Management Control System Essay Example for Free

Management Control System Essay Detector - measure what actually happening in the process being control. 2. Assessor - what is actually happening by comparing with some standard/expectation. 3. Affector - feedback. 4. Communication Network - transmit information between the three above. Management Control process is the process by which managers at all levels ensure that the people they supervise implement their intended strategies. Management Control process characteristics: 1. The standar is not preset - management decide what organization should do. 2. Management control is not automatic. 3. Management Control requires coordination among individuals 4. The connection from perceiving the need for action to determining the action required to obtain the desired result may not be clear. 5. Much Management Control is self control. System is a prescribed and usually repetitious way of carrying out an activity or a set of activities. Boundaries of Management Control: 1. Budget - conforming to budget is not necessarily good and departure from budget is not necessarily bad. 2. Goal congruence - it means that, insofar as is feasible, the goals of organization’s individual members should be consistent with the goals of the organization itself. 3. Tool for implementing strategy - organizational structure specifies the roles, reporting relationship and division of responsibilities that shape decision making within an organization. Human resource management is the selection, training, evaluation, promotion and termination of employees so as to develop the knowledge and skills required to execute organizational strategy. Culture refers to the set of common beliefs, attitudes, and norms that explicitly or implicitly guide managerial action. 4. MCS encompass both financial and nonfinancial performance measures. 5. Aid in developing new strategies. Strategy formulation is the process of deciding on the goals of the organization an d the strategies for attaining these goals. Management control is the process of implementing those strategies. Task control is the process of ensuring that specified tasks are carried out effectively and efficiently. Task control system is scientific, whereas management control can never be reduced to a science. By definition, management control involves the behavior of managers, and this cannot be expressed by equations. Impact of the internet on management control - difference between internet and phone: 1. Instant access. 2. Multi-targeted communication. 3. Costless communication. 4. Ability to display images. 5. Shifting power and control to individual.

Tourism After The Second World War

Tourism After The Second World War INTRODUCTION International tourism has grown very fast after second world war. Today, tourism has become a part of the everyday life for most people and is now a major source of employment in developed countries. The growth of the tourist industry after second world war can be linked with increasing wealth, increased mobility, improvements in accessibility and transport, more leisure time, product development and innovations, improvements in technology, changes in lifestyles and fashion, an increased awareness of other places and the need for green tourism. Every factor is responsible for the rapid growth of tourism which is the biggest industry in the world at the world employing nearly one third of the whole world population. Since the beginning of early days, humans have travelled for various reasons. . Food, water, safety or acquisition of resources (trade) were some of the early travel motivations. But the reason for travel changed when people had the idea for pleasure and exploration. Travel is always depended upon technology as the means or mode of travel. Travellers before walked or rode domesticated animals. The invention of technology like the wheel and the sail provided new modes of transportation. Each technological improvement increased individuals opportunities to travel. Interest in travel increased for education, sightseeing, and religious purposes when infrastructure were developed by governments and other facilities were meet. The development of International Tourism after the Second World War The most common factors that are responsible for international tourism development after Second World War, can be discussed under three main headlines Changes in technology Product development Social or economic factors A. CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY 1. Developments of Jet Aircraft The development of jet engine was started after the Second World War and before that it was very expensive to travel and also took long time to reach destinations. In 1958 the first jet aircraft carried passengers in the transatlantic route and the travel time was cut some five days to seven hours which was really a great breakthrough for the development of tourism worldwide. And after 1970 the jet aircraft started carrying more and more passengers and also become cheaper for people. 2. Computerised Reservation Systems CRSs are systems that store current information about all available service providers and have the necessary infrastructure to transfer such data. This system started at the beginning of 1960s and the main objective was to book airline seats automatically. In todays world the best known CRSs are Galileo, Amadeus, Sabre, Worldspan and these CRSs have developed the tourism market dramatically. 3. High speed Trains After the Second World War, significant development happened in the railway system. In the United States, All over Europe and in Asia, high speed trains were introduced which brought revolutionary change in mass tourism. This high speed trains has given the passengers comfort and choice of transport which play a vital role in the development of tourism. 4. Communication. The communications revolution happened in the last few decades which had a major impact in tourism. Companies like GO and Last minute.com and others are already developing the Internet to book online and selling their product through web pages. People are now walking through their hotel online, check out the views, find out about the nightlife and all this before they book! Its advertised more faster and more cheaper than going down to the high street. B. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT 1. Package Holidays The development of package holidays had a great impact in tourism development. All tour operators are now selling package tours which are all inclusive, which means accommodation, transfer, meals are all included in the deals. The tour operators buys the package in bulk so they can sell to customers in cheap price which attracts customer to take a holiday. 2. Theme Parks Theme Parks have been created in almost every countries of the world to attract tourists. These are the amusement parks where many rides are installed and lots of attractions are made to entertain a large group of people. Example include Thorpe Park in UK or Disney Land in Paris. 3. Introduction of Holiday camps Holiday parks like Central Parks and Butlins had led to a big growth in the tourism industry. In the holiday camps holidaymakers pay for their accommodation and also can go for full board, half board or self catering. 4. Low cost Airlines In the last few decadesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ low cost airlines contributed hugely in the development of tourism. Low cost airlines like Ryan Air, Easy Jet made it easy for tourists to travel for very cheap prices. 5. Long Haul Destinations The possibility of taking a long haul flights made it very attractive for tourists to go far away form home. People can go from one part of the world to another part in couple of hours and explore the world which gives them immense pleasure. C. Social and Economic Factors 1. Increase in car ownership The greatest factor that increased for travel is the increase in car ownership. Car ownership were increased mostly in the year between 1951 and 1970 and then there were even bigger increase in the mid 1990s. Increased car ownership is now a great facility for people to visit places of interest and spend leisure time with friends and families. 2. Increase in leisure time People around the world now think there are more things to be done other than work in life. So, people now try to mange leisure time from their work which they want to spend travelling to different places just to relax and enjoy. This time spent not only relaxes people but also boost their energy to perform at workplace because of freshen of mind. 3. Holiday entitlement People now are entitled to few days to few weeks holiday every year they work which gives them chance to go somewhere and spend some. From 1938 it was legal requirement that people have to get paid holiday every year. This holiday entitlement also motivates people to travel and thus develop tourism worldwide. 4. Early retirement with pension Todays workplace encourage to recruit fresh talents and so also gives the older people the chance to retire early with pension facilities. So, people now have time in their life to spend and the money they need, which makes them motivate to travel. 5. Aging population Aging population is another factor that develop tourism. People who are aged have more time to spare than others and that encourage them to go for holiday and contribute towards tourism. 6. Large incomes People are earning more money than before and so are able to spend on holidays and other recreation. When there is disposable money available for people that tends people to spend on travel and explore places and hence develop tourism. 7. Less children This is another important factor towards the growth of tourism. People wants to be more free in life than before and lots of people donà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t want to get tied with family and children and which lets them go wherever and whenever they want. They move to different places and help tourism. CONCLUSION After the second world war, tourism has grown in scale, distribution and origins of tourists. According to Geofact 2001, there were 25 million international tourists in 1950 and according to WHO, there were 160 million tourists in 1970. And they forecasted that it would be 1000 million in 2010. In 1997 the UK tourist industry generated  £40 billion which is approximately 4% of the GDP and the industry employed 1.6 million people which is 6.2% of the total workforce. From these figures it is clearly visible that international tourism had developed since the second world war and the growth is continuing.

Determining Overdeterminism: An Informal Reflection :: Mississippi Masala Economics Essays

Determining Overdeterminism: An Informal Reflection Economics has always been for me a system of curves. There are supply ones and demand ones and curves that would belly up or down. In every class, my high school Economics teacher, a man approaching his late fifties, would rail on about the wonders of capitalism. Being a two-time divorcee and therefore a man of the capitalistic world, he accredited the bulk of his knowledge through life experiences, particularly those involving divorce. I remember sitting through one of his classes and thinking that he resembled some type of new-born evangelist preaching to us about the awesome power of capital and what joy it can bring. I have always wondered, however, what the world of economics would be like without a system of charts that determine the outcome of lives. College started me off in finding other economic theories that contradicts what my high school teacher has ingrained in me for years: Neo-classic economics is unflawed and absolute. ECON 100 is my first introduction to Marxian ideals which I find I relate to more than Neo-classic theories. The idea of overdeterminism is one aspect of Marxian economics that I passionately agree with. From the experience of living, I've learned that every action is the reciprocal of all actions in the world. The world is connected and operates for the greater good contrary to what Neo-classic theories state. These relationships are always in flux so narrowing down the determinant of an economic process would be impossible. A splendid example of overdeterminism is depicted in Mississippi Masala. In the film, I see situations in Demetrius's life that parallel my own. What's interesting about Demetrius's character is that he internalizes a lot of conflicts within himself. For example, given the chance to go to college, he chooses to remain in Mississippi and take care of his father instead. Moreover, he takes on the role as head of the family and is counsel for his younger brother. The breakthrough in Demetrius's life was when he met Mina and fell in love with her. From there the course of Demetrius's life drastically verged because his relationship allowed him the time to reevaluate his life, and with Mina's added perspective, Demetrius was no longer afraid to start anew elsewhere. The events that led to the collapse of Demetrius's business are examples of overdeterminism. By spending the night with Mina and being discovered, Demetrius got arrested which stained his reputation as a credible businessman. Determining Overdeterminism: An Informal Reflection :: Mississippi Masala Economics Essays Determining Overdeterminism: An Informal Reflection Economics has always been for me a system of curves. There are supply ones and demand ones and curves that would belly up or down. In every class, my high school Economics teacher, a man approaching his late fifties, would rail on about the wonders of capitalism. Being a two-time divorcee and therefore a man of the capitalistic world, he accredited the bulk of his knowledge through life experiences, particularly those involving divorce. I remember sitting through one of his classes and thinking that he resembled some type of new-born evangelist preaching to us about the awesome power of capital and what joy it can bring. I have always wondered, however, what the world of economics would be like without a system of charts that determine the outcome of lives. College started me off in finding other economic theories that contradicts what my high school teacher has ingrained in me for years: Neo-classic economics is unflawed and absolute. ECON 100 is my first introduction to Marxian ideals which I find I relate to more than Neo-classic theories. The idea of overdeterminism is one aspect of Marxian economics that I passionately agree with. From the experience of living, I've learned that every action is the reciprocal of all actions in the world. The world is connected and operates for the greater good contrary to what Neo-classic theories state. These relationships are always in flux so narrowing down the determinant of an economic process would be impossible. A splendid example of overdeterminism is depicted in Mississippi Masala. In the film, I see situations in Demetrius's life that parallel my own. What's interesting about Demetrius's character is that he internalizes a lot of conflicts within himself. For example, given the chance to go to college, he chooses to remain in Mississippi and take care of his father instead. Moreover, he takes on the role as head of the family and is counsel for his younger brother. The breakthrough in Demetrius's life was when he met Mina and fell in love with her. From there the course of Demetrius's life drastically verged because his relationship allowed him the time to reevaluate his life, and with Mina's added perspective, Demetrius was no longer afraid to start anew elsewhere. The events that led to the collapse of Demetrius's business are examples of overdeterminism. By spending the night with Mina and being discovered, Demetrius got arrested which stained his reputation as a credible businessman.

Use of Symbols and Symbolism in Steinbecks Flight :: Steinbeck Flight Essays

Use of Symbolism in Steinbeck's Flight In his classic short story, "Flight," John Steinbeck uses many examples of symbolism to foreshadow the conclusion. Symbolism can be anything, a person, place or thing, used to portray something beyond itself. It is used to represent or foreshadow the ending of the story. Steinbeck uses colors, direction, and nature symbolism to help presage Pepà ©'s tragic death. Let us now more closely examine the ways that Steinbeck uses colors to foreshadow the ending of his short story. Perhaps the most repeatedly used symbol in "Flight," is the color black. In literature many authors use black to represent death. There are numerous examples in this short story. Some of these include the black handle on the long blade, Pepà ©'s black hair and the black jerky. Another example may be found when Pepà © puts on his fathers black coat, which represents death. When Pepà © puts on the coat he is literally covering himself with death. Another fine example is the trail in which Pepà © travels. Steinbeck describes the path as a well-worn black path. By traveling on this path he is in fact taking the road of death. Furthermore Pepà ©'s appearance also helps foreshadow the ending. Steinbeck describes him as having a black hat that covers his black thatched hair. Pepà © is also described as being dark, lean and tall. Another example is Pepà ©'s shack. The shack is described as weathered and very old. It casts a rather large shadow to the North east. The darkness of the shadow symbolizes death in the home. As we can readily see, the authors use of black symbolism in the story tells us that the main character, Pepà ©, is impending death. Another commonly used symbol in the story "Flight," is direction. Direction is used to represent positive or negative effects. North and East are generally "good" directions. Many people feel this came about when the early man saw the sun rise in the East. On the contrary, the directions South and West are generally "bad" directions. Basically this is because the sun sets in the West. Besides compass directions, height is also a very popular way of foreshadowing the conclusion of the story. The direction up, which is also the way to heaven is generally "good," while down, the direction of hell, is considered to be "bad." An example of this form of symbolism can be found when Pepà © is returning home.

Philippines: The jejemon fever Essay

What’s the texting capital of the world? It’s the Philippines. Wherever you set your eyes in the streets, in schools, in malls, you can see various people giving much attention in pressing the keypads of their phones. It’s been a habit for most of us Filipinos that on our leisure time, we spend it through texting. Admit it that even during class discussion some teachers and students usually look at their phones to see if someone had texted them. Texting here in the Philippines before was so single. We just shortened the words by sometimes omitting the vowels until a new style of texting was introduced and used – the jejemon way. Jejemon is a collective term for those persons who use a different kind of spelling and pronunciation on our English and Filipino words especially when texting. They are peculiar with their clothes. The term jejemon actually came from two words: jeje and mon. Compared to us ordinary Filipinos, jejemons have a different language. They also have a unique alphabet called the jejebeth. It is quite different in our English alphabet because it contains both letters and numbers on their alphabet. They don’t mind the grammatical incorrectness of their sentences. It is very hard to read a text message of a jejemon. You would need minutes or even hours to understand what they are trying to say. It’s like it still need to decode these sentences to fully understand them. Like a jejebuster, Filipinos should stop too much exposure of this language to the youth especially now, even Grade 5 or Grade 6 students in elementary are already exposed in mobile phones and are so much fund of texting. Even before the dominion of jejemos, spelling of words is so much affected already by our simple way of texting. Filipino texters already have a different language. Could you imagine what would happen to the proficiency of the youth on the English language if this rising number of jejemons continuously increased? Well, it’s simply a massive decreased on our adaptness in the English language especially when speaking and writing poems say for example. As time goes by some Filipinos who continuously use this language, the probability is for us to be fund of it that they might forget the real spelling of any jejemon word using our own alphabet on the English one. It may also result to less job opportunities because upon using this language even only texting, the way we speak ca be greatly affected. There is a less chance for them to be hired because their interviewer might not understand what they talking about. Our English education is also at sake. Perhaps, because of these jejemons, our education might be destabilized. But in fairness to the government, the Department of Education already implemented some training to English teachers, disseminate quality English books and provide remedial classes to students. Department of Education officials and workers also coordinate with the parents of our students to encourage the youth in using proper English. Thousands of years ago, English was introduced to Filipino ancestors by several teachers brought by the United States by the end of the Spanish era in 1989. It was widely used until such time that it became the medium of instruction in all schools. This trend was passed on from generation to generation which made Filipinos at present proficient in the said language. In the long run, the Filipino’s adeptness in speaking and writing using English as the medium had helped the country attract foreign investors to support its industry thus helping most of the population overcome hunger and poverty. This is one of the reasons why English is retained as the medium for communication next to the national language, Filipino. Perhaps, jejemon might also cause a decrease on the Philippines economy to have a greater economy, we need many investors and perhaps because of jejemons, the investors we are expecting to go in the Philippines would lessen. They might be distracted on the way jejemons dress up, speak and write. They may be offended especially our American investors because it’s like that their language had been disrespected due to the alternations on their alphabet and would be discouraged because of our poor proficiency in English – the universal language. According to the Roman Catholic Church, the birth of jejemons is fine. It will just be gone as time goes by. We can’t do anything about it because it is one way of showing our freedom of expression. However, the birth of jejemons is just like the birth of bacteria. If we won’t kill it at once, it will multiply as fast as it could until it is already countless same when a person has a cancer at stage 1, could you like this to reach stage 5 or would you cure it at once. Since, there are still so many Filipinos especially Filipino texters who are not yet so much influenced by this new style of texting, we could still stop the domination of jejemons. Filipinos should not allow it to reach its final stage wherein almost all, including the old and young speak and write words in a different way from what we are grown up with. Our national language – Filipino – is our identities. Jejemons worsens further our English proficiency today. Because of being popular, it is readily accepted by the youth which is very alarming. It influences a big part of our society where language means a lot. The distraction it creates on the technicalities of proper writing and forms of communication. This should be stopped before the worst thing happens; this is the passing of this form of informal language to the future generation.

Building Codes for the Fire Services

In the recent Charleston, South Carolina furniture warehouse fire, nine firefighters perished apparently by compromised and structural collapse of the building’s roof. Every year, fire related accidents caused by building collapse; flashover and deadly smoke have been the leading causes of injuries or deaths of firefighters all over the United States (Dunn, 2007). Most tragic was the World Trade Center Twin Towers’ collapse where 343 members of the Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) perished died fifty-six minutes after the attacks (Fema’s US Fire Administration, 2002).The building officials, fire department, architects and engineers did not anticipate that such an attack could happen in American soil. In the light of these developments, the public called for a review of all existing building and fire codes in the country. Dunn (2007) enumerated three most deadly situations in firefighting history where the ten-year study of the National Fire Protection Asso ciation indicated them as the main causes of injuries and fatalities of firefighters. They are collapse, flame spread and smoke.â€Å"The most common types of collapse that have injured and killed many in the line of duty were floor collapse, roof collapse, wall collapse and ceiling collapse† (Dunn 2007). It is imperative that firefighters have the basic knowledge on the behavior of buildings while being engulfed in flames. What they know could save their lives when they take the risk of controlling the situation. It is also important to look back at previous strategies on how buildings were deemed â€Å"fire proofed† and considered safe at all times.To avoid a repeat of the tragic incidents, regulatory bodies, engineers, the academe and other professionals pit their wits and talents to ensure building safety standards are met. It is undeniable that some of the codes have become obsolete with the introduction of new building construction technologies. The Need to Overh aul Existing Codes Traditionally, the safety of buildings has been regulated by codes all over the country.Since the 1800’s the safety of buildings had been mandated by these codes and they include the use of â€Å"fire resistive materials, compartmentation features, and later, installation of automatic sprinkler systems and automatic fire alarm systems. † (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 619). All of these prescriptions were intended to ensure building safety even in the event of a fire. These also purported to make tall buildings safer. These had worked well under hazardous circumstances but were tested when the 9/11 attacks occurred.Codes across the United States are also moving towards performance measures in addition to the time-tested prescriptions of the codes (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 619). In New York City, for example, Mayor Bloomberg called for a review of the existing codes that had been in force since 1968 to conform to contemporary needs. New York ha s four construction codes namely the Building Code, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes (New New York City Construction Codes, n. d. , p. 1). The City government was caught flatfooted with an outdated construction code when the 9/11 attacks struck.The amendments to the code include the adoption of the International Building Code (IBC) format, placing safety as a priority and preserving some elements of the existing codes while enhancing the â€Å"requirements for fire protection, construction safety, and structural integrity requirements for new buildings. † (New New York City Construction Codes, n. d. , p. 1) Moore (n. d. ) defined building codes as â€Å"extratechnological laws that govern the design and construction of structures. † (p. 262). The codes follow the dictates social and ethical mores where the protection of life and property is a priority.It also traces its roots in the Hammurabi code where a builder was held responsible for a collapsed house that k illed its occupants and applying the lex talionis principle of justice (p. 262). Codes also had grown out of the necessity to adhere to insurance regulations. Protection goals include all the contents of a building or warehouse that were insured. Failure to mitigate the risk like loss to fire would mean economic repercussions for the community or state (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 625).Code prescriptions until the 1940’s prescribed a fire resistive building as steel framed or buildings that had â€Å"skeletal framework of steel columns and beams which supported the actual weight of the structure and its contents. † (Portolan, n. d. ) The structural elements were fireproofed or encased in concrete or tile (Portolan, n. d. ) In the 1920’s, the codes also regulated the heights of buildings where height limitations had a direct relationship to the construction methods employed (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 626).Each state though had its interpretation and regul ations concerning construction practices. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) proposed a performance based approach to tall building designs with the hope the building designs and construction methodologies respond to the need for safer buildings. The NFPA outlined six goals to performance based building design. They include: Life Safety of Building Occupants; Property/Contents Protection; Mission Continuity; Environmental Consequence of Fire; Heritage/Cultural Preservation; and Fire Suppression Personnel Safety (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p.632). However, not all directives and codes today follow the suggestions of NFPA. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) developed their standards specifically aimed at protecting both firefighters and civilians from fire-related injuries. Some of the standards relevant to the construction industry include NFPA 5000 (Building Construction and Safety Code); â€Å"NFPA 13 (Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems); NFPA 501 (Standard on Manufactured Housing) (NIOSH, 2005, p. 3).According to NIOSH (2005)†, while there are existing standard tests like ANSI (American National Standards Institute) or ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) that govern the safety measures in building materials and construction methodologies, these do not take into consideration real situations involving actual conflagrations and how fires would impact on the structural integrity of the structures (p. 4). NIOSH (2005) also pointed out that existing building codes enforced in various states were not designed specifically to protect firefighters.The design focus was on evacuation procedures and how occupants in the building could escape to safety once an unfortunate event occurred (p. 4). With the new reality that unfolded post-9/11, existing building codes must be reviewed for and in consideration of the risks involved when disasters strike. Basic Knowledge on Structural Behaviors of Buildings Accord ing to Portolan (n. d. (b)), there are five elements of a building that the firefighters need to consider when evaluating how buildings will behave in case of fire and which strategies to use to contain the problem.They include: the type of construction, size of the building, age of the construction, renovation and occupancy. These are essential information that firefighters can use to plan their course of actions. In addition, knowledge on the behavior of the different structural elements of the building is also imperative. Structural loading creates different stresses on the structures and they may occur separately or in combination. The stresses include compression, tensile and shear stresses (Portolan, n. d (b). ). Compression acts when materials are pressed against each other.Tensile stresses happen when the structural elements are pulled in two different directions. Shear stresses cause materials to fracture and slide across the defect in the opposite direction (Portolan, n. d (b). ). Structural elements of the building are subjected to different loads. Columns are commonly subjected to axial loads. Eccentric loads are directed along a parallel axis to the longitudinal section of the structural member and are off-centered. Torsion loads can cause twisting in the structural elements (Portolan, n. d (b).) Aside from the stresses, the firefighters also need to consider which part of the structures are vulnerable or the structural integrity had been compromised because of the fire. When steel beams are subjected to unusually high temperature, the structural member may expand and elongate. If both ends are tightly secured, torsion stresses may cause twisting in beams (Portolan, n. d. (b)). Columns carry the greatest axial loads. The more slender the column, the more it is susceptible to buckling. When axial loads shift to eccentric or torsion loads, it could also be a cause of failure (Portolan, n. d. (b)).About 60% of the buildings in the United States use t he truss system for roofs (NIOSH, 2005, p. 1). Most of the truss systems were made of wood materials. Recent innovation introduced lighter construction materials for truss systems including steel and lighter weight materials intended to accommodate wider spans. Under normal conditions, these engineered materials may perform well. However, when fire occurs, they may be weakened and compromised causing the collapse of roof and floor systems (p. 1). Types of Building Collapses Due to Fire Collapse patterns are different for each element of the building.Walls often collapse in a 90-degree angle. These walls are often constructed using reinforced masonry. Curtain wall collapse occurs when the outer veneer becomes disconnected and they fall straight down to the base of the wall. This type of collapse is also exhibited by unreinforced walls. Inward or outward collapse may also occur if the wall is breached or at areas where it is considerably weaker like door or window openings (Portolan, n. d. (b)). Truss systems of roof and floor often cave-in as their structural integrities were affected by conflagration. Steel trusses are also susceptible to expansion and torsion stresses.Often, firefighters used visual indicators to predict an impending collapse. But these were not enough to prevent accidents from happening. NIOSH (2005) listed three conditions where truss collapse occurs. First, when a firefighter works on the roof top of the burning building, chances of a cave-in is extremely high because the hidden structural members of the truss system had already been subjected to extreme temperatures thereby weakening them. Second, firefighters working inside the burning structure are also subjected to the risk of the entire roof falling onto them.Finally, failed truss systems can precipitate other parts of the structure to collapse like walls (p. 4). Another type of collapse usually found in tall structures is referred to as progressive collapse. Nair (2004) defined progr essive collapse as â€Å"collapse of all or a large part of a structure precipitated by failure or damage of a relatively small part of it. † (p. 1) This theory was used in part to explain why the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York collapsed. Conclusion Knowing how structural members behave during fire would mitigate the risk factors and prevent injuries and deaths.Part of the training of firefighters is knowing how to evaluate the condition of the burning edifice before going in and making a plan of action. The different studies on the behavior of buildings on fire proved to be valuable to firefighters. The recent events had also made regulating bodies review their out-dated Codes. Existing building codes do not include the protection of firefighters in the event of fire. The NFPA and the IBC remedied that deficiency. However, code changes were also met with opposition. Building codes were primarily implemented with economic considerations in mind.It would pro ve to be more costly for the building owner if NFPA or IBC was followed. According to Gips (2005), of the various proposals for change in the Codes, only one was acceptable and included in the IBC. It concerned the fire-resistance ratings of buildings of 420 feet or higher. The new code required a â€Å"minimum three-hour structural fire-resistance rating, whether sprinklers are present or not. † (p. 42+). Other provisions that would make it safer for both firefighters and occupants need more work. References Dunn, V. (2007). Dunn's Dispatch: 9 firefighters die fighting fire in South Carolina furniture storeroom fire.Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://cms. firehouse. com/content/article/article. jsp? sectionId=14&id=55205 FEMA’s US Fire Administration (2002). USA releases preliminary firefighter fatality statistics for 2001. Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://mcftoa. org/Deathstats1. htm Gips, M. A. (2005, March). The Challenge of Making Safer Structures: Three and a Half Years after 9-11, Building Codes Are Just Starting to Reflect Lessons Learned from the World Trade Center Collapse. Security Management, 49, 42+. Retrieved June 27, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5008988697 Moore, S. A. (n. d.) Building Codes in Encyclopedia of Science, Technology and Ethics, 262-266 Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://soa. utexas. edu/faculty/moore/selectpub/enc_buildingcodes. pdf Nair, R. S. (2004) Progressive collapse basics. Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. aisc. org/Content/ContentGroups/Documents/Selected_Nair/nairhotlink2. pdf New New York City Construction Codes (n. d. ) Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://nyc. gov/html/dob/downloads/pdf/cons_code_faqs. pdf NIOSH (2005) Preventing injuries or deaths of firefighters due to truss system failures. Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. cdc. gov/niosh/docs/2005-132/pdfs/2005-132.pdf Portolan, C. (n. d. ) Building Construction –Special situations Retrie ved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. lbfdtraining. com/Pages/buildingconstruction/specialsituations. html Portolan, C. (n. d. (b)) Glossary of building construction terminology Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. lbfdtraining. com/Pages/buildingconstruction/bconstructintro. html Solomon, R. E. and Hagglund, B. (2001) Performance code requirements in the tall building environment in Tall buildings and urban habitat: Cities in the third millennium. Council On Tall Buildings And Urban Habitat – orgname. New York: Spon Press, 619-634.

Practice Makes Perfect Essay Essay

Our world is constantly wrought with the concept that certainty can allow one to achieve all of our desires and dreams. But this ever-present idea is utterly misleading. One cannot rely on certainty because nothing is truly certain. Everything that we hold to be true, has not been proven wrong. According to William Phelps, a sense of certainty will achieve the impossible. However, Bertrand Russell believes it is important to always carry a bit of doubt in one’s life. Nevertheless, people are torn between extra confidences and doubtless. While some may be certain of everything or doubt in any little thing, the human brain should balance these two factors in order to have a well and steady mind. Throughout our daily lives, everyone needs some sort of certainty in order to build up one’s self esteem. However, the certainty should be to an extent. Living in a world full of confidence is not always the right decision thus it can guide into failure. Although, strong beliefs, or a set of mind that leads to certainty is not wrong at all, especially in today’s society, it has been proven that one’s visualization of things is the dependable factor of the outcome of the activity one is about to do. It develops a confident and certain mentality. This way, one is able to give out positive vibes and inspire others to be the best of themselves ad eventually achieve â€Å"virtually anything† even that that seems â€Å"impossible† ().The mindset of believing in achieving the impossible is motivation everyone needs to develop a strong character. Relying too much of certainty may not be so good, since it makes you close minded. This is because you are certain of what you say is right, you don’t even listen to other people’s opinion, which brings tension around you. Over analyzing things and always going for what’s right won’t necessarily make you perfect or certain, instead it could gui de you into a big failure, since at some point you have to make mistakes. Thus, in order to prevent a big upcoming failure one should balance out the certainty they have in themselves. Nevertheless, doubt is an extremely huge necessity one needs among their lives. One of the most important components of doubt is trial  and error. One cannot be certain something will make sense or work if the hypothesis one has, has not been tested whether by experimentation or refutation. For instance, if Thomas Edison was absolutely certain he had created a means to harness electricity and produce light without testing his theory over 50 times, his certainty would be invalid. However, his influx of doubt and therefore his willingness to augment and change based upon that doubt, enabled him to produce what could probably be the most important scientific discovery yet. Another example of the importance of doubt is perhaps the most controversial topic among us-religion. Whether or not one has faith and is certain of that faith, is refutable. There are hence, two sides to this cause. Because nothing has been definitely proved that a higher, supreme power exists. On the other hand, there has been research of evolution throughout time, but it still hasn’t necessarily proven a certain answer. However, even in this process of comparing the two sides one doubts because one is extrapolating that either could be true. If either is true, we are still uncertain about it. In conclusion, the use of doubt has brought upon many debates, changes, and ideas whether for better or worse. This debate of uncertainty or certainty has been entrenched in our cultures consciousness possibly since its inception. But if we were to deny that the geniuses of our times did not doubt, we are making a vast ad unintelligent assumption. Even so, throughout time, certainty has also come to a great importance in our lives. Without the doubts of all our past generations and the little certainty they used to carry our world would not be anything like the way it is. One thing is certain; doubt and certainty are two factors that are an absolute necessity.