Communication Barriers Essay Example for Free

Communication Barriers Essay Environmental factors can affect the communication between the older adult and the nurse (Ruan Lambert, 2007). Some of these factors provided by older adults included not being familiar with the hospital floor, dark rooms, loud noises, the amount of patients needing attention (especially when their illness is severe), visitors and family and the age difference between the older adult and the nurse (Ruan Lambert, 2007). The age difference could potentially make a patient feel as though they have very little in common with the nurse (Ruan Lambert, 2007). It is important that nurses recognize these environmental factors because of the significance of the nurse and patient relationship. Nurse Barriers Four key barriers that impact the patient and nurse relationship are recognized in the results of a questionnaire research project (Ruan Lambert, 2007). The four barriers include â€Å"working without a sincere attitude, showing no respect to elderly patients, being unfriendly, and transferring a sense of hopelessness to the patient† (Ruan Lambert, 2007). Ruan and Lambert (2007) continue by mentioning that nurse’s focus more on the communication aspects of physical activity, whereas the patients are more attracted to the physical process of verbal communication. Patient Barriers Three key barriers are established throughout the results of the questionnaire. These results include â€Å"not trusting the nurse, being hearing-impaired, and pretending to understand† (Ruan Lambert, 2007). The number one barrier of communication differs between the nurses and the older adults. The nurses listed the top barrier to be because the patient is not feeling well and forgets things easily, whereas the patients identified the top barrier to be related to hearing difficulties (Ruan Lambert, 2007). Resources Understanding the risks involving communication barriers, it is important to be aware of the resources available to give patients the holistic care that they deserve. McCabe (2004) asserted, â€Å"Patient-centered communication has been shown to promote patients’ satisfaction with care, as well as their health status† (as cited in Ruan and Lambert, 2008). Mui et al. (2007) state if an individual is not fluent in the language provided by the Health Care Provider it may cause feelings of humiliation and result in not seeking health care. According to ED Management (2012) language support for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) is obligatory by law if the hospital obtains federal funds. It is suggested that a professional interpreter be present throughout the care of a client to minimize the communication barriers that could result in negative consequences (ED Management, 2012). If the professional interpreter services are not available, insufficient clarification and comprehension can be considered prejudiced towards those in which don’t use English as a first language (Mui et al., 2007). Another resource available would be providing the patient with a social worker to further their care. This would allow the social worker to assess additional needs of medical care, mental health, and other services available (Mui et al., 2007). Additionally, Mui et al. (2007) states that the social workers can access other organizations that could provide the professional interpreter. Having a family member involved in the care of the patient allows for improved communication. Badger, Clarke, Pumphry, and Clifford (2012) suggest that family members take the time to write down words and phrases in both their preferred language along with English to assist in communication when the family is not available. In several situations when a professional interpreter is not available, the family will be asked to interpret to provide the health care professionals with more accurate communication (Badger et al., 2012). Northern Health provides an interpreter service in which you request through your general practitioner when you book an appointment (Northern Health, 2013). The Transcultural and Language Services Department (TALS) provide interpreting services, translation of medical content, along with research and education (Northern Health, 2013). Application of Personal Experience After further research, there are several actions that I will do differently when working with a client that uses English as a second language. I strongly believe that professional translation services must always be available in our health care system despite the need for funding. Reviewing the data related to the number of older adults that use English as a second language, it is essential that translation services be implemented. With this knowledge, I will provide my patient with the information regarding a professional interpreter and see if that is an option they would want involved in their care. Included in the information I would provide to the patient would be that â€Å"addressing language needs of older immigrants would reduce linguistic disparities, improve access to health care, and eventually improve the health status† (Kim et al., 2011). I believe that providing education on the reasons why this resource would be beneficial to their overall health and care would allow the patient to find it more incising rather than feeling humiliated. It is my responsibility as a student nurse to provide additional resources in which are out of my scope of support in order to give the best holistic care for the patient. Delivering information to the patient on the further resources that social workers are able to access may draw further interest to the patient. I feel that involving a social worker would be beneficial to anyone’s care despite the reasoning for being in the hospital. For example, the research provided stated that older adults tend to not reach out to health care resources because they feel humiliated. Providing a social worker would then allow further care whether it involved health care needs, financial assistance, or the use of an interpreter.

The three phase model of Crisis

The three phase model of Crisis Prevention is better than cure is a saying around the globe. This saying applies very well in a crisis which occurs to the organisation from nowhere. The organisational environment is often described as more hostile, uncertain, changeable and complex then it has been in the past (Borman, Ilgen, Klimoski, 2003). The complexity and the capriciousness of the current business environments are liable to stimulate numerous crisis events for organisations and their subunits (Choi Kim, 1999) (Lampel, Shamsie, Shapira, 2009) (Moynihan, 2009). Recently, crises have become a regular or even normal event for many organisations. (Ashby Diacon, 2000). Therefore it is very important and appropriate that managers should focus not only on whether a crisis will happen but also when and how it will occur. Crisis by their nature are unexpected and brief with few managers possessing either firsthand knowledge or practical experience (Guth, 1995). A basic definition as said by Clark (1995) is A crisis , is defined as any unplanned event that can cause death or significant injuries to employees, customers, or the public; shut down the business; disrupt operations; cause physical or environmental damage; or threaten the facilitys financial standing or public image. It is also important to know the types and causes of crisis and the damage which can be caused to cope with the crisis and effective crisis management in the organisation (Drach-Zahavy Freund, 2007) (Mitroff, Shrivastava, Udwadia, 1987). In todays world organisations operate in an environment which is characterised by high uncertainty, risk, and turbulence due to different events such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, corporate scandals, and major product defects. These unforeseen crisis events, be they small or large scale, naturally occurred or humanly induced, have far-reaching and deep impact on organizations and individuals within (Mitroff, 1988)(Pearson Clair, 1998). To avoid or reduce such unanticipated impact requires effective crisis management practice. By that time, as the environment grows in complexity and uncertainty, it not only requires significant learning efforts on the part of organizations (Lagadec, 1997), but also makes the pace at which organisations learn a determining factor in its ability to survive or adapt (Schwandt Marquardt, 2000). With such difficult environment, constant and continuous learning has become a necessity for the survival of any organisation, adaptability, competitiveness and long term viability (Barnett Pratt, 2000). To cope with such environment and handle such events, crisis management is necessary for any organisation. Like crisis, crisis management is also defined differently by different people by their own perspective. One of the definition of crisis management as said by Darling et. al. (1996) Crisis management is defined as a series of functions or processes to identify, study and forecast crisis issues, and set forth specific ways tha t would enable an organization to prevent or cope with a crisis. The definition given above fills the purpose of this paper of describing crisis management. Many authors have developed different models or process to describe methods to deal with the crisis such as five phases model of crisis management (Mitroff I. I., 1993), some authors has taken different elements of the organisation to deal with to show crisis management such as Mitroff in (1989) used Hofstedes Onion diagram to show culture as a part of crisis management to show the different cultural profiles of organisations. Similarly Smith (1992) explained 7 Cs of crisis management which demonstrates the cultural web and other important elements of the organisation to be handle to prevent the crisis which is one of the crisis management model. Smith in (1990) also came up with another crisis model which is known as Three Phases of Crisis. This model describes about the different phases of the crisis event occurring in organis ation. This paper focuses on this model of Denis Smith describing the model in particular and focusing on which part of the model or which phase of the crisis is most challenging for an organisation to handle with the relevant examples from the organisation and other major events. The next section discusses about the three phase crisis model in brief particularly what does the model means. Followed by the discussion on most challenging phase of the model for an organisation to handle with relevant examples. Then summing up the whole model and describing the reason behind the challenging phase of the model to the organisation in conclusions. Three Phases of Crisis. Crisis management is relatively new field that has only received research attention in recent years (Pearson Mitroff, 1993). Denis smith in (1990) came after a proper research and study about the topic came up with a conclusion that in any crisis situation there are three distinct phases. He developed a model which is now known as three phases of crisis. Smith says that the crisis in any organisation is basically in three stages, the first stage is known as Crisis of Management, the second stage is Operational Crisis and the final stage of the model is Crisis of Legitimation. The Crisis of Management. This phase is the phase in which the situation appears to imperil the firms survival and places the firm under severe time pressure. (Ansoff, 1984). The first phase of this framework, the crisis of management represents that period in which the potential for a crisis becomes incubated. This phase addresses the strategic and system-level issues that can generate problems for organisations at the more functional and operational levels of activity. The first period is when the organisation fails to take account of imminent situation is about to occur which can be catastrophic for firms survival. The important elements here can be seen to be around communication, culture and decision-making processes and the ways in which these factors generate vulnerability. It is in this phase that the potential is developed that would allow an incident or an accident to escalate into a more serious event. This process has been termed tight coupling and interactive complexity by Perrow and reflects the speed of interaction between elements and the complex emergence of failure (Perrow, 1994). Perrow argues that such failures are designed into the system and often represents the normal way of working. Most of this potential for failure arises as a function of attempts at making the organisation more efficient or by the extended nature of its supply chains. In the same way, the failure of management to respond to incidents in an effective manner could allow an initial level to develop quickly into a crisis. This is the phase where decisions taken or not taken by the management or the shareholders or stakeholders in the organisation can proclaim the growth of the organisational culture. The processes through which this escalation can occur can occur are deal with at several points in this collection. The main issues for consideration within this initial phase of the process includes, role of management in the generation of errors lower down the organisation, weaknesses in the managem ent structure, constrained decision-making and communication, and the problems that arise as a result of the interaction between the organisation and its environment. In this culture and climate within which a relatively minor initiative event can intensify the whole system and can result in catastrophic failure. These issues will ultimately be reflected in the failure of contingency planning to address the scope and scale of the problems that face the organisation in the operational phase of crisis. The Operational Crisis. The Second Phase of the model is Operational Crisis it occurs when the event escalates to such a point that damage is caused or the reputation of the organisation becomes threatened. This phase comes when the organisation is in violent pangs of suffering from the operational crisis. David (1990) in Smiths research said This is the phase in which the human face of management is an important element in reducing the organizational impact of the event. In some larger organisations, this phase is often formally triggered when a senior manager determines that the event has the potential to damage the reputation of the group or the main parent company of the various business units (Smith D., 2004). This phase of a crisis is also unavoidably the most visible, due to the damage that it can cause. By the large, this damage requires that an additional level of resource is brought to bear in order to contain the demands of the events, and, eventually, to return them to normal. This phase is also defined by the role of external agencies usually acting in the role of rescuers who will often take short term control of the damaging event until such time as the demands return to a level that can be handled by more routine management processes. Nevertheless, where there is loss of life associated with the crisis then there will also be a requirement for the collection of evidence. This requirement may remain with external agencies for a considerable period of time after the operational phase. There is considerable potential for this process to escalate the crisis still further as media coverage of any investigation will have an impact upon reputation, share price and sometimes even to an extent of, legal status. Thus a crisis does not end at the point at which the minor problem is brought under control, but may escalate still further as the crisis moves to more of a reputational problem in the next phase which is legitimation phase. The Crisis of Legitimation. The final phase of this framework raises the issues of turnaround management, reputation recovery, and a range of processes aimed at securing the organisations legitimacy with its internal and external stakeholders. These are all issues that need to be considered by managers in the Crisis of Management phase rather than in the Operational and Legitimation phase. This final phase also includes the processes of organisational learning which is as generating many of the conditions necessary to deal with future problems of crisis incubation within the crisis of management (Elliott, Smith, McGuinness, 2000). In the ensuing post-crisis period there is often an attempt to search for scapegoat to blame on in an attempt to legitimise organisational operating procedures and different managerial styles. In this phase the organisation tries to restore external confidence in both its managerial structure and operating systems. Government normally tries to intervene in this phase of crisis as the y search for both to secure legitimacy and to take preventive measures. Many a times we see that the management responsible for the crisis is being transferred from one organisation to another or to dedicated crisis management unit or team. This usually occurs in the second phase of the model, as seen by the role of exigency services which comes into picture during the crisis situation in an attempt to resolve the crisis or reduce the damage which is being caused. We can also see such blame games or transfer in the third phase which is crisis of legitimation phase as in this phase attempts are made to apportion blame outside the organisation that played host to the crisis event. Normally, we see such transfers during transport accidents. Resulting in other organisations operating in same sector being affected may be due to close association with the crisis hit organisation or through more tight legislation coming into force during legitimation phase. We see here the impact of crisis being passed from one organisation to another which has to forcefully ch ange modify their pattern to meet the changes in regulation (Smith D. , Beyond contingency planning: towards a model of crisis management, 1990). From the model we can also see that there is a phase of Organisational Learning or what Smith said as Feedback Loop. Environmental factors such as a crisis can stimulate learning within an organisation (Dodgson, 1993) (Fiol Lyles, 1985). Learning has become an increasingly primary concern to many crisis management researchers (Elliott, Smith, McGuinness, 2000) (Stern, 1997). Smith in his model suggested that organisational learning is an integral part of the crisis. Organisations should learn the mistakes which they made during the crisis which let it occur, or the way they handled the crisis. Sundelis and Stern (2002) noted that members of organisation often use lesson from past crisis experiences as a guide for current action. In the same way, they may respond to positive or negative feedback on performances during a crisis experiences as a guide for current action (Sundelis Stern, 2002). The most challenging phase Looking at the whole model all the three phase of crisis are linked to each other. It is not easy to say which phase out of the model is most challenging phase for the organisation. But, if we compare all the three separately phase three which is Legitimation Phase can be the most challenging phase for the organisation. Many a times the post crisis phase runs along to the breeding of another crisis. A thought should be given to the structure and culture of the organisation in order to assure that learning occurs within the organisation. When putting this model in Smiths 7 C model we see that two major part of the organisation which is culture and configuration falls under this phase. Describing this by Smith and Sipika (1993) they showed five major points in this phase by saying to restructure for a responsive structure, the management style of the organisation to be reviewed to avoid such crisis again, sometimes even the personnel of the organisations is being changed or removed, pr oper marketing if the crisis is caused due to the product fault, sometimes it even results in the acquisition of the crisis struck organisation by other organisation. The impact of crisis after it has stricken is very lethal some organisations sometimes are not able to handle the blow of crisis depends upon the size and nature of organisation. The biggest example recently which can be given is the fall of Lehman Brothers Bank during financial crisis. In September 2008 one of the worlds biggest bank, Lehman Brothers filed bankruptcy after hitting badly by the worst post world war financial crisis in 2008. Lehman Brothers which was once said as too big to fall was shut after the strong blow of sub-prime mortgage crisis (Baba Packer, 2009). Out here the working of the organisation in sub-prime mortgages pushed organisation to fall when the markets started to fall. This working was being incubated by the culture of the organisation. The fall of Lehman Brothers started one of the worst global financial crises. The effect here was passed to other organisations not only in the same sector but all over the world due to the size of the organisation. The involvement of government in this phase plays a very vital role as well, this can even save an organisation once the crisis is hit, structure or the working of an organisation can even change completely for example American International Group (AIG) was being rescued by the government of USA after hitting badly by recent financial crisis in2008. AIG was very much in the insurance of Credit Default Swaps(CDS) which turned to toxic assets later on during market crash. The nature of the organisation was very much in risk taking which caused a crisis for them as well. The government bailout given to the organisation helped them to stand back after the harsh blow of the financial crisis (Bernake, 2009). The first point discussed by Smith and Sipika proves the point out in the above given example which was restructuring for a responsive structure. Post Crisis phase or Legititmation Phase has always been proved challenging for the organisation in every way one more example of this phase was step down or change of CEO, Tony Hayward of the British Petroleum of USA branch due to worst oil spill in the history of USA (Bergin, 2010). The Chairman of BP Mr. Carl-Henric Svanberg said in one of the press release on 27th July 2010. The BP board is deeply saddened to lose a CEO whose success over some three years in driving the performance of the company was so widely and deservedly admired. The oil spill in Gulf of Mexico by BP was caused by deepwater horizon rig explosion, as of 9th August 2010 the cost to BP for the oil spill was $6.1bn (Â £3.8bn) which caused crisis to the organisation. Out here the fault was technical but the effect of the crisis (oil spill) not only changed the working of BP as in organisation, it affected in every way to the environment and also to the share prices of the company (Zangari, 2010) (BBC, 2010). The oil spill is almost shut now but the effect of the oil spill is still there to the environment and to the organisation, BP is being sued by the environmentalist and other people, along with BP even other companies involved in the oil spill are also being affected (Pael, 2010). Now-a-days due to globalisation there is always a chain effect of crisis from one organisation to another, as described by the Legitimation phase. Another recent due to faulty product was Cadbury Plc recall of its product made in China, Australia, Taiwan and India. The organisation has to recall its product after revealing tests which said may contain melamine-laced milk which killed four children in China and made many ill. Cadbury was under scrutiny after the revelation. It lost its major markets due to this event, the aftermath of this event caused Cadbury in major loses in the above mentioned region. The contamination was caused by leak of waste water. Around 1million bars of chocolate were recall which damaged the image of the organisation to the core and were almost unable to get back to their feet in one of the major markets around the globe (Hickley, 2008). It was after 2 years due their marketing practices they get back into the market of China and made profits. Similar was the case with Coca-Cola and Pepsi in Indian market which fell under a controversy of having pesticides in their product in 2006. It was then the CEO of PepsiCo. INC Indra Nooyi made a press release about the procedures followed in making of the product and safe to drink. This press release was also used as a marketing technique in Indian market to reduce the aftermath of the crisis. Many such crisis have spoiled the image of many organisations, the practices by organisation have also been changed. These examples show why Legitimation phase is one of the most challenging phase of the crisis model. The government intervention, impact of crisis, competition from the competitors, handling the image of the organisation, health safety and many such things makes the organisation difficult to comeback after the crisis has hit. Conclusion The paper has reviewed some of the issues relating to crisis management and detailed model which focuses on Smith (1990) the three main phases of Crisis and determining the effectiveness of management intervention in containing and preventing crisis escalation to see the various stages through which crises go. Most of the focus is shown on the post-crisis phase as organisations have attempted to manage the negative impact of the event. The phase also points out issues such as culture of the organisation that can increase or reduce the impact of the crisis. Paper also describes briefly about Legitimation phase, as the most challenging phase of the organisation in the crisis model with relevant live examples. Which focuses more on aftermath of crisis and Culture of the organisation, As culture is considered to be a soul of the organisation during the time of crises (Witoszek Tragardh, 2002).

Project Management Of The Emirates Stadium Construction Essay

Project Management Of The Emirates Stadium Construction Essay A lot has been documented on the principals and methodologies required to successfully execute a project, that it almost seems a Clichà © when the term project management is discussed. However, I shall try to focus on project management in the construction industries as it is a good idea to discuss project management as it applies to a specific industry. In this two part report, I shall attempt to first critically analyse and evaluate the PM challenges as documented in the group presentations, with the aim of; Critically evaluating the management challenges identified and highlighting how the groups dealt with identifying the challenges and frameworks adopted in explaining these challenges. Evaluating the procurement strategy adopted and considering reasons for its adoptions, benefits derived and circumstances contributing to its success, before considering alternative approaches. Make a comparison between the management strategy adopted for the emirate stadium and established best practices. THE EMIRATE STADIUM Arsenal football club had previously occupied the Highbury stadium. With a capacity to hold 35,000 fans, this was grossly inadequate for a club increasing in fan base due to her popularity and successes achieved in competition with other top flight clubs in the premiership. Therefore the club management decided to invest in a larger stadium as a means of accommodating the increasing fan population but more strategically, rebranding the club and increasing its competitiveness with top flight clubs at the premiership. PROJECT OVERVIEW Hence, a design and built contract was signed by Sir Robert Alpine for a  £220m worth 60,000 capacity stadium facility, after an intense planning and conception stage spanning 5 years. The entire project cost was estimated at  £400m including related projects due to relocation works and ancillary works. (Designbuild-network.com, 2008) The actual construction commenced March 2004 and was completed by July 2006 ahead of schedule and on budget. At the end of the entire project, 80 businesses had been relocated, 2500 new homes had been provided, 2600 new jobs and 4 new community health facilities built. A successful project with regards to its achievement of project objectives at the stipulated time frame, within the estimated budget and to the quality and performance required. (Arsenal, 2007) But like all projects, risks, challenges and uncertainties are sure to abound, the outcome of the project however, will depends on the identification and mitigations of these risks and uncertainties plus the application of management strategies and tools. CLASSIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES So lets look at the challenges identified, one key observation from a critical assessment of the group challenges identified was the frequent repetition of similar challenges expressed in different words, mainly due to varying dictions of expressions. Classification of these challenges was therefore necessary to critically evaluate and analyse them. Some groups adopted a framework to identify the challenges. Groups 3 and 4 in particular, identified the challenges using the project life cycle framework. On the other hand, groups 1, 2 and 5 viewed the challenges by broadly looking at individual elements of the projects strategic management and operational stages as viewed by the contractor during the implementation of the project. For groups adopting the project life cycle framework, the task of identifying key challenges was best viewed by considering each phase of the lifecycle. The initiation and planning stages in particular, required critical risks assessments before the implementation phase because of the ease to adjust plans and mitigate risks at these initial phases. They effectively pointed out that, due to the attention paid to issues such as collaboration, client management, extensive site investigation and a constant assessment of uncertainties, a smooth implementation stage ensued. Presentations for group 1, 2 and 5 as mentioned earlier, broadly looking at individual management strategies of the project implementation and operational stages as viewed by the contractor during the implementation of the project and can be broadly categorised under the following; Strategic Management challenges: client satisfaction, stakeholder impact and project coordination. By identifying the need to manage people, risks, strategy adopted budgetary issues and contracts details, these presentations focused primarily on organisational elements of the project with emphasis on the construction management aspects. Operational/Design and Construction Challenges: Although project management challenge was the main focus, it seems illogical not to consider certain technical issues as major challenges. Therefore key engineering challenges such as restrictions in stadium height (a local planning authority directive), pitch quality, service fitting and the need for access bridges to the stadium were challenges that shaped most decisions taken by the project managers. Table 2.1 Categorisation of Identified Challenges MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK CATEGORISATION IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES GROUPS PROJECT LIFECYCLE FRAMEWORK INITIATIONS Scope and Specification, Identifying stakeholders, Deciding Location, Planning Business and home Relocations, 3 4 PLANNING Reaching and securing Authority Approval, Satisfying Stakeholder and client expectation, Procurement Strategy Selection. Risk Management IMPLEMENTATION Design and Technical Challenges, Risk Mitigation, Traffic control, Community involvement, TERMINATION Testing and commissioning Challenges, Client Satisfaction NO SPECIFIC FRAMEWORK STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Procurement Strategy, Document Management, Timing and Scheduling, Stakeholder and Client management, Team work and Coordination, Defining Scope, Communication, Cash flow and Budget Control. 1, 2 5 OPERATIONAL/DESIGN CONSTRUCTION Pitch Quality, Roof design, Construction Technique, Weather, Geotechnical, height restraints, Relocation and details, Pedestrian Bridges, Choice of Material The table above show the key project management challenges identified and categorised under management frameworks as adopted by the groups. PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH All groups identified the adopted procurement strategy as the design and build or turnkey approach however, the common opinion was that adopting a management contract procurement approach would have proved equally successful. To critically evaluate the management approach and understand the reasons for its adoption and factors aiding its successful utilization, a brief description of these two procurement approaches would be reviewed. Design and Build: one contractor is employed to design, manage and construct the project. Although mostly taking a variety of forms, the contractors roles may include the following; As principal contractor who carries out all design and construction, with minor subcontractors. As the clients agent, managing the consultants and contractors who carry out the actual design. A combination of principal contractor for design or construction, and management contractor for the other functions. ( F. Harrison and D. Lock, 2004) So why was this adopted? To a greater extent, it provided the client (Arsenal FC) the following advantages; Time/ contract duration could be shortened and facility ready for start of the new season Exempted the client from the technicalities of building a stadium. They were club managers who knew nothing about building a stadium but recognized the importance of the facility in meeting their business goal. Protected the client from the complexities in project organisation. Enable the client to transfer most risks identified in the conception stage. In this case study, Sir Robert Alpine was the designated design and build contractor, together with her supply chain which included Architects HOK Sports venue, Bur Happold (the structural, Mechanical and electrical engineers) and AYH PLC (Project Managers/Quantity Surveyors). Figure 2.1 ORGANISATION/PROJECT ROLE FOR THE EMIRATE STADIUM CONSTRUCTION The alternative, management contracting approach as recommended by all, is characterised by the client appointing an external organisation to manage and coordinate the delivery of the project. The main advantages to the client in the case study would have been benefits from time and cost savings and better flexibility with regards to changes. Thereby, allowing the client to concentrate on dealing with sponsorship deals, investors and the large number of stakeholders. COMPARISION WITH BEST PRACTICE The main success criterion of a construction project is the value of the facility to the client over time. Successful delivery requires an integrated process in which design, construction, operations and maintenance are considered as a whole, together with an understanding of how the project will affect efficiency and service delivery over the lifetime of the project. (OGC, 2009) So whatever they are called, best practices, golden rules or PM creeds, the general believe is, following these techniques summaries in figure 2.2 below will effectively manage a project to time, cost, quality and performance. The office of Government commerce therefore set out guidance to achieving excellence in construction project management. In their opinion success is guaranteed if projects are planned to ensure they possess the following; Projects provide the best option to meet the business need Have sufficient resources allocated to deliver the project and effectively manage these resources. Are managed through defined and accepted accountabilities, supported by clear and short reporting lines which ensure effective channels of communication between stakeholders, clients and project Implementation team Have a clear commitment throughout the integrated project team to clearly defined objectives. (OGC, 2009) I shall endeavour to compare the management approach as adopted in this case study with the recommended and prescribed best practices as stated by the office of Government Commerce. The OGC recommends that resources, roles and responsibilities for delivery should be assigned to effective individuals who are empowered to deliver, who are drawn from the business unit that owns the project. The OGC further stated, Critical consideration needs to be paid to ensuring effective lines of communication. The effectiveness of the lines of communication to top level management, who are then responsible for making decisions based on these information provided. Successful delivery requires an integrated process in which design, construction, operation and maintenance are considered as a whole. (OGC, 2007) Health and safety performance during all phases of the project is mandatory. There are also legal requirements which require clients to set requirements for healthy, safe working conditions and facilities on construction sites. (OGC, 2007) Amongst the OGCs best practice recommendations, is the selection of the right people for the project team. They stated that the selection of an integrated project team is a paramount consideration in project planning. The best projects and the best clients put time into getting the right project team. They assess the quality of the individuals, their ability to work together and their experience. For the emirate stadium case study, the design and build contractor commented after the project completion (SRM, 2009) [a] textbook example of project management and team building, Emirates Stadium showcases the benefits our collaborative approach to business can bring. Our early involvement and that of our key supply chain partners was an essential element in the projects success. Risk assessment and value management should be continually assessed throughout a projects lifecycle. With early collaboration between the entire integrated project team, risks are better identified and resolved before risk mitigations become too expensive to implement. (OGC, 2007) The adoption of the lowest price tendered does not often lead to best value for money. Quality and costs of the implemented projected over the life of the asset are the real indicators of value for money. The focus should always be the optimum balance of required quality and the whole-life costs of a facility the costs of acquiring it, the costs of maintaining it and the costs of operating it over the whole life of the asset to its disposal. (OGC, 2007) Judges at the awards for the building project of the year stated, The whole process was an example of how important teamwork should be to a project, with everyone from the client to the contractor and subcontractors coming together and working successfully to ensure the project was completed on time and under budget. The way that this team tackled design changes should be a lesson to the industry. (Martin Spring, 2007) In summary, the emirate stadium project highlighted in context and principle, is an exemplary addition to best practice adoption and utilization in stadium construction, of course with certain modification as best fits the project in question. Figure 2.2 BEST PRACTICE SUMMARY USING THE PROJECT LIFE CYCLE FRAMEWORK For example, collaboration during the planning and design stage, formulating and communicating set milestones to the project team, feed backs and managing the clients expectation in view of the outcomes provided. Figure 2.3 show as weights, the management strategy adopted in relation to a summarised best practice. Figure 2.3 COMPARING BEST PRACTICE WITH CASE STUDY THE 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES For this part of the report, I shall attempt to develop guidelines for the 2012 Olympic by firstly; Discussing the differences between managing a single project and managing a project as part of a larger portfolio or programme. Review current facts about the on-going 2012 Olympic stadium construction that will further assist to pinpoint and discuss project management challenges. And then finally, based on the characteristics of the project identified, lessons learnt and a review of the best practices, develop guidelines for the project. PROJECT OVERVIEW In July 2005 the International Olympic Committee awarded the city of London the hosting rights for the 2012 Olympic Games. With the establishment of this immovable deadline, the London organising committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG), aware of the heights of expectations, particularly after the ingenuity displayed by the Chinese, began plans in earnest. Milestones were set, plans conceived and a programme to regenerate London in preparation for the games was hatched. The entire programme included amongst others, the redevelopment of a 24 hectare Olympic park to accommodate an Olympic stadium, ten sports venues, an Olympic Village, media centre, parklands, several training venues and pre-game training camps. THE OLYMPIC STADIUM The stage was therefore set for the construction of the main Olympic arena, the 80,000 capacity Olympic stadium. At an estimated cost of  £469 million, to be completed in 2011 and convertible to a 25,000 capacity stadium after the games. PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT VERSUS PROJECT MANAGEMENT Having clearly stated how the Olympic stadium (as a project) fits into the entire Olympic delivery programme, I will begin by defining a project, a programme and their managements. This will enable my arguments in reviewing the differences between managing a single project and a project under a programme of work. D.C Ferns (1991, p. 21) defined a programme as a group of projects managed in a coordinated manner in other to gain benefits which are not achievable by managing individual projects independently. R.S House (1988, p. 16) in his book the human side of project management defined a project as [a] group of related tasks or activities which together satisfy one or more objectives. Robert Prieto defined program management as [t]he definition and integration of a number of projects to cause a broader, strategic business outcome to be achieved. He further argued that Programme management is not just the sum of all project management activities but also includes management of the risks, opportunities and activities that occur between projects. (PM Hut, 2008) While an individual project will employ a specific project delivery approach (design-bid-build, design/build, DBOM etc.), program management may combine different delivery approaches across multiple projects to best achieve the desired strategic business objectives. In the case study as I will later explain, a consortium was formed (Team McAlpine) to deliver the project. Now using several management parameters, I will therefore itemize the differences between their managements. Table 3.1 Differences between Programme Management and project Management Parameter Programme Management Project Management Organization Semi-permanent in nature, resourced to address the full range of business requirements associated with achievement of a strategic business objective Transient organization in nature, resourced to address a limited set of requirements that may be more temporal in nature and not recurring through all project phases. Organizational Alignment Analogous to building a new company with a sharply defined strategic business objective. Team alignment around project and contract requirements Outcome Definition Strategic Business Outcome (enterprise viewpoint) Defined scope, schedule and budget (output viewpoint) Risk Management Management of all risks associated with achievement of the defined strategic business objectives Management of assumed risks Requirements Establish programmatic and system technical requirements and allocate as appropriate to individual projects Manage project to meet the allocated programmatic and system technical requirements Interface Management Management of all programmatic interfaces between defined projects as well as other programmatic interfaces with stakeholder groups Management of allocated interfaces, if any, and all interfaces within the assembled project team Execution Planning Program wide execution planning including top level schedule, budget, performance standards, supply chain configuration and contracting strategy Project execution planning consistent with agreed to scope schedule, budget. and performance standards Timeframe Through achievement of strategic business objectives (more permanent in nature) Duration associated with completion of project activities Stakeholder Engagement Identification and integration of stakeholders interests and proactive engagement to assure achievement of strategic business objectives Interaction with stakeholder groups only as contractually provided for Source 🙠 PM Hut, 2008) Figure 3.1 Impressionist view of the London 2012 stadium. PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES Before outlining the challenges, we will look briefly at certain information we have gather about the games so far. The multidisciplinary management structure required to deliver the project. The LOCOG acts in the capacity of client for the stadium project. They appointed the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to manage all embodied projects with the stadium inclusive. Hok sports, venues ltd was the designated architects, Bur Happlold the service engineers, Sir Robert Alpine the construction firm and M-E Engineers as the mechanical consultant. A consortium was formed and named Team McAlpine comprising all mentioned for the delivery of the project. The share size and number of stakeholders was of National and international proportion. These includes; The mayor and people of Stratford, London Minister for the Olympics British Olympic Association The International Olympic committee The individual featured sports committee The department of culture, media and sports The British Paralympics Association More than a dozen sponsors and Partners Quite a number of official suppliers and providers. The interrelated projects that would have direct and indirect impacts on the stadium construction e.g. the Olympic park, the volodrome, the access bridges. The budget initially estimated at  £280 million but quickly rose to  £496 million mostly due to rising inflation and an increase in contingencies (Guardian, 2009). The stadiums proposed location, a contaminated site at Stratford in central London. (Contract Journal, 2009) The economic downturn that hit the financial market and the world in general. Rising inflation figures as released by economic analyst on the health of the economy. The announcement by the IOC, naming sustainability as a focus for the summer Olympics, this made it clear that the London 2012 organizers had to think beyond the Olympics and consider the concept of legacy, in particular environmental sustainability. (B. Digby, 2009). Therefore, challenges were present right from the conception phase through the entire project lifecycle, and based on the facts listed above, the following challenges can be deduced; The sustainability slogan meant most of the designs proposed had to be carbon sensitive and sustainability driven. This called for innovative designs and as explained by Alan Webb (1996, p. x) the management and creation of innovative projects are the most challenging of all managerial tasks as novelty implies a leap into the unknown. It is not for the faint hearted for there are shocks and surprises around every corner. Cost and budgetary issues represents one of the greatest challenges the project faces. Many things can happen during the lifecycle of a project to increase project cost estimate, distort the expected rate and magnitude of expenditure (D. Lock, 2007). Has was the case when the recent financial meltdown raised its ugly head. The challenge of managing stakeholder involvement is worth mentioning. Particularly regarding the sensitivity attached to stadium construction in the United Kingdom. The media was recently awash with condemnation for the management team of the Wembley stadium finishing behind schedule and with an escalated budget. Secondly, the magnitude of stakeholders warrants a proper dissemination of information and the pre-planned mitigation of wrong or biased information. A.D. Orr (2004, P. 8) wrote, [t]he purpose of a stakeholder plan is to ensure that the relationships between the principal people in the project have been discussed and the information flowing between them have been agreed. The site for the construction was reported contaminated, although this might appear not to be a project management challenge, it is important to understand the project managerial resonance this might generate due to uncertainties ascribed. The selection of a procurement strategy is always a challenge for projects in a multi project environment. The OGC advises that the procurement of contractor should be on the basis of whole-life value for money. The design and operation of the facility should maximize the delivery of effective service and this is most likely to be achieved through integration of design, construction, operation and on-going maintenance (OGC, 2007). In the Olympic stadium case study, a consortium was formed and proved a substantial factor in the mitigation of the project risks. It is important to mention resources management (void of cost) as a key challenge. One of the aims spelt out in the London 2012 sustainability policy document is to demonstrate an exemplary resource management practice (TOB, 2007). As a result resource utilization was minimized to achieve energy and environmental sustainability and project manager had to make tough decisions during construction. GUIDELINES FOR THE 2012 OLYMPIC STADIUM H. Kerzner (1994, p. 43) wrote, [t]he success of a project is best determined by its ability to deliver within the specified time, cost, desired performance and technology level whilst utilizing the resources effectively and efficiently. If an organization is to be successful in the delivery of its projects, it is essential to establish standards by which those projects are selected, managed and delivered. And these standards must be consistent with the organizations strategic plans (Maxs, 2009). Therefore, a step-by-step recommendation for establishing consistent successful performance for the management of the 2012 Olympic stadium can be outlined as follows; Plan and understand the project lifecycle. A standard set of project phases, stages and typical milestones required by the organisations management to enable the consistent structuring and cost-effective processing of the organisations project. (Maxs- Issacons, 2000). Align your resources independently with each phase of the project lifecycle. Selecting a procurement strategy that best suites the project characteristics. Wright wrote, the selection of a contract and contractor are influenced by the nature of parties involve, the project objectives, and the equitable allocation of responsibilities and risk, amongst other factors. (N.J Smith, 2002) Establish a control over the project ensuring that a system of reporting, allocating responsibilities and quality assessment is well defined. Bower wrote that the purpose of control is to ensure that the projects status is reported in a consistent, cost effective and timely manner to the project manager, so that necessary action can be taken. (N.J Smith, 2002) Ensure that plans are understood by all team members and constant updates of the plans are frequently done. J.P Lewis (2000) wrote, It would be nice to think that a plan, once developed, will never change. However, that is unrealistic. Unforeseen problems are almost certain to arise. The most important thing is plan, re-plan and re-plan. Continually assess risks. It is helpful to try to categorise the risks associated with the project both as a guide to identification, and to facilitate the selection of the most appropriate risk-management strategy. (N.J Smith, 2002) Manage the impact of stakeholder involvement in the project. Although they appear as indirect players in the project environment, the stakeholders impact on the success of the project. Therefore managing their impact is vital to every successful project. Setting delivery milestones dates for the various facets of the project and having a work breakdown structure helps to identify critical paths and activity duration. This is a must have for the Olympic stadium project. CONCLUSION In this report, we have categorised the project management challenges highlighted in the group presentation. In the categorisation, I have pointed out that while some groups utilized a framework for identifying the challenges, other groups mentioned the challenges under two main categories, strategic management and operational risks. In critically analysing the challenges mentioned, it would appear that selecting a framework for evaluating the risks is indeed a good practice. It is now obvious that a proper understanding of project peculiarities help to reveal challenges. While all groups were speculative about the challenges categorising the challenges would have help to further identify peculiar risks and challenges requiring the formulation of a risks management strategy. The best practice for construction management refers to tools, techniques and guidelines that have proved effective over a wide range of construction management projects. And again this report has utilized a typical project lifecycle framework to outline the necessary elements required at each phase of a project. The assessment of risk and uncertainties was a process repeated in most phases of a project lifecycle because in actual sense the entire functions of a project manage revolves around his ability to provide resolutions to those uncertainties that eventually become a challenge in the implementation of a project. The importance of planning was also emphasised at every phase of the project and planning does not seize until the project has been delivered to time, budget and quality. In the 2012 Olympic case study, differentiating the stadium construction project from a single project and identifying it as belonging to a multiply project environment reveals the need to adopt a different strategies. However, some elements of an established best practice such as value management and risk management would generally be applied successfully. To successfully Identifying the challenges, a review of the facts about the project is necessary as the magnitude and true nature of challenges become obvious. Then finally based on the characteristics of the project identified, lessons learnt and a review of the best practices, eight sets of guidelines were develop for the 2012 Olympic stadium project.

Environmental Justice: Raising Awareness Essay -- Argumentative Persua

Environmental Justice: Raising Awareness The Discovery of Environmental Racism The majority of the U.S. population is not aware of the problem of "environmental justice." Most people would not even know what the term means if they heard it. In this paper I will write about the discovery of "environmental racism" in the early 1980s and report what is known about it today. I will then argue that making the general public aware of the problem is a crucial step towards environmental justice. The discovery of environmental racism can be traced to the plan of a new PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) landfill in a predominantly black community in Warren County, North Carolina, in 1982. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gives the following "background information" on PCBs (1): PCBs have significant ecological and human health effects including carcinogenicity (i.e., probable human cancer causing or promoting agent), neurotoxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, immune system suppression, liver damage, skin irritation and endocrine disruption. These toxic effects have been observed from both acute and chronic exposures to PCB mixtures with varying chlorine content. PCBs do not breakdown readily in the environment and are taken into the food chain by microorganisms. PCBs are then biologically accumulated and concentrated at levels much higher than found in the surrounding environment thus posing a greater risk of injury to human health and the environment than might be imagined. The already poor and disadvantaged community considers the addition of a toxic waste dump unacceptable; residents oppose the landfill by organizing protests that "some have termed the largest civil-rights demonstration since the 1960s... ...ental Justice Advisory Council (1998). Homepage. http://es.epa.gov/oeca/oej/nejac/ (31 Oct. 1998). 11. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (1998). Homepage. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/ (31 Oct. 1998). 12. Office of Minority Health (1998). Office of Minority Health Resource Center. http://www.omhrc.gov/ (31 Oct. 1998). 13. National Law Journal (1992). Unequal Protection: The Racial Divide in Environmental Law. As quoted by: Bullard, R. D. (1993). Residential apartheid in Urban America. Earth Island Journal 8, 35-36. Retrieved October 31, 1998 from the World Wide Web: http://insite.palni.edu/ 14. Environmental Justice Resource Center (1998). Homepage. http://www.ejrc.cau.edu/ (31 Oct. 1998). 15. Markowitz, G. & Rosner, D. (1998). Pollute the poor. Nation 267, 8-9. Retrieved October 31,1998 from the World Wide Web: http://insite.palni.edu/

college tuition :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Public college tuition fees need to increase and not have a ceiling set on them because over time instructional costs increase due to rising wages, salaries and inflation. If there were a ceiling government taxes would increase, and last many amenities would have to be subtracted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, over time instructional costs increase due to rising wages, salaries and inflation. If tuition does not increase the salary of employees will decrease and jobs will have to be cut, because there will not be enough money. Along with a smaller faculty there will also be less class choice and increase in class size. Both of these things will result in a lower quality of education because there would not be enough money due to a tuition ceiling. The tuition that students and families pay goes towards the students education. According to Karen Arenson of the New York Times some colleges are already cutting back, taking such steps as eliminating faculty positions and reducing class sizes. These things are already happening without a tuition ceiling. Just think that all colleges would have to do this instead of some if there was a tuition ceiling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If a ceiling was set on tuition at all public colleges in the united states there would be a drastic increase in government taxes. Tuition at public universities is usually shared between the government or taxpayers, and the parents and student. As student costs increase such as maintenance, room, board, travel, laundry, and entertainment taxes would have to increase to cover the additional expenses. The failure of tuition to increase at the same rate as the increases of wages and salaries in the economy will require additional government revenues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  College isn’t all about bookwork. College is a place to have and experience new things. If a ceiling was set on tuition there would be almost no money to fund extracurricular activities such athletic and cultural facilities and other programs. Also colleges would not be able to pay for extensive libraries and new technology for students without tuition.

Effects of Fast Food on Your Body

The objective of this research proposal is to closely examine the effects of fast food in one’s with relations to obesity and to find the truth behind these scrumptious but unhealthful cuisines. In America today, fifty percent of the money used to buy food by consumers goes into these fast food restaurants. With this percentage, the consumption of fast food is extremely high. Studies have shown that an excessive intake of fast food can lead to an unhealthy diet and can cause obesity. For my preliminary investigation, factors will be revealed of the truth behind fast food thus a research question will be generated and directed towards my final research project. All over the world, at every corner one is bound to bump into a fast food restaurant, whether it is McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, or even Taco Bell. From my initial research, I found numerous articles, journals, and a documentary proving that these â€Å"convenience† foods can lead to obesity. The intake of fast food has greatly increased in the past 20-30 years. Since the increase, obesity has become an epidemic. For many years, society has been exposed to fast food for countless number of times. From this, obesity is becoming a major issue in the United States. For many people, it is the easiest and fastest way to get a meal. Hence the word â€Å"fast food. † In addition, the public finds these foods as satisfying and inexpensive. In today’s society, people are always â€Å"on-the-go† and therefore try to find the quickest way to grab a bite. Many average people go to a fast food restaurant to take advantage of its convenience and reasonable price. From experience, fast food has been a â€Å"replacement† when home cooked meals were not around. There have been consecutive times when my body has digested a McDonald’s meal for more than twice a day. These meals substituted the breakfast, lunch, and dinner of the day. From then, an unhealthy diet was about to emerge. As a precaution, it is best to know the negative factors of excessive intake on fast food. In the book â€Å"Fast Food Nation† by Eric Schlosser, he states that the United States spends about half of their money eating at fast food restaurants. Their all-time favorite fast food chain is none other than McDonald’s. It is now the biggest and well-known chain in the world. McDonald’s holds about ninety percent of the country’s new jobs. Many consumers are unaware of how much they spend daily at these restaurants. â€Å"Hundreds of millions of people buy fast food every day without giving it much thought, unaware of the subtle and not so subtle ramifications of their purchases. They rarely consider where this food came from, how it was made, and what it is doing to the community around them. † (Schlosser, 10) Schlosser wrote â€Å"Fast Food Nation† to inform readers the truth that lies beneath those mouth-watering patties, flavor enhancing condiments, â€Å"healthy† salads, and soft buns. Fast foods can be just as addicting as drugs. Everyone knows that too much of anything is bad for the body. According to a journal article entitled â€Å"Fast Food: unfriendly and unhealthy†, the author, Steen Stender, states that, â€Å"Individuals who had meals at fast-food restaurants more than two times a week gained 4. 5 kg more weight and had a 104% greater increase in insulin resistance, at both baseline and follow-up, than individuals who ate less than one fast food meal per week† (887). From this study, it shows that fast food can have a great impact in one’s body. Eating fast food uncontrollably can lead to obesity, but it can also lead to type 2 diabetes. â€Å"Fast Food Linked to Child Obesity† discusses about children who have a great intake on fast food can lead to obesity. From this amount, it has given them more calories than the usual causing them to gain about six more pounds per year. The article also states that about one-third of the United State’s youth population is obese. It proves that there really is a factor in too much intake on fast foods. In the article â€Å"Are fast food restaurants an environmental risk factor for obesity? † by Robert W. Jeffery, it testifies that obesity has increased in the past 20-30 years. These increases are due to the fact of physical and social factors, and not biological. A telephone survey was conducted and concluded that children eating at fast food restaurants has made them obese and increased their Body Mass Index (BMI). Another journal article found was â€Å"The Link between Fast Food and the Obesity Epidemic† by Dustin A. Frazier. Some of the factors that have caused obesity among children who eat too much at fast food restaurants include the lack of exercise, increased calorie intake, and the laziness performance due to technology. The significance of technology today is that children have become victims of laziness thus they lack the proper exercise needed to stay fit and healthy. For those reasons mentioned above, what are the factors of excessive intake on fast food? One does not realize that consuming too much fast food can lead to a more serious problem. These problems can include an unhealthy balanced diet which can lead to type 2 diabetes and obesity. One should take extra precaution next time when ordering a Big Mac. Also, has the government taken any actions to stop this epidemic happening? Are there laws made for fast food restaurants to protect themselves from consumer who wishes to sue these restaurants because of an unhealthy menu? There must be some defense that helps these fast food restaurants stay open although they have an unhealthy menu that can trigger the body one way or another. As the old saying goes, â€Å"You are what you eat. † Therefore, one should caution themselves on what they consume into their body. References Frazier, Dustin A. â€Å"The Link between Fast Food and the Obesity Epidemic. † Health Matrix: Journal of Law Medicine. 17. 2 (2007) 291-317. Holguin, Jamie. Fast Food Linked to Child Obesity. † CBS News: Health. 5 January 2003. < http://www. cbsnews. com/stories/2004/01/05/health/main591325. shtml>. Jeffrey, Robert W. , et al. â€Å"Are fast food restaurants an environmental risk factor for obesity? † The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 25 January 2006. < http://www. pubmedcent ral. nih. gov/articlerender. fcgi? artid=1397859>. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York: Houghton Muffin Company, 2001. Stender, Steen, et al. â€Å"Fast Food: Unfriendly and Unhealthy. † International Journal of Obesity. 31. 6 (2007) 887-890.

It is difficult for the reader Essay

This Boy’s Life, set in America in the 1950’s, is a compelling memoir by Tobias Wolff, whom recreates the frustrations and cruelties faced throughout his adolescence, as he fights for identity and self-respect. During this period of time, America underwent major changes in the political and economic spheres, which in turn were responsible for its social makeover. Society in this time was geared toward family; marriage and children being part of the national agenda. The 1950’s was also an age of male dominance, where even if women worked, their assumed proper place was at home. Throughout the memoir, the protagonist, young Jack Wolff, makes it difficult for the reader to feel much affection towards him, as his actions prove to be troublesome and unruly. However, as the memoir progresses, Jacks struggle reveal the reasons for his actions which sequentially shape his character, providing the readers with understanding and sympathy towards his inexorable situation. The fraudulent lies and deceitful ways of Jack can be frustrating upon the reader; though we come to realise that he does this in order to be accepted by the people around him. Jack also engages in fights  and unfaithfully betrays his best friend Arthur, although it becomes evident that he only does this in order to gain Dwight’s approval of him. The lack of a real father figure in Jack’s life has a profound impact on him and his desperate attempt to develop his identity, which further supports the readers’ emotions of sympathy towards him. Jack lies relentlessly in order to escape the grim circumstances of his childhood. His life is fuelled with emotional neglect and verbal abuse; Dwight, his indignant step father, being the foremost cause. He desires of transforming himself into the person that he truly  wants to be; an image he believes will help him to belong and to be happy. The lies he tells are a constant source of comfort for him, as he relies on them to provide stability and hope in his otherwise unstable life. â€Å"I couldn’t help but try to introduce new versions of myself as my interests changed, and as other versions failed to persuade†, demonstrates an essential part of Jack’s character, as he lies in order to fit in. His identity would change with the different people he met, in order to meet their expectations of him and to obtain their acceptance. This  greatly contributes to the sympathy felt for Jack, as he renders the reality that he finds so difficult to accept as a young boy. Among many other lies throughout the memoir, Jack has the intention of creating a new identity for himself. â€Å"It was truth known only to me, but I believed in it more than I believed in the facts arrayed against it. I believed that in some sense not factually verifiable I was a straight-A student†. At this point, Jack takes his re-creation of identity to a new level. Jack is completely aware of what he is doing, although he does not stop. His incessant lies and then believing that they are the actual truth continuously reoccur throughout the memoir. This serves to show his insecurity of who he was, and his imprudent belief that he had the ability to become something better than what he was. Jacks fabricated attempts to re-create â€Å"new versions† of himself, reveal his instinctive lying nature, thus contributing to the annoyance the readers occasionally feel towards him. However, it becomes clear that Jack is confused; he wants to belong. This misperception, and yearn to fit in explicates why feelings of sympathy by the readers towards Jack are inevitable. Jack is forced to live with his violent stepfather Dwight. Dwight cruelly exercises authority over Jack, in order to create a sense of dominance over him â€Å"Dwight would dump a pile of nuts on the floor of the utility room and put me to work with a knife and pair of pliers until he judged that I’d done enough for the night†. Because of this, Jack is determined to prove to Dwight, himself and the reader that he is not the person Dwight defines him as. Jack is not hurt by Dwight’s accusations that he is a thief and liar because â€Å"I did not see myself that way†. However, when Dwight calls Jack a sissy, Jack thinks of Arthur, who is his best  friend and the biggest â€Å"sissy† in school, and remembers how the word sparked the fight between him and Arthur. Dwight treated Jack differently for a few days; with certain deference – â€Å"Dwight took the calls and explained that the papers had been ruined in a fight, adding that his boy Jack hung a real shiner on the Gayle kid. † This was the only time he expressed a genuine interest in Jack that bordered on admiration, rather than disgust. Dwight was always associated with hatred and negativity, but because of this certain deference after he fought, Jack felt a certain connection to him as a father figure. He felt as though he finally impressed Dwight, and even felt loved because of Dwight’s respect towards him. This discloses that Dwight’s actions had significant influence over Jack, as he continued to engage in these violent fights, in order to demonstrate his masculinity to Dwight. Jacks violent nature is driven by his belief that he has to prove his masculinity to Dwight. This attests annoyance within the reader; as Jack claims he â€Å"defined myself in opposition to him†, he ironically shares the traits of Dwight, such as violence and his desire to be regarded as powerful and masculine. However, Dwight’s deference towards Jack after he fought contrastingly draws sympathy for Jack from the readers, as it reveals his desire to belong; his desire to be loved. Jack’s friendship with Arthur plays a significant role in the re-creation of his identity. Arthur was recognised as a â€Å"notorious sissy†, and because of this Jack worried of the social implications it would consequently have on him by being friends with Arthur. â€Å"To put myself in the clear I habitually mocked Arthur, always behind his back, imitating his speech and way of walking, even betraying his secrets†, demonstrates Jacks desperation to acquire acceptance  from others, even if it meant denying a part of himself- a friendship- that actually made him happy at times â€Å"but I had withheld my friendship, because I was afraid of what it would cost me†. Jacks betrayal of Arthur imparts anger in the reader, as he attempts to impress people who are not his real friends. However his confused identity and lack of self-confidence justify his disloyal actions, particularly because of the circumstances he was faced with at such a young age. Parental neglect plays an important role throughout the memoir. This is first evident in  the text when Jack says â€Å"after all, he was in Connecticut and we were in Utah†, signifying the substantial physical and emotional distance between his birth father and himself. Fathers play an important role in their child’s upbringing and development. Due to this lacking in Jacks life, the responsibilities of growing up prove to be difficult for him, evident through his confused identity and troublesome ways. Furthermore, Rosemary’s ex-husband Roy plays a significant role in shaping the way Jack thinks and reasons, particularly from such a young and susceptible age. â€Å"I thought Roy was what a man should be†, reveals Jack’s naivety at  such a young age; as Roy, abusive and indignant, was in fact the complete opposite of â€Å"what a man should be†. Wolff is once again faced with a man, Dwight, who abuses him and sets a terrible example for him. His violent nature plays a major part in Jack’s development, which ultimately forms his identity. Dwight’s actions have such an influence that â€Å"Jack† writes about Dwight’s voice being ever-present in his head and own voice, even as an adult; even as a father. â€Å"I hear his voice in my own when I speak to my children in anger†. The sympathy felt by the readers for Jack is inevitable, as his brutal childhood is left with him for the rest of  his life. Although Jack makes it difficult for the reader to feel much affection towards him on some occasions, the abusive, neglectful and violent experiences he is confronted with at such a young and vulnerable age conveys a sense of understanding, which in turn rouse feelings of sympathy towards young Wolff. Jack lies constantly; whenever he is presented with the opportunity to. This frustrates the reader is some instances. Generally though, reasons for this are understandable, such as his confused identity due to the violent and emotionally unstable life he lives. The violent fights he associates himself with, and the betrayal of his  Ã¢â‚¬Å"best-friend† Arthur, leave the readers in a position to question whether his motives can be justifiable. However, these fights and betrayal are a reflection of his desire to be accepted by others, and the masculine, powerful man Dwight’s expects him to be. The lack of a real father figure largely affects Jack and all aspects of his character, from his deceitful ways, to his violent involvement in fights. Because of this, compassion and sympathy prevails over the occasional frustration felt towards Jack by the readers. In supposition, Jack is a helpless child seeking a happy life; an identity he is truly happy with.