Briefing Paper on Cadbury Schweppes (Business Environment) BTEC Higher Essay

Briefing Paper on Cadbury Schweppes (Business Environment) BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business - Essay Example P1. The purpose  of Cadbury Schweppes Cadbury Schweppes seeks to: increase share prices; meet customer by addressing their demands and awarding them the best quality and prices; challenge rival companies by keeping up with their prices; and, make more profit. In order to meet these objectives, Cadbury Schweppes seeks to develop a good reputation by an aggressive advertising heavily, increase sales and market share by always seeking new ideas in its product and packaging. The core purpose of Cadbury Schweppes rests in â€Å"working together to generate brands that people love.† Cadbury Schweppes seeks to be judged as a company that is among the best within the business world for being successful, significant, and admired. One of the Cadbury Schweppes goals relates corporate social responsibility, which centres on high reputation as a great company to work for and one that is socially responsible to consumers and communities across the globe (Nelson College London 2013,p. 2). P 2. Employees and customers satisfaction Cadbury Schweppes maintain regular and open discussions with all its stakeholders and utilizes diverse ways to communicate with the diverse stakeholder groups. Consumers have an opportunity to contact the company through various means on a daily basis; moreover, Cadbury Schweppes undertakes market research to track the changing consumer trends and utilize surveys and market research panels to determine what consumers think. Cadbury Schweppes also has ongoing discussions with its customers in which wholesalers and retailers provide the vital link to consumers. Cadbury Schweppes works with customers to deliver highly appealing products of high-quality (Blowfield and Murray 2011, p. 51). The company appraises its suppliers based on a set of standards including ethical labour practices and environmental protection before doing business with them, and stipulates their principles and standards to be maintained during the relationship. Cadbury Schw eppes has a tradition of fostering a direct, two-way involvement and communication with employees. Managers regularly hold individual and team meetings to inform colleagues regarding the business and hear about their views. Cadbury Schweppes also score highly in its corporate social responsibility. In 2011, Cadbury Schweppes ranked in the top ten of the FTSE 100 in terms of community investment as it seeks fresh and better ways of building stronger communities. Some of the benefits include motivating employees by utilizing company resources to support causes that they care about, and building loyalty among who are proud to work for the company that is socially responsible and a good neighbour. The community engagement has also helped the company to develop a better understanding among employees of the diverse nature of society, and improve team working via employee participation in community activities. The extent to which Cadbury has met its objectives concerning customers and empl oyees Cadbury Schweppes’ central objective centres on â€Å"working together to create brands that people love† and some of the most popular brands include Cadbury Dairy Milk, Flake, Roses, Trebor mints, Bassett’s range, and Maynards range including Wine Gums and sours. Cadbury Schweppes is governed by five goals with regard to balancing stakeholders and their interests: (1) delivering superior shareholder performance; (2) profitably and significantly

Most influential event in American history from 1750 to present Essay

Most influential event in American history from 1750 to present - Essay Example This paper examines the devastating impacts of the Japanese operation on United States of America later well-known as Pearl Harbor attacks and as result unprecedented reactions from the people of America. Attacks on the Pearl Harbor navy station enhanced the unity of American nation in their decision to fight and defeat their opponent. Pearl Harbor attacks provoked the United States’ participation in the Second World War and reorganization of its national security. United States had experienced other attacks that took place earlier to the Pearl Harbor. However, none of them was as destructive and surprising as the Pearl Harbor attacks. Additionally, the attack was the first to be conducted in the territory of American State. The military assault began in the morning of December 7, 1941 and it targeted American navy stationed in the Pearl Harbor. According to John Toland, the Pearl Harbor attacks were planned and executed by the Imperial Japanese Army. During all the period, th e Second World War had been going on for two years but the United States of America had not yet joined the conflict. Japan, Italy, and Germany as the main aggressors were concerned about the imminent involvement of the United States of America in the war. Due to the apparent dominance of the American navy, the Japanese military premeditated the Pearl Harbor assault to prevent United States of America from joining war by weakening its naval facility.

Organization management Essay Example for Free

Organization management Essay Contents Click to go to section: The organizational problem. The Organizational Development intervention they wanted. The thinking behind the design of the OD intervention. The constraints I needed to work within. The tools I decided to use in the one day workshop. The workshop design. How I used the change puzzle kit. The end result Top Drag Me Contents Click to go to section: The organizational problem. The Organizational Development intervention they wanted. The thinking behind the design of the OD intervention. The constraints I needed to work within. The tools I decided to use in the one day workshop. The workshop design. How I used the change puzzle kit. The end result The organizational problem. I was called into a hospital by their HR manager. The hospital needed to improve 1 of 7 4/9/2013 2:36 PM OD interventions case study. An employee morale problem. file:///C:/Documents and Settings/staff/Desktop/OD interventions case stud morale amongst its nurses. But as I spoke to different stakeholders, the issue became more complex. The HR managers told me that morale amongst nurses was at an all time low. At the same time the hospital was trying to change its culture to become more patient and profit centric. It started off as a morale problem. But as I spoke to different stakeholders, it becam e more complex. The matron of the hospital was concerned about the poor relationships between the nurses, their unit managers and the doctors. The unit managers were upset by the way that doctors by-passed them and shouted at their nurses. The nurses and their managers blamed arrogant doctors for the poor morale in the hospital. The CEO was concerned that the doctors, who he saw as clients and partners of the hospital, were not happy with the service they were getting. The doctors, chose to locate their independent practices at the hospital, but had the freedom to take their business to another hospital, anytime they wanted. Losing specialists to competing hospitals would affect his hospitals brand and offering as well as its profitability. He was also tired of being the only leader in the organization, and wished that the managers would begin to take responsibility and act like leaders. The Organizational Development intervention they wanted. The CEO, matron and HR manager all agreed that they wanted a one-day workshop for all internal managers in the hospital. They wanted the workshop objective to be: To help the managers to develop a common focus regarding what they would need to do as a united team, over the next 18 months. The thinking behind the design of the OD intervention. I knew that I had to provide far more than what theyd asked for in their workshop objective. And far more than even the problems they had briefed me on. In choosing my design for the workshop, I needed a tool that would: Build trust. Allow the managers to vent their frustrations in a way that allowed every manager to be heard. But not in a way that would degenerate into a negative gripe session about the doctors. Get the managers to see all the problems facing the hospital not only their own problems. Get the managers out of the habit of blaming doctors or the hospital for problems that they could resolve themselves. Get them to take responsibility and begin acting as leaders. Get them to stop seeing themselves and their nurses as being victims of the arrogance of doctors, and to start seeing the doctors as important customers of the hospital. Support the move to a patient centered and profit oriented culture. Help them to identify the most important issues that they as a leadership team need to deal with. Help the managers to develop a common focus for the future. One that not only solved their frustrations, but one that would make them excited 2 of 7 4/9/2013 2:36 PM OD interventions case study. An employee morale problem. file:///C:/Documents and Settings/staff/Desktop/OD interventions case stud about their future in the hospital. Help the managers to identify the core changes they would need to make to achieve the future they wanted. Help them identify projects that would help them to implement those changes. To do all of this in a way that would build a leadership team. One in which team members take responsibility and support one another. The constraints I needed to work within. The hospital could only afford the time for a one-day workshop. There would be 32 people in the group. In this workshop, the process would be as important as the content. Therefore the way in which the group developed their own solutions, was as important as the solutions they developed. We needed a process that would encourage participation, buy-in, ownership, build the managers confidence and energize them. The tools I decided to use in the one day workshop. 1. The main tool I used was The Change Puzzle Kit I had one kit for each group of 8 delegates. Each kit consists of: Two laminated charts. (A1 size). The first chart is called The Organisation Of Today. The second chart is called The Ideal Organisation Of The Future. The design on each chart is of the organization as a puzzle comprising 20 organizational development pieces. The organizational development tool I chose for this complex OD intervention was The Change Puzzle Kit. A set of water soluble pens which allows the delegates to write directly onto the laminated charts. The charts can be wiped clean and used again. A box of clue cards to help the groups think about the 20 organizational elements from an Organizational Development and systems thinking perspective, as they complete their charts. 2. The secondary tool I used was a single activity from The Powerful Facilitation cards. These workshop activity cards are designed like recipes. They provide detailed workshop activities to achieve specific workshop goals. I chose a card that helped a group to create a vision in a way that created fun and positive energy. The workshop design. I chose The Change Puzzle Kit because it allows a group to do the complex systems thinking they needed to do to solve their own problems, in a very practical and very participative way. This is the process I followed. To ensure that everyone could participate, I divided the larger group into 3 of 7 4/9/2013 2:36 PM OD interventions case study. An employee morale problem. file:///C:/Documents and Settings/staff/Desktop/OD interventions case stud 4 groups of 8 delegates per group. These groups were mixed to provide as much variety as possible. We mixed the groups so we had different functions (HR, marketing, administration nursing), and people of different ages and races working together in each group. Each group had their own change puzzle kit to work with. I used this diagram to explain the process we would be following which was: We would take a systems thinking photograph of the hospital as it was today with all its frustrations and all its strengths. To do this we would use The Organisation of Today charts and cards. We would do a right brained exercise to look at what the hospital would be like 3 years into the future, if it was delighting its patients, was profitable, and a place where the managers would be proud to work. We would translate that right brain vision of the future back into left brained, systems thinking. We would look at the elements that would need to be in place for that vision to work. To do this we would use The Ideal Organisation Of The Future charts and cards. We would then compare what came out of our two charts. From this, we would choose a few core changes. Changes that would help us to solve the most important of todays problems, and move us towards the future we wanted. We would then create some projects to make achieve these changes. How I used the change puzzle kit. Step 1. Provide an overview of the change puzzle The attention span of most groups for listening to a presentation is less than half an hour. So, to keep the groups attention, I provided a very quick overview of the charts and clue cards they would be using. Step 2. The groups analyze their organization as it exists today using The Organisation of Today charts and cards. 2. 1 Instructions: Each group was given the chart The Organisation Of Today plus the 20 clue cards about the current organization. They were also given a set of water soluble pens. They were asked to write on their chart how they saw their hospital today in terms of each puzzle piece or OD element. They could use the clue cards to help them. Each person was encouraged to write how he/she viewed the situation independently of their group as the group didnt need to achieve a consensus. I also explained that some people see things in a positive light, others in a negative light and others prefer to put down facts. All of these views were equally valuable. 2. 2 Activity: Each group spent about an hour recording their answers. Then instead of having formal feedback, each group simply read what the other groups had written on 4 of 7 4/9/2013 2:36 PM OD interventions case study. An employee morale problem. file:///C:/Documents and Settings/staff/Desktop/OD interventions case stud their charts. This was to prevent a very tedious feedback process and potential conflict. 2. 3 What came out: The three groups were surprised that they had similar responses. For example: They felt their roles were not clear enough. They were too rank obsessed. They felt doctors had too much status and that they needed to be empowered more. There was too much gossip. People operated in cliques. No one was taking responsibility. They felt they needed to acknowledge one another more. They wanted to create a culture where people dont feel intimidated when someone shares skills. But most of all, they were surprised by how much negativity came out. Surely there are some good things too? One person asked. 2. 4 Why this happened: Their common responses were due to two design factors the mixing of the groups, and the systems thinking behind the design of the chart they used. Negative responses are common amongst groups when they analyze their current situation. Groups are more positive when they create their own future. Step 3. Groups develop a vision of the future. I used a creative activity from the Create fun and energy section of the Powerful Facilitation cards. I needed to turn around the groups energy from negative and powerless, to positive and creative. I also needed the groups to develop a vision of their future, which was far more creative than simply that of solving their frustrations of today. As they developed their right brain picture of the future hospital, the groups became energized. Alive. Full of fun. They began laughing. They worked well as a team. They started coming up with brilliant ideas of how they could add value to the doctors, and earn their respect. They created slogans for themselves showing how they would care for their patients, their doctors and one another. This was the turning point of the workshop. Step 4. Groups complete The Ideal Organisation of the Future charts. 4. 1 Instructions and activity I remixed the groups so that each of the four visions were now represented by members within each new group. I then asked the groups to complete the Ideal Organisation of the Future charts. In doing so, I asked them to think about what would need to be in place for them to be able to live their visions. I encouraged them to be creative. This is because I wanted them to come up with more than simply the opposite of the problems theyd identified in their The Organization Of Today charts. I wanted them to capture all the wonderful ideas theyd had in their right brain vision, onto the Ideal organisation of the future charts. I suggested they also look at the future clue cards to generate even more creative ideas. 4. 2. What came out What came out of this activity were wonderful positive ideas that not only solved the problems theyd identified in their organization of today charts, but started achieving all the objectives Id hoped for when designing the workshop. For example, in order to clarify roles, they though of having a monthly picture board, entitled meet the team. They decided to have a day where they would 5 of 7 4/9/2013 2:36 PM OD interventions case study. An employee morale problem. file:///C:/Documents and Settings/staff/Desktop/OD interventions case stud change roles with one another. They decided to have a programme where as managers, they would go back to the floor for a day, to better understand some of the issues that both nurses and doctors faced. They would visit the receptionists of doctors to find out all the doctors preferences. Then they would educate one another and their nurses on how to provide great service to each doctor. They decided that one thing that would demonstrate patient centered care, was to think of ways for caring for families of patients who came from out of town. They created slogans for themselves that demonstrated customer care. They decided to lead their teams by getting each unit to develop their own vision linked to the hospital vision. The team became quite excited about what was possible. 4. 3 Why this happened. The groups energy had already turned during the previous exercise. Building on this, we know that groups are always more positive when they are allowed to be creative, and when they focus on the future. The Ideal Organisation of the Future charts are designed in a way that combines creative thinking and a future vision. Also, by analyzing all the OD elements that would be in place to support their vision, the group could see that achieving their vision was possible and practical. This made them feel hopeful about their future. Step 5. The groups choose core changes. The group was blown away by all their wonderful ideas. But there were too many to implement all at once. They needed to apply the 80/20 principle. Once again I remixed the groups. I asked them to choose 2 changes that would: Solve the biggest problems identified in The Organization of Today charts Help them move towards their most exciting ideas in The Ideal Organization Of The Future charts. I asked them to record these changes in a From and To table. The From would be drawn from The Organization Of Today charts. The To would come from The Ideal Organization Of The Future charts. The four groups were surprised that they all came out with the same core changes. This happened because of the design of The Change Puzzle Kits which gets everyone to use systems thinking, and because we kept mixing the groups. They immediately started volunteering for projects around the core changes. The end result I then got the groups to list what theyd achieved as a leadership team during the day, and what they wanted to do after the workshop. What came out was how amazed they were at what theyd been able to achieve in one day. They left the session excited and motivated. You may also like: Case studies: A strategy implementation case study This describes a two-day workshop. 6 of 7 4/9/2013 2:36 PM OD interventions case study. An employee morale problem. file:///C:/Documents and Settings/staff/Desktop/OD interventions case stud to help an executive and management team to develop a comprehensive plan to implement their strategy. Member tools: Poor morale in the workplace a diagnostic tool Based on a complex decision tree, this powerful coaching tool provides a quick way to diagnose your particular morale problem. It provides over forty possible solutions and helps you choose the best solution for your particular problem. How to rebuild morale after an organizational restructure. 4 OD interventions to rebuild trust, focus, morale and commitment after an organizational restructure. A CEOs guide to implementing strategy What to do after youve developed a strategic plan. How to use your vision to lead an executive team. The 12 steps for aligning your organization to your strategy and getting them to implement it. Develop an innovation system that results in a cultural change. How to develop an innovation culture in your organization. Articles: Team leader skills Managing Morale Managing morale is a key leadership skill because it determines whether or not a team has the energy, confidence and commitment to perform at their best. Inspiration at work How to inspire and motivate your team at work. Practical EQ and SQ tips for leaders. Restructuring Organizations: Leadership problems after an organizational restructure. Typical problems experienced by leaders after a restructuring exercise. The role of a change agent during an organizational restructure. The role a change agent can play during a restructure. When to do strategic planning. Strategic planning as an OD intervention. Participative tools to use in OD interventions The Change Puzzle KitA powerful tool for any OD intervention that requires group participation, systems thinking or a diagnosis of a problem. Powerful Facilitation CardsA set of OD activities to choose from to use in your OD intervention workshop. Winning the Game of Change A powerful planning tool for developing an OD strategy for your organization, or for helping your executive team to plan to implement their strategy. Contains 20 cards covering the major OD interventions. 7 of 7 4/9/2013 2:36 PM.

The Effects Of Speed Humps On Vehicles

The Effects Of Speed Humps On Vehicles Abstract This project will examine the effects of speed humps on vehicles within the United Kingdom. Intensive investigation and reviews will be carried out on traffic calming measures used in the UK and a number of different aspects within the topic such as those currently in use and how improvements can be made to reducing traffic. The report also takes a close look at how speed bumps have affected commuters and its impact on the environment as a whole and businesses around the country. As the number of vehicles on the roads increase faster than new roads that can be constructed, a serious problem has been created that is highly visible in urban and residential areas around the country. This problem is caused by fast driving motorist who do not take care on the road and it occurs on a daily basis. Conceding the fact that there are no single solutions to this problem and no quick fix, it is very important in assessing the success of the project. The understanding of why speed bumps were put in place on the road is a major factor in tackling the issue of speeding. To do this, time was invested in collecting data information from urban roads and residential roads in Islington and Hackney. This was very important as it helped me to provide an insight into how different motorist approach speed bumps and speed cameras, and what speed they approached the bumps and camera at different times of the day throughout the day. Three major problems were identified with speed humps, the first being effectiveness of speed bumps. On residential roads the speed limit is 20mph. Although many motorist were at constant speeds of approximately 20mph, many vehicles had to alter their speed limit whilst travelling over the speed bumps as they are unaware of which bumps are too high of the required speed limit. Drivers, who did not take the precaution of slowing down, would result in them scraping underneath their vehicles. Motorist are unable to identify weather a bump is too high or weather a constant velocity can be applied. The second problem was the damaged caused to vehicles when drivers make the wrong judgement of speed when approaching the speed bumps. Third being modern speed cameras on urban roads. Although they incorporate the latest in detection technology, the system were unable to provide efficient co-ordination of the direction of speeding vehicles. Vehicles speeding from the opposite side of the speed camera still get flashed, even though the motorist is aware that no potential speeding fines would occur as its the opposite side. The result of the review is a concept which imbeds intelligence into the current traffic signalling system. Introduction Speed Bumps (sometimes called a sleeping policeman) are a traffic calming tool designed to slow traffic. A Speed Bump is a bump on a roadway that may be circular, parabolic, or sinusoidal, and it may have gaps near the curb to allow drainage. Speed bumps are widely used across the United Kingdom, and are gradually increasing on the roads year by year. Speed Bump heights range from as little as 50 mm, to as much as 152 mm and they can vary in length from less than 300 mm to as much as 3x103mm. Speed Bumps longer than 3103 mm are usually called speed humps, and they are often used to slow traffic in residential neighbourhoods. Some drivers could say that they prefer to go over these types of traffic calming tool as it is easier on the car. Although Speed Bumps are very effective in keeping vehicle speed down, their use is sometimes controversial as they can cause noise and possibly vehicle damage. Poorly designed Speed Bumps are too tall, too sharp an angle for the expected speed and can be hard to negotiate in vehicles with low ground clearance, such as sports cars, even at very slow speeds. The driver can sometimes hear the Speed Bumps scrap the bottom of the car. Project Aims The aim of this project is to design an effective and efficient speed hump system that can be used in the United Kingdom. The design must be futuristic in its approach and incorporated a wide range of different technologies, both present and those in the development stage. These technologies must not only perform the role of slowing down vehicles but also reducing the effects on vehicles and to those who drive the vehicle. The speed hump design must be able to differentiate between high and low velocity and small and large vehicles i.e. (cars, buses, lorries). The dimensions of the hump must be within the UK regulations. People tend to approach speed-bumps in one of three ways. They remain at their current speed and drive straight through without a care or thought for the cars undercarriage or suspension. They slow down to an appropriate speed and glide over the top. Or they slow down so much they cause drivers behind them to break. A new design will change the way drivers approach speed humps in general. The design must allow drivers who are travelling at the right speed limit to pass over the hump without difficulty but will remind drivers travelling above the limit to slow down by creating the same feeling that they get when passing over a speed-bump but without the usual speed-bump impact. (Jude Garvey, The Bumpfree Dynamic Speedbump gives drivers a smooth ride,2010) The speed hump will be design to reward drivers who are travelling at the correct speed by offering an almost unnoticeable pass. Internal cells within the speed bump will contain non-Newtonian Thixotropic fluids which will instantly react with the speed at which a driver makes contact with the speed-bump immediately reminding them if they are going too fast. for the speed hump to be effective, A double-layer bladder protection will help to ensure a long product life and allow the speed bump to be used in various conditions. if this is not done, the speed hump will not be durable and would need to be replaced regularly. this is not cost effective. The design of the hump is expected to be most useful in environments where speed needs to be kept at a safe level, for example hospitals, school zones, or where vehicles are entering and exiting with precious cargo or people onboard. It can be placed against a piece of shaped bitumen or be in a bolt down form of plastic. Made mostly from recycled rubber, the design will be textured and suited for the environment in which they are placed. (. (Jude Garvey, The Bumpfree Dynamic Speedbump gives drivers a smooth ride,2010) Historical development Traffic humps have been in existence in the UK since the early 1970s, but following criticism of the speed deterrents, lead to a new way of alternatives being developed. There are currently around 50,000 traffic humps on British roads today, which can be said to be a lot. however, there are a lot of vehicles on the road and if they were not there as a deterrent, there would have been a lot more accidents on the road due to drivers who do not follow the rules of the road. The round-top hump can be said to be the most familiar in the hump family. The round-top was developed in the Netherlands and landed on British roads in the early seventies. Still the most common, the round-top hump is between 25mm and 100mm high and up to 3.7m long. (Dave Wilson, 2001 Inflatable rubber policeman gives drivers the hump) To pass over speed bumps without causing any damage to the vehicle or causing discomfort to the driver and passengers, the driver must slow down almost to a complete stop. Speed humps are 76-100 mm high and 3.5 to 6.5 m long, therefore to avoid driver discomfort, the driver slows to a speed of 15-20 mph. Unlike speed bumps, at excessive speeds, the effects of speed humps are increased sometimes to the point of acting like a bump and jolting both the driver and their cargo. This causes discomfort to some drivers and could even lead to the damage of the products which they may have in their vehicle. There is nothing that they can do about it unless they have insurance for the products on board. An example of a type of business that uses a vehicle all the time is removals. When having expensive and precious objects in the car, it is very important that time and care is taken over speed humps and speed bumps. Otherwise it could lead to damages which could affect the business and its reputation. Location The first speed hump in a series should be placed 15-60 meters from a small radius curve or stop signs assuring that vehicles are not approaching at high speeds. If installed on a street with a significant grade line, the first hump in a series should be placed at the top of the grade. Research has shown that speed humps, when designed and installed properly, reduce vehicle speeds to 15-20 mph when travelling over speed humps and 25-30 mph in between properly spaced speed humps. When travelling over a speed hump, the vehicle experiences a gentle rocking motion that increases with speed. This enables the speed humps to be self-enforced because the vehicle occupants will experience discomfort when passing over a hump at higher speeds and a jolting when passing over at excessive speeds. (Duane E. Smith, P.E. Karen L. Giese, 1997, effects of speed humps) Although speed humps have been proven to be effective at reducing speeds, they also come with their own drawbacks. Installed speed humps have actually been removed in response to resident complaints. The major complaints have been aesthetics of having speed humps and the increased noise level at each hump although the net noise change throughout the controlled strip is insignificant. Speed humps are not the best thing to have own ones road. Also if people are not happy, the council have to hear the complaints of the residents. It would not be nice to be living on a road where you can hear cars going over speed humps and scratching the humps as well as their car. It is not aesthetically pleasing when you leave your front door and see scratches on your road. Although they are the most important group, more than just the residents are affected by the installation of speed humps. Other groups such as emergency service providers, street maintenance providers, school districts, transit operators, refuse collection agencies will be affected and should, therefore, be informed and consulted concerning the installation of speed humps. Emergency providers may have casualties in their vehicles and going over the humps may affect the injuries which the casualties have. Especially if they are in life threatening situation, they may need to move as far as possible. CHAPTER 1 REVIEW OF TRAFFIC CALMING The design used in modern speed humps is not as advanced as it should be although it has been around for many years. With not a fair amount of improvement in terms of design a constant review of the system is always required. Speed hump plays it toll with traffic and congestion and the effects are mostly visible at peak time. Traffic congestion has many side-effects and does not just impact on motorist. The impact of growing congestion can be felt by businesses, local councils and mostly the environment. Huge efforts are being made to ease traffic congestion in the United Kingdom and where introducing congestion charges, building new roads and improving the public transport are all viable solutions. Recent studies have shown that the general public prefers to own their own form of transport i.e. car as current public transport systems are unreliable. Building new roads is very costly and is not an option in major cities, and although congestion charges have seen a decrease in the amount of motorist on the roads in central London, traffic jams is still a regular occurrence at peak times. Although forecasted figures shows the road traffic will rise in coming years. My project aims to comprehensively review the current speed humps system in the UK and to develop accordingly, a system that increases efficiency and maximise the flow of traffic as well as reducing impact. My project will also form a comprehensive review of congestion, looking at how traffic builds up at speed humps. Types of speed hump currently used. The flat-topped hump This squarer version became fashionable in 1990 when traffic humps became regulated by the Highways (Road Humps) Regulations Act. Between 25mm and 100mm high and a minimum length of 2.5 m the optimum angle of tapered sides is a gradient of 1 in 4. Thumps Thumps are hard, triangular, thermoplastic strips approximately 37mm high and 900mm wide. Speed cushions Speed cushions are rectangular humps which laid across roads in twos or threes. Cushions are wide enough to slow cars but not buses and emergency vehicles. Rumble strips Not really a traffic calming measure, more a warning to drivers of something ahead. Chicanes Is a single lane sections and road markings represent a more recent attempt to slow down speeding motorists and modify the original traffic hump into a more comfortable disruption. Congestion Traffic and congestion caused by speed hump is a problematic condition on road networks that restricts the flow of traffic to extremely slow speeds. The problem occurs as the volume of vehicles increase to within close proximity of maximum the road network capacity. Traffic condition can be characterise by a number of different factors, namely increase queuing, increase journey time and relatively slow speeds. This problem is a regular occurrence in modern urban cities, where the demand is at its highest. The demand in these areas is such that the interaction between vehicles causes the average speed of traffic to fall noticeably. Figure 1 (UK figures for road traffic)  [i]   Figure 1.2 (Graph showing the trend of car ownership in the UK)  [ii]   The level of traffic congestion in the United Kingdom is considered to be one of the worse in whole of Europe. More worrying is the fact that it continues to get worse year after year. The increase rate of new vehicles on the road is considered to be unsustainable, as the increase rate is faster than the rate of which new road infrastructure can be constructed. The issue is a long term one, the solution to which cannot be seen due to lack of feasible measures to combat or event control the problem. It has already been conceded that it is infeasible to match a roadwork infrastructure program to the unconstrained inclination of current and future traffic growth. Figure 1.3 (Central Forecast Figures Made By the Department Of Transport for the UK)  [iii]   Figure 1.4 (Graph Shows Trend of the Number Vehicles Licensed Each Year in the UK)  [iv]   causes of congestion A major issue in modern times is travel efficiency. Speed humps clearly make travel less efficient. A particular problem is traffic that has diverted to avoid a scheme of humps. Such diversions tend to exacerbate congestion on through routes where there are less likely to be humps. Apart from the rapid increase in the number of vehicles on the road, there are several other factors contributing to the problem. Some of which are can be solved with time, while some are control by financial constraint. Other solutions are not considered to be feasible in terms of the level resources needed as they involve relocating home owners and local businesses. More often than not traffic congestion due to speed bump but propagates from junction and roundabouts. environmental impact Humps cause wider variations in vehicle speeds, with many vehicles slowing to a crawl to negotiate each hump. A natural consequence of a wider variation in speed with more acceleration and more braking is that more fuel will be used. If more fuel is used then more pollution is created. If traffic speeds are reduced journey times will increase and a baseline level of pollution will be delivered for longer periods. The impact on health via polluted air the most common, as vehicles emissions contributes up to 40% of the total amount toxic gases emitted each year. Emitting a wide a variety harmful gases, such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and other bi-products of partial contribution. Humans as well as animals are directly affected by the immediate environment and being exposed to polluted air on a regular basis can lead to short and long term health related illnesses such as lung decease. economical impact Estate agents say there has been a decrease in property value due to speed humps, many potential buyers who notice many speed humps within the neighbourhood are less welling to purchases the property as they feel that speed hump make the neighbourhood unattractive. Different types of businesses are affected in different ways, business that relies on delivery of goods looses out as deliveries arrives late, causes delays in the time products can be process and put out shop floors. Late deliveries increase shift duration adding extra cost to employees wages. A BUS operator says the increasing number of speed humps in the town is costing the firm  £500 a month in repairs. Bosses at the Stagecoach Midland Red depot, say their vehicles are being repeatedly damaged by the humps. Fuel tanks have been knocked off buses, causing diesel to spill across the road, something which the company believes could leave them liable to bills running into thousands of pounds if it were to cause an accident. Engineering staff understand the speed reduction measures installed by Warwickshire County Council need to be taken but feel cameras would be more beneficial. Mick Merriman, engineering manager for the firm, said: The spate of damage from road humps is an on-going cost. Speed cameras would be preferable, certainly as far as our buses are concerned. The humps also cause discomfort to passengers and drivers, who would be pleased to see the end of them. Manager Bill Breen added: Weve written to the county council about this issue and our operations director is in talks with the council. Dec 18 2001 Coventry Evening Telegraph www.coventrytelegraph.net/new Experts have estimated the annual maintenance cost of speed humps to road to be in the region of 1.3 million pounds, the majority of which is related to repair cost and maintenance. There are also indirect costs of speed humps associated with the effectiveness of logistical operations at either ends of the transportation process. These additional costs are estimated to be very significant however they are considered to be intangible variables like additional scheduling costs and journey reliability are very difficult to quantify. Figure 1.5 is a photograph taken by myself, which illustrates a speed hump under different weather condition and vehicle weight. A large quantity of speed humps in the UK are damaged, where one of the major reasons is weather conditions; whenever rain falls on to speed humps creaks that have been created by frequent hard impact on the hump, then get filled with water, as temperature decreases this water then turn into ice, causing the hump become fatigue, ev entually the creak will spread and can cause the hump to completely separate in this case a huge portion of the hump has been worn away, as its internal properties has weaken due to separation vehicles have continuously driven over this weak area and has eventually got to this stage of completely deterioration on one side of the hump. C:UsersPublicPicturesSpeed bumpDSC01888.JPG Figure 1.5 (Picture Shows damaged speed hump due to weather change and vehicle impact.) measures to reduce congestion Tackling congestion is very difficult both in theory and in practice. Theoretical concepts are very difficult to implement as they can sometimes damage public relation which can lead to protests. These concepts sometimes derive from models and computer simulated data and analysis which does not always reflect the unpredictability of the real world situation. Since congestion is judged on cost, ample efforts have been concentrated on reducing the annual cost. Some efforts tackle the problem head on by addressing the main issues where as other aim at charging motorist to balance the annual cost. Congestion charge is one such method that aims to cut congestion by cutting the cost. The cost of which is worth approximately 6 billion pounds per year. A large proportion current and futuristic solution to ease traffic congestion, are aimed directly at reducing the number of vehicles on the roads. The focus of major campaigns has been on persuading motorist to utilise other forms of transport. The difficulty in this is that substitutes to the car are not considered to be feasible as public transport one of the main and only substitute is not very reliable. For this to be seen as a suitable substitute there must be an increase in arrival and departure times for both buses and trains. The service must also be reliable cost effective to customers and operators alike. Two areas that have seen reasonable levels of success and support are cycling for those making short journeys and transferring road freight to the rail. The combined effects of numerous supportive complementary solutions represent the best way forward in the short term and could slow the rise of road traffic y 25% 45%. CHAPTER 3 RESULTS AND FINDINGS Traffic Data Gathering Gathering real time data is vital in understanding the flow of vehicles passing over speed humps, on residential road and urban roads. The data will help to understanding and identifying the factors affecting speed humps in more details, such as time of the day and days of the week. Understanding how the speed bump deals with fluctuating weight and speed levels at peak and off-peak times also provide an insight into how efficient the design is. The main reason for conducting investigation in this form is mainly to identify flaws in operation if any. Hump profiles The dimensions of the profiles chosen for evaluation are shown in Table 1. The five hump profiles used in the trials included three profiles not commonly used: a 3.7m long sinusoidal profile, a 5m long round-top profile and an 8m long flat-top with sinusoidal ramps. Two standard profiles were included for comparison: a 3.7m long round-top profile and an 8m long flat-top hump with straight ramps. All the hump profiles were 75 mm high. Fig 2: Profile dimensions Vehicles tested A range of vehicles was used in the trials to assess discomfort, noise and ground borne vibrations. These included five different bicycle types, a small, medium and large car, five different buses, including a low floor bus, three different goods vehicles with steel or air suspension, a fire appliance and three different ambulances. Figure 2.1 Unladen cyclists Figure 2.2 Motorcycles combined results from small, medium and large motor cycles Figure 2.3 Minibus (Optare City Pacer all passengers sitting) Figure 2.4 large single-deck buses (Optare Low Rider Low floor bus) Figure 2.5 Double-deck buses (Optare Spectra) Discussion Analasys Of Resusts For cyclists, motor cyclists and all occupants of cars, buses, goods vehicles and emergency service vehicles, a subjective assessment of discomfort (DR) was made on a scale 0 to 6. A discomfort rating of0 means comfortable, and 6 very uncomfortable. Additionally, for all but cyclists and motor cyclists, an accelerometer was used. For each of the tests, this measured the vertical acceleration experienced by one occupant in every vehicle. Cyclists In promoting an increase in cycling it is important that, as far as possible, cyclists are offered a comfortable ride. Figure 1 shows the average discomfort ratings for unladen cyclists crossing the various hump profiles at 10 mph and 20 mph. similar results were found for laden cyclists (5kg load). It can be seen from Figure 1 that cyclists experienced the most discomfort when crossing the flat-top humps and that the 5m long round-top profile gave the least discomfort. This profile also gave the least discomfort to the car occupants but its use would be likely to result in higher car speeds than with the other hump profiles. For humps of a similar length (3.7m), the sinusoidal hump was more comfortable for the cyclists than the round-top profile. Motor cyclists Stability and comfort are important to motorcyclists, but where motorcyclists report discomfort crossing road humps; this may be due to inappropriate speeds. The tests were made using carefully controlled speeds, judged to be appropriate to the circumstances. Average discomfort ratings (DR) for motorcyclists are shown in Figure 2.2. For motor cyclists, there was less difference in the discomfort experienced between the hump profiles than for the cyclists. However, the 5m round-top hump was clearly the most comfortable and the flat-top humps were the most uncomfortable. Buses The average discomfort rating experienced by passengers sitting in a minibus, a low floor single deck bus and a double-deck bus is shown in Figures 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5. These illustrate how a small change in speed can lead to a large increase in discomfort, particularly in minibuses and double-deck buses. There was less variation in the discomfort experienced when crossing the different profiles in the double-deck bus than for other bus types. For all three bus types at speeds of 15 mph or less, passengers generally experienced less discomfort with the round-top and sinusoidal profiles than with the flat-top profiles. At speeds above 15 mph, general levels of discomfort were unacceptable for all the profiles tested. Low floor buses Low floor buses are of particular interest, as it has been claimed that these vehicles are more susceptible to grounding when passing over road humps. In fact, the clearance of low floor buses above the carriageway was found to be very similar to that for other buses. The main problem would seem to occur where there is a greater overhang at the front and/or rear of the vehicle. With the bus used (Optare low-rider) the track trials did not reveal any grounding problems with the 75mm height humps used, although the driver declined to cross the flat-top profiles at 25 mph because of concern about possible damage. As pointed out above, this speed would generally be considered unsuitable in terms of the discomfort likely to be experienced. Noise Light vehicles For the passenger cars tested, the differences in the maximum A-weighted noise levels generated alongside the different profiles were relatively small, and were not likely to be of practical significance. Noise levels when crossing humps generally increased as the speed increased, and tended to be slightly less than that measured on a level surface. For light vehicles, maximum noise levels would not be expected to increase as a result of installing any of the profiles tested. Double deck bus The double deck bus also showed a general increase in the maximum noise level with increasing speed. There were differences, with the sinusoidal profile giving lower noise levels than the non-sinusoidal profiles. The highest noise levels were measured alongside the flat-top (straight ramp) profile. All the profiles gave lower noise levels at typical crossing speeds than measurements taken next to the level surface, where speeds were higher. Large Goods vehicles At typical crossing speeds, the noise levels for goods vehicles tested were highest alongside the flat-top profiles. The noise levels for sinusoidal profiles were slightly lower than their non-sinusoidal equivalents. The 5m long round-top profile was similar to the3.7m round-top profile with respect to noise generation. Large goods vehicles may have either air or steel spring suspension. The maximum noise levels generated along the hump profiles by the 38t articulated tipper vehicle with steel spring suspension were higher than the equivalent vehicle with air suspension. For air suspension vehicles, the unladen state generated higher noise levels than the laden state, for all the profiles tested. For steel spring suspension vehicles, the difference between the laden and unladen states was less distinct: the sinusoidal profiles generated higher noise levels for the laden vehicle, and the 5m round-top profile and the flat-top profiles resulted in higher noise levels for the unladen vehicle Ground-borne vibration Levels of ground-borne vibration generated by light vehicles showed no distinct difference alongside the different profiles. For the double-deck bus, the highest vibration level obtained at typical crossing speeds was for them flat-top (straight ramp) profile. For heavy goods vehicles, the highest mean and maximum ground-borne vibration levels at typical crossing speeds were also at the flat-top (straight ramp) profile. The flat-top (sinusoidal ramps) was slightly less, and the round-top and sinusoidal profiles had significantly lower levels. Higher levels of vibration were noted for the heavy goods vehicles running unladen, than when loaded. C:UsersPublicPictureshumpsHPIM0971.JPG Discussion Analasys Of Resusts The charts bellow are constructed from data celected from speed humps on a residential road, the first of which looks at the link between number vehicles passig over speed hump at speccfic time intervals during the day. The second graph looks at the influence on traffic levels, which shows connection between the number of vehecles and the day of the week. Figure 3 (Pie-Chart, Showing Variation of vehicle passing over speed humps In Relation To Time of Day) From the pie-chart it is evident that there are two periods during the 12 hours traffic levels are high. This is to be expected as peak times in the United Kingdom are between 7 11am, and 3 7pm. These two periods highlight a high level of activity that can be attributed to morning an evening school runs as well as commuters travelling to and from work. Figure 3.1 (Pyramid Chart, Showing Variation Traffic Level In Relation To Day of the Week) From the tables of results and the chart is clear that traffic fluctuate for reasons already stated. There are several other factors affecting the flow of traffic; however these variables cannot equated for in the data collection. Variables such as accidents and special events like football matches can also affect these figures. Road works is another of those variables that cannot be accounted for and can affect the figures. It is unclear of the role played by the weather on the figures as the weather can affect traffic in two different ways. Bad weather causing difficult driving condition can reduce traffic as motorist can decide not to travel if the journey is compulsory. Conversely it can also increase queuing as the average speed falls there by affecting traffic. Commuters cycling to and from work can also be affected prompting the switch from bicycle to car. <

Light and Dark in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart Dar

Light and Dark in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚      Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is a tragic tale of the white man's journey into the African jungle. When we peel away the layers, however, a different journey is revealed - we venture into the soul of man, complete with the darkness of depravity as well as the wonderful. In this essence Conrad uses this theme of light and darkness to contrast the civilized European world with the savage African world in Heart of Darkness. As aforementioned, within Heart of Darkness, Conrad uses light and dark to symbolize good and evil, respectively. "It is whiteness that is truly sinister and evil, for it symbolizes the immoral scramble for loot by the unscrupulous and unfeeling Belgian traders in ivory and human flesh; the whiteness of ivory is also contrasted with the blackness of the natives whose lives must be destroyed for its sake" (Gillon 25). In other words there is a perversion of light and dark and what they represent.   The characteristic of ivory is its colour of white, but rather then being associated with purity and all that it is good, it re... ... of Darkness. Middlesex, England: Penguin Publishers, 1983. Gillon, Adam. (1982). Joseph Conrad. Twayne's English Author Series: Number 333. Kinley E. Roby, ed. Boston: Twayne. "Joseph Conrad." The Encarta 1998 Encyclopedia Online. Microsoft, 1998. Kunitz, Stanley J. "Joseph Conrad." Twentieth Century Authors: Vol. T. New York: H.W. Wilson Company, 1942. 307-9 Stape, J.H.. The Cambridge Companion to Joseph Conrad. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Taylor, Derek. Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The Explicator. No.4 Summer 1998: 195-8.

Suicide of Vietnam Veterans :: Vietnam War Essays

Suicide of Vietnam Veterans The deaths that were experienced in Vietnam due to Agent Orange and other jungle diseases have become well known by the general public. However, it is suicide that has resulted in the deaths of over 150,000 Vietnam soldiers during and after the war. An enormous amount of suicides resulted from what most people call â€Å"protecting our country†. The Vietnam War brought more than fifty-eight thousand deaths and is to some one of the darkest battles in United States history. If not killed during the war, many believe any Vietnam veteran would return home great and proud. But this is not the case. Many Vietnam veterans have committed suicide before, during, and after the war. Not only have these men and woman risked their lives for our country, but now, return different people and can not comprehend whether or not to continue their lives. Many people believe we win wars, when in actuality, no one does, especially those who serve in the armed forces (Suicide Wall, 11-10-2000). The Vietnam and other wars have mentally and sometimes physically dismembered many veterans. Another factor that plays a role in a war-related suicide is the addition of many on-site diseases such as defoliants, Agent Orange in particular. Made up of equal parts N-Butyl Ester 2,4,-D and N-Butyl Ester 2,4,5,-T, Agent Orange made many Vietnam soldiers go insane (Vietnam Veterans, 11-10-2000). This atrocious chemical lead and still today leads to death, deformation, and diabetes. Dr. Joel E. Michalek, who deals with statistics for the air force, was the first to notice a link between Agent Orange and diabetes. But the federal government was not willing â€Å"...to spend millions of dollars on such studies†. Dr. Michael Gough, a retired biologist was quoted as saying â€Å"the conclusion I’ve come to is that there is no evidence whatsoever to support any connection between low-level dioxin exposure and any human disease†. Some say they will not do research b ecause it is another thing â€Å"...that will be linked to the health complaints of Vietnam veterans† (Kolata, A16). There is hope still. In 1996, Clinton ordered disability benefits for Vietnam veterans suffering from prostate cancer and nerve disease associated with Agent Orange. Eventually, the government will fund more and more diseases for those who served in the war and were exposed to the substances.

Questions For “Spotted Again In America: Textile Jobs.”

Explain how each of the factors caused the Kerr Group (this Chinese company) to mom to the US? A. Labor? Even, in U. S. The labor cost will raise, but the difference will shrink as Chinese salaries keep rising. And it will be compensated for by other savings. B. Regulations? Manufactures In Central America can send finished clothes duty-free to the U. S. Unlike companies In China. C. Proximity to? To Charlotte banks and the port in Charleston, S. C. To Central America, where it can send yarn to manufactures there and take advantage of clothes makers there. . Other infrastructure? Industrial land prices have soared, making expansion difficult in China, since the textile industry is plagued by overcapacity; the local governments are reluctant to sell land to producers. 4. How does NONFAT (The North America Free Trade Agreement between Canada, Mexico and the US) matter in this case? U. S. Duties on imported yarn and clothing have existed for decades. But trade pacts such as the North Am erican Free Trade Agreement created duty-free zones between the U. S. And several trade partners. In those agreements, the U.S. Imposed a â€Å"yarn forward† requirement, meaning that sixties Imported from partner countries have to be made completely from material produced In those countries or the U. S. If not, they face duties, usually ranging from 5% to for yarns, 10% and 12% for fabrics and 15% to 20% for clothing, according to the National Council of Textile Organizations, a U. S. Textile trade group. For years Asian clothing producers Just swallowed the duties because production and transport costs were so low. Now they are reassessing that practice.Brian Hamiltonians study on Global production costs for textiles in 2003 vs.. 013 for the US and China? Hamilton, who wrote his Ph. D. Dissertation on the global textile industry, said â€Å"The rising costs have made it more expensive to spin yarn in China than in the U. S. † He found that in 2003, a kilogram of yarn spun in the U. S. Cost $2. 86 to produce, while it cost $2. 76 to produce a kilogram in China. By 2010, however, it cost $3. 45 to produce a kilogram in the U. S. And the cost in China had Jumped to $4. 13 per kilogram. U. S. Production costs were lower than Turkey, Korea and Brazil.