Female Bonding Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Female Bonding Practices - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that in the tradition of cinematography that often depict the stories of women, the messages that are conveyed to the audience are very formalized and conventionalized. There are several characteristics that can be derived from the analysis of these messages: â€Å"Code of beautiful behavior. Conformity. Containment. Conservatism. Confines.† However, female bonding practices are different since they break through these conventions and establish new type of relationship that do not fit within the framework of the messages outlined above. The three movies chosen for analysis demonstrate different disconnection from these conventions yet all of them have a different focus on what relationship between women are like outside of the social mindset and perspective on this issue, even though each of these stories has certain traditional plot and rhythm to them.This study highlights that  among the frameworks that female bonding in all the three films breaks is the one that reflects the world as a place â€Å"in which only moderate expectations are honored and only moderate feelings are tolerated.†Ã‚  With this, the leading female characters are able to introduce sensational notion in order to develop the plots of the stories.  It is of general knowledge that, throughout history, women had less possibilities of expressing themselves in public relationship.  This resulted in the necessity of put extra efforts in order to reach the same position of men.

Key Drivers Of Business Process Changes Commerce Essay

Key Drivers Of Business Process Changes Commerce Essay Harmon (2007) explains about key drivers of business process change. He argues that in economically bad times, companies seek to make their processes more efficient and in good times, companies seek to expand their production and enter into new markets. There is much emphasis on improvement of processes to attract new customers and enter into new markets. Another factor which led to improvement of process is the impact of globalisation on the organisation performance especially to those companies that are engaged in the world trade. In order to compete in the global environment, companies are focusing on mergers and acquisitions to acquire new knowledge and technology. In the same vein, due to advancement of the information technology, it is easier for companies to approach customers and suppliers around the world. The breakthrough development in the information technology is the advent of internet; companies are changing their process to go online. When the buyer and seller are avai lable on one click so there is need to consider the process for redesigning. Levels of process change: To carry out the process change, it is necessary identify the levels of changes that are required for each of the process. Process re-engineering This is strategic level change, when major threats or opportunities in the businesss external environment prompt a fundamental rethinking of the large scale processes critical to the operation of the value chain. Process redesign This is intermediate scale of change in operations, appropriate for medium sized processes that require extensive change or improvement. It results in changes in job description or automation of processes.. Process improvement Appropriate for smaller, stable and existing processes which are tactical in nature and require incremental change (ACCA Student Accountant, Business Process Change, Edition 2008, p66-67) Process identification and Evaluation: Process identification is the way to identify the processes which are required to be reengineered. There are many ways in which process that need to be reengineered is determined. Process evaluation: Peter Keen (1997) explains mechanism by which an organisation evaluates the process. He suggests that by asking questions about the process, the identification of processes is possible which are required to be reengineered. First, Does the process represent an organisation to customers, employees and investors? If the answer is yes then that process is important. But if the answer is no then another question needs to be asked. Is the excellency of the process important for the performance of the company? If the answer is yes then we give priority to this process that dose need to be considered. If the answer is no then another question is asked. Does the process is necessary to support other business process? If the answer is yes then again process need to be considered but the importance is supporting process. But if the answer is no then final question is asked whether there is legal conditions apply for this process? If the answer is yes then that process is mandatory and again ne ed to be considered. Again if the answer is no then its management decision whether to continue to operate or abandoned the process. Rosemann (2001) proposes identification of the processes that need to be change or reengineered. There are two dimension proposes by the Rosemann. First, need to reorganise and second dimension is value of process. If the values of the processes are high and recognise needs are also high then process has high priority. If the process value is low but reorganise need is high then that is the second choice that we need to consider. Third set of process that we need to consider is the low value and low need for organising. If the process value is high and need to reorganise is low then reengineer is required to be carefully planned because it has impact on the other process if problem arises. Hammer and Champy (1993) suggest way to improve the process on the basis of dysfunction, importance and feasibility. Dysfunctional is where the process is in deep trouble. If the process is crucial for the customer satisfaction then it is important and feasibility in terms of that is most ready to successful redesign. Porter value chain: Porter value chain also provides the valuable analysis of the activities or processes that need to be changed or where improvement is required. In the business process reengineering, Porter (1985) is considered one of the most important mechanisms. x larger Size: 500  ÃƒÆ'-  500 Type: 13KB GIF http://www.provenmodels.com/files/2825c320f5910a4647fd289cdcf5a780/value_chain_analysis.gif (Porter Value chain Analysis Diagram- source www.google.co.uk) Porter value chain consists of primary activities and secondary activities. As shown in diagram, primary activities are inbound activities, operations, outbound logistics, sales and services. Whereas, secondary activities consist of the procurement, human resources, technology and infrastructure. When the organisation plan for reengineering, it is important to start from the primary activities because these activities are crucial for the success of the company. Business Process Reengineering: The fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical measures of performance such as cost, quality, service and speed. (Hammer-1990) A strategy driven organisational initiative to (re) design of business process to achieve competitive breakthroughs performance, differing in scope from process improvement to radical new process design, contingent upon the degree of socio-technical change required. (Grover and Kettinger1995) Goals of BPR: The rapid adoption and radical change by BPR, despite its failure, is fuelled by promise to make drastic improvement in business performance. The improvement results from: Improved customer satisfaction: Customer satisfaction is one of most important benefits of reengineering. Its results are high level customers satisfaction. Customers are internal and external to the organisation. Reengineering achieves this by making organisational structure that serves through the organisation rather than department. Cost reduction: In the current dynamic environment, cost effective is considered as core competences. Many companies are focusing on how to improve the cost efficiencies. On the other hand, big cost also effects the customers satisfactions. If the companies try to reduce cost then have to compromise on the quality. Reengineering aims to produce leaner and fitter companies which can easily adapt to new product and circumstances. Gover et al (1997), addressed in their journal, Wal-Mart has been reduced restocking time from six weeks to thirty-six hours. Hewlett Packards assembly time for server computers touches new low- four minutes. Taco Bells sales soar from $500 million to $3 billion. The whole credit goes to reengineering for these breakthrough changes. Improved product and service quality: Quality is one of key determinants in making product or services offerings. In the current competitive environment, sales are made on quality rather than price. Sometimes sales are made on the basis of quality rather than price. Reengineering accomplishes this by breaking organisational structure consisting of functions where the work is passed from one function to another as a package. The responsibilities are centralised in one group rather than splitting over different departments. Harnessing skill: The success of the company depends upon the utilising the skills, knowledge and expertise of the workers. In function based, individuals work in their hierarchical layer rather than contributing their knowledge and expertise. Reengineering breaks this barrier by allowing individuals to share their knowledge and empowering them for their tasks. This enables the company to fully exploit workforce skills. Reduced times: By making work flow through and between different departments in functional structure, the business performance wasting time is quite high. The reengineering approach eliminates this wasting time by bringing together those parts of the disparate organisation working on the same task into one group. The whole process is then considered as in one domain allowing everybody in that domain to focus on the effective operations and improvement of the process. Improving value-added: Business reengineering is an effective way to identify and remove those tasks and activities which result in inefficiencies and repetition factors. This allows focusing on the value adding activities that result in creating high value for the organisation and satisfying customers needs. Faster responsiveness: Business success in todays environment depends upon responding to changes. Horton believed that his major management concern for 90s to create company that can manage surprise (Horton-1989). Functional management structures slow down the decision making procedures and hence reduce the ability of managers to deal with surprises. Reengineering encourages empowering business units to take decisions and thus increase the speed with which they react to events. It also increases the speed by the removal of the time-wasting across functional transaction in the production process. Principles of BPR: The principles of BPR are agreed upon and are reviewed to get familiar with Business Process Reengineering: Achieving step change in performance: One common principle that in favour of pioneers of the reengineering is that incremental improvement is not enough in the global competition. Global competition calls for radical improvement in the quality, services, faster response and lower cost. . Davenport points out that reengineering is all about shifting from 5 to 10m percent annual improvement to 50 percent or even higher improvement in few key processes. Firms strive for multiplicative levels of improvements rather than fractional level. (Davenport- 1993). Function vs. Process oriented organisational Structure: Holtham (2001) suggests that careful thinking is required when the company plans to change business process and especially implementing the reengineering approach to improvement. BPR is used where required and when the management has sufficient potential to follow it. Because BPR is not just process change but it results in the radical redesign of the organisation structure. Normally, process improvement changes results in a change from functional structure to the process oriented structure. People who work in the functional structure also support the process orientated structure. Many organisation try to intervened their processes with the functional structure because dont want to lose benefits of the functional specialization. Thus there is move of flexible organisational structure that has both functional and process orientation. The process improvement enables organisation to think through processes and come up with design which are more efficient and effective. It results in wee ding out of the unnecessary steps within the systems. Create customer focus: Reengineering philosophy believes that the customer is key driver behind process improvement. Hammer indicates that the seller has low bargaining power and the customer now tells the supplier where they need, what they want, how they want it and what they are willing to pay (Hammer-1993). This concept also applies to internal processes where the customer is another person, or group within the organisation. Integrating work: The philosophy of reengineering is to eliminate inefficiencies from the processes by eliminating non value- added activities. The remaining activities are simplified and integrated to create new ways of working. Sometimes the solution is achieved by giving one person the authority to handle a spectrum of operations or solution is to create multidisciplinary teams. The solution achieved by giving one person the ability to handle a spectrum of operations or the solution is to create multidisciplinary teams. The overall emphasis is on giving responsibilities for processes in few hands. Developing a process management culture: The functional management based structure is incompatible with the process culture. The working practices, skills and management responsibilities need to be redefined and more productive ways are found for harnessing the expertise of every individual within company. IT and BPR: IT and BPR have no clear relationship. There is emphasise on technological innovations rather than the organisation itself when BPR was not developed (George-1991). These innovations bring reduction in time, processing, information system and storage cost. This makes the technology as independent variable to determine changes in organisation. This researchers group have been used the technology to automate the complicated as is situation of organisations which, as reported earlier, did not have significant improvements in productivity. Parnaby 1991 states that this time, failure is partly because of wrong use of IT to automate over-complex corporate process. However, it is partly fault of IT directors who have failed to raise the importance of IT to senior executive that IT plays in transforming a business. Other researchers emphasis on organisation and BPR, and believe that people deliberately design IT for intended objectives. Kim defines BPR as that an organisation uses the IT to change the way work is being done (Kim-1994). Renkema (1995) implies that A BPR investment is regarded as long term commitment of organisational resources to achieve ambitious business goals through transformation of business processes with IT as an enabling technology. There are many successful cases of major performance improvement of IT enabled BPR in the industry (Alter et al, 1990). This group of researchers believe that IT is depended variable that is planned for and configured by managers. Role of IT in BPR: The role of IT in business process reengineering is two-way: as an Implementer or an Enabler, Lyons (1995). For the first role, it is used to support the mapping, analysis and modelling aspects of BPR and helps in transformation process. The second role is to develop major communication and system infrastructure to support the integration and automation of redesigned work process. There are some technologies which are used as enablers of BPR. Technologies such as: Local Area Networks (LANs) and Electronic Mail (Email), Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Executive Information Systems (EIS), Document Image Processing (DIP). BPR Methodologies: Lucas methodology: Lucas Engineering and Systems talk about manufacturing system redesign. Their argument is that to survive in todays market, it is necessary to set high targets in current competitive market and think for radical change. In their methodology, emphasise on eliminating the non-value added activities which do not add value to the customers and result in bad system operations. Four-step approaches for waste elimination are suggested by them, namely (Lucas-1991): Simplify the systems Eliminate waste Re-organise into Natural Groups Technology improvements Another idea which is introduced here by Lucas is Natural Group. Natural group is defined in their mini guides. A Natural grouping is a multiskilled group or team who hold a whole flow chart and then sit together in one office, area or cell Davenport and Short methodology Davenport addresses five stage approaches to redesign business process by using information technology capabilities (Davenport-1990). Develop Business Vision and Process Objectives- Organisation develops the vision which leads to the redesign objective and in turn results in improvement of process. Some objectives need to be related to the specified business vision like; cost reduction, time reduction and quality. Identify Processes to Be Redesigned- In this stage; there are two major approaches; the exhaustive approach and high impact approach. In the exhaustive approach, attempts are made to identify all processes within the organisations and then priorities depending upon their urgency. In high impact approach, process is redesign which has great impact on the organisation. Understand and Measure Existing Processes- Before redesigning the process, problems are well understood so that there is no chance of repetition. Secondly, accurate measures are used as basis for future improvement. Identify IT Levers- The major role of IT is to improve coordination and information access across the organisational units. The best approach is to use the IT in the early stages of process redesign rather than developing an IT system and matching with an existing system. Design and Build a Prototype of the Process- Final stage is not final design of the process though it is based on the prototype of the design. It is suggested that the redesigned process after agreement by the process owner be implemented on pilot basis and also examined regularly for problems and objectives. The key factors in process redesign and prototype create include IT design tools and understanding generic design criteria. The redesign is fully implemented after final acceptance of the process Rummler- Brenche methodology: Rummeler- Brache (1990) wrote in their book, Improve Performance: How to manage the White Space on the organisation chart. They explained that the organisation as system and worked down from top down to develop a comprehensive picture of how organisations are defined by processes and how people define that process help in accomplishing the activities. Rummler-Brenche (1990), define three level of performance: organisational level, process level and a job or performance level. They introduce the matrix that they obtain by crossing levels with three perspectives. There are nine different concerns that managers need to consider when changing or improving processes they emphasise that approaches that only focus on process or performance level or process management are limited perspective. Goals and Measure Design and Implementation Management Organisation Level Organisational gaols measures of organisational success Organisational and implementation Organisational management Process Level Process goals and measures of process success Process design and implementation Process management Activity or performance level Activity goals and measures of activity success Activity design and implementation Activity management (Rummeler and Braches Performance framework) Process Redesign Patterns: Paul Harmon (2003) describes four basic process redesign patterns: reà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœengineering, simplification, value-added analysis, and gaps and disconnects. Business Process Re-engineering: Re-engineering pattern relates to a fundamental rethinking of existing processes to achieve major dramatic improvements. To achieve radical improvements in efficiency, it starts from scratch without considering the current situation. This approach ignores the existing processes and emphasises starting by asking what the goals of processes to be achieved are and work is carried out to achieve best outcome using the latest technology.BPR is large scale change and therefore high risk of disruption is involved. Re-engineering is best suited when large scales of changes are required. However, the other three can all be applied on a more modest scale, and could therefore be more relevant to the type of practical situation presented on. Simplification: The simplification pattern assumes that most established processes are likely to have developed elements of duplication or redundancy. Process efficiency is only possible by removing these. This approach is useful on large scale business process or more limited business processes. The best starting point for this approach is to identify the process, sub processes or activities in the existing processes and challenging each activity or sub process in the sequence. This process highlights where there is tendency of duplication or redundancy. Many organisations employ simplification for the process redesign because it is less disruptive and risky in nature. Value-added analysis: Value added analysis looks at the processes from the customer point of view identifies the value adding activities which are perceived to be valued by the customers. Customers may be internal or external. This pattern looks at the process (or sub-process) from a customers perspective. A process or activity is said to add value if it meets three criteria: 1: the customer is willing to pay for the output 2: it physically changes or transforms the output 3: it is performed correctly at the first attempt. The process or activities is said to be non value adding if: 1: preparation and set-up 2: control and inspection 3: simply moving a product from one place to another without physically changing it activities that result from delays or failures of any kind. Harmon (2003) suggests that non-value-adding activities are needed to be eliminated as far as possible. Some of these activities are essential (for example set-up activities) for the value-added activity to take place. These essential support activities are value enabling activities and need to be kept. However, these activities are expected to undertaken if these are simple and cost effective which means allowing resources for the value enabling activities to be employed. Gaps and disconnects This pattern was introduced by the Geary Rummler ad Allen Brache in1990. They argue that many of the problems arise because of failure of communication between the business functions. Manufacturing makes some new product economically but marketing and sales are not aware result in failure of whole system. The gaps and disconnects put an emphasis on the careful analysis of how existing processes are being done and before thinking for its improvement. Process improvement by Six Sigma: Yang and EI-Haik(2009) in their book explain six sigma. They argue that six sigma is best approach to bring improvement in the sub processes or activities rather than large scale processes. This approach helps the management to develop the process architecture. If architecture is already in place it helps in manager in identifying the projects which have potential of success by improving process. Six Sigma emphasises that measures at any level should be tied back to higher level process and to the strategic goals as well. There are some phases in a six sigma process improvement project: Define customers requirement for the process or services Measure existing performance and compare with customer requirements Analysis existing process Improve the process design and implement it Control the results and maintain the new performance Absecon Textile-New Jersey based company: One supplier of the contract upholstery fabric has found new ways of manufacturing process which make its efforts more efficient, more profitable and more competitive. Absecon textile based in southern New Jersey implements the lean manufacturing system. After one month implementation of lean manufacture systems processes are getting changed and there is seeing 70 percent reduction in the waste material it needlessly stored. I have heard people say lean manufacturing is applicable to every industry but textile says David Adair, Vice President of the Absecon. We dont believe that. We fully expect that lean manufacturing can give us competitive advantage . (Manufacturing Journal 2003) Marketing: Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customers requirements profitably. (Chartered Institute of Marketing cited in Rowson Pauline 2009) Levison (2007), author of Gurialla Marketing noted: Marketing is not an event, but a process.. It has a beginning, a middle, but never an end, for it a process. You improve it, perfect it, even pause it. But you never stop it completely. Importance of marketing: Marketing has strategic importance in todays competitive environment even the finance department not able to work without integration with the marketing department. The key to success in the current environment is to satisfy the customer needs and business trends by using marketing skills. Due to its importance, different companies employ marketing at different levels depending upon their need but consider it as essential element for business success. The Conference Board (2007) survey of the top CEO Challenge acknowledges the importance of the marketing. The report highlights the marketing challenges that are different at global level. CEO in Europe focuses on more new and responsive ideas. Due to this reason adoption and flexibility to change is more dominant in the Europe rather than Asia and America. The importance of the marketing for building brands and customers loyalty are accepted by all CEOs. Marketing Practices: Coveille et al (2002) in Contemporary marketing Practice Framework addresses five marketing approaches which the company adopts depending upon the customers and industry: Transactional marketing: is based on management of marketing mix to attract and satisfy customers needs and active communications to buyers in the mass market in order to create an arms length transaction. Database marketing: It involves using database technology to create relationship, thus allowing firms to compete differently from the mass market. E-marketing: It involves the use of internet and other technologies to create and settle dialogue between the company and customers. Interaction marketing: It is based on face to face interaction between individuals. This approach is highly practical because both parties customer and market invest resources to develop mutual relationship with each others. Marketing strategy: Marketing strategy is the process by which an organisation communicate its business objectives and strategy into market activity (Paul Field, 2006) Marketing strategy helps to identify the target market, what directions need to be taken and what actions need to be taken to create dependable position in the market. To this end, the core objectives of the marketing strategy are focused on the buyer behaviour and identifying the market that needs to be target and marketing programme moves around the marketing strategy. Weitz and Wensley (1998) defines marketing strategy as, it is an indicator that is specific towards which activities to be targeted and how to develop and exploit the competitive advantage. In order to get the best outcome, strategy requires clear objectives and focus on the organisation corporate goals; it also involves selecting the right customers and developing the marketing mix to implement the marketing strategy successfully. (Varadarajan 1999) A strategic market plan layouts the methods and resources required to achieve organisation goals within a specific market. Marketing department has responsibility to adopt those policies and procedure which can fulfil the customers needs. It takes into account not only marketing but also involves finance, human resources, research and development and production. The concept of strategic business units is used to define areas of consideration in specific marketing plan. Strategic business unit is a division, product line or other profit centre within a parent company. (Dibb et al 2001) Vass 2006 explains some strategies which the textile companies adopts to improve the growth and prosperity of the business. He also believes that marketing is not just about the sales. It is ongoing process of creating and maintaining relationships and measuring results. Marketing managers are required to implement strategy that helps in satisfying customer need and market targets. Market share strategy: Market share strategy is based on gaining the large share in the operating market. The success of this strategy depends upon the market penetration and the customer has to perceive that your offerings are unique. Before implementing this strategy, target market is defined? How the customers perceive your offering in relation to competitors. This information is helpful in targeting the right customers and develops communication links with the existing and potential customers. Market expansion: Seeks to expand the market size. To implement this strategy, markers are sure about the potential customers in the target market and competitors action. Market segmentation: Market segmentation concentrates on segmenting the market according to their homogenous needs and wants. Position strategy: A positioning strategy is psychological. It is designed to create and maintain a specific image in the customers mind. Its all about how the customers think and feel. Product life cycle strategy: The product life cycle strategy is driven by innovation and can apply to brand or to a product category. Its duration may be only for few months or century. Product life has four stages such as introduction, growth, maturity and decline. At the introduction stage, advertising cost is normally highly for making people aware of company offerings Quality: To implement the quality strategy, it is necessary to have better design or offering more durable product or more reliable services or faster delivery. Vass (2006) suggests that marketer should select one or two areas where they are superior to the competition and implement marketing strategy that identifies these specific attributes. Reminder strategy: Strategy is communication based. It targets regular and loyal customers to remind them to make an additional or replacement order. Simplicity strategy: Simplicity emphasis on the customer convenience. Businesses and customers are overwhelmed with the complexity and choices of goods and services available to them, with the product fully functional and features that only a small number of the users ever use. Strategic Marketing Plan and Planning: Planning: Planning is a process for accomplishing purposes. It is a blue print of business growth and a road map of development. It helps in deciding objectives both in quantitative and qualitative terms. It is setting of goals on the basis of objectives and keeping in the resources. A plan helps to avoid losing direction and to uncover the hidden opportunities. An organisational success depends upon careful planning. So preparing a satisfactory plan of the organization is essential because it helps the business in terms of products, management, finance, market and competitions. If appropriate intention is given to the planning then

Women as Undeveloped Men :: Ancient Greece Aristotle Female Essays

Women as Undeveloped Men Even the hard science of medicine is not always devoid of social information about the culture in which it is written. In ancient Greece, medical texts such as Aristotle’s The Female Role in Generation as well as The Seed and The Nature of the Child, both Hippocratic texts, all reinforced the idea that women are the result of weaker sperm despite differences in the specifics of their arguments. Aristotle wrote about the equivalence of menstrual fluid and male semen, except for menstrual fluid’s inability to generate offspring. The Hippocratic texts concluded that both partners contain sperm, and the combination of the strong male sperm and the strong female sperm creates a male child. The texts also mention the similarities between women and children, which explains the similar treatment of the two in Greece. The connection between eunuchs and women was also pointed out by reinforcing the physical semblance between unfertile men and mature women. All of these arguments come together to scientifically explain the female inferiority to the male sex, an all-encompassing aspect of society in ancient Greece. The medical texts of ancient Greece provide the scientific base for the conclusion of the society that women are undeveloped men and attempt to explain the patriarchal hierarchy of Grecian society that severely limited women’s rights and viewed them as second class citizens. The subject of semen, its nature and its role in generation inspired theories centering on the male’s ability and the female’s inability in both The Nature of the Child and Aristotle’s piece, The Female Role in Generation. According to the Hippocratic text The Nature of the Child, there is stronger and weaker sperm (346). On the subject of twins the reading states, â€Å"the pouch which receives thicker and stronger sperm will contain a male, while that which receives sperm which is more fluid and weaker will contain a female†(Lloyd ed., 346). Therefore a female is the result of weaker sperm, a weaker version of man. Similarly, Aristotle concludes that â€Å"menstrual fluid is a residue, and it is the analogous thing in females to semen in males† (Fant and Lefkowitz, 339). He describes the â€Å"male as possessing the principle of†¦generation† (ibid.). The female is simply â€Å"that out of which the generated offspring†¦comes† since â€Å"the female does not contribute any semen to generation† (ibid.

Pros and Cons of a Political Dynasty Essay

Political dynasty is common not only in our country but also in other parts of the world. It has advantages and disadvantages that may affect the community and the people as well. One of the advantages of this is that since the sons, wives or any other members of the same family in government positions have enough background on politics and well-versed in governance, they know how to care and deal with the people and they know how to work with the government since they are a familiar with it because of their relatives. Being familiar in leading people is a big factor. This helps a lot in becoming a good leader. These dynasties came about because of the votes of the people because the latter know that these set of political families can help them improve their lives. This is a good thing especially if the family has a good track record in their services and maintains integrity in their office. Most of these dynasties have been in power for decades and are being tolerated by their cons tituents since continuity in governance and policies are good for the communities they serve which is unlike in diverse political leaders in a particular province, each has his own agenda that may not be congruent to the development of the province. But of course, there are also disadvantages of having political dynasties in a country. It seems that families of influence continue to shape the direction of a certain country. Presidents rise and fall but the same people continue to rule. Being career politicians is pretty much a family business at this point where every new offspring is expected to follow in his or her parent’s footsteps and ensure that the cash flow continues. These political families have gathered enough wealth and resources to ensure that they win any election whether through the strength of the family name or through more â€Å"creative† electoral strategies. The bad side of political dynasty is when a corrupt family rules a certain place or certain country, the tendency is that corruption is being tolerated and passed from one generation to another. At the end of the day, the people will be the one to choose the leaders they want to lead. They must exercise their right to vote and enjoy the democracy of our country. The main thing they must do is to vote wisely.

Marriage in Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour”

In Kate Chopping â€Å"The Story of an Hour, the author uses irony and symbolism in order to emphasize her argument: even the kindest and most loving of marriages can be oppressive. In this short story, Mrs.. Mallard, who Is the main character, is a middle-class woman who has just lost her husband In a terrible accident. Her sister and one of her late husband's friends are there, and It Is they who break the news to her, being careful about It since she has heart problems. â€Å"Knowing that Mrs.. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death. (p. L). Knowing about her husband's death, she (Mrs.. Mallard) locks herself in her room to apparently mourn and instead realizes that she has escaped from the grasps of marriage and is â€Å"free, free, free! † at last. She embraces her newly found freedom and triumphantly gazes at the life ahead. Near the end, she comes out of her room and walks arm In arm with her sister down the stairs to find her late husband at the door, which causes her heart to give way, in what the doctors proclaimed â€Å"of heart disease?of joy that kills. When she is first told of her husband's death, she retreats into her room and locks the door behind her, biding to be left alone. Once on her chair, she starts to let her feelings flow through her, at first, there is sadness and mourning, but later on she realizes that she doesn't feel all that bad about her husband passing away, Instead, she feels happy and rejoiced, and starts to look forwards to those days she had dreaded the day before. â€Å"She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long.It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long. † She looks out of the open window in her room and sees the permitting in its bloom, with birds flying about, sparrows singing softly, patches of clear blue sky showing here and there. All of these are symbols for hope and freedom. Birds are creatures without boundaries, without limits and unbound to the ground, which we could take to mean marriage. She now feels Like a bird, able to fly off into the sky, leaving her grounding marriage behind.It is basically a symbol of freedom and hope for the future. This also tells us that her marriage, even though it wasn't a violent and unloving marriage was an oppressive one. † She knew that she loud weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead. † And â€Å"And yet she had loved him?sometimes. Often she had not. What did It matter! † These unable to do as her heart desires, bound to an unloving marriage forever.Now, she has been given the chance to be free, to choose herself what she truly wants and the open window is the symbol for that. Outside of it lie all of her possible futures. Finally, she finishes by accepting her freedom and whispe rs the words she dreaded o much to say â€Å"free, free, free! † Finally, the cause of her death is her failing heart. She dies when she realizes that all of her dreams of freedom and independence have been shattered by the appearance of her undead husband. There is a kind of sick irony in this.First off, we thought it was he who had died, but at the end their roles are reversed and it is she who ends up dying. Next, the doctors assume that she died of â€Å"Joy that kills†, in other words, she was too happy of seeing her husband well and alive that is was too much of her heart. The reader, who has had access to ere thoughts and desires, knows that she dies of sadness of not being able to carry on living freely and independently without him. She dies because he shatters her dreams, not because he fulfills them.This takes us to Chopping second argument, that death is the only way out of the confinements of marriage. For all we know, Mrs.. Mallard stays at home quite a w hile, since her chair is â€Å"sunken in† which leads us to believe that it is frequently used and therefore she spends most of her time at home. This confinement is what she can't stand of marriage, unable of doing the thing she wants when she wants to do them. The only way she is able to escape this imprisonment is by the death of her husband, which sets her free.Chopin is basically arguing the old saying â€Å"The truth shall set you free†. Knowing that her husband has died, she lets the truth take hold of her, realizing that she's finally going to be happy. But when Mr.. Mallard strides unknowingly through the door, she collapses on the floor and dies. The truth, that he wasn't actually dead has set her free, has parted her from her oppressive marriage. At the very beginning of the story, in fact, the very first thing we know about Mrs.. Mallard is that she has heart problems â€Å"Knowing that Mrs.. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble†¦ In this short story, Mrs.. Mallard's heart disease is a symbol for her marriage and marriage in general in the technetium, in which marriage lies at the heart of society. Marriage is the beating heart of society, what binds it together, and is therefore an unbreakable bond, if you were to go against it you would go against society itself. This, from Chopping (Kate) point of view is unacceptable; marriage should be kept only if there is love, unlike Mrs.. Mallard and her husband. â€Å"And yet he had loved him?sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! The author makes the heart represent marriage, and to show that it is a broken institution she gives Mrs.. Mallard heart problems. This is a clear statement against marriage, telling us that it has lost its meaning and has become a sickly form of binding people together. In the story, it also foreshadows the events that happen later on, namely, her death due to a corrupt and broken marriage. In her short story, Kate Chopin tells us that wome n feel oppressed by marriage whether it is a loving marriage or not, and hey crave for freedom and independence.She does this with the help of symbols such as the open window, representing spring, freedom, hope, independence, and the possibilities of her new life and breaking the bonds of an oppressive marriage, the heart problem that afflicts Mrs.. Mallard which represents how marriage is â€Å"sick† only way a woman can escape marriage by having her die instead of him who supposedly died at the beginning of the story. All in all, she tells us that all marriages confine women and deprive them of their freedom and independence, that oppression is in the very nature of every marriage.

Difference Between Wie and Als

Difference Between 'Wie' and 'Als' In German,  wie  means as.   The word  als  also means as. Its no wonder that people learning German get confused between the two. Luckily, if you can memorize two simple rules then you can master the difference and continue on your way toward German fluency.   The Mistake Wie (adverb/conjunction) is often used instead of als (only a conjunction) and vice versa. For example, incorrect use might read: Er ist grÃ" §ÃŽ ²er wie sein Vater. (Intended to say: He is taller than his father.)Dieses Auto ist teurer wie mein letztes.  (Intended to say: This car is more expensive than my last one.) The correct way to phrase these sentences would be: Er ist grÃ" §ÃŽ ²er als sein Vater.Dieses Auto ist teurer als mein letztes. Whats the Difference? Though both wie and als  are used when comparing two items or people, remember that: Wie is used solely when both things compared are equalAls is used only when the items compared are unequal. Can You Say Als Wie? There is also the tendency, even among Germans, to use both als wie together in a phrase when comparing two items. For example, one popular slogan for the clothing store KiK states Besser als wie ​man denkt. (Better than you think.)Grammatically correct, this should read: Besser als man denkt. The  wie is unnecessary and incorrect.   Try This Memorization Trick So how can you remember what  wie and als stand for when comparing two things? Try this memorization trick: anders als:  different than If you remember als with the other A-word and that it means different, then you know you cannot insert als for wie, which is used when comparing two equal (not different) things.

The Munich Conference and Munich Agreement in WWII

The Munich Conference and Munich Agreement in WWII The Munich Agreement was an astonishingly successful strategy for the Nazi party leader Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) in the months leading up to World War II. The agreement was signed on Sept. 30, 1938, and in it, the powers of Europe willingly conceded to Nazi Germanys demands for the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia to keep peace in our time. The Coveted Sudetenland Having occupied Austria beginning in March 1938, Adolf Hitler turned his attention to the ethnically German Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. Since its formation at the end of World War I, Czechoslovakia had been wary of possible German advances. This was largely due to unrest in the Sudetenland, which was fomented by the Sudeten German Party (SdP). Formed in 1931 and led by Konrad Henlein (1898–1945), the SdP was the spiritual successor of several parties that worked to undermine the legitimacy of the Czechoslovakian state in the 1920s and early 1930s. After its creation, the SdP worked to bring the region under German control and, at one point, became the second largest political party in the country. This was accomplished as German Sudeten votes concentrated in the party while Czech and Slovak votes were spread across a constellation of political parties. The Czechoslovak government strongly opposed the loss of the Sudetenland, as the region contained a vast array of natural resources, as well as a significant amount of the nations heavy industry and banks. In addition, as Czechoslovakia was a polyglot country, concerns were present about other minorities seeking independence. Long worried about German intentions, the Czechoslovakians commenced construction of a large series of fortifications in the region beginning in 1935. The following year, after a conference with the French, the scope of the defenses increased and the design began to mirror that used in the Maginot Line along the Franco-German border. To further secure their position, the Czechs were also able to enter into military alliances with France and the Soviet Union. Tensions Rise Having moved toward an expansionist policy in late 1937, Hitler began assessing the situation to the south and ordered his generals to start making plans for an invasion of the Sudetenland. Additionally, he instructed Konrad Henlein to cause trouble. It was Hitlers hope that Henleins supporters would foment enough unrest that it would show that the Czechoslovakians were unable to control the region and provide an excuse for the German Army to cross the border. Politically, Henleins followers called for the Sudeten Germans to be recognized as an autonomous ethnic group, given self-government, and be permitted to join Nazi Germany if they so desired. In response to the actions of Henleins party, the Czechoslovak government was forced to declare martial law in the region. Following this decision, Hitler began demanding that the Sudetenland immediately be turned over to Germany. Diplomatic Efforts As the crisis grew, a war scare spread across Europe, leading Britain and France to take an active interest in the situation, as both nations were eager to avoid a war for which they were not prepared. As such, the French government followed the path set by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (1869–1940), who believed that the Sudeten Germans grievances had merit. Chamberlain also thought that Hitlers broader intentions were limited in scope and could be contained. In May, France and Britain recommended to Czechoslovakian President  Edvard BeneÃ… ¡ (1844–1948) that he give in to Germanys demands. Resisting this advice,  BeneÃ… ¡ instead ordered a partial mobilization of the army. As tensions grew through the summer,  BeneÃ… ¡ accepted a British mediator, Walter Runciman (1870–1949), in early August. Meeting with both sides, Runciman and his team were able to convince BeneÃ… ¡ to grant the Sudeten Germans autonomy. Despite this breakthrough, the SdP was under strict orders from Germany not to accept any compromise settlements.  Ã‚   Chamberlain Steps In In an attempt to calm the situation, Chamberlain sent a telegram to Hitler requesting a meeting with the goal of finding a peaceful solution. Traveling to Berchtesgaden on Sept. 15, Chamberlain met with the German leader. Controlling the conversation, Hitler lamented the Czechoslovak persecution of Sudeten Germans and boldly requested that the region be turned over. Unable to make such a concession, Chamberlain departed, stating that he would have to consult with the Cabinet in London and requested that Hitler refrain from military action in the meantime. Though he agreed, Hitler continued military planning. As part of this, the Polish and Hungarian governments were offered part of Czechoslovakia in return for allowing the Germans to take the Sudetenland. Meeting with the Cabinet, Chamberlain was authorized to concede the Sudetenland and received support from the French for such a move. On Sept. 19, 1938, the British and French ambassadors met with the Czechoslovak government and recommended ceding those areas of the Sudetenland where Germans formed more than 50 percent of the population. Largely abandoned by its allies, the Czechoslovakians were forced to agree. Having secured this concession, Chamberlain returned to Germany on Sept. 22 and met with Hitler at Bad Godesberg. Optimistic that a solution had been reached, Chamberlain was stunned when Hitler made new demands. Not happy with the Anglo-French solution, Hitler demanded that German troops be permitted to occupy the entirety of the Sudetenland, that non-Germans be expelled, and that Poland and Hungary be given territorial concessions. After stating that such demands were unacceptable, Chamberlain was told that the terms were to be met or military action would result. Having risked his career and British prestige on the deal, Chamberlain was crushed as he returned home. In response to the German ultimatum, both Britain and France began mobilizing their forces. The Munich Conference Though Hitler was willing to risk war, he soon found that the German people were not. As a result, he stepped back from the brink and sent Chamberlain a letter guaranteeing the safety of Czechoslovakia if the Sudetenland were ceded to Germany. Eager to prevent war, Chamberlain replied that he was willing to continue talks and asked Italian leader Benito Mussolini (1883–1945) to aid in persuading Hitler. In response, Mussolini proposed a four-power summit between Germany, Britain, France, and Italy to discuss the situation. The Czechoslovakians were not invited to take part. Gathering in Munich on Sept. 29, Chamberlain, Hitler, and Mussolini were joined by French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier (1884–1970). Talks progressed through the day and into the night, with a Czechoslovakian delegation forced to wait outside. In the negotiations, Mussolini presented a plan that called for the Sudetenland to be ceded to Germany in exchange for guarantees that it would mark the end of German territorial expansion. Though presented by the Italian leader, the plan had been produced by the German government, and its terms were similar to Hitlers latest ultimatum. Desiring to avoid war, Chamberlain and Daladier were willing to agree to this Italian plan. As a result, the Munich Agreement was signed shortly after 1 a.m. on Sept. 30. This called for German troops to enter the Sudetenland on Oct. 1 with the movement to be completed by Oct. 10. Around 1:30 a.m., the Czechoslovak delegation was informed of the terms by Chamberlain and Daladier. Though initially unwilling to agree, the Czechoslovakians were forced to submit when informed that should a war occur they would be held responsible. Aftermath As a result of the agreement, German forces crossed the border on Oct. 1 and were warmly received by the Sudeten Germans while many Czechoslovakians fled the region. Returning to London, Chamberlain proclaimed that he had secured peace for our time. While many in the British government were pleased with the result, others were not. Commenting on the meeting, Winston Churchill proclaimed the Munich Agreement a total, unmitigated defeat. Having believed that he would have to fight to claim the Sudetenland, Hitler was surprised that Czechoslovakias erstwhile allies readily abandoned the country in order to appease him. Quickly coming to have contempt for Britains and Frances fear of war, Hitler encouraged Poland and Hungary to take parts of Czechoslovakia. Unconcerned about retaliation from the western nations, Hitler moved to take the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939. This was met with no significant response from either Britain or France. Concerned that Poland would be Germanys next target for expansion, both nations pledged their support in guaranteeing Polish independence. Going further, Britain concluded an Anglo-Polish military alliance on Aug. 25. This was quickly activated when Germany invaded Poland on Sept. 1, starting World War II. Selected Sources Munich Pact September 29, 1938. The Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History and Development. Lillian Goldman Law Library 2008. Web. May 30 2018.Holman, Brett. The Sudeten crisis, 1938. Airminded: Airpower and British Society, 1908–1941. Airminded. Web. May 30 2018.

7 Bad Speaking Habits You Should Avoid [Infographic]

7 Bad Speaking Habits You Should Avoid [Infographic] You’re always making an impression in the workplace. Don’t make an amateur mistake and think that people don’t take note of your casual observations in the break room or  whispered hallway  complainfests. What you say in the workplace stays in the workplace†¦and colors how people perceive you and your level of professionalism. You need to remember that you aren’t among your buddies–you’re at a place of employment, where even the most talented employee can come across as negative, petty, and untrustworthy due to misspeaking in word or in tone. Read on to find Business Insider‘s 7 Habits of Bad Speakers, and then work to eradicate these habits from your daily speech.

Analysis of Semiotics and Archeology Research Paper

Analysis of Semiotics and Archeology - Research Paper Example It then goes ahead to systemize the signs and phenomena into different theories and models, and this is known as theoretic semiotics and finally tries to apply the knowledge gained to find practical solutions which are known as applied semiotics. The study of semiotics can, therefore, be applied in many contexts, one of which being in archeology. Archeology can be understood to be a science that carries out attempts to understand the past through the use of the physical evidence that is available. This evidence may include written material as well as other symbolic artifacts. In their work, it is important for archeologists to have an understanding of different symbolic behaviors and the different symbols that they come across in their work. According to Preucel (8), the field of semiotics has undergone a transformation in the recent past. This transformation means that semiotics has changed its traditional focus which was studying sign systems and classifying the signs to include th e study of how these signs are produced and their meanings as they occur in a social context. The basic premise in semiotics is, therefore, that meaning can only be derived from the social context in which the symbols or interactions are occurring. This has become important in the application of semiotics to archeology as the different signs or symbols that are to be found within the archeological exploration and process. The knowledge of symbols, signs, codes, and cons can, therefore, be applied in archeology. The understanding of the arrangement or organization if the material objects that are found into codes to give them meaning are, therefore, an important process. It is important to realize that unlike in the linguistic sentences the interpretation of material culture is a more complex process. As such, there is a need for archeologists to come up with a system that effectively structures and interprets the different aspects of material culture. This marks an important aspect of the relationship between semiotics and archeology. The relationship between semiotics and archeology is said to have begun in the 1960s when the linguistic model was first applied to studying archeological data. This was however only applicable to the study of Paleolithic and historical archeology and was therefore limited in its scope and area of study. The introduction of a theoretical framework for the combination of linguistic structuralism and processual archeology by Ian Hodder, however, marked the beginning of more formal and reliable use of semiotics in linguistic interpretation. The importance of semiotics in the study of archeology was emphasized by the fact that it is impossible for the material culture to produce meaning without the consideration of the context of this culture. In the understanding of the role that is played by semiotics in archeology, it is important that the concept of structuralism is explained. Structuralism refers to the approach that considers t he world to consist of structures that ate composed of different single entities that are mutually dependent.  Ã‚  

First Amendment Legal Precedents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

First Amendment Legal Precedents - Essay Example Here, Las Vegas is attempting to assert that a public street is a private place and the notion flies in the face of the first amendment. If the city of Las Vegas regulates the content of the expression, there must be a compelling state interest and must be narrowly written to achieve that interest. Perry Education Ass'n v. Perry Local Educators' Ass'n, 460 U.S. 37 (1983). Restrictions on speech in a public forum will likely also be upheld if the expressive activity being regulated is a type that is not entitled to full First Amendment protection, such as obscenity. Laws that regulate the time, manner, and place, but not content, of speech in a public forum receive less scrutiny by the Court than do laws that restrict the content of expression. It is not necessary that a content-neutral law be the least restrictive alternative, but only that the government's interest would be achieved less effectively without it. Ward v. Rock against Racism, 491 U.S. 781, (1989). A distinction is drawn between public premises that serve as traditional public forums and those that constitute limited public forums. For example, state fairgrounds are public premises that have not traditionally served as public forums. The government is allowed to impose more restrictions on free speech in limited public forums than in traditional public forums. In Heffron v. ... Here there is nothing to indicate that the grounds are private and as such the protest should be allowed subject to any limitations set forth by Heffron v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness. 2. 10 points - Harvey Case- information attached Do you think Judge Ross's ruling that William Harvey's arrest was a legitimate exercise of government power was a sound legal decision Or do you agree with the New York Civil Liberties Union's director that the ruling violated Harvey's First Amendment rights Explain your answer citing the legal rules that apply to free speech and explaining how you believe they apply to the particular facts surrounding William Harvey's arrest. One of the freedoms that we as Americans enjoy is the freedom of speech and with any freedom, comes the drawbacks. Setting aside the sickening notion that America in any way deserved the tragic events that occurred on September 11, 2001, the fact remains that everyone is entitled to express their opinions. Laws that limit inciting or provocative speech often called fighting words, or offensive expressions such as pornography, are subject to what the United States Supreme Court has determined a strict scrutiny test. The government may impose content regulations on certain categories of expression that do not merit First Amendment protection. For example, the Court stated in Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, 315 U.S. 568, (1942),"There are certain defined and narrowly limited classes of speech, the prevention and punishment of which have never bee,n thought to raise constitutional problems."Â  

Basic linguistic topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Basic linguistic topics - Essay Example his disciple cannot be overemphasized as it will help parents to better understand the language learning capacity of their ward, as well as know how to help their children attain their maximum potential in the early developing stages. Stork and Widdowson (1997) assert that the two contributing factors for child language acquisition are an â€Å"innate potential† for acquisition of any language and a â€Å"linguistic environment† (Rahimpour 2). In addition to these two factors there are several other elements, which come into play and that work throughout the different developmental stages of a child’s language acquisition process. In order to understand this process properly one must understand each individual milestone, which works together and ultimately enables the child to communicate to his or her environment with a language. The aim of this paper is to recognize and analyse the major milestones in child language acquisition. However, before getting into the stages of child language acquisition it is important to understand theories that describe the ability as well as linguistic capability of children. In the words of Noam Chomsky, â€Å"nobody is taught language,† which implies that parents do not hold the credit for their children learning a particular language, and furthermore, they â€Å"cannot prevent the child from learning it† either (Fromkin, Rodman and Hyams 394). However, researchers have remained perplexed as to how children form questions, negate sentences, use â€Å"pronouns appropriately† as well as understand countless sentences they have â€Å"never heard† even before they are able to â€Å"add small numbers or tie their shoes† (394). But, in depth study and analysis in this same matter has led the researchers to come up with many different theories that relate to language acquisition. The major theories include â€Å"behaviorism, nativism, social cogn ition theory and social interactionism,† where each theory is different from the other yet no one

Commercialization plan for Medical devices Essay

Commercialization plan for Medical devices - Essay Example The study will highlight the entire commercialization plan developed for the Health Kart Diabetic Monitoring device which includes the patenting, drafting and the quality control process. Table of Contents Technology 6 Product Description: HealthKart Diabetz 6 Key Success Factors 6 Patents 7 Process of Acquiring Patents for Diabetic Monitoring Device 9 The Firm: Health Kart Diabetes 10 The Business Opportunity 11 Value Proposition 11 External Players 12 Market 13 Market Dynamics 13 External Forces 13 Environmental Impact 13 Marketing Strategies 14 Strategic Positioning of HealthKare Diabetes 17 Quality Control Monitoring Process 21 Action Plan 23 Implementation of Milestones 24 Marketing Tasks 24 Timings 24 Mass Targeting Strategy for HealthKare Diabetes 24 Commercial Risk Assessment 25 Financials 26 Conclusion 27 References 28 Background: Commercialization of Diabetic Monitoring Devices The commercialization activity is regarded as an important business activity, which leads to the development of a new market plan for the introduction of a new product into the market (Ahmed & Rafiq, 2002). This activity involves the formulation of new marketing strategies and also the development of effective marketing devices, which would help in checking the feasibility of the marketing plan. Commercialization would also help in monitoring whether the marketing activities adhere with the executed plan (CIM, n.d.). However, commercialization would also include various marketing strategies required for the launch of new product and production process, which would also require financial and non-financial assistance from the management perspective. The study will deal with commercialization of diabetic monitoring devices, which forms an integral part among the medical equipment. Diabetic monitoring devices not only help in checking the glucose levels of an individual, but also prevent from increasing the glucose levels in medical patients. The main objective of the monitoring de vices would be to check the glucose content and the concentration of glucose levels in an individual. The study will deal with the commercialization plan of diabetic monitoring device, which has been the aid for several medial patients. The author of the study has formulated a marketing plan, which consists of varied marketing strategies for introducing new product into the market and also for the development of a commercialization process for this particular product. Technology Product Description: HealthKart Diabetz The product would be named HealthKart Diabetz and will be initially marketed in the US and UK to cater to the needs of the mass population suffering from diabetes and other glucose content related diseases. The main objective of the marketer would be to develop a product whose functionality would be simple and would produce accurate results. The medical device would help in providing quantitative test and would reflect the glucose content in the blood levels of the ind ividual. The product will help in monitoring the glucose level of an individual and the results can be shown to the doctor for daily adjustment in the treatment, checking high and low level sugar content, understand whether the patient requires change in the existing diet and exercise plan. The product will be environment

Business Plan for Budget Hotel Sri Lanka Assignment

Business Plan for Budget Hotel Sri Lanka - Assignment Example The introduction and popularity of budget holiday package in the country is a great fillip to venture budget hotels as an indispensable element of tourism industry. A budget holiday package allows travelers to plan and book their own itineraries in conformity to their needs and preferences. An official source estimates that in the UK there were 22.5 million budget holiday makers in the year 2000 (Mintel). This business plan covers almost all aspects of the proposed business - both qualitative and quantitative information- incorporated to substantiate the viability of the proposed project and business prospects. The Hotel is proposed to be started in a six storied building at Narahenpita, Colombo-05, Sri Lanka. The location is found favourable for a budget hotel as the property has all basic amenities such as three phase electricity, passenger lift and AC rooms (Appendix 3). The hotel will be set up as a joint partnership business venture by Mr. I.T.H. Gamage and Mr. E. Bojang with eq ual share and it is proposed to be named as 'Budget Hotel Sri Lanka'. The business opportunity was identified after an extensive research into the market to venture a small budget hotel in Colombo City, Sri Lanka. It has been decided as part of the strategy that the hotel will offer simple but comfort, safe and secure place for an exceptional experience to customers. The hotel will be targeting both domestic and international tourists who visit and plans to stay in Colombo. This region is the most sought after place for night stay as one of the official sources report that there were 982362 foreign and 380251 local guests who had opted this region for their night stay in 2007(Appendix 04). The hotel is mainly targeting low profile business travellers as well as those who visit the country for purposes like leisure, sport, and sightseeing (Appendix 13). The SWOT and PEST analysis affirm that though there are enough number of hotels and other locally generated accommodation in the cit y, the competition can, to a great extent, be mitigated through the cost leadership strategy (Appendix 9 and 10). Furthermore, the Porter's Five Forces Model (Appendix 11) reaffirms the approach as the city is seriously lagging behind in meeting the travellers' needs in an economical manner. Though the country has faced a decline in tourist arrival during 2006 and 2007 period owing to the internal political hardships (LTTE problem and probability of outbreak of a war), it is estimated that an annual increase of 20% is expected (Appendix 15), once the problem is solved. Mintel's Forecast report also reiterates this estimate (Appendix 17). All these pin point the possibilities for the successful operations of the hotel and the opportunities to flourish in future. 2. MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the venture is to become the leader in the budget hotel industry in Sri Lanka, while ensuring growth in the business and its profits. This will be met through the achievement of the following objectives. 2.1. Objectives To be the leader in the budget hotel industry in Sri Lanka by providing standard, safe and comfortable accommodation to customers at affordable prices. Promoting responsible and sustainable tourism by pursuing environmentally friendly operational policies. Expanding the marketing and advertising campaign within Sri Lanka and our major international source markets. Ensuring fair

Special Education Needs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Special Education Needs - Essay Example It should however be noted that though EAL pupils or bilingual learners have specific linguistic needs, they may not necessarily require special education needs, and thus EAL needs should not be confused with SEN (Milton, 2004, p. 4). This is because the difference between the instruction language and learner’s own language is not in itself a disability and does not solely make learning difficult. Provision of special education needs was emphasized at the Warnock Committee forum where special education needs and provision of special learning were broadly articulated and recommendations made to provoke official thinking about special education. Earlier disability concerns revolved around deafness, blindness, physical and sensory impairment, and speech defects that have medical interventions. Defects such as educational ‘sub-normality’ and maladjustment could not have been addressed medically. No children regardless of their impairment levels should be regarded as n on-educable and hence special education needs must be available to all children with disability (Beevridge, 1999, P.2). More recent models that have addressed special education needs in children included the ‘Every Child Matters’ strategy of 2003 and the 2004 model ‘Barriers to Inclusion’. ... Generality across different areas of learning could be mild or severe. Special education needs include aspects of special access to the curriculum, provision of tailored curriculum and attention to the learning environment. Children with sensory and physical impairments require special equipment, adapted written material or/and attention to positioning to fully participate in learning experiences. Assessment is vital in every stage of special education provision and involves early screening to determine the child’s abilities in terms of language, cognitive, emotional, and social orientation. Screening helps determine additional needs. The method of assessment for English language acquisition in EAL pupils with physical and sensory impairments should be similar to that for EAL counterparts without disabilities. The measurement of performance of EAL pupils with disabilities should be similar to that of their monolingual colleagues. To inform planning and targeting, a clear asses sment of second language acquisition by EAL learners is important (Milton, 2004, p.4). When decisions are made that the identified cases have special needs, special attention is recommended (Algozzine and Ysseldiyke, 2006, p.8). Also of importance to the teacher is the concept of ‘keep it simple’ in content delivery which is part of expository approach, use of the appropriate pace during instruction to allow content synthesis and amount of assistance accorded. To promote learning for EAL learners with or without SEN, certain strategies are useful such as creating a team set up and embracing collaborative activities, pairing and mentorship,

Business Plan for Budget Hotel Sri Lanka Assignment

Business Plan for Budget Hotel Sri Lanka - Assignment Example The introduction and popularity of budget holiday package in the country is a great fillip to venture budget hotels as an indispensable element of tourism industry. A budget holiday package allows travelers to plan and book their own itineraries in conformity to their needs and preferences. An official source estimates that in the UK there were 22.5 million budget holiday makers in the year 2000 (Mintel). This business plan covers almost all aspects of the proposed business - both qualitative and quantitative information- incorporated to substantiate the viability of the proposed project and business prospects. The Hotel is proposed to be started in a six storied building at Narahenpita, Colombo-05, Sri Lanka. The location is found favourable for a budget hotel as the property has all basic amenities such as three phase electricity, passenger lift and AC rooms (Appendix 3). The hotel will be set up as a joint partnership business venture by Mr. I.T.H. Gamage and Mr. E. Bojang with eq ual share and it is proposed to be named as 'Budget Hotel Sri Lanka'. The business opportunity was identified after an extensive research into the market to venture a small budget hotel in Colombo City, Sri Lanka. It has been decided as part of the strategy that the hotel will offer simple but comfort, safe and secure place for an exceptional experience to customers. The hotel will be targeting both domestic and international tourists who visit and plans to stay in Colombo. This region is the most sought after place for night stay as one of the official sources report that there were 982362 foreign and 380251 local guests who had opted this region for their night stay in 2007(Appendix 04). The hotel is mainly targeting low profile business travellers as well as those who visit the country for purposes like leisure, sport, and sightseeing (Appendix 13). The SWOT and PEST analysis affirm that though there are enough number of hotels and other locally generated accommodation in the cit y, the competition can, to a great extent, be mitigated through the cost leadership strategy (Appendix 9 and 10). Furthermore, the Porter's Five Forces Model (Appendix 11) reaffirms the approach as the city is seriously lagging behind in meeting the travellers' needs in an economical manner. Though the country has faced a decline in tourist arrival during 2006 and 2007 period owing to the internal political hardships (LTTE problem and probability of outbreak of a war), it is estimated that an annual increase of 20% is expected (Appendix 15), once the problem is solved. Mintel's Forecast report also reiterates this estimate (Appendix 17). All these pin point the possibilities for the successful operations of the hotel and the opportunities to flourish in future. 2. MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the venture is to become the leader in the budget hotel industry in Sri Lanka, while ensuring growth in the business and its profits. This will be met through the achievement of the following objectives. 2.1. Objectives To be the leader in the budget hotel industry in Sri Lanka by providing standard, safe and comfortable accommodation to customers at affordable prices. Promoting responsible and sustainable tourism by pursuing environmentally friendly operational policies. Expanding the marketing and advertising campaign within Sri Lanka and our major international source markets. Ensuring fair

Anti death penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anti death penalty - Essay Example An example from the history tells us that in 1975, two African American men in Florida named Freddie Pitts and Wilber Lee were granted commutation after twelve long years awaiting death-penalty for the murder of two white men. Their conviction was as a result of constrained confessions, spurious testament and an adduced bystander. After a long time of nine-years of battle in the courts, a white confessed his guilt and Pitts and Wilber were granted absolution by the governor. Had their death-penalty not been delayed due to the court-battles, they would have naively executed (Bedau, November 10, 1999). The history of death penalty can be traced back to the eighteenth century (B.C) when the laws for it were established. As years passed these penalties were used all over the world to kill the guilty people. After the World War II the United States protected pregnant women, elders and children from these death penalties but did not abolish it completely. Over these years many countries ha ve abolished it but the United States still follows it to a certain extent (Death Penalty Information Center 2011). The proponents of the death-penalty justify it by biblical quotations to use death penalty as the ultimate punishment for murders and equivalent crimes. The bible says that the murders must be vindicated: life for life is what the bible says about murders. But the justifications presented cannot be applied in the modern world because of the ethics that apply these days. The bible’s quotation about life for life was for that time when the unjust and violent people were killing innocent and exemplary people. According to most of the people, the death-penalty should be abolished from the U.S and that the criminals must be given a chance to change themselves. Death row inmates can spend their time in the law library and interact with each other and somehow get the wind of the crime of what they have done and accept to change from the bottom of their hearts. The proc ess of death qualification was constitutionally challenged in Lockhart v. McCrea on the basis that it produces unrepresentative and doctrine procumbent juries. The United States Supreme Court rejected such challenges by questioning the truthiness of the relevant social science research. But according to me, the challenges made were completely just and the government should have had taken suitable steps in order to eradicate this barbaric act from the society (Guernsey 2010) The moral disengagement is also an aspect worth discussing in this regard. According to a study by Osofsky, Bandura and Zimbardo in 2005, they took direct words from the executioner. The executioner said that the ECG monitors are in front of him when he carries out the process. His duty is to push the syringe in the veins of the guilty and lower the heart beat of the guilty until it becomes flattened. The harder he pushes, the more flattened is the graph and once he empties the last injection, the pulse rate reac hes zero indicating that the guilty is now dead. He adds further that it is distraught to see someone die in front of him and leaves a great impact on him even after some days. This research helps to conclude that the executioner has vivid thoughts about the incident too as it is a harsh process to be carried out (Osofsky et al 2005). The opponents believe that death-penalty should be abolished because it is a barbaric act of murder which involves the death of an individual in a

Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium

Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium The Study of Satisfaction Level of Occupants towards the Maintenance and Facilities in PV10 Condominium Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1  Background The population in Malaysia is on a rapid growth and this can be seen in the last three (3) years, 2007 – 2009. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the population growth was from 27.17 million (2007) to 28.31 million (2009). That shows an increase of 1.14 million within three (3) years. This population figure was last updated on the 31 st July 2009. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) According to the International and National Context of Growth from the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020, the figure below illustrates the function of Kuala Lumpur and its conurbation (KLC). The figure illustrates ‘functional pyramid’ for the KLC with more specialised urban functions towards the apex of the pyramid, which represents Kuala Lumpur and more general functions towards its base, representing the remainder of the KLC. (DBKL International and National Context of Growth, 2009) From Figure 1, it is shown that the number of population increases. However, the land area still remains the same. Land scarcity is faced by the people of Kuala Lumpur as more construction works are carried out to meet the demand of the increasing population. The relationship between population and living standard is obvious as the graph shows that the living standard is proportional to the population. According to Datuk Michael Yam (2009), Kuala Lumpur’s 1.7 million population is expected to expand by 30% within the next decade and that the market is getting more sophisticated with consumers demanding more facilities, convenience and built quality to improve their quality of life. (The Star, 28 March 2009) Condominiums are on high demand in a high density area like Kuala Lumpur due to the population increase and at the same time this highly populated area is facing scarcity of land. However, the satisfaction of the occupants in a condominium is important to ensure that developers will be able to continue to expand such projects in their firm. This is because, liberalization or opening up of the market gives wider choices of goods or services for consumers which contribute to their satisfaction. (The Star, 6 July 2009) Therefore, the facilities and maintenance provided in a condominium are important to meet the occupants’ satisfaction towards the condominium they are staying. 1.2  Problem Statement In Malaysia, as the population rises through the years, the construction of condominium development also has to increase to meet the demand of increasing residents. As the latest statistic stated that there is a population of 28.31 million (in 2009), there will also be an increase in land use. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) In Kuala Lumpur, despite the softer conditions in the property market construction will still be an on-going process. According to one of the top companies like Sunrise Sdn. Bhd, they expect to perform well in the next two to three years due to its high unbilled sales of RM 1.36 billion. As at July, Sunrise had sold 93% of 10 Mount’ Kiara (MK10) units, 45% of 11 Mount’ Kiara (MK 11), 92% of Solaris Dutamas, 9% of The Residence Phase 2B, 90% of Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 95% of Mont’ Kiara Banyan, and 100% of Kiara Designer Suites-Kiara Walk. (The Star, 29 October 2008) As Sunrise is focusing more on the condominium residential type of construction, it is shown that condominium is still in high demand despite the slow economic flow at the moment. However, there must be certain factors which cause the homebuyers to set their mind on purchasing the condominium of their choice. To successfully compete in the long term, the company must be sure that existing customers are satisfied. Providing superior quality and keeping customers satisfied are rapidly becoming the ways for companies to stand out among the other companies. (Zeljko M. Torbica  and  Robert C. Stroh., 2001) According to the National House Buyers Association, management and maintenance ranked second in the types of complaint in the complaints statistics. (National House Buyers Association, 2006) The complaints statistics is as illustrated in Figure 2. Therefore, it is important to carry out the research about the satisfaction of the occupants in the aspect of the maintenance and facilities provided in a condominium. Besides that, ways of improving the maintenance and facilities from the occupants’ point of view will also be carried out in this research. 1.3  Aim Objectives Aim To look into the satisfaction levels of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities of the condominium. Objectives To determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV 10 Condominium with the maintenance and facilities provided. To determine the ways to improve the maintenance and facilities to increase the satisfaction of occupants in PV10 Condominium. 1.4  Benefits/Importance of Study This study will benefit three parties; consisting of the developer, the management of the condominium and the occupants of condominiums. The developers will be able to plan their construction wisely to increase the demand in houses and preserve the developer’s reputation as it is one of the essential key to success for a developer. On the other hand, occupants or homebuyers will benefit when they are able to purchase and stay in the type of house they wish to have, and to own a worth buying piece of property. Besides that, the management of the condominium will be able to plan their management in the maintenance and facilities offered to the occupants as this is the key to customer satisfaction. 1.5  Scope of Study This case study will be carried out in PV 10, Jalan Genting Kelang, Setapak. There are 4 blocks of condominium in PV10 and they will be taken into consideration for this research. This place is chosen because it is one of the latest condominiums built in one of the highly populated area. Maintenance and facilities offered will be further looked into. The maintenance in the condominium will cover the cleanliness and collection of rubbish maintenance, the lifts operation and lighting maintenance and water maintenance. On the other hand, the facilities in the condominium will cover the recreational facilities such as play ground for children, health facilities and the safety facilities. In addition, another facility which will be looked into will be the car parks provided. Maintenance of facilities will also be explained. 1.6  Research Methodology 1.6.1  Introduction The increase in condominium construction is proportional to the rapid growth of the population in Malaysia. Besides that, land scarcity in high density areas of Kuala Lumpur forces the people to go further into the development of condominiums. 1.6.2  Literature Review Data collected will be secondary type of data collection. They consist of: Books Relevant books will be from the Tunku Abdul Rahman Library and National Library. The type of books will be those under building maintenance, facility management, economy, development, research and dissertation studies, property management and other relevant books to the research study. Magazines and Newspapers Magazines and newspapers used will be from local newspapers and magazines. Newspapers search will be the online type of newspaper. News and updates will be taken based on current issues regarding construction, development, property, and maintenance and facilities management that are reported in the newspapers and magazines. Online resources and Journals Online resources will be from reliable sources which provide reference of research papers such as online journals and articles. Relevant sources to the research studies will be taken into consideration through these websites. Online journals will also be those which are regarding with the research study and are available through the college library website which linked to reliable sources such as Emerald.   1.6.3  Background PV10 will be the place of case study for this research. This condominium is situated at Jalan Genting Kelang. Resources will be obtained from the management of the condominium and the developer of the condominium. 1.6.4  Analysis Primary data will be used in this research and data through this type of data will be analysed. Questionnaire will be selected in order to scrutinize the feedback from the respondent. First, a set of questionnaire will be set. After that, the set of questionnaire will be distributed to occupants in PV10 to get their responds. A selected sample size of 200 will be chosen randomly. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software will be used to analyse the data. Snowball sampling type will be used to determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV10. This type of sampling is chosen as this sampling design will be given out randomly. Besides that, this study design will increase the number of participants in process. 1.6.5  Conclusion Recommendation Ways of improving the condominium will be suggested base on the data that will be collected. References Author unknown, Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website. 2009. Population (updated 31 July 2009). Viewed on 2 August 2009. Available from: Author unknown, DBKL. 2009. Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020: International and National Context of Growth. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Ng, A. 2009. Raising KL’s living standards. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat, 2009. Making sense of liberalisation. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Author unknown, 2009. Sunrise is confident RM1.3bil in unbilled sales can sustain performance over three years. Viewed 10 July 2009. Available from: Torbica, Zeljko M. and Stroh., Robert C. 2001. ‘Customer satisfaction in home building’. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. 127(1), pp.82. Author unknown, 2006. Complaints Statistics. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1  Introduction Looking into the population of the world, it is clear that the population will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase while the population in the rural areas will decrease through the years. This can be proven when the United Nations (2008), when the World Urbanization Prospects the 2007 Revision corroborates that the world population will reach a landmark in 2008 for the first time in history, as the urban population will equal the rural population of the world and, from then on, the world population will be urban in its majority. The United Nation (2008) also stated that from the year 2007 to 2050, the world population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion, passing from 6.7 billion to 9.7 billion. At the same time, the population living in urban areas is to gain 3.1 billion in 2007 to 6.4 billion in 2050. Thus, the urban form has interdependently affected the development and the governance of the city. Generally, the population in Malaysia will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase and this can be seen in the increasing population of the World – Class City of Kuala Lumpur. The Draft Kuala Lumpur (KL) City Plan 2020 has five (5) core guiding principles that will frame the draft, and one of these principles is Planning ‘For and With’ the People (DBKL, 2009). Density Structure of Kuala Lumpur Strategic Zones Area Sq. Kms Population 2005 Density 2005 (person/ sq. km) Population 2020 Density 2020 (person/ sq. km) City Centre 17.7915 143,000 8,038 245,611 13,805 Figure 4 shows the density structure of Kuala Lumpur. The figure also shows that Wangsa Maju – Maluri which is within the Setapak area, rank the highest in the 2005 data on population. At the same time, the population is expected to increase and become the third highest in population by the year 2020. According to the DBKL (2009), Kuala Lumpur is a city that houses 2.2 million populations and provides employment to 1.4 million people. The City will thus ensure whatever its plans, builds or develop are based on the wants and needs of the people. Furthermore, the Future Population of Kuala Lumpur in DBKL (2009) stressed that Kuala Lumpur must be liveable in order to encourage people to live in the City comfortably and through the plan allows for an additional 600,000 people in the next 12 years. From the Draft KL City Plan 2020, it shows that the satisfaction of the occupants is also taken into consideration when planning of the city is done. Therefore, this research will focus on the satisfaction level of occupants in one of the most populated area, Setapak. In this chapter, there will be reviews on some key words definition regarding the research study from various sources and the various maintenance and facilities which may also include explanation on some of the types of maintenance and function of maintenance. Reports and case studies on maintenance and facilities will also be included in this chapter. 2.1.1  Definitions The satisfaction level of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities in a condominium can be defined as the repair works and the upkeep of a condominium together with the functional things and services provided which fulfil the needs, claim or desire that gives gratification to the occupants or residents of the condominium. Further clarification of this statement can be found through the definition of the key words such as satisfaction, occupants, maintenance, facilities and condominium. 2.1.1.1  Satisfaction Finch (2004) proposed that customer satisfaction with facilities is determined not only by technical performance, but also by â€Å"an intricate set of exchange process†, such as effective communication and management of expectations.  Salleh and Abdul Ghani (2008) also mentioned that residential and neighbourhood satisfaction is an important indicator of housing quality and condition, which affects individuals’ quality of life. Besides that, according to the MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009), satisfaction means happiness with arrangement, which can refer to the happiness with the way that something has been arranged or done. On the other hand, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defined satisfaction is the state of being satisfied and by the law, it is the payment of a debt of fulfilment of an obligation or claim. In addition, Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines that satisfaction is a feeling of happiness or pleasure when someone gets something that they want, need or have demanded. 2.1.1.2  Occupant The Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) defines occupants as someone who lives in a house, room etc. Meanwhile, MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines occupant as a resident of a place. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further clarifies that occupant as a person who occupies a place at a given time. Besides that, according to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), occupier means the person in actual occupation of the building, but, in the case of premises for lodging purposes, does not include a lodger. 2.1.1.3  Maintenance Maintenance is synonymous with controlling the condition of a building so that its pattern lies within specified regions as defined by Lee (White, 1969). The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines maintenance as the continuing repair work where work that is done regularly to keep a machine, building or piece of equipment in good condition and working order. Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines maintenance as the process of maintaining or being maintained. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) also clarifies in depth that maintenance is the repairs, painting etc. that are necessary to keep something in good condition. In fact, Chanter and Swallow (1996) identified maintenance as actions that relate not only to the physical execution of maintenance work, but also those concerned with its initiation, financing and organisation, and the notion of an acceptable condition. This implies an understanding of the requirements for the effective usage of the building and its parts, which in turn compels broader consideration of building performance from the definition of BS3811 (1984), as it defines maintenance as a combination of any actions carried out to retain an item in, or restore it to an acceptable condition. Besides that, Singh (1996) further defined building maintenance as work undertaken in order to keep, restore or improve every facility, i.e. every part of a building, its services and surrounds to a currently accepted standard, and to sustain the utility and value of facility. 2.1.1.4  Facilties The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines facility as something with particular function, in which something is designed or created to provide a service or fulfil a need. Besides that, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defines facility as a building, service, or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines facility as a place or building used for a particular activity or industry, or for providing a particular type of service. With these definitions explained from the dictionaries, facilities can be define as services or equipments provided to improve the effectiveness of a building. However, facilities are further clarified by the Charted Institute of Building (CIOB) with the definition that facilities management is an umbrella term under which a wide range of property and user – related functions may be brought together for the benefit of the organisation and its employees as a whole (Flanagan et al., 1995). Meanwhile, Alexander (1996) mentioned in his paper that facilities management is first and foremost about organizational effectiveness. 2.1.1.5  Condominum The House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that the word â€Å"condominium† comes from the Latin word â€Å"con† which means â€Å"together† and â€Å"dominium, meaning â€Å"property†. There are two parts in this type of property ownership. They are the ownership of the individual unit and joint ownership of the common property, in which the property is shared with other unit owners in the project. The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines condominium as an individually owned apartment, which is an individually owned unit of real estate, especially an apartment or town house, in a building or on land that is owned in common by the owners of the units. Meanwhile, the Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines condominium as a building or complex containing a number of individually owned flats or houses. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) later defines that condominium is one apartment in a building with several apartments, each of w hich is owned by the people living in it. 2.2  Maintenance In Condominium For the maintenance in condominium in Malaysia, there is an act that was specially gazetted on 12th April 2007 for the purpose of maintaining the condominium and its surrounding, together with the facilities available in the condominium. According to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), under the act 663 building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007, the act is to provide for proper maintenance and management of building and common property, and for matters incidental thereto. Maintenance in the condominium comprises maintenance of all the common property area in the condominium. The building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007 further defines common property as development area not comprised in any parcel, such as the structural elements of the building, stairs, stairways, fire escapes, entrances and exits, corridors, lobbies, fixtures and fittings, lifts, refuse chutes, refuse bins, compounds, drains, water tanks, sewers, pipes, wires, cables and ducts that serve more than one parcel, the exterior of all common parts of the building, playing fields and recreational areas, driveways, car parks and parking areas, open spaces, landscape areas, walls and fences, and all other facilities and installations and any part of the land used or capable of being used or enjoyed in common by all the occupiers of the building. Charges which means any money collected by the owner, developer, Body or managing agent from the purchaser for the maintenance and management of the building or land intended for subdivision into parcels and common property, will be taken from the building maintenance account which is also known as building maintenance fund after the account is passed to the Joint Management Body (Laws of Malaysia, 2007). 2.2.1  Types of Maintenance According to Gurjit Singh (1996), generally, maintenance management can be approached in the following ways: Cyclical maintenance: this is maintenance for recurring items such as redecoration. Non-cyclical maintenance: this will apply to the items identified in the condition survey and includes items that need major repairs and replacements. Planned preventive maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out on regular basis to prevent breakdowns. It has the advantage of predicting the loss of facility to the owner and down-time. Emergency maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out only when there is a breakdown. It is normally expensive and increases the amount of non – productive time. Chanter and Swallow (1996) further explained the types of maintenance according to definitions given in BS 3811 and produced flow charts to summarise the types of maintenance and decision based types of maintenance as below: (1)  Planned maintenance: This is maintenance organised and carried out with forethought, control and the use of records to a predetermined plan. (2)  Unplanned maintenance: Ad hoc maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan. (3)  Preventive maintenance: Maintenance carried out at predetermined intervals, or corresponding to prescribed criteria, and intended to reduce the probability of failure, or the performance degradation of an item. (4)  Corrective maintenance: Maintenance carried out after failure has occurred, and intended to restore an item to a state in which it can perform its required function. (5)  Emergency maintenance: Maintenance which it is necessary to put in hand immediately to avoid serious consequences. (6)  Condition – based maintenance: Preventive maintenance initiated as a result of knowledge of the condition of an item from routine or continuous monitoring. (7)  Scheduled maintenance: Preventive maintenance carried out to a pre – determined interval of time, number of operations, mileage, etc. Figure 5  Decision based types of maintenance Source: Chanter and Swallow (1996) 2.2.2  Maintenance Function Miles and Syagga (1987) mentioned that the function of maintenance can be divided into three groups. These three groups consist of cleaning and servicing, rectification and repair, and replacement. Both authors also added that cleaning and servicing should be carried out regularly and may be combined with a system of reporting faults, so that repairs can be carried out soon after faults become apparent, thereby avoiding the need for more expensive repairs or even replacement at a later stage. 2.2.3  Malaysias Report On Poor Maintenance According to the report from National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2005), residents of Mount Karunmas Condominium fret over cracks in car park. Residents want the developer or maintenance company of the building to rectify the cracks that have appeared on the beams in the car park. Besides the cracks, there was a water leak from the extension joints which were connected to the slabs. In this case, the developer and the maintenance parties did not deliver their duty and responsibility well despites the complaints from the residents and had pin point each other to take hold of the work. In such case, the matter was brought to the press and the local council and the developer in the end stood up rectify the defects and mentioned that defects were only minor cracks.   In another report regarding to maintenance, there was a statement stating that one of the many issues of public concern is how to develop a strong maintenance culture in Malaysia in the interest of public safety and convenience. There was also an addition stating that Malaysia is known as a country which prides itself on the provision of First World infrastructure but not in terms of its maintenance (The Star,24 June 2009) The Star (2009) also mentioned that poor maintenance of children’s playground can result in accidents and injuries. Besides that, poor maintenance of public buildings and infrastructures can also cause accidents, injuries and also flash floods when roads and public drains are not properly maintained. (The Star, 24 June 2009) When maintenance are not done properly, image of the country is also not preserved as tourist would come to Malaysia to visit and this give a bad image to the country when maintenance are poorly done. According to the Star (24 June 2009) improving a country’s image is not only the responsibility of the Government but also the duty of each citizen who must be civic – minded. According to the Star (7 May 2009) former squatters moved into the Putri Laksamana apartments in Batu Caves had to deal with poor maintenance, cracking tiles, water leakages, sewage problems and even snakes entering their houses for four years. According to Sundramoorthy Veerasamy (2009), when they moved into the apartment which comprises of 400 units, many of the units had cracked floor tiles and water leaking from the roof and pipes. There were also drainage and garbage problem, and even though the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) promised to solve the problem, it has been eight months since the problem have not been solved (Sundramoorthy Veerasamy, 2009). Sundramoorthy (2009) also mentioned that they are losing faith in the councillors and state government finding a solution. From this, Government should be able to come out with a solution to help these residents as they are also the citizens of Malaysia and deserve to live in a properly maintained place. Poor maintenance can also lead to criminal activities. According to the Star (7 May 2009) criminal activities like snatch thefts, break-ins, and motorcycle and car thefts are rampant there and drug addicts and pushers also haunt the area of the apartment. MPS councillor Gopalan Krishnan Rajoo (2009) also mentioned that because there is no Joint Management Body (JMB) for the apartment, it is difficult to solve the problems and residents were urged to form the JMB to bring up the residents’ problems so that they can be solved easily. From this report, it is shown that forming a JMB in a community is important to solve certain problems and that increase in poor maintenance also would increase the crime rate in the area. 2.2.4  Case Study of Poor Maintenance Abdulmohsen Al – Hammad, Sadi Assaf and Mansoor Al – Shihah (1997) in their research which outlines the defects and faults during the design stage that affect building maintenance in Saudi Arabia and their relative degree of importance, came out with a table on the level of importance of design defects on building maintenance. The following tables show the result from the questionnaire done from their research on the defects. From the table above, the maintenance practicality and adequacy which is one of the defect groups rank the highest among the owners. When maintenance are not planned and done adequately, there will be defects and the defects will worsen causing the building to be not safe for the occupants and even aesthetically affected. 2.3  Facilties In Condominium In Malaysia, there are many types of facilities available in a condominium. The National House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that there are many facilities and services in a condominium, such as lifts, swimming pool, gym, tennis court, landscaped gardens and even security services. Further explanation was that these facilities and services are expensive to maintain. Facilities are actually one of the important key aspects which purchasers will look into when buying a condominium. This is because purchasers have to understand that they when purchasing a unit of the condominium, two things are bought. These two things are the individual unit and the common property which includes all the facilities available in the condominium. Nowadays, facilities play a big role in portraying the image of the condominium. Besides that, facilities available in a condominium also determine and set a standard to the condominium. This can be seen when the low – end condominiums and high – end condominiums are being compared. Types of facilities available will be very different for both types of condominium, where the facilities in the high – end condominiums are more and much better than those of low – end condominiums. 2.3.1  Malaysias Report On Facilities National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2008) reported that hairline cracks have appeared on pillars and car park areas of the Sri Gotong apartment block in Batu Caves for the past year. One of the occupants, Abd Rahman Suraiman, mentioned that the management company Benih Kencana Sdn. Bhd. Should act fast to prevent the situation from getting worse. According to Rahman, who is secretary of the Sri Gotong Apartment Batu Caves Pro – tem Committee, the apartment was supposed to have condominium facilities like swimming pool, recreational area and sauna, but such facilities were lacking and the place was not properly maintained. Rahman also mentioned that the sauna room is locked, the gymnasium equipment is damaged and ever since he started staying there, one of the lifts stopped working and has yet to be repair. This report shows that lacking of facilities in a condominium will also cause dissatisfaction to the occupants. Thus, this kind of problem gives the condominium a bad image. In another report from the National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2004) stated that the local authorities are often hampered in their efforts to build sports facilities when developers, in fulfilling the requirement of providing open areas, allocate land that is too small or narrow. The report also added that local authorities wanted to provide more recreational facilities, especially in housing estates, but were unable to do so in some areas due to the lack of land. Developers would usually tell local authorities that they had carried out their responsibility by providing recreational through building playgrounds which are meant for younger children and this leaves teenagers without a proper place for recreation. According to the report, this could more likely cause teenagers. Therefore, it is wise that the developers to allocate Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium The Study of Satisfaction Level of Occupants towards the Maintenance and Facilities in PV10 Condominium Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1  Background The population in Malaysia is on a rapid growth and this can be seen in the last three (3) years, 2007 – 2009. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the population growth was from 27.17 million (2007) to 28.31 million (2009). That shows an increase of 1.14 million within three (3) years. This population figure was last updated on the 31 st July 2009. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) According to the International and National Context of Growth from the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020, the figure below illustrates the function of Kuala Lumpur and its conurbation (KLC). The figure illustrates ‘functional pyramid’ for the KLC with more specialised urban functions towards the apex of the pyramid, which represents Kuala Lumpur and more general functions towards its base, representing the remainder of the KLC. (DBKL International and National Context of Growth, 2009) From Figure 1, it is shown that the number of population increases. However, the land area still remains the same. Land scarcity is faced by the people of Kuala Lumpur as more construction works are carried out to meet the demand of the increasing population. The relationship between population and living standard is obvious as the graph shows that the living standard is proportional to the population. According to Datuk Michael Yam (2009), Kuala Lumpur’s 1.7 million population is expected to expand by 30% within the next decade and that the market is getting more sophisticated with consumers demanding more facilities, convenience and built quality to improve their quality of life. (The Star, 28 March 2009) Condominiums are on high demand in a high density area like Kuala Lumpur due to the population increase and at the same time this highly populated area is facing scarcity of land. However, the satisfaction of the occupants in a condominium is important to ensure that developers will be able to continue to expand such projects in their firm. This is because, liberalization or opening up of the market gives wider choices of goods or services for consumers which contribute to their satisfaction. (The Star, 6 July 2009) Therefore, the facilities and maintenance provided in a condominium are important to meet the occupants’ satisfaction towards the condominium they are staying. 1.2  Problem Statement In Malaysia, as the population rises through the years, the construction of condominium development also has to increase to meet the demand of increasing residents. As the latest statistic stated that there is a population of 28.31 million (in 2009), there will also be an increase in land use. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) In Kuala Lumpur, despite the softer conditions in the property market construction will still be an on-going process. According to one of the top companies like Sunrise Sdn. Bhd, they expect to perform well in the next two to three years due to its high unbilled sales of RM 1.36 billion. As at July, Sunrise had sold 93% of 10 Mount’ Kiara (MK10) units, 45% of 11 Mount’ Kiara (MK 11), 92% of Solaris Dutamas, 9% of The Residence Phase 2B, 90% of Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 95% of Mont’ Kiara Banyan, and 100% of Kiara Designer Suites-Kiara Walk. (The Star, 29 October 2008) As Sunrise is focusing more on the condominium residential type of construction, it is shown that condominium is still in high demand despite the slow economic flow at the moment. However, there must be certain factors which cause the homebuyers to set their mind on purchasing the condominium of their choice. To successfully compete in the long term, the company must be sure that existing customers are satisfied. Providing superior quality and keeping customers satisfied are rapidly becoming the ways for companies to stand out among the other companies. (Zeljko M. Torbica  and  Robert C. Stroh., 2001) According to the National House Buyers Association, management and maintenance ranked second in the types of complaint in the complaints statistics. (National House Buyers Association, 2006) The complaints statistics is as illustrated in Figure 2. Therefore, it is important to carry out the research about the satisfaction of the occupants in the aspect of the maintenance and facilities provided in a condominium. Besides that, ways of improving the maintenance and facilities from the occupants’ point of view will also be carried out in this research. 1.3  Aim Objectives Aim To look into the satisfaction levels of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities of the condominium. Objectives To determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV 10 Condominium with the maintenance and facilities provided. To determine the ways to improve the maintenance and facilities to increase the satisfaction of occupants in PV10 Condominium. 1.4  Benefits/Importance of Study This study will benefit three parties; consisting of the developer, the management of the condominium and the occupants of condominiums. The developers will be able to plan their construction wisely to increase the demand in houses and preserve the developer’s reputation as it is one of the essential key to success for a developer. On the other hand, occupants or homebuyers will benefit when they are able to purchase and stay in the type of house they wish to have, and to own a worth buying piece of property. Besides that, the management of the condominium will be able to plan their management in the maintenance and facilities offered to the occupants as this is the key to customer satisfaction. 1.5  Scope of Study This case study will be carried out in PV 10, Jalan Genting Kelang, Setapak. There are 4 blocks of condominium in PV10 and they will be taken into consideration for this research. This place is chosen because it is one of the latest condominiums built in one of the highly populated area. Maintenance and facilities offered will be further looked into. The maintenance in the condominium will cover the cleanliness and collection of rubbish maintenance, the lifts operation and lighting maintenance and water maintenance. On the other hand, the facilities in the condominium will cover the recreational facilities such as play ground for children, health facilities and the safety facilities. In addition, another facility which will be looked into will be the car parks provided. Maintenance of facilities will also be explained. 1.6  Research Methodology 1.6.1  Introduction The increase in condominium construction is proportional to the rapid growth of the population in Malaysia. Besides that, land scarcity in high density areas of Kuala Lumpur forces the people to go further into the development of condominiums. 1.6.2  Literature Review Data collected will be secondary type of data collection. They consist of: Books Relevant books will be from the Tunku Abdul Rahman Library and National Library. The type of books will be those under building maintenance, facility management, economy, development, research and dissertation studies, property management and other relevant books to the research study. Magazines and Newspapers Magazines and newspapers used will be from local newspapers and magazines. Newspapers search will be the online type of newspaper. News and updates will be taken based on current issues regarding construction, development, property, and maintenance and facilities management that are reported in the newspapers and magazines. Online resources and Journals Online resources will be from reliable sources which provide reference of research papers such as online journals and articles. Relevant sources to the research studies will be taken into consideration through these websites. Online journals will also be those which are regarding with the research study and are available through the college library website which linked to reliable sources such as Emerald.   1.6.3  Background PV10 will be the place of case study for this research. This condominium is situated at Jalan Genting Kelang. Resources will be obtained from the management of the condominium and the developer of the condominium. 1.6.4  Analysis Primary data will be used in this research and data through this type of data will be analysed. Questionnaire will be selected in order to scrutinize the feedback from the respondent. First, a set of questionnaire will be set. After that, the set of questionnaire will be distributed to occupants in PV10 to get their responds. A selected sample size of 200 will be chosen randomly. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software will be used to analyse the data. Snowball sampling type will be used to determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV10. This type of sampling is chosen as this sampling design will be given out randomly. Besides that, this study design will increase the number of participants in process. 1.6.5  Conclusion Recommendation Ways of improving the condominium will be suggested base on the data that will be collected. References Author unknown, Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website. 2009. Population (updated 31 July 2009). Viewed on 2 August 2009. Available from: Author unknown, DBKL. 2009. Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020: International and National Context of Growth. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Ng, A. 2009. Raising KL’s living standards. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat, 2009. Making sense of liberalisation. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Author unknown, 2009. Sunrise is confident RM1.3bil in unbilled sales can sustain performance over three years. Viewed 10 July 2009. Available from: Torbica, Zeljko M. and Stroh., Robert C. 2001. ‘Customer satisfaction in home building’. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. 127(1), pp.82. Author unknown, 2006. Complaints Statistics. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1  Introduction Looking into the population of the world, it is clear that the population will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase while the population in the rural areas will decrease through the years. This can be proven when the United Nations (2008), when the World Urbanization Prospects the 2007 Revision corroborates that the world population will reach a landmark in 2008 for the first time in history, as the urban population will equal the rural population of the world and, from then on, the world population will be urban in its majority. The United Nation (2008) also stated that from the year 2007 to 2050, the world population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion, passing from 6.7 billion to 9.7 billion. At the same time, the population living in urban areas is to gain 3.1 billion in 2007 to 6.4 billion in 2050. Thus, the urban form has interdependently affected the development and the governance of the city. Generally, the population in Malaysia will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase and this can be seen in the increasing population of the World – Class City of Kuala Lumpur. The Draft Kuala Lumpur (KL) City Plan 2020 has five (5) core guiding principles that will frame the draft, and one of these principles is Planning ‘For and With’ the People (DBKL, 2009). Density Structure of Kuala Lumpur Strategic Zones Area Sq. Kms Population 2005 Density 2005 (person/ sq. km) Population 2020 Density 2020 (person/ sq. km) City Centre 17.7915 143,000 8,038 245,611 13,805 Figure 4 shows the density structure of Kuala Lumpur. The figure also shows that Wangsa Maju – Maluri which is within the Setapak area, rank the highest in the 2005 data on population. At the same time, the population is expected to increase and become the third highest in population by the year 2020. According to the DBKL (2009), Kuala Lumpur is a city that houses 2.2 million populations and provides employment to 1.4 million people. The City will thus ensure whatever its plans, builds or develop are based on the wants and needs of the people. Furthermore, the Future Population of Kuala Lumpur in DBKL (2009) stressed that Kuala Lumpur must be liveable in order to encourage people to live in the City comfortably and through the plan allows for an additional 600,000 people in the next 12 years. From the Draft KL City Plan 2020, it shows that the satisfaction of the occupants is also taken into consideration when planning of the city is done. Therefore, this research will focus on the satisfaction level of occupants in one of the most populated area, Setapak. In this chapter, there will be reviews on some key words definition regarding the research study from various sources and the various maintenance and facilities which may also include explanation on some of the types of maintenance and function of maintenance. Reports and case studies on maintenance and facilities will also be included in this chapter. 2.1.1  Definitions The satisfaction level of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities in a condominium can be defined as the repair works and the upkeep of a condominium together with the functional things and services provided which fulfil the needs, claim or desire that gives gratification to the occupants or residents of the condominium. Further clarification of this statement can be found through the definition of the key words such as satisfaction, occupants, maintenance, facilities and condominium. 2.1.1.1  Satisfaction Finch (2004) proposed that customer satisfaction with facilities is determined not only by technical performance, but also by â€Å"an intricate set of exchange process†, such as effective communication and management of expectations.  Salleh and Abdul Ghani (2008) also mentioned that residential and neighbourhood satisfaction is an important indicator of housing quality and condition, which affects individuals’ quality of life. Besides that, according to the MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009), satisfaction means happiness with arrangement, which can refer to the happiness with the way that something has been arranged or done. On the other hand, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defined satisfaction is the state of being satisfied and by the law, it is the payment of a debt of fulfilment of an obligation or claim. In addition, Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines that satisfaction is a feeling of happiness or pleasure when someone gets something that they want, need or have demanded. 2.1.1.2  Occupant The Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) defines occupants as someone who lives in a house, room etc. Meanwhile, MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines occupant as a resident of a place. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further clarifies that occupant as a person who occupies a place at a given time. Besides that, according to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), occupier means the person in actual occupation of the building, but, in the case of premises for lodging purposes, does not include a lodger. 2.1.1.3  Maintenance Maintenance is synonymous with controlling the condition of a building so that its pattern lies within specified regions as defined by Lee (White, 1969). The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines maintenance as the continuing repair work where work that is done regularly to keep a machine, building or piece of equipment in good condition and working order. Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines maintenance as the process of maintaining or being maintained. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) also clarifies in depth that maintenance is the repairs, painting etc. that are necessary to keep something in good condition. In fact, Chanter and Swallow (1996) identified maintenance as actions that relate not only to the physical execution of maintenance work, but also those concerned with its initiation, financing and organisation, and the notion of an acceptable condition. This implies an understanding of the requirements for the effective usage of the building and its parts, which in turn compels broader consideration of building performance from the definition of BS3811 (1984), as it defines maintenance as a combination of any actions carried out to retain an item in, or restore it to an acceptable condition. Besides that, Singh (1996) further defined building maintenance as work undertaken in order to keep, restore or improve every facility, i.e. every part of a building, its services and surrounds to a currently accepted standard, and to sustain the utility and value of facility. 2.1.1.4  Facilties The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines facility as something with particular function, in which something is designed or created to provide a service or fulfil a need. Besides that, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defines facility as a building, service, or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines facility as a place or building used for a particular activity or industry, or for providing a particular type of service. With these definitions explained from the dictionaries, facilities can be define as services or equipments provided to improve the effectiveness of a building. However, facilities are further clarified by the Charted Institute of Building (CIOB) with the definition that facilities management is an umbrella term under which a wide range of property and user – related functions may be brought together for the benefit of the organisation and its employees as a whole (Flanagan et al., 1995). Meanwhile, Alexander (1996) mentioned in his paper that facilities management is first and foremost about organizational effectiveness. 2.1.1.5  Condominum The House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that the word â€Å"condominium† comes from the Latin word â€Å"con† which means â€Å"together† and â€Å"dominium, meaning â€Å"property†. There are two parts in this type of property ownership. They are the ownership of the individual unit and joint ownership of the common property, in which the property is shared with other unit owners in the project. The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines condominium as an individually owned apartment, which is an individually owned unit of real estate, especially an apartment or town house, in a building or on land that is owned in common by the owners of the units. Meanwhile, the Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines condominium as a building or complex containing a number of individually owned flats or houses. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) later defines that condominium is one apartment in a building with several apartments, each of w hich is owned by the people living in it. 2.2  Maintenance In Condominium For the maintenance in condominium in Malaysia, there is an act that was specially gazetted on 12th April 2007 for the purpose of maintaining the condominium and its surrounding, together with the facilities available in the condominium. According to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), under the act 663 building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007, the act is to provide for proper maintenance and management of building and common property, and for matters incidental thereto. Maintenance in the condominium comprises maintenance of all the common property area in the condominium. The building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007 further defines common property as development area not comprised in any parcel, such as the structural elements of the building, stairs, stairways, fire escapes, entrances and exits, corridors, lobbies, fixtures and fittings, lifts, refuse chutes, refuse bins, compounds, drains, water tanks, sewers, pipes, wires, cables and ducts that serve more than one parcel, the exterior of all common parts of the building, playing fields and recreational areas, driveways, car parks and parking areas, open spaces, landscape areas, walls and fences, and all other facilities and installations and any part of the land used or capable of being used or enjoyed in common by all the occupiers of the building. Charges which means any money collected by the owner, developer, Body or managing agent from the purchaser for the maintenance and management of the building or land intended for subdivision into parcels and common property, will be taken from the building maintenance account which is also known as building maintenance fund after the account is passed to the Joint Management Body (Laws of Malaysia, 2007). 2.2.1  Types of Maintenance According to Gurjit Singh (1996), generally, maintenance management can be approached in the following ways: Cyclical maintenance: this is maintenance for recurring items such as redecoration. Non-cyclical maintenance: this will apply to the items identified in the condition survey and includes items that need major repairs and replacements. Planned preventive maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out on regular basis to prevent breakdowns. It has the advantage of predicting the loss of facility to the owner and down-time. Emergency maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out only when there is a breakdown. It is normally expensive and increases the amount of non – productive time. Chanter and Swallow (1996) further explained the types of maintenance according to definitions given in BS 3811 and produced flow charts to summarise the types of maintenance and decision based types of maintenance as below: (1)  Planned maintenance: This is maintenance organised and carried out with forethought, control and the use of records to a predetermined plan. (2)  Unplanned maintenance: Ad hoc maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan. (3)  Preventive maintenance: Maintenance carried out at predetermined intervals, or corresponding to prescribed criteria, and intended to reduce the probability of failure, or the performance degradation of an item. (4)  Corrective maintenance: Maintenance carried out after failure has occurred, and intended to restore an item to a state in which it can perform its required function. (5)  Emergency maintenance: Maintenance which it is necessary to put in hand immediately to avoid serious consequences. (6)  Condition – based maintenance: Preventive maintenance initiated as a result of knowledge of the condition of an item from routine or continuous monitoring. (7)  Scheduled maintenance: Preventive maintenance carried out to a pre – determined interval of time, number of operations, mileage, etc. Figure 5  Decision based types of maintenance Source: Chanter and Swallow (1996) 2.2.2  Maintenance Function Miles and Syagga (1987) mentioned that the function of maintenance can be divided into three groups. These three groups consist of cleaning and servicing, rectification and repair, and replacement. Both authors also added that cleaning and servicing should be carried out regularly and may be combined with a system of reporting faults, so that repairs can be carried out soon after faults become apparent, thereby avoiding the need for more expensive repairs or even replacement at a later stage. 2.2.3  Malaysias Report On Poor Maintenance According to the report from National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2005), residents of Mount Karunmas Condominium fret over cracks in car park. Residents want the developer or maintenance company of the building to rectify the cracks that have appeared on the beams in the car park. Besides the cracks, there was a water leak from the extension joints which were connected to the slabs. In this case, the developer and the maintenance parties did not deliver their duty and responsibility well despites the complaints from the residents and had pin point each other to take hold of the work. In such case, the matter was brought to the press and the local council and the developer in the end stood up rectify the defects and mentioned that defects were only minor cracks.   In another report regarding to maintenance, there was a statement stating that one of the many issues of public concern is how to develop a strong maintenance culture in Malaysia in the interest of public safety and convenience. There was also an addition stating that Malaysia is known as a country which prides itself on the provision of First World infrastructure but not in terms of its maintenance (The Star,24 June 2009) The Star (2009) also mentioned that poor maintenance of children’s playground can result in accidents and injuries. Besides that, poor maintenance of public buildings and infrastructures can also cause accidents, injuries and also flash floods when roads and public drains are not properly maintained. (The Star, 24 June 2009) When maintenance are not done properly, image of the country is also not preserved as tourist would come to Malaysia to visit and this give a bad image to the country when maintenance are poorly done. According to the Star (24 June 2009) improving a country’s image is not only the responsibility of the Government but also the duty of each citizen who must be civic – minded. According to the Star (7 May 2009) former squatters moved into the Putri Laksamana apartments in Batu Caves had to deal with poor maintenance, cracking tiles, water leakages, sewage problems and even snakes entering their houses for four years. According to Sundramoorthy Veerasamy (2009), when they moved into the apartment which comprises of 400 units, many of the units had cracked floor tiles and water leaking from the roof and pipes. There were also drainage and garbage problem, and even though the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) promised to solve the problem, it has been eight months since the problem have not been solved (Sundramoorthy Veerasamy, 2009). Sundramoorthy (2009) also mentioned that they are losing faith in the councillors and state government finding a solution. From this, Government should be able to come out with a solution to help these residents as they are also the citizens of Malaysia and deserve to live in a properly maintained place. Poor maintenance can also lead to criminal activities. According to the Star (7 May 2009) criminal activities like snatch thefts, break-ins, and motorcycle and car thefts are rampant there and drug addicts and pushers also haunt the area of the apartment. MPS councillor Gopalan Krishnan Rajoo (2009) also mentioned that because there is no Joint Management Body (JMB) for the apartment, it is difficult to solve the problems and residents were urged to form the JMB to bring up the residents’ problems so that they can be solved easily. From this report, it is shown that forming a JMB in a community is important to solve certain problems and that increase in poor maintenance also would increase the crime rate in the area. 2.2.4  Case Study of Poor Maintenance Abdulmohsen Al – Hammad, Sadi Assaf and Mansoor Al – Shihah (1997) in their research which outlines the defects and faults during the design stage that affect building maintenance in Saudi Arabia and their relative degree of importance, came out with a table on the level of importance of design defects on building maintenance. The following tables show the result from the questionnaire done from their research on the defects. From the table above, the maintenance practicality and adequacy which is one of the defect groups rank the highest among the owners. When maintenance are not planned and done adequately, there will be defects and the defects will worsen causing the building to be not safe for the occupants and even aesthetically affected. 2.3  Facilties In Condominium In Malaysia, there are many types of facilities available in a condominium. The National House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that there are many facilities and services in a condominium, such as lifts, swimming pool, gym, tennis court, landscaped gardens and even security services. Further explanation was that these facilities and services are expensive to maintain. Facilities are actually one of the important key aspects which purchasers will look into when buying a condominium. This is because purchasers have to understand that they when purchasing a unit of the condominium, two things are bought. These two things are the individual unit and the common property which includes all the facilities available in the condominium. Nowadays, facilities play a big role in portraying the image of the condominium. Besides that, facilities available in a condominium also determine and set a standard to the condominium. This can be seen when the low – end condominiums and high – end condominiums are being compared. Types of facilities available will be very different for both types of condominium, where the facilities in the high – end condominiums are more and much better than those of low – end condominiums. 2.3.1  Malaysias Report On Facilities National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2008) reported that hairline cracks have appeared on pillars and car park areas of the Sri Gotong apartment block in Batu Caves for the past year. One of the occupants, Abd Rahman Suraiman, mentioned that the management company Benih Kencana Sdn. Bhd. Should act fast to prevent the situation from getting worse. According to Rahman, who is secretary of the Sri Gotong Apartment Batu Caves Pro – tem Committee, the apartment was supposed to have condominium facilities like swimming pool, recreational area and sauna, but such facilities were lacking and the place was not properly maintained. Rahman also mentioned that the sauna room is locked, the gymnasium equipment is damaged and ever since he started staying there, one of the lifts stopped working and has yet to be repair. This report shows that lacking of facilities in a condominium will also cause dissatisfaction to the occupants. Thus, this kind of problem gives the condominium a bad image. In another report from the National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2004) stated that the local authorities are often hampered in their efforts to build sports facilities when developers, in fulfilling the requirement of providing open areas, allocate land that is too small or narrow. The report also added that local authorities wanted to provide more recreational facilities, especially in housing estates, but were unable to do so in some areas due to the lack of land. Developers would usually tell local authorities that they had carried out their responsibility by providing recreational through building playgrounds which are meant for younger children and this leaves teenagers without a proper place for recreation. According to the report, this could more likely cause teenagers. Therefore, it is wise that the developers to allocate