Annual Report of the Construction Industry of China Hong Kong 2007-2008 Essay Example

Annual Report of the Construction Industry of China Hong Kong 2007 Annual Report of the Construction Industry of China Hong Kong 2007-2008 Essay Annual Report of the Construction Industry of China Hong Kong 2007-2008 Essay An Annual Report of the Construction Industry of China Hong Kong 2007-2008 prepared by AsiaConstruct Team Research Centre for Construction and Real Estate Economics Hong Kong Polytechnic University (www. bre. polyu. edu. hk) for The 14th AsiaConstruct Conference 23rd – 24th October 2008 Tokyo, Japan. AsiaConstruct14 Team: Michael Anson1, YH Chiang2, Eddie CM Hui2, Patrick TI Lam 2, Stephen WK Mak2, HY Ng2 and Eva XT Yin2, 1 Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Construction and Land Use, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. 2 Department of Building and Real Estate, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. About the Research Centre for Construction and Real Estate Economics (RCCREE): The RCCREE is the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Centre for solution oriented research and consultancy in construction and real estate economics. It undertakes internationally relevant multi-disciplinary research that supports the advancement of the construction and real estate industries in the following areas: Economic Policy and Institutional Analysis, Real Estate Economics, Construction Economics, Housing, Human Behaviour in Economic Decision making, and Value Management and Facilities Performance. For further information, please contact Professor Francis K. W. Wong, Director of RCCREE ([emailprotected] edu. hk) or Professor Eddie C. M. Hui, Deputy Director ([emailprotected] edu. hk). October 2008 1 COUNTRY REPORT [As at October 2008, ? 1,000 = HK$ 73. 14; HK$1 = ? 13. 67; US$ 1 = HK$ 7. 76] 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Hong Kong enjoyed a high growth rate in GDP in 2007 (6. 4%), with a per capita GDP of US$29,914. While the service sector saw the highest growth (7. 4%), the growth rate of the construction sector was 0. 4%. The construction sector recorded a positive growth rate since 1997. The Economics outlook for the first half of 2008 was still optimistic. However, the consequences following the collapse of the property market in US, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers and the bail out of other financial institutions (e. g. AIG, Freddie Mae and Fannie Mae) by the US government, together with the slump of the stock markets, people are becoming pessimistic towards the latter half of 20 08 and next year. While the slowdown in growth of advanced economies in Europe and the US will have some impact on the economies of emerging markets and the Mainland, the sustained rapid economic growth of the Mainland and its increasingly intensified economic integration with Hong Kong will to a limited extent help the economic development and cushion the impact of the slowdown on Hong Kong. With respect to the labour market, the unemployment rate has hit an all-time low at around 4%. The unemployment rate of construction sector kept decreasing in these consecutive as there were more job vacancies created by the major projects, e. g. Hong Kong West and Tsuen Wan drainage tunnel, rebuilt the Lo Wu Correctional Institution etc. Construction Cost has picked up after it hit a bottom in 2003. It is more or less in parity of 1997 when the construction cost was at its peak. The high construction cost can be reflected from the increase in construction materials. The prices of major construction materials such as hardwood and steel products have risen by as much as 50% over 4 years. While there was no published wages for construction workers, the wages have not risen in par with the rise in living standard as reflected from the many demonstrations of the construction workers and 40-day strike by the bar benders in Hong Kong, which has led to a near stand-still of the construction industry. The salaries of ATPC have risen by an average of 9-13% over 2 years, with the exception of project managers and safety officers. There is no institutional or legal entry barrier to the construction market in Hong Kong. Foreign firms are required to fulfil the same set of criteria as local firms to get listed with the authority. Hence, the import of construction services does not appear to be very active and has consistently stayed at less than 4% of the total construction volume. Most of the import and export services are carried out within the Asian region, with the Chinese Mainland taking the highest percentage. The major services were project management, contracting and engineering consulting. Export of construction services to regions outside Asia is negligible. The outlook of the construction industry looks promising in the next 10-15 years as the government has outlined a series of infrastructural projects, many of which are cross-border such as the bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai. It is envisaged at least HK$250 billion public money will be spent and 250,000 job vacancies will be created. The extent to which these projects will benefit the construction labour market remains to be seen. 2 2. 2. 1 MACRO ECONOMIC REVIEW AND OUTLOOK MAIN MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS 2000 2001 1,131,880 1,299,218 0. 5 1,177 1. 4 59,760 -11. 7 1,076,998 -0. 2 57,167 -7. 9 2002 2003 GDP and Components 1,152,718 1,277,314 1. 8 1,138 -3. 3 51,396 -14. 0 1,079,476 0. 2 51,534 1,187,369 1,234,761 3 940 -17. 4 44,403 -13. 6 1,062,714 -1. 5 44,910 40,376 -10. 1 6,797,700 0. 5 3,515,900 1. 3 6. 8 2004 1,287,900 1,291,923 8. 5 958 1. 9 44,455 0. 1 1,119,304 2005 1,139,110 1,382,590 7. 1 947 -1. 1 45,547 2. 5 1,207,873 7. 9 38,538 -4. 6 6,837,800 0. 6 3,538,100 0. 6 5. 6 2006 1,475,910 1,475,910 7 942 -0. 5 45,761 0. 4 1,297,545 7. 4 38,688 0. 04 6,909,500 1. 0 3,581,400 1. 2 4. 8 2007 1,569,890 1,616,215 6. 4 n. a. n,a, n. a. n. a. n. a. n. a. n. a. n. . 6,963,100 0. 8 3,640,500 1. 6 4 GDP in chained(2006) dollars (HK$ million) GDP at current market price (HK$ million) GDP growth (%) Primary sector (HK$ million) % growth Manufacturing sector (HK$ million) % growth Services sector (HK$ million) % growth Construction sector (HK$ million) % growth Population Population growth rate (%) Total labour force Labour force growth rate (%) Unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) Changes in consumer price index (%) Changes in GDP deflator (%) Short term interest rate* (%) Long term interest rate**(%) Annual average exchange rate with $US (HK$) ,126,279 1,317,650 8 1,161 -21. 4 67,646 6. 8 1,077,256 4. 7 62,054 -5. 3 6,711,500 1. 1 3,374,200 1. 6 4. 9 -9. 9 -12. 9 Demographic Indicators 6,730,300 6,725,800 6,764,200 0. 3 -0. 1 0. 6 3,425,900 3,474,0 00 3,472,500 1. 5 5. 1 1. 4 7. 3 0 7. 9 Financial Indicators -3. 8 -3. 6 6. 21 7. 48 7. 791 -1. 6 -1. 9 3. 45 6. 37 7. 799 -3. 0 -3. 5 1. 60 5. 40 7. 799 -2. 6 -6. 2 0. 81 3. 93 7. 787 -0. 4 -3. 5 0. 25 4. 59 7. 788 1. 0 -0. 1 2. 88 3. 55 7. 777 2. 0 0. 3 4. 05 4. 83 7. 768 2. 0 3 2. 33 3. 58 7. 803 Notes n. a. data not available * yield of 91-day Exchange Fund Bills (mid-year) **yield of 10-year Exchange Fund Notes (mid-year) Sources: GDP, Demographic and Financial Indicators: Government of the HKSAR web-page at censtatd. gov. hk/hong_kong_statistics Short and long term interest rates: Monthly Statistical Bulletin, Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Table 2. 1 – Macro-Economic Indicators 3 2. 1. 1 Overview of National Economy According to the Economic Analysis and Business Facilitation Unit (2007) of the Hong Kong Government, growth in GDP was 6. 4% in 2007. The years of 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 marked the largest growth in any four consecutive years since 1988. GDP per capita was HK$215,006 (US$27,565), which represented a 5. 9% year-on-year growth rate. The growth rate of the services sector was the highest (7. 4%) among all sectors. The growth rate of the construction sector was 0. 04% in 2007. The construction sector recorded a position growth rate since 1997. The reviving economic performance was greatly attributed to the steady global economic growth and Mainland’s policies in favour of Hong Kong, such as the Closer Economic Partnership and Individual Travel Policy. Stock prices and market turnover surged to a high record in October 2007, before the global financial market turbulence affected which caused some pull-back. The property market improved distinctly further, especially in the latter part of 2007, with a marked pick up in both sale prices and transactions under a favourable interest rate environment and the persistent strength in the economy. The labour market improved due to the sustained economic expansion. The unemployment rate fell to 4% and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3. 4% in the fourth quarter of 2007, which was the lowest in almost 10 years. The consumer price index only increased 2%, which suggested a moderate inflation in 2007, although there was significant increase of imported foodstuffs and consumer goods due to the weakening purchase power of Hong Kong dollars and the global food inflation. 2. 2. 2 Economy off First Half of 2008 Hong Kong’s economy continued to experience a substantial growth rate in the first half of 2008. The real GDP increased by 7. 1% compared with a year earlier. According to the First Quarter Economic Report 2008, the economy extended the run of distinctly above-trend growth to 18 quarters. The performance of the financial sector was particularly spectacular, a manifestation of the significant benefits brought about by the financial integration between the Mainland and Hong Kong. Although there was a global credit market turmoil caused by the US sub-prime mortgage problem, the Hong Kong economy still held up well in recent period with our motherland’s economy growing robustly. By the vibrant performance of Mainland and other emerging economies and the further expansion of the EU market, there was a further notable growth of 8. 3% in real terms in the first quarter. The exports of services also grew rapidly further by 10. % in real terms on the back of a continued surge in financial services. According to The Global Enabling Trade Report 2008 released by the World Economic Forum, Hong Kong ranked the top in the Enabling Trade Index ranking. Domestic demand continued to display strength and inflation remained mild. The labour market continued to improve with the un employment rate reached record low at 3. 4% since mid1998. 4 3. 3. 1 OVERVIEW OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CONSTRUCTION INVESTMENTS The total gross value of construction works performed by main contractors increased by 8% in nominal terms, from a year earlier, to HK$48. billion in the first 2 quarters of 2008. After discounting price changes, the total gross value of construction work performed by main contractors increased by 5. 1% in real terms over the same period. Analysed by type of construction work, the gross value of construction work performed at private sector sites totalled HK$93 billion in 2007, up by 2. 9% in nominal terms from a year earlier. The increase was mainly associated with the progressive stepping up of works at some large commercial building sites. The gross value of construction work performed at public sector sites decreased by 3. 9% in nominal terms from a year earlier to HK$7. 6 billion in the 2 quarters of 2008. The decrease was mainly due to completion of works on some large transportation projects. The outlook for the next years and thereafter is promising as the Chief Executive of Hong Kong has outlined 10 major investment plans including: 1. South Island Line 2. Shatin to Central Link 3. Tuen Mun Western Bypass and Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link 4. Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Link 5. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge 6. Hong Kong-Shenzhen Airport Co-operation 7. Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop 8. West Kowloon Cultural District 9. Kai Tak Development Plan 10. New Development Areas (NDAs) It is envisaged that over HK$250 billion will be invested in the next decade. These projects are estimated to bring more than $100 billion added value annually from the commissioning to mature stage. And, about 250,000 additional jobs would be created by these projects. Type of Investment (HK$ Million) Private Sector Public Sector Repair and Maintenance Total 2003 35,187 32,378 31,468 99,032 2004 28,021 28,533 36,618 93,171 2005 26,356 22,334 42,160 90,851 2006 24,855 17,135 48,240 90,230 2007 28,973 14,503 49,390 92,866 2008-10 (Q1-Q2) 16,113 7,563 25,181 48,856 Table 3. 1 Construction Investment by Sector (in nominal terms) 5 3. 2 CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES The latest published statistics from the Census and Statistics Department shows that the number of establishments engaged in building and civil engineering industries is 19,057 as of 2006 whereas the number of persons directly engaged in these industries is135,337. The following table shows the three year trend from 2003 to 2006. 2003 Number of Establishments Number of Persons directly engaged 19,520 124,933 2004 18,302 122,077 2005 17,985 122,870 2006 19,057 135,337 Table 3. 2 – Number of establishments, and of persons directly engaged 3. 3 3. 3. 1 EMPLOYEES AND CONSTRUCTION LABOR (NUMBER OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS BY JOB TYPE) Principal Jobs Job Levels Professional/Technologist Technician Skilled Semi-Skilled worker General Worker Total May 2007 16 012 27 002 34 822 12 881 90 717 Source: Manpower Survey Reports on the Building and Civil Engineering Industry, Building and Civil Engineering Industry Training Board, Vocational Training Council, bi-annual issue of 2006. Table 3. 3. 1 Number of workers employed in principal jobs of construction, building and civil engineering and related disciplines 6 3. 3. 2 Persons in Establishments 2003 3 932 31 694 9 471 21 856 57 982 124 933 2004 4 341 (10. 4%) 28 478 (-10. 1%) 6 305 (-33. 4%) 25 117 (14. 9%) 57 836 (-0. 3%) 122 077 (-2. 3%) 2005 2 004 (-53. 8%) 29 786 (4. 6%) 7 274 (15. 4%) 21 282 (-15. 3%) 62 524 (8. 1%) 122 870 (0. 6%) 2006 1790 (-10. 7%) 29 976 (-9. 4%) 9 746 (34%) 24 688 (16%) 72 137 (15. 4%) 135 337 (10. 1%) Main industry group New construction works – Pre-erection works at construction sites New construction works – Architectural and civil engineering works at construction sites New construction works – Miscellaneous new construction works Decoration, repair and maintenance Special Trades – Erection and general finishing, electrical and mechanical fitting, gas and water fitting and miscellaneous All construction activities Source: The Report on 2006 Annual Survey of Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors, The Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Table 3. 3. 2 Number of persons directly engaged in the building and civil engineering establishments 3. 3. 3 Site Workers The following table reveals that the number of manual workers engaged at construction sites has been decreasing over time in Hong Kong. The phenomenon of reduction of manual workers is twofold: 1) advanced technology or technique greatly simplifies the construction process and reduce the number of people directly required; and 2) the number of construction projects, no matter in the private or public sector, has been dwindling year by year. Year 2008 2007 Qtr 1 1 2 3 4 Public 18965 20569 19232 18762 18521 20014 20485 19569 21147 22586 24306 26454 28704 25525 26668 27824 26034 % change 2. 4% -2. 77% -6. 5% -2. 44% -1. 3% -2. 30% 4. 68% -7. 46% -6. 37% -7. 08% -8. 12% -7. 84% 12. 45% -4. 29% -4. 15% 6. 88% -0. 88% Private 31576 29797 31866 30411 31582 30990 32801 32704 33750 31870 32540 33547 37057 33426 35814 38741 36727 % change Building % change Civil Engg. % c hange 0. 01% -3. 85% 6. 9% -4. 57% 3. 85% -5. 52% 0. 30% -3. 10% 5. 90% -2. 06% -3. 0% -9. 47% 10. 86% -6. 67% -7. 56% 5. 48% 2. 27% 38410 36517 37667 36133 37712 36406 38849 38819 40468 38769 41250 41293 45449 39097 42830 47081 45428 1. 85% 0. 30% 3. 15% -4. 07% 4. 37% -6. 29% 0. 08% -4. 07% 4. 38% -6. 01% -0. 10% -9. 14% 16. 25% -8. 72% -9. 03% 3. 64% 2. 90% 12131 13849 13431 13040 12391 14598 14437 13454 14429 15687 15596 18708 20312 19854 19652 19484 17333 -2. 1% -5. 13% -3. 02% -2. 91% -4. 98% 1. 12% 7. 31% -6. 76% -8. 02% 0. 58% -16. 63% -7. 90% 2. 31% 1. 03% 0. 86% 12. 41% -3. 87% Total 50541 50366 51098 49173 50103 51004 53286 52273 54897 54456 56846 60001 65761 58951 62482 66565 62761 % change 0. 87% -1. 25% 1. 45% -3. 77% 1. 89% -4. 28% 1. 94% -4. 78% 0. 81% -4. 20% -5. 26% -8. 76% 11. 55% -5. 65% -6. 13% 6. 06% 0. 94% 2006 1 2 3 4 2005 1 2 3 4 2004 1 2 3 4 Source: The Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies at Construction Sites, The Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Table 3. 3. 3 Number of Manual Workers engaged at Construction Sites (analyzed by sector and type of project) 3. 3. 4 Unemployment rate of Construction Sector 2005 Unemployed (Thousands) Unemployment rate (%) 39 12. 9 2006 33. 8 11. 2 2007 25. 1 8. 3 2008Q1 21. 3 7. 5 Source: Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics, The Census and statistics Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Table 3. 3. 4 – Unemployed and Unemployment Rate of the Construction Sector The unemployment rate of construction sector was 7. 5% in the first quarter of 2008. More job vacancies were created by the major projects, e. g. Hong Kong West and Tsuen Wan drainage tunnel, the Lo Wu Correctional Institution, an extension block at the Prince of Wales Hospital etc. Although the unemployment kept decreasing in these consecutive years, the employment rate in the construction sector caused considerable concerns. 3. 4 3. 4. 1 PRODUCTIVITY Value-added per Employee Effective cost control increases the efficiency of each unit of resources engaged. The fairly remarkable observations are the positive figures of the value-added per construction workers in 2004 , 2005 and 2006, as shown in the following table. Main industry group New construction works – Pre-erection works at construction sites New construction works – Architectural and civil engineering works at construction sites New construction works – Miscellaneous new construction works Decoration, repair and maintenance Special Trades – Erection and general finishing, electrical and mechanical fitting, gas and water fitting and miscellaneous All construction activities 2004 41% 19% 37% 28% 36% 26% 2005 28% 21% 33% 28% 36% 28% 2006 26% 21% 30% 28% 43% 29% Source: The Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Table 3. 4. 1 Value added as percentage of gross output for all building and civil engineering establishments: 9 3. 4. 2 Physical Measurement of Construction Production (Unit: `000 sq. m. *) End use of building Private residential premises+ Office buildings Hotels and boarding houses Multi-purpose commercial premises Total 2003 9 563 596 590 1 385 12 646 2004 8 169 (-14. 6%) ** (**) 654 (10. 8%) 1 471 (6. 2%) 10 964 (-13. 3%) 2005 6 591 (-19. 3%) ** (**) 794 (21. 4%) 1 303 (-11. 4%) 9 502 (-13. 3%) 2006 6 068 (-7. 9%) 945 587 (-26. 1%) 890 (-31. 7%) 8 624 (-9. 2%) * Area (sq. ) refers to gross floor area of buildings when completed. + Includes buildings purely for residential purpose and combined residential and nonresidential buildings. Source: The Report on 2005 Annual Survey of Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors, The Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Table 3. 4. 2 Physical Measurement of Construction Production 10 3. 5. 3. 5. 1 CONSTRUCTION COST Unit Construction Cost Construction costs are compiled from average fixed price competitive tenders published by Davis Landon Seah, a leading cost consultancy firm in Hong Kong. After the peak in 1997, construction costs fell for 6 consecutive years until they reached the bottom in 2003, when Hong Kong was hit by SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Afterwards, costs have gradually picked up following the recovery of the property and construction markets. The latest figures for 2008Q1 show that construction costs are now almost as well as they were in 1997. Indeed, 5-Star hotels cost more to build than they were in 1997, probably due to the diversion of resources to the hotel construction boom in Macau. Residential (High-Rise) Standard Luxurious 8,000-8,500 8,500-10,000 9,000-9,500 9,500-12,500 11,000-12,000 11,500-15,000 10,000-11,000 11,000-13,500 9,800-10,700 10,800-13,200 9,300-10,000 10,500-12,800 9,100-9,800 10,300-12,600 8,500-9,000 9,800-11,700 7,600-8,200 9,000-10,800 7,850-8,450 9,250-11,050 8,300-8,900 9,750-11,600 8,750-9,350 10,350-12,300 9,050-9,650, 10,650-12,700 9,450-10,100 11,100-13,250 10,100-10,800 11,800-14,100 10,000-10,700 11,700-14,000 10,600-11,400 12,550-14,850 Commercial office Standard Prestige 8,500-9,500 12,000 up 9,500-10,700 13,000 up 11,550-13,500 15,500 up 10,500-12,500 14,300 up 10,300-12,100 13,800 up 9,700-11,500 13,500 up 9,700-11,500 13,500 up 9,500-11,200 13,500 up 9,000-10,600 12,300 up 9,300-10,900 12,700 up 9,750-11,450 13,300 up 10,550-12,350 14,300 up 10,850-12,750 14,800 up 11,350-13,350 15,550 up 12,100-14,250 16,600 up 12,000-14,100 16,400 up 12,850-15,000 17,400 up (Unit: HK$/m2 CFA*) Industrial Hotel Light Heavy 5-Star 4,800-5,000 5, 300-6,300 14,000 up 5,400-5,700 6,100-7,200 16,000 up 6,500-7,000 7,100-8,500 19,500 up 5,600-6,200 6,300-7,500 18,000 up 5,500-6,100 6,200-7,100 17,500 up 5,500-6,000 6,000-6,900 17,500 up 5,500-6,000 6,000-6,800 17,500 up 5,400-5,800 5,900-6,600 17,200 up 4,900-5,500 5,300-6,100 16,300 up 5,250-5,850 5,650-6,450 16,700 up 5,550-6,150 5,950-6,800 17,500 up 5,900-6,550 6,350-7,250 18,700 up 6,100-6,750 6,550-7,450 19,250 up 6,400-7,100 6,900-7,850 20,200 up 6,800-7,600 7,350-8,400 21,500 up 6,750-7,500 7,250-8,300 21,300 up 7,350-8,150 7,900-9000 22,450 up 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007Q1 2007Q2 2007Q3 2007Q4 2008Q1 * The costs per square metre are based on Construction Floor Areas measured to the outside face of the external walls/ external perimeter including lift shafts, stairwells, balconies, plant rooms, water tanks and the like. The cost excludes site formation works, external works, land cost, professional fees, finance and legal expenses. 1995-2006 based on Quarterly data in Q4. 2007 Q1 is first quarter data and 2007 Q2 is second quarter data. Source: 1995-2004 Current building cost information data in Hong Kong. Davis Langdon Seah International. 2005-2007 Quarterly construction cost review, Hong Kong. Davis Langdon Seah. Table 3. 5. 1 – Unit Construction Costs 11 3. 5. 2 Average Wholesale Prices of Selected Building Materials As the general upward trend of construction costs shown in Section 5. 2 would foretell, costs of major building materials have been rising in the last 5 years. As the following table shows, some key materials, such as bitumen, diesel fuel for industrial use, sawn hardwood, homogeneous nonslip floor tiles, galvanised mild steel angles and steel plates, metal formwork, sand, mild steel round bars, high tensile steel bars and sawn hardwood timber formwork, have their latest unit costs increased by more than 50% when compared to 2004. The increasing trend of the costs of building materials is due to the inflation and the appreciation of Renminbi as most of the construction materials in Hong Kong are imported from China. This upsurge in material prices is believed to be more attributable to the general increase in prices of commodities around the globe recently, than to the slow recovery of the construction market in Hong Kong. 004 Aggregates (HK$ per tonne) Bitumen (HK$ per tonne) Concrete blocks, 100mm thick For industrial use (light) ($ per 200-litre drum) Diesel fuel For road use (HK$ per 100 litre) Glass Clear sheet glass, 5mm thick (HK$ p er square metre) White tiles, 108mm*108mm Glazed ceramic wall tiles Colour tiles, 200mm*200mm Sawn hardwood, 50*75 Hardwood mm column Non-slip tile, Homogeneous floor tiles 200mm*200mm Steel plates (HK$ per tonne) Steel angles Galvanised mild steel (HK$ per tonne) Steel flats (HK$ per tonne) Steel plate, 4mm thick Metal formwork (HK$ per tonne) Unglazed tiles, 18mm*18mm Glass tiles, 25mm*25mm Mosaic tiles ($ per square metre) Glazed tiles, 45mm*45mm Emulsion paint (HK$ per litre) Paint Acrylic paint (HK$ per litre) Portland cement (ordinary) (HK$ per tonne) 40 3800 45 1108 664 81 66 187 2284 69 6283 6203 6609 4438 52 25 58 32 34 491 2005 38 4200 42 1320 770 81 63 192 3072 72 6674 6568 7212 4881 44 27 55 35 35 511 2006 38 5400 42 1568 886 81 69 203 3218 86 6771 7404 9772 4588 37 22 58 35 34 517 2007 40 5400 43 1572 874 87 77 221 3474 98 7629 10047 8541 5059 47 27 61 35 34 516 March 2008 44 6467 57 1964 990 97 91 260 3607 131 10021 14713 9756 6979 50 29 73 37 36 524 12 Sand (HK$ per t onne) Mild steel round bars, 6mm to 20mm Steel reinforcement High tensile steel bars, 10mm to 40mm Plywood, formwork, 19mm thick Timber formwork Sawn hardwood, 25mm thick plank 20mm diameter pipes, uPVC lined GMS pipes 5. 5 long 32mm diameter pipes, uPVC pipes 4m long (HK$ per Note 1: Note 2: Source: 25 3815 3668 60 1504 166 42 27 4101 3764 67 2140 170 40 34 4237 3877 61 2023 170 41 56 5275 5183 64 2452 166 39 58 7896 8406 64 2666 n. a. 42 Prices from January 2005 onwards are not directly comparable to those published which included delivery charges. Prices are based on June data from 2004 to 2007 and in Hong Kong dollars. Average Wholesale Prices of Selected Building Materials, Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Contact person: Miss Kwan, Telephone: 852-2805-6413). Web-site: censtatd. gov. hk (Products and Services Publications Commerce and Industry Average Wholesale Prices of Selected Building Materials). Table 3. 5. 2 Average Wholesale Prices of Selected Building Materials 3. 5. 3 Average Sectoral Wages per Month There is no data on the average monthly sectoral wages for the construction industry. In the following table, the FIRE (financing, insurance, real estate and business services) is used instead for comparison with the manufacturing and personal services sectors. 13 Unit: HK$ per month) Financing, insurance, real estate and business services 2001 Sept 2001 Dec 2002 Mar 2002 June 2002 Sept 2002 Dec 2003 Mar 2003 June 2003 Sept 2003 Dec 2004 Mar 2004 June 2004 Sept 2004 Dec 2005 Mar 2005 June 2005 Sept 2005 Dec 2006 Mar 2006 June 2006 Sept 2006 Dec 20 07 Mar 2007 June 2007 Sept 2007 Dec 10896 11845 10544 10557 10627 10564 10561 10985 10574 10446 10028 9918 9605 9786 9996 9472 9722 10039 10055 9946 10222 10702 10987 11430 11228 11155 Manufacturing 12175 12106 11837 11922 12243 11769 11433 11405 11648 11566 11548 11794 11173 11483 11486 12054 11254 11663 11867 11912 12079 12050 12003 11767 11828 11917 Personal services 6336 6183 6225 6247 6148 6089 6051 5971 5983 5897 5809 6033 6338 6071 5993 5917 5852 5963 5859 6021 6018 6120 6314 6521 6699 6746 Note 1: The average sectoral wages are extracted from the table of â€Å"Average Wage Rates by Industry Sector, Broad Occupational Group†. Note 2: All the average monthly salaries are extracted from â€Å"Supervisory, technical, lerical and miscellaneous non-production workers† sections under the FIRE, Manufacturing and Personal services groups. Source: Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics, The Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Table 3. 5. 3 Average Sectoral Wages Per Month 3. 5. 4 Construction Industry Salaries and Wages –Technicians and Unskilled Workers Whilst the material costs have been generally on their rising trend, the average monthly salary of technicians and the average daily wage of unskilled workers in the construction industry have not recovered to their levels in 2003. This lends further support to the argument in Section 5. that material cost increase has more to do with the global price increase in commodities than to the slow recovery of the home construction sector. 14 2003 June 2004 June 2005 June 2006 June 2007 June 2008 April n. a. : data not available Technicians Monthly Salary (HK$) 10985 9918 9472 9946 n. a. 11318 Unskilled Workers Daily Wage (HK$) 601. 1 584. 9 571. 7 565. 9 569. 9 570. 8 Unskilled Workers Daily Wage is extracted from â€Å"Average Daily Wages of Workers Engaged in Public Sector Construction Projects†. Figures are based on the data from â€Å"General Wo rkers†, which include labourers, excavators, concretors labourers, bricklayers labourers, plasterers labourers, heavy load labourers and drivers linesmen. Technicians Monthly Salary are extracted from â€Å"The Supervisory, technical, clerical and miscellaneous non-production workers section† of the â€Å"Average Wage Rates by Industry Sector Financing, insurance, real estate and business services† Sources: (for unskilled workers’ daily wage) Average Daily Wages of Workers Engaged in Public Sector Construction Projects. Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Contact person: Miss Lam, Telephone: 852-2887-5207). (for technicians’ monthly salary) Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics, Various issues. Table 3. 5. 4 Construction Industry Salaries And Wages – Technicians and Unskilled Workers 3. 5. 5 Construction Industry Salaries and Wages – Construction Professionals There were some wage increases for certain professionals, but in no way comparable with that of material prices. Between 2004 and 2007, only architects, electrical engineer and personnel manager/ human resources manager/ staff relations manager working in the industry have registered above 20% growth. Their monthly wages increased by 28. 3% over two years for the architects, by 24. 5% for the electrical engineer and by 31. 7% for the last. Administration officer/ executive officer, civil engineer and mechanical engineer also enjoyed a double digit growth in their salaries over the same 2-year period, which were 13. 4%, 14. 6% and 14. 2% separately, and followed by 5. 3% for building services engineers,7. 6% for safety officer and 3. 9% for I. T. / computer manager. Meanwhile, there was a reduction of 13. 8% for financial manager/accounting manager, 7. 5% project manager and 6. 7% for structural engineer. 15 (Unit: Median monthly salary in HK$) Professionals in Building and construction and related trades Accountant Administrative Officer / Executive Officer Architect Administration Manager/ Company Secretary/ Office Manager Building Services Engineer Civil Engineer Electrical Engineer Financial Manager/ Accounting Manager I. T. / Computer Manager Mechanical Engineer Personnel Manager/ Human Resources Manager/ Staff Relations Manager Project Manager Quantity Surveyor Safety Officer Structural Engineer n. a. data not available Source: Report of Salaries and Employee Benefits Statistics, Managerial and Professional Employees (Excluding Top Management), Wages and Labour Costs Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Web-site: censtatd. gov. hk (Hong Kong statistic- Statistical Tables-Subject-La bour Table 029). 2004 June 26900 14900 38500 23500 28500 28700 30200 n. a. n. a. 33200 n. a. 52200 28800 31600 26800 2005 June 22900 16900 41600 n. a. 29300 28000 30700 54500 n. a. 31900 n. a. 50900 28700 29800 21000 2006 June 26900 16900 42600 25600 30800 30900 32700 44600 35800 33800 35000 51300 29300 30300 27500 2007 June 30200 n. a. 49400 n. a. 30000 32900 37600 47000 37200 37900 46100 48300 28900 29200 25000 Table 5. 5 Construction Industry Salaries And Wages – Construction Professionals 3. . 6 Construction Industry Salaries and Wages – Skilled Workers The slow recovery of the construction industry seems to have benefited, if only marginally, some senior managers, architects and engineers only. Of all the 32 categories of workers listed below, only 1 of them had their average daily wages increased over 5 years. Only structural steel welders had the positive growth. However, the growth rate was 3. 5% over 5 years. The remaining 31 categories of skilled workers ha ve seen their wages go down by 4. 5% to 36. 5%. The hardest hit are the building services maintenance mechanics. Their average daily wages dipped by 36. 5% over 5 years. The categories of workers that suffered double-digit wage reduction over 5 years include nearly all the major trades: concretors, bricklayers, drainlayers, mason, bar benders and fixers, metal worker structural steel erectors, riggers/metal formwork erectors, formwork carpenters, joiners, plumbers, construction plant mechanics, rock-breaking drillers, asphalter, bamboo, plasterers, painters and decorators, leveller, marble workers, electrical fitter, mechanical fitters, refrigeration/AC/ventilation mechanic, fire services mechanic, lift and escalator mechanic and power cable jointer. It seems that the construction boom in Macau has not benefited much local construction workers. 16 Concretor Bricklayer Drainlayer Mason Bar bender and fixer Metal worker General welder Structural steel erector Structural steel welder Rigger/metal formwork erector Carpenter (formwork) Joiner Plumber Construction plant echanic Plant equipment operator (load shifting) Truck driver Rock-breaking driller As phalter (road construction) Bamboo scaffolder Diver Plasterer Glazier Painter and decorator Leveller Marble worker Electrical fitter (incl. electrician) Mechanical fitter Refrigeration/AC/ventilation mechanic Fire services mechanic Lift and escalator mechanic Building services maintenance mechanic Power cable jointer 2003 June 1072. 4 971. 9 955. 6 903. 7 1297. 4 890. 4 848. 9 1063. 1 879. 7 980. 7 1254. 0 1059. 2 986. 8 859. 8 809. 2 653. 1 889. 8 876. 6 1164. 6 1725. 2 976. 1 895. 5 907. 7 771. 0 1132. 7 794. 6 764. 2 675. 9 797. 6 769. 1 987. 2 575. 0 2004 June 1026. 3 961. 3 927. 5 849. 9 1225. 4 853. 1 790. 1 966. 2 939. 0 810. 4 1146. 9 1029. 4 933. 8 802. 7 784. 4 604. 6 821. 0 715. 3 1077. 3 1596. 4 934. 9 843. 2 878. 4 757. 9 1003. 2 763. 7 752. 685. 1 762. 7 785. 7 728. 9 725. 6 (Unit: Average daily wage in HK$) 2005 June 2006 June 2007 June 923. 5 940. 3 948. 2 886. 3 840. 1 841. 3 874. 7 861. 9 826. 5 853. 2 933. 6 925. 2 1159. 6 1154. 0 1142. 9 840. 9 822. 3 914. 2 783. 7 786. 6 778. 3 961. 8 884. 8 847. 5 946. 2 920. 2 970. 7 724. 1 777. 7 843. 4 1073. 7 1076. 9 993. 1 982. 1 953. 9 926. 7 903. 3 836. 8 798. 8 807. 6 816. 5 774. 3 765. 6 767. 0 761. 6 572. 5 613. 1 591. 7 851. 2 781. 7 774. 3 783. 9 756. 9 913. 9 1089. 1 1108. 3 1076. 7 1687. 4 1543. 3 1821. 1 883. 3 890. 3 829. 6 878. 2 770. 0 751. 9 853. 6 791. 2 753. 0 700. 3 726. 7 715. 4 969. 2 826. 1 866. 6 742. 0 715. 1 727. 705. 1 589. 1 666. 0 659. 3 595. 4 638. 4 758. 2 737. 8 788. 6 820. 8 815. 7 804. 5 852. 9 743. 7 537. 5 831. 3 600. 0 600. 0 2008 Mar 932. 8 816. 1 814. 7 714. 6 1067. 4 775. 2 783. 6 897. 7 911. 1 829. 9 986. 9 868 784 724. 6 737. 7 602. 6 796. 6 679. 2 1033. 5 1647. 8 802. 8 811. 7 740. 6 686. 2 942. 4 678. 8 683. 8 591. 4 710 655. 1 626. 4 479. 3 Source: Average Daily Wages of Workers Engaged in Public Sector Construction Projects, Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Contact person: Miss Lam, Telephone: 852-28875207). Table 5. 6 Construction Industry Salaries And Wages –Skilled Workers 3. 6 3. 6. IMPORT AND EXPORT OF CONSTRUCTION SERVICES Annual Import/Export of Construction Services Latest statistics on import and export of services can be found on â€Å"Report on Hong Kong Trade in Services Statistics for 2006† which is freely downloadable from the government web-site ( statisticalbookstore. gov. hk/en/index. html). However, the construction sector is described as one of the sectors which have less significant amount of TIS (Trade in Services) transactions†. There is not much import of construction services because the great majority of construction works are done by â€Å"local† firms. However, that doesn’t imply discrimination against 17 foreign contractors as the next paragraph will explain. Neither is there much export of construction services, because indigenous local contractors are generally active in the traditional building construction sector, and they may not have the competitive advantages to compete in international markets yet. Hong Kong has been consistently ranked the top in the Index of Economic Freedom for 14 consecutive years ever since it was first co-published by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal in 1995. Hong Kong being the freest economy in the world, the local government does not differentiate between foreign and local contractors. Announcing with a Technical Circular (Works Branch Technical Circular No. 9/97: Rules for the Administration of the List of Approved Contractors for Public Works, 26 May 1997), the government has abolished since 1997 the differentiation between foreign and local contractors eligible to tender for public works. From then on, both foreign and local contractors have been subject to the same sets of criteria, rules and regulations. Once registered, they are all â€Å"local† firms, and, by definition, their services are rendered locally and not â€Å"imported†. There is no statistics on the origin of the contractors, and hence there is not much â€Å"importation† of construction services expect for those one-off special cases when construction services have to be procured on an ad hoc basis. 18 The exports and imports of services are listed below: Export of services Major Service Group Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 HK$ million 3968 2941 2436 2083 590 929 1035 1191 Share3 (%) 3. 2. 7 2. 3 1. 9 Yearonyear % change 48. 2 -25. 9 -17. 2 -14. 5 74. 0 57. 5 11. 4 15. 1 Import of services HK$ million 3110 2697 2122 1872 207 246 283 306 Share3 (%) 2. 7 2. 5 2. 0 1. 7 Yearonyear % change 13. 9 -13. 3 -21. 3 -11. 8 32. 7 18. 8 15. 0 8. 1 Net export of services HK$ milli on 858 244 314 211 383 683 752 885 Construction services1 Architectural, engineering and other technical services2 1Construction services include â€Å"(g)eneral construction work (including new work, additions and alterations, repair and maintenance) and installation work at sites, buildings and structures that usually lasts for less than one year†. 2Architectural, ngineering and other technical services include â€Å"(a)dvisory architectural services; architectural design services; contract administration services; advisory and consultative engineering services; engineering design services for construction projects or industrial processes; and urban planning and landscape architectural services†. 3Share (%) is the share of export (or export) in total â€Å"building and construction†. Sources: Report on Hong Kong Trade in Services Statistics for 2006, p. 21. 2006 Gross Domestic Report, p. 41 Table 3. 6. 1 – Annual Import/Export of Construction and Consul tancy Services There is not much import nor export of construction services, though Hong Kong managed to have a positive net export of services between 2003 and 2006. In 2006, there were HK$2083 million and HK$1872million worth of construction services exported and imported respectively, resulting in a net export of services worth HK$211 million. The value of exported construction services represented 2% – 3. 4% of the total â€Å"Building and Construction† only in the years 2003 2006, or a mere 0. 36% of the total value of all exports of services in 2006. On the other hand, there is an increasing trend of export of Architectural, engineering and other technical services. The value increased to HK$1,191 million in 2006. In that year, the total value of â€Å"Building and Construction† was HK$105,960 million. If we assume that professional fees amounted to 3% of the value, the consultancy fees would be HK$3,179 million. Compared to HK$3,179 million, the HK$1,191 million earned from export of services amounted to more than 30%. In Hong Kong, architects, engineers and other professionals appear to have relied on export of services much more than the contractors. It has been commented that professional skills and expertise, which have their origins from the British institutions, have been much treasured by China Mainland, Dubai, India and other South East countries. In Hong Kong professionals seem to have more exportable advantages than building construction firms. 3. 6. 2 Top 5 Countries for Construction Import/Export The sources of imports and destinations of exports of construction and consultancy services are summarised in the following table. 19 Major service group/Region Year Export of services HK$million Import of services HK$million Net export of services HK$million Construction services Asia Australasia and Oceania Central and South America North America Western Europe Others Architectural, engineering and other technical services Asia Australasia and Oceania Central and South America North America Western Europe Others 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 3968 2941 2436 2083 3737 2941 2330 2054

Grumman F9F Panther in the Korean War

Grumman F9F Panther in the Korean War Having had success in building fighters for the US Navy during World War II with models such as the F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, and F8F Bearcat, Grumman began work on its first jet aircraft in 1946. Responding to a request for a jet-powered night fighter, Grummans first effort, dubbed G-75, intended to utilize four Westinghouse J30 jet engines mounted in the wings. The large number of engines was necessary as the output of early turbojets was low. As the design progressed, advances in technology saw the number of engines reduced to two. Designated XF9F-1, the night fighter design lost a competition to the Douglas XF3D-1 Skyknight. As a precaution, the US Navy ordered two prototypes of the Grumman entry on April 11, 1946. Recognizing that the XF9F-1 had key flaws, such as a lack of space for fuel, Grumman commenced evolving the design into a new aircraft. This saw the crew reduced from two to one and the elimination of night-fighting equipment. The new design, the G-79, moved forward as a single-engine, single-seat day fighter. The concept impressed the US Navy which amended the G-75 contract to include three G-79 prototypes. Development Assigned the designation XF9F-2, the US Navy requested that two of the prototypes be powered by the Rolls-Royce Nene centrifugal-flow turbojet engine. During this time, work was moving forward to allow Pratt Whitney to build the Nene under license as the J42. As this had not been completed, the US Navy asked that the third prototype be powered by a General Electric/Allison J33. The XF9F-2 first flew on November 21, 1947 with Grumman test pilot Corwin Corky Meyer at the controls and was powered by one of the Rolls-Royce engines. The XF9F-2 possessed a mid-mounted straight-wing with leading edge and trailing edge flats. Intakes for the engine were triangular in shape and situated in wing root. The elevators were mounted high on the tail. For landing, the aircraft utilized a tricycle landing gear arrangement and a stinger retractable arresting hook. Performing well in testing, it proved capable of 573 mph at 20,000 feet. As trials moved forward, it was found that the aircraft still lacked the necessary fuel storage. To combat this issue, permanently mounted wingtip fuel tanks were mounted to the XF9F-2 in 1948. The new aircraft was named Panther and mounted a base armament of four 20mm cannon which were aimed using a Mark 8 computing optical gunsight. In addition to the guns, the aircraft was capable of carrying a mix of bombs, rockets, and fuel tanks under its wings. In total, the Panther could mount 2,000 pounds of ordnance or fuel externally, though the due to a lack of power from the J42, F9Fs seldom launched with a full load. Production: Entering service in May 1949 with VF-51, the F9F Panther passed its carrier qualifications later that year. While the first two variants of the aircraft, the F9F-2 and F9F-3, differed only in their power plants (J42 vs. J33), the F9F-4 saw the fuselage lengthened, tail enlarged, and the inclusion of the Allison J33 engine. This was later superseded by the F9F-5 which used the same airframe but incorporated a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce RB.44 Tay (Pratt Whitney J48). While the F9F-2 and F9F-5 became the main production models of the Panther, reconnaissance variants (F9F-2P and F9F-5P) were also constructed. Early in the Panthers development, concern arose regarding the aircrafts speed. As a result, a swept-wing version of the aircraft was also designed. Following early engagements with the MiG-15 during the Korean War, work was accelerated and the F9F Cougar produced. First flying in September 1951, the US Navy viewed the Cougar as a derivative of the Panther hence its designation as F9F-6. Despite the accelerated development timeline, F9F-6s did not see combat in Korea. Specifications (F9F-2 Panther): General Length: 37 ft. 5 in.Wingspan: 38 ft.Height: 11 ft. 4 in.Wing Area: 250 ft ²Empty Weight: 9,303 lbs.Loaded Weight: 14,235 lbs.Crew: 1 Performance Power Plant: 2 Ãâ€" Pratt Whitney J42-P-6/P-8 turbojetCombat Radius: 1,300 milesMax. Speed: 575 mphCeiling: 44,600 ft. Armament 4 Ãâ€" 20 mm M2 cannon6 Ãâ€" 5 in. rockets on underwing hardpoints or 2,000 lbs. of bomb Operational History: Joining the fleet in 1949, the F9F Panther was the US Navys first jet fighter. With the US entry into the Korean War in 1950, the aircraft immediately saw combat over the peninsula. On July 3, a Panther from USS Valley Forge (CV-45) flown by Ensign E.W. Brown scored the aircrafts first kill when he downed a Yakovlev Yak-9 near Pyongyang, North Korea. That fall, Chinese MiG-15s entered the conflict. The fast, swept-wing fighter out-classed the US Air Forces F-80 Shooting Stars as well as older piston-engine aircraft such as the F-82 Twin Mustang. Though slower than the MiG-15, US Navy and Marine Corps Panthers proved capable of combating the enemy fighter. On November 9, Lieutenant Commander William Amen of VF-111 downed a MiG-15 for the US Navys first jet fighter kill. Due to the MiGs superiority, the Panther was forced to hold the line for part of the fall until the USAF could rush three squadrons of the new North American F-86 Sabre to Korea. During this time, the Panther was in such demand that the  Navy Flight Demonstration Team (The Blue Angels) was forced to turn over its F9Fs for use in combat. As the Sabre increasingly took over the air superiority role, the Panther began to see extensive use as a ground attack aircraft due to its versatility and hefty payload. Famous pilots of the aircraft included future astronaut John Glenn and Hall of Famer Ted Williams who flew as wingmen in VMF-311. The F9F Panther remained the US Navy and Marine Corps primary aircraft for the duration of the fighting in Korea. As jet technology rapidly advanced, the F9F Panther began to be replaced in American squadrons in the mid-1950s. While the type was withdrawn from frontline service by the US Navy in 1956, it remained active with the Marine Corps until the following year. Though used by reserve formations for several years, the Panther also found use as a drone and drone tug into the 1960s. In 1958, the United States sold several F9Fs to Argentina for use aboard their carrier ARA Independencia (V-1). These remained active until 1969. A successful aircraft for Grumman, the F9F Panther was the first of several jets the company provided for the US Navy, with the most famous being the F-14 Tomcat.

Develop Alternative energy supply system Research Paper - 1

Develop Alternative energy supply system - Research Paper Example Increased employment levels: The people of Bambui will receive numerous job opportunities due to increased productivity in the region. Firms and small businesses will look to employ more people to handle the increased demand and supply. The development of the alternative forms of energy in the region will increase employment levels in the production service. Both the skilled and unskilled labor will be sought to handle the technical and manual work in the structuring and execution of the different forms of energy. For example, the construction of wind turbines will require the availability of skilled engineers and the manual services of employees loading and off-loading the necessary equipment (IEEE, 2002). Another economic benefit of the implementation of the geothermal, urine, and wind energy sources will be the reduced energy costs. All the mentioned forms of energy depend on renewable resources that are readily available in Bambui region. With the utilization of these energy sources, the region will reduce the cost of acquiring fossil fuels and candles. Green energy saves the area from incurring foreign exchange costs while procuring fossil fuels. Fossil fuel energy is more expensive than wind and geothermal due to the high volatility in oil prices. The threat of price fluctuations is considerably reduced since wind, urine, and geothermal are all renewable resources accessed in the region (Zou, 2012). The energy produced will also be more efficient than the other sources previously used in Bambui. Since the energy is provided in the locality and with fewer distribution dependence on the national grid lines energy supply is expected to be more stable: The steady supply arises from t he availability of an independent gridline whose repairs are effected immediately without the interference of the corporations’ bureaucracy. Bambui region will also experience an economic growth following the inception of the alternative forms of

The Case against Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Case against Marriage - Essay Example To begin with, the purpose of marriage has undergone a sea change. In the past, it â€Å"was how women ensured their financial security, got the fathers of their children to stick around, and gained access to a host of legal rights†. However, the feminist movement and other developments made significant changes in the lives of women. At present, they are at least as educated as men are, and make as much money as men do. The authors claim, â€Å"We’re also breadwinners in two thirds of American families† . In addition, women can establish their legal rights even without a legal marriage. Thus, while marriage was a necessity for women â€Å"to survive† (par. 8) in the past, it is not so at present. Thus, the authors note that due to the changes above discussed, at present what women look for in marriage is â€Å"a best friend, a business partner, somebody to share sex, love and chores†. In simple terms, what women expect in marriage is a â€Å"soul m ate†; not security anymore. In addition, the authors point out quoting social scientists that the institution of marriage as a long term contract is not as effective as people would love to believe. Quoting Curtis Bergstrand, the article states, â€Å"social science tells us fundamentally that this system is not working†. Moreover, there is the finding that â€Å"20 years into marriage, 90 percent of couples have lost the passion they originally felt†. Based on this, the authors point out that marriage was a stable institution in the past because of the dependence of women on their husbands for survival.

Single parent families Essay Example for Free

Single parent families Essay It is a sad fact of modern life that more and more children are growing up in single parent family environments.Whether divorce, death of a parent, single member parenthood etc is the reeason. The ims pact on children in such environment is similar. This has created many problems but with will and cooperation solutions can be found. First of all, children who grow up in an intact two-parent family with both biological parents present do better in a wide range of outcomes than children who grow up in a single-parent family and this can be a serious problem. A very common problem is that a single-parent family child needs to have a standard role model and such a lack can lead to many psychological problems. For instance, children will have less emotional support, may feel insecure, lonely or alianated. That means that children may come up with other ideas in order to heal the pain they feel. Drug problrms, more alcohol, crimes, suicides are some of the most common behavours. Except these, a single parent family is band to have economical problems. For the following reasons the parent must, first of all, understabd why his child is feeling , the depressed. Then the children have to understand that in spite of the change of their family structure, they have a family. This can be done by visiting a psychologist. With profound communication away the family members, this problem can be overcome. Parent and children can also get help from a relative such as uncle/aunt that is willing to help in this difficult situation and fill the gap of the missing parent. To overcome the effects of limited finances, single paremts should seek out community resources to supplement the needs of their families including agencies that can also help them by supporting the family. In short, with cooperation, flexibility, understanding and love, many problems can be solved and as the years pass by the children of single parents will be as normal as the children of traditional fami les.

Challenges of a Global Business Essay -- International Business Manage

Conducting global business is extremely complex and difficult. At times both countries involved may not be in agreement, but decide to conduct business anyway. For a company to conduct business in another country there is extensive research, negotiation, and compromise done before it can be finalized. Even though not all standards meet those of the United States, some companies continue to make business abroad. Some companies when investigated and found guilty of unethical behavior, blame their actions on not knowing about it or on the subcontractor or supplier. It is inevitable to avoid ethical issues when conducting global business. This is mainly because of differentiation of foreign laws, regulations, and policies. Among those there are also culture and language barriers that contribute to the origin of ethical dilemmas. More than anything cultures is one of the primary reason for why ethical issues come up amongst all others. Globalization is criticized for its practice of unethical behavior in countries where individual’s freedoms are subjective. Some of many global ethical issues that exist in today’s world include corruptions and money laundering, human rights under totalitarian regimes, workplace conditions, environmental issues, respect for local customs and cultures, and many more (LEVINE). Developing nations are more susceptible to have ethical issues than developed countries. This is mainly due to cultures, customs, norms, and poverty. Corruption and money laundering is being seen on the news across the border in Tijuana, Mexico. San Diego news is constantly reporting how the drug cartels are affecting the business in the city and stating that police are involved as well. The laundry of money has crossed the ... ...nd judged. In conclusion, globalization has changed the way societies work and the way individuals think and interact with one another. Regardless if whether we are or not in agreement with a foreign countries laws and conduct, there is little a foreign person can do. The ideal solution is for U.S. companies to do as much research about foreign countries laws, cultures to avoid being involved in unethical scandals. Works Cited De George, R. T. (2006). Business Ethics (6th ed.). Upper Sadle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc. A Pearson Education Company. The LEVIN Institute . (n.d.). Globalization 101. Retrieved from http://www.globalization101.org/issue/english/ Trevino, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2007). Managing Business Ethics. Straight Talk About How To Do It Right. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-Text]. : John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from , website.

Motherhood And Its Challenges

The word mother means a female parent who brings up a child, takes care of her and loves absolutely by putting the needs of her children over her own. A mother takes the whole duty of parenting with both her words and her actions. Being a mother can be extremely fulfilling but it has got its fair share of challenges; it has got far-fetched highs and the demanding feeling of affection and protectiveness that comes with it has to be well balanced. The most magnificent and satisfying of times of motherhood is just the quality time you spend with your kids and just simply watch them grow and be happy.A mother usually offers a warm, selfless and an understanding environment and to most mothers, the particular moments spent with their children are not comparable to any other moment. Explicitly, the period of being a mother is the most thrilling moment that life can present to a woman. Motherhood involves being a capable wife and mother, to be an affectionate and a kind friend to all member s of the family and above all, to keep the house operational.All these, mothers are expected to do in a single stride and still remain the most self-controlled member of the family because more often than not, mothers should build great friendships with their children and husbands. The unconditional love that mothers offer should carry with it self-responsiveness, beauty that comes from inside and refinement coupled with high aptitude. All these images are not very easy to keep up with but all the same, the society expects mothers to achieve all these. Against this background therefore, it is no little truth to emphasize that motherhood is generally a big challenge.(Rosenberg, D. 64-66). Body: Measuring your achievements as a mother is not an easy concept; the challenges present themselves each single day and the solution is just in having the right attitude and striving to solve a predicament by finding fresh ideas in making things smooth sailing. The positive aspect is achieved by understanding the reason you became a mother in the first place and realizing that it is still in existence; this is important because with time, mothers realize that the challenges do not go, they only change forms.The hitch is that by viewing things from this angle, most mothers identify their shortfalls and deal with them while providing the proof that the challenge is adequately dealt with, this can be well achieved by having a feedback mechanism. The rationale behind this strategy is straight forward: since things that can not be quantified tend to be given less consideration, the gist is to focus more interest and time on the quantitative aspects because they can be planned, registered and evaluated, this therefore enables one to easily come up with solutions (DiQuinzio.P. 32-34). In comparison, juggling motherhood with employment or business can be trickier than managing motherhood as a full time mother. To every mother, the family is the most important thing and is so fulfi lling to give attention to, on the other extreme, ones personal accomplishments are equally important and should therefore not be sacrificed at the expense of the quality of the family unit. This makes the whole issue very difficult contrary to what the society has always believed that multitasking is manageable to mothers.According to Elraviv Yung, a social scientist at the Beijing school of law, â€Å"the potentials of women have not gotten the appreciation they deserve, women add a lot of value to the society and the very fact that they can juggle up their roles as both entrepreneurs and mothers should be a great motivation to the society† Elraviv 56. The best strategy for this group of women would still be to come up with a workable formula on time management and do a feedback mechanism after a certain specified duration.This is mostly by dividing your time in such a way as to have time both for the family and work and to ensure no time is spent on the extreme. The feedba ck plan helps mothers to asses their achievements in the timelines and correcting any deviations from plans. Research has revealed that being a mother in the present day has more to face up to and is more difficult than it was twenty to thirty years in the past. Dealing with busy schedules, coping up with pressure in the society and teaching children to acquire acceptable values are just a few out of the scores of concerns that the society presents.Infact, standards have deteriorated as compared to how they were in the past. Controversially though, the society judges mothers more harshly than fathers and when it comes to instilling values in our children, a lot is expected from mothers than is from fathers (Rosenberg, D. 80-82). The effects of motherhood challenges can be far-fetched: mothers often sacrifice too much to an extent that they end up not having time for their own ambitions. This is very costly than beneficial because in as much as a mother feels that her ideal objective of being a mother are achieved, self fulfillment is overlooked.Another effect is that motherhood-especially full-time- is so devastating-due to fatigue- that in the long run, it leads to different illnesses that may be chronic. These illnesses may be less affordable to treat and this leads to difficulty in achieving these goals in the first place. Achieving the set goals and assessing the deviations from plans at times may be unrealistic especially considering that time in itself may be limited. It should be understood therefore that motherhood is difficult-but at times fulfilling- and trying to live up to the society’s expectations may at times be unachievable (DiQuinzio.P. 89-93). Conclusion: Overall, the role of a mother although difficult, is the most important in her life. Motherhood ,as generally expected in the society, is supposed to be characterized by self-denial, fostering and unrelenting, on the other extreme, a mother is more often than not expected to feel on t he wrong side of the law if her standards are not as high as is generally acceptable. Motherhood as an occupation is expected to embrace social, physical and emotional sides.The social characteristic entails the expectations that a mother will put together the family structure and ensure that the family relationships are functionally healthy. Apart from this, the mother has to guard the way the family and the larger society views her achievement, that is to say, are they up to standard? Emotionally, a mother should be there for her family and to ensure her presence is felt: dealing with a child’s achievements and disappointments as well as their feelings and teaching them how to cope with their emotional challenges.Motherhood also involves meeting the expectations of the larger family in giving them adequate attention and time. Left to one person to deal with single-handedly, striving to achieve these expectations can be overwhelming. Works Cited DiQuinzio. P. The impossibili ty of motherhood: feminism, individualism, and the problem of mothering. Routledge, 1999. Rosenberg, D. Motherhood without guilt: being the best mother you can be and feeling great about it. Source

Janmar Coating INC Essay

Janmar Coating INC is currently facing a problem of where and how to enact corporate marketing efforts among various paint coatings market. Several top executives cannot come to an agreement on if they should expand to non-Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) areas or construct additives to the current budget for advertising, hiring a salaried employee, or cutting prices so that the customers and retailers who are price sensitive will not be discouraged to use the product. According to the case study the U.S. paint coating industry has three segments. The smallest of the three with only 22% of the market is the special coatings segment. This group is particularly used on items that may have extreme temperature fluctuation or environmental factors. The middle segment with 35% market share is the Original Equipment manufacturing (OEM). OEM is used on objects such as cars, trucks, building products and more. The largest segment with 43% market share is the architectural coatings used on homes, buildings, industrial structures and more. Industry sales for paint coatings in 2004 were around 16 million with expected sales to increase in the next year. Analyzing the data reflects that the segment of Architectural Paint coatings and sundries have a strong position in the industry. This 12 billion plus group is expected to grow more with the extreme demand of maintenance and repairs on new and old homes increase. Although its competition such as aluminum and vinyl siding appears to have a grip on the market but APC is still holding steady. In addition, the do it yourself painters are increasing in popularity making the trend successful and providing stability in the market. Knowing the competition is not hurting but this segments growing concerns are the mandatory regulations regarding a reduction  in emissions caused by the production of paint. This has stigmatized the industry causing sales to decrease which resulted in many business closing or merging with bigger firms. Janmar’s mission is to gain more market share across the industry. With sales being steady in the DFW area there should be an emphasis on the non DFW area which may provide an increase in sales which will result in increased revenue. A strength of the company is great customer relationships. Many believe to sell a particular product you must know the product very well and Janmar’s representatives has demonstrated  this according to several internal customer surveys. Team perseverance believes a weakness in this company may be its inability to begin penetrating the market outside the DFW area. Also the indecisiveness of the leadership of the company may prevent them from taking advantage of the upcoming peak season. In the past before the specialty stores or the big retailers like Walmart and home depot were around Janmars competition was minimal. Although they have many professional painters that purchase their product it may be considered a weakness because it limits gaining more share. The alternative course of action in the Janmar case are being able to excel their presence in the DFW do-it-yourself market. A con to this alternative is that many consumers select a store before selecting the brand. With many stores having more than one brand this may leave the consumer a chance to purchase a less priced product. It is very common for consumers to purchase from advertising they have also seen although a very small percentage. A pro would be the increasing of brand awareness. The cost to enact this alternative is around $350,000 in brand advertising over the current budget. Another alternative which counter acts the previous mentioned alternative is to issue a special coupon in the newspaper. A con may be that in the time of the internet print marketing is out of date and seen as less effective. The alternative is to  hire a new sales representative that may be aggressive in the non DFW area may be a better suggested alternative. A pro to this alternative is the direct cost in salary vs $350,000 in addition to the budget which the salary is dramatically lower in price. The final alternative is to continue with the current approach. Team recommends that Janmar Coating Inc. should chose the last alternative with a twist. Keep everything the same with small increments of change. The first change would be adding a new sales rep. We believe this individuals role to recruit new accounts may show a faster result in revenues via new accounts than advertising on the television which carries a higher cost and more time to see sales increase. This representative may have the ability to get more accounts in one year than they have in five years. One of the strengths of Janmar is its ability to satisfy its retailers. It is crucial that Janmar begins to aggressively  attack the non DFW area in order to get there presence and product known. With globalization it is very easy for a company to be left behind.

Democratic Changes in the Cuban Government essays

Democratic Changes in the Cuban Government essays When Fidel Castro announced he was temporarily relinquishing power due to his illness, people began to debate the possibility of democratic changes in a post-Castro Cuba. While reports circulate that the ailing Castro is recovering, speculations about significant changes in Cuba continue. This paper argues that despite Castro's preparations, changes in the Cuban government are inevitable, in the event of Castro's death. The loss of Castro would mean that the government would have to make further changes to accommodate democratic reform. In contrast to majority opinions, any reports consider the possibility that the Communist government would retain its Marxist-Leninist identity. After all, reports like "Cuba After Castro" (2006) point out that the dictator had been in power for the past 47 years. This means that almost two generations of Cubans grew up accepting the idea that a communist government is a norm. Also, in contrast to the criticisms of Cuban-American immigrants in Miami, Castro remains a respected father figure in many parts of the island. Furthermore, they point out that the government structure extends beyond the figurehead of Fidel Castro. Those who equate Castro with the Cuban government ignore the existence of the Communist Party elite which holds the government together. If, as some analysts point out, the Communist elite can weather the period of transition in the event of Castro's death, the changes in government structure and policy would be minimal, and Communists will still retain power ("Cuba After Castro" 2006). Finally, those who argue for the possibility of a Communist, post-Castro Cuba also point out that mass support is necessary for any significant changes to occur. The chances of such mass uprisings, however, are lessened by the government's tight stranglehold on the Cuban media. This censorship against "U.S. influence" and "capitalist advertising" works in the government's favor, giving...

Around the World in 80 Days Review

'Around the World in 80 Days' Review Jules Vernes Around the World in Eighty Days is a rip-roaring adventure story set primarily in  Victorian England but spans the world following its protagonist Phileas Fogg. Written with a cosmopolitan and open view of the world, Around the World in Eighty Days is a brilliant tale. Vivid in its descriptions, Fogg, a cold, brittle man, who slowly shows that he does have the heart of an Englishman. The book wonderfully captures a spirit of adventure that was bubbling around the turn of the century and is impossible to put down. The Main Plot The story begins in London where the reader is introduced to an incredibly precise and controlled man by the name of Fogg. Fogg lives happily, although a little mysteriously, for no-one knows the true origin of his wealth. He goes to his gentlemans club every day, and it is there that he accepts a wager to travel around the world in eighty days. He packs his things and, along with his manservant, Passepartout he sets out on his journey. Early on in his voyage, a police inspector begins to trail him, believing Fogg is a bank robber. After a reasonably uneventful start, difficulties emerge in India when Fogg realities that a train line he was hoping to take has not been finished. He decides to takes an elephant instead. This diversion is fortunate in one way, for Fogg meets and saves an Indian woman from a forced marriage. On his journey, Fogg will fall in love with Aouda and, on his return to England will make her his wife. In the interim, however, Fogg faces a number of challenges, including losing Passepartout to a Yokohama circus and being attacked by Native Americans in the Midwest. During this incident, Fogg shows his humanity by going off personally to save his manservant, despite the fact that this could well cost him his bet. Finally, Fogg manages to get back onto British soil (albeit by leading a mutiny aboard a French steamer) and seemingly in enough time to win his bet. At this point, the police inspector arrests him, delaying him just long enough to lose the bet. He returns home saddened by his failure, but brightened by the fact that Aouda has agreed to marry him. When Passepartout is sent to arrange the wedding, he realizes that it is a day earlier than they think (by traveling East across the International date line they have gained a day), and so Fogg wins his bet. The Human Spirit of Adventure Unlike many of his more science-based fiction stories, Jules Vernes Around the World in Eighty Days is interested in the capabilities of technology in his own time. The things that human beings can achieve armed only with a sense of adventure and an exploratory spirit. It is also a brilliant dissection of what it is to be English in the time of empire. Fogg is a brilliantly drawn character, a man who is stiff-upper-lipped and precise in all his habits. However, as the novel goes on the icy man begins to thaw. He begins to place the importance of friendship and love above his usual concerns of reserve and punctuality. In the end, he is willing to lose his bet to help a friend. He doesn’t care about defeat because he has won the hand of the woman he loves. Although some would argue it doesnt have the great literary merit of some novels written around the same time, Around the World in Eighty Days certainly makes up for it with its vivid descriptions. The undoubtedly a classic story is peopled with characters who will be long remembered. It is a breathtaking roller-coaster ride around the world and a touching view of an older time. Filled with the thrill of adventure, Around the World in Eighty Days is a wonderful story, written with skill and no short order of panache.

Chinese contract law and the economic reform Essay

Chinese contract law and the economic reform - Essay Example The paper delves into how China’s previous contract laws had many contradictions and failed to meet the needs of China’s developing market economy. It then looks at why China needs a good legal system for economic reform, why a legal system is important for economic reform and what the relationship between them is. Lastly, the paper looks at why Chinese people still do not have confidence for china's law system and how the government has attempted to address the problem. Influence of Confucianism in Ancient and Present China Confucianism which means ‘The School of the Scholars,’ is the cornerstone of traditional Chinese based on the traditional culture of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties. It is attributed to K’ung Fu Tzu (Confucius in English) was born in 551 BCE in the state of Lu (modern day Shantung Province). He became the most influential and respected philosopher in Chinese history and his discourses were written by his disciples in the Analects. Confucianism combines a political theory and a theory of human nature, resulting in a prescriptive doctrine or way (dao). The political theory is based on the idea that the legitimate ruler derives authority from heaven's command, or the mandate of heaven, and is responsible for the peoples' well-being and for peace and order in the empire. In terms of human nature, humans are essentially social animals whose ways of interaction are shaped by convention or ritual (li), which prescribe proper behavior for a given situation. Good government is one that values hierarchy, group orientation, and respect for age and tradition. He also argued that societal order and harmony can be achieved if everyone understood their rank in society and were taught the proper behaviors of their rank.2 His teachings spread and was accepted across China and by around 100BC, the Han Dynasty declared Confucianism to be China’s official state philosophy. During the Tang Dynasty, however, it lost its offi cial sanction but over the last two millennia, Confucianism has remained the dominant orthodoxy in Chinese society. It thus affected everything in China; education, government, public and private attitudes and, etiquette.3 His writings deal primarily with individual morality and ethics, and the proper exercise of political power by the rulers. Confucian ethical teachings include such values as: Li (includes ritual, propriety, etiquette); Hsiao (love within the family: love of parents for their children and of children for their parents); Yi (righteousness); Xin (honesty and trustworthiness); Jen (benevolence, humaneness towards others; the highest Confucian virtue); and Chung (loyalty to the state). His vision centered on respect children show to their parents; the high regard given elders and lawful authority figures; and an appreciation for learning, protocol and ceremony.4 Confucianism has influenced the Chinese attitude toward life, set the patterns of living and standards of so cial value, and provided the background for Chinese political theories and institutions. Confucianism promotes collective interests and community welfare through emphasis of the educational or remolding process in serving the common good of the society. This concept is still upheld in China to date as seen in the government’s attempts to serve the people and reduce the big gap between first tier cities and lower tier cities.5 Confucianism also projects the concept of harmony which states that oneself must live in harmony with everything around him and stay free of guilt or sin. In order to create harmony people should use what create order and harmony amongst all things by using all the knowledge the world could