Lack of Ethics in the Construction Industry essays

Lack of Ethics in the Construction Industry essays Ethical challenges in the construction industry are bid shopping, no-payment issues, lying, "lawyering up," inflated claims, false claims, threats, and even employee embezzlement. As an employee of a specialty trade subcontractor, Im going to be looking at bid shopping, no payment, over billing illegal aliens, and wage theft. With oftentimes razor thin margins and stiff competition, construction companies try to maximize profits by any means necessary. Bid shopping has been the longtime leader of unethical practices. Its the process by which solicited bids are divulged as leverage with contractors to lower their prices. This is seen more often in specialty and trade contractors. Bid shopping may lead to a breakdown in trust and collaboration and is likely to cause a more contentious atmosphere between owners, contractors, and subcontractors. Non-payment issues have become a fast growing problem. The economic downturn hit the construction industry hard. Many contractors found themselves without new work on the horizon and/or stuck in one of the many stages of a project. Even before the recession began, payment has been a hot topic in the industry. Contractors would use excuses such as unacceptable product or technicalities of a contract (insurance, hours to be worked, performance) as a means to withhold payment. Contractors have often over-bid the price on projects. It is believed that contractors should unbalance the bid/front-end load of the project even though they collect money in a timely manner. If a contractor, particularly a subcontractor, doesn't unbalance the bid, the difference in cash disbursed against cash received on a project can be enormous, and no one would notice, because most accounting systems do not detect it, he says. When examining the job, you will find that you are funding labor and other costs but you're not being paid in a timely manner. Another issue I find even mor...

A Nation of Idiots Analysis

What evidence does Moore offer to support his contention that America is a nation of idiots? Is calling us all a nation of idiots an effective way to get our attention and sympathies? Moore shares a number of personal experiences in this selection to dramatize his disgust with formal education. Overall, how would you characterize his attitude toward school and schooling? What textual evidence leads you to make those conclusions?What are the potential problems with using this kind of rhetorical or argumentative strategy in his writing? Moore offers evidence of public ignorance to support that America is a nation of idiots. He does this by stating, â€Å"Only 11 percent of the American public bothers to read a daily newspaper, beyond the funny pages or the used car ads† (Idiot Nation excerpt, Colombo, Cullen, Lisle, 129).This example is a good reflection of Moore’s attitude and style of grabbing the reader’s attention. He relates to the readers in simple terms, but always with a hint of sarcasm. I believe that calling America a â€Å"nation of idiots† is an effective way of getting us to listen. The way Moore sees it, schools have used various tactics to educate its students and politicians have used different forms of engaging the public, but the public is not interested.Moore states, â€Å"A nation that not only churns out illiterate students but goes out of its way to remain ignorant and stupid is a nation that should not be running this world – at least not until a majority of its citizens can locate Kosovo (or any other country it has bombed) on the map† (Idiot Nation excerpt, Colombo, Cullen, Lisle, 129). The potential problem with using this kind of rhetorical strategy in his writing is that the readers probably do not think of themselves as â€Å"idiots† and therefore will assume that Moore’s words do not apply to them and readers will tune out.Another problem is Moore will offend some of his audience and naturally these audience members will become defensive and disregard Moore’s current and future work. Moore does not see schooling in America as an effective way of educating the nation. He also views it as a very harmful environment that teaches children not to question authority and not to think, but rather do as they are told. â€Å"They learn that to rock the boat could get them rocked right out of school† (Idiot Nation excerpt, Colombo, Cullen, Lisle, 143).

Marketing Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Marketing Plan - Research Paper Example Other areas of specialization in which the company invests in are beverages, which are used worldwide. Besides the operations of the company within the UK market, the company has major markets within the US, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain as well as in France. GlaxoSmithKline Plc as a trading company has a statement of mission, which is ‘provision and development of immunotherapeutic, as well as vaccines that are necessary for improvement of human health globally’. The company has made strategic milestones in the field over years and is credited for having great and contributions towards the global health as it is today. The company’s profile reveals that the formation of the company as it is today has involved merger efforts with many companies and thus would have a history from the early years of 20th century. The existence of the corporate identity of GlaxoSmithKline plc is not that old s it dates from the time of merger of SmithKline Beecham and Glaxo Wellcome in December 1999 (Addison & Lawson, 2012). GSK has special attention on such fundamental areas as realizing sustainable growth, improving long-term financial performances as well as reducing risks. It realizes these goals through embracing diversification, developing and delivering high-value products as well as adoption of simplified business models. The recent developments have seen the company adopt generic branded manufacturing to add to the previously existing patented strategies in order to command higher influence and relevance in the modern day market. Addison and Lawson through a recent discourse analysis study concerning the strategic development move of generic branding found out that this was necessary and very effective in lowering the associated performance risks as well as in increasing the range of products being traded on. The shift in production models into the incorporation of generic manufacturing has greatly revolutionized the industry through lowering

Assignment 7(675) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment 7(675) - Essay Example I suggest so because it is often healthier initially for an employee to evaluate and rectify himself based on what he believes he lacks, rather than giving an outright harsh list of complaints from students or supervisors like myself at the first stage. Therefore, my overall plan to help Mr. Smith is to get him to work on his self-assessment, followed by some feedback from students and fellow teachers, then formulating a plan to help overcome his shortcomings as an institutional performer. The central idea will be to identify and work on his strengths and weaknesses and to assess what more can be done to improve his performance. Step 1: Initiate self-assessment using instruments and inventories. For giving this process a push, I would arrange an informal meeting with Mr. Smith after school. In this meeting, I would outline with his help, the purpose of this activity and what we hope to achieve by the end of it. Next, I would hand over to him some documents which include his past appraisals and remarks of the principal, myself, the curriculum director and the students. These will give him an idea as to what to consider. Having prepared a list of skills and competencies required and expected of in our school from our teachers, I would ask Mr. Smith to assess the list and use it to perform his self-assessment. All the above inventory will act as a criteria for the self-assessment. Asking him to go home and work on the task handed to him, I would arrange a next meeting of a similar fashion with him after a few days. Before the completion of Mr. Smith’s task, I will need to gather some idea as to how well Mr. Smith is at his job by asking the students and his fellow colleagues. This can be done either on a one on one basis or by questionnaires handed out. This step will come in handy at a later stage. Step 2: Perception of self:Â   How accurate? An individual’s perception of oneself involves their knowledge of the

Political Cartoons :: essays research papers

American political cartoons often follow the general displeasure of the government by the American people. They run the gamut from economics to foreign policy to the overwhelming popular topic of bureaucracy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As an avid reader of political cartoons on a daily basis I enjoy the humor and cynicism found within these forms of speech. Not only can they poke fun at politicians for their behavior, but, they often raise a strong sense of values and morals in the person that reads them. Whether a person agrees or disagrees with the way a certain topic is portrayed in the cartoon it accomplishes the artists goal of making their reader stop and ponder for a moment about the topic being covered and how it relates to them. From topics currently facing the United Nations, our federal government or current news events, the cartoonists use a medium that was once reserved for innocent humor and changes it so that it draws the readers attention (since it is a cartoon and people seem to enjoy reading the funnies), and makes a statement, whether direct or indirect, that often makes people speak about or try and change the topics outcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since the beginning of America political cartoons have often portrayed government officials as inept and sometimes just plain stupid. Politicians are very easy targets for the press and so become the subject of many daily papers editorial page cartoon.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although sometimes the cartoonist draws on current events and pay tribute to people who are often thought of with reverence. Take for example Charles Schultz, on the day following his death most cartoons as well as political cartoons payed homage to a person who is considered the greatest cartoonist of all time. Other cartoon strips showed their characters attending his funeral or missing him in some other way. While the most poignant political cartoon I remember about his death was by a cartoonist Mike Thompson of the Detroit free press. It showed Charlie Brown walking through the gates of heaven with an older man walking beside him and saying to him, â€Å" Now, a few pointers about kicking a football†.

‘A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove’ by James Moloney Essay

Carl Matt is a 15 year old boy who has had to deal with some pretty unfair situations, but he is definitely not the only one in the novel to face life changing events. Whilst Carls life takes the most noticeable turn in the novel, many of his fellow characters lives also change after his arrival. On arrival in Wattle Beach, Carls journey leads him to the character, Skip Duncan. Skip has also been dealt with unfair life challenges. The fact that Carl is a Matt creates many challenges for Skip. Skips daughter, Maddie also changes during the time Carl spends in Wattle Beach. Many characters change throughout the novel but Carl is definitely the most predominant. Carl Matt changes throughout the novel. Carl Matt is just a shy, sad character at the beginning of the book. In the start Carl was a pushover he just let people keep walking all over him. For example Carl sees Sarah (his sister) planning a holiday for herself, But Carl knew that she wouldnt come back, and he did not say anything. He just left for Aunt Beryls and made himself think that he was just going away for a holiday. When Carl reaches Wattle Beach he feels like an outcast. He stood up too suddenly and the chair toppled over backward. Faces turned to enjoy the comedy as he righted the chair, his skin reddened with fierce embarrassment.(Quote pg28). This quote shows that Carl is not a part of a group; he is just a new kid that no one knows or likes. But after a few weeks a Wattle Beach Carl gets a job, which makes him feel as if he is needed. Carl is constantly evolving in this book, in the beginning Carl wouldnt even dream of talking to Maddie but at the end of the novel Maddie is one of Carls best friends. Carl comes out of his shell at the end and shows Wattle Beach and Wisemans Cove residents who he really is My name is Carl Matt M-A-T-T (Quote pg 231). But Carl defiantly isnt the only one who changes throughout the novel. Carls employer Skip Duncan also changes and in a big way. When we are introduced to Skip Duncan, we meet a temperamental and gruff man. In the beginning Skip Duncan hates all Matts but Carl Matt is the one who changes his mind. At the start Carl asks Skip for a job but when Skip finds out his last name Skip explodes Matt, the word exploded. Skip turned again  to Joy is this some kind of joke? You bring a Matt onto my barge, let him come her asking me for a job! He was shouting by the time he reached the last word, indignation bulging in his face. Get off my barge, he yelled at the boy. (Quote pg 66). Skip explodes at poor Car, when he does not even know what kind of a person Carl is. This leads us to believe that Skip is very judgemental person. Even though in the beginning Skip is very, judgemental he evolves throughout the duration of the novel. By becoming less judgemental and more interested in meeting the person not the last name He stretched out his arm, hand open and Carl took it, a freezing slippery grip lasting not even a second. (Quote pg 133), this handshake even though it may be short shows that Skip has overcome the fact that Carl is a Matt and has accepted him for being CARL Matt. Skinny, tanned, blonde, Maddie Duncan is the girl that everyone wants to be or be with. But along with being pretty she also has a very bad attitude, but that changes throughout the novel. When we first meet Maddie Duncan we meet a spoilt brat. She has a bad attitude and thinks that everyone loves her. But Carl, Justine and Joy help to change her into a person that people really do like. Thats one advantage Carl and I have over you said Justine Youre lucky then was Maddies reply (Quote pg 150), this quote shows us that Maddie was spoilt and stroppy but after this little episode Joy talks to Maddie and her attitude changes. She was too helpless with laughter and exhaustion to challenge him for the pizza now(Quote pg 181)This quote shows that she has changed into a person that people really do like, she has ditched her attitude and dumped the extra baggage (Nathan Trelfo). This means she is a freer person and is comfortable within herself, which at the beginning of the novel she wasnt. Maddie also learns to stand up for herself, as she doesnt let Nathan push her around. Shows youre a better judge that me. Maddie laughed He said some terrible stuff about your brother and Aunt (quote pg 154). This shows that Maddie is sick of Nathan and is ready to dump him which she does later in the novel. Maddie Duncan is constantly changing through the story, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. But the most important thing is that her and the people around her are happy. Carl Matt experiences many life altering changes throughout the novel. However he is not the only one. Skip Duncan grows from being judgemental to being understanding. Maddie develops from a spoilt brat to a loving friend. So even though Carl Matts life takes a massive turn in the story, Skip and his daughter Maddie also have alterations made to their lives.

Information Inventory Of Eureka Ohio - 1336 Words

Information Inventory After reviews the data about Eureka, IL I found it very interesting to read some of the data that was provided. In my opinion the data supports some of our struggled here at Eureka College, especially as a recruiter for the college. Eureka College generates its revenue from tuition. Every recruiter of the college is an important one because that’s how Eureka College operates. I am from a metropolitan city, it took a while for me to adapt to a different community and a lot of that has to do with the data that I found in researching Eureka, IL. In â€Å"Eureka Illinois $54, 442,† (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.) is the average household income, I believe that the average household income is not very high in Eureka Illinois†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ â€Å"Family Households- 1,331† (HTL, 2015). Eureka, IL is a great place for first time home owners. The cost of living is affordable. The price of housing has increased about 2% over the past few years according to a local relater. Eureka, IL focuses on education. Several members in the community work at Eureka College and we have a scholarship that is set up for staff and faculty members that work for the college their children’s tuition is adjusted. â€Å"93.6% of community members have graduated high school 25 years or older† (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.) I believe this number is so high because there aren’t many distractions here in Eureka, IL all students have to do is focus on their studies. Along with that high number for high school graduates, â€Å"30.8% have bachelor’s degrees or higher† (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). Eureka, Il has a very large number of Apostasy Christians and post-secondary education is not an option for them, it’s impressive to have â€Å"30.8%† as the percentage for post-secondary education. As of â€Å"July 1, 2014 the population was 5, 7373 people, has increased by 50 people since 2010† (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). Eureka, IL is growing because of the community is drawing in attention from neighboring communities because of the opportunities such as State Farm and Caterpillar. The population is also growing because of Eureka College, recruiting students and employees to the college. Although Eureka has grown, Caterpillar made an announcement at the