Modern Construction Methods Sustainable Built Environment

Modern Construction Methods Sustainable Built Environment The term Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) generally refers to off-site and prefabricated construction. Over recent years the use of MMC has increased within the construction industry as Construction Companys look to develop quicker, cheaper and more sustainable construction techniques than that of traditional methods. Sustainable Technology has been incorporated into construction to preserve the environment for future generations. The term Sustainable Development was first mentioned in 1987 in The Brundtland Report as, a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This got individuals thinking of ways to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings by reducing waste and increasing their energy efficiency. MMC has been influenced by the Latham Report (1994), Constructing the Team and The Egan report (1998), Rethinking Construction. Both reports criticised the UK construction industrys poor performance and proposed a series of changes that were necessary to improve the performance of the construction industry. The Latham report looked at innovative ways to streamline the construction process and drive down construction costs. The Egan report highlighted the need to move towards sustainable construction with the emphasis on prefabrication and offsite assembly. (Ross, Cartwright, Novakovic, 2007). MMC is now a primary method of construction for many construction companies due to the combination of skills shortages, new regulations, specific building needs and affordability. This has created an environment where traditional methods of construction are no longer the only suitable option to consider. (Kelsey, 2005) Through this research and adding to the existing knowledge already out there, it is anticipated to find out whether or not a sustainable environment can be achieved through MMC by comparing the advantages it brings over traditional methods of construction. Aim The main aim of this research is to examine and discuss whether or not Modern Methods of Construction achieve a sustainable environment. Objectives A number of objectives have been set in order to meet the aim. These are as follows: To investigate how big a role MMC plays in achieving a sustainable built environment To investigate the different methods of modern construction currently being undertaken in the construction industry To Identify and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of MMC To establish if MMC provides better value for money than traditional methods of construction To establish how the industry perceives MMC Outline Methodology of the Research To achieve the aim of the research I will be using mainly qualitative research. This will involve researching literature regarding Modern Methods of Construction from various journals books and websites. I will collect data by conducting personal structured interviews with a variety of different professionals within the construction industry to gain an insight into how MMC is perceived. The information collected will be analysed and be presented in tables and bar charts so it is can easily be understood. I will then analyse my findings and a come to a conclusion. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This chapter will give a broad overview of the literature associated with MMC. Fundamental aspects of MMC will be researched including an insight into the current methods being used within the UK today. This chapter will also compare MMC with traditional construction methods and how it is perceived by the construction industry, which will be reinforced through an investigation of a project that incorporated a MMC into its build. 2.2 History of MMC MMC is a term used to describe a number of construction methods that differ from traditional methods of construction. Other meanings of the term include off-site construction, factory built and prefabrication. (Ross, Cartwright, Novakovic, 2007). Off-site construction has been around for many years and can be traced back to the 19th century where it was first used in the Crimean War in the form of prefabricated timber houses and huts due to inadequate hospital provisions (Gibb, 1999). Gibb defines off-site fabrication as, whole buildings that are prefabricated and pre-assembled remote from their final destination and installed in place with only the minimum of onsite work needed before they are fit for use.(Gibb, 1999). It wasnt until after the First World War in 1917 that the UK government introduced prefabricated housing to meet the demand for housing. This off site approach was seen as an alternative to traditional brick and block construction to help cope with the shortage of skilled labour and materials at this time (Ross, 2002). Between 1918 and 1939 various new methods of building homes had been developed that were based on the traditional methods of brick and block. Over this 21 year period 4.5million homes were built however only 5% were constructed using what was considered at this time as new methods of construction (Taylor 2006). It wasnt until the end of the Second World War that prefabricated housing really took off in the UK as traditional methods of constructing could not meet the demand for emergency housing. Taylor noted in 2006 that, the emphasis was to supplement traditional building operations with methods of construction using industrial capacity outside of the building industry (Taylor, 2006). This approach of industrialised building methods was aimed at addressing skills shortages, to improve production, reduce costs and improve the quality of the final product. The industrialisation was aimed at replacing houses destroyed by the war but also to complete the slum clearance programme started in the 1930s. It was these influences that pushed the industry to consider off-site construction again and resulted in various types of steel, timber and concrete systems being developed. This continued into the 1980s where prefabricated housing was dominated by timber frame systems and new technologies (Taylor , 2006). Since then there has been a steady shift towards off-site construction as clients demand a better quality product, faster delivery and at reasonable cost (Gibb, 1999). However there is a stigma attached with factory based construction as people generally associate this method with the post war era where homes were built as a temporary measure to ease the housing crisis. Off-site construction is not just used for building homes it is also nowadays commonly used in the residential, health and educational sectors. Since 2005 more and more key clients and construction firms are now choosing to use MMC on their projects with it now accounting for 10% of the construction market. Richard Odgen chairman of BuildOffsite believes offsite will continue to grow within the construction industry and predicts that by 2020 it will have gained 20% of the construction market (Wright, 2010). This is partly due to Private and public sector clients and major construction firms starting to see the benefits of MMC at keeping costs down and delivering projects within shorter timescales. According to Nadim, Goulding (2008) off-site construction aims, to improve business efficiency, quality, customer satisfaction, environmental performance, sustainability and the predictability of delivery timescales. 2.3 Types of Off-Site Construction There are many different types of MMC currently being used within the UK however MMC only accounts for a small percentage of the overall value of the UK construction sector. This is due to the industries reluctance to adopt new innovative building techniques as new technologies usually require new ways of working and thinking (Nadim, Goulding, 2008). Many people who are currently involved in the off-site sector believe the time is right for the clients, designers and contractors who have ignored it in the past to now accept off-site construction and realise its benefits (OSM, JUL 2010). Ogden has spent the last 10 years campaigning to change the industries perception of offsite and he now believes the UK is on the cusp of change he says, We have been here many times before in a cycle where offsite has come up higher on the agenda, been discussed and then gone away again, Ogden says. But I think this time will be different. In fact, I dont just think, I know. Change needs to be adopted in order to meet the fierce housing targets and lessons can be learned from other countries like Japan where offsite construction is a mainstream construction method (wright, 2010). Ogden believes, the pressure to meet sustainability and carbon efficient/ neutral codes, will force firms to take offsite seriously. These new codes introduced around the world are aimed at preserving resources and achieving a more sustainable built environment. Ogden goes onto to say, I am sure that carbon efficiency codes will soon become law. It is not hard to see that using products that have been made in a controlled environment will do a better job at meeting standards. (Wright, 2010). The government is planning to spend vast amounts of money on new schools and hospitals in the forthcoming years. Peter Bonfield, Managing Director of BREs Construction Division, says: Off-site construction is ideal for the health and education sectors because you can fully fit out an operating theatre or school room in the factory. Then, during the school holidays, you could add new classrooms without affecting the operation of the school, or extend a hospital wing without disrupting the existing wards. (OSM JUL, 2010) this demonstrates the benefits of off-site construction on delivering major construction projects. The different methods of construction include: 2.3.1 Volumetric Construction Volumetric construction is also known as modular construction and involves the production of three dimensional units within a factory (Figure 2). Once completed the units are transported to site and stacked onto the foundation to form the structure (Figure 3). All internal finishes, services and furnishings are completed in the factory therefore only a small amount of work has to be completed on site (Gibb 1999). Depending on the design specifications of the units some external finishes can also be installed in the factory and the small amount of work that is required on site is to make good joints between units (Ross, 2005). Volumetric construction is considered to be most effective when used to construct hotels, student accommodation, fast food restaurants and hospitals where the construction of each floor is continually repeated as the NHBC states, Volumetric construction is most efficient when used for large numbers of identical units (NHBC, 2007). Gibb (1999) also notes it can be used to construct highly serviced areas in buildings such as toilets/ washrooms, kitchens, plant rooms, building services and lifts (Gibb, 1999). The method has only recently been adopted by house builders where a typical house consists of four units and a roof. Units can be constructed by almost any material however the most commonly used materials are steel, timber and concrete. Units are generally the same size due to transport limitations as noted by Ross (2005), usually less than 4m in width and, although unit lengths of 16m are possible, lengths within range of 8-12m are more typical. This is to ensure the safe transportation of units to site without being damaged. 2.3.2 Panellised Systems This method of construction involves building flat panel units within a factory and assembling them on site to create the buildings structure. The two main types of panel that are used are open or closed. An open panel system generally comprises of a metal or timber frame that is constructed in the factory then delivered to site where the insulation, services, windows and internal finishes are installed (Figure 4). A closed panel system differs from an open panel system as it can also be made from concrete and normally has windows, services, internal finishes and external finishes fitted in the factory before delivery to site (Figure 5) (NHBC, 2006). 2.3.3 Hybrid Construction This method of construction combines panellised and volumetric methods that are constructed in a factory and transported to site. Hybrid can also be referred to as pods and used for highly serviced areas such as kitchens and bathrooms within offices, hotels and student accommodation (Gibb, Pendlebury, 2006). The pods are delivered to site with all services and fittings in place ready to be installed (Figure 5). This reduces the level of trades needed compared with other components of the building. The Hybrid approach brings flexibility to the development and reduces the uniformity of design (Taylor, Fisher, Wamuziri, 2009). 2.3.4 Sub-assemblies and components This method covers items that are not commonly considered as off-site manufacturing but applies Sub-assemblies or components that have been innovatively factory fabricated. Ross (2005) defines this method as, items that are not full systems, but which use factory made components either within manufactured structures or within otherwise traditionally built structures. However traditional components such as windows and doors do not constitute modern methods of construction as they are usually used in all types of construction (NHBC, 2007). The main categories sub-assemblies and components fall under are floor and roof construction, pre-fabricated foundations, wiring looms and prefabricated plumbing (Figure 6).

A Language of Learning

Step 1: Have students login in to achieve 3000 Step 2: Have students find the article A Language of Learning. It should be one of the options on their main screen. If it is not there, have the student search the title and it should pop up. Step 3: Give the students 3 – 5 minutes to read and answer the before reading poll on their Chromebook. -4762544450Before reading pollIn parts of Africa, kids speak one language at home, but they are taught using another language at school.  What do you think?Kids should be taught in school using the same language they speak at home. Agree? Disagree? Explain why you voted the way you did. 0Before reading pollIn parts of Africa, kids speak one language at home, but they are taught using another language at school.  What do you think?Kids should be taught in school using the same language they speak at home.Agree? Disagree? Explain why you voted the way you did. Step 4: Have a quick 3 – 5 minute class discussion about the poll question. Also explain the main idea chart to the students and inform them to fill out the chart as they are reading the article. 476250054800500 Step 5: Have students read the article. Once students have read the article make sure that they have answered the multiple choice questions located in the â€Å"activity† tab. The students' first responses are what Achieve 3000 will use to determine if their reading level is improving. ** As students are answering the multiple choice questions, have them click the button. This will allow them to look at the article at the same time as answering the questions. It will place both side by side. Step 6: Have a quick 3-5 minute class discussion and see if the students' opinion to the before reading poll changed. If so, why did it change? Step 7: With the remaining time have the students choose articles of their choice to complete. Step 8: With their selected article have the students complete the same process as before all on their own. Students should briefly answer the pre-reading question, read the article while filling out their main idea chart, and then answer their multiple choice questions.

Bullying at Workplace

The use of harmful communication at workplace is of international concern. In various European countries and Australia, legislators have ratified and enforced laws that warn employers against using relationships that causes suffering and discomfort in the workplace (Namie & Namie, 2003). In England and the United States, laws have been propagated in an effort to afford just, safe and secure work conditions. These regulations are enforced through associations and groups responsible for safety and health of employees and agencies liable for defending against intolerance.In the U. S.,  for example regulations have been passed in the majority of states protecting workers from harassment, assault, sexual harassment, discrimination, annoyance and stalking. (Vega & Comer, 2005) At the same time, a number of recent studies suggest that exposure to moral harassment at work is a serious international problem. It is known by different names in different places, bullying in England, murahachib u or ijime in Japan and mobbing in the USA. Differing concepts have been in use in different European countries, such as, ‘moral harassment', ‘psychological terror' and ‘victimisation'.(Einarsen et al. , 2002) Though, they all seem to refer to the same phenomenon, specifically the â€Å"systematic mistreatment of a subordinate, a colleague, or a superior, which, if continued, may cause severe social, psychological and psychosomatic problems in the victim. Exposure to such treatment has been claimed to be a more crippling and devastating problem for employees than all other kinds of work-related stress put together, and is seen by many researchers and targets alike as an extreme type of social stress at work† (Einarsen et al., 2002, p. 3) Nevertheless, workers still complain that they are intimidated, abused verbally, and, on the whole, made to feel inadequate (Daniel, 2002). Circumstances in which workers are subjected to oral assaults and to intimidating an d harassing behaviours take place regularly in organizations (Namie & Namie, 2003). Confrontations that have non-fatal consequences leave workers irritated; some quit their employments or develop foremost problems with health.Scholars who recently began investigating these behaviours at workplace infer that the constant and deliberate verbal violence coupled with scorn or threatening and harassing strategies cause physical and psychological harm which they consider as a complicated phenomenon—workplace bullying (Davenport et al. , 2002). It is estimated that as many as 8-10% of European employees may suffer from exposure to bullying and harassment at work. It prevails in both private and public organisations and finds its victims among men and women alike.Studies also show that exposure to bullying at work is a severe source of stress at work and may be a crippling and devastating problem for those exposed. (Tehrani, 2001) A victim of bullying at work seems to produce severe emotional reactions such as fear, anxiety, helplessness, depression and shock. It appears to alter the victims’ perceptions of their work-environment to one of threat, danger, insecurity, and self-questioning, which may result in pervasive emotional, psychosomatic and psychiatric problems.Moral harassment also has negative effects on the organisation and lowers productivity in the workplace. (Vega & Comer, 2005) Researchers implemented the term â€Å"workplace bullying† from their counterparts in Europe, England, Australia, Canada, and other states worldwide where research has led to legislative and legal intrusions to prevent and highlight workplace bullying. Though, American and Japanese researchers have been slower than their colleagues worldwide to examine the nature of workplace bullying.Although research into psychological and emotional problems at workplace in Japan and America has led to legislative and legal acts to manage aggression, stalking, sexual harassme nt, and discrimination, workplace bullying has not been accepted in America and Japan as a special phenomenon. Consequently, legislative field in these countries concerning workplace abuse issues are underdeveloped. (Vogel, 2002) There are numerous definitions of workplace bullying; the one used at this point is â€Å"unwanted, offensive, humiliating, undermining behaviour towards an individual or groups of employees.Such persistently malicious attacks on personal or professional performance are typically unpredictable, irrational, and unfair. This abuse of power or position can cause such chronic stress and anxiety that people gradually lose belief in themselves, suffering physical ill health and mental distress as a result† (Rayner, et al. , 2002, p. xi). Bullying refers to all situations where one or more people feel subjected to negative behaviour from others at work over a period of time and in situations where, for different reasons, they are unable to defend themselves against these actions.Typically, a victim is constantly teased, pursued, badgered and insulted and perceives that he or she has little recourse to retaliate in kind. (The Mobbing Encyclopaedia, 2006) We may distinguish between work-related bullying such as being exposed to unreasonable deadlines, unmanageable workloads or other kinds of behaviour that make the work situation difficult for the victim, and bullying that is primarily related to the person, such as insulting remarks, excessive teasing, gossip and rumours, social isolation and exclusion. This kind of behaviour is common and has been experienced by most people at work from time to time.As a single episode in a positive social climate, such actions may even be taken to be harmless. However, when behaviour that is perceived as unwanted by the recipient, is systematically and continually aimed at a particular person, and especially in a situation were the victim feels defenceless against the actions or the people performing them, it becomes an act of moral harassment. (The Mobbing Encyclopaedia, 2006) In the recent past three countries in the EU – Sweden, Belgium and France have enacted legislation to counter the incidence of moral harassment and more countries are expected to follow their lead.In this research assignment, the reasons and incidence of moral harassment are examined in different cultures, countries and legal systems to assess the current scenario, measures currently in place as well as those proposed to counter the problem, both within and outside the legal framework and possible solutions and measure, which could help in countering the issue. The countries chosen for the assignment are Britain, Sweden, France and Japan. All of these countries are developed and industrialised nations with democratic political systems, strong legal frameworks, emancipated work cultures and progressive thinking.Two of the chosen countries, namely Sweden and France have decided to introduce legislat ion to check the menace whereas the other two have not, possibly feeling it more appropriate to term it a social issue that can be solved through awareness, dialogue and discussion. Again Japan has a tradition and work culture very different from the other three and this contributes to dissimilarities in both origin and response to the issue of harassment in the workplace. It is hoped that this paper will succeed in examining the issue in detail and throw some fresh and engaging perspectives on this annoying social malaise.Background, Definitions and Legal Overview Background Moral harassment in the workplace is a global problem and exists in some form or other in all workplaces across continents and nationalities. The problem was considered commonplace even in 70’s and it was only at the initiative of Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway, that the matter started receiving international attention. The British call the phenomenon bullying, a rather innocuous term hist orically linked to students in public schools being asked to run errands for their seniors.The problem is however not restricted to schools any longer. (Tehrani, 2001) In the United States it is known as mobbing, again a very unrepresentative and confusing term. Persecutors do join up sometimes to harass in groups or â€Å"mobs†, but harassment also happens in many one to one situations. The ramifications of moral harassment are thus far more extensive and represent a serious and vexing social problem, which needs eradication from civilised society. (Olweus, 2003) Workplace bullying has yet to become a regularly utilized term in the U. S.workplace or as a form of mistreatment from which American statutory law provides worker protection (Yamada, 2000). Unlike sexual harassment, which is defined by statutory and case law (Dougherty & Smythe, 2004), bullying is without a specific, unified vernacular and is often relegated to the schoolyard (Olweus, 2003). The connection to schoo lyard bullying can be stigmatising through association with childishness or weakness. Since people organize, structure, and create their experiences, interactions and realities through language (Spender, 1984), the absence of agreed upon terminology frustrates U.S. workers' efforts to name and make sense of these experiences and may contribute to their reported sense of feeling â€Å"crazy† (Tracy et al. , 2004). Workplace bullying, as a unique phenomenon, is also referred to as mobbing (Davenport et al. , 2002), harassment (Bjorkqvist et al. , 1994), psychological terror (Leymann, 1996), emotional abuse (Keashly, 2001), and victimization (Einarsen & Raknes, 1997). Mobbing, a term originating in Swedish research (Leymann, 1990), initially denoted numerous bullies singling out one person, but this distinction has since fallen away (Davenport et al., 2002). Over time, the two central terms bullying and mobbing have come to indicate virtually the same phenomenon. In actual fact workplace harassment is an omnibus list of unfair and uncalled for persecution in the workplace that can take many forms in its expression and execution. It is not limited to sexual harassment, per se, though sexual harassment is a major component of the harassment that goes on in offices and other establishments, worldwide. It could relate to and be caused because of sex, religion, creed, ethnicity, physical appearance or just plain dislike.It is a form of offensive treatment or behaviour, which to a reasonable person creates an intimidating, hostile or abusive work environment. It may be sexual, racial, based on gender, national origin, age, disability, religion or a person's sexual orientation. It may also encompass other forms of hostile, intimidating, threatening, humiliating or violent behaviour, which are offensive or intimidatory in nature. The central characteristics that differentiate workplace bullying from other negative social interactions at work are persistence (Mikke lsen & Einarsen, 2001), patterned negative acts (Einarsen et al., 2002), widespread harm (Davenport et al. , 2002), and escalation (Lutgen-Sandvik, 2003). Furthermore, bullying is linked to extremely hostile work environments (Salin, 2003); these environments are most likely both the medium and the outcome of bullying. That is, bullying is more likely to emerge in hostile work environments and also contributes to such environments (Crawford, 2001). Many researchers seek to differentiate workplace bullying from sexual and racial harassment (Leymann, 1996).Adams and Crawford (1992) expressly state that â€Å"although some people will insist otherwise, bullying at work is separate from the recognised problems of sexual harassment or racism† (p. 10). Others claim that the key legal issues that â€Å"distinguishes sexual harassment from bullying is that†¦ harassment is somehow based on gender†¦ and that men and women are treated differently† (Pryor & Fitzgerald, 2 003, p. 80). On the other hand, researchers may seek legitimacy for the construct of workplace bullying by closely linking it to racial or sexual harassment (Randall, 2001).For example, Einarsen and colleagues (1994) argue that, â€Å"sexual and racial harassment represent different aspects of the same problem† (Lee, 2001, p. 208). Lee (2001) argues â€Å"however, if sexual harassment and racial harassment are defined as only types of bullying, this might undermine the specificity and visibility of sexual and racial harassment† (p. 209). Interactions exist between sexual harassment, racial harassment, and workplace bullying; nevertheless, it seems important not to conflate types of harassment in a way that obscures the distinctive features of each (Lee, 2001). DefinitionsDefinitions of workplace bullying (or mobbing) vary by author, country and academic discipline, and there is no universally agreed-upon definition. There are, however, more similarities than difference s in present definitions of bullying as a unique phenomenon. This is a partial rendering of researchers who study workplace bullying, but provides the ways in which the foundational scholars and professionals have framed and defined the issue. Other researchers generally adopt one or more elements of following definitions. Consequently providing a more extensive list would potentially be more repetitive than revealing.European Parliament defines bullying as, â€Å"A lack of humanity at the workplace, personal experiences of bullying at work, a feeling of exclusion from the social community there, encountering irreconcilable demands at work and not having the wherewithal to meet these demands. † On the other hand, International Labour Office definition states that bullying is qualified as: â€Å"Offensive behaviour through vindictive, cruel, malicious or humiliating attempts to undermine an individual or groups of employees †¦ It involves ganging up on or ‘mobbingà ¢â‚¬â„¢ a targeted employee and subjecting that person to psychological harassment.It includes constant negative remarks or criticisms, isolating a person from social contacts and gossiping or spreading false information. † Rayner et al. (2002) state that bullying is â€Å"unwanted, offensive, humiliating, undermining behaviour towards an individual or groups of employees. Persistent malicious attacks on personal or professional performance that are typically unpredictable, irrational and often unfair. This abuse of power can cause such chronic stress and anxiety that people gradually lose belief in themselves, suffering physical ill health and mental distress as a result† (Rayner et al., 2002, p. xi) They also argue that bullying is â€Å"a situation where one or several individuals persistently over a period of time perceive themselves to be on the receiving end of negative actions from one or several persons, in a situation where the target of bullying has difficult y defending him or herself against these actions. We will not refer to a one-off incident as bullying† (Rayner et al. , 2002, p. 24) Some researchers find workplace bullying in a huge number of harmful conditions arising out of nonverbal and verbal contact.Ramsey (2002) believe, that workplace bullying is: â€Å"Any behaviour that frightens, threatens or intimidates another person qualifies as bullying. Besides physical force, the most common types of bullying include: verbal abuse, written, spoken or implied threats, name-calling and racial slurs, vandalism, put-downs. † (p. 2) Randall (2001) argues that bullying is â€Å"the aggressive behaviour arising from the deliberate intent to cause physical and psychological distress to others† (p. 9)Australian researchers like, O’Hagan (2002) believe that workplace bullying is â€Å"workplace behaviour that is inappropriate, unreasonable, humiliating, denigrating, that offends and intimidates, and affects health , well-being and undermines productivity. † (p. 1) However, American researchers define workplace bullying as â€Å"emotional assault that begins when an individual becomes a target of disrespectful and harmful behaviours, innuendo, rumours, and public discrediting; a hostile environment is created in which one individual gathers others to willingly, or unwillingly, participate in continuous malevolent actions to force a person out†¦The individual experiences increasing distress, illness and social misery. † (Davenport et al. , 2002, p. 33) Scandinavian researchers argue that bullying lies in â€Å"harassing, offending, socially excluding someone or negatively affecting someone's work tasks. In order for the label bullying (or mobbing) to be applied to a particular activity, interaction or process it has to occur repeatedly and regularly (i. e. , weekly) and over a period of time (i. e. , about six months).Bullying is an escalating process in the course of which t he person confronted ends up in an inferior position and becomes the target of systematic negative social acts. A conflict cannot be called bullying if the incident is an isolated event or if two parties of approximately equal ‘strength' are in conflict’ (Einarsen et al. , 2003, p. 15) British researcher Glendinning (2001) posits that workplace bullying is â€Å"a management style that uses â€Å"repeated aggressive behaviour that deliberately causes physical or psychological torment† (pp. 3-4).He adds that it is also, â€Å"the repeated, less favourable treatment of a person by another in the workplace, which may be considered unreasonable and inappropriate workplace practice. It includes behaviour that intimidates, offends, degrades, or humiliates a worker, possibly in front of co-workers, clients or customers (pp. 3-4). Most literature uses the term bullying to label this extreme, persistent form of workplace abuse. Despite the common terminology in internat ional research, the term workplace bullying has yet to become widely used by American and Japanese academics (Lutgen-Sandvik, 2005).The following definition is a essence of the aforementioned body of work: Workplace bullying is a pattern of persistent, offensive, intimidating, malicious, insulting, or exclusionary discursive and non-discursive behaviours that targets perceive as intentional efforts to harm, control, or drive them from the workplace. Bullying is often escalatory in nature and linked to hostile work environments. The principal effects are damage or impairment to targets and workgroups and obstruction of organizational goals and processes. Legal OverviewWorkplace bullying erodes interpersonal relationships outside of work (Davenport et al. , 2002), and evidence â€Å"points to the potential for damage to those who have witnessed bullying at work† (Rayner et al. , 2002, p. 189). Co-workers are secondary targets of workplace bullying, similar to persons who witnes s and are psychologically marked by acts of workplace violence and murder (Barling, 1996). When co-workers witness others being bullied, they make the quite logical assumption that they could be targeted in a similar fashion and hypervigilance becomes a permanent feature of work life (Lockhart, 1997).Fear, emotional exhaustion, and guilt increase the likelihood of staff turnover. Furthermore, witnesses report higher stress levels and intentions to leave than do non-observers (Vartia, 2001). Given the destructive results of bullying, many find it difficult to believe this behaviour is unintentional. Even the detailed list of examples of harassment is not exhaustive and perpetrators can constantly think up new ways of tormenting their victims.Harassment can occur in numerous ways, some of which will be obvious but there will be others, quite subtle and difficult to explain. Further examples of harassment are the withholding of information which can affect the victim’s performan ce, ignoring views and opinions, setting unreasonable/impossible deadlines, giving unmanageable workloads, humiliating staff in front of others, being shouted at or being the target of spontaneous rage. As such, harassment can take a variety of shapes and forms and can manifest itself in the unlikeliest of situations.(Tehrani, 2001) In the UK, it is important to specify and identify harassment separately as, unlike bullying, many forms of discrimination are outlawed by specific legislation to which a victim can turn for recourse. The Health and Safety Executive of the United Kingdom states that bullying at work is a cause of stress. They state that â€Å"stress at work can be triggered or made worse where ‘there is prolonged conflict between individuals, including †¦ bullying or where staff are treated with contempt or indifference. † (Unison, 2003)Persistent exposure to bullying is also likely to lead to behavioural and attitudinal problems among workers. It can l ead to an increase in accidents, lack of concentration and increased use of alcohol and tobacco consumption. Exposure to persistent and regular bullying may also make it difficult for workers to cope with daily tasks. Other symptoms of bullying include anxiety, headaches, nausea, ulcers, various illnesses of organs such as the kidney, contemplating suicide, sleeplessness, skin rashes, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, bursting into tears and loss of self-confidence.

Hillary Rodham vs Michelle Obama Essay - 719 Words

Compare and Contrast Essay Brian L. Marone Excelsior College maronebrian@gmail.com English 101 Instructor: BK Harvey 16 January 2013 Hillary Clinton Vs Michelle Obama Many people usually spend the majority their time comparing the past and present presidents against each other. They always talk about the things the presidents have accomplished leaving behind a great legacy, but they never consider the great women behind the man. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama are both very different accomplished First Ladies. Both women had different college career paths. Hillary first attracted national attention in 1969 for her remarks as the first student commencement speaker at Wellesley College.†¦show more content†¦Michelle served as an associate at the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley Austin. At the firm, she worked on marketing and intellectual property. In 1991, she held public sector positions in the Chicago city government as an Assistant to the Mayor and as Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development. In 1993, she became Executive Director for the Chicago office o f Public Allies, a non-profit organization encouraging young people to work on social issues in nonprofit groups and government agencies. She worked there nearly four years and set fundraising records for the organization that still stood 12 years after she left. Hillary and Michelle both have contributed differently to the nation as First Lady. In January 1993, Hillary Clinton headed a Task Force on National Health Care Reform known as the Clinton health care plan, a proposal that required employers to provide health coverage to their employees through individual health maintenance organizations. Hillary supported the passage of the State Childrens Health Insurance Program in 1997, and promoted nationwide immunization against childhood illnesses and encouraged older women to seek a mammogram to detect breast cancer, with coverage provided by Medicare. Hillary inspired various medical improvements throughout all areas of medical care and treatment. Michelle supported the econom ic stimulus bill in visits to the United