The Growth Of The Mens Grooming Industry

The Growth Of The Mens Grooming Industry Mens grooming industry is one of the fastest growing markets in recent years (Euromonitor International: Mens Grooming Products Thailand, 2009). This sector is dramatically booming in Asian countries, especially Thailand. One of the leading brands in mens grooming market in Thailand is NIVEA FOR MEN brand, operated by Beiersdorf Thailand, which is selected to be the case study in this research. To be the leading brand in this fast growing industry, NIVEA FOR MEN needs to create business plan with a very strong strategic marketing plan. In general, a business sets the overall direction for the company through a business plan. The business plan is created in order that the goals and objectives of the company are to be achieved. In other words, goals and objectives of a business are the underlying foundation of the business plan (The times 100, 2008). The marketing plan is certainly a vital part of the business plan and plays active roles to achieve the targets. The strategic marketing planning process flows from a mission and vision statement to the selection of target markets, and the formulation of specific marketing mix and brand or product positioning objective (RESTREPO, N.A.). Moreover, Kotler (1994) presents the organization as a value creation and delivery sequence. To choose the value, the strategist needs to proceed to segment the market, select an appropriate market target, and develop the offers value positioning, which is known as a vital strategy of Market-oriented perspective. It seems to be unavoidable that Beiersdorf Thailand has to come up with the marketing strategies to penetrate and to be the leader in mens grooming market by doing the right segmentation, selecting the best-suited target markets, and creating the competitive brand/product positioning. In sum, the formula of segmentation, targeting, positioning, STP strategies, is the heart of strategic marketing (Kotler, 1994). The literature review is divided into two main parts. The first part focuses on the previous work on market-oriented approach, as opposed to resource-base view perspective. The second part covers the relevant work on the process of segmentation, targeting, and positioning as well as implementation of the marketing strategy. Part 1: Market-oriented perspective and Resource-based view perspective Part 2: Three essentially related topics Market Segmentation Market Targeting Market Positioning Part 1: Market-oriented perspective and Resource-based perspective This part will specifically study on market-oriented perspective, which underlies a market power imperative, through previous academic research. There are many studies about the implication of resource-based view and market-oriented perspective for a company to be successful in terms of profitability. Also, there are discussions about what perspective is the appropriate one. According to Porter (1991), a successful company has to use market-oriented approach to study the external market and then apply to internal resources. Market orientation , according to Kohli and Jaworski (1990), requires various departments in an organization to engage in activities geared towards developing an understanding of customers needs, and then develop the products to meet target customers needs (Hooley et al., 2008). In addition, Porters (1991) work relies heavily on the pursuit of advantages which are determined by firms exogenous variables that require analysis of the competitors and opportunities in the market. In Porters (1991) theory of competition strategy, he stated that the competition strategy of a firm is to seek an advantageous competitive position in the marketplace or to build up a profitable market position by drawing on varieties of factors that are critical to being competitive in an industrial sector. Following the Porters work, a recent research from Ren, Xie, and Krabbendam (2010) also studied the sustainable competitive advantage with the market-oriented perspective, which covered market innovation. Their work strongly supported the use of market-oriented perspective, with the conclusion that market-oriented approach can lead companies to success and gain more profits. Additionally, they suggested that companies analyse various marketing factors to discover new competitive advantages in order to achieve marketing innovation. However, Prahalad and Hamel (1990) and Sharkie (2003) undertake different perspective by arguing that external focus, in the view of market orientation, which requires the company to concentrate on conditions and constraints in the external environment cannot create competitive advantage for a company. Nonetheless, the resource-based view approach is believed to somehow lead to competitive advantages as it suggests that a firms unique resources and capabilities provide the basis for a strategy. In a previous study, Grant (1991) proposed a practical framework for resource-based approach to strategy formulation. The organizing framework for his study is a five-stage procedure for strategy formulation which are 1) analysing the firms resource-base, 2) appraising the firms capabilities, 3) analysing the profit-earning potential of firms resources and capabilities, 4) selecting a strategy, and 5) extending and upgrading the firms pool of resources and capabilities. Ren, Xie, and Krabbendam, (2010) had a reservation on the use of resource-base view, explaining that resources would contribute to sustainable competitive advantage just when a firm possesses valuable, scarce, inimitable and irreplaceable resources. They stated that in the real world, not every company has the resources with all of those characteristics (Ren, Xie, and Krabbendam, 2010). Part 2: The Process of Segmenting, Targeting, and Positioning 2.1 MARKET SEGMENTATION 2.1.1 Definition of Market Segmentation Market segmentation is defined as the division of a mass market into identifiable and distinct groups or segments, each of which have common characteristics and needs and display similar responses to marketing actions (Rosscraig, 2007). As the market consists of diverse types of products, customers, and personnel needs, the marketers should divide the market into distinct group of buyers in order to appropriately determine which market segment offers the best opportunity for achieving company objectives. Perner (2008) indicated that it is very unlikely that one product could meet the satisfaction of all consumers. In this perspective, a company which chose to focus on a specific group of consumers rather than customers in general would be more successful in terms of profitability. Dibb (1998) suggested that companies divide large markets into smaller segments in order to identify customers purchasing behaviors. Furthermore, Brassington and Pettitt (2003) also suggested that marketers find ways of breaking the market down into manageable parts, groups of customers with similar characteristics in terms of commonly used classifications to measure demographics, which include socio-economics, geographic and personality, and to concentrate their efforts on selecting one or more of these areas. While various literatures stated that it is essential to consider the market segmentation, MC Donald (1998) argued that market segmentation always faced the problem that many different types of customers used the same products in diverse markets. It meant that these different types of customers were in fact subsumed under the same category. Besides, Moschis (1997) also stated the problems of segmentation that the demographics change and the aging of the population change were significant factors that affected the age composition of the consumer market. Day and Wensley (1983) criticised that the market segmentation relating to the consumer market sector alone was not sufficient as it generally reflected the one-sidedness of marketing. The competitive structure was to be taken into account as it yielded the basic information on segment formation. The research from Day and Wensley (1983) concluded that the formation and selection of segments could be improved if theoretical aspects of competitor orientation are included. Dibb (1997) outlined three condition classifications which help identify potential consumers in each segment; those are as follows The expected benefits must be identifiable; Having identified these benefits, marketers must divide people into recognisable segments; One or more of the resulting segments must be accessible to the firms marketing efforts. 2.1.3 Segmentation Variables/ Market Segmentation in Consumer Markets To segment consumer markets, the market information, in terms of customer variables, product variables, and situation related variables, must be collected for further analysis. In the study of The Application of Social Class in Market Segmentation, Carman (1965) stated that social class was a major segmentation variable to divided customers into groups. However, later on in 1994, Raaij and Verhallen argued that social class cannot be used as a main segmentation variable as the society had become less vertically organised with more buying power across larger layer of society, and also concluded that social class concept had lost its unique segmentation value. They claimed that other demographic variables, such as age and education, and other psychological characteristics were more appropriate for segmentation. Raaij and Verhallen (1994)s research studied the market segments and types of people as target groups for marketing activities; market segmentation is then classified into three main levels according to the level of generality of the variables which were general, domain-specific, and brand-specific levels (figure [2-1]). Level of Variable Objective Subjective General (behavioural patterns: Person characteristics) Age Income Education Behavioural patterns General values Lifestyle Personality Domain-specific (product-class usage) Situation Frequency of use Substitution Behaviour Opinions Perception Attitude Domain-specific values Brand-specific (brand-usage) Brand loyalty (behavior) Frequency of use Action Brand Loyalty (attitude) Preference Evaluation Purchase intention Figure [2-1]: Classification of Segmentation Variables by Raaij and Verhallen (1994) However, in the late of 2000s, Rosscraig (2007) suggested that media usage and technology usage could be a concern of market segmentation approach (See Appendix [2-1]). He stated that the variables used in segmenting consumer markets could be broadly divided into three main classes including: Profile criteria: Background customer characteristics Psychological criteria: customer attitudes Behavioral criteria: Actual behavior in the market place (Figure [2-1]). Consumer Criteria Profile Psychological Behavioural Demographic Socio-economic Geographic Who and Where Lifestyle Personality Perceptions Attitudes Motives Benefit sought Why and Who Purchase/transaction Consumption/ usage Media usage Technology usage Who, How, Where, and When Figure [2-2]: Segmentation criteria in consumer markets Profile Criteria With respect to profile criteria, customer characteristics are to be examined with isolation from the specific market of interest. The profile segmentation criterion is used for identiflying the target consumers and in the consumer goods markets which are most suitable to them (Rosscraig, 2007). According to Rosscraig (2007), this simple segmentation variable includes using demographic method, socio-economic method, and geographic method. Demographic method can be determined by age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, family size, generation, and etc. This method is useful in assisting media planning and marketing communications as the media selection criteria have been developed around these variables. Socio-economic method can be shaped by occupation, income level, social class, and education. Socio-economic status determines whether a consumer will be able to afford a product. Geographic location method is shaped by geographical areas; markets can be considered by country or region, by town or size of city, by population density such as urban, suburban, or rural areas, or by postcode. This approach is useful when there are clear location differences in tastes, consumption, and preferences. Moreover, this method is widely applied with direct sales operations as they can use census information to develop better customer segmentation and predictive models. The profile segmentation approach is criticised in respect of uncertainly. While one segment is based on consumer background characteristics, members of each variable may behave differently in the marketplace for various reasons while members in the different segments may seek for the same things and have the same interest in a particular product/brand (Hooley et al., 2008). In shorts, this type of segmentation variable describes who and where the consumers are, but it does not explain the basic reasons why consumers behave so. Psychological Criteria The psychological criteria draw a casual relationship between customer profiles and marketing behavior (Hooley et al., 2008). The psychological variable includes the characteristics of attitude of the customers. Attitudes to the product class and attitudes toward brands in the market have both been used as productive bases for market segmentation (Hooley et al., 2008). According to Rosscraig (2007), psychological variables used for segmenting consumer product markets include using attitudes and perceptions, lifestyle of consumers, and the types of benefit sought by customers from products and brands and their consumption choices. The use of attitudes and perceptions aims at identifying segments of respondents who view the products on offer in a similar way (Green et al., 1989). Consumer lifestyles segmentation is based on the analysis of consumers activities, interactions with others, and opinions to understand consumers individual lifestyles and patterns of behavior (Hooley et al., 2008). In 2003, Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) developed a UK Lifestyle Typology based on lifestyles and classified the following types of lifestyle categories which are belonger, survivor, experimentalist, conspicuous consumer, social resistor, self-explorer, and the aimless (Rosscraig, 2007). The most important benefits of consumer lifestyle research are for guiding the creative content of advertising (Hooley et al., 2008). The main idea of the benefit segmentation is that the company should provide customers with exactly what they want, based on the benefits that they derive from the products that they use, not based on how the company designs products for them (Rosscraig, 2007). According to Hooley et al. (2008) benefit segmentation tells the basic reasons why customers buy the products and why customers are attracted to the product offerings. Holley (1982) also suggested that the development in techniques of analysis make them particularly suitable for identifying benefit segments (Hooley, 1982). Overall, segmentation on the basis of psychological yields more useful basis for marketing strategy development than merely consumer profile characteristics (Hooley et al., 2008). It gets closer to the underlying reasons for behavior of consumers, so it should be used as the basis for segmenting the market (Hooley et al., 2008). However, there are some major drawbacks of Psychological segmentation techniques, one of which is that this techniques require often costly primary research and sophisticated data analysis techniques (Hooley et al., 2008). Behavioral criteria Doing segmentation on the basis of the behavior of consumers in the market is the most direct method of segmenting markets. Behavioral segmentation includes purchase behavior, consumption behavior, media usage and technology usage (Rosscraig, 2007). Purchase behavior approach concentrates on the time of purchase which is early or late in the products overall life cycle, and the patterns of purchase which is the identification of brand-loyal customers. This approach could concentrate on innovator segmentation, concerning with initial purchase. Marketers will pay high attention to innovator groups when new products are launched. Innovators as initial target segments can improve the products chances of acceptance on the market (Hooley et al., 2008). In addition, brand loyalty has been widely used as a basis for segmentation, concerning with the repeat purchasing (Hooley et al., 2008). A company may segment a market on the basis of how often a customer uses its products, categorizing these into high, medium, and low users, by usage rate (Rosscraig, 2007). The examination of usage patterns and volume consumed can pinpoint where to focus marketing activity and can be used to develop service specifications or marketing mixes for each of these groups of users (Hooley et al., 2008). Cook and Mindak (1984) have shown that product and brand usage has a major advantage over many other situation-specific segmentation variables as it can be obtained, in case of many consumer products, from secondary sources. It is very essential to understand and profile audience media usage in the process of communication planning (Chatterjee, Hoffman, and Novak (1998). Since 1950s the information of media consuming, such as television viewing, radio listening, and print reading, have been continuously collected. And in more recent years, web usage data has also been collected by market researchers to help profile web users, basing on usage characteristics (Rosscraig, 2007) (See Appendix [2-2]). Furthermore, according to Olney, Holbrook, and Batra (1991) and Holbrook and Gardners (1993), duration of use is critical measure of consumption experiences and is a useful behavioral indicator of advertising effects (See Appendix [2-3]). By following this method of segmenting, marketers can observe the behavior of consumers while utilising the products and media, and this segmentation can be used as an important source for new products ideas, new product design, and product development (Rosscraig, 2007). Additionally, marketers can then create appropriate communication themes for product promotion and can specify new markets for existing products after having the right behavioral segmentation. In recent years, behavioral segmentation has become more popular as marketers tend to study the consumers media usage and technology usage in order to further create successful advertising campaigns. To support this, it was asserted by Advertising.com(TM), Inc., a leading provider of results-based interactive marketing services to advertisers and publishers, (2004), that behavioral segmentation helped improve advertising campaign performance by revealing that targeting campaign delivery based on real-time user behaviour increases advertisers ROI by reaching the audience segments most likely to respond to an ad message. Moreover, Hallerman (2004), a senior analyst at e-Marketer, a New York-based research company, stated that the logic behind behavioural segmentation and targeting gets to the heart of the internets potential as an advertising medium. His opinion is hereby quoted: In todays world of audience fragmentation, its much more effective to reach individuals not by abstract demographics but through their actions online. 2.1.4 Segmentation in Male Grooming Products According to Mintel (1995), a study about mens toiletries industry, male grooming products and toiletries is a fast growing industry. In 1980s, the market of male grooming products started to be segmented with the development of products types, including male body spray and shower cream (Sturrock et al., 1998). According to Sturrock et al. (1998), in 1998, the market of mens products were divided into different categories of products based on consumers needs and uses, including body sprays, deodorants, mens shaving, fragrances, shampoo, shower cream, etc. Dunn (1995) and White (1995) studied characteristics of men who use male grooming products and concluded that men used grooming products as they want to increase self-care practice and self-concept. Moreover, Langer (1986) has prior stated that using mens grooming products helps encourage a concern to stay attractive. For consumer products, Milner and Fodness (1996) has done a research on product gender perception and concluded that specific gender of the products is critically important to the consumers when deciding to buy a particular product. In the segmentation process, Milner and Fodness (1996) claimed that gender is the first segmentation variable that most marketers apply for consumer products. The reason behind is that both men and women want to use the products that were specifically made for them. According to Milner and Fodness (1996), many consumers clearly are psychologically uncomfortable using products which do not seem made for them. Therefore, many companies, particularly manufacturers of consumer products, divided consumers into segments by using gender variables. In skin care industries, products are conventionally made for women. However, in the post modern era, a lot of skin care products are launched to serve male consumers (Sturrock et al., 1998). The products for male consumers are launched as a result of segmentation strategy which companies divide its consumer market into two broad categories, male and female markets. The benefit sought variable is also one of the best ways for companies to segment its market. This statement is supported by Kotler (1997) and Wedel and Kamakura (1998), stating that the real features of products have been considered the most actionable bases for segmentation. It is critically important that consumer products must offer real benefits to users to create product positioning (Blythe, 2005). In men face care market, companies and brands always divided consumers segments based on products features. For example, NIVEA FOR MEN offers wide ranges of facial cleansers with benefits of whitening, oil-control, wrinkle protection, refreshing skin, and moisturizing effects (Nivea Website, 2010). Loreal Men Expert offers benefits for facial cleansers which are whitening, anti-tightness, anti-fatigue, pure matte oil control, anti-regreasing (Loreal website, 2010). There are some researches showing that competitive brands have similar ways of segmentation (Dawes, 2006, and Fennell et al., 2003). In other words, competitive brands often appeal to consumers who have similar demographic or psychographic characteristics. Moreover, Ehrenberg et al. (2004) supported this statement by stating that different brands in the same product category tend to offer a similar range of product variants. 2.1.5 Loyalty Segmentation and Relationship Segmentation A focus on Loyalty segmentation provides strategic and tactic insights that will assist in building a strong brand (Aaker, 1996). It is necessary to build customer loyalty as it is a key success of growth for a business (Crosby et al., 2004). By having loyalty segmentation, a company can learn more about the profiles of loyal customers, and this leads to the focus at the highest value segment (Markey et al., 2007). Crosby et al. (2004) stated that the purpose of the loyalty-based segmentation is to seek to address the managerial questions as follows. Who are the most/least potential customers? How can customers be segmented according to the types of relationships they would like to have with the product/brand/company? Which loyalty segment should be targeted? What changes are required to instill the highest levels of loyalty among the targets? Crosby et al. (2004) affirm that loyalty-based segmentation is the complement of existing segmentation frameworks and it can also be used to discover new segmentation frameworks by starting with customer loyalty research. According to Aaker (1996), in focus of the loyalty segmentation, a market can be divided into the following groups. Non-customers: those who buy competitor brands or not product class users, Price switchers: those who are price sensitive, The passively loyal: those who buy out of habit rather than reasons, Fence sitters: those who are indifferent between two or more brands, and The committed: those who are committed to the brand, or a loyal customer. Loyalty segmentation can be very successful when the company can increase the number of customers who are not price switchers and who would pay more to use the brand while the fence sitter and the committed should be critically managed (Aaker, 1996). Especially in high competitive markets, companies should exercise best efforts to enhance the loyalty of the fence sitters and the committed by developing and strengthening the relationship between customers and the brand (Aaker, 1996 and Drypen, 2010). Research from Raaij and Verhallen (1994) indicates that the company should also segment its market by loyalty segmentation method. The results of the research shows that the company should move customers from the lowest level of loyalty pyramid which is overall total potential customers to the highest level which is the heavy buyers. The major marketing strategy is to increase the frequency and intensity of their purchases and to take measures to maintain customers for as long as possible (Raaij and Verhallen, 1994). This also highly relates to the relationship marketing which develop relationship between buyers and brand to stimulate purchasing. 2.2 MARKET TARGETING 2.2.1 Definition of Targeting The next step of the market segmentation in STP process is market targeting. It is the process of determining which segments should be targeted and made the focus of a comprehensive marketing programme. Moreover, in the process of market targeting, a group of customers are identified for whom the offering should be right, and to whom firms will direct the majority of its marketing resources, time, and attention (Cahill, 1997). Choosing the target market, before creating positioning and marketing mix, is a part of developing effective marketing strategy. In order to target the right group of customers, the firm has to study the needs and buying behaviours of customers in each segment. Then the firm will be able to develop marketing strategies that suit requirements of each segment. According to Cahill (1997), a target market is simply the market of submarket at which the firm aims its marketing messages. By specifying customer targets, the company will also know which segments are not the target groups so that the company will not make special effort to serve them. Cahill (1997) said that market targeting is essential because it forces the company to focus at the customers and the markets by determining the best fits between target customers and the product offerings. Kotler and Armstrong (2001) suggested that a firm make the decision how many and which segments to target in their market positioning and its decision should be based on a clear understanding of companys resources and capabilities, nature of the competition, and the characteristics of the market. The company should evaluate market segments by first collecting and analysing data on current segment sales, growth rates, and then determine which segment can constantly enable the company to receive the greatest opportunities in terms of profitability and market demands in order to target main customers. However, Wright (1996) denied statement of validity of market targeting by claiming that there was no logical reason to adopt target marketing. Wright and Esslemont (1994) studied the logical formulations of the target marketing argument and summarised that target marketing did not necessarily give the best overall market response and also does not constantly give superior return than other approaches such as mass marketing. The two main targeting strategies are suggested by Dibb (1997). They are concentration strategy, and multi-segment strategy. Concentration strategy is defined as a process that a company manages its marketing efforts towards a single target. When targeting to one single segment, a firm can better satisfy target customers needs and requirement. However, this strategy is not always effective and the company may face business failure if target customers demand for the products decline or shift to other segments Multi-segment strategy is described as a strategy that a company directs its market efforts towards two or more market targets. The company should then develop appropriate marketing mix to suit each type of target groups, by all together considering product diferrentiation, target price, distribution method, and promotional strategies. In brief, the step of the selection of the potential target market is very critical in creating and developing comprehensive marketing strategy. The robust competitive positioning will then be developed after the market targets are clearly identified and the requirements and motivations are fully examined. 2.2.3 Doing Targeting in Different Market Environment Marketers have to decide whether to target single segment or multiple segments in the product market; there are several factors affecting the managements targeting strategy decisions, including stage of maturity, industry structure, companys capabilities and resources, and opportunities for gaining competitive advantage (Cravens, and Piercy, 2009). The maturity is used as a basis for considering different targeting situations; the market target strategy will be varied in each market environment or stage of product-market maturity. Four different product-market stages, closely related to product life cycle (PLC) stages, include emerging product-market, growing product-market, mature product-market, and declining product-market. The strategists can use product life cycle model to analyse the maturity stage of the products and also industries in order to develop the strategies that should be implemented. Growing product-market Source: Spencer (2009) According to Cravens, and Piercy (2009), segments are likely to be found in the stage of growth in the product life cycle, as identifying customer segments with similar value requirements improves targeting. In growth stage of product life cycle, consumers tend to gain awareness of products and to understand the benefits of the product, and company will likely to expect a rapid sales growth and will also try to build brand loyalty and increase market share (Spencer, 2009). High growth markets is very attractive, therefore it can attract a lot of competitors who want to compete for market shares. Cravens, and Piercy (2009) revealed their finding about the market structure

Project report on construction

Project report on construction CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION The performance of the construction industry has a major influence on the economic, infrastructure, agricultural and technological development of a country (R. Chudley, 1995). Construction is increasingly becoming highly technical and sophisticated with high standard of quality and specification. These coupled with clients demand for value-for-money requires the efficient employment of equipment which can largely improve productivity in the construction industry. The general aim of every construction is to produce a structure that can provide the required functions at the most reasonable cost, within a given time frame and at the required level of quality. Mechanization is one of the ways by which these could be achieved. The fast developing construction industry now heavily depends on equipment to achieve the high demands of quality project delivery. Equipment implies the machinery, tools (other than craftsmens personal tools) used in the contractors yard, workshop or site. Generally, equipment are introduced to contracts to increase the rate of output, reduce overall building cost, achieve high output standards often required by present day designs and specifications, eliminate heavy manual work thus reducing fatigue and carry out activities which cannot be done manually or do them more economically ( R. Chudley, 1995). The introduction of equipment to a contract does not however necessarily result in economic savings unless the contract work is so organized that machines are fully utilized or operate for continuous periods at full capacity that is about 85% of its on-site time, their use will not be economical. To be economic, equipment must be fully utilized and not left standing idle since equipment, whether hired or owned, will have to be paid for even if it is non-productive (R. Chudley, 1995). Heavy equipment will be needed for excavation, haulage, lifting and transportation of materials and people during the construction of a project in order to meet all the clients specifications. Contractors stand to gain from the use of equipment in the form of increased output per employee, increased productivity from equipment leading to overall profits. Unfortunately, performance of construction firms in the industry has been affected by several constraints with lack of access to finance arguably the most critical of these constraints. At least, it prevents contractors from procuring all necessary resources for their construction works including equipment (Eyiah A and Cook P, 2003). It is against this background that this investigation has been conducted to find the equipment acquisition methods being used by Ghanaian contractors as well as the problems the contractors encounter when acquiring equipment for their construction. 1.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM The highly technical and standardized nature of current construction designs and high demands in terms of quality coupled with often short contract durations undeniably demands the use of equipment. They play an increasingly important role in building as well as civil engineering operations and both time and a lot of money can be saved by acquiring and using them. Heavy equipment are needed for excavation, haulage, lifting and transportation of materials and people during the construction of a project thus performing an operation faster, more economically, safely and with a better quality and finish. Notwithstanding such great achievable benefits, it requires substantial capital to procure equipment, set up plant management departments and even use the equipment. It often requires very large bank guarantees, collaterals, high interest rates on bank loans, sometimes cumbersome bureaucratic procedures to acquire funds to purchase plant or equipment. This is probably why most Ghanaian contractors still depend heavily on manual labour to execute their projects. On large and complex projects of long durations, it may be practical to purchase plant or equipment for a specific job and resell at the end of the contract. The problem here is that fluctuations in prices on our current market may make it difficult to forecast costs with certainty. Equipment holding firms often do not offer favorable and attractive conditions for the acquisition of equipment to encourage contractors to use equipment on the projects. Very few of the contractors can meet the required conditions before procuring most needed equipment. Again, equipment holding firms are usually found in the urban areas of our country which are almost always far away from most of the construction sites warranting high haulage costs from the plant depot. Purchasing a plant or equipment could also tell greatly on the finances of the firm as a very large sum of money may be locked up in purchasing the plant which then has to be worked at a good utilization level to recoup investments made into it. Finally, purchasing equipment is sound investment if there is enough work ahead to keep it fully employed. Some estimates suggest the equipment must be working regularly for three to five years to recover the capital outlay. However the situation in Ghana is that of many contractors competing for very few projects. Construction firms cannot be assured of regular projects to fully utilize their investment in equipment therefore they rather do not invest in it all or when they do, it is very minimal. All the aforementioned problems collectively contribute to the reason why most of the contractors are unable to acquire the necessary equipment for construction works and thus leaving construction in Ghana still very labour intensive. 1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The main aim of this study is to investigate the existing equipment acquisition methods in use in the Ghanaian construction industry as well as the problems that the contractors encounter when acquiring equipment with the view to recommending better and more effective practices in the construction industry. Specific objectives of the investigation are to: * Find out existing equipment acquisition options used by the Ghanaian contractor. * Identify problems faced by the Ghanaian contractor in acquiring equipment for construction works. * Examine existing arrangements (if any) made between equipment hire and manufacturing companies and the construction companies. * Recommending better acquisition options as well as solutions to some of the major problems the contractors face when they try to acquire equipment. 1.3 SCOPE OF WORK A number of firms within the D1 and D2 of contractors by the Ministry of Water, Works and Housing and the Ministry of Roads and Transport in the Kumasi Metropolis will be identified, selected and studied. The equipment items that will be covered under the study will include general equipments, earth moving, lifting, transporting and excavation equipments. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION: CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT Equipment plays an increasingly important role in building as well as civil engineering operations, and both time and money can be saved by the efficient use of mechanical aids. Equipment implies the machinery, tools (other than craftsmens personal tools) and other equipment used in the contractors yard, workshop or site. These may range from small hand held power tools to larger and more expensive equipment such as mechanical excavators and cranes. The aim of any construction activity or project is to produce a structure of the right quality and standard at an optimum cost within an acceptable time frame. The use of equipment for construction becomes necessary where using manual labour will not help achieve the projects objectives. Generally, equipment are introduced to contracts for one of the following reasons: * Increased production. * Reduction in overall construction costs. * Carry out activities which cannot be carried out by the traditional manual methods in the context of economics. * Eliminate heavy manual work thus reducing fatigue and as a consequence increasing productivity. * Replacing labour where there is a shortage of personnel with the necessary skills. * Maintain the high standards required particularly in the context of structural engineering works (R. Chudley, 1997). 2.1.2 SOME COMMON CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT USED DURING CONSTRUCTION. Presented here is a brief description of some of the important construction equipment that may be used during the construction of a building project. 2.1.2.1 EARTH MOVING MACHINES The equipment described here include the bulldozers, graders, scrappers etc that are used to move massive volumes of excavated materials during construction. BULLDOZER The primary earth-moving machine is the heavy-duty tractor, which when fitted with tracks to grip the ground and with a large movable blade attached in front, is called a bulldozer. The bulldozer as shown in fig 2.1 below may be used to clear brush, small trees, debris, remove boulders, and level ground. They may even be used as towing tractor or a pusher to a scrapper. They consist essentially of a track or wheel mounted power unit with a mould blade at the front. Many bulldozers have the capacity to adjust the mould blade to form an angledozer which can tilt the mould blade about a central swivel point. They become even very useful especially in civil engineering projects, which often require the moving of millions of cubic meters of earth. These bulldozers are however not appropriate for final leveling and cannot be used for loading thus requiring other equipment to load. TRACTOR SHOVEL These are sometimes called loaders or loader shovels and primary function is to scoop up loose materials in the front mounted bucket, elevate the bucket and deposit the material into an attendant transport vehicle. Tractor shovels are driven towards the pile of loose material with the lowered bucket. The speed and the power of the machine will then enable the bucket to be filled. To increase their versatility, the tractor shovels can be fitted with a 4 in 1 bucket enabling them to carry out bulldozing, excavating, lifting and loading activities. Like the scrapper, the tractor shovel is not suitable for work in rocks and waterlogged areas and will require a crawler tractor to work in the latter condition. GRADERS Somewhat similar to scrapers are graders which are self-propelled, wheeled machines with a long, inclined or vertically adjustable steel blade. Graders are primarily finishing equipment; they level earth already moved into position by bulldozers and scrapers. They are similar to the bulldozers in that they have a long slender adjustable mould blade, which is usually slung under the centre of the machine. The mould blade can be suitably adjusted in both the horizontal and vertical planes through an angle of 300 the latter enabling it to be used for grading sloping banks. This John Deere grader seen in Fig 2.2a below has a laser leveling unit mounted on its blade which constantly adjusts the height of the blade to ensure that the ground is made precisely flat. The low motive power of a grader does not generally allow for use in excavations. A grader cannot load nor move spoils of significant quantity over a long distance. It is bulky in size and therefore not suitable for work in small and/or confined areas and corners. SCRAPERS A scraper is a machine that may be pulled by a tractor or may be self-powered and consists of a blade and a bowl or container. The bowl is lowered to cut and collect soil where site stripping and leveling operations are required involving large volume of earth. The soil may then be released so as to form an even layer of a predetermined thickness or be carried off for disposal elsewhere. To obtain maximum efficiency, scrappers should operate downhill and as much as possible have smooth haul roads and hard surfaces broken up before scraping. Scrappers are not suitable for use in waterlogged areas and in rocky grounds. They cannot be used in loading and also would need transportation between sites. [Microsoft Encarta 2006; R. Chudley, 1997] 2.1.2.2 EXCAVATORS These form part of the main equipment items that are often used in construction. They are primarily used to excavate as well as load different types of soil. Each different type of excavator has specific soil conditions where it works best. Below is a brief description of some of the common excavating equipment found in construction. All of them can easily be classified under one of the following categories: Multipurpose, General or Universal and Purpose Made excavators. MULTI-PURPOSE EXCAVATOR Multi-purpose excavators like the one shown if fig. 2.4 are fitted with a loading and excavating front bucket and a rear backactor bucket. When in operation using the backactor bucket, the machine is raised off its axels by rear mounted hydraulic outriggers or jacks and in some models by placing the front bucket on the ground. TRENCHER A trencher is designed to excavate trenches at constant width with a high degree of accuracy and speed. It can cut trenches of widths between 250 and 450mm and up to 4.00m deep. It consists of a number of excavating buckets mounted on a continuous mechanism on a vertical boom. The boom is lowered into the ground to the required depth to be excavated. The spoil is then transferred along a cross conveyor to deposit the spoil along the side of the trench. A trencher as shown in fig 2.5 is most suitable for long and deep trench excavation and it also gives a fairly accurate and clean trench width and would therefore not require further trimmings to sides of trenches it excavates. A trencher cannot load materials it excavates and also unable to work in rock. SKIMMER Skimmers are used for surface stripping and shallow excavation work up to 300mm deep where a high degree of accuracy is required. They usually requires attendant haulage vehicles to remove the spoil and they also have to be transported between sites on a low-loader. The restricted nature of the bucket movement does not allow high output rates as compared with other over site excavating equipment. A skimmer requires a large operational area and is therefore not recommended for work in small and restricted areas. BACKACTOR Backactors are about the most common excavating equipment used in construction. They are suitable for trench, foundation and basement excavations especially in restricted areas. They can be used with or without attendant haulage vehicles since the spoil can be placed alongside the excavation for use in backfilling. Unlike the face shovel, they excavate by moving the bucket towards the chassis of the machine. It then raises the bucket in a tucked position to discharge the excavated material through the front open bucket. They can also be used to load hard but broken down materials. They require a low-loader transportation between sites and trenches excavated using the backactor may need other equipment for trimming to obtain desired smooth edges. Shown below in fig 2.6a and b are pictures of a John Deere and CAT backactors respectively. FACE SHOVEL The primary function of this machine is to excavate against a face or a bank above its own track or wheel level. It is suitable for clay and can be used in excavating and even rock which needs to be loosened, usually by blasting prior to the excavation. A face shovel has the added advantage of loading materials excavated into dump trucks. It can also be used extensively for relocating spoils within a given radius or short distance and for heaping spoils for future use. Face shovels like the one shown in fig. 2.7 above usually require attendant haulage vehicles for the removal of the spoil and a low-loader transportation between sites most especially in developed areas. They are also not suitable for deep excavations. 2.1.2.3 TRANSPORTING EQUIPMENT These are mainly used for the transportation of personnel, materials, machines and equipment from one site to the other or from one location to the other within a relatively large site. They range from conventional saloon car to the large low loader lorries designed to transport other items of builders equipment between construction sites and the equipment yard or depot. VANS These transport vehicles range from the small two person plus a limited amount of materials to the large vans with purpose designed bodies such as those designed to carry sheets of glass. The vans can be supplied with an uncovered tipping or non-tipping container mounted behind the passenger cab for use as a pick-up truck. LORRIES Lorries which are usually referred to as haul vehicles are available as road or site only vehicles. The road haulage vehicles have to comply with all the requirements of the concerning vehicle usage which among other requirements limits size and axle loads. The site only vehicles are not so restricted and can be designed to carry two to three times the axle load allowed on the public highways. They are also designed to withstand the rough terrain encountered on many construction sites. Lorries specifically designed for the transportation of large items of equipment are called low loaders and are usually fitted with integral or removal ramps to facilitate loading equipment onto the carrier platform. PASSENGER VEHICLES These can range from a simple framed cabin which can be placed in the container of a small lorry or pick-up truck to a conventional bus or coach. These vans can also be designed to carry a limited number of seated passengers by having fixed or removable seating together with windows fitted in the van sides thus giving the vehicle a dual function. DUMPERS Dumpers are used for horizontal transportation of materials ranging from aggregates to wet concrete on and off construction sites generally by means of an integral tipping skip. Highways dumpers or dumper trucks are similar but larger design and can be used to carry materials such as excavated spoil along the roads. A wide range of dumpers are available with variuos carrying capacities with hydraulic control for either a side, front or elevted tipping. They are designed to traverse rough terrain but they are not desinged to carry passengers. Shown above in fig. 2.8a and 2.8b are shown a standard site dumper and a dumper truck respectively. FORK LIFTS These are used for horizontal and limited vertical transportation of mterials positioned on pallets or banded together such as brick packs. They are generally suitable for construction sites where the building height does not exceed three storeys. They are available in three basic forms namely staright mast, overhead and telescopic boom (shown in fig. 2.9a-c) with various height, reach and lifting capacities. HOISTS Hoists are designed for vertical transportation of materials, passengers or both. Material hoists are usually mobile and they can be dismantled, folded onto the chassis and moved to another position or site under their own power or towed by a haulage vehicle. Passenger hoists are designed to carry passenger passengers although they most can be capable of carrying the load of passengers as well as materials. 2.1.2.4 CRANES Cranes are lifting devices designed to raise materials by means of rope operation and move the load horizontally. Crane types can range from simple rope and pulley to complex tower cranes but most can be placed within one of three groups namely: static (operate from a fixed position), mobile (operating position can be changed by cran under its own power) and tower (can be operated from a fixed position or rail mounted to become mobile) cranes. Several forms of cranes can be identified. Some of these are listed below: * Self propelled cranes * Lorry Mounted cranes * Track mounted cranes * Gantry/Portal cranes * Tower cranes Below in fig. 2.10 is shown the different types of cranes used in the construction industry. 2.1.2.5 Concreting equipment these equipment perhaps fall among the group of equipment that may be readily found on most constrction sites since concrete usually forms a large propotion of the materials used in construction.Concreting equipment can simply as classified under the following headings: mixing, transportation and placing. CONCRETE MIXERS These are used in mixing concrete especially in large volumes. Apart from the very large output mixers most concrete mixers in general use have a rotating drum designed to produce concrete without segregation of the mix. Most small batch mixers are of tilting drum type with outputs up to 200 lit/batch. They are generally hand loaded which makes the quality control of successive mixes difficult to regulate.Medium batch mixers can achieve outputs up to about 750lit/batch and may be designed with a tilting drum mixer or as a non-tilting drum mixer with a reversable drum. These mixers usually have integral weight bacthing loading hoppers, scrapper shovels and water tank thus giving better qualtity control than the small batch mixers. The pictures shown in fig. 2.11 and 2.12 are the very common 10/7 concrete mixer and 6m3 capacity ready mix concrete machine. EQUIPMENT FOR TRANSPORTING CONCRETE. Wheel barrows are the most common form of transporting concrete in small volumes. However for large volumes of up to about 600 litres, dumpers are more appropriate. Ready mixed concrete trucks are used to transport mixed concrete of volumes between 4-6m3 from a mixing equipment or depot to the site. Discharge can be direct into placing position via a chute or into some form of site dumper such as a dumper, crane skip or dumper. VIBRATOR After placing concrete in its formwork, excavated area or mould, the concrete must be properly worked around any insets or reinforcement and finally compacting the concrete to the required consolidation. This can be done to some degree satisfaction using tamping boards or rods but most appropritely using vibrators. Poker vibrators consist of a hollow steel tube casing in which is a rotating impellar which generates vibrations as its heard comes into contact with the casing. [Microsoft Encarta 2006; R. Chudley, 1997] 2.2 EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION Generally, a construction company has two options in acquiring equipment: it may either own machinery and equipment or hire it. Management must decide early on whether the equipment needed on site is to be hired or purchased outright, if it is not already available within the company. Purchasing equipment is sound investment if there is enough work ahead to keep it fully employed. Some estimates suggest the equipment must be working regularly for three to five years to recover the capital outlay [J.E. Johnston, 1981]. The decision to purchase will invariably have important financial consequences for the firm, since considerable capital sums will be locked up in plant, which must then be operated at an economic utilization level to produce a profitable rate of return on the investment .In recent years however, the growth of the independent equipment hire sector of the construction industry has greatly facilitated this latter option and approximately 50-60% of equipment presently used on projects is hired. Many firms however prefer to hire only those items of equipment which are required to meet peak demand or specialized duties [F. Harris and R. McCaffer, 2001]. 2.2.1 ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS The introduction of equipment to a project does not necessarily result in economic savings since extra temporary site works such as road works, foundations, hard standings and anchorages may have to be provided at a cost which may be in excess of the savings made by using the equipment. The site layout and circulation may have to be planned around equipment positions and accommodation. The full advantage of employing the equipment can only be realized if the equipment is well managed, both on and off the site, and this requires a thorough understanding of the economic aspects of using equipment and vehicles. For example, a crane will become expensive if the design does not allow a fairly continuous programme of work whilst it is on the site. To be economic, plant must be fully utilized and not left standing idle since equipment, whether hired or owned, will have to be paid for even if it is non-productive. Full utilisation of equipment is usually considered to be in the region of 85% of on site time, thus making an allowance for routine daily and planned maintenance which needs to be carried out to avoid as far as practicable equipment breakdowns which could disrupt the construction programme. Many pieces of equipment work in conjunction with other items of equipment such as excavators and their attendant haulage vehicles therefore a correct balance of such equipment items must be obtained to achieve an economic result (R. Chudley, 1995; R.E Calvert et al, 1996). 2.2.3 EQUIPMENT POLICY 2.2.3.1 OWN ALL EQUIPMENT The policy practiced by many enterprises is to purchase, or lease long term, most of the equipment needs and thereby provide availability at all times, with the added advantage of the prestige attached to demonstrating the use of owned equipment. However, much capital will be locked up in the equipment, which must become capable of generating a sufficient rate of return. A major disadvantage of this strategy is the problem of maintaining adequate levels of utilisation. Equipment holdings are usually built up to service a growing demand, and will become a heavy liability in the case of an economic recession. Any available work may then subsequently need to be undertaken to sustain the fleet, since equipment cannot easily be sold in a declining market. 2.2.3.2 HIRE ALL EQUIPMENT Many specialist hire/rental firms offer the supply of equipment now on the open market. To take advantage of this facility avoids both the responsibility of maintenance and the tying up of capital. The equipment may be hired for a specified period and often times the equipment operator also is provided by the equipment supplier. The main disadvantage of hiring is that the hire rate depends on market forces and suppliers are largely beyond the control of the hire, except for limited negotiation between competing firms. 2.2.3.3 A COMBINATION OF HIRE AND OWN A mixed policy of owning and hiring equipment may be the preferred option. For example, regularly required items might be purchased and hiring adopted only to smooth out demand (Edwards D.J, 2003). F.T. Edum-Fotwe (1990) writes that serious consideration should also be given to the extent to which the equipment is to be operated before an acquisition decision is made. He outlines the following factors concerning the level of operation of a equipment: 1. Acquire equipment new and operate to a down value and sell it. 2. Acquire second-hand equipment and operate to scrap value. 3. Acquire equipment new and operate to scrap value. 4. Acquire a second-hand equipment and operate to a down value and resell. 2.2.4 FINANCING OF EQUIPMENT A firm, having decided to buy a equipment instead of hiring, has the following methods of paying for the equipment. 1. Cash or outright purchase 2. Hire Purchase 3. Credit Sales 4. Leasing 5. Hiring 2.2.4.1 CASH OR OUTRIGHT PURCHASE When using this option, the buyer pays cash or immediately at the time of purchase, thereby providing tangible asset on the balance sheet. Obviously, this option is only possible if cash is available and therefore presupposes that profits have been built up from investors such as shareholder, bank loans, etc. Also, some large or technically unusual contracts sometimes include monies to permit the contractor to purchase the necessary equipment at the start of the project [F. Harris and R. McCaffer, 2001]. R. Chudley, 1997 simply identifies some of the advantages of outright purchase as: 1. Equipment availability is totally within the control of the contractor. 2. Hourly cost of equipment is generally less than hired equipment. 3. Owner has choice of costing method used. J.E. Johnston, 1981 however advices that besides the purchase price of a equipment, consideration should be given to the following points: 1. Capital outlay and interest charges 2. The cost of maintenance and repairs 3. The cost of transporting equipment between sites 4. Insurance premium and 5. Standing time on site. When examining the need to own equipment, the following points must be considered: 1. Will the item of equipment generate sufficient turnover to provide an adequate rate of return on the capital employed? 2. Is ownership of the equipment, rather than obtaining it by some other method, absolutely necessary for the business? 3. Is outright purchase the only way of acquiring the equipment? [F. Harris and R. McCaffer, 2001] 2.2.4.1.1 COST OF OWNING AN EQUIPMENT The cost of owning and operating construction equipment is affected by factors such as the cost of the equipment delivered to the owner, the severity of the conditions under which it is used, the cares with which the owner maintains and repairs it and the demand for used equipment when it is sold which will affect the salvage value. In his report, Effects of equipment breakdown on civil and building construction works, Markus S. Clarke (2001) identified the costs involved in owning and operating equipment as: i. Depreciation When a unit of equipment is placed in operation, it begins to wear out. Regardless of the care in maintaining and repairing it, the equipment will wear out or become obsolete and has to be replaced. The owner of the equipment has to provide a reserve fund to replace it when it is worn out. Where the contractor fails to include an appropriate allowance for depreciation of his equipment in his estimate, there will be no funds available to replace the equipment when they become aged or obsolete. ii. Maintenance and repairs The cost of maintenance and repairs varies considerably with the type of equipment, the service to which it is assigned and the care it receives. The annual costs of maintenance and repairs is expressed as a percentage of the annual cost of depreciation or independent of depreciation and it must also be sufficient to cover the cost of keeping the equipment operating.

The Incredible Journey of Moll Flanders Essay examples -- Moll Flander

The Incredible Journey of Moll Flanders      Ã‚   Abandoned by her mother at the age of six months Moll Flanders does not have any of the requirements expected for her life journey to be a very good one. Her first memory is that of "wandering among a crew of those people they call gypsies, or Egyptians;" (9). But already as a child of about eight or ten she is aware of herself as an individual ready to shape her own life: "...for alas! all I understood by being a gentlewoman was to be able to work for myself, and get enough to keep me without that terrible bugbear going to service..." (13).    Moll ´s first very frightening experience is that of being "cast off the ship" when she is turned out of doors to the wide world before reaching the age we call lawful. She is very ironic when she says: "Now I was a poor gentlewoman indeed..." (18). At this time, when individualism was beginning to be seen as something worth aimimg at, Moll is aware that for a woman life is much more limited than for a man. This novel, written as an autobiography, was composed by a man, but I think he has managed well to convey to us a woman ´s experiences and thoughts. Moll wants to shape her own life, but she does not always reach her goal. As a young woman she is seduced by a man who does not keep his promise to marry her, and then she marries his brother and lives in a marriage that is not at all a happy one.    When left a widow, she keeps thinking of the next step, of her next station in life. As it is very difficult for a woman in this society to live alone, she is "...resolved to be married or nothing, and to be well married or not at all." (65). She has a very strong notion that a woman should not be kept for a mistress if she has mon... ... Moll ´s life journey could very well have ended with her being executed, but she is lucky enough to be sentenced to transportation. The novel The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders takes us again to Virginia, where Moll and her Lancashire husband start a new life as planters. She meets her son ( a very moving event), and she inherits a farm from her mother. When we leave Moll and her husband they are living a quiet life in England, "...where we resolve to spend the remainder of our years in sincere penitence for the wicked lives we have lived." (376). To a modern reader Moll seems to be a "survivor" in a society not yet prepared or able to care for all its members. She tries, and ultimately manages, to be the captain of a ship, that is not easily steered.    Work Cited: Defoe, Daniel. Moll Flanders. Penguin Popular Classics, 1994.   

Comparing the History and Culture of The United States and Jamaica Ess

After visiting the country of Jamaica this past summer, I realized how dissimilar some countries can be from the United States. Jamaica was not unlike the United States in a terrible way, but the disparities made me additionally interested in researching about the beautiful and culture-rich country of Jamaica. Even though the majority of facts about the history and culture of the United States and Jamaica are dissimilar, I was surprised to come across some similarities among these two countries. Alike the United States, Jamaica also acquired their independence from Great Britain. However, Jamaica did not obtain their independence until August 6th, 1962; virtually 200 years after the United States achieved their independence on July 4th, 1776. After Jamaica gained their independence, they decided to carry on a Constitutional parliamentary democracy, comparable to the government of Great Britain. So, in opposition to of having a president run the country, akin to the United States, Jamaica has a Prime Minister govern their country. However, their government is made up of three branches, legislative, executive, and judicial, reminiscent of the United States. The executive branch consists of the Governor General, the prime minister and, the cabinet. The legislative branch is a bicameral Parliament made up of twenty one appointed senators and sixty elected representatives. Lastly, the judicial branch consists of the Court of Appeal and the courts of original jurisdiction (Jamaic a) In spite of this, the Jamaican government does not have to govern as many people as the United States’ government is obliged to. The entire country of Jamaica has an area merely of about 4,244 square miles and a population of approximately 2,825,928, wit... ...t of State, 06 Aug. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. . "Jamaican Patois." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, 09 Sept. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. . "Jamaica Unemployment Rate - Economy." Index Mundi - Country Facts. Index Mundi, Mar. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. . "List of U.S. States and Territories by Area." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, 16 Sept. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. . "World Bank, World Development Indicators-Google Public Data Explorer." Google. World Bank, World Development Indicators, 28 July 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. .

The New Hazardous Waste: Electronic Waste Essay -- Technology Technol

The New Hazardous Waste: Electronic Waste Technology has opened human existence to greater ideas and knowledge than we ever thought was possible. Technological advances in everything from medicine to the distribution of information have made for a better and more convenient life. Computers and the use of the internet has created a global network in which people half-way across the globe from each other can communicate and share information instantaneously. In 1965 Gordon Moore, one of the founding members of the Intel corporation, observed and proclaimed that the processing power of computers was doubling every 18 months. Labeled as Moore’s Law, this trend continues to this day. This law and the mindset that everyone needs the newest fastest sharpest computer has created a global hazardous waste problem predicted to be the largest toxic waste problem of the 21st century.1 The problem commonly referred to as electronic waste, or e-waste, consists of the hazardous materials and plastics that computers and ot her electronic items are made of. Being that this is such a relatively new problem, not many people outside of those in large electronic companies, those who work in landfills, and people overseas in China, Indonesia, and other Asian countries where the waste is shipped know of the problem. If the world’s population is not educated and recycling or reuse programs are not initiated, catastrophe on a global level is possible. Few steps have been made to solve this problem, and the question of who is responsible, the consumer or the producer, is a valid and interesting topic to be explored. Come along as the hazardous world of e-waste is explored with background, as well as solutions and ideas for the future. ... ...eek, 4/16/2001, Vol. 8 Issue 15, p46. 4. Gawel, Richard. â€Å"Groups Aim to Make Molehill Out of Mountain of Electronic Waste†. Electronic Design, 02/19/2001, Vol. 19 Issue 4, p34. 5. Bartholomew, Doug. â€Å"Computer Makers Tackle E-Waste†. Industry Week/IW, Jan2004, Vol. 253 Issue 1, p60, 1p Other Resources Crozier, Ry. â€Å"Passing the Buck†. Electronic News (North America), 7/28/2003, Vol. 49 Issue 30. â€Å"E-Waste Reuse†. Industry Week/IW, Jan2003, Vol. 252 Issue 1, p19. Elgin, Ben. â€Å"The Information Age’s Toxic Garbage†. Business Week, 10/6/2003 Issue 3852, p54. â€Å"Long Awaited Electronic Waste Recycling Initiative is Approved†. Professional Engineering, 4/17/2002, Vol. 15 Issue 7, p5. â€Å"NSWMA Adopts e-Waste Disposal Program†. Professional Safety, Nov2003, Vol. 48 Issue 11. â€Å"Paper, Plastic, Or TV?† Environment, Sep2002, Vol. 44 Issue 7, p7 The New Hazardous Waste: Electronic Waste Essay -- Technology Technol The New Hazardous Waste: Electronic Waste Technology has opened human existence to greater ideas and knowledge than we ever thought was possible. Technological advances in everything from medicine to the distribution of information have made for a better and more convenient life. Computers and the use of the internet has created a global network in which people half-way across the globe from each other can communicate and share information instantaneously. In 1965 Gordon Moore, one of the founding members of the Intel corporation, observed and proclaimed that the processing power of computers was doubling every 18 months. Labeled as Moore’s Law, this trend continues to this day. This law and the mindset that everyone needs the newest fastest sharpest computer has created a global hazardous waste problem predicted to be the largest toxic waste problem of the 21st century.1 The problem commonly referred to as electronic waste, or e-waste, consists of the hazardous materials and plastics that computers and ot her electronic items are made of. Being that this is such a relatively new problem, not many people outside of those in large electronic companies, those who work in landfills, and people overseas in China, Indonesia, and other Asian countries where the waste is shipped know of the problem. If the world’s population is not educated and recycling or reuse programs are not initiated, catastrophe on a global level is possible. Few steps have been made to solve this problem, and the question of who is responsible, the consumer or the producer, is a valid and interesting topic to be explored. Come along as the hazardous world of e-waste is explored with background, as well as solutions and ideas for the future. ... ...eek, 4/16/2001, Vol. 8 Issue 15, p46. 4. Gawel, Richard. â€Å"Groups Aim to Make Molehill Out of Mountain of Electronic Waste†. Electronic Design, 02/19/2001, Vol. 19 Issue 4, p34. 5. Bartholomew, Doug. â€Å"Computer Makers Tackle E-Waste†. Industry Week/IW, Jan2004, Vol. 253 Issue 1, p60, 1p Other Resources Crozier, Ry. â€Å"Passing the Buck†. Electronic News (North America), 7/28/2003, Vol. 49 Issue 30. â€Å"E-Waste Reuse†. Industry Week/IW, Jan2003, Vol. 252 Issue 1, p19. Elgin, Ben. â€Å"The Information Age’s Toxic Garbage†. Business Week, 10/6/2003 Issue 3852, p54. â€Å"Long Awaited Electronic Waste Recycling Initiative is Approved†. Professional Engineering, 4/17/2002, Vol. 15 Issue 7, p5. â€Å"NSWMA Adopts e-Waste Disposal Program†. Professional Safety, Nov2003, Vol. 48 Issue 11. â€Å"Paper, Plastic, Or TV?† Environment, Sep2002, Vol. 44 Issue 7, p7

Behind Prisons Walls

Prisons represent correction facilities in which individuals who have violated the law of the land in one way or another are physically confined and deprived of certain freedoms especially that of movement and free association. The institution of prison is conventional and forms an integral part of the judicial system of any given country, incarceration or imprisonment is a penalty which is legal and is imposed by the state through its judicial arm, to persons who have violated the laws.Historically, imprisonment was not considered as a punishment but as a way of confining criminals until such a time when the state or the governing authorities would be in a position to administer capital or corporal punishment. Biblically there were prisons in Jerusalem used for detention purposes in the Old Testament (Flynn & Hurd, 1998). History purpose and types of prisons Prisons have been in existence for very many centuries, history of imprisoning individuals started way beyond the eighteenth c entury.The holding of individuals before trial, although not necessarily in building or other structures built specifically as prisons may be in castles is as old as history and have been exercised for several centuries. Private jails were in existence and their history dates back in the year 1166 and their existence continued into the eighteenth century; they were mainly run privately as commercial undertakings and the prisoners were expected to pay for the food and other services that they enjoyed while in custody.For the past two centuries the history of prisons can be classified into three main periods which were all characterized by conflicting rationales for both imprisonment and prisons. In the early nineteenth and late eighteenth centuries, much emphasis was put on reforming both the prisons and the prisoners. It is during this period that the institution of modern prisons were established, a more oppressive approach was adopted in the nineteenth century.As a result of this approach new notions about rehabilitation and reforms emerged towards the end of the nineteenth century and in the early twentieth century. Prison conditions throughout the century, continued to terrible. There was no segregation of women, children or men, offenders were not classified and they were all held together regardless of the crime committed. These are some of the factors that were calling for reforms and rehabilitation within the prison administration (Federal Bureau of Prisons, n. d. ).In prisons nowadays, deterrence, retribution of rehabilitation, are the main elements that are used by the state through its judicial arm to provide society with justice. Prison is a very important institution to the society. The members of the society who are found guilty for violating the rules and regulations governing the members of the society are confined in prisons and thuds are denied the opportunity of committing more crime to the society. While in prison the offenders are usually reformed so that they can be better members of the society once there are out of prison.They are rehabilitated so that in future they can be better members of the society and contribute positively to its growth and development. In most prisons the imprisoned individuals usually under go some technical training to enable them acquire some skills which will enable them to make a living once they are out of prison instead of engaging in criminal activities. Such skills will deter them in future from committing crimes in future in an attempt to make a living, and hence prisons receive criminals from the society and gives back responsible people to the society.By imprisoning people who have committed certain crimes to other people justice is seen to be done, it is perceived to be equitable especially by the aggrieved party who could not take law on their own hands as this would lead to a chaotic society. Thus prisons provide an orderly way of dealing with offenders and making them become better people (Jachimowicz & Jose, n. d. ). The medium security prisons are used to jail those people who have committed petty offences and are to be imprisoned for relatively a short period.The inmates in medium security prisons are usually held up in cells that accommodates several prisoners. These inmates are deprived of freedom of movement, access to education, privileges such as participating in sporting activities, vocational and therapeutic programs. In these facilities the prison officials restrict the number of times an inmate can be visited and communication between the visitors and the inmates is carefully monitored by the officials, while communicating the inmate and the visitor have to face each other through a transparent partition made of glass and they have to communicate via telephone.In some medium security prisons the inmates are given opportunities to work furloughs, release and other modes programs which are transitional in nature, but only a small population o f the inmates is given an opportunity to take part in such programs (Marsh, 2004). The offenders who are most dangerous and have committed major offences like rape, robbery with violence, terrorism and murder are imprisoned in maximum security prisons; these facilities usually have very many strict restrictions and rules, the inmates in maximum security prisons are in most cases isolated from each other and they usually spend a lot of time in solitary cells.Very few amenities are usually found in maximum security prisons and the cells are usually sparsely furnished. In most of the developed countries such prisons are usually fitted with video cameras which are used by the prison officials to monitor prisoners in their work areas or in their cells. In most maximum security prisons the inmates are required to remain in their cells for as many as twenty three hours a day leaving them with only one hour for showering and relaxing.The third category of prisons is the super maximum securi ty facilities, which are located within the maximum security prison, they are highly restricted and there is minimal human contact. Inmates in these facilities are confined in small solitary cells for most of the day. They normally live alone with no single chance of meeting and socializing with anyone (Marsh, 2004). For individuals who have committed certain offences which attract imprisonment, but cannot be jailed because they have not attained legal adulthood, the minors are housed in special types of prisons commonly referred to as juvenile correctional facilities.These institutions are similar to dormitories in boarding schools, but more restriction is imposed on the minors in these facilities. Recent Research on Prisons Research shows that in many cases, prisons achieve their main objectives, imprisoning criminals enhances public safety, since they are held in confined places from which it is not possible to threaten the safety of the public. The prisons have also achieved sig nificantly as far as rehabilitating criminals is concerned as they are deterred from committing similar offences in future.They have also played a significant role in reinforcing about right and wrong which are basic social values and norms (Tonry & Petersilia, n. d. ). Despite all these achievements some researches indicate that prisons have consistently been used by the prison officials and the state to continue to abuse the human rights of the prisoners. Various researches show that the prisoners are denied basic necessities such as good clothing and enough food.Studies have also revealed that imprisonment has a negative effect on the spouses and the dependants of the person imprisoned. Imprisonment affects the financial stability of the prisoners and their families, during the imprisonment period and after. Such families also suffer from the society as they are perceived by the members of the community as questionable families and in most cases people avoid to associate with the m. This affects the ex prisoners, their spouses and children psychologically making it difficult to socialize with other members of the society.Such negative altitudes usually affects the ex prisoners even financially as they are unable to secure any form of employment as members of the society do not trust them, this is likely to increase their chances of involving themselves in criminal activities in future so as to be able to maintain themselves financially (Jacobson, 2005). In most countries the cost of running prisons is fully met by the state through the revenues it collects in form of taxes from its citizens. The governments are responsible for the management and the running of prisons; they support their judiciary arms financially to administer justice.The judges, prison officials and other workers in the judicial system are remunerated from the government coffers, since they are civil servants. In some cases the prison departments are expected to raise some money by the gov ernment, through running some commercial enterprises from where they are in a position to partly fund them and the government meets the remaining part of their budget (Krause, n. d. ) Such enterprises are usually in the form of farming activities where the prisoners are the main source of labor. The cost of running prisons for any given country runs into millions of dollars each year.Thus there is need to minimize the expenditure of the prison departments so as save on these costs but at the same time meeting the goals of imprisoning individuals. Some of the proposed methods of reducing the burden on prison cost on the government are through the privatization process. Another method of reducing prison costs is by placing the petty offenders on probation instead of confining them, such offenders can be required to offer some services to the community under the supervision of some court officials or community leaders.By dealing with such offenders in this manner a lot of cost will be saved and the offenders will be given an opportunity to serve the community which they might have wronged in one way or another (Brown, 2009). Privatization of Prisons Studies have shown that governments can save substantially on costs through privatization and thereby tame the rising costs of running prisons. The officials of the state should consider taking advantage of the benefits that are likely to be realized by once they outsource their prisons to private enterprises, this will enable them improve prisons and also save on the tax payers’ money.However, the state should ensure that the quality of the prisons and their intended objectives are not compromised by such a move, hence they should conduct privatization carefully and include all the required stakeholders so as to seal off any loop hole that might be used to compromise the standards of prisons in their states (Mackinac Center for Public Policy, 2004). A study that was done in the year 2003 in New Mexico showed t hat the state saved up to $9600 per prisoner in 2001 as a result of effective privatization. Through privatization the state officials alter the fundamental structure in future government funding of the prisons.A study in Michigan indicated that it was very difficult in coming up with a balanced budget on its prisons since much of its expenditures are law mandated. This therefore, means that it does not matter how much well the economy might be performing, or the amount of money treasury is receiving, the state is under obligation to meet certain expenses (Nguyen, 2008). Conclusion Prisons are very important and form an integral part of the society, they should therefore, be accorded as much support as possible so as to enable them meet their objectives effectively.Prisons should not be perceived as places where law breakers are punished but as rehabilitation center where criminals are given a chance to reflect on their lives so as to be better members of the society once they are t hrough with their prison life. The authorities managing the prisons should under take a reform process which should be aimed at deterring the offenders from committing similar offences or other related offences in future. Their efforts should be aimed at ensuring that the prisoners leave the prison facilities as better people than they were when they joined them.The prison departments should equip the inmates with certain technical skills that will enable them to contribute positively in the society after the imprisonment term is over. It is also very important for the prison officials to educate the public on the need to assist criminals and ex prisoners so that they can be more responsible. Reference: Brown, J. (2009): Cost of running prisons sky high, Retrieved on 2nd May from, http://www. timesrecordnews. com/news/2009/apr/18/cost-of-running-prisons -sky-high/. Federal Bureau of Prisons (n. d. ): Prison Types & General Information, Retrieved on 2nd May from,http://www. bop. gov/ locations/institutions/. Flynn, N. & Hurd, D. (1998): Introduction to prisons and imprisonment Prison Reform Trust (Great Britain), ISBN 1872870376, Waterside Press. Jacobson, M, (2005): Downsizing prisons: how to reduce crime and end mass incarceration, ISBN 0814742742, NYU Press Jachimowicz, H. P. & Jose, E. S. (n. d. ): Jails and Prisons: Types and Kinds, Retrieved on 2nd May from, http://criminal. findlaw. com/articles/1452. html. Krause, M. (n. d. ): Prison costs are running out of control, Retrieved on 2nd May from, http://www. i2i. org/main/article. php? article_id=1311. Marsh, I.(2004): Criminal justice: an introduction to philosophies, theories and practice ISBN 0415333016, Routledge. Mackinac Center for Public Policy 🙠 2004): Prison Privatization: A Growing National Trend, Retrieved on 2nd May from, http://www. mackinac. org/6504. Nguyen, L. (2008): Cost of running adult prisons, jails rises to nearly $3B, report finds, Retrieved on 2nd May from, http://www. canada . com/ottawacitizen/news/story. html? id=5c3617b3-74c6-4b b7-b5e3-fae38f504a6e. Tonry, M. & Petersilia, J. (n. d. ): Prisons Research at the Beginning of the 21st Century, Retrieved on 2nd May from, http://www. nc

Supermarket Marketing

1) For this assignment I decided to visit the Tom Thumb Supermarket located in Lovers Lane. When I walked into the supermarket the first thing I saw was a stand in the middle of a small-like room in which people get the kart to do their shopping. In this stand there were organic fruits such as apples, peaches, melons, kiwi and a couple of other small fruits. All of them contained the yellow sign of â€Å"every day savings†, meaning that the fruits were on a discount from their regular prices. I think that the retailer strategically puts these items in the entrance since they know fruits are a high demand product for consumers. Once I passed through the doors and into the supermarket, I observed a flower stand with many flowers for sale and many stands containing chips and many soft drinks that came in boxes like coca-cola, sprite, Canada dry and others. I think that the flowers are great location since they attract every consumer that walks into the supermarket independently if he/she is going to buy flowers or not. It also gives a better experience to the consumer as he walks in, since flowers are produce a sense of calm for many. ) As I walked through the supermarket, I reached the pharmacy of the supermarket. As I had seen in many places before such as CVS and Walgreens, this supermarket also had generic brands in many of the medications being sold. These generic brands were found among the most common medications sold daily. Beside Advil, Tylenol, and ZzzQuil, there were the generic products. The generic products had a simpler look from the outside than the national brand names, but contained the exact same ingredients as the national brands, for $2 and up to $3 dollars less in most cases. There were also generic products for well-known brands such as Tums, Mucinex, Aleve, Alka-Seltzer, and even Pepto Bismol. I believe that that these brands are positioned this way so the consumer is able to compare the national brand to a generic product and realize that the only difference between them is the price and a nice looking box. 3) While walking through the aisles I realized that there were products at the end-of-aisle that were not from the same category as the aisle. There was a similarity between all of these products that were located at the end-cap. The majority of these items were snacks or small products for daily use. These items were mostly chips, there were some with water and it was the cheapest one, one contained small toys, wine, and soft drinks. I believe that these items are located at the end-cap since it is something that almost every consumer likes and wants. So it is a strategic location for retailers to place products that have a very high demand. 4) I was not shocked to see an item that was displayed in two different locations since it was one that we usually do not relate to a supermarket. While walking to the pharmacy there was a stand in the middle of the aisle. This stand contained ceramic plates and silverware, there were also a few toys and a lot of hard plastic containers for water or drinks. These items were located in a different area than they usually are. I imagine that these products do not have a lot of demand. So the retailer tries to create this demand by separating the product into two locations and probably attract consumers in different locations such as the pharmacy that could be more interested in the product. ) When I went to the mustard category I realized that the most expensive type of mustard were also among the most famous brands. The most expensive mustard was Heinz, followed by other brands such as Safeway, Guldens, Jack Daniels, and Grey Poupon, which were in the same price range. The cheapest mustard was the French’s brand, which I am almost sure is no different than the Heinz mustard. The differences in prices among the mustards wer e also influenced by the type of mustard not only the brand. The Dijon, Horseradish, Spicy Brown, Sweet and Spicy, and Brown mustards were more expensive than regular plain mustard.