Rachel Nickell The Investigation of Colin Stagg

Rachel Nickell The Investigation of Colin Stagg In July 1992, Rachel Nickell was attacked and murdered, her throat was cut, and she was stabbed 49 times then sexually assaulted. The sensitivity and cruelty of this case from the beginning, police faced pressure from the public and media to solve it. The investigation was carried out by Scotland Yard officers of the Metropolitan Police. After collecting evidence from a crime scene, there was no DNA found, which means that there was no forensic evidence to link any suspect with the crime scene (Evans 1992). The Metropolitan Police reached for help and advice from Paul Britton, a criminal psychologist, as profiling is mostly used in those cases where police have just a few clues (Britton 1997). It uses combination of psychological processes and theories with investigation to create offender profiling, geographical analysis of the crime location and offender, advises on interaction with media and providing interview strategies (Stelfox 2009). The work of Paul Britton can be criticised on the basic grounds, as it looked like he was leading the investigation or had too much powers form investigators instead of just offering the help to investigators to profile unknown suspect. Paul Britton was accused of breaching the British Psychological Societys code of conduct when he helped the Metropolitan Police detectives to design and conduct the operation Ezdell, a honey trap (Morris 2002). Paul Britton gave a detail description of a suspect and directed the investigation to Colin Stagg. However, the main aim of profiling is not to provide information for the police about who exactly committed a specific crime as mention earlier, but to make predictions and suggestions about the most probable characteristics, social and psychological assessment of the offender (Ainsworth 2001, Holmes and Holmes 1996). Paul Brittons work and involvement in this case can be criticised according to Gudjonssons statement, that criminal psychologists tend to work on probabilities, suggestions and predictions, whereas police operate in terms of quilt or innocence, it is like a black and white scenario. It also means that the person labelled a suspect, Britton provided profile of Colin Stagg labelled as a potential suspect, will be presumed guilty until proven innocent (Gudjonsson 1992). Honey-trap: The Metropolitan Police carried out the covert operation just to see if Stagg will eliminate or incriminate himself. An undercover police woman from the Metropolitan Polices Special Operation Group played role of covert human intelligence source (CHIS). She had to establish and maintain a relationship with Stagg to collect information about his sexual and violent fantasies (Stelfox 2009). Due to his psychological profile of a murderer he was supposed to confess and revel his deepest secrets (Roberts and Zuckerman 2004). In his letters he talked about violent fantasies and over the phone described that he enjoyed hurting people. During the covert operation Stagg never admitted to murdering Rachel Nickell. However, Britton was confident about Staggs guilt and received an advice from Crown Prosecution Services lawyers. Once again Brittons role went beyond making predictions and suggestions about most possible characteristics of the suspect (Ainsworth 2001, Holmes and Holmes 1996). He leaded the investigation. Police also believed that those evidences would be sufficient in court and guarantee conviction, after consultation with Britton. Colin Stagg was arrested and charged with Rachel Nickells murder in August 1993 (Evans 1992 and Cohen 1999). The case of Colin Stagg was seen as a textbook example of the unethical use of profiling and the abuse of powers (Turvey 2008 and Ormerod 1999), because the investigation was concentrated on finding the suspect and then constructing the investigation instead of investigating the crime scene and conducting investigation. In the other words, thats an example of a case construction to charge the suspect (Maguire and Norris 1992). However, the entire and sophisticated psychological trap was created by Britton. Stagg was manipulated, entrapped, enticed and promised an affair with a beautiful woman only if he would confess. Simply speaking, the aim of the operation was to trick Stagg into confession. Brittons way of constructing the covert operation, hints during the interview and analysing his reactions were unethical (Cohen 1999, Evans 1992 and Morris 2002). Also an undercover operation was seen as misconceived and the Metropolitan Police tried to incriminate a suspect by deceptive and unprofessional conduct to receive a confession, entrapment and profiling evidence were excluded and the case was withdrew by the prosecution (Ainsworth 2001, Cohen 1999, Evans 1992 and Johnson 2006). Arrest and interviewing: An introduction of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 determined many illegal activities of British detectives and introduced basics changes in approaching and interviewing suspect in the interview room. It is necessary to remember that inappropriate interviewing techniques may result that a genuinely innocent person will make a confession (Ainsworth 2001 and Cherryman, Bull and Vrij 2002). In Colin Staggs case, Paul Britton, gave specific advice to the police about the best way to conduct an interview with a suspect and how to approach him. Those advices were concentrated on the way how to persuade a suspect to confess. Staggs interview lasted for three days and during the interrogation suspects behaviour was contradictory and sometimes confusing. According to Britton, his denials were suggestive his basic intelligence level, it did not go through his mind that the suspect may be innocent (Ainsworth 2001). Stagg was detained in custody for interviewing for three days, however a suspect cannot be detained in the custody for longer than 24h without being charged, or it can be extended to 36h with the authority of police superintendent. If there is not enough evidence to charge the suspect, he/she need to be released on bail. According to those three scenarios, Staggs detentions in custody would be unlawful, but in case of murder charges, a suspect may be refused release and remain in the custody until the trail (Home Office 2010). Trial, conviction and eventual acquittal: There was no forensic evidence linking Colin Stagg with a crime scene, witness said to the police that saw him or a man very like him on the day of Rachel Nickells murder that seems to be enough for the Metropolitan Police to tag Stagg as a suspect. The Metropolitan Police officers were under high pressure from the media and public to get a conviction and tend to misused powers of the science of criminal profiling. They examined and rejected 547 suspects but still have no idea who killed Rachel Nickell. Undercover female police officer tried to get Stagg to confess to Rachel Nickells murder, by encouraging Stagg to talk about his sexual and violent fantasies, promising to have sexual intercourse with him if his was the one who killed Rachel Nickell. Months of undercover work produced nothing, Stagg never admitted to murdering and stabbing to death Rachel Nickell. The police decided to make an arrest and charge Colin Stagg with a murder based on the intelligence collected during the undercover operation. Prosecution withdrew the case and Stagg was acquitted in 1994 (Ainsworth 2001, Cohen 1999). Cold case review and new suspect: In 2002, the Scotland Yard police used their cold case review team to have another look at the Rachel Nickell killing. Officers analysed witness statements, checked files for potential suspects and search for a connection between other crimes. They also compared Rachel Nickells injuries with other victims and contacted Forensic Science Service about new methods of DNA matching techniques (Tendler 2007). Latest techniques were used to take microscopic particles of victims DNA from the clothing and tested them in the laboratory to produce a match. The match did not belong to victims partner or son. Sample was helpful to eliminate some of the suspects, but was insufficient to provide identification (Leppard 2007). In 2006, the Scotland Yard team interview convicted sex killers in Bradmoor Hospital. Robert Napper was interviewed was interviewed three times by the murder squad. Year later, Nappel was charged with Rachel Nickells murder and he pleaded not guilty (ONeill 2007). In 2008 Robert Nappel was found guilty of manslaughter of Rachel Nickell on the grounds of diminished responsibility (Leppard 2007 and Dodd 2007). Robert Nappel and series police errors: Robert Nappel was also known as Plumstead Ripper, was suspected of up to 40 violent raped, but has never admitted to them. Police started their gross errors in judgment in 1989 where they failed to deal with Nappels mother claim who reported that Nappel admitted to raping a woman (Casciani 2010). Police officers could have arrest him before he assaulted and murdered more woman, but instead just ignored the claim (News London 2010). He was eliminated as a suspect from Rachel Nickells murder because he was not often in that area of London. However, Metropolitan Police did not checked Nappels past and current activities or involvement. In fact he knew the area well because he was attending for the psychiatric treatment in the nearby clinic. That was another mistake made by police which could save womens life. There were few situations where Metropolitan Police officers did not joined the dots and saw Napper as a suspect. He was asked twice to give a blood sample for examinations in 1992, after phone calls from neighbours that Napper looks like a wanted rapist. Every time, Napper failed to turn up and after few weeks he was eliminated from the suspects because his height did not fit the description. After few months he was arrested for stalking a woman from the local police station. The police searched his flat and found pistol, ammunition, information about how to restrain someone, maps of London, and his private diary which included addressed of previous victims. If the police would link Nappels belongings found in the flat with Rachel Nickells murder, other local murders, then Nappel hopefully would be arrested quicker. Nappels victims were restrained, their addressed were in his personal diary and he also knew how to commune to their houses. However, Napper was only given short custodial sentence and during the trial, references about his mental state were made. No further actions were taken and he walked free from the police again. Year later, he attacked innocent women again, raped and stabbed her to death. After 6 months his finger prints were found in victims flat, but according to Britton and his perfect policing skills, the scenario was different and he was free again. In 1999 he was arrested for the above murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The Metropolitan Police failed to stop Nappel from committing terrible killing many times as shown above and he remained free for years. That was an example of catalogue bad decisions and major errors that allowed Nappel to murder innocent women. The police did not link few dots together to see overall picture of paranoid schizophrenics actions (BBC News 2008, Dodd 2007, Leppard 2007, Laville 2008, Laville, Siddique, Percival and Sturcke 2008 and Sinclair 2010). The Independent Police Complains Commission (IPCC) IPCC released a report in June 2010 about the actions of the Metropolitan Police Service in relation to handling the Rachel Nickells murder. Their actions were described as catalogue of bas decisions which allowed Napper to kill his victims. Police failed to react when Nappels mother called to report that her son raped a girl, he simply continued to walk freely on the street s and pick new victims. They missed serious and clearly visible opportunities to question and arrest real killer, committed dreadful mistakes that resulted in innocent women being murdered and several women suffered violent sexual attacks (Holden 2010 and Maynard 2010). References: Ainsworth, P. B. (2001) Offender Profiling and Crime Analysis, Willan Publishing BBC News (2008) Man admits Rachel Nickell killing, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7783796.stm (accessed on 17/10/2010) Britton, P. (1997) The Jigsaw Men, Banton Press Casciani, D. (2010) Analysis http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10216328 (accessed on 17/10/2010) Cohen, N. (1999) Cruel Britannia: Reports of sinister and preposterous, Verso Cherryman, J, Bull, R. and Vrij, A. (2002) How police officers view confession: Is there still a confession culture?, Paper presented to the 10th European Conference of Psychology and Law, Limassol, Cyprus, 12-14th April Dodd, V. (2007) Man charged with murder of Rachel Nickell 15 years ago after new investigation of case, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/nov/29/ukcrime.vikramdodd (accessed on 17/10/2010) Evans, C. (1992) A question of evidence: The Casebook of great forensic controversies, from Napoleon to O.J, John Wiley and Sons Gudjonsson, G. H. (1992) The Psychology of Interrogations, Confessions and Testimony, Wiley Holden, M. (2010) IPCC says police must apologise over Nickell murder, http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6521OH20100603?pageNumber=2 (accessed on 03/11/2010) Holmes, R. M. And Holmes, S. T. (1996) Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool, Sage Home Office, (2010) Police: Custody, http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/police/powers/custody (accessed on 03/11/2010) Johnson, B. (2006) Colin Stagg shows why trial by judge, not by media, is right, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/borisjohnson/3625868/Colin-Stagg-shows-why-trial-by-judge-not-by-media-is-right.html (accessed on 16/10/2010) Laville, S. (2008) Nickell case: Missed clues allowed Napper to kill again, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/dec/18/robert-napper-clues (accessed on 17/10/2010) Laville, S, Siddique, H, Percival, J. And Sturcke, J. (2008) Rachel Nickell killing: Serial rapist Robert Napper pleads quilty, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/dec/18/rachel-nickell-robert-napper-murder-guilty (accessed on 17/10/2010) Leppard, D. (2007) Met to charge Robert Napper for Rachel Nickell murder, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2890944.ece (accessed on 17/10/2010) Maguire, M. And Norris, C. (1992) the conduct and supervision of criminal investigations, RCCJ Research Study 5, London: HMSO Maynard, K. (2010) Its too late to bring misconduct proceedings for the police failure to apprehend Robert Napper before he murdered Rachel Nickell and others, http://www.hickmanandrose.co.uk/Press-Releases/3-june-2010-its-too-late-to-bring-misconduct-proceedings-for-the-police-failure-to-apprehend-robert-napper-before-he-murdered-rachel-nickell-and-others.html (accessed on 03/11/2010) Morris, S. (2002) Honey trap case collapse, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/oct/31/ukcrime.stevenmorris (accessed on 16/10/2010) News London (2010) Police errors led to Rachel Nickell killing, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10216328 (accessed 17/10/2010) ONeill, S. (2007) Robert Napper charged with Rachel Nickell murder after DNA breakthrough, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2961956.ece (accessed on 17/10/2010) Ormerod, D. (1999) Criminal Profiling: trial by judge and jury, not by criminal psychologist, in Carter, D. And Alison, L. (eds.) Interviewing and Deception, Ashgate Publishing Roberts, P. and Zuckerman, A. (2004) Criminal Evidence, Oxford: Oxford University Press Sinclair. L, (2010) Police failures led to Rachel Nickell murder, http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Rachel-Nickell-Catalogue-Of-Errors-by-Metropolitan-Police-Led-To-Murder-Says-IPCC-Report/Article/201006115642717?f=rss, (accessed on 17/10/2010) Stelfox, P. (2009) Criminal Investigation: An introduction to principles and practice, Willan Publishing Tendler, S. (2007) DNA errors led to murder case review, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article1421333.ece (accessed on 17/10/2010) Tong, S, Bryant, R. P. And Horvath, M. (2009) Understanding Criminal Investigation,Wiley-Backwell Turvey, B. E. (2008), Criminal Profiling: An introduction to behavioural Evidence Analysis, Third Edition, Elsevier

Project Management and Operations Management in Construction

Project Management and Operations Management in Construction 1. Abstract This report aims to understand two very important disciplines namely, project management and operations management. Both disciplines are fundamental to achieving long term business success and growth in this highly dynamic business environment. These two areas of management are discussed particularly with respect to the construction industry. It is important to note that project management has its origins in the construction industry and has since then been an integral part of the construction as well as several other industries. Operations management, on the other hand, has largely been neglected for many years. However, over the past few years, management across various firms has realised the importance of effectively managing the operations to achieve business profits and growth. The main objective of this report is to present a discussion on the differences between project management and operations management in construction companies. To present these differences, it is important to clearly understand the basic definition and function of these two disciplines. As a result, this report is structured as follows: It begins by providing an overview of the construction industry moving towards providing a clear understanding of the concepts of project management and operations management. Later, the discussion shifts towards presenting an insight into the importance of these two areas of management particularly with reference to the construction industry. The next section provides a discussion on the differences between project and operations management. This report concludes by presenting a discussion on the necessary skills for a project manager and highlights that it is important for project managers to possess a clear understanding of the operational activities of the firms in order to make sound business decisions. Only those organisations that are able to effectively manage their projects as well as their operations will be able to survive and prosper in the future. Keywords: Project management, Operations management, Construction. 2. Introduction In order to achieve business success, organisations need to perform a number of activities. These activities could either be their operations or projects or a combination of both. It is not possible for organisations to achieve long term sustainable business success without proper measures to effectively manage its projects and operations. Hill (in Slack et al, 2010) clearly indicates the importance of operations to an organisation by pointing out that operation is the function responsible for 60-70 per cent of costs, assets and people. Similarly, almost all the businesses across various industries undertake projects of some sort. One of the key challenges faced by organisations in todays complex business environment is their capability to strike a balance in maintaining current business operations known as business as usual and also to maintain the rate of business change required to survive and compete in future (OGC, 2009). In this context of business change, projects play a criti cal role as they are required to introduce the changes required. Project management is gradually becoming an important discipline in the area of business success as Projects often provide the base for sustainable development implementation. It is important for projects to be well planned and well managed and have specific goals and targets. Although, operations management and project management are different in a number of aspects that are discussed over the next few section, there are a few characteristics that are similar for both projects and operations. Operations and projects both need careful planning, execution and control and are both performed by the human resources of the organisation. Also, they both often face the challenge of limited resources. 2.1. Construction Industry Construction Industry is one of the important contributors to the economy of many countries. The rapidly changing business environment has transformed the way activities and projects are undertaken in the construction industry. Due to the sheer volume of resources required to undertake large construction projects, the construction industry possesses the ability to generate employment and supports economic growth in the region by contributing largely to the Gross National Product (GNP) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, it is important to understand that the construction industry operates in a different environment and is susceptible to several factors such as physical environment, legislations, resource availability as opposed to other industries. The Construction sector has a strong impact on the day to day activities of several lives and hence it is crucial to ensure efficient use of resources on the construction projects. Construction projects and operations require a diff erent set of skills in order to manage them effectively. For example: It is important to ensure the safety of team members involved in construction operations and projects as they usually need to deal with many hazardous operations. However, such safety concerns are not so significant in companies operating in the software industry. These challenges and newer ways of performing business activities have placed greater responsibility on the project as well as operations managers who are required to achieve business success within limited budgets and time. This implies that success in construction industry can be achieved by implementation of adequate project management and operations management teams. Before we delve deeper into the discussion related to the differences that exist between project management and operations management in construction companies, it is important to clarify the basic definitions of project management and operations management and their importance in construction companies. 2.2. What is Project management? Projects involve certain degrees of uncertainty as they are unique to the organisation undertaking it. In order to achieve success and desired results, it is important for the project management team to effectively manage the day to day activities involved in a project. Projects consist of a number of separate but interdependent tasks that have the specific objective of creating and developing some new entity (Woodward, 1997). In this aspect project management plays a crucial role. Project management has been in existence for several years and has become an integral area of management over the last three decades. Project Management Institute defines the discipline of project management as the art of planning and controlling various human and non-human resources to be used during the entire project life cycle in order to accomplish already set objectives of scope, cost, quality, and time by using modern management techniques (Barrie and Paulson, 1984). In simple terms, project managem ent can be defined as the process of planning, executing, controlling and monitoring the various aspects of a project in order to achieve the project objectives and deliverables within limited time, costs and resources. Figure 1 shows the various processes of project management in construction industry used to achieve the project objectives and deliverables within limited time, cost and resources. Figure 1 Project management Processes 1. PROJECT DEFINITION 2. TEAM ESTABLISHMENT 3. PROJECT PLANNING (Scope, Importance, Project plan in terms of time frames and resources) Continuous Project monitoring 4. IMPLEMENTATION 5. EVALUATION 6. PROJECT CLOSURE AND HANDOVER Halpin and Ronald (Hendrickson and Au, 1989) point out the three basic ingredients that represent a project management framework. They are: General Management: This is a broad subject that various aspects such as finance and accounting, strategic planning, organisational structure, marketing, organisational behaviour among others. Special Knowledge domains Supporting disciplines For successful management of projects, strong working knowledge of these areas is needed. All these three areas play a key role in effective management as they are linked with the activities involved in undertaking a project. 2.3. What is Operations management? The main objective of any business or organisation is produce high quality goods or services that meet their customers requirements in order to survive and prosper in the future. In order to achieve long term business growth, it is important for organisations to operationally enact the organisations business strategy. In this context, to achieve long term strategic direction, organisations operations play a key role as it is important to effectively manage a large number of daily operations that are aimed at accomplishing the desired objectives to satisfy the customers. In order to achieve this business objective, it is necessary for firms to transform their resources into desired outputs that can be delivered to the end users. Operations consist of all these activities that are necessary to transform and deliver an organisations offering of goods or services to its customers. The main objective of the operations function is to efficiently manage the available resources to produce th e goods and services required by customers. Several large and small organisations have today acknowledged the importance of operations and hence have appointed people to take responsibility for managing all or part of the organisations operations processes. Success of operations within an organisation can be judged on the basis of its profits, growth and competitiveness. Operations activities form an integral part of any business as they focus on the management of a large number of assets, and expenditure to produce customer centric goods and services. Review of literature reveals that operations management within the construction industry is not a well recognized area of study as opposed to other major functional disciplines of marketing, human resource management and finance and accounting. However, the discussion that follows clearly establishes that operations management is every bit as important for Kentz, and other firms operating in construction sector in order to be successf ul. For the purpose of this discussion, it is important to establish the definition of operations management at this point. Operations management refers to the function that focuses on designing, managing and improving the systems and procedures that create organisations goods or services. It focuses on delivering value to the customers (Shtub, 1999). Other functions such as finance and human resources support operations functions and hence are indirectly involved in making products or delivering services. Firms that are able to effectively manage their operations can achieve sustainable competitive advantage. This is evident from the case of Toyota. Toyotas Production System (TPS) plays a vital role in its business success. Toyotas Production System is based on four integral principles namely, the elimination of waste (muda), continuous improvement (kaizen), automation with a human face (jidoka) and the involvement of all employees. The management at Toyota has worked towards imple menting these key principles in day to day business operations and this is evident in their practices such just-in-time, total quality management and team-working. TPS has enabled Toyota to achieve high volumes and high flexibility but with low levels of inventory and minimal defects. The application of these principles to its design operations also typically enables Toyota to get new products to market faster than its rivals, and with fewer design glitches (Slack et al, 2010). 3. Importance of Project management in construction The discipline of Project management initially originated in the construction industry but can be applied across various industrial and commercial sectors. Project management in construction plays a critical role in the construction industry as it is important for companies operating in the construction sector such as Kentz to manage projects on time within limited budgets and to manage risk across a number of projects that are large in terms of budget, time and resources. There is a need for construction companies such as Kentz to maintain a tight control on these constrained resources and finances to ensure profitability. Construction projects are usually characterised by long and complex life cycle and lower profit margins. Consequently, it is imperative for construction companies to maintain strict control over project schedules and costs to avoid any over-budgeting or wastage. Woodward (1997) notes that the project environment related to a particular project greatly affects the project management function. In this context, it is observed that the project environment related to construction project is affected by a number of internal as well as external factors such as availability of resources, legislative environment, physical conditions such as location, weather and the presence of competition. As a result, project management in construction is even more crucial due to the need to achieve high quality standards within limited resources. In construction industry, project management specifically consists of a range of objectives which may be achieved by undertaking a number of operational activities that need to be accomplished within the specified resource constraints. It is important for firms such as Kentz to resolve any conflict that may arise due to the differences in the desired objectives of scope, cost, time and quality, to the limited constraints of budget and human resources, by finding and developing alternate ways to accomplish the goals of the project. Hendrickson and Au, (1989) point out the following functions of project management for construction: Project management in construction is important as it helps in clearly specifying the project objectives and plans to outline the various aspects involved in the projects such as project scope, project budget, project timelines, setting quality standards, and selecting project participants. Project management also helps in procurement of labour and other resources as per the predetermined plan and schedule. Hence, it is important for maximization of efficient resource utilization. Project management activities help in smooth implementation of various operations as its main focus is to ensure proper coordination and control of planning, estimating, and construction in the entire process. Since construction projects are large and complex and often require use of large number of human resources, they may often face the challenge of interpersonal conflicts that may arise due to improper communication. Project management helps in development of effective communications and mechanisms for resolving conflicts among various active participants. 4. Importance of Operations management in construction The Construction industry is characterised by complex and large projects that usually involve substantial costs while leaving little room for profit margins. In this context, efficient operations management is important because it helps in managing an organisations costs. It is important for construction companies such as Kentz to manage their available resources and budget in the best possible manner to generate greater profit margins. If an organisation fails to manage and maximise the utilisation of its resources, it will not be able to achieve sustainable project success. Operations management in the construction industry helps the project team to achieve higher level of efficiency at low operating costs. Moreover, it is necessary that once the projects are completed, they are able to meet the desired quality standards. This is even more crucial in a construction project as any negligence can create dangerous situations in terms of safety. Operations management helps the firms op erating in the construction sector such as Kentz to ensure that they are able to achieve lower operating costs while also delivering high quality products to their customers. As discussed earlier, operations management has a long lasting impact on the quality, timeliness and reliability of the goods produced by an organization. The activities of the operations function are central to achieving these aims. 5. Project management Vs Operations management The above discussion clearly indicates the importance of effective project management and operations management in construction industry. It is established that both these disciplines are important to achieve long term sustainable growth and success. Although, they are an integral part of every business, and practitioners are of the view that project management is considered to be one of the most important functions of an operations manager, there are a few differences between project and operations management. They are as highlighted below: 5. a. Project versus Operations -Differing objectives: One of the major differences between project management and operations management lies in their differing objectives. The key aim of project management is to ensure smooth control and effective planning in order to achieve the desired objectives of the project on completion. On the contrary, operations management aims to manage and execute the daily operations that are necessary to sustain the business. Project management activities are usually designed around the project environment which is unique to a particular project. This implies that since a project is temporary and aimed at achieving some unique objectives to create a new entity, scope of project management is limited to that particular project. On the contrary, operations management is aimed at planning and executing the activities that are necessary for maintaining the current business operations. In terms of construction industry, activities that require procuring goods to undertake large and complex construction project and also that require selling the firms business to its potential clients are its operations. While, project management in construction industry ideally, would deal with the necessary planning of resources, budgeting, estimating of timelines and scheduling. Project management is temporary and is unique to a particular project that is undertaken to create a new entity, while, operations are ongoing and repetitive and deal with maintaining the existing business activities. Management of projects in a construction industry is a challenging task as the project environment is highly complex and the objective of project management is not limited only to the completion of project within specified time and budget. Client satisfaction and meeting the desired quality standards are crucial for project success in construction. 5. b. Time Constraints Another major difference between projects and operations is that projects are characterised by a definite beginning and ending while  operations  are repetitive and ongoing. Projects usually end when the objectives of the projects are achieved. This implies that the project duration is finite as opposed to the operations activities that are continuous. However, this does not necessarily mean that they are short lived. For instance, a large construction company is contracted to complete construction of a large commercial complex for setting up offices. In this scenario, in order to complete the construction project of commercial complex, a business owner who hires the construction company to construct the complex, will usually specify a definite date of start and completion of the building. From the point of view of the construction company, this unique construction opportunity is a  project that has certain time constraints. However, procuring of the building mat erials and other necessary equipments that are not unique to this particular construction project are known as the operations. These activities are repetitive and do not have a fixed time constraint. 5. c. Budget Constraints Project management deals with completion of certain projects within the specified budget constraints, while operations management concerns those activities that are necessary to maintain a specific profit margin. For instance, taking the case of the construction company that has been awarded the contract to complete construction of a large commercial complex by a business owner. In this scenario, the business owner who hires the construction firm will allot a specific cost for the project as detailed in its Request for Proposals. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the operations management at the construction company to, ensure that a predetermined profit margin is achieved on the project and work while outlining its cost structure. 5. d. Project management is future oriented while Operations management is  present oriented Project management activities focus on achieving the future state of business. This implies that they are future oriented. On the contrary, operations management activities focus on maintaining the current state of business and bring the desired business changes, suggesting that the discipline of operations management is highly present oriented. In the construction industry, the aim of project management is to accomplish the completion of the project undertaken while delivering all the necessary expectations. All these activities of planning and coordination are aimed towards achieving a future state. While the daily operations are required to sustain smooth functioning of the current business activities. 6. Project managers should possess operations management skills The above discussion clearly highlights the differences between project management and operations management in a construction industry. However, management across various organisations is of the view that operations management and project management are necessary skills for project managers across all industries. It is important that project managers in a construction environment are able to adequately consider the quality and safety concerns. In a construction environment, any minor defect can manifest itself into a major issue as re-construction may be required leading to larger associated costs and delays in meeting the project timelines. Further, such defects can also often become the cause of several personal injuries or fatalities. Therefore, it is important to appoint skilled and efficient project managers who have the necessary experience to ensure that the job is done right the first time avoiding any major or minor accidents that may occur during the completion of the project objectives. General consensus with respect to success of project management and operations management in construction industry is that it is important that managers are able to motivate the team to collectively work towards business success and accomplishment of business objectives as well as project objectives. It is necessary for management to ensure that individuals part of the projects and operations coordinate and cooperate to form efficient and effective teams that are specialised in a specific knowledge area. It is important for project managers to have sound project and operations knowledge, skills and experience in handling several different teams. It is necessary that the organisations in the construction industry such as Kentz not only possess the necessary experience in the specialized knowledge area but also in the operations of their own as well their customers business. For instance, the management team at a construction may be well-versed constructing and customising the construction units as per the client requirements and yet it may lack the experience in the procuring the resources that are necessary to undertake customer transactions. This indicates the need for project managers to possess the required operations management skills. In order to achieve business success, it is important to ensure that the projects not only meet customer expectation but are also well aligned with the companys ideal profit margins. This can only be achieved if project managers have sufficient knowledge of the operations while creating project budgets. Also, in order to efficiently schedule and plan the budget and resources, it is importa nt for project managers to be well-versed in the supply chain and efficient management of logistics. 7. Conclusion It is established that project management and operations management, are two different fields of management. Project management in construction plays a critical role in the construction industry as it is important for Kentz as well as other companies operating in the construction sector to manage projects on time within limited budgets and to manage risk across a number of projects that are large in terms of budget, time and resources. It is important for Kentz, and other firms operating in the construction sector to manage their available resources and budget in the best possible manner to generate greater profit margins. If Kentz or other organization operating in the construction fails to manage and maximise the utilisation of its resources, it will not be able to achieve sustainable project success. Project management and Operations management are differing in nature in terms of their scope, time and budget constraint. Also, Project management activities focus on achieve the futu re state of business implying that they are future oriented. On the contrary, Operations management activities focus on maintaining the current state of business and bring the desired business changes. However, management across various organisations is of the view that operations management and project management are necessary skills for project managers across all industries. It is safe to conclude that in this dynamic business environment, only those organisations will survive and prosper that not only possess the necessary experience in the specialized knowledge area to accomplish project objectives but also in the operations of their own as well their customers business. There is a need in Kentz as well as other companies operating in the construction sector to appoint project managers that have sound project and operations knowledge, skills and experience in handling several different teams.

The Treason Trial of Aaron Burr :: essays research papers

In the months between and including May and September, in 1807, Aaron Burr was tried by the Supreme Court in Virginia on the count of treason against the United States. During the period of 1804 to 1807, Burr allegedly committed several overt acts, which are actions, that may be innocent in themselves, but in combination with the intentions and results of that act, become criminal actions. The trial was about treason, which the Constitution defines as â€Å"levying war against [the United States], or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid or comfort,â€Å" (Art. III, Sect. 3) and the prosecution must prove that Burr committed the overt act with the testimony of two witnesses, for the treason conviction to stand. In this trial, Burr’s actions outside of the state of Virginia have no bearing on the overt act of assembling troops to levy war against the United States, and therefore the majority of his admissible actions occurred on Blennerhasset’s Island in Virgi nia. (Doc 108) Although the prosecution made a strong case for Burr’s guilt, the differentiation between his intentions and his actions, his background as an American patriot and the lack of concrete evidence, one must conclude that Aaron Burr is not guilty of treason. He perhaps was even the victim of a larger governmental conspiracy to rid him of all prestige, honor and legacy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The prosecution tried to prove that Burr used his power to assemble an army of men to conquer New Orleans, then Mexico and eventually found a new nation composed of the Western American states and Mexico. The fault in their argument is that his actions do not necessarily point directly towards this conclusion. It is true that Burr wrote letters and even discussed a new war with Spain and the formation of a new nation, but this does not constitute treason for â€Å"individuals may meet together and traitorously determine to make dispositions to bring forces into the field, and levy war against their country; this is a conspiracy, but not treason.† (Doc 108) Therefore, even if Burr intended to eventually enact his plan, the simple act of planning it does not constitute treason. But even the true intentions of Burr remain unclear, for he had recently purchased 400,000 acres of land in the Western states and perhaps he assembled these men to settle it. (Doc 33) His actions of enlisting men, arming them and supplying them does not constitute treason because the overt act remains innocent without confirmation of intent to harm the United States.

Taoist Reading of Tintern Abbey by William Wordsworth :: Poetry Religion Taoism

Wordsworth's 'hsà ¼': towards a Taoist reading of Tintern Abbey Five years have passed; five summers, with the length Of five long winters! And again I hear These waters, rolling from their mountain springs With a sweet inland murmur. (1-4) "Tintern Abbey"'s opening lines prepare the reader for a reunion, notable in tone not only for the sense of anticipation with which the poet apprehends this moment, but equally so for the poignancy which immediately inflects the poem's proceedings. My reading of "Tintern Abbey" takes as its most prominent concern the sense in which Wordsworth's "Revisiting the Banks of the Wye" represents a haven-seeking of sorts. Since his visit to the Wye in 1793, much has happened to Wordsworth: he has found, and relinquished, his first romantic love in Annette Vallon. As a young would-be radical, sympathetic to the ideals of the French Revolution, he finds himself at odds with London's entrenched conservatism. In 1795, after well over a decade of only intermittent contact with his sister, Wordsworth and his beloved Dorothy are reunited at Racedown, at about the same time that they make the acquaintance of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Within two years of this happy occasion, the two Wordsworths wi ll move to Alfoxden to be near Coleridge. The ensuing years of intense friendship and creative discourse will yield, by 1798, the collaborative Lyrical Ballads, to which "Tintern Abbey" belongs. As we consider the tumult and activity that have characterized this period of his life, we might well speculate upon the nature of the thoughts going through Wordsworth's mind as he surveys the Abbey from his vantage on the riverbank; my own temptation is to equate the quietly reflective tone of the poem with the Taoist notion of hsà ¼. In Taoism hsà ¼ is defined -- in describing a state of mind -- as meaning: absolute peacefulness and purity of mind and freedom from worry and selfish desires and not to be disturbed by incoming impressions or to allow what is already in the mind to disturb what is coming into the mind. Hsà ¼-shih means unreality and reality, but hsà ¼ also means profound and deep continuum in which there is no obstruction. (Wing-tsit Chan, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton University Press, 1963.

Creative Story: In Short :: essays research papers

Creative Story: In Short   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It all started not so long ago. In fact, though I can't be completely sure about it, I think it was only five months ago. My name is Jeff Washburn and I am a surgeon. Not that long ago my life under went a huge change. Unfortunately a huge misfortune had to take place first. Not that long ago, I had a terrible thing happen to me. A misfortune led to my being expelled from the hospital and my medical license being revoked. Two patients died on me. I might have gotten away with only one but the board of directors are good at finding patterns. Don't get me wrong, I want these people to die. I just happened to be drunk at the time. Now I drink even more just to soften the constant hangover. The hearing were probably the worst part of whole ordeal. Three weeks of being put in the spotlight. Every inch of my life was put under a big magnifying glass. Every mistake I made in the last fourteen years was read bunch of know-nothings who sit and pretend to run a hospital. The mistakes weren't very frequent, at least, not until I started to drink.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I suppose you want to know the reason I started to drink. Well, I mess up big time during a triple bypass and killed a patient. That's when the drinking started and the drinking lead to the death of another patient. Now I drink even more and remember even less which means its working.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  About a month ago I left England, which is where I worked, and moved here to a small fishing island off the coast of France. There is no doctor on the island so they welcomed me, sort of. I scare them I suppose. They're afraid they might catch me when I'm to drunk to work properly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But now things are different. About three weeks ago I had a big wake-up call. I was sitting in my normal Sunday drunken stupor when a man was brought in to my office. This man had been seriously injured by gun shot wounds. Apparently he had be found in the ocean by a group of fishermen. I knew that I could not perform the necessary surgery in my present condition. I bandaged him up and stooped the major bleeding. Then I took two hours and did all I could to dry out. With my condition a little better I performed the most delicate surgery of my life. For another hour I scrubbed at the wound in his head.

Keeping History Alive

He believes that no one cares about this place that was once the greatest civilization between the desserts of Mexico and the North America Attic, nor do they seem to realize that it was America's first city because they built a highway right threw the middle of it without a care in the world. Glen is clearly upset that Iacocca, being a great achievement by the Indians, does not have the popularity and respect that Macho Fichu does today. Hodges gives many examples to back up his opinion. He talks about the first person to write a detailed account ofCassia's mounds, Henry Bracketing. Secondary source Henry wrote that he was astonished at the size of the mounds. He did however complain that his discovery was widely ignored when put in the newspaper to his friend, former President Thomas Jefferson. Americans at this time didn't care about the Indians and there history. Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act of 1830 early expressed that. He also talked about Dwight Howard establishing his highway program. This allowed the highways to be built right In the middle of the mounds.Many archeologist have tidied the area surrounding Iacocca and Iacocca and have found great things, primary sources/artifacts for example they found homes, and human sacrifice sites. All these things just show that it was a great development and civilization. Hodges also speaks of his own experiences with Iacocca. When he drives to SST. Louis, he tries to find something that shows evidence of how great of a place it once was and to see if there was a memorial site of the big mound there. He says that he was shocked to see that the exact spot were the big mound was located was the exact spot were the ewe East SST.Louis bridge was going to be constructed. He was surprised that this was happening and when we asked around about it he found out that when archaeologists excavated the lot they didn't find a trace of Big Mound, only the factories that were built to take its place in the 19th century. Af ter searching for a while, Hodges did find a very small, poor looking cobblestone memorial a half a block down Broadway from Mound Street, with a missing plaque and grass growing between the rocks. When Glen was there, there was a man spraying weed killer, but, e wasn't from the city.Just another person who hates to his history go down the drain. After reading this article, I now completely agree with Glen Hodges. I must admit that I was one of the people who had never heard of this place before, and it shocked me that it was in SST. Louis, a place that I have been many times. I don't think Its right that the government is allowing America to to build highways and businesses on such a holsters landmark. I hate that America Is doing nothing to Iacocca a lot more then they are right now.

Computer Memory Hacking Essay

Hacking of memory or hacking of RAM describes when a person or person(s) gains unauthorized access to the RAM (random access memory) of a computer system. There a couple of reasons that one might participate in hacking the memory of a computer system. One reason that a person may attempt to gain unauthorized access to a computer is simply to demonstrate   that they are capable of doing so. By demonstrating this skill, the hacker (the person gaining unauthorized access) has shown that the security of the computer system can be penetrated. This is often useful when the owner of the computer system wants to ensure its security is optimal. Another reason a person or person(s) would want to access a computer systems RAM without the owners permission would be to gain information from that computer system. That information may or may not include personal data such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, credit card information, account numbers, and other pertinent information that thieves could use to gain financially. Hackers use many tools and techniques to penetrate the security of the computer system that they choose to attack. Some techniques can include dns spoofing, packet sniffers, social engineering, and trojan horses. DNS spoofing occurs when the hacker changes the DNS entry on a server and redirects the browser to an alternate site. This method is often used to steal usernames, passwords, or other personal information. Packet sniffers were originally designed for administrators to debug their systems. They are devices that intercept and interpret packets of information crossing a network. Social engineering is the method of obtaining personal information and network information through deception or manipulation. For example, pretending to be an employee who forgot their username/password. Trojan horse programs are often referred to as the â€Å"back door† to computer systems.