Wednesday, January 29, 2020

The Globe Construction Company Essay Example for Free

The Globe Construction Company Essay THE GLOBE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY The Globe Construction Company top management held a management workshop one weekend in April of 1989 for the purpose of discussing present policies and procedures with the ultimate objective of formalizing these in a new company operations manual. The company was established in the mid-50s by Mr. Eduardo Concepcion. The company grew at a very fast rate due to the construction boom in the government sector during the administration of ex-President Ferdinand E. Marcos, During the seventies and early eighties, the company constructed large projects for both the government and private sectors. However, most of its projects were for the government. Globe enjoyed high margins from its government projects during this period. Competition was not a problem. When Mrs. Aquino became President, private sector construction projects in the country outnumbered government projects. Competition became more stiff forcing Globe to reduce its margins when bidding for both sectors. This change in the environment led management to call the management workshop to discuss ways of improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness. The workshop was attended by the president, the vice-president for administration, the vice-president for operations, the purchasing manager and all the project managers ( See exhibit A for Organizational Chart) Project managers are the engineers in-charge of construction projects. The company employs twenty project managers. At present, there are about eighteen on-going projects at an estimated Bid price of at least P100 million each ranging from office condominiums, shopping centres and government buildings. The purchasing unit is headed by a purchasing manager to whom buyers report. Each buyer is completely in-charge of purchasing materials required by one or more construction projects. The VP for operations is over-all in-charge of on-going projects. During the workshop, one of the project managers, Isidro Remigio, proposed that the buyers should be located at the job site reporting to the Project Manager (See Exhibit B for the Organizational Chart at the Project Site) Mr. Remigio argued: â€Å"It takes so long, sometimes about 2 weeks, before Purchasing reacts to our purchase order (PO). If the buyers report to me directly, there is no doubt that they will attend to my PO. I will be the one who will evaluate the buyer’s performance. More importantly, his proximity to the job site will make him better understand the urgency and the nature of our requests. Communicating with him will be easier too. Sometimes, when the items I need are not available, he calls me to ask for substitutes. I always have problems reaching him by phone. If it’s not busy, he is not there! If my material are delayed, my project will not be completed as scheduled.† At this point during the workshop, the Purchasing Manager interrupted Mr. Remigio and said, â€Å"Our function is not merely to implement Pos. We purchase materials ordered by the projects only 1) if the items are not on stock in the central warehouse and 2) if the items are included in the Bill of Materials (BOM) as provided by the Executive Committee. Any order in excess of the approved by us unless there is an amended bill of materials. Therefore, if the buyers will report directly to project managers, this could lead to cost overruns. The President of the Company took the floor after hearing Mr. Remigio and the Purchasing Manager. â€Å"I am also concerned about the availability of funds for approved Pos to be acted upon by purchasing. While it is good for the projects to have the required materials on time, I wouldn’t want to encourage them to stock-up too much. This will tie-up funds and increase our interest costs. I hope that wherever Purchasing is to be located in the organization chart, we will also consider the matter of fund availability.† The Central warehouse is located in Antipolo while Head office (where the buyers gold office) is located in Paco, Manila. Approximately P10Million worth of materials are kept in the Central warehouse. Exhibit B PROJECT SITE ORGANIZATION CHART BOARD Equipment Engineering Superintendent Administration * General Foreman * Asst. Foreman Exhibit A GLOBE ORGANIZATION CHART * Marketing * Design * Estimating * Drafting * Accounting * Personnel * Finance * Treasury * Bookkeeper * Stock Clerk * Time Keeper Projects Construction Purchasing Project Development Administration Operations President BOARD

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

The involvement of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War :: European Europe History

The involvement of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War On the 18 July 1936, leading Generals of the Spanish Army led a revolt against the democratically elected Popular Front government of Spain. Within days the country was plunged into civil war with the Republicans fighting the insurgent Nationalists for control of the country. The various democracies of the world turned their backs on Spain's plight and even hindered the Republicans by supporting non-intervention in the conflict. However, many people came to help the Republic. Las Brigades Internacionales, the International Brigades, would eventually include almost 40,000 men and women from 53 different countries, from all around the world. The International Brigades began as an idea in July and August of 1936, but soon its formation became the main work of the Comintern (the body with the responsibility of fostering the world-wide spread of Communism). Each Communist party was instructed to raise volunteers who would be sent to Spain by train or boat. Around 60% of the volunteers were Communists, but non-Communists were also welcomed. The first group of recruits came to Spain by train from Paris, and arrived at their base in Albacete, halfway between Madrid and Valencia, on the 14th of October. It was there that the 500 French, German and Polish recruits began training. The theme of the recruitment propaganda was based on the slogan that Spain should be "The grave of European Fascism", and with this in mind volunteers continued to flow into Spain from France. One of the organisers of recruits in Paris was the future Marshal Tito - Joseph Broz. In Albacete the volunteers were organised into language groups and the base was put under the command of Andre Marty. The Brigades were to be led by General Emilio Kleber and intensive training was to take place in the base before going to the front. The International Brigades baptism of fire came on the 8th of November 1936, when the XIth and XIIth Brigades went to the Madrid front. They numbered about 3,500 men altogether, and were extremely important to the defence of Madrid. The fighting in Madrid eventually reached stalemate and the Brigades were transferred to other fronts. The XI, XIII and XV Brigades fought at the Brunete offensive of July 1937, where losses were very high, and where Oliver Law, the Afro- American commander of the Lincoln Battalion was killed. The Brigades also played a major part in the Aragon offensive of August 1937, and were formally incorporated into the Republican Army around this time.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Language and Literacy in Social Practice Essay

Language and Literacy in Social Practice is one of a set of four readers which looks at literacy and language practices as they are moulded and shaped by the cultures of the societies they serve. Edited by Janet Maybin, the book is a collection of key articles by seminal writers in the field who investigate the role of language and literacy as part of social practice. Broken down into four sections, the book begins with articles by Malinowski, Dell Hymes, Halliday and Volosinov and sets the scene for an anthropoligical/historical exploration of the sophisticated interaction and interrelationships between language, culture and social structure. Section two then provides ethnographic accounts of recent research by researchers like Taylor and Heath who document detailed evidence of literacy practices in a wide range of situations. They show in effect how literacy practices are very much the product of economic, religious, cultural and political processes and in particular the profound effect of differing socio-cultural expectations on the educational experiences and successes of learners at the macro level of the family and the local community. Section three moves away from a local focus to review literacy practices from a cross-cultural and historical perspective drawing on the writings of Street, Graff and Gee to look at literacy and language not so much as competencies and skills but rather as a product shaped by sociocultural parameters and some socioeconomic ‘myths’. The final section draws on the cultural and historical perspectives presented thus far and adds the further specific dimension of the political aspects of language planning and teaching to investigate how literacy and language teaching is very much a product of the rhetoric of governments and a tool to control and disposses minorities and to maintain a status quo that is elitist and exclusivist. What then is the value of Maybin’s book? It certainly doesn’t work as a sourcebook or a handbook of how to improve literacy practices in any given situation – and nor is it meant to. What it does work as is as a body of readings for reflective practitioners who would like to explore the significance of the crucial place language and literacy teaching holds in most Western societies and to look at the ways in which even the most ‘mundane’ literacy practices are heavily influenced by discrete parameters of culture, society and history. Its merit lies in the way that it, through historical perspective, social theory and current research, strongly encourages the reader to value what McGinitie has referred to as ‘the power of uncertainty’. Language and Literacy in Social Practice forces the reader to consider the complex and interrelated nature of language learning and the nature of literacy acquisition as value laden activity – value laden because of the variety of social factors which vie for dominance in the formation and maintenance of a majority Discourse. The structure of the book is logical and easy to follow. For myself, I found the first section to be the least valuable in terms of what it had to offer me, but, given its intention to provide a theory base for the sociological perspective of language as a social semiotic, it achieved its aim adequately. What was much more thought provoking were the articles in section two which detailed the ways in which literate practices were inextricably related to social and cultural practices and values. Of particular value to me as well were the articles by Rockhill on Gender, language and the politics of literacy and Paolo Freire on Adult literacy processes . Language and Literacy in Social Practice is not a book of readings preaching to the converted. Rather it is a thought provoking collection of writings which will encourage the sensitive literacy educator to examine again the values one transmits. Particularly in the culturally plural Australian context, Maybin’s book provides readings that, while not specific to the Australian context, are nevertheless very easily transferrable in the principles and understandings they embody. So much so that if one were to carefully think through and implement by negotiation the broad principles outlined in the book, Language and Literacy in Social Practice could well serve as a blueprint for a policy framework for literacy education in any society that truly valued its cultural diversity and which was determined to provide the sort of education that would question the status quo. Additionally, it would offer all participants real access to those constructions of empowering literate behaviour that are the staple of the disourse practices and power relationships of everyday life. It is not, I don’t believe, overly strong when Rockhill says that ‘the politics of literacy are integral to the cultural genocide of a people†¦ ‘. Language and Literacy in Social Practice raises the sorts of issues that will help us re-examine our own personal politics to prevent just that sort of ‘cultural genocide’ no matter how well intentioned or how genteel our motives. It is a book for all educators, cutting across cultures and specifics, providing a body of thought that, if it doesn’t change existing practice, will at the very least strongly encourage a reappraisal of what it is that one actually does in the classroom.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

The Reality of the Vaginal Orgasm - 1226 Words

Unlike the biologically male population, majority of women have difficulty with reaching orgasm from intercourse alone . It is confusing and frustrating amongst heterosexual couples that seek mutually conducive sexual experiences and often amounts to self-blame and sexual insecurity in the female counterpart. There are many factors that contribute to producing orgasms, and because of its multifaceted nature, there are also many factors that can disrupt the production of female orgasms. In this piece I will focus on reasons that contribute to this difference in frequency between men and women, which will include: why difficulty of the female orgasm is common, one of the most common sexual disorders amongst women, and why some women†¦show more content†¦Similarly, women inherit the neural pathways and erectile tissue of the homologous clitoral organ that are needed to achieve orgasm. But because there lacks selection pressure for female orgasms, they are underdeveloped in female mammals. This lack of selection pressure results in a vast variability of factors pertaining to female orgasm, including the ease and occurrence of orgasm. Because female orgasm is defined in this way more so as a capacity for an ability rather than an outcome of sexual reflex (like the male orgasm), there is no particular â€Å"natural† or â€Å"common† orgasm. It seems as though the accepted â€Å"normal† has become close to the consistent reflex-type orgasm of males. This skews the perspective when approaching the topic of female orgasm and the question then becomes something along the lines of, â€Å"How can I make my orgasm like my partner’s?† : consistent, reliable, and—at the baseline—existent. If a female has a lack of or lacking orgasms in comparison and feels consequential distress, she may look for a cure to the medically termed â€Å"dysfunction†, which then implies that she is unnatural (Master Johnson, 1966). This term has stuck, however and â€Å"sexual disorder† is the umbrella, medical term for the common sexual complaints amongst men and women. They h ave been categorized as follows: (1) loss of sexual desire; (2) inadequate mental or genitalShow MoreRelatedHysteria, Not Only Oppressed Female Social Upliftment1566 Words   |  7 PagesThis misconception, as well as its unravelling was heavily influenced by the developments of Western medicine. The following essay will look at these developments, focusing on how the invention of the vibrator changed the perception of the female orgasm, sexual desire and pleasure. To begin with, the two-sex model and the influence of religious movements will be analysed in assessing how they created the ideal female of the 19th century. Subsequently, Hysteria will be explored in this context, focusingRead MoreSex After Menopause And Its Effects On Young Adults And Men975 Words   |  4 Pagesultra-gel is for dryness for women. 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In fact, to say this was a male inflicted practicedRead MoreAnthà ­a Muà ±oz April 23, 2014 WMST 3100-001 Final Exam IV: Feminist scholarship extensively2200 Words   |  9 Pagesguide, educate, and bridge the gap of spiritually can also be a source of systematic oppression, preserving and reproducing inequalities of power. In which the individual is seen as both reflexive and agentic in their continuous co-creation of their reality, rather than prisoners of instinct. 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Although there may be many different hindrances that can befall any married