Organisational behaviour of ‘Breadtalk’ Essay

Question 1: What is Corporate Social Responsibility and how could this influence the organisational behaviour of ‘Breadtalk’? Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is where corporations or organisations are obliged to inter-relate their businesses with behaving in ethical and moral ways. It is where such corporations have notions towards having responsibility to the society that upholds them. Examples of ethical and moral ways varies from giving back to needy groups in terms of monetary funding and healthcare, to integrating CSR strategies directly into the business tactic of an organisation. By means of integrating is having â€Å"employee-friendly human resource policy where safety in workplace, social security benefit, flexible office hour, recreation and other benefits are included† (cited in The Financial Express, 2010). ‘Breadtalk’, well-known for its commitment in providing the best for its customers in different countries, have given back to the society and providing internal support throughout its company. ‘Breadtalk’ continuously provides on-the-job training and supervision for its employees, awarding opportunities for head departments to hold higher positions abroad; such as overseeing business processes. Having close human relations have forged strong ties into branching out its brand even more till ‘Breadtalk’ now operates across 17 countries and all of which are carefully chosen locations. Overseas operations are guarded by key players who are chosen with good qualifications and competent ones that work well with other key players in the company. In commemorating its 10th birthday, ‘Breadtalk’ donated $50,000 to needy school children of The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund in Singapore from 5 cents from the sale of each Floss bun. Organisational behaviour is the study of understanding the behaviour of individuals and to see them so that organisations can relate to such behaviours that come in a variety and find solutions for them. For ‘Breadtalk’, there are many positive reviews about the company and none is seen to lead to any pitfall that might occur. On the other hand, having an uncertain future does not mean that constant learning is stopped; upgrading oneself is key for future success. Organisational behaviour for ‘Breadtalk’ have moved from traditional to re-engineered values of which have cause a more globalised mindset for the company, changing nature of work due to upgrading technology, improved knowledge management, understanding different cultures, improving employee-employer relations, having work-life balance, and all these due to an ethical managerial behaviour called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The efforts to find solutions for a good Organisational Behaviour have allowed proper group dynamics and a sense of motivation within the company, a few examples of such solutions, which have been evaluated from CSR. (412 words) Questions 2: Why is an understanding of cultural differences important to the Business Managers at ‘Breadtalk’? To assist the Managers of ‘Breadtalk’ to decide if they should expand to Australia, briefly describe the Australian culture? Understanding cultural differences can help avoid acts of ethnocentrism, being aware of a country’s elements of culture – language, religion, values and attributes, customs and manners, material goods, aesthetics, education; complying to cultural dimensions – power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity; and preserving social structure. Understanding the elements of culture can avoid ethnocentrism. These elements help the understanding of cultural differences by relating to the country’s way of life. Cultural dimensions help the understanding of how people from various cultures behave and its uniqueness. In business, managers must understand the culture of other countries and l earn to accept them. In this process, managers have to fight against ethnocentrism and understand the social structure of the host countries. The Aussie culture is a fast-paced, self-absorbed society, typical in the urbanized world. The influences of aborigines’ culture give the outlook of Australia as casual and friendly. It’s a fair country allowing its people to make their own decisions at a young age. Both men and women gain equal rights in education and work. At young ages of 18 can one enter into a full-time profession of their choice. Retirement has no obligatory age. In terms of time and punctuality for business engagements, Aussies are deemed acceptable. In business, it’s generally â€Å"expected that production and service deadlines will be met whilst long delays are considered unacceptable† (cited in Australia Society and Culture Complete Report, 2010). Social engagements are equally important to be on time. The pros of expansion will be tapping on a wider consumer experience, increasing benefits in many areas, increased popularity, increased chances of joint-ventures and opportunities. The cons of expansion will be on-going competition if unresolved at lower stages of expansion, increased capital costs, reduced performance from foreign agents, conflicts of interests and objectives. Thoughts of expansion can be pondered on. From an interview with ‘BreadTalk’s’ management personnel, the brand would not branch abroad to a country unqualified in meeting the standards and demands required. Looking at the consumer size, it is rewarding if outlets branch into Australia. Although, looking at the needs and demands of the Australian community for food sources, specifically bread, competition is highly foreseeable. ‘Breadtalk’ having its many successes as of now is seen sufficient for the company. Its culture of branching out in Asia is seen a lot. Many hope to see the company’s success diverts into that direction. If it is for the best of ‘Breadtalk’, expansion into Australia can be a future food for thought. (410 words) (Total: 822 words) References Tan, Mindy. (2011) Active in talent management : BreadTalk Group CFO Catherine Lee tells MINDY TAN why CFOs are most suited to take on this important task. The Business Times, (accessed May 10, 2012) http://www.proquest.com.libproxy.nlb.gov.sg/ Bayoud, N., M. Kavanagh, and G. Slaughter. (2012) Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and Employee Commitment: Evidence from Libya. International Journal of Economics and Finance 4, no. 5, (accessed May 10, 2012) http://www.proquest.com.libproxy.nlb.gov.sg/ Tan, Benjamin. (2012) Deft dough-maker. The Business Times, (accessed May 10, 2012) http://www.proquest.com.libproxy.nlb.gov.sg/ BreadTalk Group Limited â€Å"Our Company†. http://www.breadtalk.com/business-overview.html Peck Ming, Chuang. (2012) PM has straightforward message for companies and workers :Firms must think long-term, workers must upgrade skills. The Business Times, (accessed May 10, 2012) http://www.proquest.com.libproxy.nlb.gov.sg/ Express, The Financial. (2010) CSR soars, benefits all. 2012. The Financial Express, (accessed May 10, 2012) http://www.proquest.com.libproxy.nlb.gov.sg/ Wei Sheng, Lim. (2012) How important is ethics in business strategy? The Business Times, (accessed May 10, 2012) http://www.proquest.com.libproxy.nlb.gov.sg/ McGraw, P., and S. Dabski. (2010) CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORTING IN AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST COMPANIES. Labour & Industry 21, no. 1: 390-409, (accessed May 10, 2012) http://www.proquest.com.libproxy.nlb.gov.sg/ Nair, Suja R. (2010) Organisational Behaviour. Mumbai: Global Media Express, The Financial. (2012) Nestle’s own style of CSR. The Financial Express, (accessed May 10, 2012) http://www.proquest.com.libproxy.nlb.gov.sg/ Ngee Ann Polytechnic. (2011) Cultural Awareness. International Business: Chapter 4-6. Singapore: Ngee Ann Polytechnic Press, World Trade. (2010) Australia Society and Culture Complete Report. California: World Trade Press Sharmayne Saunders. (2012) Corporate Social Responsibility: A Helping Hand for a Better Belize. International Journal of Business and Social Science 3, no. 9: 174-175, (accessed May 10, 2012) http://www.proquest.com.libproxy.nlb.gov.sg/ Wright, N., and H. Be nnett. (2011) Business ethics, CSR, sustainability and the MBA. Journal of Management and Organization 17, no. 5: 641-655, (accessed May 10, 2012) http://www.proquest.com.libproxy.nlb.gov.sg/

Business Organization

I started my Lawn Mowing Service as a sole proprietorship. I bought the lawn mover, edge trimmer, gasoline, and rake. I mowed neighbor’s yards. I got all the profits. If I did a bad job, or could not mow because of weather, I took a loss. I was very successful and made a lot of money and had 100 yards to tend every month. But I got tired of mowing 100 yards a month and working between 10 and 12 hour days. I needed help. I asked my parents if they would help and I would pay them half of what I made on each yard they mowed. They said: â€Å"No, we want the full amount for each yard mowed. The only way that they would be able to get the full amount is to produce their own yard service tools. If I had to provide them, I did not want to lose money for my material. We agreed to a deal that everything would be 50/50. This is when we formed a partnership. We agreed to 50/50 as they would take half the work and produce half the equipment needed. Even though it was my idea and business , 50/50 is better than no help at all and they are footing half the expenses. With this help, my business was growing faster and we were making money like crazy.With our business growing, other members of the family wanted in on the action. However, none of them wanted to actually work directly on the business as they had other jobs and did not want to work out in the heat. So, we formed a limited liability company. Each of them put up an investment, and we purchased more lawn service tools and trucks so we could easily move large mowers around town. The investment was also used to advertise the business. With having more customers now, we hired professional people what would do a great job of mowing yards and would be friendly with our customers.With having more customers, all the investors were paid back their investment and were now making a profit. At this point we were ready to expand our business to include tree service as well as landscaping. We wanted to expand so we could g et contracts with the county, city, and state to mow the grass along the highways, interstates, and county roads. To expand our business, we needed a loan. We went to the bank, but they bank said: â€Å"No. Your business is too small and you do not have any assets to cover the loan. So, we decided to form a joint-stock company and made the stockholders liable for debts. In other words, we used their houses and or vehicles as collateral. When we went back to the bank they said: â€Å"Yes, a loan is no problem. If you don't make good on the loan we'll use the collateral to repay the debt. † With the money we were ready to expand. At the last minute we decided to buy a piece of property and open up our own nursery. This now allowed our customers to come and pick out plants that they would like to see in their landscaping instead of us taking them to a competitor to purchase plants.

Living In An Apartment Essay

Finding a place to live, which is suitable for one’s family, is one concern of most families. The increase in population as well as the increase in land value and building costs, has resulted in the construction of many apartments especially in urban areas. There are some similarities as well as differences when we consider living in an apartment and in a house. In order to make an informed choice for one’s family, it is important to examine both the similarities as well as the differences of both options. Some of the similarities would be that it is possible to find a house or even an apartment of the size that you require, since there are houses as well as apartments of varying sizes. Furthermore, the fittings and the comforts that one could have in a house, can also be found in an apartment. Also just as one may have maintenance expenses for the upkeep of one’s house, one would also have such expenses, when living in an apartment. An apartment can be considered to be a complete housing unit, just as an individual complete house. When we consider the differences between the two options, we have to recognize the fact that in the case of the house, there is ownership of the land, whereas in the case of the apartment, the ownership is not of the land which is shared among the many, but instead the ownership is only of the apartment. In the case of apartments there are certain areas that are shared among the inhabitants, such as car parks, staircases, lifts and sometimes balconies and rooftop gardens. Whereas in the case of the individual house, these facilities are not shared by other neighbours. As such, there is greater privacy, in the case of the individual house. When it comes to enjoying good music or parties with friends, the greater privacy that is afforded to those living in their individual houses, allows them greater freedom to make their own decisions on these matters. Those living in apartments on the other hand, do need to be cautious as to how their decitions on these matters will affect their neighbouring occupants. If it disturbs them, they could complain to the management of the apartment, which can result in some sort of penalty.

Multimedia website report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Multimedia website report - Essay Example ..................................................................................................3 2. Analysis and Requirements Phase.........................................................................................3 2.1. Types of requirements....................................................................................................3 2.2. User requirements...........................................................................................................3 2.3. Client requirements.........................................................................................................4 2.4. Technical requirements................................................................................................. 4 2.5. Survey and critique of similar websites..........................................................................5 2.6. Analysis of requirements.................................................................................................5 3. Desig n Phase..........................................................................................................................5 3.1. Web designs....................................................................................................................6 3.2. Web layouts.....................................................................................................................6 3.3. ... .............................8 3.6. Structural chart.................................................................................................................8 3.7. Categories of information................................................................................................8 3.8. Paper prototypes...............................................................................................................9 3.9. Formative evaluation of designs......................................................................................9 4. Implementation Phase.............................................................................................................9 4.1. Functions and features of the website and the justification.............................................9 4.2. Usability and accessibility...............................................................................................10 5. Evaluation Phase................................................... .................................................................11 5.1. User evaluation................................................................................................................11 5.2. Client evaluation..............................................................................................................11 5.3. Technical evaluation........................................................................................................11 5.4. Human Computer Interaction (HCI) evaluation..............................................................12 6. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................12 7.

Jewish Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Jewish - Essay Example The participation of Jews in the 20th century entertainment industry contributed to this concept and has led into assertions that continue to create a sense of popularity over specific Jewish cultural stereotypes. The stereotypes that have been created in entertainment began with the third generation of Jews from the immigration that took place. After this time, there was an alteration in how Jews were looked at, specifically which combined the Americanization of Jews and the traditional identity that has been added into the identity of how Jews are looked at within popular culture today. The concept of Jewish culture before the entertainment began to be a part of mainstream America was one that was separate from other parts of America. The first and second generation Jews came from Eastern Europe and other areas that had different traditions and concepts of lifestyle. More important, most of the immigrants that were a part of the melting pot were restricted to ghettos and had difficulty in basic earnings and the ability to reach the American dream. Stereotypes were created from this developed from contrasts within America specifically because of the expectations and assumptions of how Jews lived within American culture. There were different aspects that were associated with what it meant to be Jewish as well as the inability to accept Jews into the American culture because of the contrasting traditions, cultures, festivities and language (Gold, 12, 1996). The problem with Jews in America was based on the marginalization of the minority, specifically because there wa s a belonging of being in the ghettos and having traditions that were not American. Many looked at this as a separate idea of what it meant to be American, which created boundaries and barriers with the American identity. The stereotypes that were created were first based around the economic situation of Jews. Living in the ghetto and taking jobs that were mediocre because of the

Strategic Management at Cafe Nero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 2

Strategic Management at Cafe Nero - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Caffe Nero is considered to be one of the fastest growing coffee chains in Europe. It is privately owned which gives it a considerable amount of flexibility to grow. The coffee served at Caffe Nero is widely preferred by many Europeans and is counted amongst the top-selling brands in the U.K.   The brand also has a number of outlets in major airports of the U.K. Caffe Nero serve both hot and cold coffee variants thereby attracting consumers in all seasons of the year. Apart from coffee products, the brand also serves a variety of snacks such as pasta salads, sandwiches, and rolls. Caffe Nero gives special emphasis upon developing good relations with its suppliers who are essentially farmers. The business carries the belief that success depends upon the manner in which firms communicate with their suppliers. The business also ensures that customers are treated warmly and they are provided with a good experience. Caffe Nero has emerged a s a strong competition for many existing lines of coffee shops chains in Europe and as also the Americas. In 2012, U.K had for the very first time broken the  £ 1 billion barriers. The billion pounds worth industry has had lesser impacts of the recession and the figures of its growth say it all. On the basis of sales revenue, the coffee industry of the U.K is worth  £ 831 million. The U.K coffee market is dominated by the instant coffee variant mainly. 72% of the market revenue is from the instant coffee sale. Coffee industry mainly targets the working population sector. Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Seattle’s Best Coffee and Caffe Nero are the strongest players in the retail coffee chain industry. The coffee industry, however, lacks innovation and change in terms of providing healthy coffee. The nutritional value of coffee is seen to decline as they are mixed with ice cream or other ingredients so as to make it more appealing to the younger generation. This has caused some of the older consumers to move away from instant coffee consumption. By focussing on developing a healthier coffee experience, the coffee industry can be expected to bring back many lost consumers.

Intellectual Property Law in the UK Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intellectual Property Law in the UK - Case Study Example Margaret is currently negotiating with Leo (a Canadian inventor) to move into a partnership contract between them. It has been noted that Leo has emerged with a new idea which later led to the development of a waterproofing compound that can protect fabrics and tents. The compound developed by Leo also has the ability to protect fabrics from sunlight. Leo gets this particular idea from his grandfather who also mentioned this particular technique in his autobiography named ‘Cold Prospector’ which was published by the Manitou Press of Saskatchewan in the year 1932. The compound that has been developed by Leo has a particular chemical substance that is primarily obtained from the sweat gland of Caribou (It is a mammal that lives in the Arctic region). However, this particular chemical can also be easily synthesized through scientific technique in the absence of the chemical that is present in secretions from the sweat glands of the Caribou. While being in the Canadian Insti tute of Arctic Biology as research scientists, he discovered about how Carabiner (chemical secreted from the sweat glands of the Caribou) makes the fur of the mammal waterproof which further give rise to his invention. However, the findings of the research were later on published in the Canadian Nature Journal. He, later on, gave up his job as a research biologist with the Canadian Institute of Arctic Biology and engaged in a further investigation with the assistance of Canadian Mounted Police. While conducting further tests, new facts were discovered regarding the properties of Carabiner. In the latter scenario, Leo applied for patenting his invention in the Canadian Patent Office. Observably, Margaret is in negotiation with Leo to develop an agreement of partnership between the two with regard to the invention of a specific compound by Leo. Since this invention of Leo is quite beneficial and a major source of conducting profitable business, there is always a danger of the idea to be stolen by others who can use it for their benefit. Contextually, Margaret needs to consider certain aspect with regard to protect the invention after she acquires it from Leo through the agreement.  

The Lawyer's Professional Qualities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

The Lawyer's Professional Qualities - Essay Example The one unequivocal necessity of a good lawyer, as well as any lawyer at all, is a law school diploma and membership in BAR association. Without it, you cannot practice law. Every single lawyer has these two things. Â  Another thing a professional lawyer should have is an experience. In any job, there are very few people who became great specialists right after graduating from school or university. These are the only necessities a good lawyer should have.As for subjective qualities a professional lawyer should have, the first one is you have to be tranquil. There are a lot of people who would try to unbalance you intentionally (opponents) or not on purpose (clients, boss, colleagues et cetera). There are also many things that would go not your way, which can be disappointing or make you angry. If you would be not calm, for example, in a courtroom, you may lose your case. As an example of a lawyer’s tranquility Hillary Clinton can be taken (Gates). Another important quality professional lawyer should have is understanding that all you do is not about yourself, neither is it about your boss or your firm. It is all about your clients and their problems. It is important to remember that a lawyer is only a person who provides some sort of services if taken in general. As an example of such quality, Paul Gilbert can be taken (Gilbert).It is not less important to stand until the end and be sticking to your guns, because there are many people who finish trying just before succeeding in something. It is also needed to be able to take risks and to be ready to influence people’s lives, especially when dealing with criminal law. As an incarnation of these qualities, Preet Bharara can be taken (Dinh).

Defining Public Relations Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Defining Public Relations Paper - Essay Example i. It is a managerial function that focuses on researching, communicating, interacting and establishing close relations with varied stakeholders of an organization in an ethical manner (Corbett). Mainly, this entails establishing an ample environment where all the stakeholders will benefit mutually through relations that they have constituted and achieve specific results. 2. It is a management function whose mandate encompasses evaluating public attitudes, identifying policies and methods either by an individual or corporation intended to safeguard public’s interest. This is to implement an already predetermined action aimed at earning both understanding and acceptance (Narasimha 4). 3. It is both an art and science that focuses on analyzing trends, forecasting their results and advising corporation managers before implementing predetermined programs of action that will safeguard both interests of the public and the corporation (Newsom & Haynes 4). Therefore, this implies the term despite having varied definitions, their implications are the same except the wording from one person’s perspective to another. However, there are some definitions that attach extra essence to public’s interests and the relationships in an organization that would lead to a good reputation evident in definitions 2 and 3. This is contrary to the definition 1 whose emphasis encompasses communication and understanding in an organization besides ensuring healthy relationship with the public. I think one of the reasons that have contributed to the emergency of numerous definitions of â€Å"Public relations† is due to the perception, which the mass media has created in the people’s minds Joosuk & Candace 319). This is especially in the mode of reporting whereby for the past decades, media has utilized the term in relation to negative connotations especially when expounding varied interactions between the society and the corporation

Managing Construction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Construction - Essay Example 2005). Account also needs to be taken of changes in the quality of labor. Educational achievement is the usual delegation for quality. In construction, this alternative is least dependable, since many skills are acquired from experience and workshop training. The service is the amount of the finances that is made use of in production due to repairs. Reports have shown that there is dwindling productivity in the construction industry across UK. The industry has had downfalls that are associated with many contributing factors. Among the factors that affect productivity as discussed in this paper are employing skilled labor from abroad, increasing overtime for local skilled labor, rapid training of new local workers, and the use of more capital-intensive methods of construction (A 2000). Risk is characterized as the introduction to loss/gain, or the likelihood of event of loss/gain reproduced by its particular size. Activities are said to be sure if the likelihood of their event is 100% or completely unverifiable if the likelihood of event is 0%. In the middle of these extremes, the doubt shifts generally. Chance additionally could be characterized as a normal for a circumstance, movement, or occasion in which various conclusions are conceivable, the specific one that will happen is indeterminate, and no less than one of the potential outcomes is undesirable (M.A. 2000). Risk can further be characterized as the vicinity of potential or real requirements that could hinder productivity, bringing about complete disappointment either throughout development or at time of utilization. Risk can be simply illustrated as; Employing skilled work force from abroad has assorted inconvenient consequences to the productivity of the construction industry and the countrys budgetary standpoint on the loose. The expenses are connected with decreasing the profitability and

Final scenerio analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Final scenerio analysis - Essay Example Based on the Global Enterprise, we take an analysis of the case facts and ethical issues concerning the enterprise’s operations (Nakmwil, 2012). In addition, we also take into account the ethical alternatives and recommendations the business has at their disposal in order to survive the legal accusations they have (Nakmwil, 2012). Case facts Global enterprise international (GEI) is a military contractor charged with the responsibility of manufacturing protective body armor, ammunition equipments and armored vehicles that are all useful during military operations (Nakmwil, 2012). The company has employed 140 workers who are all highly paid union technicians, mechanics, union members and Armor workers (Nakmwil, 2012). For the United States military, Global Enterprise International manufactures body flask jackets, night vision riflescopes and armored tank vehicles (Nakmwil, 2012). Contrary to the spelt out international laws and treaties, Global Enterprise International also part icipates in the manufacturing of land mine explosives (Nakmwil, 2012). The company’s best customers for the illegal land mines products are Afghanistan and Iran (Nakmwil, 2012). Based on these sales, more than half the company’s profits come from these stealthy operations (Nakmwil, 2012). ... For instance, the flak jackets do not effectively protect military soldiers as required from personal ammunition (Nakmwil, 2012). In addition, the night vision rifles produced by the company in many cases end up causing severe injuries and deaths to the users while in combat situations (Nakmwil, 2012). Besides, armored vehicles despite having strong sides and tops, the composition comprises solely of a single thin sheet layer emended on the undersides (Nakmwil, 2012). This makes them very vulnerable and weak to IED (Improvised Explosive Device) explosives (Nakmwil, 2012). Despite all these modifications, the inclusion of superior and quality materials in the flak jackets are capable of effectively preventing the unnecessary injuries encountered when utilizing fake products produced by the company (Nakmwil, 2012). However, Global Enterprise International spitefully declines altering their materials because this would cost the company a fortune and probably at the end lose the contract (Nakmwil, 2012). In addition, most of the landmines sold by the company to the Taliban in Afghanistan and Iran are not effective (Nakmwil, 2012). Those who attempted to plant the mines died in the process as they contained faulty switches. Later on, United States military realized numerous flaws characterizing these jackets, night vision rifles and armored vehicles, which it purchased from Global Enterprises International (Nakmwil, 2012). The United States justice department initiated legal investigations and the families of the deceased military members followed suit (Nakmwil, 2012). They also started forming mass actions and filing lawsuits against the concerned company. A

Critical Success Factor Analysis Essay Example for Free

Critical Success Factor Analysis Essay This wasnt the case for AA. They had clear Organisational vision and views set out from the beginning. Their reason for the new system was to improve the standards of customer service for customer loyalty and to reduce their cost which is their organisational strategy.  This resulted in three main business requirements for the new IS. Development of a nationally-based system   Separation of the functions   The provision of a base for new products or services  AAs system was definitely a business-led system. They had the idea for AAHELP long before technology caught up enough for the system to be implemented. Their IS system was led by a long-term vision from way back. A lot could be contrasted during the implementation phase also. In AAs case, they used a phase-by-phase approach. Each phase would have a business case. This was to make the job of convincing the board easier. This proved useful not only in convincing the board, but also in that it allowed a certain degree of flexibility, as the system could be adapted in order to deal with the changes in the organisation more generally. This gradual incremental approach to the development meant that even though the overall time of the project took longer, the system was checked more thoroughly, and thus was much less likely to have problems later on when it would cost a lot more to fix.  This is shown very clearly in the Symons case. They hired ProSys to deliver the full system in one go. During implementation, they found a lot of costly errors such as differences in Numbering Systems, and changes to the system which cost them an additional à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15,000. IT TEAM There were some differences between the two even in their I.T Team. Firstly, AA had their personal in-house I.T staff while Symons hired programmers. There are several benefits of in-house I.T staff. It takes shorter time for problems to be sorted out. Another difference was that the IT Team all worked in one location only. This built team spirit and encouraged formal and informal communications. Working so close together also meant that problems would be noticed, and sorted out much faster. Strategic Information Systems Planning Methodologies  The task of strategic information systems planning is difficult and often time organizations do not know how to do it. Strategic information systems planning is a major change for organizations, from planning for information systems based on users demands to those based on business strategy.  Vitale, et al. (1986) classifies SISP methodologies into two categories: impact and alignment. Impact methodologies help create and justify new uses of IT, while the methodologies in the alignment category align IS objectives with organizational goals. Impact Methodologies  Value Chain Analysis  A form analysing business activities. It helps in devising information systems which increase the overall profit available to a firm and identifying the potential for mutual business advantages of component businesses, in the same or related industries, available from information interchange. It concentrates on value-adding business activities and is independent of organizational structure. Strengths: It concentrates on direct value adding activities of a firm and thus pitches information systems right into the realm of value adding rather than cost cutting  Weaknesses: Basic concept of a value chain is difficult to apply to non-manufacturing organizations where the product is not tangible and there are no obvious raw materials. It also fails to address the developmental and implementation issues. Critical success factors analysis can be considered to be both an impact as well as an alignment methodology. Critical Success Factors (CSF) in the context of SISP are used for interpreting more clearly the objectives, tactics, and operational activities in terms of key information needs of an organization and its managers and strengths and weaknesses of the organizations existing systems. Critical success factors are limited areas of the business where if the result is satisfactory, will ensure successful competitive performance for the organisation Strengths: CSF analysis provides a very powerful method for concentrating on key information requirements of an organization, a business unit, or of a manager. This allows the management to concentrate resources on developing information systems around these requirements. Also, CSF analysis is easy to perform and can be carried out with few resources.  Weaknesses: CSF analysis by itself is not enough to perform comprehensive SISP because it does not define a data architecture or provide automated support for analysis. CSFs also focus primarily on management control and thus tend to be internally focused and analytical rather than creative

Various Aspects Of Integrated Logistics Economics Essay

Various Aspects Of Integrated Logistics Economics Essay A New Zealand entrepreneur is planning to launch a business in Western Europe; Japan; China and CIS/Eastern Europe and they have appointed you as a consultant to advice on opportunities and challenges facing firms seeking to perform logistics activities in the above mentioned countries. (Your answer should not exceed 1500 words) Global Logistics Opportunities and Challenges Western Europe consists of United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Malta and microstates of Vatican City, San Marino, Monaco, Andorra and Liechtenstein. Western Europe is considered as major contributor of the European economy. Its determining characteristics are common currency, tax equalization, political homogenization and standards homogenization. Logistically speaking Western European markets offer a great opportunity for exploiting economies of the scale and size in moving goods throughout the Europe opting from a number of transportation modes. European transport networks have grown because of deregulation of transportation; shipments, optimal route and plan scheduling, and the development of national services. The number of long-distance transports has grown significantly with the largest share of freight transports as road transports. The preferred mode s of transportation in the area are roads and rails, closely followed by sea freight. In addition, the Chunnel links the UK with the rest of Europe reducing the transportation cost to a great extent. Figure 1: Logistics Hubs in Western Europe Source: (DHL Discover Logistics, n.d.-a) The logistics systems in Western Europe are characterized more by political change associated with EU enlargement than by geographic features. In Western Europe transport, storage, packaging and administrative jobs are becoming noticeably more efficient due to uniform regulations. The transport networks are very well developed but average shipping distances have grown principally in the wake of the European Unions enlargement. Outsourcing activities are increasingly affecting logistics in Western Europe because companies no longer consider logistics to be a core business. Instead, larger distribution networks are developing at a rapid pace. Global firms prefer vertical integration and go for direct marketing and distribution in order to reduce inventory and total logistics costs. The changes in the logistics sector have generated challenges of increased efficiency in shipping, packaging and labelling. Here, the reduction of customs processing plays a critical role. In addition, techn ological improvements throughout Europe are almost uniform and not just clustered in individual countries. As a result, order processing, inventory management, warehousing and IT technology are being further centralized. In nutshell, the competitive situation in Western Europe is intense as compared to the rest of Europe. Japan Japan has evolved into an economic powerhouse of Asia and created a highly developed logistics system in spite of challenging geographic conditions. On one hand, such a system is necessary to offset the Japanese islands lack of raw materials. On the other hand, it is the foundation for expanding the positive growth of the export nation. The countrys main manufacturing and therefore, logistics hub lies in a triangle around the cities of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka on the island of Honshu. Air transport, in particular, plays an important role here. The most important means of freight transport in Japan are road transports and coastal shipping. Almost ninety percent of the transport is carried by trucks. The role of rail transports is almost non-existent. But this could change in the years ahead. A portion of sea freight has been shifted to air transport in recent years. As a result of this shift, international air transports on trans-Pacific routes have climbed tremendously. Compared with other industrial countries, Japans distribution system is very complex and inefficient leading to high distribution costs. Most aspects of goods distribution in Figure 2: Logistics Hubs in Japan Source: (DHL Discover Logistics, n.d.-b) Japan is tightly regulated by the government. Joint distribution is typical; competitors who make deliveries to the same businesses tend to use joint delivery capacities and trucks. The logistics market in Japan is opening up to international service providers which are already successfully competing against Japanese companies in areas such as storage, distribution and complex contract logistics. The major logistics challenge is traffic congestion in metropolitan areas around the industrial hub. Just-in-time systems require small and frequent shipments to meet customer requirements. The distribution system in Japanese market is characterised by non-store channels, carrying least inventory. It is helpful in introducing new products through mail order, catalogue sales, and tele-shopping. Shared distribution system is common among competitors. Uniform palletization is used to avoid complicacy in operations. China Chinas logistics market is opening up gradually to the outside world. Logistics enterprises are reorganizing and integrating in the competitive environment. It is more and more obvious that state owned, private owned and foreign funded enterprises are surviving and thriving in the competitive markets. With the increasing demand of logistics, the logistics service for enterprises is changing from low value fundamental services to the high value added services. Logistics infrastructure, integrated logistics, traffic and transportation, and delivery services provide huge investment opportunities. However, the related risks must be put into account, and firms should be cautious when choosing investment projects. Figure 3: Logistics Hubs in China Source: (DHL Discover Logistics, n.d.-c) In some parts of China, due to advancement in technology, the road network now approaches Western standards. Modern freeways have been built in the Pearl River delta as well as in Shanghai and Beijing. Parts of this network extend far into the countrys interior but the standards and quality of the road drops as we move away from the cities particularly in the areas located away from the metropolitan areas. As a result of the underdeveloped infrastructure outside the metropolitan areas, logistics costs are high in an international context. In comparison to other means of transport, the rail network is almost inappropriate for logistics operations due to poorly built rail lines. For example, a container takes five days to journey by train from Hong Kong to Shanghai (DHL Discover Logistics, n.d.-c). A transport by ship takes about the same amount of time, but is much cheaper. Rail transports play a major role only in the shipment of bulk cargo like coal or iron ore. As a result, rail tr ansports are not particularly attractive to international companies for general logistics operations. The key challenges for the Chinese logistics industry are: Poor infrastructure: insufficient integration of transport networks, information technology (IT), warehousing and distribution facilities. Regulation: exist at different tiers, imposed by national, regional and local authorities and often differ from city to city, hindering the creation of national networks. Bureaucracy and Culture: companies need to build links with political agents at various levels. Moreover, it is difficult to repatriate profits back to home country. Poor training: in logistics sector and the manufacturing and retailing sectors, both at a practical level, i.e., IT, transportation and warehouse as well as at a higher strategic level. Information and communications technology: lack of IT standards and poor systems integration and equipment. At a very basic level, there is no consistent supply of energy. Undeveloped domestic industry: logistics sector is fragmented and dominated by commoditized and low quality transport and warehousing, unable to meet the growing supply chain demands for industrial and commercial enterprises. High transport costs: almost 50% more than Japan, Europe and North America, mainly due to high tolls on roads. Logistics costs (including warehousing, distribution, inventory holding, order processing, etc.) are estimated to be two to three times the normal. Poor warehousing and storage: high losses, damage and deterioration of stock, especially in the perishables sector. Regional imbalance: of goods flows from the developed east of the country to the more undeveloped west leading to higher costs for haulage companies which are then passed on to their clients. Domestic trade barriers: besides lowered trade barriers such as tariffs and quotas for international shipments, there are still problems such as unofficial border tolls from an inland manufacturing location to a port city or vice versa. Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eastern Europe Four out of fifteen former Soviet Republics belong to CIS are in Europe: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. Eastern Europe is made up of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Albania, and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The countries of Eastern Europe occupy a strategically central position on the continent and are located at Western Europes interface with Russia. As a result of the European Unions enlargement to the east, they are increasingly serving as a bridge. As a result, many manufacturing companies have moved their production facilities to Eastern Europe for cost reasons. Logistics service providers entered either following these companies or to exploit the new markets by carrying out mergers or acquisitions. The opportunities for the companies interested in entering these markets vary significantly from country to country. Although, these countries have relatively well developed transport ne tworks but they do not meet western European standards. Despite the rapid growth of road transports, railroads remain the dominant means of transport. Figure 4: Logistics Hubs in Eastern Europe Source: (DHL Discover Logistics, n.d.-d) The Eastern European logistics market is characterized by wide regional differences. While the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary and Poland have made major strides, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia are trailing far behind. The infrastructure is in even worse shape farther to the east. The road-based freight transports have limited ability to meet the demands of European industry in a cost effective manner. The causes of these limitations include traffic jams, the limited potential for expanding network capacity, rising energy costs and growing intermodal competition from railways. Eastern European harbours, particularly the major sea ports in Poland, perform a significant amount of trans-shipping and are being increasingly expanded. The European Unions enlargement and the increasing transport volumes have resulted in intensified storage and distribution activities in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. One of the major challenges is to overcome the barriers that exist between Eastern and Western Europe, including the transport infrastructure. Further, they would like you to advice them on several strategies available to them to enter the above mentioned markets. Discuss all available strategies and give your specific recommendations. (Your answer should not exceed 1500 words) Foreign Market Entry Strategies Foreign market entry strategies are mainly categorized into: Indirect exporting Direct exporting Manufacturing strategies Cooperative strategies Risk and Control in Market Entry Control Risk Risk Indirect Exporting Piggybacking Trading Companies Export Management Companies Domestic Purchasing Cooperative Strategies Joint Ventures Strategic Alliances Direct Exporting Distributors Agents Direct Marketing Franchising Management Contracts Manufacturing Own Subsidiary Acquisition AssemblyFigure 1: Foreign Market Entry Strategies Source: (Doole Lowe, 2001, p.249) Indirect Exporting Piggybacking An established international distribution network of one manufacturer may be used to carry the products of a second company without such a network. The second manufacturer is said to be piggybacking on the first in these cases. The first company has an established reputation and contacts in an international environment. It handles the logistics and administration costs of exporting for the second manufacturer. Piggybacking can offer many advantages to firms; such as cheaper and quick access to new markets, an established knowledge base of the foreign markets and economies of scale with regards to administration, shipping, marketing and distribution. Piggybacking may lead to unsatisfactory marketing arrangements such as lack of strategic fit, providing technical support, and after sales services for buyers potentially leading to disagreement. This method of exporting too is not ideal for building a long-term foreign market presence. Trading Companies A trading company trades on its own account. It performs many functions as; buying and selling as a merchant, handling goods on consignment, or it may act as a commission house for some buyers. Trading companies match sellers with buyers and manage all the supportive functions such as export arrangements, paperwork, transportation, and legislative requirements. Firms initially choose this mode, because of TCs extensive contacts, experience, operations and long-term commercial relationships in many different trading regions in the world. After some experience in the international market, exporting firms want more control over decision making, so TCs are not their long-term partners. Export Management Companies Export Management Companies are specialist companies that act as export department for a number of companies. They provide companies with access to foreign buyers, take orders from those foreign buyers, purchase finished products, and handle the transporting and distribution of the goods in the foreign market. Their core competency is in export logistics and deals with the necessary documentation and extensive knowledge of purchasing practices and government regulations in the foreign markets. This is a less risky and fast penetration strategy suitable for new entrants in the international market in the short-term. Disadvantages of EMCs include; export strategy conflict among both parties, lack of manufacturers control over foreign market decisions and market knowledge. Due to expertise in exporting, the EMC has complete control over all foreign market decisions. In addition, EMC may even export products that are in direct competition with each other. Therefore, manufacturers need to devote resources to monitoring the performance of an EMC and invest in managing the business relationship. As the manufacturers revenue from exporting increases, moving away from the EMC or eliminating EMCs from the business may prove harmful due to lack of foreign buyer contacts or market knowledge or because of contractual agreements. Domestic Purchasing Domestic purchasing is a method of market entry which involves the least company involvement. This export method often involves an unsolicited purchase request from a foreign commercial buyer. The company may not even have considered the export potential of their products until approached from the foreign buyer. In general, companies can use this method to sell off excess stock with the least inconvenience. It generates a relatively low level of revenue and the company is completely dependent on the foreign buyer. The company gains limited knowledge of the international markets, as it has no direct contact with them. The foreign buyer often picks up the goods at the factory gates and proceeds to transport the goods, market them, and distribute them in one or more overseas market. Direct Exporting Distributors Export distributors differ from agents in that they take ownership and responsibility for the goods. Distributors usually take limited rights for the sales and servicing of a particular territory where they represent the manufacturer in all respects. The capital investment can be particularly high for a firm exporting goods requiring specialist handling. Due to this large investment both parties undertake to maintain a long-term relationship. Agents Export agents are usually individuals or firms operating in a foreign market, contracted by the firm, and paid a commission to obtain orders for the product. After entering into a contractual agreement, sales targets are usually agreed with agents by the firms. Agents are usually contracted to carry non-direct competing products therefore providing a lower exposure to risk. Although agents are the cheapest and quickest form of market entry, the long-term profitability is moderate to low with a short payback period. Agents can be beneficial to the company in that they have local market knowledge, established relationships and provide adequate feedback regarding further product or market development strategies. Agents do not owner goods which limits their motivation to improve performance. They can take the form of brokers, manufacturers representatives, managing agents and compradors performing specific functions (Cateora Graham, 2002). Direct Marketing Using database marketing tools such as mail order, telemarketing, media marketing, direct mail and the internet can be a useful technique to expand a firms customer base abroad. Usually, this market entry method is very useful when there are high barriers to entry exist in a foreign market or where markets have insufficient or underdeveloped distribution systems. Success using direct marketing can only be obtained if the standard product/service is customized to meet the personal needs of the target market in different markets. Issues of product promotion and privacy needed to be addressed when engaging in telemarketing, direct mail or Internet commerce. Franchising In franchising, the firm grants the legal right to use branding, trademarks and products, and transfers the method of operation to a third party (the franchisee) in return for a franchise fee. Franchising is less risky and less costly due to the nature of the agreement. The franchisee provides the local market knowledge, capital, time and resources needed to develop the franchise. The two types of franchise agreement used by franchising firms are that of a master franchise and licensing. A master franchise often operates a multi-unit franchising agreement or it may take the form of a trading company whereas in licensing the franchiser uses the property, trademark and intellectual rights for a royalty or fee. Management Contracts Management contracts usually involve selling the skills, expertise and knowledge of firms in an international context. The contracts undertaken are usually those for installing management operating and control systems and the training of local staff to take over when the contractors are finished (Doole Lowe, 2001). Manufacturing Strategies Own Subsidiary This form of market entry requires the maximum commitment in terms of management and resources and offers the fullest means of participating in a market. Before investing huge capital, the firm must evaluate the pros and cons of the business as the cost of withdrawing from the market would be significant. Although sole ownership provides high level of control, the firm may not only incur the costs if withdrawal is eminent but also the companys reputation can be damaged both in the foreign and domestic market. The advantage is of avoiding communication and conflict of interest problems which may occur through other methods like acquisitions and joint ventures. Acquisition Acquisition occurs where an organization develops its resources and competences by taking over another organization. It is a faster entry strategy in new product or market areas. A firm may acquire cost efficiencies, immediate access to a trained labour force, recognized brands, existing customer and supplier contacts, an immediate source of revenue and an established distribution network or otherwise as a result of acquisition. In return, the acquiring company may have to make certain sacrifices. Assembly Assembly involves establishing plants in foreign markets simply to assemble components manufactured in the domestic market by the firm. This method of market entry is attractive for certain companies when they see that the importation of components is subject to lower tariff barriers than assembled goods which eventually decrease their costs. Moreover, it can be more advantageous if the finished product is large and transportation costs are high. The domestic plant in addition, can focus on development and production skills and investment, hence, profiting from economies of scale. Assembly firms also take advantage of lower wage costs and government incentives. Cooperative Strategies Joint Ventures Joint venture (JV) is a market entry option in which the exporter and a domestic company in the target country join together to form a new incorporated company. Both parties provide equity and resources to the JV and share in the management, profits and losses. The JV should be limited to the life of a particular project. This option is popular in countries where there are restrictions on foreign ownership, e.g. China. Its advantages include; acquisition of competencies or skills not available in-house, risk sharing of a large project with other firms, faster market entry/penetration and payback, and avoiding technical trade barriers. Its disadvantages are; divided management control, difficult to recover capital invested, disagreement on new export markets, and different views of partners on expected benefits. Strategic Alliances Strategic alliances are a wide range of cooperative partnerships and joint ventures which unite to follow a set of important, agreed goals while in some way remaining independent subsequent to the formation of an alliance. The partners share both the benefits of the alliance and control over the performance of assigned tasks during the life of the alliance. The partners contribute on a regular basis in one or more key strategic areas, for example, technology or products. Strategic alliances are usually formed in three areas technology, manufacturing and marketing. The main reason behind strategic alliances is competition. Other reasons include; the reduction of risk, the attainment of economies of scale and complementary assets such as a brand name and government procurement. Firms, which employ strategic alliances, have the advantage of simultaneously penetrating several of their key markets. Specific Recommendations The decision of, which foreign market to enter, depends on firms external as well as internal factors and foreign countrys market conditions. The strategy to be adopted should be based on firms short and long-term corporate objectives. Initially, the firm should choose among direct or indirect exporting leading to cooperative and then manufacturing strategies. If exporting is a long-term goal of the firm, then indirect exporting methods may not prove to be the wisest strategic choice. In long-run, the firm has to trade off among costs and control over the decision making. Explain why it is usually more difficult for a firm to provide the same level of customer service in its international markets that it provides in its domestic markets. Under what circumstances may an organization actually be able to provide better customer service to international markets than to domestic markets? (Your answer should not exceed 1250 words) Customer Service When a firm becomes extensively involved in international business, logistics is seen as a critical part of the strategic planning process and a deterministic factor of customer service level. The complexity of the international business environment, including different business customs, inadequate/inappropriate transportation infrastructure, restrictive regulatory frameworks, and different levels of logistics services, presents barriers that make operations in foreign countries far more complicated and less controllable than in domestic markets. Generally, existing or emerging barriers result in longer order cycle times, higher logistics costs, and greater customer dissatisfaction. The customer service level chosen for use internationally is based on expectations encountered in each market. These expectations are dependent on past performance, product desirability; customer sophistication, and the competitive status of the firm and industry. Therefore, additional logistics costs are required to support operations which may be so important that, if not handled properly, they may offset any potential cost savings from using inexpensive labor and other resources in foreign countries. The need for cost-service trade-off analysis becomes inevitable for the managers in such an indifferent situation. Under these circumstances, logistics barriers obviously make it difficult for firms to gain a competitive advantage from their international operations. Table 1 summarizes the firms major external factors affecting its logistic performance (and therefore, customer service) at domestic and global level. It also depicts how difficult it becomes for the firms to provide same level of customer service at international level. Another major external (and therefore, uncontrollable) factor which has made international logistics more vulnerable and complex is security risks after 9/11 terrorist attacks. As a result security clearance procedures have lengthened and transit times of shipments have extended. Insurance rates for cross-border shipments have also climbed. Some factors internal (and therefore, controllable) to the firm, for example, centralized logistics activities, do not make the customer service work best, as it can be under local control in foreign market. Financial aspects such as working capital, inventory, capital investments in buildings and equipments, and accommodation of merchandise are also difficult to manage in the cas e of international operations. The managerial capability of logistics management in deciding optimal cost-service mix plays a major role in determining the customer level. Table 1: External Factors Affecting Customer Service Level Factors Domestic Conditions Global Conditions Culture Homogeneous Heterogeneous Currency Uniform Different currency and exchange rates Economy Stable and uniform May be variable and unpredictable Government Stable May be unstable Labor Skilled workers available Skilled workers may be hard to find Language Generally a single language Different languages and dialects Marketing Many media, few restrictions May be fewer media and more restrictions Transport Several competitive modes May be inadequate Source: (Marilyn Gale, 2006) In order to establish an efficient logistics system to support international operations, especially customer service, a firm should be able to evaluate when and where logistics barriers may disrupt materials flows in the distribution channel. The identification of barriers is important in designing an effective international operations network. A better understanding of those barriers enables a firm to take actions to reduce or avoid them so that it can improve its competitive position in international markets. The firms entering in the international market should obtain as much as possible information about the business conditions and operating expenses of potential markets. As the customer service levels and hence the cost incurred, vary between countries, the firm must examine the service requirements of customers in each foreign market. A flexible and responsive global customer service strategy is based on inventory policy and control procedures, packaging and containerization, sourcing raw materials, managing export shipments and terms of trade. International logistics is characterized by inventory points at more levels between suppliers and customers making it much complicated than at domestic level, leading to longer transportation times. Depending on the length of transit time and more inventory volume needed to cover the resultant delays, the firm can develop inventory policies and control procedures most appropriate for each market area. Another component of customer service is the products physical condition (must be in right condition). Packaging and containerization are important for product handling, climate effects, potential pilferage, communication and language differences, freight rates, and customs duties when a product moves across the borders. The quality of a product is determined by the quality of its raw materials. International sourcing may enable a firm to optimize products quality at lowest possible cost. The services of many facilitator organizations involved in international logistics activities are continuously utilized by almost all of the firms operating internationally. These organizations include export distributors, customs-house brokers, international freight forwarders, trading companies, and non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCC). These organizations are highly professionalized in performing their functions and operate at economies of the scale. A firm involved in exporting for the first time would likely utilize the services of a facilitator organization. There are a number of shipment modes/terms, each one of them having its own pros and cons. These terms of trade/shipment used in international logistics are Ex-Works, FCA, FAS, FOB, CFR, CIF, CPT, CIP, DAF, DES, DEQ, DDU and DDP. Terms of shipment have a major impact on a firms logistics performance as each of them yields a different cost of shipment and value to the customer. Finally, integrated logistics management (ILM) is the ultimate strategy to deal with the international customers efficiently. ILM integrates all the logistics activities; facility location and network design, information management, transportation management, inventory management, warehousing management, material handling, and packaging into a single activity or process of logistics directed towards servicing the customer effectively and at the lowest total cost of all the functional activities taken together. The methodology of integrated logistics conforms to the logistics objectives; getting the right item to the right customer, in the right quantity, in the right condition, at the right place, at the right time and at the right cost. Customer service level of a firm is the representation of managerial capability of its management team. A firms executive management is likely to use any or a combination of some or all of the above mentioned customer service strategies to deliver value

Relationship Between Construction Industry And Global Warming Environmental Sciences Essay

Relationship Between Construction Industry And Global Warming Environmental Sciences Essay Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earths temperature, which cause change in climate. This phenomenon is mainly caused by human activities which emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). It is believed that the use of non-renewable energy has increased the carbon concentration in the atmosphere and has also increased the Earths temperature. Among all the human activities that emit GHGs, construction industry should held responsibilities too. In a recent publication by Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change, it was indicated that the largest growth in the carbon emissions has come from electricity generation, transport, industry and above all, from building operation (Radhi, 2009). Therefore, is the operation and construction of building emits CO2, not the building itself. Energy required for a building to operate is mainly on heat ing and cooling purposes. In United States (US), a full 30% of CO2 emission is caused by built environment. While in United Kingdom (UK), energy use related to construction industry amounts to around 55% of national energy consumption, which means the industry is also the source of 55% of CO2 emission (Parsa and Farshchi, 1996). In order to reduce carbon emission, constructing a building with energy efficiency or low carbon emission is a trend in nowadays construction industry. To achieve a building with low or even zero carbon emission, the design and equipment used by the building is crucial and must be energy efficient. For example, instead of using artificial lighting, natural lighting is being use for the same purpose while mechanical ventilation is replaced by natural ventilation. Besides, the issue of global warming has had governments concern. Lots of regulations and restrictions have been amends to reduce carbon or GHGs emission. Among all those regulations, Kyoto Protocal is the one most well known. The purpose of Kyoto Protocal is to reduce the emission of GHGs from industrialised countries by 5.2% of the 1990 levels by a commitment period between 2008 2012 (Hill, 2001). On the other hand, the UK Climate Change Bill will commit the UK law to a target of at least a 60% reduction in CO2 emission by 2050. 1.3 Aim To analyse how construction industry could contribute to global warming and what efforts have been made in order to reduce global warming. 1.4 Objectives To study the factors in which construction industry had caused global warming. To determine the role of governments in setting rules and regulations to reduce global warming. To identify efforts that has been done by local construction industry to follow the green footsteps. 1.5 Background Global warming has been a growing global concern in recent years. Global warming could leads to greenhouse effects, climate change, rise in mean sea level, acid rain and depletion in ozone layer (Parsa and Farshchi, 1996). Global warming is caused by emission of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Among basket of GHGs, CO2 plays the most vital role. Due to the developing of each country, it can be seen that the carbon emission has become more serious. During the 150 years of the industrial age, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 has increased by 31 percent (West, 2009) Carbon emission comes from domestic industry, burning of fossil fuels, transport and many other factors. Among all those sources, burning of fossil fuels or non-renewable energy for electricity generation emits the most carbon dioxide. Besides, CO2 could lead to greenhouse effects as heat from sun and lighting is being trapped in earths atmosphere and causing the rise of temperature in earths surface (Mahwah, 2000). On the other hand, climate change means a change in long term weather pattern. While rise in mean sea level is because of melting of south and north pole ice due to rising temperature. Other than carbon dioxide, release of methane is another factors causes global warming. Over 150 years of industrial age, there has been 151% rise in atmospheric methane level mainly from agricultural activities (West, 2009). Emission of nitrious oxide which is another kind of greenhouse gases also emitted mainly due to various agriculture and industrial process. Besides, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) are also categorised in the basket of greenhouse gases. 1.6 Scope of Study This study will include the definition and cause of global warming, efforts made and role of government in reducing global warming. This study would reveal the awareness of construction industry in global warmings issue and what have been done to reduce it. It is done through observing whether there are increasing numbers of sustainable or green buildings. Besides, since this issue has raised global concern, this study also would show what haven been done by government regard this matter. In order to find out causes of global warming, information would be search online or in library. A case study will be conduct in order to have a further understanding of efforts made to reduce global warming. Zero energy office which is located at Bandar Baru Bangi would be visited and interviewed the relevant personnel. This building is the first completely self-sustainable building in Southeast Asia. The design, equipment and other sustainable items in that building would be studied. Interview wit h the related person should be carrying out if possible to have a deeper understanding on the buildings principal. 1.7 Methodology Stage 1: Literature review This is a stage where a lot of comprehensive review is required to have a broader knowledge about global warming. I will be looking for secondary data source at this stage which is through reading articles or journals from online resources or library. The resources that I am looking forward are mainly on causes of global warming which related to construction industry and rules and regulations set out by government to deal with global warming. Stage 2: Case study In order to have a more in-depth analysis of global warming awareness in construction industry, I will be conducting a case study in Malaysia by searching for energy efficient or low carbon emission building. The building that I found which fit to the requirement is Pusat Tenaga Malaysia located at Bandar Baru Bangi, Kuala Lumpur. I will visit to the building and conduct an interview with the person in charge of the building in order to have a deeper understanding of how it works and its principle. This case study would be used to establish the efforts that have been made to reduce global warming. Stage 3: Evaluation of case study After conducting a case study, I will review and analyse the information and photos collected in the building that I have studied. It is to identify whether the building is really environmentally friendly and is it capable of reducing the impact to environment to minimum. Stage 4: Writing up After doing all the research, understanding and getting enough information, it enables me to writing up the content following the dissertation that I proposed in this stage. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction In this chapter, issues related to causes of global warming and environmental regulations which are related to construction industry are going to be talked about. When someone mention about global warming, many are pointing fingers to construction industry and recent studies have showed that construction industry do held responsibilities. In construction industry, the energy usage to operate building, embodied energy and construction activities are those which held responsibilities in carbon emissions. However, due to global awareness, many countries have come out with solutions to solve this issue and governments play an important role in this matter. In order to reduce carbon emissions, many rules and regulations have been set to ensure that they are complied by designers and contractors. Such rules and regulations are Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change Act 2008, Carbon Reduction Commitment, Display Energy Certificates and others relevant regulations. Regulations set are mandatory for construction parties to follow and hope that it will reduce carbon emissions and save our earth. 2.2 Definition 2.2.1 Global Warming The meaning of global warming as according to Dr. Spencer (2007) shows that global warming: is the expected slow, gradual warming of the lower layers of the Earths lower atmosphere by the slowly increasing concentrations of man-made greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, and to lesser extent methane. These gases trap infrared radiation, which is heat radiation that cools the Earth. 2.2.2 Construction Industry Construction industry can be divided in to three groups which is heavy and civil engineering construction, general construction and specially trades (Economy Watch, 2010). Besides, based on Economy Watch (2010), construction industry brings the meaning of: This industry is mainly an urban based one which is concerned with preparation as well as construction of real estate properties. The repairing of any existing building or making certain alterations in the same also comes under construction industry. 2.3 Causes of Global Warming by Construction Industry 2.3.1 Facts that Construction Industry Caused Global Warming It is undeniable that construction industry should bear responsibilities for causing of global warming. Activities related to building are responsible for 35% to 45% of CO2 releases into the atmosphere. In Australia, 40% of its country energy is used for heating, cooling, building and demolishing of building (Dixon, 2008). Energy that generated to fulfill all the needs emits CO2. Besides, similar conditions occur in UK whereby about 50% of UKs total CO2 emissions have caused by construction, occupation and maintenance of buildings (Gibbs, 2007). On the other hand, buildings in US responsible for about 38% of the carbon emissions which is 39% of USs energy and 68% of its energy (WBDG, 2009). Although it is proven that construction industry is the main contributor to global warming, among the six gases in GHGs, CO2 is the gases that construction industry should held most responsibility. Another GHGs release by construction industry is CFCs and HFCs which were used in refrigeration in w hich every house have a refrigerator. However, one thing that need to be make clear is that not the building itself release GHGs, but the operation of buildings. 2.3.2 Energy Usage by Building During the lifetime of a building, it required a lot of energy in order to operate it and majority of buildings in the whole world are using electricity that is sourced mainly from coal power plants. For example, buildings produce high heat that radiates outside into the air and most buildings did not structured for such high temperature. In order to solve this problem, air-conditioning has been used. The usage of air-conditioning will increase the energy consumption and in the same time the emissions of CO2. During winter, buildings required some heating in order to keep the occupant warm. Besides, in order to make life easier, many appliances have been invented. One of the useful appliances is lighting. Lighting is essential to a modern society. About 5% of energy and 25% of average home electricity is used for lighting. In addition, approximately 60% of electricity is consumed in commercial sector (Energy Conservation, 2010). Therefore, when someone turns on and off a light, they are releasing GHGs (Environment Support, 2008). Other appliances that most of the people use nowadays is water heater, in order to heat water, energy is required to do so. Furthermore, refrigerators that involved heat exchange that consumes a significant amount of electricity each year is another daily used appliances. Another appliance that able to make our lives easier is washer and dryer to do our laundry everyday. Electricity is required for a washing machine to start doing our laundry. It is believed that around 40% of all the carbon emissions come from power plants (Christodoulou, 2010 ). All of our daily activities in a building required usage of energy which generate from power plants especially from coal. Coal releases the most carbon as compared to natural gas and oil power plants. 2.3.3 Embodied Energy By constructing a sustainable building, zero- carbon building and the like, emissions of carbon by building operations have been reduced. However, the embodied energy in the building materials has been neglect. Embodied energy is the energy used to produce building materials such as cement, steel, aluminium and other materials. However, it is not just as simple as that (Lane, 2010). Embodied energy can be meant by the non-renewable energy used in the acquisition of raw materials, processing, manufacturing, transportation to site and construction. Besides, energy used to transport building products to the site also consider as embodied energy (Giampietro, 2009). For example, a concrete block that located nearby the site will contain lower embodied energy that a concrete block from other states. This is because the energy used for transportation of the concrete block is different (Lane, 2010). Moreover, if a building has high energy efficiency or used less energy, its embodied carbon will be increased. The less carbon been released through constructing a building, the bigger percentage that embodied carbon contributes to the total carbon footprint. For example, a distribution warehouse that used less energy for heating and lighting have an embodied carbon of 60% of its total lifetime carbon footprint. Meanwhile, embodied carbon for supermarket which used a lot of energy contains only 20% of embodied carbon and a house has embodied carbon of 30%. Therefore, different type of building will have different embodied carbon. It is believed that by year 2019, embodied carbon will make up 100% of a buildings carbon footprint (Lane, 2010). Table below shows the embodied energy for different types of materials. According to the table 2.1, aluminium has the highest embodied energy in terms of MJ/kg which is 227 and the lowest is aggregate which is 0.10. For embodied energy measure in terms of MJ/m3, the highest amount would be copper which is 631164 and lowest is straw bale with a figure of 31. Table 2.1: Embodied energy in different types of materials Source: (Architecture 2030, 2010) 2.3.4 Construction Activities Other than energy used by building to operate and embodied energy, building or construction industry also emits CO2 in another manner which is by its construction activities. It is believed that the size of construction projects will affects the carbon emissions. Table below shows the relationship between civil values and construction carbons. It shows that the higher the civil value, the higher carbon emissions (United Utilities, 2009). Projects with higher civil value means that it is a big projects and big projects often required a lot of plant machinery such as excavators, tower cranes, forklift and other machineries in order to complete the whole construction projects. Besides, larger size of construction projects means that more waste is generated. In year 2004 in UK, the waste going to landfill from construction industry was about 100 million tonnes which was increased for 30 million tonnes since year 2000. This amount is equivalent to one house being buried when three houses was built. Moreover, wastage account for an extra 25% energy for waste (Natural Building Technologies, 2010). Thus, due to the increase of usage of machineries and wastage, carbon emissions for larger construction projects are higher than smaller size project Table 2.2: Relationship between civil value construction carbon Source: (United Utilities, 2009) In addition, below is a bar chart showing that carbon emissions during each breakdown of projects. Table below was made based on comparisons of ten projects. According to the graph, plant emissions have highest carbon emissions as compare to other activities. This is due to usage of diesel by plant machineries and it release high volume of CO2 (Natural Building Technologies, 2010). On the other hand, concrete industry plays an important role in construction activity since most of the part of a building is built using concrete. However, concrete industry also plays an important role in carbon emissions since the concrete industry is responsible for 5% to 7% of all global carbon emissions. Carbon emissions of concrete occur during the production process of concrete (Dixon, 2008). Table 2.3: Breakdown of project CO2 emissions by source Source: (United Utilities, 2009) 2.4 Environmental Regulations 2.4.1 Kyoto Protocol 2.4.1.1 What is Kyoto Protocol? In regard to reduce carbon emissions, Kyoto Protocol was carried out. Kyoto Protocol was a legally binding agreement agreed by many countries in December 1997 and it came into force with Russias ratification on February 16, 2005. Terms in Kyoto required at least fifty five parties to ratify the agreement and total emissions by the parties need to be at least 55% of global production of greenhouse gases (Bloch, 2010). A group of countries known as United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the founder of Kyoto Protocol and they have set a major goal of decreasing global emissions of six critical greenhouse gases levels that are 5.2 percent below what they were in 1990. The Protocol contains of twenty five articles and two Annexes which is Annex A and Annex B. Annex A contain of identification and sources of greenhouse gases while Annex B refer to lists of industrialized countries which agree to the Protocol (Lerner, 2006). Greenhouse gases which contain under Annex A are CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs and SF6. Meanwhile, countries that fall under Annex B such as European Union (EU), Canada, Japan, Norway, Australia and other countries. Target to be achieved by each country either reduction, increase or maintain is shown in Table 2.4. Countries such as EU, US, Canada, Hungary, Japan, Poland and Croatia need to achieve carbon reductions due to they are developed countries and economically stable to reduce CO2 in their industrial sector. Besides, EU was taking advantage on a scheme known as bubble. Under this scheme, EU countries can redistribute their emissions targets among themselves whereby some may increase their emissions while others reduce their em issions (UNFCCC, 2010). Meanwhile, for countries that are allow to increase their emissions is due to economic reasons. Those are developing countries and reduce in carbon emissions may affect their economic. Country Target (1990** 2008/2012) EU-15 -8% US -7% Canada, Hungary, Japan, Poland -6% Croatia -5% New Zealand, Russian Federation, Ukraine 0 Norway +1% Australia +8% Iceland +10% Table 2.4: Countries included in Annex B to the Kyoto Protocol and their emissions targets Source: (UNFCCC, 2010) 2.4.1.2 Emissions Trading In order for the countries to meet their target emissions, three market-based mechanisms were introduced. The first mechanism was emissions trading which also known as the carbon market. In this mechanism, Assigned Amount Units (AAUs) represents the allowable emissions by countries. Emissions trading that have been set out in Article 17 mention that for countries which have excess emissions units, they can sell the excess units to countries that are over their targets. The reason for this to be called as carbon market is because carbon is like any other commodity which can be tracked and traded (UNFCCC, 2010). The prices and quantities to be sold will be agreed upon the parties. However, penalties for exceeding the assigned amounts, expected costs required for cleaner technologies investments and amount of carbon emissions available for trading will be the factors that affect the price (Hill, 2001). 2.4.1.3 Joint Implementation (JI) JI that have mentioned in Article 6 explains that a party of Annex B may invest in an emission-reduction project of another Annex B party. This offers a party to earn emission reduction units (ERUs) (UNFCCC, 2010). Therefore, Grubb (Hill, 2001) states that JI enables a party to fulfill their Kyoto commitments by locating investments which can obtain most effective savings while another party able to contribute resources such as technological expertise or manpower. Moreover, the project at which a party is going to have a JI with must obtain approval from both the parties involved. Besides, the JI project must be able to reduce emissions or enhancement of removals by sinks. Projects that start from year 2000 may be eligible as JI projects as long as all the requirements have been fulfilled (UNFCCC, 2010). 2.4.1.4 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Article 12 of Kyoto Protocol is stated about CDM. It is a mechanism which allows a country to establish an emission-reduction project in non-Annex countries which are developing countries (UNFCCC, 2010). The savings in emissions which been obtained can be allocate to the Annex B countries and saleable certified emission reduction (CER) credits which equal to one tone of CO2 can be earned. According to UNFCCC, CDM is seen by many as a trailblazer. It is the first global, environmental investment and credit scheme of its kind, providing a standardized emission offset instrument, CERs. Furthermore, an example of a project that has been registered as a CDM project is the Biomass Energy Plant Lumut in Malaysia (Selamat and Abidin,2010) 2.4.2 Part L of Building Regulations 2.4.2.1 Building Regulations Building Regulations are statutory instruments that applied to building works in England and Wales (Planning Portal, 2010). According to Planning Portal, the purpose of Building Regulations is to set standards for design and construction of buildings to ensure safety and health for people in or about those buildings. Besides, there are fourteen parts which include in the Building Regulations. All the parts are in relation to the building design and construction. All the parts in Building Regulations are shown as below: Part A Structure Part B Fire safety Part C Site preparation and resistance to moisture Part D Toxic substances Part E Resistance to the passage of sound Part F Ventilation Part G Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency Part H Drainage and waste disposal Part J Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems Part K Protection from falling, collision and impact Part L Conservation of fuel and power Part M Access to and use of buildings Part N Glazing safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning Part P Electrical safety 2.4.2.2 Part L Conservation of Fuel and Power Part L of Building Regulations is mainly focus on conservation of fuel and power in relation to the issue of carbon emissions. In year 2010, Part L has been revised and the revised version has been published on 30 April 2010. Starting from October 2010, four new approved documents and two compliance guides will be replacing the current versions. After the amendment in this year, the amendments to new dwellings in 2013 will lead to zero carbon in dwellings by 2016 (Cullen, 2010). Under Part L, it has been split into four sections which are sections for new dwellings, existing dwellings, new buildings other than dwellings and existing buildings other than dwellings (Planning Portal, 2010). In this revised Part L, carbon reduction for 25% is applied to dwellings while reductions depend on type of buildings will varies from 16% 40%. Examples for carbon emissions for types of buildings other than dwellings are 16% for hotel, 21% for retail, 22% for shallow-plan building (heated), 26% for supermarkets and deep-plan office (air-conditioned), 27% for school, 36% for warehouse and 40% for shallow-plan office (air-conditioned). Moreover, a design stage carbon dioxide emission rate and building specification is required to be carried out by the regulations to designers. The purpose of doing these is to help building control to understand the compliance strategy (Lane, 2010). On the other hand, Accredited Construction Details (ACD) is encouraged to be used for reduction of thermal bridging in dwellings (Cullen, 2010). If the ACD is not been used, 25% shall be added to the calculated values. Besides, the maximum allowable value for air permeability is 10.0 at completion of the dwelling. In order to meet with the requirement, the design for air permeability must be at most 8.0. However, for small developments, a value of 15.0 is still applicable. Since lightings are a significant component of carbon emissions, therefore for lighting requirements, minimum 75% of light fittings must be of low energy. If the remaining 25% are also low energy light fittings, it will contribute towards meeting the Target Emission Rate (TER) target (Hughes, 2010). U-Value shows how well heat transfer through a building element. The lower U-Value is, the rate of heat flowing through building elements slower (Broxwood, 2008). Therefore in Part L 2010, the limitations for U-value in building elements have decreased as shown in the table 2.5. The U-Value of elements for Part L 2010 have changed because this revised Part L is emphasis on reducing heat loss through party walls, improve thermal bridging and to have a better system efficiency improvements (Hughes, 2010). Table 2.5: New limiting U-Values including for party walls Source: (Hughes, 2010) 2.4.3 Climate Change Act 2008 Climate Change Act 2008 was an Act enforced by UK in regard of climate change. UK was the first country in the world to have a legally binding long-term framework to tackle with issue of global warming or climate change by reducing carbon emissions. Climate Change Act 2008 was that legally binding framework (Defra, 2010). The objectives of setting out such Act are to improve carbon management and create a low-carbon economy in UK and to show UKs leadership internationally (Department of Energy Climate Change, 2010). In order to implement and act as part of this Act, Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has been set up as an independent body. The CCC has recommended that the reduction targets for year 2050 targets should be raised from 60%. Therefore, according to the Act, at least 80% of reduction is required by year 2050 as compared to year 1990 levels (Committee on Climate Change, 2010). However, a reduction in emissions of at least 34% by year 2020 also needs to be achieved. On the other hand, several approach of managing and responding of climate change in UK have been created. Such approaches are: setting ambitious, legally binding targets, taking powers to help meet those targets, strengthening the institutional framework, enhancing the UKs ability to adapt impact of climate change and establishing clear and regular accountability to the UK Parliament and to the developed legislatures. (Department of Energy Climate Change, 2010) 2.4.3.1 Requirements under the Act Besides, carbon budget needs to be prepared in every five years starting from year 2008 -2012. Part 1 for Climate Change Act 2008 states that the carbon budget for budgetary period until year 2020 must at least 26% lower than level in year 1990 and for budgetary period until year 2050, carbon budget must at least 80% lower than year 1990s level. The purpose of having the carbon budget is to make sure that they are on the right track towards 2050 targets. Furthermore, risk assessment and plans to tackle with those risks needs to be carry out by public bodies and statutory as required by governments which obtain powers from the Act. On 30 September 2009, guidance been published by Defra for UK businesses and organizations in regard of ways to measure and report of their GHG emissions. After that on 1 October 2009, guidance has been issued by the government in regard of how companies should report on their GHG emissions. Then by 1 December 2010, contribution reporting that could lead to emissions reductions shall be review. Moreover, Companies Act 2008 could be applied by the governments for the purpose of making mandatory report or explanation on reasons of unfulfilling by 6 April 2012 (Department of Energy Climate Change, 2010). Although emissions of CO2 is using year 1990 as a baseline, not all other GHG use the same baseline. Table 2.6 shows the base year for other GHG emissions. Gas Base year methane 1990 nitrous oxide 1990 hydrofluorocarbons 1995 perfluorocarbons 1995 sulphur hexafluoride 1995 Table 2.6: Base years for targeted greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide Source: (Climate Change Act, 2008) 2.4.4 Agenda 21 2.4.4.1 What is Agenda 21? Due to global awareness, Agenda 21 was established at year 1992 by United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil which contain of four sections. It is a plan for having sustainable development in 21st century. Governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), industry and general public are encouraged to get involved. Besides, Agenda 21 also plays as a commitment that was agreed by many governments in the world. International Commission on sustainable Development will be monitored on countries that have pledged to take part in Agenda 21. Furthermore, those countries are also being encouraged to promote Agenda 21 at local and regional levels within their own countries. Agenda 21 is focusing on the conservation and preservation of environments and natural resources (Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment, 2000). It has become an outline to tackle with nowadays environmental issues such as poverty and excessive consumptions, pollutions , deforestation and others. 2.4.4.2 Local Agenda 21 in Hammersmith and Fulham Local Agenda 21 (LA21) is a plan established by local authority following the objective of Agenda 21 which is sustainable development (Srinivas, 2010). For LA21 in Hammersmith and Fulham, the main concerns are on recycling or waste management, air quality of transport, sustainable economy, health or disability, biodiversity and the river thames or waterways. The main objective for Hammersmith and Fulham to adopt LA21 is to create a more sustainable lifestyle and to ensure the benefits of future generations would not be endanger by our decisions today. Besides, LA21 offers alternatives to solve against wrong ways of doing things nowadays such as throwing away piles of rubbish, wastage of resources, polluting air and others (Hammersmith and Fulham, 2005). On the other hand, LA21 in Hammersmith and Fulham have six key elements which are: To supervise and enhance the local authoritys own environmental performance. It can be done through assurance by corporate, training of staff and raised awareness, a system to manage environment and the like. To integrate sustainable development aims into local authoritys policies and activities such as planning of land use, development

The Duel Essay -- essays research papers

In reviewing John Lukacs, The Duel, I noticed that the author has other intentions in mind besides the facts. Lukacs gives a very precise account of the actualy events during those eighty days but in my opinion he wants the reader to grab the bigger concepts. One of these concepts is that Lukacs wants the reader to honestly consider just how close the Allies came to losing the war. Another of these notions is the idea that the main difference between Churchill and Hitler concerned nationalism versus patriotism and a third idea is just how greatly history can be effected by the courageous decisions of a few people.Lukacs makes strong mention of how close Hitler came to victory. Hitler got everything he wanted for so long, without even having to resort to force. Lukacs describes Hitler as ''being an amateur at generalship, but he posessed the great professional talent applicable to all human affairs: an understanding of human nature and the understanding of the weaknesses of his opponents. That was enough to carry him very far''(3). Lukacs wants to make that a point in all of his readers' minds; that Hitler could manipulate people so he could get what he wanted without resorting to violence. Of course, the threat of violence was always present but Hitler was smart enough that he could scare his enemies enough that they would not want to engage in combat. Once actually forced to fight, Hitler still dominated and he could have very possibly won the war if not for that one fatal mistake he made by hesitating in his plans against the English. I think it is important that Lukacs makes sure to get this message across because some people choose to ignore this truth due to the devastating outcomes that would have resulted if Hitler succeeded. The major point presented by Lukacs concerning the difference between Hitler and Churchill has to do with nationalim versus patriotism. Lukacs describes Hitler as a nationalist and Churchill as a patriot. He describes Hitler as a man of ideas and Churchill as a of man principles, because Churchill's ideas changed throughout the war while Hitler tended to think that his ideas were principles. In a footnote there lies a a brilliant explanation of this idea. Dr. Johnson states ''Nationalism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. Patriotism is defensive, while nationalism is aggressive. Patriotism is not a substitute for a relig... ...till evident in this directive when it says if necessary. Hitler delivered his speech for a last attempt at peace on July 19, but it did not work. One of his main goals for the speech was to disconnect the people of England from Churchill but this failed because of the manner in which he spoke about Churchill. The next day, Hitler said that the English response meant that the German attack would commenec on Britain in a few days. Looking back at how these events unfolded, everyone should be glad that Hitler made such a mistake. I, for one couldn't believe that Hitler made this mistake. Throughout reading this entire book Hitler usually makes swift, decisive actions that get results and that is why Lukacs stresses this string of events in the book.Overall, this book is wonderfully written on a very interesting topic. The reader is put in the middle of a war of nerves and will between two men, one of which we have grown up to learn to hate. This only makes us even more emotional about the topic at hand. For a history book, it was surprisingly understandable and hard to put down. It enlightened me to the complex problems that existed in the most memorable three months this century.