Risk assessment plan Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Risk assessment plan - Math Problem Example The paper tells that in coming up with a risk management plan, there are several steps involved. The first step is identifying the risk factors involved. In this stage, the event, probability, impact, contingency, reduction and exposure is established. The event simply means an act or incidence that might happen, probability defines the likelihood of an event occurring, impact is the consequence of an event happening. Mitigation happens to be how much the probability of an event may be reduced. Reduction is represented mathematically as the product of mitigation and contingency, whereas exposure is the result of reduction subtracted from risk. In the initial steps, the project's risk management team has to identify the risks as well as their probabilities and consequences. The risks and threats are then analyzed and a risk profile created depending on the consequence and likelihood of occurrence. The threats and risks that are involved in this project may be subdivide into three main categories based on the entity the most impact is felt. The divisions may be environmental, personnel and the public. The contractor may have to execute his task with the railway being in use. Rubble and materials used overhead are a threat to the public, while the running railway is a risk to the experts on the project. Using the profiling, collapse of the bridge during construction may be catastrophic, yet rare thus falling in the high-risk category of the assessment profile. Probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) or quantitative risk analysis (QRA) or probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) is one of the most used methods of analysing risk in project development and operation (Bedford & Cooke, 2001, p. 210). The use of this technique supports and validates the improvement of control and mitigation measures against threats. Incorporating probability in the project risk management gives the problem a wider scope and allows the stakeholders a better grasp of uncertainty and the need to impr ove on the risk control measures chosen for a given project. Incorporating probability in the development process allows in the assessment of what may happen, its likelihood and the possible consequences in the case of its occurrence. The works of Kaplan and Garrick in defining uncertainties and risk in mathematical terms aids in programming. The definition of risk as a set of scenarios Si, each with a probability Pi and a consequence Xi, generate a risk curve based on the increase or decrease in severity (Goodwin & Wright, 2003, p. 49). From this, programmers can assess inputs through the variations of the severity, consequence and frequency. The Scenario represents the probabilistic sample space in which event is contained (both favourable and unfavourable) each with a chance of occurring. However, in the probabilistic equations, the chances might be equal or biased; in the risk, assessment equality of the scenarios is hard to come by. The chances of occurrence in pure probability are equated to frequency in risk management. The ideology behind introducing the probability of frequency allows the risk analysis to be conducted based on empirical data. If a given project, in a given period, suffers a number of threats and risks the probability of a certain threat can be equated to the number of times it has

Article Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Article Review - Essay Example Secondly, the national service costs billions of Euros to administer, the main reason the German government terminated its program as noted by Connolly (cited in Tzu, 2013, p. 2). Those in support of the program note that the national service equips individuals with important life skills (Patten, 2014). The other argument in support of the service is that those from the national service can perform a number of useful tasks, â€Å"such as ambulance driving or firefighting† as stated by Buchanan (cited in Patten, 2014, p. 2). While it is beyond doubt that those who have gone through national service training can play different roles in society especially during crises, there is no doubt that they may lack something to do when there is no crisis (Tzu, 2013). Yet again, while they can contribute to society through their skills, their net contribution may not be felt since they do not earn salaries and pay no taxes to the government. In summary, the national service equips individuals with important life skills to the extent that they can perform different tasks. While this is the case, the cost of running the program may run into billions of Euros, which is quite prohibitive. In addition, those who have gone through the training may not have work to do when there is peace in the country to the extent that their net contribution to society may be

Entrepreneur Interview and Personal Analysis Essay

Entrepreneur Interview and Personal Analysis - Essay Example He asserted that his job as a waiter was well paid, yet he took the bold step of fulfilling his desire to venture in to the business. Ardichvili et al. (2003) observes that if there were no self confident entrepreneurs to venture in to new businesses, then there would be no business at all. Pro-active and Self Motivated Being pro-active and self motivated was among the significant traits that contributed to the success of the entrepreneur in business. Being decisive than other people made it possible to make a choice regarding the suitability of the site for a business. Such entrepreneurs act quickly to take advantage of an emerging opportunity before anyone else (Burns, 2011). Laggards usually wait for others to establish businesses so that they can observe their success or failure to make a decision. The interviewee demonstrated determination to succeed in business despite the challenges it posed to personal life such as lack of time to think about marrying. Intrinsically motivated people usually derive satisfaction from what they do (Pink 2009). Intrinsic motivation was the significant driver to accomplish entrepreneurial goals making the entrepreneur happy and contented regardless of these challenges. He was determined to work more hours than he did at that particular time. Learning through Actions Learning in this investment has been as a result of actions whereby the outcome of the activities engaged in is the source of essential information for greater investments. For example, the interviewee asserts that he was not sure what to expect in the business. Nevertheless, the idea of operating in a unique manner was expected to augment efforts of attracting customers especially due to the fact that there were no similar shops offering a variety of services as the interviewee’s shop. According to Littunen (2000) creativity is significant in marketing since it helps in generating the right market mix to serve the desires of a wide range of customer deman ds. This business not only offers food and drinks but also a variety of other goods and services such as entertainment through music and live coverage of significant sporting events that attract customers. Visionary and Flair According to Burns (2011), â€Å"In order to succeed, entrepreneurs need to have a clear vision of what they want to achieve† (p 41). The interviewee demonstrated that he was visionary and flair through his efforts of promoting a shared objective among his employees and rallying them to support him in his efforts. They contributed ideas that influenced strategic decisions that enhanced the success of business. The employees were motivated to be part of the business and portrayed dedication to their work. His charismatic leadership was significant in encouraging people to work as a team. Charismatic leadership is significant in attracting followers. The leader has a characteristic allure and elegance, which are admired by subordinates. The Charismatic lea der possesses self-belief and gathers followers through dint of personality and charm, rather than any form of extrinsic motivation or use of authority (Sosik, 2000). As Greenleaf & Spears (2002) observe, charismatic leaders are encouraging to their subordinates and try to pay attention to all their needs as well as making each person to feel important through appreciation of his/her contribution. Timing in the establishment of the business is a significant factor that led to its success. It was

Post 5 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Post 5 - Coursework Example The most important factor that is considered when arranging a marriage in India is the reputation of the family. It is evaluated that marriages can be arranged only if both the families have a same socio-economical status. The other factor includes the education, appearance, attitude and behavior of the bride and groom. Unlike the western society, a high level of care is exercised by the parents in selecting an appropriate mate for their children, as stated by Serena Nanda’s friend â€Å"you American wants everything done so quickly, you get married quickly and then just as quickly get divorced. Here we take marriage more seriously. We must take all the factors into account. It is not enough for us to learn by our mistakes. This is too serious a business. If a mistake is made we have not only ruined the life of our son or daughter, but we have spoiled the reputation of our family as well. And that will make it much harder for their brothers and sisters to get married. So we m ust be very careful† (Nanda). Research has evaluated that there are a number of advantages in the concept of arrange marriage because most of the Indian couple are living a successful life after their arrange marriages, however on the other side the only disadvantage with the arrange marriage is that, both the groom and bride are not provided enough time before their marriage to understand each other and their natures. Lassiter’s defined the concept of family and kinship as a situation where different people, whether directly or indirectly related to each other live together, he called kinship as a network of relatives. The network of relatives can be established through exercising marriages between the matrilineal and patrilineal descent of the family. He explained the marriages of individuals with their direct cousins, i.e. in a matrilineal descent system with the children of the mother’s sister’s children and similarly in the patrilineal decent system

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT - Coursework Example In this entire period, the Canadian Aluminum company shifted its strategies from immediate to deliberate strategies. However, its external factors were very influential on the decisions made. As the company continued centralizing its structures, it relied on deliberate strategies. The authors have a high credibility in that, they are attempting to evaluate whether the growth of a company depends on either deliberate or emergent strategy. Their credibility is evident since they try to apply what Henry Mintzberg had already introduced. Other scholars have reviewed the source of their information. In their findings, they disclose that emergent and deliberate strategies vary in their continuum. The authors research and findings support the research topic, that their exist similarities and differences between the emergent and the deliberate strategies. I endorse their conclusion on the ground that, the two strategies cannot be equally exclusive since either occurs because of varied factor s. Mintzberg, H., Waters, A. J, 1985, Of Strategies, Deliberate and Emergent: John Wiley & Sons, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. ... The article is relevant to the research topic since it supports that there is a sharp dichotomy between the deliberate and emergent strategies. Some of the features that I consider useful in supporting the research topic is when the authors confirms that the two strategies are like two end points of a scale upon which the organizations base their strategies. In presenting their credibility, the authors come up with a notion that and some other fundamental issues linked to strategic decisions. In their conclusion, they disclose the various types of strategies that concealed in research. In extent, these may compromise the validity and reliability of their research since most of the strategies unearthed are not peer reviewed. The strategies uncovered in research include; planned, entrepreneurial, ideological, umbrella, process, unconnected, consensus and imposed strategies. Even though, I support their research that there is a great comparison between the emergent and deliberate strate gies, I am not quite certain about the other strategies they introduce and consider that they also vary. Mintzberg, H, 1990, Design School: Reconsidering the Basic Premises of Strategic Management, John Wiley & Sons, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Mar. - Apr., 1990), pp. 171-195. Accessed: 30/07/2010 04:57. Web: Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2486485 Among the opinions held by particular groups on the formation of strategy, there is one that lies beneath the descriptions in the area of study, and that is the design school. The main purpose of this paper is to suggest on a simple model, which evaluates the process, as a design to accomplish a fundamental anchor between

Austria - second world war Essay Example for Free

Austria second world war Essay Owing their reputation of fine tastes in art and culture, the nation of Austria is proud of their heritage, especially of their fame over the occupation of the Germans in the Second World War. The said country’s status remained to be uncertain after the Allies drove the Nazis away from the country and eventually occupied by the Allies. Austria became really proud of its rich culture and sceneries that were spared by the Nazis. The nation also celebrated its independence 10 years after the Nazis left the country and the cities flourished. Such events that would lead to the development of a country such as war that depicts change, gives a nation a sense of self-importance that is reflected in its culture and the tastes that the inhabitants acquire. The geographical data of Austria may be described as (according to the Encyclopedia Britannica as: â€Å".. largely mountainous country of south-central Europe. Austria extends roughly 340 miles (550 km) from east to west. It is bordered to the west by Switzerland and Liechtenstein, to the northwest by Germany, to the north by the Czech Republic, to the northeast by Slovakia, to the east by Hungary, to the southwest by Italy, and to the south by Slovenia. The capital is Vienna. Austria has an area of 32,378 square miles (83,859 square km). † Austria is one the verge of development these days but still largely dependent on its agricultural side. Most of the raw materials are still sourced from their agricultural fields and lush greeneries. Despite the advent of globalization on its boundaries, Austria remains to be a country of nature. Furthermore, policies of agriculture has been into practice for years in the country so as to protect their source of raw materials. This may be viewed as a strength since the raw materials that the distillery in question may be sourced from the agricultural side of the nation, a cut from the costs that the company may incur. The introduction of the Euro in place of the Austrian Schilling also had a positive effect in the country’s economy. (Anonymous 2006g) This prompted for developments in investors and this can be viewed as a plus factor in considering whether to expand in the nation of Austria or not. Scotch is one of the products in less demand in Austria. Together with the rest of Europe (excluding France, Spain and Germany), Austria constitutes 17% of the total demand for Scotch Whisky in 1995. The small market size of the nation may be viewed as its weakness since the local distilleries would have had the shares that The Olde Distillerie would want to have. For a small company as the company in question, it would a be a negative sign in investing in a country such as that of Austria. Meanwhile, Austria cannot hide such facts that people of their nation demands objects and products of high taste and rich in culture and history such as the scotch whisky. And like other European countries, its rich taste and heritage may be a possible market for the distillery, for as we have stated earlier, the countries are looking at alcohol as a sort of symbol or identity. Not only is the scotch whisky a lucrative product because of its history, but the taste and flavor of the product may be all in all attractive for the market of Austria. 4. Spain Spain’s strategic location enables it to embody a nation rich in culture and experience. Its location can be described as a crossroad in Europe where, many Islamic states are present for the past 800 years of their existence. (Anonymous 2006h) However, despite the Islamic states that pose as an outside force that may influence the country’s belief, Spain remains to be a Catholic country with a strong sense of culture and self-importance.

Impact of the Black Death on Art in Europe

Impact of the Black Death on Art in Europe How significant was the Black Death for painting in Siena, Florence and  Padua in the second half of the fourteenth century? From 1280 until the advent of the Black Death, Florence, Siena and Padua had been growing in wealth and size, but the outbreak of disease in 1348 and the years following led to the deaths of between a half and two thirds of their populations (Norman, 1995, II, 8). This ‘catastrophic fall’ led to the culmination of many building projects, notably the construction of the Duomo Nuovo in Siena (Norman, 1995, II, 135), but the significance of the Black Death with respect to painting is disputed. Since the publication of Meisss work, Painting in Florence and Siena After the Black Death (1951), the connection between the Black Death and a change in art during the second half of the fourteenth century has been the subject of discussion among art historians. Henk Van Os, for example, argues that Meiss was not the first to identify this trend, but that he was the first to attribute it to the social and religious upheaval which accompanied the Black Death (Van Os, 1981, 238). There has been much discussion as to whether the Black Death could be seen as quite the decisive event that Meiss alleged. The debate focuses on three crucial areas of thought: firstly, whether the works that Meiss cites are correctly dated (i.e. whether they can with certainty be placed before or after 1348); secondly, whether the Black Death was actually a causative factor in the perceived change in style; and, thirdly, whether there was one shift or several in the artistic course of the fourteenth century. In view of these disputes, we must beware of taking too simplistic an approach. For an example of the first element of this debate, we can look to the Triumph of Death in the Camposanto at Pisa and Barna da Sierras frescoes in the Collegiata of San Gimignano, both cited by Meiss as being typical of artistic production after the Black Death. Subsequent scholarship has cast doubt on Meiss’s theory because the former work is now believed to have been produced in the 1330s (Smart, 1978) and the latter is now dated before 1348 (Van Os, 1981, 240). We must also consider that some of the qualities most characteristic of late Trecento painting are already present, as Meiss himself was the first to recognise, in the frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi in the Baroncelli Chapel (Smart, 1978, 108). As this chapel was painted during the years 1328-34, it demonstrates an early change in style which also undermines Meiss’s thesis. The second element of the debate concerns the change in religious thought that occurred as a result of the devastation of the Black Death. Norman comments on the popularity of altarpieces depicting Saint Sebastian and the overt association of his sufferings with those of the victims of plague (Norman, 1995, I, 187-195), but there is also a subtler change in style represented by the Strozzi Altarpiece (1357). Meiss argued that painting typical of the early fourteenth century dwelt on ‘familiar and universal human experience‘ (Meiss, 1951, 28) and that it had been succeeded by a greater emphasis upon the hierarchical and dogmatic expressions of religious life, an elevation of the church and a mystification of the deity. Giotto had pioneered an artistic style that was marked by its realistic depiction of three-dimensional space, harmonious use of colour and the creation of a sympathetic response in the viewer. These features came to be characteristic of early fourteenth pain ting, yet the Strozzi Altarpiece rejects the depiction of concrete space, the figures ‘hover’ and show a ‘lack of exact spatial placement‘, the colours are ‘disjointed and uneasy‘ and the painting creates a distancing sense of awe and mystery, which Cole describes as ‘strange‘, ‘eerie‘, ‘stern and unforgiving‘ and ‘aloof’ (Cole, 1976, 134-6). Meiss argued that this style was a conscious return to the Byzantine influenced art of the previous century (Meiss, 1951, 10) and that it is a reflection of the religious emphasis upon guilt and atonement that was a reaction to the Black Death. We may also notice an interest in the symbolic rather than realistic representation of figures in the St John the Baptist Altarpiece (1370/80) by Giovanni del Biondo, where John tramples his enemy, Herod, underfoot. John has the same austere look and there is the same sense of psychological withdrawal that has been obse rved in the face of Christ in the Strozzi Altarpiece. However, in Padua it is difficult to discover much evidence for the rejection of ‘realism’ in artistic style during the second part of the century. Altichieros decoration of Lupis funerary chapel in the Santo, far from attempting to distance the viewer, uses space and form to draw the spectator in. His use of landscape reminds us of Lorenzetti and his figures are clearly inspired by Giotto, especially the women who gather near the foot of the cross and embrace in a manner reminiscent of Joachim and Anna and the angels who have the substance and expression of those we see in the Arena Chapel. The scale, proportion and design of this fresco suggest that this scene is being played out just beyond the walls of the church and that we are viewing it as though through the arches of a loggia. The colours are harmonious and subdued and there is an impression of nearness and reality. Altichiero’s style is more developed and detailed than earlier works, but its underlying in tent and spirit owes much to his legacy from the earlier fourteenth century. In Siena we also find more contradictory interpretations of the changes that occurred in the mid-century. Henk Van Os has described the way in which social upheavals following the Black Death led to profound changes in patronage: the wealthy elite lost much of their political power and a class of nouveau riche sprang up who had less interest in artistic commissioning. Much of the art became imitative and conservative and was more often commissioned in the provinces surrounding Siena. In the city itself, only the wealthy body of the Ospedale of Santa Maria della Scala, which had received many bequests from victims of the Black Death, continued commissioning new altarpieces, one of which, by Bartolommeo Bulgarini, included the Assumption of the Virgin, a painting which Van Os believes to exhibit very full, monumental figures, entirely in the tradition of Pietro Lorenzetti (Van Os, 1981, 245). He argues that this painting does not show signs of the flat, hierarchical, mystical design wh ich Meiss attributed to it, but that it takes the form of a plastically realistic version of the Assumption and so stands within the earlier traditions of Sienese painting (Van Os, 1981, 245). Certainly, the treatment of the Virgin and the use of elaborate gold effects reflect the Sienese craftsmanship established by Duccio and Simone Martini. Van Os concludes that changes in artistic production after the Black Death were principally due to different sites of patronage rather than changes in religious thought . The third aspect of the debate concerns the question of whether Meiss was right to propose that there was a single significant shift around 1348. Smart and Norman, for example, argue that the Strozzi Altarpiece was not such a significant departure as Meiss had argued because the precedent for such a depiction of Christ had been set in the Stefaneschi Altarpiece, painted by one of Giotto’s associates and dated late 1320s early 1330s (Smart, 1978, 122 and Norman, 1995, I, 184). Although many critics agree that the middle years of the fourteenth century can be described as a period of reassessment in the history of Tuscan painting (Smart, 1978, 107), there are significant arguments that that the evolution of artistic style went through a number of phases, not just one sudden change linked to the Black Death. John White discusses two stylistic changes in the second half of the fourteenth century: the first more conservative and less adventurous and the second in which exploration and experiment again came to the fore (White, 1993, 542). Cole also argues that, as well as the change in the middle of the century, there was another change in style around 1375 and a renewed interest in both the form and content of Giottos art (Cole, 1976, 140). It is clear that, since Meiss’s original theory was proposed, much work has been done by other art historians to challenge his ideas. Although the production of art in Florence in this period did take on different forms from earlier ones and the theory that this was due to the religious reaction provoked by the Black Death can be given some credence, there is less evidence of this trend in Padua and Siena. It is therefore my conclusion that the middle part of the century saw a brief set-back in artistic endeavour, which was due to the devastation caused by the Black Death, but that the fourteenth century was mostly a period of successive developments building on the work of the earlier masters. 1500 words Bibliography Cole, Bruce (1976), Giotto and Florentine Painting 1280-1375, New York. Meiss, Millard (1951), Painting in Florence and Siena After the Black Death, Princeton. Norman, Diana, ed., (1995), Siena, Florence and Padua: Art Society and Religion 1280-1400. Volume I: Interpretative Essays, London. Norman, Diana, ed., (1995), Siena, Florence and Padua: Art .Society ad Religion 1280-1400. Volume II: Case Studies, London. Van Os, HenkThe Black Death and Sienese Painting: a Problem of Interpretation, Art History, 4,1981, pp. 237-49. Smart, Alastair, 1978, The Dawn of Italian Painting 1250-1400, Oxford. White, John, 1993, Art and Architecture in Italy 1250-1400, London.