Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Influence of Social Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Influence of Social Thinking - Essay Example Many people judge another person's personality and mood by only processing a small amount of information about them. We may see a person laughing at the grocery store and think they have a jovial spirit. When we see them at work, they may be cold and aloof. People are often judged by these situational moods. Yet, the person is adapting to the situation. This overemphasis on personality and the underestimation of the situation is known as fundamental attribution error (Myers 706). The person has changed their behavior to react to a different situation. This error can cause us to label and catalog people falsely. When we use only mood and behavior to judge a person and overlook the situation it's an attribution error. When we react to situations it is sometimes difficult to understand how much is our behavior being controlled by our own attitudes and how much our behavior is controlling what we think. Often times people are told 'make the best of it'. There may be a class that a student doesn't enjoy yet approaches it with a positive attitude. If other outside influences are minimal, we may do well in the class (Myers 709). However, if people tell us we will fail in the class, and we don't take any action to change the attitude, we will likely fail. Knowing that our attitude can change our behavior can be beneficial in changing our lives. We may not be able to change dramatically or quickly, but we may be able to alter our behavior a step at a time. The foot-in-the-door phenomenon states that when people agree to a small action they are more likely to agree to a larger action at a later time (Myers 709). By understanding this we can also incorporate the cognitive dissonance theory that states that we can bring our "attitudes in line with our actions" (Myers 711). By taking an attitude that we want to project, we can alter our behavior. As much as our own attitudes and social situations determine our behavior, the group that we are in exerts even more pressure. Experiments by Solomon Asch confirmed that people feel a need to conform (Myers 714). The group we are in exaggerates this need. If we are insecure, the group is large, we admire the group, and the group is unanimous, it increases our likelihood of conforming (Myers 715). This is how lone holdouts on juries are eventually swayed into changing their vote. It is also how we are persuaded to take an action we may feel is wrong. We may also conform to a group for the same reasons and elicit a positive outcome. A study group, church meeting, or volunteer organization may prompt us to behave in a positive manner. Yet, in some groups there is no general consensus and opposing views are suppressed resulting in "groupthink" (Myers 722). Panels, boards, and committees have often made serious blunders by succumbing to the phenomenon. While these group pressures may result in a bad decision, they can also become destructive and overpowering. The experiments of Stanley Milgram illustrated how far people were willing to go to conform (Myers 717). People will go beyond simply conforming and to the level of blind obedience. This is especially true if the group influence has the perception of authority and the authority is close at hand (Myers 717). The influence of people is also seen when they affect our actions such as in "social facilitation" (Myers

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Changes in UK Labour Productivity: Analysis

Changes in UK Labour Productivity: Analysis Introduction The Agents’ scores for capacity constraints: The series of scores inside the Agents’ Summary of Business Conditions, which is generated by 12 regional officies (Agencies), is a tool for Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to track the underlying trend in economic factors. The Agents in each region gather the information on economic conditions from their contacts, then judge what value to score subjectively. The scores are the simple way that Agents alter the intelligence they gathered before into a quantitative assessment of the economy over time (Colin Ellis, Tim Pike, 2005). Figure 1: Capacity Constraints Scores in Agents Summary of Business Conditions from Jan, 1998 to Sept, 2014 (Source: Bank of England) Most of the scores are based on a comparison of recent months with the same period a year earlier, however, there are some exceptions like employment intentions or capacity constraints, which are looking forward. The scores range from -5 to +5 with -5 is denoted that rapidly decreasing level and +5 is rapidly growth. In this case, a positive score in Capacity Constraints means that companies face with a little or no pressure on capacity demand and vice versa. In the chart above, it can be seen that there are two downward sloping periods between 2009 and 2013 when were the double-dip recession occurred in the UK. The trend also illustrates an improving progress within a year recently, with a rise of 0.6 points on both sectors. The UK productivity puzzle Productivity experience in cross-country and historical views: The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2007-2008 has caused a significant damage to the economy of most developed countries in the world, including the UK. The decline in output has led to a considerable decline in labor productivity in the UK. Labor productivity has been improving from 2013, but it still be less than its pre-crisis level of around 16% (see Figure 2 below). This shortfall can be referred as the â€Å"UK productivity puzzle and it has took a great effort from economists in order to explain the situations, however, it has yet to be answered completely so far. Figure 2: The UK Labour Productivity (1998-2013). Sources: Moneymovesmarket.com It can be seen from figure 3 that a weaker performance in labour productivity during the latest recession than all previous post-war recessions. In all recessions before, the first fall in productivity was usually short-lived and the productivity began to increase and regained its peak level after just only almost a year and a half. Figure 3: Productivity per person after UK recessions (Source: Office for National Statistics) However, this latest episode did not see the same stories as its two previous. Between early 2009 and mid-2010, the productivity made a rise of of approximately one percent and continually levelled off and it did not rise further over the next year as both output and employment saw really slow recoveries.At the time of Q3/2011, the employment was rising sharply while the growth of GDP has shrinked (see Appendix), therefore creating a renew decrease in labour productivity. As a result, the UK productivity still be underneath its pre-recession peak around 4 percent. One remarkable point is that the increasing employment and the weak labour productivity seem to be an odd thing to see among the GFC. If the business is expected to stay weak typical companies will shed labour to boost productivity up. The productivity weakness of the UK is also unusual when comparing with some international stories for recent years. Despite their increasing growth before the GFC, it has been significantly weaker than some high-income countries’ economy. Looking at figure 4, it is easily seen that the UK productivity performance was consistent with that of other countries suggests that some common factors might be involved.Nevertheless, as mentioned above, there has been a downward slope in UK productivity in mid-2011 which was not encountered to the same level elsewhere.The weak productivity of Germany is due to the unusual strong employment referred to the past. One additional point is that only Italy has the similar trend with the UK, showing the impact of GFC on their labour productivity. There are some reasons why these comparison might exaggerate the productivity puzzle’s size. Measurement inaccuracy could take account for a very small piece of productivity weakness. Moreover, expenditure on research and development (RD) is considered as a part of GDP, therefore GDP can be lifted by around 1.5% points. Another reason here is that the decrease in North Sea oil and gas output (see Appendix) slowed trend growth in labour productivity in this sector. In total, although the measurement issues can explain up to 4% point of the shortfall in productivity there are lots of things to research the remaining. Figure 4: Labour productivity per person across countries between 1999 and 2013 Source: Thomson Reuters Datastream, Eurostat and ONS Cyclical explanations on productivity shortfall Lower factor utilisation as a result of weak demand conditions The first hypothesis suggests that weakness in productivity is cyclical in nature, driven by weak demand conditions. Firms are unable or unwilling to shed labour or dispose of capital but sometimes, they are not as productive as they might have been. The difference between the lower utilisation level and more normal levels of capacity utilisation is called â€Å"spare capacity within firms†. The first reason for this hypothesis is that they need to keep business going by holding a minimum level of staffs, so-called ‘overhead labour’. Therefore, some firms might not have been able to cut employment below the minimum base, like the guards for the construction until it is sold, for example. Anothing reason should be remarked here is that companies believe the weak demand is temporary. In past experiences, companies made decisions to having fired workers in the early stages of the recession. Conversely, they found it hard to find workers with the appropriate, firm-specific skills. Thus, they missed the opportunities to make a breakthrough on the market. Recently, companies might desire to ‘hoard’ underutilised workers to avoid those lessons from the past. From 2007 to 2012, the proportion of reduced output companies but holding employment rose from about 20 percent than the pre-crisis period (see figure 5). It also suggests that these holding action of firms contributed to the decrease in productivity measured, shown by the diamonds in the chart. Figure 5: Proportion of reduced output firms but holding labour (from 2005-2012). Source: ONS and Bank calculations Spare capacity is measured in the business survey that provide a significant degree of idle capacity within companies in the initial stages of the crisis. However, this business survey just uses the qualitative methods, thus it did not capture the amount of spare capacity in each firm. One additional thing is all answers are subjective so it can be changed over time. It might take no effect on the size of the UK productivity puzzle. Other cyclical factors Some sectors had diverted the resources toward activities which is not immediately counted as output. Consequently, it cannot tribute to the total productivity. In contrast, there are some point which indicated that the cyclical hypothesis alone cannot fully explain the productivity puzzle. Effect of persistent factors on productivity puzzle Tangible and intangible capital investment effects on the shortfall The consequences of the GFC made the firms’ desire in investment in physical capital more difficult because the tighter credit conditions may lead to a higher cost to obtain finance. The stagnated situation in this period also made investments become less efficient, causing directly the material deterioration in the capital stock of worker. Moreover, a considerable fall in real wages during the crisis (see Appendix) while the cost of capital went up have led the relative cost of labour to capital to be decreasing. Hence, it have provided a motivation to switch to use labor-intensive business and companies decided to increase the labour working hours. However, the production output did not go up due to the low demand conditions, therefore the productivity has been decreased. Firms also invest in ‘intangible capital’ which include some types like intellectual property rights or brand names, etc. One main point here is the strong relationship between two types of capital investment mentioned above. For example, the innovated implementation can be processed alongside the introduction of plants and machinery. However, RD expense is considered as the innovation input; that means even though firms have invest a huge amount of money but without new valuable output, which are some types of product or process innovation, there will be an inverse impact on the productivity. According to the data of the UK Innovation Survey, there has been a fall of about 30% in both product and process innovation among the crisis despite an increasing trend in spending budget on RD (see figure †¦). These capital channels have explained a considerable proportion, about 3 to 4 percentage points, of the shortfall in the UK. Impaired resource allocation and the higher firm survival Figure 6: Decomposition of the UK Labour Productivity (2004-2012). Source: ONS and Bank calculations. Looking at the graph above, it is seen that there is a downward sloping trend in the contribution from reallocation, as a result of higher insolvencies or firing behavior (Riley et al, 2014), and its contribution decreased even further, becoming minor between 2010 and 2012. As mentioned above, uncertainty have made firms more wary when investing and labour reallocation. Moreover, the financial system have played a role to have impaired the movement of resources through two channels: impaired capital allocation and higher firm survival. Broadbent (2012, 2013) declares that considerable changes in rates of return on capital across sectors might not be associated with the following movements of capital stocks. In addition, Barnett et al (2014b) highlight an economic model with multiple firms and sectors to analyse that a high price dispersion might be used to explain the productivity loss with around 3 to 4 percentage point. According to Arrowsmith et al (2013), there has been a bank forbearance which provide the measures of support to firms struggling to meet its debt obligations. Although the direct impact have been a little at around one percentage point, the overall impact might have been greater because the widespread effect of the forbearance in the whole sector. Moreover, Arrowsmith et al (2013) indicated that the low level of Bank rate has supported to retain the borrowing costs for firms fairly low. The unusually low rate of firm collapse is to have lowered labour productivity by up to 5 percentage points. Relationship between the labour productivity and monetary policy decision The outlook for inflation in the medium-term depends on the balance of demand and supply in the economy. In theory, if supply is greater than the goods and services that people demand, prices will tend to fall and vice versa. Hence, the MPC should make an assessment about up-to-date indicators and prediction in supply, as well as demand. In recessions, demand typically falls by more than supply. An output gap opens up – the economy can supply more than is currently demanded. And unless that gap is closed, it will push down on costs and prices. But assessing the size of the output gap is very difficult, for exactly the reasons we have been discussing today. Early estimates of economic activity can be revised substantially, so it is hard to know just how weak demand and output really are. And it is equally difficult to know the extent to which the supply potential of the economy has been affected by the recession. 1 | Page

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Legality of Child Pornography Essay -- Child Pornography Debate Es

The Legality of Child Pornography Child pornography is an ongoing issue as technology progresses in today’s world. Now there are ways to produce child pornography without actually using a real child. While there are acts and laws to protect the children, there are still many unsatisfied people on each side of the issue. There are people who believe the adult entertainment companies, who produce the child pornography; they believe that their First Amendment rights are being violated with current acts and laws against it. There are also people who think that the current laws are not strict enough and that they need to outlaw all types of child pornography. It is necessary for all sides of the issue to be considered and for the appropriate people to take suitable actions to determine the outcome and final decision concerning child pornography. While the First Amendment protects many things, one thing it does not protect is any form of child pornography. That is, any content that shows children, under the age of sixteen, engaged in any form of sexual activity. The question of the legality of child pornography first appeared in 1982, in the case of New York vs. Ferber. It was decided that the creation, promotion and distribution of child pornography was illegal. Also, it is illegal to falsely persuade children into performing sexual acts. There are some images still that are protected by the First Amendment that could still be considered child pornography, depending on their use. For instance, images of child genitalia are legal in medical books, but if these same images are put on an adult website, the courts would most likely rule them illegal (AdultWebLaw, 2002). In any case, child pornography is an ongoing cont... ...rosecute the adult entertainment companies because they are not breaking any laws. Until the Supreme Court rules that any form of child pornography is illegal, there will be no changes in the current standing of this issue. Child pornography, not involving children at the age of sixteen and under, is legal and exercises the adult entertainment industry’s right to free speech. Works Cited: Baase, Sara. (2003). A Gift of Fire: Social, legal, and ethical issues for computers and the Internet. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. Child Pornography. (1998-2002). AdultWebLaw. Retrieved May 21, 2004 from http://www.adultweblaw.com/laws/childporn.htm Child Pornography Prevention Act. (2001, February 6). Evanston, IL: Jean Goodwin. Retrieved May 21, 2004 from http://faculty-web.at.nwu.edu/commstud/freespeech/cont/cases/morphed.html

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Information Governance

Information governance is generally the act of storing, protecting and integrating data acquired from different sources. Efficient maintenance of the stored health care data provides space for health institutions to create a friendly atmosphere with the patients, individualize treatments,improve communication levels and thus health outcomes. Electronic health records (EHR) technology, which records and stores patients' information electronically, helps the healthcare administrators to consolidate, centralize and securely get in touch with patients' data. This technology has become helpful in information governance system because it enhance a comprehensive knowledge about the patient and enables personalized interactions by integrating patients' data from all required sources. Health analysts play a key role in the data management system by providing insightful knowledge from patterns and correlations on healthcare data. From this, one can deduce a health problem that mainly affects a certain age group, hence elevate population health results through tracking present health trends and foresee upcoming ones. The incorporation of mobile health tools and patients' portals in the health data management systems has made it easier for the patients to interact with the healthcare personnel. The personal interaction between the physician and the patient has enhanced the privacy level, which every patient desires.Information about a physician derived from claims data enables a healthcare management system to deduce his or her behavior and decide on the physician's placement area. By understanding the physician's area of specialization in a certain department and assigning him to his specialty it will lead to increase in volume of the referral rates hence high revenue income.Physicians and healthcare management personnel ought to be very keen when collecting patients' data and marketing department need to focus on creating awareness on stabilizing data management systems. Knowledgeable and impactful business decisions based on the provided data will be attained due to the involvement of every party in the healthcare sector.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Strategic risks †thinking about them differently Essay

One of the most important aspects to put into consideration when taking up a project is project risk management. A project risk is an event / condition, which is uncertain that, upon it occurrence brings either a positive or a negative impact on the project. A positive manager should consider this as one of the ten knowledge areas where competence is highly regarded. Risk management is critical, especially to organizations working in multi-project environments and the maturity for risk is high (Loftus, 1999). A wide range of risks is apparent when working in projects involving construction among other engineering work. These risks are mostly attributed to government policy, diversity in stakeholders’ aspirations and the challenges of adding multiple projects. For a good risk management process, there must be a clear statement and understanding of roles and responsibilities, proper skills on technical analysis and the prevailing organizational factors should support the project . Project risk management involves identifying, assessing and prioritizing of risks: and thereafter putting resources to use in order to reduce, monitor and control those risks that could affect the project negatively and increase realizing of opportunities (Jaafari, 2001). This report seeks to outline the knowledge acquired on management of risk in projects among other basic knowledge gathered on management of projects. Discussion             All organizations exist for their own different purposes, and that of public engineering organizations in the construction business, the purpose is to deliver a service, which brings a beneficial result in the public/ stakeholders interest (Harrison, 2004). Decisions to pump resources into investments on capital infrastructure are prompted by needs that are meant to enhance the achievement of the major purpose. According to Flanagan and Norman (1993), the benefits of efficient risk management are evident especially in projects involving capital infrastructure because they are dynamic in nature and bring positive cost implications from the construction related decisions. Risk management should be taken as an intrinsic part of capital infrastructure investment decisions mainly because, as project, ventures get more elaborate, the role of risk management is exemplified (Kutsch & Hall, 2010). Regarding this realization, some countries have enacted government policies on constructors emphasizing on the need to incorporate risk management in capital infrastructure schemes (Uher & Loosemore, 2004). Risk is therefore, in many occasions, viewed as a condition or event whose occurrence will have adverse effects on the project and may hinder the attainment of set objectives. Hence, risk management relates decisions to such probable harmful effects (Chapman et al, 2012). This philosophical approach to risk management enables the process to be broken down into four fundamental sub-processes (Culp, 2001). These involve identification, analysis, response and monitoring. The former step of identification is the most critical step because it has the biggest effect on decisions emanating from the process of risk management. Reviewing risk management, in his article, Williams (1995), notes that there is little structured work in publication about typical risks. According to Chapman (1998), as much as risk identification is critical on the risk assessment and response phases, very little empirical evidence is available at this early phase. The heavier task in risk management remains in the analysis and response to the risk, yet the reasoning stands that unless the risks are identified, they cannot be analyzed and responded to. For most engineers, the need to have a set out program is critical for it provides an umbrella under which all current projects fall so that an outcome can be delivered massively in general, and greater than the total sum of all others. A program is usually temporary, and flexible; created to direct and oversee the implementation of a set of related projects and activities for the deliverance of beneficial outcomes that relate to the organization’s strategic objectives. Several projects are undertaken under this umbrella. This explicitly differentiates between program management outcomes and project management outputs. However, there is a link between projects and strategy through the program. Risk management is becoming an increasingly important process due to external pressures in existence. However, good risk management is seen as a critical attribute of organizational success in the field of engineering. The assumption that programs are merely extensions of projects should cease to exist because many will tend to reflect program risk management to project risk management (Allan, 2008). Program management is a broad extension of the varied, yet related, projects. On projects, it is important to define one or more objective functions like capital expenditure and completion time to represent it to measure the probability of achieving the set targets. Risk management then goes on to model the project’s objectives against the projects variables like costs and the quantity of inputs. These variables are usually uncertain as time goes on, hence the uncertainty of a hundred percent achievement of the objectives set. The most ideal situation would be identifying and characterizing the variables in advance providing that they will remain unchanged by time. This would make it easy to estimate the possible risks and the consequent variance of the project’s objective(s). However, not all project variables can be identified as new variables might surface as the project goes on while the probability of occurrence of the initial variables may vary (Kerzner & Saladis, 2009). The impacts of the initial variables, both positive and negative, may change too hence making risk management even more hard (Drummond, 1999). Certainty and uncertainty of realizing a project’s objectives are measurable, only ideally. The possibility of a project not breaking even could be considered as a representative of the whole project: and then used in turn to evaluate against the variable and try to reduce the risks involved. This becomes a basis for decision-making. Some projects may proceed normally in a stable environment, hence making the uncertainty high at the time it is conceptualized. Pro-active planning and making prudent decisions will see the uncertainty reduce (Royer, 2001). However, uncertainty in complex projects within a changing environment will not necessarily reduce/ diminish as time goes by Chapman (1998). It is necessary to keep on checking on the project’s variables and re-evaluating of the objective function’s status to facilitate adjustments in the project’s strategies. Uncertainty surrounds many parts of a project; hence early resolution of variables may not be poss ible always. Variables change over time leading to exposure to new threats and risks along the way. This fact should not be refuted and a lot of work is required in the planning evaluating phases, where most of the critical work is done. In spite of all the uncertainty and complexity surrounding risk management and project management, it is important to seek methods of improving the project’s base value (Drummond, 1999). Conceptualization, planning, and implementation of a project are complex process that requires management based on set strategic objectives, which vary from time to time. The objectives should be integrative and holistic in the sense that it caters for social, political, environmental, and community aspects (Sears et al, 2010). Traditionally, planning in project management should form the basis of planning, alongside other functions of project management including; human resource, time, scope, integration, quality and procurement. These should be the fundamental factors f consideration along each phase. A variety of guidebooks, protocols and codes of practice in the engineering field have been made available for use in risk management in project management. In the United Kingdom, the ‘Orange book’ is a framework that is set to offer guidance on basic risk management concepts and as a resource for developing risk management processes and implementing them I the public sec tor (Aritua et al 2011). It is also aimed at using a risk based decision-making on investment. There have been many more publications and publications aimed at dictating hoe risk management should look like. These guidelines have offered a basis upon which projects are appraised and their investment viability tested. This has enhanced the process and shifted its reception and perception from project risk management to a risk management strategic level (Melton, 2011). In engineering and construction professions, program management and project management came to existence due to the changing procurement environment (Cox et al 2006). In the United Kingdom, procurement of infrastructural assets was done in a sequential manner, which involved a clear differentiation in the project life cycle phases. Currently there are three major procurement systems. These systems are prime contracting, Design and Build procurement and Private Finance Initiative (Aritua et al 2011). These methods were because of the need to adopt integrative and collaborative project delivery methods. The procurement systems have features like framework agreements, the use of specifications that are output based, and more importantly, emphasis on the lifelong value of the structures (Shehu and Akintoye, 2009). The office of Government Commerce has facilitated the change in construction procurement in the public sector too. The agency’s main agenda is to ensure that policies ar e followed and enhancing promotion of the best performance practices. These systems ensure that the project undertaken is of high quality and regard set policies and guidelines. These sanctions in the public works and construction sector have acted as strategic risk management tools for they ensure quality assurance as well as proper quality management. Project management should incorporate the use of a strategy-based management approach. This will facilitate the integration of planning, risk management and decision-making hence ensuring real time real time realization of an optimum of the project’s strategic objective against its variables (Schmidt, 2009). The project’s promoters are not always the investors. Investors are not always actively involved in the management of the project, but invest resources into the project hoping to get dividends. The promoters’ objective, on the other hand, is to deliver a facility that will ensure a long term balanced and financially viable business entity. The project is therefore a compromise between the attainment of investors’ interests and that of the community (Pinto & Morris, 2010). Project development should be based on a set of strategic objectives, which stamp the project as a business and entwining project decisions to strategic business decisions (Wearne, 19 89). Amid all risks, the project should be planned proactively regarding its variables and with a focus on the life cycle objective functions (Westland, 2007). All life cycle functions should be observed. These are: financial functions, customer satisfaction, and policy observance/ adherence to statutory concerns. Statutory concerns could be like those regarding projects adjacent to ecological systems or highly populated areas (Jha, 2011). Proactive planning of the project ensures real time minimization of risk. Effective risk management ensures that there is typical conceptualization of projects and their subsequent implementation using strategic objectives. It also ensures any further variables are assessed and managed accordingly to optimize the project’s strategic outcome, that which of a business entity (Heagney, 2011). Since projects are subjected to changes in objectives and variables due to external factors, it is important to incorporate a continuous risk management process that involves continuous risk and uncertainty management process conducted in real time to bring value to the project manager. Strategies made from risk analysis are a basis upon which decision-making is based going forward. Objectives of the life cycle are the vessel for analysis. Ethical practices are important factors to put into consideration when taking up/ procuring a project (Ralf et al, 2014). There exists codes of conduct and these codes may vary depending on the government regulations from one country to another. These codes guide management of projects, operations and supervision of work, and the technical aspect of the project, which is building. Since the work done is of great importance, the designed code of conduct and ethical measures should be used as they set standards for the output as well as achieving business objectives with the community in regard (Haukur et al, 2011). Reflective assessment Group activities that included vast research and group projects were vital in broadening my understanding of the project management theory, which of great importance to establishing and undertaking successful projects. According to Turner (1993), scope management is what the project management theory regards. Scope management involves three fundamental issues; ensuring that an adequate amount of work has been done, avoiding doing any unnecessary work and ensuring that the work done fulfills the intended business purpose as stated. The recognition of the sequential state in which activities are undertaken helped us as a group in determining what had to be done at a particular time and by what particular persons as well as accounting for what had been spent on completed work in anticipation of costs that would be accrued in the next steps. I came to understand project management by likening it to production operations management. The crystallization of project management theory to oper ations management theories made it easy for us to recognize the resounding reliance on the transformational theory, which is production oriented. This is because project management involves injecting inputs on which transformational processes occur to bring the result, which is the output (Nell, 1998). Goals are set on the output, upon which a basis for control is placed: control systems are put in place to ensure activities align with achieving intended goals and putting improvement measures in place. This deep understanding of the theory has been enhanced mainly by the critical analysis and discourse that we have engaged ourselves with in the group to widen knowledge on the process. Relevant knowledge on management theories on planning, execution and control has expanded from these activities as well as project theories pertaining flow of production (which projects have been likened with) (Sulliman, 2014). These productions method include incorporating techniques such as lean prod uction and just in time (JIT) (Gilbereath, 1922). Ethical practices in governance for contemporary organizations are also a major factor for consideration (Ralf et al, 2014). Conclusively, exploration on the area of project management has instilled in me management skills, which are very critical in handling projects and managing every aspect in them including risk. References Allan, N., Davis, J., 2006. Strategic risks — thinking about them differently.Proceedings of ICE 159 Aritua B., Nigel J. Smith, Denis Bower (2011) International Journal of Project Management. United Kingdom: University of Leeds Chapman, C. B., Ward, S., & Chapman, C. B. (2012). How to manage project opportunity and risk: Why uncertainty management can be a much better approach than risk management : the updated and re-titled 3rd ed of Project risk management, processes, insights and technoiques. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley. Cox, A., Ireland, P., & Townsend, M. (2006). Managing in construction supply chains and markets: Reactive and proactive options for improving performance and relationship management. London: Thomas Telford. Culp, C. L. (2001). The Risk Management Process: Business Strategy and Tactics. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Drummond H 1999. Are we any closer to the end Escalation and the case of Taurus? International Journal of Project Management Flanagan, R., & Norman, G. (1996). Risk management and construction. Oxford [u.a.], Blackwell Science.Gilbreath, R. D. (1992). Managing construction contracts: Operational controls for commercial risks. New York: Wiley. Harrison, F. L., & Lock, D. (2004). Advanced project management: A structured approach. Aldershot, England: Gower. Haukur, I. J., & Ingason, H. T. (2013). Project ethics. Farnham, Surrey: Gower. Heagney, J. (2011). Fundamentals of Project Management. New York: AMACOM. Jaafari A. (2001) International Journal of Project Management. Sydney: University of Sydney Jha, K. N. (2011). Construction project management: Theory and practice. New Delhi: Dorling Kindersley. Kerzner, H., & Saladis, F. P. (2009). Project management workbook and PMP/CAPM exam study guide. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Kutsh E. &Hall M. (2010) International Journal Paper of Project Management. United Kingdom Loftus, J. (1999). Project management of multiple projects and contracts. London: Thomas Telford. Means, J. A., & Adams, T. (2005). Facilitating the Project Lifecycle the Skills & Tools to Accelerate Progress for Project Managers, Facilitators, and Six Sigma Project Teams. Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons. http://www.123library.org/book_details/?id=9130. Melton, T. (2008). Real project planning developing a project delivery strategy. Amsterdam, Butterworth-Heinemann. Nell, E. J. (1998). The general theory of transformational growth: Keynes after Sraffa. New York: Cambridge University Press. Pinto, J. K., & Morris, P. (2013). The wiley guide to project, program, and portfolio management. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Ralf M., Rodney T., Erling S.A, Jingting S., Oyvind K. (2014). Ethics, Trust, and Governance in Contemporary Organizations. Norway: Project Management Institute Royer, P. S. (2001). Project risk management: A proactive approach. Vienna, Virg: Management Concepts. Schmidt, T. (2009). Strategic project management made simple: Practical tools for leaders and teams. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons. Sears, S. K., Sears, G. A., & Clough, R. H. (2010). Construction Project Management: A Practical Guide to Field Construction Management. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Shehu, Z., Akintove, A., 2010. Major challenges to the successful implementationand practice of programme management in the constructionenvironment: a critical analysis. International Journal of Project Management Suliman Saleh Al Fredi (2014) International Journal of Science and Technology. Saudi Arabia: Al Qassim University Uher, T. E., & Loosemore, M. (2004). Essentials of construction project management. Sydney: UNSW Press. Westland, J. (2007). The project management life cycle: a complete step-by-step methodology for initiating, planning, executing & closing a project successfully. Williams, T., 1995. A classified bibliography of recent research relating to project risk management. European Journal of Operational Research Zhang Lianying et al (2012) Procedia Engineering. China: Tianjin University Source document