Managing projects in engineering and construction Lab Report

Managing projects in engineering and construction - Lab Report Example First, before commencing my project, I developed a time schedule to guide me during the project. The activities listed in my time schedule included organizing for meetings with my supervisors and lecturers for training and orientation before commencing the experiment. Besides, I came up with a separate project plan outlining the specific phases and procedures of the actual experiment. In addition, I made a visit to the school laboratory to book a date on which to perform the triaxial tests. An early reservation ensures that all the necessary pieces of equipment for the experiment are available on the experiment day. A tamping rod, a measuring scale, a measuring cup, de-aired water, a spatula and, pair of scissor is the equipment required in the experiment. Additionally, I acquired a small notebook on which I recorded my meetings with the lecturer and supervisors. I also ensured that the supervisors and laboratory technicians signed the notebook. Signed notebooks serve as evidence for the attended meetings. In an attempt to account for the resources I used during the research, I prepared a budget and a time plan for the activities. Budgets and time plans ensure effective and efficient use of resources. Besides, time plans and budgets act as monitoring and evaluation tools, helping me identify failures and making necessary adjustments to the project In any experimental project, there are potential challenges likely to occur. I planned for some difficulties liable to affect my experiment.

Technology Impacting The Changes In The 21st Century Workplace Research Paper

Technology Impacting The Changes In The 21st Century Workplace - Research Paper Example ICT makes telecommunication possible (Drucker, 2001). It enables employees to work from virtual offices and communicates with individuals and businesses around the world. Flexible work schedules are increasingly gaining popularity since employees can accomplish numerous obligations, responsibilities or duties at home or while traveling. There are business apps and software that enable employees to access business directories and databases even outside the vicinity of the enterprise building. According to Mayhew (2014), it is common to find team Managers and business leaders who live and work in different towns and cities and even in different countries. Further escalation of business application and involvement with ICT is due to the social media that has a vast outreach of populations across different demographic levels including age, gender, workgroup or class, race and religions (Lee, 2010). In reference to Drucker (2001), ICT has numerous roles in the 21st-century business world. The functions of ICT, particularly software apps for businesses, can be enlisted in different ways depending on the area of application. The general organization software apps break down corporate barriers, allowing product groups, functional departments or even factory workers to find and share critical business related information instantly (OBrien, 2005). OBrien (2005) argues that to the company’ Operations ICT reduces defects, shrinks cycle times, and cuts waste. Service companies, for instance, use ICT to streamline communication and to order with customers and suppliers. In reference to Rijsenbrij (2009), ICT is very significant in business staffing.

HRM Practices that affect the Annovation process Dissertation

HRM Practices that affect the Annovation process - Dissertation Example For example, a study conducted by Laursen and Foss (2003) of 1,900 Dutch business organizations found that effective HRM practices not only had a positive influence on an organization’s financial performance, but also had a positive influence on a firm’s innovation. Researchers have generally taken two approaches to explaining how HRM practices have a positive influence on an organization’s overall performance: systems and strategic perspectives (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004). The systems approach to researching HRM practices and its link to organizational performance focuses on the impact of the cumulative value of HRM practices. The strategic perspective analyses how individual HRM practices impact firm performance. The underlying concept is the belief that HRM practices are designed to â€Å"develop employees’ skills, knowledge and motivation† so that â€Å"employees behave in ways that are instrumental to the implementation of a particular strategyâ⠂¬  (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004, pp. 203-204). ... Empirical research in the literature substantiates this assumption. (Joseph & Dai, 2009; Zeidan, 2006). Wang and Zang (2005) conducted a two-part study consisting of field study on HRM practices and its maim compartments among Chinese companies and partnerships and case studies on entrepreneurship frameworks from the perspective of strategic HRM practices. The research findings indicate that there is a positive link between strategic HRM practices and firm innovation (Wang & Zang, 2005). Businesses currently operate in an environment where knowledge continuously changes at a rapid rate. Thus, innovation is crucially important for building and sustaining an organization’s success and as a result, â€Å"the human capital of the organization is an issue of increasing importance† (Jorgensen, Becker & Matthews, 2009, p. 451). Essentially, strategic human resource management by definition is directly and indirectly linked to firm innovation. According to Sims (2007) strategic HRM is defined as: ...the linking of human resources with strategic goals and objectives in order to improve business performance and develop organizational culture that foster innovation and flexibility (p. 323). Armstrong (2011) argues that competitiveness in today’s market has placed firms under increasing pressure to adopt innovation as a key business model. Innovation models involve changes that organizations should implement to become and remain competitive and how they may improve organizational performance generally. These changes not only involve people, but also have an impact on people. Employees are engaged in both the planning and implementation phases of organizational change. Thus HRM is critical for perfecting an innovative business model, because HRM is

DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND ORAL HYGIENE INSTRUCTION TO A SMOKER Essay

DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND ORAL HYGIENE INSTRUCTION TO A SMOKER COMMUNITY - Essay Example different methods of giving information, I would like to convey to them the possible health difficulties that they will most likely face and ultimately, persuade them to drop the habit. The group that I have specified are my friends who are heavy smokers and who seem to ignore the dangers posed by their habits, I would like to enlighten them on the dangers that they imbue on themselves with smoking. For this study, I will identify six resources that will greatly help in illustrating how dangerous smoking is. Mostly, it will be through the form of websites, journals, case studies and videos that greatly focus on the oral health problems that stem from smoking tobacco. First is an Australian Dental Journal (1999) with the title of the article being ‘Dentist’s attitudes and practices towards smoking’, which in a nutshell aims to identify the importance of the oral health guardians in the dissemination of information and to the persuasion of dropping the smoking habit. (1) To further deepen the study on this article, the researchers used a survey among dentists and their interaction with patients on smoking. The aim was to establish the dentists’ current practice regarding discussing smoking with patients, to explore dentists’ perceptions of the barriers to discussing smoking with patients and to explore dentists’ interest in discussing smoking with patients. During the study, the reasons why smokers cannot stop the habit was identified. (1) Now, regarding my view if this study is effective in persuading smokers to stop smoking, it certainly is. To whom do we entrust our oral health care better than our dentists? If they advise patients on the situation of their oral health, they would most probably listen. And given their knowledge on the situation, it would really be foolhardy for patients to ignore their diagnosis. Another published article about the dangers of smoking tobacco is: ‘Tobacco or Oral Health’ made as a guide to health

Case Study on Development Approval Processes Essay

Case Study on Development Approval Processes - Essay Example This project dictates that JDP has to conduct natural gas drilling, transportation, as well as refinery of this natural gas for domestic consumption. Environmental Impact of Natural Gases Exploration The natural effects of the JDP are drilling of the natural gas in the sea might lead to water pollution. This would consequently affect the fishes and as well as marine activities. The natural gas is poisonous to marine life thereby calling for standardized methods of drilling and tapping of the natural gas without influencing marine life (Apache Energy). Further, the project area would be out of bound for other marine activities. Arguably, it will seclude the marine activities to occur in other regions out of the demarcated area. A number of technologies used in natural gas exploration involve a technique known as hydraulic fracturing or fracking. This technology involves mixing of dangerous chemicals with large quantities of water and injected into the well at extremely high pressure. The Jelimar Development Project would affect the clean water supply to the surrounding communities where the transportation gas pipeline would cross. The process of laying the gas transportation pipeline will interfere with existing water supply pipeline in the affected area. This interference will result to water pollution. ... Elsewhere, the transportation of the natural gas from the offshore production area to the inland might result to water population due to gas leaks as well as land pollution due to the same effect (Haward, 2003 pp. 35). Moreover, the laying of transportation pipes from the offshore production unit to the inland terminals results to destruction of natural environment. The construction company has to remove the over burden before laying the pipes to the ground. Largely, the process would destroy plants on the path of the transportation pipeline. The pollutants released to the water, air, and land has potential health impacts on marine life, plants, and human beings. Scientists have established that natural gas pollutants are likely to pose wide health impacts ranging from headache to asthma and cancer (Lagoni, 2009 pp. 216). In marine life, the pollutants would lead to the death of the aquatic life. Similarly, the pollutants would lead to the death of the plants. Moreover, spill of natu ral gas into the vegetation would lead to the death of the vegetation cover. Social-economic Benefits of the Project The Jelimar Development Project has numerous social and economic benefits to the Australian community and the rest of the world. First, the natural oil exploration would create employment to the Australian community. This in turn would reduce the number of unemployed subsequently leading to improved life. The Australian society will experience improved living standards because of the income that the community would derive from the project (Gladwin, Kennelly, and Krause, 2005 pp. 880). Further, the project would reduce poverty level because it will affect the unemployed population. Evidently, when the unemployed population acquires employment

Internship Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Internship - Article Example Since then the concept has gained significant popularity in the operations of different organizations. Research has shown that there is no organization that can survive in the long run without learning. A learning organization is conceptualised as a place where the employees create, acquire as well as transfer knowledge in their operations (Garvin, Edmondson, and Gino, 110). Basically, a generally accepted definition of learning is â€Å"any relatively permanent change in the behaviour of a person that occurs as a result of experience (Robbins, 110). In an organization, employees can exchange ideas that in turn lead to the creation of knowledge that permanently changes their behaviour. This change in behaviour as a result of new knowledge created helps the employees in the organization to keep pace with the changes they may encounter as well as to deal with challenges they may also face in their operations. In order for learning to take place, three factors known as learning blocks should exist and they include the following: (1) a supportive learning environment comprised of factors such as psychological safety, openness as well as appreciation of differences. (2) concrete learning processes and practices comprised of measures that are designed to foster learning, and (3) leadership which mainly reinforces the process of learning. The behavior of leaders influences the learning process of their subordinates. The second article by Kolb Alice Y. & Kolb David A. titled â€Å"Learning Styles and Learning Spaces: Enhancing Experiential Learning in Higher Education† focuses on how experiential learning can be enhanced in higher education. The experiential learning theory manly draws from the work of 20th century scholars such as Dewey, Lewin as well as Pieaget among others. These scholars give experience in the learning process of humans.

The Disciplines of Emergency Management Research Paper

The Disciplines of Emergency Management - Research Paper Example Mitigation function differs from other emergency management disciplines since it focuses on the long-term solutions rather than preparedness for hazards or short-term recovery from hazard event. The National Mitigation Framework is guided by four principles that include Resilience and Sustainability, Leadership, Locally focused implementation, Engaged partnership and Inclusiveness, and Risk-conscious culture (Haddow, Bullock & Coppola, 2013). My community has been involved in Hampton Roads Virginia Area emergency mitigation project since the community is vulnerable to hazards that threaten the lives of citizens and property in the area. The hazards cannot be eliminated and thus several actions were implemented to protect lives, property and built environment (Bumgarner, 2008). The first step was identification of threats and hazards in order to determine associated vulnerabilities and risks to the community. Some of the hazards that are present include floods, hurricanes, tropical storms, land subsidence, sea level rise. Repeated floods are common on Hampton Road Virginia area and this strains the existing federal resources and local authority resources in dealing with the disaster. Accordingly, Hampton road is used to transport hazardous materials and there has been more than 40 accidents involving transport of hazardous materials since 2000. In this case, appropriate measures should be put in place in order to reduce the possibility of spillage of hazardous materials after an accident (Jerolleman & Kiefer, 2012). Accordingly, an appropriate scientific methodology was used to determine the possibility of risk occurrence. The possibility of occurrence is high and the cost implications are high since floods and associated disasters destroy the existing road infrastructure and other related social amenities such as power lines. The