Unethical Act Among Contractors Class F In Selangor - Free Essay Example

1.0 INTRODUCTION Contractors are the independent entity that agree to construct certain number or quantity of goods, material, equipment personnel ,or services that meet the requirement of specifications at a mutually price with a specific timeframe with another independent entity call contractee or project owner (Oxford Times). All contractors are rated Class F are Bumiputera. According to Article (160(2)) the concept of a bumiputra ethnic group in Malaysia was coined by activist Tunku Abdul Rahman. It recognized the special position of the Malays provided in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, in particular Article 153. But, the constitution does not use the term bumiputra; it defines only Malay and aborigine (Article 160(2)).This means that the contractor is Class F Bumiputera contractors and do not need to apply for Recognition of Bumiputera. According to PKK (Pusat Khidmat Kontractor) until 26th June 2010 there are 4210 registered class F contractors in Selangor. A countrys economic system, irrespective construction industry plays a role in, construction industry plays a substantial role in a countrys national economic system (Zantanidis Tsiotras, 1998). Indeed, this sector is an important employer of a nationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s workforce as it employs between 2% to 10% of total workforce of most countries (Abdul Rashid Hassan, 2005). Malaysia has gained an impressive economic growth during the last three decades (Abdul Rahman et al, 2005) and this sector has employed an estimated 798,200 workforce nationwide in 2004 (CIDB, 2006). The Malaysian Government has given a much needed boost to the countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s construction industry under the 9th Malaysian Plan where a total of 880 projects worth RM15billion is to be tendered (The Star, 2006). It should be foregrounded that the issue of poor quality in the construction sector has, nevertheless. been identified as a major concern even as far back as the mid 1980s (The Star, 2006). Gen erally, it is a rule that construction projects must be completed within the planned cost, scheduled time and required quality. Quality may sometimes be ignored in this industry to cut the costs or to shorten the project time (Turk, 2006). To deal with the low quality problem faced by the industry, quality management is seen as an approach to achieve the required level of quality of the end product and has been given great attention worldwide over the past three decades (Hiyassat, 2000; Berawi and Woodhead, 2005). However, there is a perception that majority of quality related issues are caused by human factor. In response to that perception, a study was performed to look into the relationship between professional ethics among participants of construction sector and the quality related issues in Malaysian construction sector. It should be noted that for this purpose of survey, contractors and clients are regarded as professions and they are required to demonstrate a high degree of p rofessionalism in performing their task, in response to the Governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s effort who has introduced the National Integrity Plan to enhance integrity and ethics in the nation. Unethical acts of fraud, waste, abuse, and corrupt practices are what receive prominent treatment in the media worldwide. Such as inappropriate gifts, unauthorized payments, and fiscal infractions are the unethical act problems most noted. The Conference Board in New York reported that the above issues have widespread agreement on each of these issues as being a serious concern among the leaders of the free world, including those in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. Due to the increased of public awareness toward the contractor unethical acts and also decreased of public tolerance for wrong-doing, it is important for contractor to focus specifically on the question of how professional ethics should be incorporated into awareness of individual to make sure every projects should be completed as standard. The ethical statement can describe the act was right or wrong, or act with a right or wrong which it can provide a line of distinction between good and evil of the act or the tendency of a person or at least it can develop guidelines that can be made with various moral considerations(J.L Mackie, 1971). Ethical act are very important because it use to determine the thoughts, actions and behavior of members of the organization to fulfill their responsibility and trust as an employee. It is also to create statements and coordination between the contractors as a key institution for national development. Ethical act also important to maintain and improve client confidence in the organization, 84% of FMIà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s respondents said that theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve seen an unethical act committed in the construction industry in the past year is an alarming statistic. Contractors, can take little comfort in the probability that incidence of unethical behavior is just as high in other in dustries these days. FMI had offer four solution and one of the solutions is to stiffer the penalties for those caught in unethical or illegal acts is the least likely to succeed. Secondly, the FMI had suggest to develop an industry-wide code of ethics which these codes of ethics need to be enforced in every country. A less formal but corollary solution would hit closer to home. Companies should place more emphasis on social responsibility in their dealings with other firms. This approach is easier said than done, of course, although a few respondents in the survey say they have walked away from projects or companies and suffered short-term consequences as a result. They did not indicate, however, that they regretted their decisions in the long term. Training in ethical conduct is the fourth solution, and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the one that holds the most promise as long as it is coupled with commitment to these practices from the top ranks of any construction company. The FMI report states that unethical acts can signal a failure of management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“to know how to get the job done the right way.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? 1.2 Problem statement Due to many issues in our country regarding construction industry that lead to the unethical act by the contractors in running the projects such as the issue on the Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2( MRR2 ), Matrade building and also the issue on the Navy Recruit Center. If this ethical issue still going on in our construction industry, it will affect our construction quality. According to the Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, more than 18,000 contractors and sub-contractors were either paid late or have yet to receive payment for completed work totaling RM23.7billion since 2000. This is a very huge sum, about 14% of the allocation for development projects under the 9th Malaysia Plan. The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) had carried out a six-month survey on 330 contractors, in which 273 cases of payment problems involving RM877.8mil were reported. Another example for the issue in Malaysian construction industry is the Plaza Rakyatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s project. The g overnment will issue a warning notice to the Plaza Rakyat project contractors to continue the project as early as next week, initially, and if defaults, the tender will be forfeited. Minister of Federal Territory and Welfare Commissioner, Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said, a notice will be given to contractors in a week or two so that they continue construction work. 1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH. The aim of this research as far as the unethical act among contractors class F in Selangor is concerned, is to identify the effect in the construction quality. These main objectives are broken down to more specific objectives in order to better understand the topic at hand. To achieve the desired aim of the research, there are some of the objectives had been choose for this research. Objectives for this research are: Assess the level of professional ethical standards and its practice in the Selangor construction industry, To identify the problems associated to unethical acts in construction industry Determine the role of professional ethics in improving quality management in construction industry. 1.4 Organization of Study Chapter 1 introduces the research topic. It discussed about the unethical acts, definition of contractor, definition of bumiputera, issue related to unethical acts in construction industry problem statement and the objectives that initiated this study. Chapter 2 involves the extensive review of literature relating to the relevant topic of the subject matter of research including the professional ethic and relationship between ethic and construction. Chapter 3 discussed the methodology used in this study. It includes the developed hypothesis and data collection methods. It also includes a brief explanation on the data analysis methods. Chapter 4 reports data analysis and findings of the survey obtained from the findings. Chapter 5 involves detail finding and discussion on the result of survey base on the analysis. Chapter 6 present conclusions and recommendation based on the findings of the study. Key recommendation and their future prospect have been outlined which may assist in future plans to facilitate knowledge sharing plan in school. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction In this chapter a great extent of literature of relevant concepts are being reviewed in order to get insight of and identify variables which have impact on the objectives of this research. The researches which are done by different scholars and researches will be reviewed. 2.1 Quality In Construction Industry Quality is a measure of excellence or a state of being free from defects, deficiencies, and significant variations, brought about by the strict and consistent adherence to measurable and verifiable standards to achieve uniformity of output that satisfies specific customer or user requirements. ISO 8402-1986 standard defines quality as the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs Since tribal chiefs, kings, and pharaohs ruled the issues of quality have already existed (Gitlow, 2005). In a project scenario, quality can be defined as meeting the legal, aesthetic (Arditi Gunaydin, 1997) and functional requirements of a project (Berawi, 2006). Customers nowadays place more emphasis on the quality of products rather than the price which was the major concern in the past. Hence, a rapid expansion of international competition in quality has occurred (Tsiotras Gotzamani, 1996; Abdul Rahman Berawi, 2002). In America, the professional societies have prepared codes of ethics since before early twentieth century. These have been incorporated to a greater or lesser degree into the regulatory laws of various countries. Such as The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in the UK, they have a code of ethics incorporated into its standards of conduct and as for Canadian societies of professional engineers likewise have such codes of conduct as well (Bowen, P., R. Pearl and A. Akintoye. 2007). Mainly for practical and professional use, codes of ethics are developed for supplementing the building codes and other acts of law. These ethical aspects were considered based on manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s natural morals (Darabarek Symotink, 1999). In terms of quality in construction industry, Turk (2006), citing Arditi Gunaydin (1999), mentioned that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"high quality building projectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ includes factors like the design being easily understandable and applicable, conformity of design with specifications, economics of construction, ease of operation, ease of maintenance and energy efficiency. According to S. Fryer, Buro Happold, UK (2007), no matter how clever or elaborate the design of a structure is, any construction project will ultimately be judged on the quality of the finished product. Zantanidis Tsiotras (1998) and Abdul Rahman Berawi (2002) mentioned the expectations for quality construction projects will continue to grow rapidly as the number of affluent, educated and quality conscious customers are increasing. With the globalization of economy, construction firms worldwide are actively engaged to achieve internationally accepted quality levels to ensure their position in the emerging international market especially in those developing economies. Thus, the need to have a proper system that ensures quality is critical, coupled with high level of attention paid to quality management in construction industry (Abdul Rahman, Berawi, et al, 2006). Scholars indicate that quality management has been adopted by many countries in their construction industry including Hong Kong (Leung et al, 1999; Au Yu, 1999 and Tang Kam, 1999), Singapore (Low Omar, 1999 and Low Yeo, 1997), Greece (Tsiotras Gotzamani, 1996 and Zantanidis Tsiotras, 1998), Turkey (Turk, 2006), Jordan (Hiyassat, 2000), Saudi Arabia (Bubshait Al Atiq, 1999), Sweeden (Landin, 2000), United States (Chini Valdez, 2003), South Africa (Rwelamilla, 1995) and Malaysia (Chew Chai, 1996). As for Malaysia,we have the code of ethics for co ntractor which need to be followed by the contractors. In that code of ethic it emphasizes more about the level of professionalism, productivity, and quality. Excellence in the construction industry is very much determined by the level of efficiency, productivity, quality and professionalism in the delivery services. The delivery of construction services is connected directly or closely related integrity of the construction contractors in the performance responsibilities. This aspect has been dealt with when Construction Industry Master Plan (CIMP): 2006-2015 enacted. CIMP has given special emphasis on increasing productivity, image and professionalism in the construction industry as the strategic thrusts of this industry to greater high. For this purpose CIMP also has proposed legislation Code of ethics to further strengthen the practice of values and moral ethics among contractors in the country in implementation of construction works. Many developers were also fined for not confo rming to the Housing Development Act, including not preparing reports on schedule, especially work progress reports every six months (NST, 2010). This quality in our construction industry can be improved if everybody doing their part. For every developer, starting a new housing project is a new business. So, if they understand their responsibility as a developer and follow the agreement, they must complete the projects according to the dates set. According to Michael S. Poles, the quality of the construction can be control by competence supervision. It is the duty of the contractor to complete the work covered by his or her contract, in accordance with the approved plans and specifications. The contractor must carefully study the approved plans and specifications and should plan their schedule of operations well ahead of time. If at any time it is discovered that the work which is being done is not in accordance with the approved plans and specifications, the contractor should immed iately correct the work. In order to assure that the work being done is in accordance with the approved plans and specifications, the contractor must always supervise, and coordinate of all of the work that need to be completed. 2.2 Professional Ethic in Construction Industry Profession is an occupation that requires both advanced study and mastery of a specialized body of knowledge and undertaken to promote, ensure or safeguard some matter that significantly affects othersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ well being (Vee Skitmore, 2003). Almost every profession has its codes of ethics to provide a framework for arriving at good ethical choices. Therefore, professional ethics is a system of norms to deal with both the morality and behavior of professionals in their day to day practice, and ascribes moral responsibility not to an individual, but to all professionals practicing in a particular profession. For the building and designing professions, the incalculable value of human life demands nothing less than the highest moral considerations from those who might risk it otherwise (Mason, 1998, cited in Vee Skitmore,2003). Professional ethics concerns the moral issues that arise because of the specialist knowledge that professionals attain, and how the use of this knowledge should be governed when providing a service to the public (Ruth Chadwick, 1998). The construction industry is a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"perfectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ environment for ethical dilemmas, with its low price mentality, fierce competition, and paper thin margin (FMI, 2006). Jordan (2005) stated that unethical behavior is taking a growing toll on the reputation of the industry. From a survey conducted by FMI, 63% of the respondents whom are the construction players feel that construction sector is tainted by unethical conducts (FMI, 2006). Surveys conducted by researchers in Australia (Vee Skitmore, 2003) and South Africa (Pearl et al, 2005) identified several unethical conducts and ethical dilemmas in the construction industry such as corruption, negligence, bribery, conflict of interest, bid cutting, under bidding, collusive tenderin g, cover pricing, frontloading, bid shopping, withdrawal of tender, and payment game. It is evident that there exist significant areas of concern pertaining to the ethical conducts practiced by the construction professionals. There are many other efforts taken to increase the ethical standards and integrity among the professionals in construction sectors worldwide. According to Pearl et al (2005), the regulatory professional Acts relating to the built environment professional sector in South Africa were totally overhauled in the late 1990à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and a new suite of professional Acts were promulgated in 2000 to enhance the professionalism. Meanwhile, in America, the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) has updated its code of ethics to include a wider range of professional services as well as professional services among construction players (CMAA, 2006). A Standard of Professional Conduct to govern the ethical practices in the American civil engineering profession was published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE, 2007). On the other hand, Australia has their own codes of tendering to enhance fairness and transparency (Ray, 1997). In Malaysia, the government is very serious about improving ethics in both public and private sector. For instance, the construction industry has introduced codes of ethics for contractors to encourage self regulation among the contractor in this sector (The Star, 2006). Stakeholders of construction projects were asked to enforce the existing code of ethics to safeguard the engineers good name (The Star, 2006). The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) of Malaysia also host integrity courses for contractors to promote the importance of integrity and plans to make the course as a pre9requisite for contractors when renewing their registration (The Star, 2006). Finally, the launching of the Construction Industry Master Plan (CIMP) by CIDB in 2004 also had in the master plan an objective to enhance professional ethics in the local construction industry (Construction Industry Master Plan 2006 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 2015). According to Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, 1,345 developers and more than 5,000 directors of such companies involved in problematic projects have been blacklisted because they abandoned housing projects and also those that were not completed on schedule. They are not only been blacklisted, they also fined for not conforming to the Housing Development Act, including not preparing reports on schedule, especially work progress reports every six months(NST 2010). 2.3 Relationship between Professional Ethic and Quality Related Issues Besterfield et al (2003) mentioned quality is dependent on ethical behavior, whereby quality and ethics have a common care premise which is to do right things right and it is a proven way to reduce costs, improve competitiveness, and create customer satisfaction. It is evident that low ethical standards among construction professional will lead to quality problem. These issues were highlighted in the media and received great concern of public (Fleddermann, 2004; NST, 2004; and RTM, 2006). As an example, the ethical related case in the construction industry was the collapse of the Hyatt Regency Kansas City walkways (Fleddermann, 2004). It is a hotel project in 1970s with walkways suspended over the large atrium. With the intention to save the cost, the subcontractor for the fabrication and erection of atrium steel suggested changes in the structure and it was approved by the consulting structural engineer. During the construction, part of the atrium collapsed and the engineer came out with the report saying that the design was safe and ready to be opened for business in 1980. The tragedy happened one year after the completion of the project during a dancing party in the atrium lobby. Some of the walkways on which people were dancing collapsed onto the crowded atrium floor, leaving more than a hundred people died and almost two hundred injuries. Investigation was then conducted by the Missouri Board of Architects, Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors reported that the original design was only marginally acceptable to the Kansas City building code where the walkways would only have had approximately 60% of the capacity required by the code. The situation was even worse in the new design proposed by the steel subcontractor and approved by the engineer. The consultant was found negligence in its investigation of the atrium collapse and places too much reliance on the subcontractor. Therefore, the engineer has been charged for negligence, incompetence, and misconduct. Both the engineer and the consultant firm lose license of practicing. This case strongly indicates that unethical behaviour will lead to quality problems and structural failures. In Malaysia, as an example, a newly opened specialist hospital in Johor Bahru was closed due to fungi attack on the equipments and walls (RTM 2006). It was found that many of the hospitalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s equipments such as oxygen piping and sewerage system are not according to the specifications. This clearly shows the poor ethics of the contractor who failed to do right things right. The contractor was given three months to rectify problems including leaking pipes, broken ceilings and faulty air conditioning ducts (NST, 2004). Another substandard quality of construction project in Malaysia is the RM238 million Middle Ring Road Two (MRR2) flyover which was closed to traffic after cracks were found in 31 pillars and structural movements were detected (The Sun, 2004). The Government engaged an independent consultant from the United Kingdom to investigate the defects. The independent consultant identified that design deficiencies and improper anchoring of the columns to the crossbeam were the main cause of the cracks (NST, 2004). Design deficiency is found to be a negligence on the design team and the repair works was then carried out at an estimated cost of RM20 million. Contractors confront dozens of issues, many of which have substantial impact on their own self or organization, as well as others involved in the project. Many decisions have a straight forward answer determined by contract language or budget. Some, however, require entering an indistinct gray zone where the contractor must use best judgment to devise a course of action. Ethical questions raised include: what happens when professional codes and regulations lag behind technological innovations; what precautions must engineers take when trying to balance the benefits, new technologies bring against risks to public safety, often associated with engineering innovation and what are engineering and corporate responsibilities to the public for failed innovation; and should he hold then payments for t he benefit of his organization. Often these challenges are managed with little or no preparation or formal guidelines and sometimes with negative results. Engineering ethics is attracting interest in colleges of engineering throughout the world. Therefore, the new technology must address the human being as its central subject and has to be introduced by ethics (Cywinski, Z. 2001). The construction of the new national palace at Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur has doubled in a period of four years from RM400 million to RM 811 million. Contracts for the construction were awarded to three companies through direct negotiations instead of open tenders ( NST 2003). Government will focus on overcoming the problem `leakage of tenders in the Ninth Malaysia Plan (RMK-9) are exploring the possibility of tightening conditions of the application to the contractor class F. Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the conditions were studied for class F contractor à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s license applicant is to ensure that applicants undergo interview, examination, has offices and operations background of the net. The number of contractors has increased dramatically recently that 46.983 of the contractors registered with the Contractor Service Centre (PKK) in the country. Of the total, 35,544 are Class F contractors. The contractors will face intense competition in seeking jobs or contracts, and more disturbing is the number of contractors that own more than the number of contracts offered, especially from the government. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction This section describes the methodology used in conducting this research. It starts by describing the sample selection, research design, variables and hypothesis and continues with the description of the methods of data collection and data analysis. Finally, some of the limitations and key assumption of the findings are described. Primary source were used to collect data from the sample to assess the perception of respondents toward knowledge management and knowledge sharing, the school culture and work environment, individual barriers and organization barriers toward knowledge sharing. The selected data was tested and conclusions were drawn. There are 6 procedures used in completing this study. First, a review of literature was conducted. The review was focused on the emergence of knowledge economy and knowledge management. Then the roles of knowledge sharing were discussed. A further potential barrier toward knowledge sharing was reviewed. Variable which has affected on knowledge sharing was also discussed. The review of literature served as a frame work for the study, and offered contrasting opinions of the authors. Second, a rough draft of the survey instrument and possible methods of testing and assessment of variables was done. A questionnaire was tested and validated before implementation reviewed for preventing any bias and avoiding errors. Questionnaire survey is the main research methodology used to achieve the research objectives. Five hundred (500) sets of questionnaires were distributed to targeted respondents in Selangor state by post ,via the internet , by hand. Targeted respondents ranging from consultant firms and contractor personnel within Selangor area .To ensure the reliability of the questionnaire survey, the sample size taken was then compared to match with the sample size recommended by Krejcie and Morgan (Sekaran, 2000: 295). Third, a survey was implemented. Questionnaire was sent to the list of all class F contractors which registered under PKK within Selangor area. Fourth, the result of the survey was assessed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 15.0 software. The result were tested and presented with illustration. Scores were converted into percentage rating and presented in graphical format using excel 2003. Fifth, the conclusion was driven from data analysis and findings. Important points were highlighted and recommendations were given. Research Design The research was designed to explore the unethical acts among contractors regarding the issue on the construction quality in Selangor. The data produced from the research was then analyzed so that the following objective could be achieved. The stated hypothesis could be tested and further recommendations could be made with regard to specific focus of this research. To identify areas for further, and more specific areas of research Quantitative method utilizing survey method is used for gathering information. Variables Variables are classified into three groups including dependent variables, moderate variables and independent variables. Dependent Variable Unethical act is considered as dependent variable Independent Variable Contractors and construction quality are considered as independent variables. Data Collection A comprehensive literature review and self administered questionnaire were used to provide an insight to the study. These instruments provide informative ideas on the possible issued experienced by factors affecting perception of respondents about unethical acts will effected the construction quality The survey aimed is to target contractor class F in Selangor. The aimed was chosen because of two reasons. Firstly, there are too many contractors class F in Selangor. Secondly, the issues that involved contractor class F are more major in our construction industry and this give the author the possibility to sent the questionnaires to some contractor firm on one to one basis. The author would have preferred a larger sample of respondents to participate in the research, but due to limitation of time, this was not possible. The survey was aimed at the contractors class F in Selangor area. Data were collected from 500 contractors selected randomly from different firm and background. Questionnaire was send through mail and respondents were given three weeks to respond before they were send back to the author. 3. 4 Research Assumptions When conducting this study a number of assumptions have been made with regards to the literature reviewed and the respondent sample selected. These assumptions are identified as below. The secondary data collected from various resources have been assumed to be valid and based on the research done by authors. The secondary data has been assumed to present public interest as a whole and without any biases. The respondents have responded to the questionnaire without any biasness and to the best of their abilities. Instrumental Biases In administrating the questionnaire, there has been a significant degree of biasness that was exercised by researcher. The questionnaire was developed based on the respondents. This minimizes the respondent biasness to a certain level. Various scaling methods were utilized where appropriate to minimize biasness. Sample size Approximately 500 contractors were randomly selected from the target population of different firms. The simple random sampling method was utilized in this situation. This was to deter any sample biasness that could have distorted the result. The respondentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ samples of contractors were surveyed in the Selangor area. The contractors who responded came from various hierarchy levels of different firms. Scaling of Questionnaire In order in measure the operationally defined and elements of a variable, the rating scale has been used to elicit responses with regard to the person studied. A number of rating scales techniques and measurements were utilized when administrating questionnaire involving Category scale and Likert scale. Example: Category Scale What is your highest educational qualification? PHD degree Bs degree Ms degree Diploma/STPM Knowledge sharing is fully supported by school administrator. Extremely disagree/ Strongly disagree/ Disagree /Agree /Strongly Agree/Extremely Agree Research Limitation There are number of limitations pertaining to this study. These limitations are as follow: Biasness of administration of questionnaires Limits sample size Limited instrument testing Information used to compile the importance factors for this study was restricted to the collection of secondary data. Data Analysis After the data collection period for this survey completed, the analysis will be carried out. Data analysis process is to identify the potential perception and awareness of contractors toward the unethical acts will be discussed and illustrated on chapter 4. Frequency Analysis Frequency distribution is a tabular or graphical presentation of data that shows each category for a variable and the frequency of the categoryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s occurrence in the data set. Percentage for each category are often reported instead of, or addition to frequencies. Cross Tabulation Analysis The cross tabulation statistics examines whether there is a significance association between variables and the cell statistics for the distribution of respondents in each category. It is to get better understand how two different survey items inter-relate and is useful for showing how respondents answered on two or more questions at the same time. CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 4.1 INTRODUCTION In this chapter, the data collected from questionnaire survey were analyzed and interpreted accordingly. A detail result and analysis of data will be shown and elaborated using descriptive statistical, frequency analysis and average index. In line with the research methodology that has been previously established, the results and analysis of data produced are analyzed and discussed in accomplishment of the goal and objectives of this study. For the questionnaires form survey are divided to 4 sections. The 1st section is respondent/company background and the 2nd ,3rd and 4th section is study analyses which are all of questions in this questionnaire form based on the objectives/goal of research.

How Developing Economies Have Adopted to Globalization Free Essay Example, 4750 words

The sixty-three countries classified as low-income are the most vulnerable: almost all countries in Africa, the most populated countries of Asia and South Asia, which account for 3.5 billion of the world s 5.9 billion people. The poor people in 94 middle-income countries are also marginalized by globalization. Governance is defined as the controlling, directing or regulating the influence of the set of institutions and policies that determine the functioning of an economy and society (ILO, 2003: 1). The concept covers not only political authority and the role of government, but also includes the role of economic and social institutions that form the foundations of an economy. Social partnerships are essential between these institutions which function on both formal and informal norms and rules that are followed by non-governmental agencies such as employers organizations, trade unions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). A social partnership which is an important part of go vernance refers to collaborative relationships between governments, employers and workers organizations to achieve mutually agreed economic and social objectives. Some significant challenges of globalization are successfully confronted by a social partnership, such as increased international competitiveness, economic reform, social protection and requirement for adjustment, economic shocks and crises, and equitable sharing of the benefits of globalisation (ILO, According to the ILO (2003: 1), for enhanced social impact from globalization, it is now widely recognized that good governance is a prerequisite for successful development .We will write a custom essay sample on How Developing Economies Have Adopted to Globalization or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

History And Events That Happened During The Colonization...

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In this paper both of these major genocides will be analyzed, in depth, and should clear up whether they were more similar or more different. The aspects of each genocide, which will be touched on, are the mechanisms incorporated in each mass killingRead MoreHow Did Contact Between The European Arrivals And The Native Peoples Of The Americas Affect Both Groups?1545 Words   |  7 Pageskilled millions and decimated native populations, who possessed no immunity to the illnesses. The Europeans also had deliberate policies of subjugation and extermination, by which they brutally tortured or murdered natives due to the Europeans history of brutality in war and their consideration of the natives as no more than savages. The Europeans also introduced some beneficial elements. These included important crops such as sugar and bananas, domestic livestock such as cattle and pigs, and theRead MoreThings Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe1130 Words   |  5 Pagesin an Ibo village in Nigeria. This story takes place in the era of colonization and imperialism except this time; it is from the viewpoint of the Africans. It is reasonable to say that Achebe’s work focuses around the unique protagonist, Okonkwo, and his beliefs along with how white men’s colonization impacted the African society. This novel can tie into our classes’ discussion with the various elements of the white colonization of the African continent. The protagonist in this story is OkonkwoRead MoreGKE task 31952 Words   |  8 PagesA. African Colonization Colonialism is defined in the dictionary as a policy by which a nation maintains or extends its control over foreign dependencies. African colonization is one example. Africa was oppressed by the European imperial powers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (Parker, 2007). Unlike in other parts of the world, African colonization was short lived and the colonial period was over by the 1960s (Parker, 2007). The European ‘scramble’Read MoreThe World War I Was Inevitable?1708 Words   |  7 Pages During the 19th century. One of the most gruesome wars the world has ever seen thus far was underway. Millions of people from all over the world were affected, in various ways whether it be finically, emotionally or physically. World war one was a massacre of human life and an important event that determined the present state of the modern world. The total number of military and civilian casualties in world war one was more than 38 million; there were over 17 million deaths and 20 million

A Change I Will Never Forget free essay sample

Have you ever gone through a change in your life? Did it take a lot of bravery and courage for you to overcome any difficult changes in your life? Does change to you seem like a very hard concept that you often just don’t want to think about?. Well this is because people seem to get into a routine with their daily lives and often they don’t want to look past their everyday familiar lives. People seem to settle in a sense and their lives are good and they are happy with the way things are. They fear change because change brings the not knowing of what to expect and people always seem to want to know exactly what to expect in their lives. I’ve gone through many changes in my life. Some changes were easier to adapt to then others. Only one of the changes in my life was the most dramatic change I have ever experienced in my life that I will never forget and took a lot of courage and bravery for me to overcome. We will write a custom essay sample on A Change I Will Never Forget or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While I was growing up I lived in Staten Island, NY in a nice cozy two family house. I lived with my grandparents, mom, and sister. I was always extremely close with my grandmother. Her name was Nancy and she was known for her bright red lipstick, funny jokes and strange patterned shirts. She was 5’5 and slender with a little stomach from at the sweets she loved to eat. She had the biggest heart and always seemed to know how to make me smile. She was a second mother to me and my best friend. She took me to school everyday from kindergarten to junior high. When I was in kindergarten I would walk with her to my school 4 blocks away hand in hand telling her all the stories of what I watched on TV and where I wanted to go after school. She would listen to me with so much interest. My grandmother’s bright brown eyes would light up as I told her about my friends in my class. She was at every dance recital, talent show, and any other invent that was going on in my life. My grandmother brought me up and made me the person I am today. She wanted the best for me and by the age of 5 she had the concept of me going to college imprinted in my brain. Weather it was by playing monopoly and only giving me the option to go through college on the board game or reading me story books about people that went to college, she taught me at a young age that I can be anything I wanted to be. As I got older she never stopped being a mother to me and I never could see the day when I wouldn’t have her there for me. When I was about sixteen my grandmother got very sick. I didn’t think much of it because she got sick often and she always pulled through. She was in the hospital for about two weeks and diagnosed with a heart problem. I was so happy when she finally came home. I helped take care of her since she was still sick and not feeling very well. She would always wake me up in the middle of the night and ask for a glass of water. One night just like many others she came in my room at about one in the morning and woke me up. She told me â€Å"my heart is bleeding†. I told her it wasn’t and she just needed some water and rest. She looked very pale and her eyes weren’t as bright as they usually were. She had lost some weight and no longer had that stomach she use to have and her skin looked like she had aged more then ever. She gave me a hug and told me she loved me and I didn’t think much of it and sat her on the coach with a glass of water. Then she started to gasp for air and told me she couldn’t breath I quickly called 911 and woke everyone up in my house because she was scaring me. There was nothing anyone could do it was her time and no medicine, doctor, or hospital could stop what was happening. Right their in front of me she passed away and their was no way anyone could help her. This one moment was the start of a huge change in my life that was going to take a huge a mount of bravery and courage in order for me to overcome. At first it didn’t hit me how different my life was going to be from this point on. I think this was just because I was in shock and my mind didn’t want to believe what had just happened. At the funeral I had to be strong for my mother who was destroyed and my younger sister. I made it my part to not show them how much this was hurting me because they were hurting enough and I didn’t want to add to it. At the funeral I didn’t shed a single tear but it was all building inside. After about a month it all set in she wasn’t their and I missed her so much. The coach that she was always at was empty. The laughter in the house was gone. Her silly shirts that she use to wear were just all sitting their in her closet. Her red lipstick stains on the coffee cups were no longer their. All I had were pictures and the memories in my head and no best friend to talk to tell how I was feeling. Whenever something was wrong I would go to my grandmother. I didn’t no who to go to now and it all hit me and made me just break down and go to my mother because I needed someone to talk to. That day I cried in her arms for what seemed like hours and then we started to talk. My mom and I were never very close but we both felt the same way about my grandmother and this gave us something to talk about. We both opened up to each other that day and it was the start of a much closer relationship for my mother and I. I also felt a lot better once I let all my feelings out and explained to my mom how I felt. My mom told me she knew it was hurting me and it just takes time to be able to talk about it. As time went by it never got easier. The house was always a reminder of my grandmother; the walls seemed to close in memories of her in each and every room. I seemed to miss her more and more as the days went by. I missed a lot of school because I had no drive or motivation to go. I quit dancing school because I couldn’t bear her not being at the recitals or practices. I just wanted to crawl up into a ball and hide from the world because it felt like my world had been destroyed. After awhile it hit me that I had to be brave and strong and somehow move on. I thought to myself that she wouldn’t want me to stop my life. She always wanted the best for me so I started to attend school everyday again and I decided to do well in school for her. I always wanted her to be proud of me so I made it my part to work hard and make her proud of me. This took a lot of bravery to look at things this way because I missed her so much and it was hard to face the reality of never seeing he r again. I kept on pushing to move on and not dwell in pity or feeling sorry for myself. I moved on with my life and got through this very difficult change. Now three years down the road and I am in college right where she wanted me to be. I have a very close relationship with my mother that I cherish. I have a job and I have many goals that I know I will reach. I also know in my heart that my grandmother would be very proud of me if she was alive today and her being proud of me is what makes me get through each and every day without her. I also realized that along the way I learned and grew from this experience because I had to become a very strong person for being able to move on with my life and to overcome this dramatic change.

Inferno By Dante Essays - Divine Comedy, Afterlife, Italy, Virgil

Inferno By Dante Although it is hard to read Dantes triple rhyme, I am thrilled by the Infernos ambiguity and allegoric power. It is really a three-dimensional art. Just like Picasso in his paintings, Dante makes me think about the meaning of the situations and their implications. Moreover, it is as visual as masterpieces of Picasso. Dante makes us believe in his narration involving our senses. This narrative poem astonishes me by the power of the language and by its mysticism. In the first canto we see Dante in the dark wood of error. While he tries to climb up the Mount of Joy, Dante meets three wild beasts, which make him lost in the midway. Dante introduces allegoric symbols of betrayal, violence and hunger. Later in the poem, those major sins described by the author in the circles of hell. Betrayal, the most serious sin that the person can commit, is represented by one of the three beasts. Dante puts sinners of that kind in the last, most horrible circle of hell. A lion is a symbolic creature for this sin. Each beast, like everything else in the poem, displays precise meaning of each sin by its nature. The second by its significance is hunger, which is represented by a she-wolf. This beast is the symbol of all the cravings such as sex, food and money. However, the first beast that Dante sees is a leopard. His spots on the body are very meaningful; they have ability to change if we look at baby deer, for example. Therefore, the leopard is the symbol of trickery, betrayal. The Inferno by Dante as a pure piece of art intensifies our experience of life. For me, it is a chance to examine my own experiences, some outer source that fulfill my inner need of thoughts. Book Reports

Nelson Mandela, Autobiography Book

Nelson Mandela, Autobiography Book Introduction The book titled ‘Mandela: The Authorized bibliography’ was written by Sampson Anthony. The book was published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing group and was copyrighted in 2012, and the exclusive copyright belongs to the writer of the book who is Sampson Anthony.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Nelson Mandela, Autobiography Book specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In his book, the writer talks about Nelson Mandela early childhood life, and the struggle he underwent through until he became the president of the republic of South Africa. He talks about Mandelas prison life, education and the fight for independence and freedom in South Africa. He also talks about his release from the prison, and how he led various South Africans to attain independence. Discussion In his book, the writer portrays Nelson Mandela as having various leadership characteristics and attributes. The writer discusses seve ral leadership skills and techniques that Mandela applied in order to obtain freedom in South Africa. The leadership styles discussed in the book include the following leadership skills: Courage is not the absence of fear Mandela states that most leaders have faced down fear, but it is during times of stress that the mettle of leadership is tested; this means maintaining the momentum in tough times, or, as Mandela explains, sometimes you must put up a front (Sampson, 2012). A leader is that person who takes the initiative and is courageous enough to confront hard situations (Sampson, 2012).Advertising Looking for book review on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lead from the front Mandela was always objective about his goals and used all the techniques that could help him achieve the objective it. In all his undertakings, he ensured that he did not leave his base behind. Richard Stengel describes Nelson Mand ela as a historical man. Mandela life in prison shaped his view about the leadership concept, where he viewed leaders as people who should lead by example. Mandela was a fore thinker who projected his thoughts in the future, he focused on the long term objectives and not short term objectives. Lead from the back The concept of leading from the back is contradictory from the concept of leading from the front. Mandela states that there come times when a leader has to lead from the back. Suck an analogy is underpinned by the fact that the same way cattle are led from behind, individuals can also be led from behind too. Know your enemy Mandela states that the best way to lead is to know your enemy and identify their strongest and weakest points. Mandela states that understanding your opponent weakest and strongest point will assist an individual to come to a common ground in times of a conflict. Mandela also points out that communication is also an important aspect in a leader. A leader should communicate effectively and efficiently in order to ensure that leadership is transparent and accountable. Keep your friends close Mandela states that another good leadership principle is to put your friends closer, and put your enemies even closer.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Nelson Mandela, Autobiography Book specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Mandela states that, in order for an individual to lead well, there should a distinct boundary for friendship ties. Friendship ties should not in one way or the other influence the decisions a leader makes. Appearances matter Mandela states that the appearance of a leader really matters. How a leader present themselves both physically and the verbal approach is important. Leaders should be smart, and should a sense of public opinion that is beyond reproach. Mandela states that the little things we do greatly define our public image. For example, how we treat other people, how we greet other people are some of the things that define our leadership skills in the public domain. Nothing is black or white According to Sampson (2012), Mandela states that, at one point in time, leaders are always presented with two options to choose from. Mandela states that, as a leader, an individual should consider the outcomes of the circumstance and not the tactics to be used in addressing the issue. To quit is to lead Mandela states that leaders should always back from poor performing projects. Mandela notes that not all the decisions made by leaders will be successful, and the best way to lead such situations is to take a step backwards (Sampson, 2012). Mandela notes that, in order to win in some cases, and then leaders must concede to win. The fastest way to win is by taking a step backwards and coming out more energized and goal oriented. The above leadership qualities and characteristics had nelson Mandela to be one of the greatest leader the world h as ever experienced. Mandela was determined and focussed towards achieving a goal, which was that of liberating the South Africans from Apartheid.Advertising Looking for book review on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He led with wisdom, and always embraced dialogue in time of conflicts. The above leadership skills and techniques also ensured that, Nelson Mandela led by example while, at the same time, ensuring that others follow in the same path as he did. The above leadership skills to large extent helped the former South African leader to economically steer the country through the peaceful co-existence of people belonging to different races. For example, during his release from prison, Mandela gave a press conference regarding his release. People expected that he would hate the whites who had imprisoned him, but Mandela did not express any hate sentiments towards the whites. Instead, he embraced dialogue and concession with his enemies. This is evident in the manner the leader made some negotiations with the white to form the South African government. Major Crisis The major crisis that Nelson Mandela encountered is the problem of solving the crisis that was being experienced in Nigeria. The cr isis was caused by the annulment of the Nigeria election in June 1993. After the annulment of the election, the General Sani Abacha of Nigeria arrested various political leaders and commanded for their execution. Abacha later executed nine political opponents from the ogoni community including the prolific writer, Ken saro-wiwa. Leadership approach Mandela sought to use the quiet diplomacy method of leadership and solving conflicts. Mandela sent Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and the deputy president Thabo Mbeki to go to Nigeria and lobby for the release of Obasanjo, and several other people who had been detained by the General Sani Abacha (Sampson, 2012). The methodology failed, and Mandela was left with the option of lobbying for support from the Commonwealth of Nations. As a leader, the situation could have been handled by lobbying for the international criminal court to arrest and issue a warranty of arrest for the General Sani Abacha for political crimes and human rights abuses. Conc lusion In conclusion, the above leadership skills, techniques and methods are good and will always make individuals to be good leaders. However, in order to effectively be a good leader, an individual should use the appropriate leadership technique in the appropriate environment. Reference List Sampson, A. (2012). Mandela: The authorized Biography. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

Hydraulic fracturing in the USA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hydraulic fracturing in the USA - Assignment Example Rather, it is their opinion that the US should proceed towards renewable sources of energy, such as biomass, solar, and wind (Hillstrom 24). The potential for energy held by shale gas cannot be denied, and it is the single swiftest emerging source of energy in the US, representing 30% of natural gas supplies today, up from 1% in 2000. One benefit of fracking is that carbon emissions are said to be falling due to the amount of natural gas extracted through the process. This has resulted from the replacement of burning coal fuel with the use of shale gas during the production of electric power (Hillstrom 44). Therefore, it seems that there is a chance shale gas may replace fossil fuels in majority of US power plants. Another benefit is that the use of fracking will reduce the United States’ dependency on the Middle East for its energy needs, while it is also expected that increased development of the sector will result in additional jobs, already having provided 600,000 jobs in the year 2012. In addition, availability of cheaper gas in the United States will result in the increase of the country’s manufacturing capabilities in the face of increased competition from countries with cheaper labour (Hillstrom 45). It is also possible that the US will become a net exporter of energy as its production incre ases. Finally, fracking offers promise as the bridge between energy systems based on carbon from the past and a future that is greener and cleaner. However, the practice also carries various disadvantages, especially with regards to the environment. First, the process requires the use of a lot of water, which could be regarded as the inefficient use of a precious commodity, while it also leads to the production of a lot of wastewater that could contaminate the ground water and flow into streams and rivers (Hillstrom 56). There