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Research Proposal on Evaluate the Performance and Sustainability in Building Materials for Use in Residential Buildings with Special Reference to the City of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Evaluate the Performance and Sustainability in Building Materials for Use in Residential Buildings with Special Reference to the City of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia     “You need not be an environmentalist to appreciate the elegance of natural systems, and their structures, textures or colors. It is not new to be in awe of the power of nature, or to recognize that evolution avoids waste. However, only humanity can disregard immediate ecological constraints.”                                                                                                   Brian Edwards   Edwards, considered the leading guru in sustainable architecture, has acknowledged nature as a source of inspiration for architects, imitating and using it dynamically, saying that “the most imaginative contemporary architectural and engineering practices are ecologically minded” (Edwards, 2001) Sustainable Development, particularly sustainability, a new influence which came out in 1992, places a new burden upon the shoulders of today’s designers and engineers. This new knowledge and skills are required to successfully address the expanding world of environmental responsibility. This is on top of the challenges required from construction professionals: site constraints, planning constraints, aesthetics, and cost and fitness for function, among others.  The reason for all this activity stems from a growing of awareness of environmental issues amongst clients, construction professionals and the general public leading to legislation and professional codes of conduct which address these issues (Edwards, 1999). The statistics reveal that these environmental issues are not hollow.  Edwards (2001) enumerates the following relevant statistics that have bearing on this issue.  For one, today’s buildings account for half of all raw material, water and energy consumption in    the UK.  These buildings produce about half of all global warming gases.  On the other hand, humans spend approximately 80-90% of their lives indoors, an environment   which may be    uncomfortable or unhealthy.  Also, fifty percent (50%) of the world’s population now live in cities.  Furthermore, the construction process produces about 20% of UK waste and the demolition of buildings is responsible for 8% of UK waste.  Edwards (2001) points out that sustainability goes beyond low energy design as it is also concerned with the use of all resources such as materials, water and land. It also encompasses the health of the building occupants. But while the new duties can be considered a growing constraint, they are also leading to a new aesthetic in architectural, services and construction design.             The issue of sustainability is broad. Various energy and environmental assessment tools are available to assess if designs are fulfilling the requirements of sustainability. Moreover, this issue has spread all over the world, and as early as 1993, that year’s World Congress of the International Union of Architects (UIA) brought together 6,000 architects and design professionals from around the world under the theme, “Architecture at the Crossroads: Designing for a Sustainable Future.”  (Gilman, 1993) This shows the high level of awareness among building professionals on this issue.  This discussion leads to another important consideration in sustainable architecture, which is in the evaluation of the performance and sustainability of the building materials used in residential buildings. This is an aspect of sustainable architecture which the researcher would like to investigate on, focusing specifically in the city of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.   Background of the Study A revolution in the way we build is underway as architects, city planners, government officials, homeowners, and others embrace green forest products. Distributors and manufacturers of building materials from lumber to floor polish are responding to increasing consumer interest in sustainable development issues. In recent years the green forestry and architecture movements have grown considerably and rapidly. “It’s not a coincidence that they are both catching fire simultaneously because one is really driving the other,” said Jason Grant, director of trade and market development for the Certified Forest Products Council (CFPC). The independent nonprofit voluntary business initiative promotes responsible forest practices by working to build the market for independently certified forest products. Statement of the Problem This paper seeks to address two major points: 1.    Evaluate the performance and sustainability of the building materials used in the residential buildings in the City of Riyadh; 2.    Evaluate the design concept of residential buildings if they minimize energy use and pollution and promote energy efficiency.   Methodology: This paper seeks to carry out the following methodologies: 1. To highlight some building materials which perform functions directed to sustainable architecture in Riyadh;   and, 2. To identify some design concepts which minimize energy use and pollution in residential buildings in Riyadh.   Review of Literature 1. “There is a profound change happening in the built environment, and it is extremely positive,” said Tim Taylor, president and CEO of Seattle, Washington’s Built-e, Inc. The “e” stands for environment and the company is a wholesaler that distributes green building products to retailers throughout the nation. The Environmental Home Center, Built-e’s retail outlet, has been operating in Seattle for nine years. Taylor feels the key to selling green building products is “marrying information about the products with access to the products.” Therefore, Built-e doesn’t try to compete with other building materials retailers. Rather, its role is to identify and work with manufacturers to research and test sustainable building products and ultimately distribute that information as well as the products to retailers around the country. “We believe there are plenty of retail building material stores in this country, in fact, too many,” said Taylor. “What we wanted to do is build a business where we use what we know about the products, our access to manufacturers, and our understanding of the information that needs to accompany products to help other building materials retailers sell the products,” he continued. “All of the products we carry will have the same four characteristics that all building materials should have,” said Taylor. “They’re of an extremely high quality, they perform well, they are priced appropriately, and they are provided with an adequate level of service,” he added. In addition to these traditional characteristics, Built-e’s products must meet a series of environmental criteria. “They will be more energy efficient, more resource efficient, and better for your health,” explained Taylor. One product that Built-e markets is a German plant-based wood floor finish. Taylor says the finish is V.O.C. compliant (V.O.C.s are volatile organic compounds and are regulated by law), it’s durable, it’s beautiful, and it’s repairable. “If you have a scratch in a year or if there are damaged areas due to traffic, you can sand out the area, refinish it, and you don’t have to sand down the whole floor.” All of this makes for a much more sustainable product. Taylor noted that ounce for ounce his Built-e floor finish is more expensive than the generic polyurethane you might find on the hardware store shelf. But closer inspection reveals that this sustainable product will actually save money in the long run. Taylor explained that the plant-based finish requires two applications as opposed to three, it can be applied much thinner and so most of the floor finishers who install it will charge the same rate to use it as they would the typical polyurethane. “It costs the same amount as the traditional product it replaces, it’s more beautiful and more natural, and it allows you to repair the floor so over a 7 to 10 year period you can save a significant amount of money.” Taylor maintains that it is this sort of information about sustainable building materials and wood products that needs to be presented to the consumer. “I think there’s a huge gap in general understanding of what certified forest products are all about,” said Taylor. Grant agrees that the general public needs to continue to better understand the reasoning behind certified forest products. “At the end of the day it’s about forest conservation worldwide,” he said. “Forests are in trouble, and I don’t think that’s news to anyone,” said Taylor. He continued, “It’s a well-documented fact that in the last several hundred years we’ve lost over 30 percent of the world’s forest cover and the remainder is going fast and part of the reason for that is irresponsible logging, frankly.” Grant admits it’s a complex matter that involves issues of poverty, overpopulation, and conversion of forest to cropland. But, he says, one of the keys to restoring the world’s forests is an international movement towards sustainable forestry practices. “The public’s interest in this is in maintaining a supply of wood and paper products that we all use,” said Grant. “But it’s also in healthy forests and all that they provide us from recreational values, spiritual values, environmental services like regulating the global climate, providing habitat for half of the plant and animal species on the planet, and providing us with clean air and water,” he said.     3 .Evert Hasselaar and C. M. Ravesloot (2001) carried out a study on the Dutch experience on sustainable building.       The Municipality of The Hague adapted the national strategic goals. In 30 years, sustainable building must reach these goals: 1. Energy neutral building, which is the absence of fossil energy in favor of durable energy like solar heat, heat pumps, geothermal heat and photovoltaic electricity. In short: minimize the use of fossil energy and maximize the use of renewables; 2. Material neutral building, the building with locally balanced cycles of building materials, waste treatment and water, to avoid environmental hazard, damage and pollution. The goal is to build with industrial, flexible and demountable components (IFD) in housing. Material neutral means that all building materials, components and elements can be put back into some kind of recycling. At this moment 90% of materials from demolished buildings is being  recycled, but the residual value is too low (e.g. burning waste wood for heating is low quality of recycling, re-using wooden frames would be high quality). In short: create closed cycles for water and materials;   3. The building of save, healthy and comfortable buildings, cities and landscapes for men, animals and plants, with a maximum of bio-diversity. In short: the   improvement of the quality of the environment in terms of health, safety and comfort.          The Dutch policy on sustainable building set strategic goals for the next 30 years. In response to this, the City of The Hague came up with operational policy. Its Department of Building Ecology and Building Physics immediately looked for new tactical and operational policies. The important issue in a new policy was how to make an efficient and equivalent involvement of inhabitants of The Hague in urban policies possible. The questions the municipality wondered about are: 1. Can participative design processes improve the quality of innovations from the perspective of users? This paper explains why design processes in sustainable architecture improve with involvement from users. 2. Do users have design-relevant knowledge and how can this knowledge be incorporated into technological development? Users of buildings do have relevant information for design teams, as they have experience in the use of the built environment. They will counterbalance the priorities of designers with the priorities users have. The success of innovations in sustainable architecture depends on user friendly solutions and how inhabitants understand and accept the housing facilities and technical services. 3. Is it possible to organize user involvement effectively or do such strategies belong to the realm of symbolic policymaking? The Municipality tried to involve the inhabitants of the Duindorp quarter in the development process. The experiment was a success, considering the mistrust that characterized the communication between the quarter inhabitants and city officials. The Duindorp experience also revealed the limits of user involvement and on the representation of the inhabitants in the decision making process.        The Dutch policy on sustainable building started around 1989. In 1995 the operational plan “Sustainable building, investing in the future” (Plan van Aanpak Duurzaam Bouwen: Investeren in de toekomst), was launched, with programmes and pilot projects supported by the central government. In 1997 a second operational plan followed, emphasizing on co-operation and communication with all parties involved in the building process. Sustainable building had become an important part of communication and planning, but a relative minor group of professionals, cities and companies were active. Filling the gap between vanguard and the masses is a major topic now, and the relation between sustainable building and healthy building is getting more attention. Legislative measures are not taken. Financial stimuli, covenants with sectoral organizations and transfer of knowledge are preferred instead. After 10 years of promotion by the national government, the  goal was set to leave sustainable development to the “market” in the year 2004. Sustainable quality must at that moment be an integral part of processes in all sectors of policy making. It is up to the cities and municipalities to develop their own operational policy now. Communication about strategies has produced the idea of factors. “Factor 20′ is a well-known slogan in Dutch science and policy related to sustainability in the built environment. It is a metaphor, which refers to a substantial increase of environmental efficiency. It encourages long-term thinking and a very high ambition level. “Factor 20″ is derived from Commoner and Ehrlich and Ehrlich. Commoner stated that the global environmental impact depends on the population size, the average prosperity per person and the environmental impact per unit of prosperity.   4.    Osama Al Bakri (2002) tackled the natural ventilation of courtyard houses in Saudi Arabia. Global warming, air pollution and consumption of the unsustainable energy resources are part of the most important issues worldwide. The concern in Saudi Arabia for these issues is growing and the government is trying to rationalize energy consumption in every sector. The need to introduce new techniques to reduce energy consumption is essential and one possible way is the use of passive designs such as natural ventilation.         The traditional life style in Saudi Arabia used natural ventilation in all house types. In the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, tents used to be ventilated by removing its side walls.  In the central region, mud courtyard houses use the courtyard with the triangular openings on the external elevations of the house for ventilation. In the western region, the Rowshan was the main ventilation device, and in the eastern region wind towers were used. This thesis is concerned with the system used in traditional mud courtyard houses in the central region. This system, which existed in houses up to 200 years old, combined with the use of thermal mass construction, was very effective in achieving comfort in this hot dry region of the country.         A field trip to this region revealed 15 different shapes and arrangements for these triangular openings. Field measurements of the thermal performance and ventilation rates were carried out in 9 different case studies. The effect of the thermal mass walls was clear during these measurements. The tested spaces had low ventilation rates, which gave clear understanding of the way these houses work . Wind tunnel and computer simulation programs were used to simulate thermal and ventilation conditions in the house. The results of these simulations show that the combination of thermal mass and low ventilation rates provide a thermally comfortable indoor space.        The reduction in energy consumption and the use of natural ventilation in modern houses requires the willingness of the people. A survey was carried out in Saudi Arabia in the form of a questionnaire to assess people’s attitude to natural ventilation and energy consumption. The findings of this survey showed that the Saudis are aware of the issues and are willing to use natural ventilation to reduce energy consumption.        The reuse of traditional building techniques in modern houses will give the benefits of the past with today’s technology.   Study Data This paper will identify 10 major residential buildings within the City of Riyadh and determine if they are able to satisfy the two major research points of this study.   Bibliography Edwards, Brian (2001).  Rough Guide to Sustainability. London: RIBA Publications   Edwards, Brian (1999). Sustainable Architecture European Directive & Building Design. Oxford.   Edwards, Brian (2001). Green Architecture. London, Wiley-Academy.   Fowler, Stacey (2001). “Building Materials Come of Age” Environmental News Network.   Gilman, Robert. (1993). Sustainable Design Goes International. Context Institute. Vol. 9. No. 16.   Osama Al Bakri. (2002). “Natural Ventilation in Traditional Courtyard Houses in the Central Region of Saudi Arabia”. PHd Thesis. Welsh School of Architecture, University of Cardiff.  Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Research Proposal on Evaluate the Performance and Sustainability in Building Materials for Use in Residential Buildings with Special Reference to the City of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Evaluate the Performance and Sustainability in Building Materials for Use in Residential Buildings with Special Reference to the City of ...

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LICENSED PARALEGALS

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LICENSED PARALEGALS

Verbatim response/Transcript

# Speaker Verbatim response/Transcript Identification 1     2     3     4           5       6     7           8                         9       10         11       12           13           14                   15     16             17 Counselor     Juliet     Counselor     Juliet           Counselor       Juliet     Counselor           Juliet                         Counselor       Juliet         Counselor       Juliet           Counselor           Juliet                   Counselor     Juliet             Counselor   Have you suffered from a depression prior to this one?   No, this is the very first time that I have experienced depression.   When did you feel that this depression started?   When I suspected that my husband was having an affair. I started to feel tense and stressful. Later on I cannot concentrate on doing things.   Did this happen abruptly or gradually? Did all these happen in days, weeks, or months?   It happened gradually in a span of three months.   What aspects of your daily life have been affected with your depressed state? Are you doing okay at work? Are you taking good care of your children?   I know right now I don’t feel like I am acting normal. I sleep like fourteen or sixteen hours and sometimes I am not eating at all, and sometimes I am eating too much. I also do not feel like going to work. I just wanted to stay home and do nothing. I also do not like to come near my children to the point that I have neglected them. I didn’t do it deliberately but I just do not feel I am up to it.   Some people get mad when depressed; do you also get mad at times?   Yes, sometimes I get pissed off for no reason and I would start yelling at my children or my husband when I am at home.   How does your children take all these? Did you feel that they have detached themselves from you?   I think they are afraid of what is happening to me. They are still so young and probably have no idea what is happening. I feel like a bad mother.   Yes, your behavior is a characteristic of the depressed state. However, your children do not know that. How does your husband take all these?   He seems devastated too that I have fallen into this depressed state but he is also very supportive of me to join this therapy. He is worried that this could affect our children. He assured me that he hasn’t been cheating on me and I do believe him but somehow I have continued to feel depressed.   How do you feel now that you have started therapy?   I think it is the right thing to do. I am happy that I have started therapy and I hope that eventually I will be able to get out of my depressed state and live my life the usual way.   I will be able to help you but this should be a joint effort. You have to help me too so that you will be cured of your depressed state.       The client has no history of depression, and the current depression could be triggered by a significant event in the present. The client presents the problem that has triggered her depression.                                 The client’s life has been significantly affected by her depression, making the need for counseling and therapy important. The client acknowledges her depressed state making it easier for the counselor to treat her since she is not in denial of her current situation.             The client shows the characteristic manifestations of depression.                                   The client acknowledges her need for counseling and therapy, which means that her cooperation is expected for this entire process.               The client is optimistic about the counseling and therapy.   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

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The Impact of a Recent Health Care Initiative on Nursing Practice

The Impact of a Recent Health Care Initiative on Nursing Practice Introduction In order to provide the quality health care and needs of the patients, the nursing practice should be according to the recent situation. There are many initiatives created in order to satisfy all the needs of the clients. The need for the health care improvement created a great impact especially to those who belong in the working group. Therefore, the introduction of a health approach is another door which can lead to the health improvement. Health Care and Evidence The evidence-based practice (EBP) has become popular for human services. The EBP relied on the experimental research in human services practice. Still, the question of its usefulness remains. Furthermore, the study of efficacy requires standardized interventions like experimental or control. The use of EBP is to mean greater use of research in practice and policymaking (Tanenbaum, 2005). The concept of evidence-based practice (EBP) has assumed a central position in health and behavioral health care disciplines. EBP is frequently defined as the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. It is also described as the movement of scientists, public or private officials, and advocacy groups that seek to establish a new knowledge in terms of health care and health services (Chronister, et al., 2008). The evidence-based health was originated from the medical field in 1991, and the term used in medicine as an evidence-based was established to ensure that medical was systematically evaluated in a manner that could inform medicine and save lives and that is superior to simply looking at the results of individual clinical trials. The EBP today, has permeated a wide array of health and allied health care disciplines. One driving force behind EBP is the financial pressure associated with the U.S. health care system. In response to the health care costs, efforts have been underway to carefully review how resource are used and spent to consolidated services. The face of EBP in health care is deeply connected to both financial viability and efficiency of staff and resource. Health care administrators need to know what works, which person the work would be, and in what situation would the action be applicable. The use of clinical practice guidelines and clinical pathways can have the guiding forces in service delivery and managed care business practices (Chronister, et al., 2008). Improving Population Health There are many ways on how evidence-based medicine can help improve the quality of patient outcomes. According to the Rand Corporation report, the use and critical follow of evidence-based guidelines can improve the 55% of patient diagnoses. The utilization of knowledge from the EBP can help individuals who suffer in various diseases to improve their health. Like for example, the disease that has a high possibility of life-threatening can lessen when the application of EBP is adopted. For most research, there are drugs that can lower the mortality rates that those prescribed drugs (Sonduck, 2007). Related Theory The EBP is based on the proposed changes such as the involvement of change theory that addresses the research utilization of nurses from a variety of clinical agencies and strategies that can help solve the clinical problems (Harvath, et al., 2006). This idea emphasized the EBP to help control the costs and reduce inefficiencies. Because of the critical study about the health aspects of an individual, the unnecessary factors can be eliminated. The inefficiency of health care can be lowered because the health providers have more knowledge and can definitely understand the things involve in health care services. With this, the service can achieve all the preventing and treating aspects even it is a rare or dangerous disease.  Most especially, the evidence-based medicine and practice can help in providing solutions and care managements for deadly health conditions: asthma, congestive heart failure, depression, and diabetes (Sonduck, 2007). Each and every year these four health problems contributed more hundred thousand deaths. And this is alarming since the human body cannot handle all the medications given. But if the use of evidence-based health practice is applied, the possibility to give the human race in prolonging their life can be achieved. Conclusion With utilization of evidence-based medicine will encourage and reward effective care that will promote value and increase quality of life. Many individuals and health professionals that it is the way to achieve the health care system close to its perfection. The support from the entire health community is needed to make it possible. References: Chronister, J., et al., (2008) The Evidence-Based Practice Movement in Healthcare: Implications for Rehabilitation, The Journal of Rehabilitation, 74(2). Harvath, T.A., Beck, C., Flaherty-Robb, M., Hartz, C.H., Specht, J., Sullivan-Marx, E., Archnold, P., (2006) Best Practice Initiatives in Geriatric Nursing: Experiences from the John A. Hartford Foundation Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, Nursing Outlook, 54(4) [Online] Available at: http://www.geriatria.unimo.it/PDF/Best%20practice%20initiatives%20in%20geriatric%20nursing.pdf [Accessed 23 October 2010]. Sonduck, M., (2007) Why the Business Group Believes in Using Evidence-Based Medicine in Benefits Design and Care Decisions, Creative Health Benefits Solutions for Today, Strong Policy for Tomorrow [Online] Available at: www.businessgrouphealth.org [Accessed 23 October 2010]. Tanenbaum, S., (2005) Evidence-Based Practice: What Does it Mean for Aging? American Society on Aging [Online] Available at: http://www.asaging.org/at/at-266/AT-266-Tanenbaum.pdf [Accessed 23 October 2010].   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

The Impact of a Recent Health Care Initiative on Nursing Practice

The Impact of a Recent Health Care Initiative on Nursing Practice Introduction In order to provide the quality health care and ne...

Methods of Research Used

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Internet banking refers to the utilization of the Internet for performing transactions and payments by accessing a bank’s secure website. It also pertains to the application of financial services and markets through the use of electronic communication and computation (Humphrey et al. 2004). The developments can be subdivided into two main areas. The first is the impact of Internet banking on financial services. Most economists perceive that the existence of the Internet and other electronic communication processes has significantly changed many aspects of the banking industry. A majority of the services normally provided by banks can already be provided by other financial entities (Jayaratne et al. 2001). The second main area is the major transformation that occurred on most financial markets. Nowadays, these no longer need to be related with a physical place. In effect, trading systems for foreign exchanges are gradually becoming global. All these changes have gained significance for public policy towards the improvement of the financial services industry and markets. They are able to consider the implied information for the safety of regulations and global public policy (Keeton, 2002). There are three main important trends in Internet Banking which have been hastened through the emergence of the Internet. These are the improvements in terms of price transparency, differential pricing and transformation of distribution channels. Economists greatly consider the impact of these trends on the financial services industry (Loughran et al. 2004). Improved price transparency has the capability to increase the level of competition and reduce the margins of profit. Evidences from other marketable industries that use the internet services extensively, however, suggest that there are also limitations to this process. It appears that costs of search transactions remain significantly high that makes differential pricing possible, and this will further become important in financial services (Mester, 2000). Since the increased utilization of the internet services leads to the promotion of disintermediation, there will undoubtedly be a transformation of distribution channels and restructuring of the industry. The impact of e-finance technologies on financial services firms is broad. Online banking began in the mid 1990s and is increasingly becoming more important until today. In contrast to banks, however, a majority of insurance companies have used the internet in a relatively small amount. Electronic brokerage services have been an important economic development in recent years. While the internet is bound to be new and exciting to use, other e-finance technologies which have been existing much longer than the internet, have also done their part in reshaping the financial services industry, particularly the banking sector. For instance, in the 1970s, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) began to change the ways that consumers used to process their transactions with banks. In the 1980s, the extensive utilization of electronic computation and data analysis altered the way in which credit decisions are made; these innovations have helped to reduce the lending costs on average and enhanced the liquidity of loans (McAndrews et al .2001). The utilization of electronic communication in finance, in fact, goes back much further than the 1970s. As early as 1918, the Fedwire payment system made use of the electronic settlement of payments among banks over the telegraph (Mishkin et al. 2002). This particular use of electronic communications in payment systems has gradually increased through time. Now, almost all huge payments among banks and corporations are being done electronically. In some countries, especially in Scandinavia, electronic payments systems are gradually becoming widely used at the consumer level. In the United.States, however, the paper-based check clearing system is still widely used (O’Hara, 2004). METHODOLOGY   Methods of Research Used               For this study, the descriptive method was utilized. In this method, it is possible that the study would be cheap and quick. . It could also suggest unanticipated hypotheses. Nonetheless, it would be very hard to rule out alternative explanations and especially infer causations. Thus, this study used use the descriptive approach. This descriptive type of research utilizes observations in the study.  To illustrate the descriptive type of research, Creswell (1994) guided the researcher.               The purpose of employing this method is to describe the nature of a situation, as it exists at the time of the study and to explore the cause/s of particular phenomena. The researcher opted to use this kind of research considering the desire of the researcher to obtain first hand data from the respondents so as to formulate rational and sound conclusions and recommendations for the study. To come up with pertinent findings and provide credible recommendations, this study utilized two sources of research: primary and secondary.  Primary research data were obtained through this new research study. Questionnaire survey and in-depth interview were conducted. On the other hand, the secondary research data were obtained from previous studies on the same topic.  The Research Design             In order to come up with the most suitable research approaches and strategies for this study, the research process “onion” is undertaken. This is because conducting a research is like peeling the back layers of an onion—in order to come to the central issue of how to collect the necessary data needed to answer the research questions and objectives, important layers should be first peeled away. With the said process, the researcher was able to create an outline on what measures are most appropriate to be applied in the study. Saunders et al (2003) said that while it is not unusual for a researcher to first think of his research undertaking by considering whether one should, for instance, administer a questionnaire or conduct interviews, thoughts on this question should belong to the centre of the research ‘onion’. That is, in order to come to the central issue of how to collect the data needed to answer one’s research questions, there are important layers of the onion that need to be peeled away: the first layer raises the question of the research philosophy to adopt, the second considers the subject of research approach that flows from the research philosophy, the third examines the research strategy most applicable, the fourth layer refers to the time horizon a researcher applies to his research, and the fifth layer is the data collection methods to be used.             Figure 1 shows how the researcher conceptualized the research approach to be applied in this study by Saunder et al (2003), in order to come up with the pertinent data needed to answer the research questions stated in the first chapter, as well as to arrive to the fulfillment of this research undertaking’s objectives.            Then again, the research philosophy that is reflected in this study is positivism. With this research philosophy, a researcher prefers to work with an observable social reality in order to come up with law-like generalizations similar to those produced by the physical and natural scientists (Remenyi et al, 1998), and in this tradition, the researcher becomes an objective analyst, coolly making detached interpretations about those data that have been collected in an apparently value-free manner (Saunders et al, 2003). In addition, the emphasis is on a highly structured methodology to facilitate replication (Gill & Johnson, 1997) and on quantifiable observations that lend themselves to statistical analysis (Saunders et al, 2003). In here, the assumption is that the researcher is independent of and neither affects nor is affected by the subject of the research (Remenyi et al, 1998; Saunders et al, 1998).             Meanwhile, the second layer shows that this study has undertaken a deductive approach. Accordingly, this approach has five sequential stages: deducing a hypothesis; expressing the hypothesis in operational terms; testing this operational hypothesis; examining the specific outcome of the inquiry to either confirm the theory or indicate the need for its modification; and finally, modifying the theory in the light of the findings (if necessary) (Robson, 1993, p. 19).             Further, the deductive approach has a number of important characteristics. First, this approach is a search to explain causal relationships between variables, which consequently leading to the development of a hypothesis. Second, it involves the collection of a quantitative data (although it can, as well, use qualitative data), and these data are important to test a hypothesis that has been previously developed. The third characteristic of a deductive approach is that it controls to allow the testing of hypothesis. However, one must remember that with this approach, it is important that the researcher is independent of what is being observed—that is, the researcher should be objective and not subjective—so that the principle of scientific strictness will be pursued, as this approach emphasizes scientific principles. (Saunders et al, 2003)           Also, it is important that concepts are operationalised, which will enable facts to be measured quantitatively. Finally, the deductive approach is generalization (e.g., to be able to generalize about regularities in human social behavior, one must be able to select a sufficient numerical size of samples). (Saunders et al, 2003) Respondents of the Study               The study involved a sample of 60 Internet banking users. Because the study was conducted in a single location using a small sample, the representation may not be superior and can affect the results of this study.   Data Collection   Data were collected from multiple sources, allowing for a number of different perspectives to be taken into consideration in the development of the recommendations.             The data sources that were examined included: ·        A review of the appropriate research literature. This included examining studies where customer satisfaction had been used either in a research or organizational setting. Both technical articles and “how-to” articles were included in the review; <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> An examination of the regulations and practices related to Internet banking. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Focus groups and interviews with the guests, staff members and managers. During the focus groups, participants will be asked about their perceptions on the service quality of Internet banking.</li> </ul> Instruments used A self-administered questionnaire, or the type of questionnaire that was usually completed by respondents, was constructed by the researcher to gather the needed data (Saunders et al, 2003). To further enhance the study on the customer satisfaction, the researcher prepared a survey-questionnaire wherein the respondents graded each statement. Every statement constituted of five levels of responses indicated below. The equivalent weights for the answers were:             The decision was made to use a questionnaire for the data collection for this project due to the sensitivity of the information being obtained.  It was important for the respondents to be open and honest in their responses. The use of the questionnaire provided the researcher with the ability to test the views and attitudes of the respondents.             The survey-questionnaires also used open-ended questions to obtain as much information as possible about how the interviewee feels about the research topic.  Interviews took between one and two hours. The questions used during the interview were based on the research questions for this project; they have been reviewed, refined and approved by the project supervisor. The researcher designed a semi-structured interview. Here, the researcher encouraged the interviewee to clarify vague statements and to further elaborate on brief comments. The interviewer did not share his/her own beliefs and opinions. PRESENTATION OF RESULTS A total of 60 Internet banking users were used for the data gathering process. For the purpose of gathering pertinent and reliable data, respondents of 30 years old and above were included in the sample. Of the 60 participants, the sample was divided equally according to three categories. These categories include the respondents’ gender, age and position in the company. See table 1 for             As seen on the table, the respondents were equally divided according to the three categories as selected by the researcher. This was for the purpose of giving an equal representation of the respondents regarding the subject matter. Since the research could not afford for a much bigger sample due to time and budgetary constraints, the equal representation of respondents can represent the significant sample categories. A. Level of Efficiency   As most of the respondents of the study were members of different banks, the way they perceived the level of efficiency of the Internet Banking services offered by their respective banks appeared to be varied as well. In Figure 1 although a greater number of respondents said that the level of efficiency of the Internet Banking services offered by their respective banks was high, the results of the participants’ responses seemed to be slightly well-distributed among the survey choices given. Figure 1   B. Level of Quality   Generally, the participants of the study evaluated that the level of quality of the Internet Banking services offered by their respective banks were high. They did not consider it a problem to easily access the Internet banking services offered by their banks. The time that the respondents spent to use these Internet banking services appeared to be reasonable. As shown in Figure 2, majority of the respondents strongly agreed that the level of quality of the Internet Banking services offered by their respective banks were high. In fact, during the interview, most of the respondents commonly observed this factor.   Figure 2   C. Level of Speed Bank users are able to make the most of the benefits provided by the Internet banking services when they are fast and highly accessible. As this survey revealed, most banks were doing a relatively good job in making sure their Internet banking services were fast and highly accessible for their customers. Operational hours of the banks were also accessible for the tourists. With these things under consideration, the respondents were able to find the Internet banking services as advantageous and beneficial. See Figure 3 for the percentage distribution of the participants’ replies with regards to the level of speed of the Internet banking services they use.   Figure 3   D. Cost-efficiency As most of the respondents of the study were members of different banks, the way they perceived the cost-efficiency of the Internet Banking services offered by their respective banks appeared to be varied as well. In Figure 4 although a greater number of respondents said that the Internet Banking services offered by their respective banks were cost-efficient, the results of the participants’ responses seemed to be slightly well-distributed among the survey choices given.   Figure 4   CRITICAL REVIEW             Internet banking has constantly developed over the years worldwide. With the current boom in Information Technology, Internet banking has benefited much from it. However, with the continuous influx of interested customers, the lack of preparation and inadequate Internet banking facilities will decrease the interests of bank customers in further accessing Internet banking services. As a further consequence, the number of unsatisfied bank customers might increase yearly and this could only get worse. From the recent statistics, significant values of customer un-satisfaction have been identified and feared to further grow in the years to come. In response to this Internet banking crisis, banks must implement an Internet banking development program. This program must be geared towards the development of Internet banking services and facilities in banks by specifying a certain percentage of funds to be allotted in this program.               Although this development program may be effective in helping improve the Internet banking services in general, the effect of the program may not be ultimately maximized without the adequately trained professionals. Thus, necessary education or trainings must be formulated and conducted. Most importantly, these programs will increase the effectiveness of the Internet banking services of banks in terms of attracting customers.               Establishing Internet banking development programs entail several procedures. In order to be effective, programs should begin with strategic plans that would meet the client’s needs and are appropriate with their level of satisfaction. Certain factors and concepts are to be considered in the formulation of Internet banking development plans.    REFERENCES Gill, J. and Johnson, P. (1997). Research Methods for Managers. London: Paul         Chapman.   Humphrey, David B., L. Pulley, and Jukka M. Vesala, 2004. “Cash, Paper and Electronic Payments: A Cross-Country Analysis, Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, 28, 4, 914-939.   Jayaratne, Jith and Philip E. Strahan, 2001. “Entry Restrictions, Industry Evolution and Dynamic Efficiency: Evidence from Commercial Banking,” Journal of Law and Economics 41, 239-74.   Keeton, William R., 2002. “Do Bank Mergers Reduce Lending to Businesses and Farmers? New Evidence from Tenth District States,” Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Economic Review81 (3), 63-75.   Loughran, T., J. Ritter and K. Rydqvist, 2004. “Initial Public Offerings: International Insights,” Pacific-Basin Finance Journal 2, 165-199.   Mester, Loretta J., 2000. “The Changing Nature of the Payments System: Should New Players Mean New Rules?” Business Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, March/April: 3-26.   McAndrews, James, and William Roberds, 2001. “A General Equilibrium Analysis of Check Float.” Journal of Financial Intermediation 8 October: 353-77.   Mishkin, Frederic S., and Philip E. Strahan, 2002. “What Will Technology do to the Financial Structure?” in The Effect of Technology on the Financial Sector, Brookings-Wharton Papers on Financial Services, edited by Robert Litan and Anthony Santomero, 249-87.   O’Hara, M. 2004. Market Microstructure Theory, Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.   Remenyi, D., Williams, B., and Swartz, E. (1998). Doing Research in Business          Management: An Introduction to Process and Method. London: Sage.   Robson, C. (2002). Real World Research, 2nd Ed. Oxford: Blackwell.   Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2003). Research Methods for Business Students, 3rd Ed. London: Prentice Hall Financial Times.       Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Methods of Research Used

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Internet banking refers to the utilization of the Internet for performing transactions and payments by acc...

Major Environmental Problems in China: its causes and policy options

ABSTRACT             China is recognized with its progressive economic development. Amidst this distinction, the former “Sleeping Giant” while making its way towards development is faced with another challenge of sustainable development particularly in protecting the environment and natural resources. It is widely accepted that development has its toll on people and nature. This paper discusses the major environmental problems in China particularly in pollution of land, water, and air areas. Furthermore, the causes of the identified pollutions are mentioned. Lastly, policy options are evaluated. Recommendations are similarly presented including the role of national government and Chinese people.                         Major Environmental Problems in China: its causes and policy options               China’s current conditions in relation to environment degradation are rapidly increasing despite the similarly growing awareness and interests of the public and government’s identified policy formulation and implementation. The so-called “Sleeping Giant” is now wide awake and moving towards development. However, the long-waited big leap towards development is coupled with large challenge of coming up with sustainable development with further emphasis on the protection of the environment and natural resources. The forward mechanism of China towards development particularly on industrial and economic aspects is tantamount to environmental degradation as shown on various cases of pollution in the areas of land, water, and air. This paper explores the major environmental problems in China by illuminating on specific areas including land, water, and air. A general evaluation of the environmental condition is included. Furthermore, its possible causes are briefly enumerated and discussed. Lastly, policy options are pointed out and maximize its applicability to specific situations.   China’s Major Environmental Problems and its Causes             Among the recognized countries in terms of its inability to manage its protection and preservation of environment and natural resources, China is faced with various forms of land, water, and air pollution. According to Lu and Lo (2007), China has experienced the beneficial results of major industrial and economic growth in the past ten years and had surpassed the economic performance and stability of its neighboring Asian as well as developing countries. Zeng and Eastin (2007) argue that not all the consequences of the phenomenal economic growth of China are beneficial. Some aspects of China’s development is comes with severe cases of environmental problems. Land Pollution. On the case of China, land pollution is manifested on its land and soil problems and improper management and disposal of wastes. The problem on soil is related to deforestation, loss of grasslands, soil erosion, desertification, and fertilizer run-off into lakes, rivers and the sea (MacBean 2007, 296). Deforestation is caused by the increasing demand for factory materials and construction, foreign loggings, and in search of fuel, wars, and land for farming. Now, it is noted that China’s forest coverage is below the world’s average (MacBean 2007). Despite the efforts of authorities towards sustainable development of forests and massive projects like tree planting, illegal logging continues and aggravates the situation and slows down recovery. Extensive deforestation leads to loss of diversity, soil erosion, and flooding. Meanwhile, loss of grasslands is attributed to conversion to irrigated rice cultivation and over cropping as well as rigorous grazing and technology-intensive cultivation for forage and fodder. According to reports coming from State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), no improvements on this area are seen (Economy 2004, 65). On the case of soil erosion, this is linked with deforestation mainly by logging wherein trees are no longer present to support the land from eroding. Desertification is the condition caused by overgrazing and expansion of agricultural lands. Today, the spread of deserts is a problem in the country specifically on the northern part. The land, during desertification, is degraded in a significant speed. In particular, Beijing is threatened by the coming of the desert within a recordable distance of 200 miles (MacBean 2007). This is also related to other land conditions in several Chinese regions. It is considered that other land problems are interrelated with each other because a single condition leads to another (e.g. deforestation – soil erosion and desertification). Like in any other developing country, the problem of waste management is related to the increasing industrial development, overpopulation, and indiscriminate human consumption. According to MacBean (2007), the growth of manufacturing industries including livestock production and textile and development of small and medium enterprises contribute to land pollution due to their wastes produced during and after their own processes. Industrial wastes when added to other types of pollutants such as untreated sewage and run-off of agricultural-related substances lead to other complications in all land, water, and air areas (Lu and Lo 2007). The development small and medium enterprises are also main contributors for land, water, and air pollution because they just dump their wastes unsystematically resulting to hazardous waste problems in the country leading to serious spill-over effects on health and general wellbeing of people. On the case of overpopulation and indiscriminate human consumption, these are considered as old tales yet hold basic reality on the continuous role of people on generating wastes and their inability to dispose it properly. Water Pollution. There are large bodies of water surrounding China including rivers. Ironically, China is facing the problem of water scarcity (Wang et al. 2008) and probably the most intractable problem (MacBean 2007). The rivers in the country have some degree of contamination from various industrial wastes and other chemicals. The SEPA (2003) reports that the water quality in most rivers and seas in China remained the same as the past years but there are significant variations on increase and decrease in water quality. Pollution in Hai River, Liao River, and Huaihe River was alleviated but worsen in Songhuajiang River and the Pearl River. Water quality in South Sea stays the same as the previous years, Yellow Sea worsens, and Bohai Sea and East Sea improved then deteriorated again. The causes of water pollution in China are attributed to industrial development (Duan et al. 2008; Wang et al. 2008; MacBean 2007). With the same cause as land pollution, industrial development particularly on industries such as agriculture, brewing, paper, textiles and chemicals are pointed-out. This is because these industries uses large amounts of water for production processes including cooling as well as electric sources. Most of these industries do not have wastewater or hazardous waste treatment facilities and directly discharged into river systems (Wang et al. 2008). Water pollution in China is consequential to several public health concerns (Schmidt 2002). With the increasing perils of water pollution in China, the national government formulates and implements massive developmental projects addressing the immediate needs of the people and the whole country. Although there are some controversial aspects of every project (e.g. Three Gorges Dam), it is hoped that the problem will eventually reduced if not entirely resolved. Air Pollution. Perhaps, air pollution is one of today’s most popular types of pollution that China is known worldwide. Air pollution is among the most vital consideration on the approval of Beijing as the official venue for Olympics this year (Brownell 2007). It is believed that the high energy-consuming industries generate majority of the industrial air pollution within China (Cole et al. 2005). Ramanathan and Crutzen (2001 cited in Lu and Lo 2007) identify the major air pollutant in the country namely, soot, dust, and sulfur dioxide that may possibly affect not only the whole Chinese regions but also its neighboring countries. The World Bank (2001, 26) has estimated that China has 16 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world and most of that fell in air pollution category. In Beijing for instance, cars are the main contributors of air pollution (MacBean 2007). MacBean further emphasize that “weakly enforced regulations, traffic congestion, poor quality fuel, badly maintained engines and large numbers of older cars that are unlikely to be scrapped will add carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and other pollutants such as particulates and carbon dioxide to local air pollution” (295). Aside from these, the presence of emissions is a major producer of particulates resulting to acid rains that threatens land resources such as forests and agricultural regions (Chan and Yao 2008; MacBean 2007). As general response to the problem of pollution in all areas, policy making is focused on the long-term solutions on the impending consequences like “a series of laws, regulations, and standards such as the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (GB3095-1996) and the Emission Standards of Air Pollutants for Thermal Power Plants (GB13223-2003)” (Chan and Yao 2008, 3). Now, China and the rest of the world are facing the gargantuan challenge of global warming and its effects to all humanity.   Policy Options: the missing link             It is recognized and documented in a number of studies that China has its own laws and regulations and similarly affiliated to regional and international associations and agencies specifically on the aspect of environment protection. China signed and joined in 30 international environmental conventions (MacBean 2007) like the Basel Convention (hazardous wastes), the Montreal Protocol (protection of the ozone layer), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, as well as the Kyoto Protocol. According to Wang and colleagues (2008), the environmental policy of the country is widely considered as a comparatively success in urban areas because it marked significant declines in urban pollution. However, it is also recognized that the difficulty in policy options is rooted on local, regional and national levels. Considering China as among the largest countries and communist republics, environmental policy is not effective and compliance with regulation is poor (MacBean 2007; Zeng and Eastin 2007). Thus, it is argued that there is a need for national efforts must be emphasized on further intensification of application of existing environmental laws and regulations in the country. The will of the central government must rule. It is also recommended that research and development (R&D) mechanisms are standardized and supported. Understanding the complex relationship between development and environmental conservation is crucial. The role of people particularly in terms of public involvement and personal discipline and awareness of the affecting conditions of the environment must be integrated in all information dissemination and media strategies. Protecting the environment is not only China’s concern. But with the significant contribution of China to global pollution problems, it is about time for the once branded “Sleeping Giant” to shut the light not to sleep but to work on improving the environment for the benefit of the future generations to come.   References   Brownell, S (2007) ‘The Beijing Effect’, Olympic Review, 52-55   Chan, CK & Yao, X (2008, January) ‘Air pollution in mega cities in China’, Atmospheric Environment, 42: 1, 1-42   Cole, MA, Elliott, RJR, and Shimamoto, K (2005) ‘Industrial characteristics, environmental regulation and air pollution: An analysis of the UK manufacturing sector’, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 50, 121-143   Economy, EC (2004) The River Runs Black: The Environmental Challenge to China’s Future, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York   Lu, W & Lo, S (2007, December 1) ‘A closer look at the economic-environmental disparities for regional development in China’, European Journal of Operational Research, 183: 2, 882-894   MacBean, A (2007) ‘China’s Environment: Problems and Policies’, The World Economy, 30: 2, 292-307   Ramanathan, V and Crutzen, PJ (2001) ‘Concept Paper on Asian Brown Clouds, Center for Clouds, Chemistry and Climate, UNEP’ in Lu, W & Lo, S (2007, December 1) ‘A closer look at the economic-environmental disparities for regional development in China’, European Journal of Operational Research, 183: 2, 882-894   Report on the State of the Environment of China (2003) State Environmental Protection Administration of China, Water Environment Partnership in Asia (WEPA), Ministry of the Environment of Japan, WEPA website [online] (cited 05 May 2008) Available from http://wepa-db.net/policies/state/china/overview.htm   Wang, M, Webber, M, Finlayson, B, and Barnett, J (2008, March) ‘Rural industries and water pollution in China’, Journal of Environmental Management, 86: 4, 648-659   World Bank (2001), ‘China Development Report’ in MacBean, A (2007) ‘China’s Environment: Problems and Policies’, The World Economy, 30: 2, 292-307   Zeng, K & Eastin, J (2007 December) ‘International Economic Integration and Environmental Protection: The Case of China’, International Studies Quarterly, 51: 4, 971-995     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Major Environmental Problems in China: its causes and policy options

ABSTRACT China is recognized with its progressive economic development. Amidst this distinction, the former “Sleeping Giant”...