caffarella, 2007). Narrative Learning Formats. The writer pointed out that that narratives as a conduit for learning comes in three distinct formats which are storying the curriculum, storytelling, and autobiography (Merriam et al., 2007). Overall as Foote points out the stories told through narrative learning be it a story with connotations that are based on culture, tradition, social or spiritual implications each has been in its unique way the means of knowledge impartation since time began (Foote, 2015). Educationally, storytelling provides the presenter with a powerful means of helping the learner to make salient connections which improves the learning experience. Narrative Learning, Adult Development, Transformational Learning. I appreciated what the writer stated concerning life narratives being a retrospective activity that is continually in the process of revealing itself unfolding. For when one views life from a narrative perspective the result leads to empowerment. This happens because its not what happens to anyone that matters it how the event it translated that matters (Merriam et al., 2007). My thoughts are, re-storying based that is devoid of the positives found even in the most negative of situations seriously retards ones transformative development. Nemec says that in stating that a transformation which shifts one perspective is not always easy because there is a cause for disequilibrium in ones life. However, if one chooses to, one can regain a new balance in life from what is learned through that life experience by changings ones perspective of the issue at hand (Nemec, 2012). Chapter 9 Theme The theme of this chapter encourages one to take on the perspective of learning and knowing by using lenses of no-westerners. In this way one is better suited to understand the dynamics of the meaning of ones learning and knowing is based solely by the beholder and not on ones location. This section will address the points of interests concerning which I found to be enlightening The Western/Non-Western Dichotomy, Culture, and Indigenous Knowledge According to the writer in order to fully appreciate the differences in western and nonwestern learning and knowledge one must take in deliberation the following perceptions: Western versus non-Western, culture and indigenous knowledge (Merriam et al., 2007). Western/Non-Western Dichotomy. According to Merriam, many non-westerners do not accept the false narrative typically held by some in the west concerning the promotion of the assumption that westerners learning and knowledge is superior to all others (Merriam et al., 2007). The cited writer points out that what is thought of as western knowledge is often traced to classical Greek culture (Paul Pedersen, 1980). Culture. Merriam points that culture can be defined as a representational manifestation of the shared behavior and meaning held by a same group of people (Merriam et al., 2007). Cultures from East Asians are known for their renowned ability to pay attention on a global and local level. In comparison to their western counterparts, the west is no match. A plausible reason for that is in how each culture implicitly obtains diverse knowledge and process the information. (Qiufang Fu, Zoltan Dienes, Junchen Shang, Xiaolan Fu, 2013). Indigenous Knowledge. Cultural knowledge and learning is that which is shared within a group. Analogous to that definition is indigenous knowledge but on a larger scale. This is knowledge that is known as local knowledge that is generated and shared, by a group of people, over a period but within a specific geographic and historic region. This is knowledge is community-based and supported knowledge that deals directly with local issues within the region for the betterment of the community(Merriam et al., 2007). Chapter 10 Theme The theme of this chapter looks at learning from the context of learning taking place on a more global perspective within society. The chapter looked at the working of power and various other learning themes. This section will touch on aspects that I found interesting. Critical Theory and Adult Learning According to Merriam, when one compares andragogy and transformational learning, are unaware of the potential that lies within the potentially of critical theory potential. The vastness of topic of this theory surrounding adult learning, lends itself to further examination of the concepts that impact adult education. I found the following to be interesting reads: reflective discourse and the seven learning tasks involved with critical theory. Ideal Conditions for Reflective Discourse. Merriam cites Habermas stating that as a form a form of knowledge Habermass ideal conditions for reflective discourse, closely resembles it. The forms of knowledge being technical, practical and emancipatory knowledge(Merriam et al., 2007). Merriam goes on to state that according to Mezirow, when two are in discussion if there is no doubting the authenticity of what is being shared or the truthfulness of the speaker, or how appropriate the information is in light of relevant norms, one is prone to seek the best judgment of one that is judged to be informed, objective, and rational (Merriam et al., 2007) Critical Thinking. Merriam states that because lifeworld and the system interconnect it would behoove one to critically focus ones attention on the concerted workings of the two. Merriam goes on to quote Collins (1995) stating that, The juxtaposition of lifeworld and system concepts is clearly significant in enabling us to think deeply and realistically about the systemic blockages to the achievement of a more fully democratized society' (Merriam et al., 2007). Bohman and Rehg (2014) point out that Habermass criteria there are four conditions when applied to interactions of discourse between adults that are at play that would result in authentic discussion. They go on to state that crux of Habermass Theory of Discourse is expression of valid facts and information that is based purely on the merits of a disinterested pursuit of truth (Bohman Rehg, 2014). This holds true in an any interchange involving rational adults who are sharing truth from a level personal knowledge and understanding while at the same time seeking mutuality of understanding and knowledge. Integrating the main themes The chapter readings for week six gave me a better sense of self-involvement in learning. Whereas the tone of week five reading was on the role of facilitation in the learning process; the implications in the statement of one being personally involved in learning was spoken loud and clear throughout week six chapters. In reflecting on the theories and principles of transformative learning I can say that one of the enlightenments that I take away is through the means that transformative learning, ones internal and external awareness is enhanced within that transformative learning experience. What I mean by that is, I learned that learning is more than just sitting in a room assimilating data. Cohen points out, that when one embodies the learning the learning experience, there is an opportunity created where any portion of the information being received can connect with meaning that initiates ones conscious awareness that brings about a reflective moment which ushers in a revelation of ones higher self. Transparently speaking, this reading brought up some thoughts that I had not previously considered. Consequently, these three eye-opening chapters demand a deeper review and reflection on my part, if for nothing else than for the sake of growth through perspective changing and social enlightenment, which is the message I felt the writer was conveying within these three chapters. Incorporating Media and Instructor Notes The video, New Approach to Learning was an expose on the creator of Khan Academy. He is a former Hedge Fund analysis who started a free on line e-learning you tube website. This is a unique approach to sharing information with others that assister the self-directed learner supporting their ongoing learning settings. The presenter points out that his approach is simple and effective and attracts the attention of youth and adult learners around the world. The benefit of this approach to learning is that the learner can have ready access for a variety of learning event while learning at their pace. Mr. Khan points out that according to research information the length of the content is at the right amount that facilities learning. The presenter also brought in a interviewee who expressed how this type of learning is a valuable asset to locations around the world that may not have access to any formal or informal means of education (Vantage Siam Co., 2011). The video, Gen Y New Approaches to Learning Training was interview centered on Generation Y and their approach to learning. The interviewee pointed out the demographic range of this new type of learner and the desires of the Gen Y group of learners to be taught in accordance to the technological society we live in. They want to be free in their ability to use the knowledge with the technology they have grown up with as compared to previous generations who did not have similar types of access. Both the interviewer and interviewee agreed that the responsibility of the teacher is to move away from former methods to incorporate this new desire for learning by making it easy for student involvement and encourages participation. This move will not only affect the present generation but it will prepare them for the upcoming one Gen Z.(Award1956s channel, 2010). The video, Koren Alberich on New Approaches to Learning was interview on three examples of learning using alternate reality games and virtual worlds. The interviewee explained how the games and worlds can be made to adapt to any environment and setting. Each can be structured to simulate desired learning outcomes. Two salient outcomes of these new approaches are: 1) the scalability. The environments and settings can meet any size of learning audience, 2) as for the use of virtual worlds they can be create real-time global location via internet that can bring global locations into one location (Clarey, 2011) Conclusion The overall thought of this weeks lesson has been an approach to learning that has helped me in synthesizing my life to what has been presented within these three chapters, as well to the previous lessons. Subjects like the principles of embodied learning with its lesson on spiritual and narrative learning are very insightful. I am a Pastor of a small congregation and I teach using the preaching method of expository preaching. After reading about narrative learning I have added storytelling as an element of preaching to help the listener gain a richer understanding of the content of my message. This is one example of how I have applied what I am learning. I believe that knowing and not applying what one knows means that knowledge remains as theoretical information. However, when that same knowledge is put into action then it takes on another essence, by becoming reality in the life of the one that has applied it. As I further reflect on what take away from the chapter dealing with Le arning and knowing I now look at with I know and have learned through new lenses. Taking others perspectives, especially other cultures, will be hard to do. That is if one is not willing to, at the least, empathetically look at life from someone elses perspective. I agree with the chapter writer concerning our western egotism when it comes to learning that inders us in that aspect. Our pride should not be the thing that keeps us from learning and knowing from other cultures. The truth is, in many cases other cultures have truly learned and know more than our does. Any barrier to intellectual growth must be overcome if we as a whole world round if we are to grow together. And as barriers, such as cultural pride and others come down that gives way to areas of growth in realms such as meaningful dialog brought about by the ethos of critical theory, as well as acceptance of ideals founded in postmodern and feminist perspectives. When approached with a mindset of open-mindedness, these theories and concepts are enlightening and the means of growth. Light makes things grow. Needless to say, I feel I have grown to have a deeper appreciation for what I have experienced thus far and look forward to what more is to come. References Award1956s channel (Producer), Award1956s channel (Director). (2010, December 8,). Gen Y new approaches to learning training. [Video/DVD] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-SXIdXMqeA Bohman, J., Rehg, W. (2014). JÃ ¼rgen habermas. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/habermas/#HabDisThe Clarey, J. (Producer), Clarey, J. (Director). (2011, April 22,). Koreen olbrish on new approaches to learning. [Video/DVD] Foote, L. S. (2015). Re-storying life as a means of critical reflection: The power of narrative learning. Christian Higher Education, 14(3), 116-126. doi:10.1080/15363759.2015.1028580 Merriam, S. B., Baumgartner, L., Caffarella, R. S. (2007). Learning in adulthood (3. ed. ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Nemec, P. B. (2012). Transformative learning. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 35(6), 478-479. doi:10.1037/h0094585 Paul, Pedersen. (1980). The cultural boundaries of education and non-eastern alternatives.1 Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/014303438000100507 Qiufang Fu, Zoltan Dienes, Junchen Shang, Xiaolan Fu. (2013). Who learns more? cultural differences in implicit sequence learning. PLoS One, 8(8) doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071625 Vantage Siam Co., L. (Producer), Vantage Siam Co., L. (Director). (2011, 15 July). New approaches to learning. [Video/DVD]

Domestic Violence Amd Women :: Violence Against Women Essays

Domestic violence is a terrible problem that we all must face, not only the people who are victims. We need to stop this before the problem develops into anything bigger than it already is. The battered woman, it has been said, lives in a world of terror and her home is her prison (Berger, 1990, pg. 35). For many hundreds of years people weren't worried about domestic violence. In fact, a popular family journal, the Journal of Marriage and Family, did not include a single article on domestic from 1932 to 1969 (Berger, 1990, pg. 27). Suddenly, more women came out and told of the abuse they had once suffered. Researchers report that 1.8-2.9 million women are battered yearly. Not only do the victims suffer physical pain, but they also have to deal with emotional and psychological pain. The victim may have to face reoccurring nightmares, and may never want to trust another man. Much too frequently, the victim blames themselves. The typical response of an abused/battered woman is, "I provoked him . . . I was being a bad wife, mother, and housekeeper," (Peled, 1995, pg. 141). The very sad part about the violence, beside the physical and emotional stress, is that most likely they know the offender or abuser. So, why, why would a person who is loved, want to abuse their spouse or girlfriend? One of the key responses . . . Jealousy. The husband may become very suspicious, afraid of losing his wife. The abuser sees his wife or girlfriend as a possession. The only way, they think, to relieve this built up anger is aggression. To improve their self-esteem, they abuse the victim physically, emotionally, and sometimes, sexually. Another key factor in wife abuse is alcohol. When the man is stressed, he turns to alcohol to relieve it. Little does he know, that the alcohol makes him more irritable. "He started really drinking excessively and that is when the abuse started. He had been drinking . . . I sat down to read the paper and he wanted his supper . . . he kicked the cat to the ceiling . . . he started slapping my face with both hands," (Berger, 1990, pg. 42). Research shows that men who abuse their wives, often saw their own mother abused. Do to witnessing this, the children of battered families usually grow up to have low self-esteem and believe that hitting is right.

The Effect Of Advertising On P :: essays research papers

What does it mean to be physically fit? Does it mean you can throw a football like John Elway, or hit a baseball like Sammy Sosa? Does it mean you can run a mile in one hundred degree weather under twelve minutes, or swim fifteen laps across a pool in one minute? Is physical fitness being anorexic or being on steroids. That’s what the media makes it look like. The average female super model is up to fifty pounds underweight. Sixty-two percent of football players take some form of muscle enhancing product. Many girls worry about their physical appearance. They want to look like the model in this add for Calvin Klein and other advertisements. They think that’s how everyone wants them to look. Many will go to any length to get that way. That often leads to serious eating disorders like anorexia. It’s crazy because even the models don’t look like the adds. Almost ninety-six percent of magazine and t.v adds are touched up by computer to look â€Å"perfect.â₠¬  The effect advertising has on some people’s personal appearance is bad. Even people that don’t develop eating disorders still feel bad about themselves at one point or another because they don’t look like the advertisements, like society wants them to look. The â€Å"standard† that the media shows has other negative effects besides eating disorders. It can also lead to shame, guilt, stress, depression, and a lack of confidence. It’s not just girls that are shown in these ads. Guys are shown that they should be muscular, and well built. They sometimes turn to steroids to get like that. Some even develop eating disorders. Guys also get a lack of confidence, they just won’t admit it. Most advertising discourages acceptance of people that are different than you. They show you people that look almost perfect, and a lot of people judge you on how you look compared to the models on t.v and in magazines. Advertisers shouldn’t focus so muc h on what a person looks like.

The American Banking System from 1800-1810 Essay -- Banks Finances Mon

The American Banking System from 1800-1810 Looking back to the outset of the 19th century, it is impossible to say that any real banking system had really been developed in the US. This is to say that, though there were roughly 120 private commercial banks that had been chartered by new state governments, the so-called system was scarcely organized. It was ad hoc in nature and directly linked to the merchant banking practices of the pre-independence period. The years preceding the turn of the century were important because they brought a central banking authority onto the scene. In 1789 the new federal government established a position for the Secretary of the Treasury. As we know, the first to hold this prestigious title was Alexander Hamilton. He accomplished a great deal in the 11 years leading up to the year 1800. Most notably his actions were largely responsible for the creation of the First Bank of the United States, which was given a charter in 1791. This thrust towards central banking was only to last 20 years, howeve r. Up for review in 1811, the bank’s charter was not renewed. This paper will argue that the failure to renew the First Bank of the United State’s charter was a direct result of the strong ideological differences between state centered and federalist politics. Many were very skeptical about a strong centralized banking system, while others believed that the only way to create unity in the country was through a highly focused central banking system. Despite the relative efficiency of the First Bank of the United States, and despite the fact that it is widely considered to be a success by economic historians, the general suspicion of banking led to its demise. In other words, this paper will argue that the 1800-1810 period was one of exhaustive tension between centralists and de-centralists. This had important and lasting effects on the banking system, the most obvious being that, in the following century, state banks proliferated to the point where they were chartered with abandon. As John K. Galbraith noted, â€Å"every location large e nough to have a church, a tavern, or a blacksmith shop was deemed a suitable place for setting up a bank. These banks issued notes, and other, more surprising enterprises, imitating the banks, did likewise. Even barbers and bartenders competed with banks in this respect† (Flaherty, 1997: http://odur.let... ...institution, and based on the bitter conflicts between Madison and Hamilton over state vs. federal power, the bank itself became politicized. As state-led forces increased their popularity, it is wholly unsurprising that the First Bank of the US was one of the first things to go. References DeCarolis, Lisa Marie. The Precipice of Power (accessed 12-12-99) Del Mar, Alexander. â€Å"History Of Monetary Systems: Chapter XVII: Bank Suspension Since The Era Of Private Coinage† History of the World, 01-01-1992 Foner, Eric., Garraty, John A (eds) â€Å"Banking† The Reader’s Companion to American History, Houghton Mifflin: New York, 1991., pg. 191 Flaherty, Edward. 1997. A Brief History of Banking in the United States (accessed 12-12-99) â€Å"James Madison Debates the Constitutionality of a National Bank† (accessed 12-12-99)

Project management success factors Essay

Housing is the critical issue in global urbanization which have a tremendous impact on the environment – both during construction and through out their. As the key element in urban development, housing plays a vital role in attaining the goal of sustainable development. Effective of project management is becoming increasingly important for sustainable housing to remain competitive in today‟s dynamic business environment. This paper attempt to establish a theoretical framework for project management success factors in sustainable housing development. Review on past literature on the subject were carried out to build the existing research works on the area and to establish critical success factors of project management best practices. At the end of this paper, a new area of managing sustainable housing for future direction of this research was identified. A list of critical success factors for project management practices for sustainable housing development was established. Keywords: Sustainable Housing, Sustainable Development Project Management, Critical Success Factors. 1.0 INTRODUCTION Housing, as human basic need, is a very important issue of people‟s everyday life. In 1948, the United Nations, in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights, stated that â€Å"everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services†¦Ã¢â‚¬  . Housing provision is one of the major challenges facing developing countries. Under the Seventh Malaysia Plan (1999-2000) and Eight Malaysia Plan (2001-2005), Malaysian governments are committed to provide adequate, affordable and quality housing for all Malaysian, particularly the low income group. This is in line with Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlement and Habitat Agenda (1996) to ensure adequate shelter for all. In order to be sustainable, housing initiatives must be economically viable, socially acceptable, technically feasible and environmentally compatible (Choguill, 2007). In the other hand, housing encompasses the immediate environment, sanitation, drainage, recreational facilities, and all other economic and social activities that make life worthwhile (Olejado, 2003). The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED, 1987) report, Our Common Future has led to a world-wide notion of the concept of sustainable development (Meldon, 1998). However, it has been argued that the history of the concept of sustainability can be traced back to the terms â€Å"stationery† or â€Å"steady state economy† used by the nineteenth century political economist (European Environment agency, 1997). Today there are over 300 published definitions of sustainable development, the products of diverse world views and competing vested interests (Moles and Kelly, 2000). Fundamentally, sustainable development addresses three major areas; I. People living today are entitled to justice and equal rights; II. Environmental degeneration must be alleviated or eliminated; and III. Future generations must not be impoverished as a result of current actions (Redclift,1987). Our Common Future explores how sustainable development â€Å"is not a fixed state of harmony but rather a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are made consistent with future as well as present needs† (Moles and Kelly, 2000). In other words, (WCED, 1987, 8) it‟s defined as â€Å"development which meets the needs of the present without comprising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs†. The Commission not only observed that environmental problems need to be addressed, but also socials problem, such as inequity, property, non-prosperity and the violation of human rights, that are related to explosive population growth and the enormous expansion of environmental harms caused by human activities. According to the Commission, solving these problems requires global economic growth whilst respecting ecological constraints (Klunder, 2004). Other studies, (Ding, 2008) defined sustainable development is as a concern of attitudes and judgment to help insure long-term ecological, social and economic growth in society. While the term of sustainable development is well known and widely used, there is no common understanding and approach for it. The perception of sustainability especially when it comes to what â€Å"needs† is regarded as important varies much by different nation and even different people with different points in time, economic, social and cultural backgrounds (Zinkernagel, 2001). The detail of what comprises sustainable development is very context – specific and the same condition and practice cannot apply everywhere. Therefore, sustainability has its diverse implications in every corner of the world and in every sector of a society (Bell and Morse, 2003). For construction sector, the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (1990) explains sustainable as directed towards the reduction of the environmental and health impacts consequent to construction, buildings and the built environment. Such construction processes would bring environmental responsibility, social awareness, and economic profitability objectives to the fore in built environment related projects (Langston and Ding, 2001). There are various definitions of sustainable housing; The European Union defined sustainable housing in the following perspective: construction (e.g. Quality of construction), social and economic factors (e.g. Affordability and psychological impacts) and ecoefficiency (e.g. Efficient use of non-renewable resources) (VROM, 2005). Previously, IHBC (1998) definitions  present the general factor of a sustainable housing practice that is applicable under various circumstances, depending on the conditions where it‟s implemented (Larasati, 2006). Basically, all these definitions were carry out the idea of Principle 15 of the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on The Human Environment: â€Å"Planning must be applied to human settlements and urbanization with a view to avoiding adverse effects on the environment and obtaining maximum social, economic and environmental benefits for all† (UNEP, 1972). A sustainable house is cost-efficient over time, comfortable, cheap to maintain and complements our unique environment (Queensland Government, 2004). â€Å"Sustainable Housing† is a new concept in developing countries and unearthing projects covering all aspects of sustainability proved to be difficult (Ebsen, 2000). For housing that make up a great proportion of building, sustainable housing could be defined as housing practices, which strive for integral quality (including economic, social, and environmental performance) in a broad way (John, Croome & Jeronimidis, 2005). The focus on sustainable housing implies a perspective of flows (Klunder, 2004). From this viewpoint, a sustainable  housing is characterized by the minimization of the environmental impacts of material use, energy consumption and water consumption during the whole service life of the building. 2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT Malaysia is a developing country heading towards industrialization. The growths of industries bid rapid housing expansion due to the high demand from the customer. A good housing area has to fulfill the health aspect from the building, drainage, clean water supply, domestic waste management and suitable ventilation. The quality of housing and it‟s social, economic and environmental performance is critically important to sustainable development. However, the lacks of practices of project success factors in housing development activities may often bring about water, air and land pollutions thus affecting the natural environment, health and quality of  life. These issues are often raised today as problems of uncontrolled development of housing growth as concern for the environment is not considered. With this concern in mind, housing and other social services become priority in today‟s development programmes which aimed at improving the quality of life and contributing towards the formation of a caring society. However, the issue of sustainable housing are still new and not that familiar in our country. With referring back the house being built in the past decade, those houses were not meeting the essential criteria of sustainability and unfortunately, there are little to none; in depth studies for this matter. Although the homes that create may look good and be cheap to build, they are poor value if they weather poorly, have high energy and other running costs, are expensive to maintain and cannot adapt to changes in use. According to Maylor (1999) those organizations that are most resourceful in seeking out best practices and making those aspects work for them will be the most successful. Although project management has proved its success in many construction projects, there is however some problems associated with the manner in which the system has been selected and/or implemented (Noum S. et al., 2004). Here, critical factors of successful project management were establish to develop a new area of managing sustainable housing for further studies of this research to ensure its potential for future sustainability. 2.1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS Based on the problems stated above, two main questions are formed as below: 1) What are the critical factors that are required for the successful implementation of sustainable housing practices? 2) What are the critical factors project management best practices in sustainable housing development? 2.2 OBJECTIVES There are two objectives for this paper: 1) To identify factor that are required for the successful implementation of sustainable housing practice. 2) To establish the success factors that determines the best practices for project management in sustainable housing. 3) To establish guideline for project management best practices for sustainable housing. 3.0 FACTORS EFFECTING PROJECT SUCCESS Nowadays, companies are increasingly using projects in their daily work to achieve company goals. The only way organizations can be driven to achieve excellence is by keeping an eye on competition and world best practice in all aspects of the business (Bendell et. all, 1998). Recently more and more organizations are recognizing that translating corporate strategies into actions requires project management. Consequently, it is vital that projects are successful (Baccarini, 2003). Critical success factors are important influences that contribute to project success. So, critical success factors are the set of circumstances, facts or influences which contribute to the project outcomes. According to Mobey and Parker (2002), to increase the chances of a project succeeding it is necessary for the organisation to have an understanding of what are the success factors, to systematically and quantitatively assess these factors, anticipating possible causes and effects, and then choose appropriate methods of dealing with them. Once identified, the success of the project can be achieved. Generally, the success of a construction project depends on a number of factors, such as project complexity, contractual arrangements, and relationships between project participants, the competency of project managers, and the abilities of key project members (Chua et al., 1999). Bayliss, (2002) in his report said that successful project delivery requires the concerted effort of the project team to carry out the various project activities, but it is the project manager who, at the center of the project network, is responsible for orchestrating the whole construction process. Possessing the core project management competence would help to define the ability of project managers to deliver good performance towards the attainment of project success. The search for factors that influence project success has been growing interest over the past decade. Among researchers that have tried to a certain extent to identify success factors for project management are Pinto and Slevin (1987,1989), Cooke-Davis (2002), Muller and Turner (2003), Belassi and Tukel (1996) and etc. Success factors are those input to the project management system that lead directly or indirectly to the success of the project or business. Belassi and Tukel, 1996, categorized success factors into four main group. These are factors relating to the project, project managers, organization, and external environment. Others researcher, Chan et al., 2002 identify a set of project success factors; project team commitment, contractor‟s competencies, risk and liability assessment, client‟s competencies, end-users needs and constraints imposed by end user. As referred to the ten critical success factors developed by Pinto and Slevin (1986), Pinto and Mantel (1990) suggest that â€Å"these critical success factors were found to be generalisable to a wide variety of project types and organizations†. Their model is one of the most widely quoted lists of critical success factors (Muller and Turner, 2007). However a single set of project success factors may not be suitable for all industries (Lim et al, 1999; Hartman et al, 1996). Liu and Walker 1998 suggest that as industries operate differently, â€Å"a set of critical success factors may not be transferable from one project to another project†¦only generic areas can be identified and used as broad guidelines.† A comprehensive review of the literature research on success factors of project management was conducted. Table 1 gives lists of the critical success factors developed in the various literatures. Several researchers have identified the factors that significantly determine project management success. Based on the frequency analysis, the critical success factors are prioritised as shown in Table 2. Table 1. Summary of literature reviews from various author‟s for project success Author‟s Pinto & Critical Success Factors Belassi Cooke- Baccarini Andersen Hyvari Turner & Khang Slevin & Davies (1999, et al., Muller & (2002) 2003) (2006) (2005,07) Moe (1987,89) Tukel (2006) (1996) (2008) Project Understanding √ √ Top Management Support √ √ Information/Communication √ √ √ √ Client Involvement √ √ √ √ Competent Project Team √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ Authority of the Project Manager/Leader Realistic Cost and Time Estimates √ Adequate Project Control √ √ √ √ √ √ Planning/Controlling Project mission /common goal √ √ Project Ownership √ √ √ √ √ √ √ feedback √ √ √ √ √ √ √ or empirical basis. Table 2: Prioritisation of CSFs Critical Success Factors Prioritised Occurrence No. Frequency of Rank 1 Competent Project Team 8 1 2 Authority of the Project Manager/Leader 6 2 3 Project Understanding 5 3 4 Top Management Support 5 3 √ √ Remark: â€Å"√ † critical success factors that is determined by the authors either on a conceptual Sr. √ √ √ Monitor performance and √ √ √ Adequate Resources √ √ √ Risk Management √ √ √ Problem Solving Abilities √ √ 5 Client Involvement 5 3 6 Project mission /common goal 5 3 7 Adequate Resources 4 4 8 Realistic Cost and Time Estimates 4 4 9 Information/Communication 4 4 10 Project Ownership 3 5 11 Monitor performance and feedback 3 5 12 Planning/Controlling 3 5 13 Risk Management 3 5 14 Adequate Project Control 2 6 15 Problem Solving Abilities 2 6 The frequency analysis in Tables 1 and 2 revealed that there are only one critical success factors in all frameworks in common which is competent project team. The analysis also showed that authority of the project manager/leader is prioritised in rank 2. The analysis further revealed that 5 out of the 8 frameworks have four critical success factors in common: Project Understanding, Top Management Support, Client Involvement and Project Mission/common goal. The Adequate Resources, Realistic Cost and Time Estimates and information/Communication success factors have their presence in forth frameworks respectively. The other critical success factors (namely, Project ownership, Monitor performance and feedback, Planning/Controlling and Risk Management) are presented in very few frameworks (Table 1 and 2). Meanwhile, the other two factors were not commonly found in the literature which is adequate project control and problem solving abilities. 4.0 FACTORS OF PROJECT SUCCESS FOR SUSTAINABLE HOUSING The subject of project management is vast and numerous authors continuously add to the body of literature on the subject. According to the Project Management Institute (2004), the discipline of project management can be defined as follows: Project management is the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, quality and participation satisfaction. Project management best practices may be described as optimum way of performing work to achieve high performance (Ramabadron et all., 1997). According to Dey (2002), current project management practices of organizations in the industry sector do not always ensure success. The main problems with projects planning and implementation have been cost and time overruns and quality non-achievement. Dey (2002) stated that the main contributing factors are: ï‚ · Expansion of the scope and subsequent quality increases of input resources; ï‚ · Engineering and design changes; ï‚ · Underestimation and incorrect estimation and ï‚ · Unforeseen inflation ï‚ · Project size and complexity and etc. Dey, (2002) illustrates projects management growing popularity has stimulated interest in how companies compare in their application of project management process, tools and techniques. Successful project management can contribute towards project success but is unlikely to be able to prevent project failure (de Wit, 1988). The various variables affecting the success factors are identified in the  previous section. There are Project Understanding, Top Management, Support Communication, Client Involvement, Competent Project Team, Authority of Top Level, Realistic Cost and Time Estimates, Adequate Project Control, Problem Solving Abilities, Risk Management, Adequate Resources, Planning/Controlling, Monitor performance and feedback, Project mission /Common goal, and Project Ownership. Furthermore, a new conceptual framework that includes the indentified variables of project success is shown in Fig. 1. Its show that variables project success can influence a variable of criteria measuring sustainable housing. Figure 1: Framework of Project Management Success Factors in Sustainable Housing. Project Management Success Factor Criteria Measuring Sustainable Housing: Competent Project Team Authority of the Project Manager/Leader Project Understanding Top Management Support Client Involvement Project mission /common goal Adequate Resources Realistic Cost and Time Estimates Information/Communication Project Ownership Monitor performance and feedback Planning/Controlling Risk Management Adequate Project Control Problem Solving Abilities ï‚ · Energy Efficiency ï‚ · Use of Materials ï‚ · Water Efficiency ï‚ · Disposal ï‚ · Site Issues ï‚ · Green ï‚ · Traffic ï‚ · Outdoor environment and Indoor environment Project Management Success Factors in Sustainable Housing – Economically ; are cost-efficient over the lifespan of the dwelling – Environmental/Ecology ; are resource efficient in terms of materials, waste, water and energy – Social/Community ; are safe, flexible and comfortable for people with varying abilities * Critical success factor of project management were establish to come out the best practices in new area in Sustainable Housing. An extensive literature survey on sustainable housing also has been carried out to select criteria measurement frameworks for this study. The relevant literature has revealed that different researchers have adopted similar sustainability criteria‟s framework that consider on three basic themes of the sustainable construction; social, environmental, and economic. Below, there are a few literatures findings in term of criteria of measuring sustainable housing: 1. Winston (2007) have carried out some important characteristics of sustainable housing include: sustainable land-use planning; resisting scattered settlements; housing close to employment and public transport; higher residential densities; sustainable construction; high standards of energy efficiency in use of dwellings; housing availability, affordability and quality; access to green space, and a high quality residential environment. Many sustainable building indicator sets are derived from conceptual models (Winston and Pareja, 2008). 2. Blaauw (1997), the following environmental theme are derived from a workbook for sustainable building and housing: Energy, Use of Materials, Water, Disposal, Site, Green, Traffic, Outdoor environment and Indoor environment. 3. Building Environmental Science & Technology (B.E.S.T), formulated residential green building guidelines: Emphasize the reduce, recycle, re-use, renewable; use energy, water and resource efficiently; healthy indoor air quality; building has affordable community; development creates a sense of well-being; the home remains reasonably affordable and cost effective. 4. (Bennett and James, 1999) Effective sustainability measurement should consider the complete triple bottom line of economic, environmental, and societal performance which is: a) Social Sustainability ï‚ · Healthy internal environment ï‚ · Safety (personal, household and environmental) ï‚ · Provision of social amenity ï‚ · Provision of recreation amenity ï‚ · Accessibility to jobs and amenities b) Economic Sustainability ï‚ · Cost efficient over time ï‚ · Adaptability with min. cost ï‚ · Affordability ï‚ · Job creations and local economy c) Environmental Sustainability ï‚ · Energy efficiency ï‚ · Water efficiency/Conservation ï‚ · Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions ï‚ · Waste management / recycling ï‚ · Material efficiency ï‚ · Pollution prevention– noise, water, air ï‚ · Optimization & conservation of land ï‚ · Protect and enhance biodiversity ï‚ · Reduction of car dependency 5. Green Building Manual from the US Department of Energy (DOE) & Public Technology, Inc. (PTI) include the following points: ï‚ · Site Issues: selection of building sites, landscaping, watershed, site materials and equipment ï‚ · Building Design: building systems (heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, electrical and plumbing systems) and indoor environmental quality ï‚ · Construction Process ï‚ · Operations & Maintenance ï‚ · Economics & Environment: energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, construction costs, building maintenance & management savings. For the purpose of this research, eight aspects of criteria sustainability that can be used to analyze sustainable housing , were derived from the six environmental themes that are distinguished The National Measures for Sustainable Building (Hendriks, 2001): ï‚ · Energy: reducing the demand for energy, promoting the use of sustainable energy resources and using energy efficiently ï‚ · Materials: more efficient use of materials, reducing waste and removing it responsibly ï‚ · Water: reducing water usage, preventing land drying up, and protecting water quality ï‚ · Indoor Environment: improving air quality, improving thermal comfort, and reducing noise levels. ï‚ · Surrounding Environment: supporting bio-diversity, strengthening the perception of the environment (including maintaining old townscapes) and reducing nuisance (noise, wind, odor) ï‚ · Miscellaneous: improving the flexibility of the home with regard to accommodating new functions and improving safety It is expected that study of project management best practices in the extent of project success could lead toward meeting criteria of sustainable housing. This approach in sustainable housing area will provide much needed information to local authorities to take more effective control of housing issues. 5.0 CONCLUSION The implementation of success factors for project management in sustainable housing is important in other to ensure project success. Apparently, the sustainable housing is one of the major contributors to the development of any country. Unfortunately, in our country Malaysia, the issue of sustainable housing development is still new and not yet the proactive action had been taken to develop the housing sector in sustainable way. Thus, this research is proposed to identify success factors for project management in sustainable housing area. At the end of this paper, a new area of managing sustainable housing for future direction of this research will identified. A list of critical success factors from various authors for project management success for sustainable housing development in Malaysia was established. 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