Tel

Advantages, disadvantages and ranking TCT is a multinational firm that manufactures and sells a range of high quality office equipment in about 12 countries across the globe. The strategic management of the business establishment has enabled it to realize excellent performance outcomes.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Tel-Comm-Tek (TCT) Advantages and Disadvantages in Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With regard to its expansion endeavor, the company needs to hire a highly qualified managing director to head operations in India. It is important to analyze the merits and demerits of the six candidates that the committee for selection has identified within the company. Tom Wallace The employee is young and energetic to execute growth strategies adopted by the management. It is documented that he has worked with Mr. Kent on a number of key projects in the US. Thus, he has substantial knowledge in project ma nagement. In addition, Wallace has technical and sales skills that would help to drive up the sales of the firm. However, he cannot fit to work in India because he only speaks English and due to his lack of foreign exposure with regard to work. In addition, he is set to retire in seven years. Therefore, he is not the right candidate to set long-term goals of TCT in India. Brett Harrison The employee of TCT has a wealth of experience, especially in terms of line activities and supervision of junior workers. As asserted by his superiors, he is poised to move into upper-level management in five years time. In addition, he has toured Asia a few times in the past, a fact that makes him understand the geography, politics, customs, and outlooks of India. However, he might not be the right candidate for the vacancy because he cannot go to India with his wife who works for a company that does not have operations in any country in Asia. Atasi Das Academically, she is well qualified as support ed by her MBA. The 45-year-old employee has a wealth of experience in strategic management, which would help TCT to perform excellently in Asia. In addition, she speaks Hindi. However, she does not have adequate knowledge with regard to the management of many operations.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ravi Desai The employee of TCT is based in Asia and has a good knowledge of India, including Hindi language and local politics, among other factors that may influence business. However, he does have exposure of management in diverse business environments. Jalan Bukit Seng The 52-year-old managing director of TCT in Malaysia has excellent supervisory skills in different production lines. He has good knowledge of Asia, especially Malaysia and Singapore. He has consistent positive reviews. However, he cannot speak Hindi. Saumitra Chakraborty Saumitra has a wealth of experience i n operational matters and customer relationship management. He speaks both Hindi and English, but he does not have any experience in line management. The following is the rank of the candidates from high to low: Ravi Desai Atasi Dasi Brett Harrison Tom Wallace Saumitra Chakraborty Jalan Bukit Seng Challenges of a new managing director The recommended managing director, Ravi Desai, might encounter some difficulties when he assumes the role of the managing director of TCT in India. First, he might be faced by the challenge of overseeing operations in a different market away from Malaysia and Singapore, which he has a considerable wealth of experience with regard to market dynamics. Second, because he is used to managing sales and production in Singapore and Malaysia, he might find it tough to manage all operations of TCT in India, which might require some experience of strategic management. Third, he might also have the challenges of relocating with his family to In India. How the s elected candidate would minimize the challenges The recommended candidate would minimize the challenges by using several approaches. First, he would need to orient himself with regard to market dynamics in India.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Tel-Comm-Tek (TCT) Advantages and Disadvantages in Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Second, Ravi Desai would require to be mentored by the outgoing managing director of TCT in India who would offer him essential skills in strategic management. Third, he needs to explain to his family why they need to shift to India so that all family members would be psychologically prepared to go to a new country in the Middle East. Guidelines in designing the compensation package It would be important for the top management of TCT to offer a competitive compensation package so that the selected candidate would be motivated to achieve excellent performance outcomes. TCT needs to adopt specific guidelines when designing the competitive package. First, the package should reflect the educational level of the selected candidate. Second, it should focus on the experience of the new managing director. Third, it should concentrate on the age of the candidate and the expected number of years that he or she would serve the firm as the managing director in India or any other country. The idea of matrix organization There are benefits of appointing two individuals to the same post. In the context of TCT in India, Atasi Dasi would be appointed to lead internal operations of TCT in India, while Ravi Desai would be in charge of external markets. This approach would increase the efficiency of the business establishment Asia, increase in sales of office equipment and result in better approaches to market surveys. On the other hand, the strategy of hiring would be characterized by increased operating costs and overlapping of roles. Conclusion The candidate who will be sele cted to assume the roles of the managing director will determine the performance of TCT in India. The right candidate should have sufficient level of education, experience and technical expertise. The organization should offer a competitive compensation package. In addition, it can hire two candidates so that one can manage internal affairs and the other can handle external issues of the firm in India.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This report on Tel-Comm-Tek (TCT) Advantages and Disadvantages in Company was written and submitted by user Brody L. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sonya Sanchez essays

Sonya Sanchez essays To understand Sonia Sanchez, you must first understand her past to appreciate her drive toward the future. Sanchez, a militant and dominating voice in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, struggled through her early childhood while finding her voice when she needed it most. After her mother died when she was one year old, Sanchez was then raised by her grandmother that died when she was five. Soon after her death, Sonia began to stutter. Sanchez struggled with the problem for 12 years. She would later share that writing helped her organize her thoughts and helped her slow down and speak more deliberately, thus discovering her own form of poetry. I like Sanchezs form of writing because she experiments with form, spelling, beats, jazz scats, and more or less manipulates words with rhythms that roll syllable to syllable. Her first two collections of poetry, Home Coming (1969) and We a BaddDDD People (1970), reflect her militant, antiwhite stance, inspired in part by the example of Malcolm X. She incorporates dialect and profanity into her pithy, biting poems, and the tone is usually combative. Sanchez unleashed some of her rage at America's Anglocentric educational system. Her criticisms, however, were followed by suggestions, and she has become a powerful advocate of black studies programs. Sanchez's later poetry volumes are more specifically feminist in orientation, treating Sanchez's personal growth while celebrating women in general. One of her most celebrated volumes is Homegirls Sanchez continues to teach and write in Philadelphia. Black American Women Fiction Writers (Writers of English: Lives and Works), Harold Bloom, ed., 1995. Used by permission of Chelsea House Publishers. The "eye" devices (lowercase letters, speed writing, fluid lines) al...

Oprah Winfrey Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oprah Winfrey - Research Paper Example (Andrew Malcolm, â€Å"A surprise: Oprah pays a real cost for supporting Barack Obama†): According to a survey conducted in 1999 for the most admired and respected women of the 20th century; Oprah got 26 % of the votes coming at second place. Mother Teresa was voted No.1 in this survey. Another poll was conducted in 2003 by Fox News and the poll results showed that 60% of the people thought that Oprah was the most powerful woman. Whereas Hillary Clinton, who is a former first lady and senator was able to influence only 28% of the people who took the poll. (Thomas, â€Å"Oprah Winfrey- Bio Brief†) She was born on January 29, 1954 in Mississippi to Vernita Lee, a housekeeper, and Vernon Winfrey, who was a soldier. Her parents were not very rich people and she did not enjoy a luxurious lifestyle in her childhood. On the contrary, she saw many hard times which have made her the person she is now. Her full name is Oprah Gail Winfrey. (Thomas, â€Å"Oprah Winfrey- Bio Brief†) Her first job was of a news anchor at Nashvilles WTVF, she was the first African-American anchor there. After some time she was asked to co-host a show â€Å"People are Talking†. This was her first step on the road of much bigger things. Then, she finally landed in Chicago to host a low rated morning show â€Å"AM Chicago†. Her personality and interpersonal skills earned that show first place within a span of 12 months. After years of small jobs, she got the job of her dreams to host her own show â€Å"The Oprah Winfrey Show† which is one now of the top-rated shows of the world. Her easy to talk attitude has earned her a great fan following. The great part about her fame is that she uses it to influence people in doing well for the society and in making the planet a better place for everyone to live in. She is considered to be one of the richest people in the entertainment industry and is always involved in giving away donations and helping the poor. She has also made a charity

WORLD LITERATURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

WORLD LITERATURE - Essay Example of various aspects of life; yet it is through literature that we learn the main pillars of life – situations, examples, and lessons learnt and taught by the characters and heroes of various epics in literature. They take us through the course of and pessimism of oneself, war, rage, anger, rebelliousness, power, wealth, slavery, death, stolen human rights, greed, hatred to the extreme ends of romance, wild imaginations of seduction and erotic wishes between loved ones, and how they conquer all possible; yet unpredictable boundaries that would arise along the way in order to always protect, save, and live with one another no matter how impossible it might have been for them to unite and re-unite, but they were the heroic characters who taught us what love, devotion, loyalty, and sacrifice without thinking twice was truly all about – basically being the original edition. How the love grew much more between them during their hardest moments; when it would have been consider ed acceptable to some extent to fall apart and give up due to their difficult situations that obliged them to live apart from one another whether it was because of social class differences, religion, family standards, war, etc. It is through literature where we learn to expect the unpredictable whether good or bad. After all, nothing in life could ever be perfect even in literature; there were ups and downs of hardship that they experienced along their journeys, yet their lives; in terms of the stories and epics of their time that we still read, learn, and further enlighten our knowledge with until today are always going to be kept under a special umbrella of everything being creatively, beautifully portrayed and depicted. In my literature research paper, I will introduce, explain, and elaborate on various personalities, and situations, and how the characters and heroes acted and reacted in different incidents, and furthermore; I will; discuss differences and similarities throughout my

Where Is the Love by Black Eyed Peas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Where Is the Love by Black Eyed Peas - Essay Example Social or Political Context If the release date of the song â€Å"Where Is the Love† is followed and a thorough introspection within the lyrics of the song is focused, then an easy contention of the socio-political context of the song can be culminated. The song was released in the year 2003 when America was under the threat and trauma of post 9/11 event. The song was conceived almost as an anti-terrorism and anti-war anthem. The song captivated the issues pertaining to myriad social and political troubles across the world. The song does not only essentially focus on the issue of terrorism but it also highlighted the anti-terrorism policy undertaken by US government and its hypocrisy upon the issue. The song captivates the issues of intolerance, racism and extreme greed of mankind which are actually leading to the disaster of the civilisation. The song can be also perceived as the anti-terror and anti-war anthem which was pertinently culminated to set the protest against the American invasion of Iraq. In fact, the song followed the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. Musical Influences The song of Black Eyed Peas, â€Å"Where Is the Love† can be treated as the signatory music creation of the band highly influenced by the hip-hop music. The song is also influenced by the early influences on the band of the songs â€Å"Called Quest† and â€Å"De La Soul†. The song, â€Å"Where Is the Love† featured Fergie and the pop instinct of the band can be perceived in the song at full length. Fergie also introduced Justin Timberlake and associated him with the song.

Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium

Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium The Study of Satisfaction Level of Occupants towards the Maintenance and Facilities in PV10 Condominium Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1  Background The population in Malaysia is on a rapid growth and this can be seen in the last three (3) years, 2007 – 2009. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the population growth was from 27.17 million (2007) to 28.31 million (2009). That shows an increase of 1.14 million within three (3) years. This population figure was last updated on the 31 st July 2009. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) According to the International and National Context of Growth from the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020, the figure below illustrates the function of Kuala Lumpur and its conurbation (KLC). The figure illustrates ‘functional pyramid’ for the KLC with more specialised urban functions towards the apex of the pyramid, which represents Kuala Lumpur and more general functions towards its base, representing the remainder of the KLC. (DBKL International and National Context of Growth, 2009) From Figure 1, it is shown that the number of population increases. However, the land area still remains the same. Land scarcity is faced by the people of Kuala Lumpur as more construction works are carried out to meet the demand of the increasing population. The relationship between population and living standard is obvious as the graph shows that the living standard is proportional to the population. According to Datuk Michael Yam (2009), Kuala Lumpur’s 1.7 million population is expected to expand by 30% within the next decade and that the market is getting more sophisticated with consumers demanding more facilities, convenience and built quality to improve their quality of life. (The Star, 28 March 2009) Condominiums are on high demand in a high density area like Kuala Lumpur due to the population increase and at the same time this highly populated area is facing scarcity of land. However, the satisfaction of the occupants in a condominium is important to ensure that developers will be able to continue to expand such projects in their firm. This is because, liberalization or opening up of the market gives wider choices of goods or services for consumers which contribute to their satisfaction. (The Star, 6 July 2009) Therefore, the facilities and maintenance provided in a condominium are important to meet the occupants’ satisfaction towards the condominium they are staying. 1.2  Problem Statement In Malaysia, as the population rises through the years, the construction of condominium development also has to increase to meet the demand of increasing residents. As the latest statistic stated that there is a population of 28.31 million (in 2009), there will also be an increase in land use. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) In Kuala Lumpur, despite the softer conditions in the property market construction will still be an on-going process. According to one of the top companies like Sunrise Sdn. Bhd, they expect to perform well in the next two to three years due to its high unbilled sales of RM 1.36 billion. As at July, Sunrise had sold 93% of 10 Mount’ Kiara (MK10) units, 45% of 11 Mount’ Kiara (MK 11), 92% of Solaris Dutamas, 9% of The Residence Phase 2B, 90% of Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 95% of Mont’ Kiara Banyan, and 100% of Kiara Designer Suites-Kiara Walk. (The Star, 29 October 2008) As Sunrise is focusing more on the condominium residential type of construction, it is shown that condominium is still in high demand despite the slow economic flow at the moment. However, there must be certain factors which cause the homebuyers to set their mind on purchasing the condominium of their choice. To successfully compete in the long term, the company must be sure that existing customers are satisfied. Providing superior quality and keeping customers satisfied are rapidly becoming the ways for companies to stand out among the other companies. (Zeljko M. Torbica  and  Robert C. Stroh., 2001) According to the National House Buyers Association, management and maintenance ranked second in the types of complaint in the complaints statistics. (National House Buyers Association, 2006) The complaints statistics is as illustrated in Figure 2. Therefore, it is important to carry out the research about the satisfaction of the occupants in the aspect of the maintenance and facilities provided in a condominium. Besides that, ways of improving the maintenance and facilities from the occupants’ point of view will also be carried out in this research. 1.3  Aim Objectives Aim To look into the satisfaction levels of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities of the condominium. Objectives To determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV 10 Condominium with the maintenance and facilities provided. To determine the ways to improve the maintenance and facilities to increase the satisfaction of occupants in PV10 Condominium. 1.4  Benefits/Importance of Study This study will benefit three parties; consisting of the developer, the management of the condominium and the occupants of condominiums. The developers will be able to plan their construction wisely to increase the demand in houses and preserve the developer’s reputation as it is one of the essential key to success for a developer. On the other hand, occupants or homebuyers will benefit when they are able to purchase and stay in the type of house they wish to have, and to own a worth buying piece of property. Besides that, the management of the condominium will be able to plan their management in the maintenance and facilities offered to the occupants as this is the key to customer satisfaction. 1.5  Scope of Study This case study will be carried out in PV 10, Jalan Genting Kelang, Setapak. There are 4 blocks of condominium in PV10 and they will be taken into consideration for this research. This place is chosen because it is one of the latest condominiums built in one of the highly populated area. Maintenance and facilities offered will be further looked into. The maintenance in the condominium will cover the cleanliness and collection of rubbish maintenance, the lifts operation and lighting maintenance and water maintenance. On the other hand, the facilities in the condominium will cover the recreational facilities such as play ground for children, health facilities and the safety facilities. In addition, another facility which will be looked into will be the car parks provided. Maintenance of facilities will also be explained. 1.6  Research Methodology 1.6.1  Introduction The increase in condominium construction is proportional to the rapid growth of the population in Malaysia. Besides that, land scarcity in high density areas of Kuala Lumpur forces the people to go further into the development of condominiums. 1.6.2  Literature Review Data collected will be secondary type of data collection. They consist of: Books Relevant books will be from the Tunku Abdul Rahman Library and National Library. The type of books will be those under building maintenance, facility management, economy, development, research and dissertation studies, property management and other relevant books to the research study. Magazines and Newspapers Magazines and newspapers used will be from local newspapers and magazines. Newspapers search will be the online type of newspaper. News and updates will be taken based on current issues regarding construction, development, property, and maintenance and facilities management that are reported in the newspapers and magazines. Online resources and Journals Online resources will be from reliable sources which provide reference of research papers such as online journals and articles. Relevant sources to the research studies will be taken into consideration through these websites. Online journals will also be those which are regarding with the research study and are available through the college library website which linked to reliable sources such as Emerald.   1.6.3  Background PV10 will be the place of case study for this research. This condominium is situated at Jalan Genting Kelang. Resources will be obtained from the management of the condominium and the developer of the condominium. 1.6.4  Analysis Primary data will be used in this research and data through this type of data will be analysed. Questionnaire will be selected in order to scrutinize the feedback from the respondent. First, a set of questionnaire will be set. After that, the set of questionnaire will be distributed to occupants in PV10 to get their responds. A selected sample size of 200 will be chosen randomly. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software will be used to analyse the data. Snowball sampling type will be used to determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV10. This type of sampling is chosen as this sampling design will be given out randomly. Besides that, this study design will increase the number of participants in process. 1.6.5  Conclusion Recommendation Ways of improving the condominium will be suggested base on the data that will be collected. References Author unknown, Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website. 2009. Population (updated 31 July 2009). Viewed on 2 August 2009. Available from: Author unknown, DBKL. 2009. Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020: International and National Context of Growth. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Ng, A. 2009. Raising KL’s living standards. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat, 2009. Making sense of liberalisation. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Author unknown, 2009. Sunrise is confident RM1.3bil in unbilled sales can sustain performance over three years. Viewed 10 July 2009. Available from: Torbica, Zeljko M. and Stroh., Robert C. 2001. ‘Customer satisfaction in home building’. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. 127(1), pp.82. Author unknown, 2006. Complaints Statistics. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1  Introduction Looking into the population of the world, it is clear that the population will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase while the population in the rural areas will decrease through the years. This can be proven when the United Nations (2008), when the World Urbanization Prospects the 2007 Revision corroborates that the world population will reach a landmark in 2008 for the first time in history, as the urban population will equal the rural population of the world and, from then on, the world population will be urban in its majority. The United Nation (2008) also stated that from the year 2007 to 2050, the world population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion, passing from 6.7 billion to 9.7 billion. At the same time, the population living in urban areas is to gain 3.1 billion in 2007 to 6.4 billion in 2050. Thus, the urban form has interdependently affected the development and the governance of the city. Generally, the population in Malaysia will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase and this can be seen in the increasing population of the World – Class City of Kuala Lumpur. The Draft Kuala Lumpur (KL) City Plan 2020 has five (5) core guiding principles that will frame the draft, and one of these principles is Planning ‘For and With’ the People (DBKL, 2009). Density Structure of Kuala Lumpur Strategic Zones Area Sq. Kms Population 2005 Density 2005 (person/ sq. km) Population 2020 Density 2020 (person/ sq. km) City Centre 17.7915 143,000 8,038 245,611 13,805 Figure 4 shows the density structure of Kuala Lumpur. The figure also shows that Wangsa Maju – Maluri which is within the Setapak area, rank the highest in the 2005 data on population. At the same time, the population is expected to increase and become the third highest in population by the year 2020. According to the DBKL (2009), Kuala Lumpur is a city that houses 2.2 million populations and provides employment to 1.4 million people. The City will thus ensure whatever its plans, builds or develop are based on the wants and needs of the people. Furthermore, the Future Population of Kuala Lumpur in DBKL (2009) stressed that Kuala Lumpur must be liveable in order to encourage people to live in the City comfortably and through the plan allows for an additional 600,000 people in the next 12 years. From the Draft KL City Plan 2020, it shows that the satisfaction of the occupants is also taken into consideration when planning of the city is done. Therefore, this research will focus on the satisfaction level of occupants in one of the most populated area, Setapak. In this chapter, there will be reviews on some key words definition regarding the research study from various sources and the various maintenance and facilities which may also include explanation on some of the types of maintenance and function of maintenance. Reports and case studies on maintenance and facilities will also be included in this chapter. 2.1.1  Definitions The satisfaction level of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities in a condominium can be defined as the repair works and the upkeep of a condominium together with the functional things and services provided which fulfil the needs, claim or desire that gives gratification to the occupants or residents of the condominium. Further clarification of this statement can be found through the definition of the key words such as satisfaction, occupants, maintenance, facilities and condominium. 2.1.1.1  Satisfaction Finch (2004) proposed that customer satisfaction with facilities is determined not only by technical performance, but also by â€Å"an intricate set of exchange process†, such as effective communication and management of expectations.  Salleh and Abdul Ghani (2008) also mentioned that residential and neighbourhood satisfaction is an important indicator of housing quality and condition, which affects individuals’ quality of life. Besides that, according to the MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009), satisfaction means happiness with arrangement, which can refer to the happiness with the way that something has been arranged or done. On the other hand, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defined satisfaction is the state of being satisfied and by the law, it is the payment of a debt of fulfilment of an obligation or claim. In addition, Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines that satisfaction is a feeling of happiness or pleasure when someone gets something that they want, need or have demanded. 2.1.1.2  Occupant The Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) defines occupants as someone who lives in a house, room etc. Meanwhile, MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines occupant as a resident of a place. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further clarifies that occupant as a person who occupies a place at a given time. Besides that, according to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), occupier means the person in actual occupation of the building, but, in the case of premises for lodging purposes, does not include a lodger. 2.1.1.3  Maintenance Maintenance is synonymous with controlling the condition of a building so that its pattern lies within specified regions as defined by Lee (White, 1969). The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines maintenance as the continuing repair work where work that is done regularly to keep a machine, building or piece of equipment in good condition and working order. Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines maintenance as the process of maintaining or being maintained. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) also clarifies in depth that maintenance is the repairs, painting etc. that are necessary to keep something in good condition. In fact, Chanter and Swallow (1996) identified maintenance as actions that relate not only to the physical execution of maintenance work, but also those concerned with its initiation, financing and organisation, and the notion of an acceptable condition. This implies an understanding of the requirements for the effective usage of the building and its parts, which in turn compels broader consideration of building performance from the definition of BS3811 (1984), as it defines maintenance as a combination of any actions carried out to retain an item in, or restore it to an acceptable condition. Besides that, Singh (1996) further defined building maintenance as work undertaken in order to keep, restore or improve every facility, i.e. every part of a building, its services and surrounds to a currently accepted standard, and to sustain the utility and value of facility. 2.1.1.4  Facilties The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines facility as something with particular function, in which something is designed or created to provide a service or fulfil a need. Besides that, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defines facility as a building, service, or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines facility as a place or building used for a particular activity or industry, or for providing a particular type of service. With these definitions explained from the dictionaries, facilities can be define as services or equipments provided to improve the effectiveness of a building. However, facilities are further clarified by the Charted Institute of Building (CIOB) with the definition that facilities management is an umbrella term under which a wide range of property and user – related functions may be brought together for the benefit of the organisation and its employees as a whole (Flanagan et al., 1995). Meanwhile, Alexander (1996) mentioned in his paper that facilities management is first and foremost about organizational effectiveness. 2.1.1.5  Condominum The House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that the word â€Å"condominium† comes from the Latin word â€Å"con† which means â€Å"together† and â€Å"dominium, meaning â€Å"property†. There are two parts in this type of property ownership. They are the ownership of the individual unit and joint ownership of the common property, in which the property is shared with other unit owners in the project. The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines condominium as an individually owned apartment, which is an individually owned unit of real estate, especially an apartment or town house, in a building or on land that is owned in common by the owners of the units. Meanwhile, the Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines condominium as a building or complex containing a number of individually owned flats or houses. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) later defines that condominium is one apartment in a building with several apartments, each of w hich is owned by the people living in it. 2.2  Maintenance In Condominium For the maintenance in condominium in Malaysia, there is an act that was specially gazetted on 12th April 2007 for the purpose of maintaining the condominium and its surrounding, together with the facilities available in the condominium. According to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), under the act 663 building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007, the act is to provide for proper maintenance and management of building and common property, and for matters incidental thereto. Maintenance in the condominium comprises maintenance of all the common property area in the condominium. The building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007 further defines common property as development area not comprised in any parcel, such as the structural elements of the building, stairs, stairways, fire escapes, entrances and exits, corridors, lobbies, fixtures and fittings, lifts, refuse chutes, refuse bins, compounds, drains, water tanks, sewers, pipes, wires, cables and ducts that serve more than one parcel, the exterior of all common parts of the building, playing fields and recreational areas, driveways, car parks and parking areas, open spaces, landscape areas, walls and fences, and all other facilities and installations and any part of the land used or capable of being used or enjoyed in common by all the occupiers of the building. Charges which means any money collected by the owner, developer, Body or managing agent from the purchaser for the maintenance and management of the building or land intended for subdivision into parcels and common property, will be taken from the building maintenance account which is also known as building maintenance fund after the account is passed to the Joint Management Body (Laws of Malaysia, 2007). 2.2.1  Types of Maintenance According to Gurjit Singh (1996), generally, maintenance management can be approached in the following ways: Cyclical maintenance: this is maintenance for recurring items such as redecoration. Non-cyclical maintenance: this will apply to the items identified in the condition survey and includes items that need major repairs and replacements. Planned preventive maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out on regular basis to prevent breakdowns. It has the advantage of predicting the loss of facility to the owner and down-time. Emergency maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out only when there is a breakdown. It is normally expensive and increases the amount of non – productive time. Chanter and Swallow (1996) further explained the types of maintenance according to definitions given in BS 3811 and produced flow charts to summarise the types of maintenance and decision based types of maintenance as below: (1)  Planned maintenance: This is maintenance organised and carried out with forethought, control and the use of records to a predetermined plan. (2)  Unplanned maintenance: Ad hoc maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan. (3)  Preventive maintenance: Maintenance carried out at predetermined intervals, or corresponding to prescribed criteria, and intended to reduce the probability of failure, or the performance degradation of an item. (4)  Corrective maintenance: Maintenance carried out after failure has occurred, and intended to restore an item to a state in which it can perform its required function. (5)  Emergency maintenance: Maintenance which it is necessary to put in hand immediately to avoid serious consequences. (6)  Condition – based maintenance: Preventive maintenance initiated as a result of knowledge of the condition of an item from routine or continuous monitoring. (7)  Scheduled maintenance: Preventive maintenance carried out to a pre – determined interval of time, number of operations, mileage, etc. Figure 5  Decision based types of maintenance Source: Chanter and Swallow (1996) 2.2.2  Maintenance Function Miles and Syagga (1987) mentioned that the function of maintenance can be divided into three groups. These three groups consist of cleaning and servicing, rectification and repair, and replacement. Both authors also added that cleaning and servicing should be carried out regularly and may be combined with a system of reporting faults, so that repairs can be carried out soon after faults become apparent, thereby avoiding the need for more expensive repairs or even replacement at a later stage. 2.2.3  Malaysias Report On Poor Maintenance According to the report from National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2005), residents of Mount Karunmas Condominium fret over cracks in car park. Residents want the developer or maintenance company of the building to rectify the cracks that have appeared on the beams in the car park. Besides the cracks, there was a water leak from the extension joints which were connected to the slabs. In this case, the developer and the maintenance parties did not deliver their duty and responsibility well despites the complaints from the residents and had pin point each other to take hold of the work. In such case, the matter was brought to the press and the local council and the developer in the end stood up rectify the defects and mentioned that defects were only minor cracks.   In another report regarding to maintenance, there was a statement stating that one of the many issues of public concern is how to develop a strong maintenance culture in Malaysia in the interest of public safety and convenience. There was also an addition stating that Malaysia is known as a country which prides itself on the provision of First World infrastructure but not in terms of its maintenance (The Star,24 June 2009) The Star (2009) also mentioned that poor maintenance of children’s playground can result in accidents and injuries. Besides that, poor maintenance of public buildings and infrastructures can also cause accidents, injuries and also flash floods when roads and public drains are not properly maintained. (The Star, 24 June 2009) When maintenance are not done properly, image of the country is also not preserved as tourist would come to Malaysia to visit and this give a bad image to the country when maintenance are poorly done. According to the Star (24 June 2009) improving a country’s image is not only the responsibility of the Government but also the duty of each citizen who must be civic – minded. According to the Star (7 May 2009) former squatters moved into the Putri Laksamana apartments in Batu Caves had to deal with poor maintenance, cracking tiles, water leakages, sewage problems and even snakes entering their houses for four years. According to Sundramoorthy Veerasamy (2009), when they moved into the apartment which comprises of 400 units, many of the units had cracked floor tiles and water leaking from the roof and pipes. There were also drainage and garbage problem, and even though the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) promised to solve the problem, it has been eight months since the problem have not been solved (Sundramoorthy Veerasamy, 2009). Sundramoorthy (2009) also mentioned that they are losing faith in the councillors and state government finding a solution. From this, Government should be able to come out with a solution to help these residents as they are also the citizens of Malaysia and deserve to live in a properly maintained place. Poor maintenance can also lead to criminal activities. According to the Star (7 May 2009) criminal activities like snatch thefts, break-ins, and motorcycle and car thefts are rampant there and drug addicts and pushers also haunt the area of the apartment. MPS councillor Gopalan Krishnan Rajoo (2009) also mentioned that because there is no Joint Management Body (JMB) for the apartment, it is difficult to solve the problems and residents were urged to form the JMB to bring up the residents’ problems so that they can be solved easily. From this report, it is shown that forming a JMB in a community is important to solve certain problems and that increase in poor maintenance also would increase the crime rate in the area. 2.2.4  Case Study of Poor Maintenance Abdulmohsen Al – Hammad, Sadi Assaf and Mansoor Al – Shihah (1997) in their research which outlines the defects and faults during the design stage that affect building maintenance in Saudi Arabia and their relative degree of importance, came out with a table on the level of importance of design defects on building maintenance. The following tables show the result from the questionnaire done from their research on the defects. From the table above, the maintenance practicality and adequacy which is one of the defect groups rank the highest among the owners. When maintenance are not planned and done adequately, there will be defects and the defects will worsen causing the building to be not safe for the occupants and even aesthetically affected. 2.3  Facilties In Condominium In Malaysia, there are many types of facilities available in a condominium. The National House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that there are many facilities and services in a condominium, such as lifts, swimming pool, gym, tennis court, landscaped gardens and even security services. Further explanation was that these facilities and services are expensive to maintain. Facilities are actually one of the important key aspects which purchasers will look into when buying a condominium. This is because purchasers have to understand that they when purchasing a unit of the condominium, two things are bought. These two things are the individual unit and the common property which includes all the facilities available in the condominium. Nowadays, facilities play a big role in portraying the image of the condominium. Besides that, facilities available in a condominium also determine and set a standard to the condominium. This can be seen when the low – end condominiums and high – end condominiums are being compared. Types of facilities available will be very different for both types of condominium, where the facilities in the high – end condominiums are more and much better than those of low – end condominiums. 2.3.1  Malaysias Report On Facilities National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2008) reported that hairline cracks have appeared on pillars and car park areas of the Sri Gotong apartment block in Batu Caves for the past year. One of the occupants, Abd Rahman Suraiman, mentioned that the management company Benih Kencana Sdn. Bhd. Should act fast to prevent the situation from getting worse. According to Rahman, who is secretary of the Sri Gotong Apartment Batu Caves Pro – tem Committee, the apartment was supposed to have condominium facilities like swimming pool, recreational area and sauna, but such facilities were lacking and the place was not properly maintained. Rahman also mentioned that the sauna room is locked, the gymnasium equipment is damaged and ever since he started staying there, one of the lifts stopped working and has yet to be repair. This report shows that lacking of facilities in a condominium will also cause dissatisfaction to the occupants. Thus, this kind of problem gives the condominium a bad image. In another report from the National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2004) stated that the local authorities are often hampered in their efforts to build sports facilities when developers, in fulfilling the requirement of providing open areas, allocate land that is too small or narrow. The report also added that local authorities wanted to provide more recreational facilities, especially in housing estates, but were unable to do so in some areas due to the lack of land. Developers would usually tell local authorities that they had carried out their responsibility by providing recreational through building playgrounds which are meant for younger children and this leaves teenagers without a proper place for recreation. According to the report, this could more likely cause teenagers. Therefore, it is wise that the developers to allocate Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium The Study of Satisfaction Level of Occupants towards the Maintenance and Facilities in PV10 Condominium Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1  Background The population in Malaysia is on a rapid growth and this can be seen in the last three (3) years, 2007 – 2009. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the population growth was from 27.17 million (2007) to 28.31 million (2009). That shows an increase of 1.14 million within three (3) years. This population figure was last updated on the 31 st July 2009. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) According to the International and National Context of Growth from the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020, the figure below illustrates the function of Kuala Lumpur and its conurbation (KLC). The figure illustrates ‘functional pyramid’ for the KLC with more specialised urban functions towards the apex of the pyramid, which represents Kuala Lumpur and more general functions towards its base, representing the remainder of the KLC. (DBKL International and National Context of Growth, 2009) From Figure 1, it is shown that the number of population increases. However, the land area still remains the same. Land scarcity is faced by the people of Kuala Lumpur as more construction works are carried out to meet the demand of the increasing population. The relationship between population and living standard is obvious as the graph shows that the living standard is proportional to the population. According to Datuk Michael Yam (2009), Kuala Lumpur’s 1.7 million population is expected to expand by 30% within the next decade and that the market is getting more sophisticated with consumers demanding more facilities, convenience and built quality to improve their quality of life. (The Star, 28 March 2009) Condominiums are on high demand in a high density area like Kuala Lumpur due to the population increase and at the same time this highly populated area is facing scarcity of land. However, the satisfaction of the occupants in a condominium is important to ensure that developers will be able to continue to expand such projects in their firm. This is because, liberalization or opening up of the market gives wider choices of goods or services for consumers which contribute to their satisfaction. (The Star, 6 July 2009) Therefore, the facilities and maintenance provided in a condominium are important to meet the occupants’ satisfaction towards the condominium they are staying. 1.2  Problem Statement In Malaysia, as the population rises through the years, the construction of condominium development also has to increase to meet the demand of increasing residents. As the latest statistic stated that there is a population of 28.31 million (in 2009), there will also be an increase in land use. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) In Kuala Lumpur, despite the softer conditions in the property market construction will still be an on-going process. According to one of the top companies like Sunrise Sdn. Bhd, they expect to perform well in the next two to three years due to its high unbilled sales of RM 1.36 billion. As at July, Sunrise had sold 93% of 10 Mount’ Kiara (MK10) units, 45% of 11 Mount’ Kiara (MK 11), 92% of Solaris Dutamas, 9% of The Residence Phase 2B, 90% of Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 95% of Mont’ Kiara Banyan, and 100% of Kiara Designer Suites-Kiara Walk. (The Star, 29 October 2008) As Sunrise is focusing more on the condominium residential type of construction, it is shown that condominium is still in high demand despite the slow economic flow at the moment. However, there must be certain factors which cause the homebuyers to set their mind on purchasing the condominium of their choice. To successfully compete in the long term, the company must be sure that existing customers are satisfied. Providing superior quality and keeping customers satisfied are rapidly becoming the ways for companies to stand out among the other companies. (Zeljko M. Torbica  and  Robert C. Stroh., 2001) According to the National House Buyers Association, management and maintenance ranked second in the types of complaint in the complaints statistics. (National House Buyers Association, 2006) The complaints statistics is as illustrated in Figure 2. Therefore, it is important to carry out the research about the satisfaction of the occupants in the aspect of the maintenance and facilities provided in a condominium. Besides that, ways of improving the maintenance and facilities from the occupants’ point of view will also be carried out in this research. 1.3  Aim Objectives Aim To look into the satisfaction levels of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities of the condominium. Objectives To determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV 10 Condominium with the maintenance and facilities provided. To determine the ways to improve the maintenance and facilities to increase the satisfaction of occupants in PV10 Condominium. 1.4  Benefits/Importance of Study This study will benefit three parties; consisting of the developer, the management of the condominium and the occupants of condominiums. The developers will be able to plan their construction wisely to increase the demand in houses and preserve the developer’s reputation as it is one of the essential key to success for a developer. On the other hand, occupants or homebuyers will benefit when they are able to purchase and stay in the type of house they wish to have, and to own a worth buying piece of property. Besides that, the management of the condominium will be able to plan their management in the maintenance and facilities offered to the occupants as this is the key to customer satisfaction. 1.5  Scope of Study This case study will be carried out in PV 10, Jalan Genting Kelang, Setapak. There are 4 blocks of condominium in PV10 and they will be taken into consideration for this research. This place is chosen because it is one of the latest condominiums built in one of the highly populated area. Maintenance and facilities offered will be further looked into. The maintenance in the condominium will cover the cleanliness and collection of rubbish maintenance, the lifts operation and lighting maintenance and water maintenance. On the other hand, the facilities in the condominium will cover the recreational facilities such as play ground for children, health facilities and the safety facilities. In addition, another facility which will be looked into will be the car parks provided. Maintenance of facilities will also be explained. 1.6  Research Methodology 1.6.1  Introduction The increase in condominium construction is proportional to the rapid growth of the population in Malaysia. Besides that, land scarcity in high density areas of Kuala Lumpur forces the people to go further into the development of condominiums. 1.6.2  Literature Review Data collected will be secondary type of data collection. They consist of: Books Relevant books will be from the Tunku Abdul Rahman Library and National Library. The type of books will be those under building maintenance, facility management, economy, development, research and dissertation studies, property management and other relevant books to the research study. Magazines and Newspapers Magazines and newspapers used will be from local newspapers and magazines. Newspapers search will be the online type of newspaper. News and updates will be taken based on current issues regarding construction, development, property, and maintenance and facilities management that are reported in the newspapers and magazines. Online resources and Journals Online resources will be from reliable sources which provide reference of research papers such as online journals and articles. Relevant sources to the research studies will be taken into consideration through these websites. Online journals will also be those which are regarding with the research study and are available through the college library website which linked to reliable sources such as Emerald.   1.6.3  Background PV10 will be the place of case study for this research. This condominium is situated at Jalan Genting Kelang. Resources will be obtained from the management of the condominium and the developer of the condominium. 1.6.4  Analysis Primary data will be used in this research and data through this type of data will be analysed. Questionnaire will be selected in order to scrutinize the feedback from the respondent. First, a set of questionnaire will be set. After that, the set of questionnaire will be distributed to occupants in PV10 to get their responds. A selected sample size of 200 will be chosen randomly. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software will be used to analyse the data. Snowball sampling type will be used to determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV10. This type of sampling is chosen as this sampling design will be given out randomly. Besides that, this study design will increase the number of participants in process. 1.6.5  Conclusion Recommendation Ways of improving the condominium will be suggested base on the data that will be collected. References Author unknown, Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website. 2009. Population (updated 31 July 2009). Viewed on 2 August 2009. Available from: Author unknown, DBKL. 2009. Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020: International and National Context of Growth. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Ng, A. 2009. Raising KL’s living standards. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat, 2009. Making sense of liberalisation. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Author unknown, 2009. Sunrise is confident RM1.3bil in unbilled sales can sustain performance over three years. Viewed 10 July 2009. Available from: Torbica, Zeljko M. and Stroh., Robert C. 2001. ‘Customer satisfaction in home building’. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. 127(1), pp.82. Author unknown, 2006. Complaints Statistics. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1  Introduction Looking into the population of the world, it is clear that the population will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase while the population in the rural areas will decrease through the years. This can be proven when the United Nations (2008), when the World Urbanization Prospects the 2007 Revision corroborates that the world population will reach a landmark in 2008 for the first time in history, as the urban population will equal the rural population of the world and, from then on, the world population will be urban in its majority. The United Nation (2008) also stated that from the year 2007 to 2050, the world population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion, passing from 6.7 billion to 9.7 billion. At the same time, the population living in urban areas is to gain 3.1 billion in 2007 to 6.4 billion in 2050. Thus, the urban form has interdependently affected the development and the governance of the city. Generally, the population in Malaysia will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase and this can be seen in the increasing population of the World – Class City of Kuala Lumpur. The Draft Kuala Lumpur (KL) City Plan 2020 has five (5) core guiding principles that will frame the draft, and one of these principles is Planning ‘For and With’ the People (DBKL, 2009). Density Structure of Kuala Lumpur Strategic Zones Area Sq. Kms Population 2005 Density 2005 (person/ sq. km) Population 2020 Density 2020 (person/ sq. km) City Centre 17.7915 143,000 8,038 245,611 13,805 Figure 4 shows the density structure of Kuala Lumpur. The figure also shows that Wangsa Maju – Maluri which is within the Setapak area, rank the highest in the 2005 data on population. At the same time, the population is expected to increase and become the third highest in population by the year 2020. According to the DBKL (2009), Kuala Lumpur is a city that houses 2.2 million populations and provides employment to 1.4 million people. The City will thus ensure whatever its plans, builds or develop are based on the wants and needs of the people. Furthermore, the Future Population of Kuala Lumpur in DBKL (2009) stressed that Kuala Lumpur must be liveable in order to encourage people to live in the City comfortably and through the plan allows for an additional 600,000 people in the next 12 years. From the Draft KL City Plan 2020, it shows that the satisfaction of the occupants is also taken into consideration when planning of the city is done. Therefore, this research will focus on the satisfaction level of occupants in one of the most populated area, Setapak. In this chapter, there will be reviews on some key words definition regarding the research study from various sources and the various maintenance and facilities which may also include explanation on some of the types of maintenance and function of maintenance. Reports and case studies on maintenance and facilities will also be included in this chapter. 2.1.1  Definitions The satisfaction level of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities in a condominium can be defined as the repair works and the upkeep of a condominium together with the functional things and services provided which fulfil the needs, claim or desire that gives gratification to the occupants or residents of the condominium. Further clarification of this statement can be found through the definition of the key words such as satisfaction, occupants, maintenance, facilities and condominium. 2.1.1.1  Satisfaction Finch (2004) proposed that customer satisfaction with facilities is determined not only by technical performance, but also by â€Å"an intricate set of exchange process†, such as effective communication and management of expectations.  Salleh and Abdul Ghani (2008) also mentioned that residential and neighbourhood satisfaction is an important indicator of housing quality and condition, which affects individuals’ quality of life. Besides that, according to the MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009), satisfaction means happiness with arrangement, which can refer to the happiness with the way that something has been arranged or done. On the other hand, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defined satisfaction is the state of being satisfied and by the law, it is the payment of a debt of fulfilment of an obligation or claim. In addition, Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines that satisfaction is a feeling of happiness or pleasure when someone gets something that they want, need or have demanded. 2.1.1.2  Occupant The Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) defines occupants as someone who lives in a house, room etc. Meanwhile, MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines occupant as a resident of a place. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further clarifies that occupant as a person who occupies a place at a given time. Besides that, according to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), occupier means the person in actual occupation of the building, but, in the case of premises for lodging purposes, does not include a lodger. 2.1.1.3  Maintenance Maintenance is synonymous with controlling the condition of a building so that its pattern lies within specified regions as defined by Lee (White, 1969). The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines maintenance as the continuing repair work where work that is done regularly to keep a machine, building or piece of equipment in good condition and working order. Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines maintenance as the process of maintaining or being maintained. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) also clarifies in depth that maintenance is the repairs, painting etc. that are necessary to keep something in good condition. In fact, Chanter and Swallow (1996) identified maintenance as actions that relate not only to the physical execution of maintenance work, but also those concerned with its initiation, financing and organisation, and the notion of an acceptable condition. This implies an understanding of the requirements for the effective usage of the building and its parts, which in turn compels broader consideration of building performance from the definition of BS3811 (1984), as it defines maintenance as a combination of any actions carried out to retain an item in, or restore it to an acceptable condition. Besides that, Singh (1996) further defined building maintenance as work undertaken in order to keep, restore or improve every facility, i.e. every part of a building, its services and surrounds to a currently accepted standard, and to sustain the utility and value of facility. 2.1.1.4  Facilties The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines facility as something with particular function, in which something is designed or created to provide a service or fulfil a need. Besides that, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defines facility as a building, service, or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines facility as a place or building used for a particular activity or industry, or for providing a particular type of service. With these definitions explained from the dictionaries, facilities can be define as services or equipments provided to improve the effectiveness of a building. However, facilities are further clarified by the Charted Institute of Building (CIOB) with the definition that facilities management is an umbrella term under which a wide range of property and user – related functions may be brought together for the benefit of the organisation and its employees as a whole (Flanagan et al., 1995). Meanwhile, Alexander (1996) mentioned in his paper that facilities management is first and foremost about organizational effectiveness. 2.1.1.5  Condominum The House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that the word â€Å"condominium† comes from the Latin word â€Å"con† which means â€Å"together† and â€Å"dominium, meaning â€Å"property†. There are two parts in this type of property ownership. They are the ownership of the individual unit and joint ownership of the common property, in which the property is shared with other unit owners in the project. The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines condominium as an individually owned apartment, which is an individually owned unit of real estate, especially an apartment or town house, in a building or on land that is owned in common by the owners of the units. Meanwhile, the Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines condominium as a building or complex containing a number of individually owned flats or houses. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) later defines that condominium is one apartment in a building with several apartments, each of w hich is owned by the people living in it. 2.2  Maintenance In Condominium For the maintenance in condominium in Malaysia, there is an act that was specially gazetted on 12th April 2007 for the purpose of maintaining the condominium and its surrounding, together with the facilities available in the condominium. According to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), under the act 663 building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007, the act is to provide for proper maintenance and management of building and common property, and for matters incidental thereto. Maintenance in the condominium comprises maintenance of all the common property area in the condominium. The building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007 further defines common property as development area not comprised in any parcel, such as the structural elements of the building, stairs, stairways, fire escapes, entrances and exits, corridors, lobbies, fixtures and fittings, lifts, refuse chutes, refuse bins, compounds, drains, water tanks, sewers, pipes, wires, cables and ducts that serve more than one parcel, the exterior of all common parts of the building, playing fields and recreational areas, driveways, car parks and parking areas, open spaces, landscape areas, walls and fences, and all other facilities and installations and any part of the land used or capable of being used or enjoyed in common by all the occupiers of the building. Charges which means any money collected by the owner, developer, Body or managing agent from the purchaser for the maintenance and management of the building or land intended for subdivision into parcels and common property, will be taken from the building maintenance account which is also known as building maintenance fund after the account is passed to the Joint Management Body (Laws of Malaysia, 2007). 2.2.1  Types of Maintenance According to Gurjit Singh (1996), generally, maintenance management can be approached in the following ways: Cyclical maintenance: this is maintenance for recurring items such as redecoration. Non-cyclical maintenance: this will apply to the items identified in the condition survey and includes items that need major repairs and replacements. Planned preventive maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out on regular basis to prevent breakdowns. It has the advantage of predicting the loss of facility to the owner and down-time. Emergency maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out only when there is a breakdown. It is normally expensive and increases the amount of non – productive time. Chanter and Swallow (1996) further explained the types of maintenance according to definitions given in BS 3811 and produced flow charts to summarise the types of maintenance and decision based types of maintenance as below: (1)  Planned maintenance: This is maintenance organised and carried out with forethought, control and the use of records to a predetermined plan. (2)  Unplanned maintenance: Ad hoc maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan. (3)  Preventive maintenance: Maintenance carried out at predetermined intervals, or corresponding to prescribed criteria, and intended to reduce the probability of failure, or the performance degradation of an item. (4)  Corrective maintenance: Maintenance carried out after failure has occurred, and intended to restore an item to a state in which it can perform its required function. (5)  Emergency maintenance: Maintenance which it is necessary to put in hand immediately to avoid serious consequences. (6)  Condition – based maintenance: Preventive maintenance initiated as a result of knowledge of the condition of an item from routine or continuous monitoring. (7)  Scheduled maintenance: Preventive maintenance carried out to a pre – determined interval of time, number of operations, mileage, etc. Figure 5  Decision based types of maintenance Source: Chanter and Swallow (1996) 2.2.2  Maintenance Function Miles and Syagga (1987) mentioned that the function of maintenance can be divided into three groups. These three groups consist of cleaning and servicing, rectification and repair, and replacement. Both authors also added that cleaning and servicing should be carried out regularly and may be combined with a system of reporting faults, so that repairs can be carried out soon after faults become apparent, thereby avoiding the need for more expensive repairs or even replacement at a later stage. 2.2.3  Malaysias Report On Poor Maintenance According to the report from National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2005), residents of Mount Karunmas Condominium fret over cracks in car park. Residents want the developer or maintenance company of the building to rectify the cracks that have appeared on the beams in the car park. Besides the cracks, there was a water leak from the extension joints which were connected to the slabs. In this case, the developer and the maintenance parties did not deliver their duty and responsibility well despites the complaints from the residents and had pin point each other to take hold of the work. In such case, the matter was brought to the press and the local council and the developer in the end stood up rectify the defects and mentioned that defects were only minor cracks.   In another report regarding to maintenance, there was a statement stating that one of the many issues of public concern is how to develop a strong maintenance culture in Malaysia in the interest of public safety and convenience. There was also an addition stating that Malaysia is known as a country which prides itself on the provision of First World infrastructure but not in terms of its maintenance (The Star,24 June 2009) The Star (2009) also mentioned that poor maintenance of children’s playground can result in accidents and injuries. Besides that, poor maintenance of public buildings and infrastructures can also cause accidents, injuries and also flash floods when roads and public drains are not properly maintained. (The Star, 24 June 2009) When maintenance are not done properly, image of the country is also not preserved as tourist would come to Malaysia to visit and this give a bad image to the country when maintenance are poorly done. According to the Star (24 June 2009) improving a country’s image is not only the responsibility of the Government but also the duty of each citizen who must be civic – minded. According to the Star (7 May 2009) former squatters moved into the Putri Laksamana apartments in Batu Caves had to deal with poor maintenance, cracking tiles, water leakages, sewage problems and even snakes entering their houses for four years. According to Sundramoorthy Veerasamy (2009), when they moved into the apartment which comprises of 400 units, many of the units had cracked floor tiles and water leaking from the roof and pipes. There were also drainage and garbage problem, and even though the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) promised to solve the problem, it has been eight months since the problem have not been solved (Sundramoorthy Veerasamy, 2009). Sundramoorthy (2009) also mentioned that they are losing faith in the councillors and state government finding a solution. From this, Government should be able to come out with a solution to help these residents as they are also the citizens of Malaysia and deserve to live in a properly maintained place. Poor maintenance can also lead to criminal activities. According to the Star (7 May 2009) criminal activities like snatch thefts, break-ins, and motorcycle and car thefts are rampant there and drug addicts and pushers also haunt the area of the apartment. MPS councillor Gopalan Krishnan Rajoo (2009) also mentioned that because there is no Joint Management Body (JMB) for the apartment, it is difficult to solve the problems and residents were urged to form the JMB to bring up the residents’ problems so that they can be solved easily. From this report, it is shown that forming a JMB in a community is important to solve certain problems and that increase in poor maintenance also would increase the crime rate in the area. 2.2.4  Case Study of Poor Maintenance Abdulmohsen Al – Hammad, Sadi Assaf and Mansoor Al – Shihah (1997) in their research which outlines the defects and faults during the design stage that affect building maintenance in Saudi Arabia and their relative degree of importance, came out with a table on the level of importance of design defects on building maintenance. The following tables show the result from the questionnaire done from their research on the defects. From the table above, the maintenance practicality and adequacy which is one of the defect groups rank the highest among the owners. When maintenance are not planned and done adequately, there will be defects and the defects will worsen causing the building to be not safe for the occupants and even aesthetically affected. 2.3  Facilties In Condominium In Malaysia, there are many types of facilities available in a condominium. The National House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that there are many facilities and services in a condominium, such as lifts, swimming pool, gym, tennis court, landscaped gardens and even security services. Further explanation was that these facilities and services are expensive to maintain. Facilities are actually one of the important key aspects which purchasers will look into when buying a condominium. This is because purchasers have to understand that they when purchasing a unit of the condominium, two things are bought. These two things are the individual unit and the common property which includes all the facilities available in the condominium. Nowadays, facilities play a big role in portraying the image of the condominium. Besides that, facilities available in a condominium also determine and set a standard to the condominium. This can be seen when the low – end condominiums and high – end condominiums are being compared. Types of facilities available will be very different for both types of condominium, where the facilities in the high – end condominiums are more and much better than those of low – end condominiums. 2.3.1  Malaysias Report On Facilities National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2008) reported that hairline cracks have appeared on pillars and car park areas of the Sri Gotong apartment block in Batu Caves for the past year. One of the occupants, Abd Rahman Suraiman, mentioned that the management company Benih Kencana Sdn. Bhd. Should act fast to prevent the situation from getting worse. According to Rahman, who is secretary of the Sri Gotong Apartment Batu Caves Pro – tem Committee, the apartment was supposed to have condominium facilities like swimming pool, recreational area and sauna, but such facilities were lacking and the place was not properly maintained. Rahman also mentioned that the sauna room is locked, the gymnasium equipment is damaged and ever since he started staying there, one of the lifts stopped working and has yet to be repair. This report shows that lacking of facilities in a condominium will also cause dissatisfaction to the occupants. Thus, this kind of problem gives the condominium a bad image. In another report from the National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2004) stated that the local authorities are often hampered in their efforts to build sports facilities when developers, in fulfilling the requirement of providing open areas, allocate land that is too small or narrow. The report also added that local authorities wanted to provide more recreational facilities, especially in housing estates, but were unable to do so in some areas due to the lack of land. Developers would usually tell local authorities that they had carried out their responsibility by providing recreational through building playgrounds which are meant for younger children and this leaves teenagers without a proper place for recreation. According to the report, this could more likely cause teenagers. Therefore, it is wise that the developers to allocate

Technology Increases Happiness :: Happiness Essays

Technology has changed our lives but, has it made our lives any better? Some believe technology makes people happier because, people always want to upgrade their electronics to new, more efficient pieces of equipment. People have been progressing for thousands of years, and we still are. Researchers are always looking to improve current technology and come up with modern, efficient devices to improve our lives. If society were to stop emerging with new inventions, I feel we would be very unhappy. I believe that the leading edge of technology is what makes us happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The microwave is a prime example of technology making us happy. If we were to get rid of the microwave, many people would be angry because it is a very helpful and time saving device. If there was no microwave people would not be able to defrost the ground meat they forgot to leave out, nor would they be able to cook a hot pocket for lunch when they were short on time. Some people believe that items that are efficient make society happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology is, in some forms, directly related to happiness. Simple devices have been developed to make almost every aspect of life easier. Remote controls, laptop computers, palm pilots, and cellular phones are just a few examples of how technology is able to make life easier. People who own a new high grade computers are glad to have them because computers make simple task in life easier, as a result taking away stress. A lot of modern technology is taken for granted, but without theses devices, people would surely feel the loss since their lives would be more stressful, so today's technological devices truly do make up happier, or keep us happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are hundreds of hobbies and jobs that exist because of modern technology. There are hobbies and jobs for all ages and taste that would not exist if it were not for the help of modern technology.

Womens Menopause And Perimenopause Symptoms Health And Social Care Essay

â€Å" Most people would see the old stage â€Å" alteration of life † a euphemism for the medical term â€Å" climacteric † , but I, who am now traveling through the alteration, get down to inquire if it is n't the other manner unit of ammunition. â€Å" Change of life † is excessively blunt a phrase, excessively factual. â€Å" Menopause † , with its chime-suggestion of mere intermission after which things go on as before, is reassuringly fiddling. † – Ursula K. Le Guin â€Å" The Space Crone, † Dancing at the Edge of the World [ 1 ] Menopause is a foreordained phase of life for every individual adult female, characterised by the surcease of ovarian map and monthly period. [ 6 ] It is defined as the stoping of a adult females catamenial period and it is further affirmed when there has been no catamenial period for 12 back-to-back months and no other causes can be identified. Fertility comes to an terminal at this point. Less estrogen and Lipo-Lutin are produced by the ovaries and this consequences in climacteric. [ 13 ] Menopause has to travel through by all adult females, by and large between the ages of 40 and 55. [ 14 ] There is more frequently than non a passage period called perimenopause that lasts for a few old ages. During that minute, climacteric occurs due to hormonal alterations, including low Lipo-Lutin degrees and fluctuating oestrogen degrees, taking to many symptoms such as 1.jpg Decreased sex thrust. Changes in period. Hot flashes. Dryness of vagina. Night workout suits. Mood swings. Insomnia. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] Figure 1. Symptoms of Menopause [ 21 ] ( 242 words ) Furthermore, there are a few effects of hormonal alterations on the organic structure ‘s organ system, particularly the skeletal system and cardiovascular system. [ 7 ] In due class, in short supply of estrogen will ensue an impact on wellness. Long term complication associated with oestrogen diminution may include Osteoporosis Heart disease [ 13 ] [ 14 ] So, what are the current available interventions to assist better the immediate and long-run effects of climacteric? [ 7 ] Figure 2. Frequency of menopausal symptoms as assessed by the Menopausal Rating harmonizing to menopausal position. [ 8 ] ( 323 words )A Possible SolutionHormone Replacement TherapyHormone replacing therapy ( HRT ) is a conventional medical specialty ‘s chief intervention for menopausal symptoms & A ; job. Edginess caused by decrease of go arounding oestrogen and Lipo-Lutin endocrines could be prevented by this intervention. [ 15 ] The aim of endocrine therapy is to cover with the symptoms by utilizing the smallest measure that is efficient, for the shortest period possible. [ 2 ] Oestrogens and Lipo-Lutin are the major type of endocrines used to hike endocrine degrees. [ 15 ] Hormone replacing therapy plays the function in supplying the organic structure with either oestrogen entirely or oestrogen and Lipo-Lutin in combination during climacteric. [ 18 ] These endocrines are usually produced by the ovaries. When the ovaries no longer fabricate sufficient sums of endocrines ( as in climacteric ) , the organic structure is supplemented with equal degrees of oestrogen and Lipo-Lutin by HRT. [ 18 ]Why is Oestrogen indispensable for the organic structure?Oestrogen and Lipo-Lutin jointly contribute in the thickener of the liner of uterus fixing it for the nidation of fertilised egg. [ 18 ] Calcium in castanetss is retained and balance of cholesterin is regulated by estrogen. It helps maintain tegument healthy by replacing dead cells and keep collagen construction. [ 3 ] In the passage stage of climacteric, oestrogen degree faces fluctuations until the ovaries shut down wholly. [ 3 ] This will follow by the happening of climacteric symptoms such as hot flashes an d medical status such as osteoporosis. [ 3 ] ( 543 words )Why is Progesterone necessary for the organic structure?Progesterone is normally used together with oestrogen in adult females who still have uterus. [ 18 ] If estrogen is taken without Lipo-Lutin, there is an addition hazard for the adult females in developing endometrial malignant neoplastic disease. During generative old ages, during menses endometrial cells are shed. When the endometrium no longer shed, estrogen will do an giantism of cells in the womb and this can take to malignant neoplastic disease. [ 18 ] In this instance, Lipo-Lutin will do the endometrium shed and reduces the hazard of endometrial malignant neoplastic disease. Womans who had undergone hysterectomy do non necessitate to take Lipo-Lutin. [ 18 ]Oestrogen TherapyOestrogen is administered entirely. It may be given in five ways which are unwritten pills, intramuscular injections, transdermic spots, hypodermic pellets or vaginal endocrine pick. [ 19 ] Generally, low dosage of oestrogen is prescribed t o be taken as pills or spots daily. In order to alleviate climacteric symptoms and to forestall osteoporosis, lowest possible dosage of oestrogen needed is taken. [ 18 ] Oestrogen therapy has been used for hot flowers since the 1950s ; its effectivity has been late reassessed and confirmed. The Cochrane reappraisal calculated a 75 % decrease in the frequence of hot flashes and a important lessening in symptoms badness. [ 9 ]Progesterone-Oestrogen Therapy( 822 words ) Besides known as combined therapy, this method combines doses of oestrogen and Lipo-Lutin. [ 18 ] Progesterone normally taken in the signifier of pills, vaginal picks and suppositories, injections every bit good as in a base of oil. Progesterone is typically given by oral cavity in a assortment of combinations with estrogen. Injectable Lipo-Lutin and suppositories are available but unpopular. [ 20 ] Recent recommendation suggests that the lowest dosage of endocrine therapy is taken for the shortest clip possible and it is re-evaluated yearly. [ 18 ] Figure 3. The per centum of doctors who ranked the benefits of HRT as â€Å" really high † in relation to assorted wellness concerns. [ 10 ] The tabular array shows that the benefits of HRT are extremely recognised in relation to menopausal symptoms relief and osteoporosis by a big figure of doctors. ( 868 words )Social & A ; Economic DeductionsMost of the adult females who are undergoing the phase of climacteric suffer from temper swings & A ; some even depression. Harmonizing to surveies, adult females who experience depression and have a history of depression before have a higher opportunity of enduring from depression during perimenopause. Many of the employees who are enduring from depression due to menopause brush jobs during work clip. Some of them see backdown from co-workers, are discouraged from taking undertakings, are passed over from publicity and may even be the object of snide or sarcastic remarks. They contribute low productiveness due to their deficiency of public presentation. Therefore, ensue an impact on the economic. Besides, those who suffer from depression besides become anti-social and sometimes they tend to be self-destructive. [ 17 ] Personally, I strongly urge the household of the patients should supply full support and assist them to accommodate to the ir new life styles. Menopause can put off the feelings of sorrow and episodes of depression in a figure of adult females. It is though that someplace in between 8 % and 15 % of menopausal adult females see some signifier of depression. [ 22 ] In perimenopause, the organic structure of a adult female produces less oestrogen, doing her more susceptible to wellness hazards like bosom disease, osteoporosis and malignant neoplastic disease. Patients who are diagnosed with these diseases require immense sum of money in order to acquire intervention and hospitalization. This consequences in immense fiscal load and economic impact. On top of that, interventions such as bosom graft and chemotherapy which are effectual in bring arounding the diseases are really dearly-won. In this instance, I feel that authorities should help those who are unaffordable by supplying subsidy or possibly a fund should be set up merely to assist those destitute 1s. Harmonizing to Treatment Abroad Price Watch Survey, in UK, the cost of coronary angioplasty scopes around ?8500 while in US, the cost ranges about $ 14875. [ 23 ] ( 1177 words )Benefits & A ; RisksHRT provides adult females a assortment of dependable and solid wellness benefits, in footings of the moderation of menopausal symptoms and in the bar of some terrible wellness dainties that caused by the loss of endocrine in the organic structure. It is proven that HRT helps in keeping bone wellness and forestalling osteoporosis. Surveies confirm that the hazard of hip break is reduced by 11 per centum for the adult females who use oestrogen and progestogen HRT compounds for each twelvemonth of HRT interventions. Besides, HRT is the most effectual method for alleviating hot flashes, vaginal waterlessness and other uncomfortable menopausal symptoms. Most surveies show that the hazard of colorectal malignant neoplastic disease is besides reduced by oestrogen. [ 4 ] After a average followup of 5.2 old ages, the Women ‘s Health Initiative ( WHI ) research workers reported important decreases in hip ( 34 % ) , vertebral ( 34 % ) and entire breaks ( 24 % ) in those who had undergone HRT. [ 11 ] On the other manus, there ‘s besides hazard of acquiring the side effects of it. The combined therapy of utilizing oestrogen and progestogen consequences in a greater hazard of developing the adverse consequence which includes malignant neoplastic diseases and cardiovascular diseases. However, it can be prevented by merely obtaining oestrogen in the signifier of HRT. This will in bend lessening the hazard of developing the side effects. Furthermore, adult females who are under the intervention of HRT face greater hazard for developing chest malignant neoplastic disease. It is found that adult females who were on the long-run HRT have 26 % more invasive chest malignant neoplastic disease among them compare to those who were non holding HRT. Furthermore, the development of blood coagulums in venas can be trigger by HRT. Harmonizing to the survey of Women ‘s Health Initiative, adult females who were holding HRT had dual the figure of blood coagulums as the adult females who were non taking HRT. [ 16 ] ( 1471 words ) 234.jpg Figure 4. Number of instances of different results due to combined therapy and oestrogen therapy entirely. [ 24 ] It is shown that the combined therapy generates a greater hazard of developing the inauspicious effects of undergoing endocrine replacing therapy. Personally, I feel that HRT remains the most effectual therapy although it may trip side effects. Therefore, adult females who had HRT should be monitored on a regular basis in order to extinguish any unwanted inauspicious effects every bit early as possible before it ‘s excessively late. ( 1549 words ) Figure 5. Accumulative jeopardies for selected clinical results. [ 9 ] The combined therapy decreases the hazards of developing colorectal malignant neoplastic disease and hip break but in bend increases the hazards of developing coronary bosom disease, shot, pneumonic intercalation and chest malignant neoplastic disease. ( 1587 words )Alternate SolutionsHerbs & A ; Other Supplements [ 5 ]Harmonizing to Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act ( DSHEA ) of 1994, dietetic addendums provide substances like vitamins, minerals, nutrients, botanicals, amino acids which serve as addendum to the usual consumption of these substances. Herbal redresss have been one of the subset of larger group of nutritionary addendums. For centuries, herbs have been used widely to contend the symptoms of climacteric. In fact, it is the lone method used before the arising of wellness engineering. [ 5 ] Since pharmaceutical scientific discipline has develops over the past few decennaries, it has been understood the benefits of supplementing healthy diets with nutritionary substances such as vitamin and mineral. Nowadays, most of the adult females consume assorted types of vitamin, herb or nutritionary addendums at certain clip. Furthermore, adult females are advised by most of the wellness attention professionals to take up healthy diet with nutritionary addendums as they come near to menopause. Majority of adult females opt for workss and herb infusions and addendums to battle the symptoms of climacteric and to antagonize the physical alterations of organic structure due to cut down oestrogen and natural aging procedure. [ 5 ] ( 1773 words ) 3309.jpg vitaminsandstroke.jpg Figure 6. Herbal Supplements. [ 27 ] Figure 7. Vitamin and Mineral Supplements. [ 25 ] Figure 8. Herbal redresss used in direction of climacteric. [ 12 ] ( 1782 words )Curative Programs [ 5 ]Curative plans have been one of the most effectual interventions used for handling some of the symptoms of climacteric. Below are some of the curative plans that found to be utile in intervention symptoms of climacteric: Acupuncture is a traditional antediluvian Chinese therapy that involves rotary motion of all right acerate leafs until they enter the tegument at peculiar points on the organic structure. Surveies of North American Menopause ( NAMS ) province that there ‘s a important lessening in hot flashes, enduring for up to three months by those who were treated with stylostixis. Besides, it is besides shown that stylostixis decreases dark workout suits and anxiousness in menopausal adult females. Harmonizing to The National Institute of Health Consensus Development Panel on Acupuncture, illnesses like concern, fibromyalgia, degenerative arthritis and spasms ( conditions faced by adult females in climacteric ) can be treated by stylostixis. [ 5 ] Cognitive therapy which is a signifier of talk therapy used on helping the patients to understand the nexus between the forms of negative though and depression. Patients are taught to interrupt destructive thought forms that lead to depression and anxiousness by replacing negative ideas with positive 1s. [ 5 ] In my sentiment, adult females who are undergoing menopausal phases should be encouraged to take up herbal addendums and curative therapy which are both natural traditional methods in covering with climacteric before sing HRT which involved chemical-based synthesised medical specialty. In this instance, HRT may be the most efficient solution but at the same clip it may convey about assorted inauspicious effects. ( 2027 words ) acupuncture_500.jpg Figure 9. Acupuncture [ 28 ] cognitive therapy.jpg e-t-b.gif Figure 11. Three interconnected constituents in which cognitive therapy focal point on. [ 30 ] Figure 10. Cognitive Therapy. [ 29 ]Evaluationâ€Å" Research on the Menopause in the 1990s † has been one of the best beginnings I had found. It is from WHO which is the directing and organizing authorization for wellness within the United Nations system. It plays a function in supplying counsel on planetary wellness affairs, finding the wellness research docket, puting norms and criterions, jointing evidence-based policy options, offering proficient support to states, oversing and measuring wellness tendencies. The study gives an overview and includes an all rounded facets sing climacteric. It is a study by WHO so the information provided should be dependable unless it has out of day of the month since it is published in 1996. As WHO is the universe chief wellness organisation, personally I feel that all the information published is precise as they had undergone phases of treatment and confirmation before being published. Besides, I besides found that the beginning hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nichd.nih.gov/ to be really utile in supplying information, support, articles, research and instruction related on climacteric. It is the chief web site for â€Å" THE NATIONAL INSTUTUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT † which ab initio established to look into the wide facets of human development as a agency of understanding developmental disabilities.A At present, the organisation carry out researches on all stages of human development, from prepossession to a better understand on the wellness of kids, households, and communities. Information from this beginning should be legitimate as similar inside informations are besides found in other beginnings. The beginning is utile but it is non in deepness. Besides, it merely provides general information about climacteric, non a item one. ( 2286 words )

Alice Munro “The Shinning Houses” Essay

The Shinning Houses Alice Munro presents a protagonist whose personality and values conflict with her neighbours. The protagonist Mary is an open-minded, fair, but somewhat powerless character. Mary is an open-minded individual who understands values from both Mrs. Fullerton and the new community. She is the only character in the â€Å"Shinning Houses† willing to â€Å"[explore Mrs. Fullerton’s] life as she had once explored the lives of grandmothers and aunts,† and the only one who buys her fresh eggs. Mary â€Å"[smiles]† openly to everyone while her new neighbours, whose â€Å"faces [are] applied,† â€Å"smile in rather a special way† that they only perceive Mary â€Å"as a conversational delight.† Even at the birthday party did Mary keep a smile and listen to the new neighbours talk among themselves, going about in â€Å"circles of complaint.† Mary’s own personality and values conflict with her neighbours’, but she remains open to any situation she faces. Mary is a fair lady, who does what she believes is right. Her name suggests religious allegory with Mary, the Mother of God, and human creation. Mary exhibits her Mother-like qualities at the birthday party, defending Mrs. Fullerton, the neighbour who â€Å"never [changes],† against the mothers who wear â€Å"nylons and skirts,†Ã‚ ¦[their] hair fixed and faces applied.† She knows that Mrs. Fullerton deserves a chance to stay in her home, as Mary, the Mother of God knows that all creation deserves a chance to live. Mary’s fair personality conflicts with her neighbours’ values and beliefs: while she is fair to human rights, the neighbours are fair to their community of â€Å"shinning houses.† Although Mary is courageous in being the only person to defend Mrs. Fullerton, she is somewhat powerless with her arguments against her neighbours. Mary stands alone only listening to her neighbours speak with â€Å"self-assertion.† She remains power less with â€Å"no argument† to defend Mrs. Fullerton and her â€Å"barn.† Outnumbered by â€Å"property-owners† who admire each other â€Å"as people admire each other for being drunk,† Mary is scared to tell her neighbours that â€Å"[Mrs. Fullerton has] been here for a long time.† She tells them anyway because she is compassionate toward Mrs. Fullerton†Mary is the only one who understands that â€Å"her place had become fixed, impregnable, all its accumulations necessary† down to the last  Ã¢â‚¬Å"stacks of old police magazines.† These neighbours however, do not care for compassion. They care for their children and community. Mary’s compassion, her only argument, fails to win support from the neighbours, creating more conflict in values with these neighbours â€Å"who win.† Mary faces a difficult situation in which both sides (neighbours and herself) are correct. Her open-mindedness, fairness, and powerlessness are traits whish create conflict in the â€Å"Shinn ing Houses.† Mary remains unheard, and there is nothing she can do but keep a â€Å"disaffected heart.†

Neil Simon essays

Neil Simon essays Marvin Neil Simon was born the fourth of July1927 in the Bronx, New York, the second son of Irving Simon, a Jewish traveling salesman and his wife Mamie. He grew up in Manhattans Washington Heights neighborhood. He was not a very good student and was eager to leave his all-boys high school to fight World War II. While attending New York University as an engineering student, Simon served in the Air Force Reserve where he was the Sports Editor for the Rev-Meter from 1945-1946 until fulfillment of his obligation at which time he took a position with Warner Brothers as a mailroom clerk. Following his discharge in 1946, he began writing scripts with his brother, Danny, for radio and television personalities. The first of their jobs, paying fifty-dollars-a-week was writing for Goodmans CBS radio show. Their sketches for Phil Silvers, Gary Moore, Jerry Lewis and Broadway shows such as Catch a Star (1955) and New Faces of 1956 contributed to Neils wide popularity. The siblings parted ways and Simon went solo. His early days as a playwright were filled with fears of failure. In the beginning, it terrorized me, because I knew if my plays failed it meant going to California and making a living in television for the rest of my life. [Interview With Neil Simon, titlepage.comcgi-local/shop.pl/page=simon.htm] His first full-length comedy, Come Blow Your Horn (1961), ran for over six hundred performances and was a success but it was the Odd Couple (1965) that truly launched his career. He married his first wife, Joan Baim (dancer) in 1953. In 1957 and 1959 he won Emmy awards for his contributions to both The Sid Caesar Show and The Phil Silvers Show. Neil joined the Dramatists Guild and The Writers Guild of America and purchased his own New York theatre, The Eugene ONeill Theatre. In September of 1973 Joan passed away and Simon married Marsha Mason (actress). They divorced in 1982 and...