Modern waste management
encompasses a variety of strategies and technologies aimed at minimising the
environmental impact of waste generation and disposal while maximising resource
recovery. Some key components of modern waste management include:
1.Source Reduction: Encouraging practices that reduce waste generation at the source, such as using reusable products, buying in bulk to minimise packaging waste, and opting for products with minimal or recyclable packaging.
2.Recycling and Composting: Implementing comprehensive recycling programs for materials such as paper, plastics, glass, and metals, as well as composting organic waste to produce nutrient-rich soil amendments.
3.Waste Separation and Sorting: Establishing systems for separating different types of waste at the source or through centralised facilities to facilitate recycling and recovery of valuable materials.
4.Waste-to-Energy (WtE): This involves using technologies such as incineration, gasification, and anaerobic digestion to convert waste into energy, thereby reducing the volume of waste going to landfills and generating renewable energy.
5.Landfill Management: Implementing measures to minimise landfills' environmental impact, such as liners to prevent groundwater contamination, methane capture systems to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and proper leachate management.
6.Advanced Waste Treatment Technologies: Researching and deploying innovative technologies for treating various types of waste, such as chemical and biological processes for hazardous waste remediation and advanced materials recovery techniques.
7.Waste Auditing and Management Planning: Conducting waste audits to assess the composition and volume of waste generated and developing comprehensive waste management plans to optimise resource recovery and minimise environmental impact.
8.Public Education and Awareness: Engaging communities through educational campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of waste reduction, recycling, and responsible waste management practices.
9.Regulatory Frameworks and Policies: Enacting and enforcing regulations and policies at the local, national, and international levels to promote sustainable waste management practices, including extended producer responsibility and landfill diversion targets.
10. Circular Economy Initiatives: Promoting the transition to a circular economy model, where resources are kept in use for as long as possible through recycling, remanufacturing, and redesign, thus minimising waste generation and maximising resource efficiency.
Modern waste management systems often involve a
combination of these strategies tailored to each community or region's specific
needs and circumstances. Collaboration among government agencies, businesses,
communities, and other stakeholders is essential to successfully implement
effective waste management practices.
Stephen Karpman's Drama Triangle is a psychological concept that describes the roles people often play in interpersonal conflicts and dysfunctional relationships. It was first introduced in the 1960s and is used in transactional analysis and psychology to help individuals understand and change their patterns of behavior in challenging situations. The Drama Triangle consists of three primary roles:
The Victim: The Victim is the person who perceives themselves as helpless, oppressed, or disadvantaged in a given situation. They often seek sympathy and support from others and may avoid taking responsibility for their circumstances. Victims tend to adopt a passive, helpless attitude and believe that they have no control over their lives.
The Persecutor: The Persecutor is the individual who adopts a critical, blaming, or controlling stance. They see themselves as superior or in a position of power and often make others feel at fault for the problems or conflicts at hand. Persecutors may come across as aggressive, judgmental, or domineering.
The Rescuer: The Rescuer is the person who takes on a caretaker role, often to the detriment of their own needs and boundaries. They believe they must save or protect the Victim and may offer unsolicited advice or help. Rescuers can develop a sense of self-worth from their caregiving role, but they may also become resentful when their help is not appreciated or when it perpetuates the Victim's helplessness.
The Drama Triangle operates in a cyclical manner. For example, a conflict might start with someone taking on the Victim role, leading another person to adopt the Persecutor role, and a third person to assume the Rescuer role. Over time, roles can shift, with individuals switching positions or playing multiple roles within the same conflict.
The Drama Triangle is not a healthy or constructive way to address conflicts and issues, as it tends to perpetuate dysfunction and prevent genuine problem-solving. To break free from the Drama Triangle, individuals can:
Recognize their role: Becoming aware of which role they are playing in a given situation is the first step to breaking free from the Drama Triangle.
Take responsibility: Victims can work on taking responsibility for their lives, Persecutors can learn to communicate without blame, and Rescuers can set healthy boundaries and stop enabling dysfunctional behavior.
Encourage open communication: Honest and assertive communication is essential to resolving conflicts in a more constructive manner.
Seek help: Sometimes, it may be necessary to involve a therapist or counselor to break free from these roles and address underlying issues.
By understanding and actively avoiding the Drama Triangle, individuals can promote healthier, more balanced relationships and conflicts resolution.
Defined in the most simple way dark triad is the combination of predispositions which include non-sensitiveness (for
others) and covetousness, and relate to the model of behavior by which is taken the advantage over others,
exploitation the others because of his selfish interests (Jones & Paulhus, 2011)
Most people assume that others have the same moral code as themselves. We assume that others agree it is wrong to lie, steal, and manipulate others for our own gain. It can come as a shock, then, when you cross paths with someone who shatters that perception. In some cases, this person may be a narcissistic sociopath—a person with a unique combination of traits that causes them to create destruction in their personal and professional lives.
“Their interests aren’t organizational. Their
interests are for themselves,” said Birgit Schyns of Neoma Business School.
Schyns coauthored the article with Barbara Wisse of the University of Groningen
and Durham University Business School, and Stacey Sanders of the University of
Groningen.
The Dark Triad
Three types of personality profiles make up the points of
this dark triangle—psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism. Psychologists
Paulhus and Williams coined the term "dark triad" in 2002 when they
found that these three personalities tend to run together and cause trouble in
relationships.
Machiavellianism
Niccolò Machiavelli was a 15th-century Italian politician
famous for advising rulers to use deception and deviousness to maintain power.
Nowadays, his name is synonymous with a person who schemes and manipulates
people. People with this trait are strategic in their relationships, selecting
relationships with people they can use for personal social status or wealth.
In a self-report questionnaire of the dark triad personality
traits, items for measuring Machiavellianism include:
"It’s wise to keep track of information that you can
use against people later."
"Whatever it takes, you must get the important people
on your side."
"I use insincere flattery to get my way."
Psychopathy
When we hear the term “psychopath,” we tend to think of
serial killers à la Charles Manson and Ed Kemper. But psychopathy is a
spectrum, and we're all on it. People who have a high level of psychopathy have
low empathy for others, are callous in their actions, and tend to be reckless
and thrill-seeking.
Psychopaths might agree with statements like:
"Payback needs to be quick and nasty."
"People often say I’m out of control."
"I enjoy having sex with people I hardly know."
Of course, this is not to say that everyone who participates
in casual sex with strangers has high levels of psychopathy. A psychopathic
portrait would also include many hints of high risk-taking together with a lack
of empathy.
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Narcissism
Narcissus was a beautiful hunter in Greek mythology who fell
in love with his own reflection. But now, when we say that someone is
narcissistic, we mean something more than just vanity. Someone with high levels
of narcissism feels entitled to adoration, power, and high status, so much so
that if they don’t get these things, they may lash out.
They might agree with statements like:
"Many group activities are dull without me."
"I have a natural talent for influencing people."
"I like being the center of attention."
If they don’t get the attention they crave, they might, for example, lie about how many gifts they received for their birthday.
Based on the ominous name, you might think people would know
to avoid those with the dark triad. Ironically, we’re often attracted to people
who have a smidge of psychopathy or a hint of dominance, especially because
people with the dark triad tend to be good at making themselves appear more
attractive.
Dark Triad Relationship Patterns
There are five destructive patterns you can take note of to
recognize people high on the continuum of dark triad traits.
1. Lying
Researchers have found that those higher on the dark triad
continuum lie more often and think of themselves as good at deception. More
specifically, Machiavellianism is associated with telling more white lies,
while narcissism is associated with lying about popularity. The most troubling
are those with high levels of psychopathy, who are more likely to lie for no
reason at all.
When you catch a partner with these traits in a lie, you
might begin to sense that something doesn’t add up. These erosions of trust,
whether big or small, can start to chip away at your sense of security.
2. Infidelity
It’s well-known that those high on the dark triad scale are
more likely to cheat on romantic partners. Given their penchant for
impulsivity, lack of care for others’ feelings, and ability to lie easily and
often, this isn’t surprising. What’s more interesting is which traits in the
dark triad lead to which types of infidelity outcomes.
When people with higher levels of psychopathy cheat, it
tends to lead to a breakup. But when people who are a more Machiavellian cheat,
they can manage to keep the relationship going. This might be because their
strategic approach to everything lets them fly under the radar. Even when they
get caught, they’re better able to manipulate their partner and may get off
scot-free. In fact, you might find yourself wondering if you’re the bad guy
when the boyfriend you just caught sexting with someone else says you’re the
one driving him away by being too overbearing. Don’t fall for it! This is
classic Machiavelli.
3. Jealousy and revenge
Those with the dark triad tend to have higher levels of
preventive jealousy—that is, feeling jealous before they’ve been given reason
to—than the average person.
One study found that those with the dark triad are not only
more likely to have cheated on a partner but also expect to be cheated on. If
they do find themselves in an unfaithful relationship; they’re more likely than
the average person to want to take revenge, like shouting at their partner or
spreading a rumor about them.
Interestingly, the dark triad women in this study said that
even though they would want revenge, they wouldn’t necessarily end the
relationship if their partner cheated. This speaks to wanting emotional control
over their partner for control's sake rather than doing hurtful things only as
an impulsive reaction.
4. Superficial relationships
Given their lack of true emotional devotion, people high on
the dark triad scale doesn’t tend to choose serious, committed relationships.
Now there’s nothing wrong with flings, dating for fun,
friends-with-benefits, and other not-so-serious “romances.” At different times
in our lives, we have different needs, and most of us have probably had
relationships that were never meant for a serious commitment.
But people with more dark triad traits tend to make a habit
of emotionally shallow relationships, both romantically and with friends.
Specifically, narcissism tends to go hand-in-hand with one-night-stands, and
psychopathy tends to go with booty calls.
In friendships, Machiavellians look to befriend those with
elite social status. Narcissists like to roll with a good-looking squad. Men with psychopathic traits are just like friends who can play wingmen and hook up with potential mates.
5. Relationships that don’t last
With all these not-so-glowing findings to recommend them,
it’s no surprise that people with high dark triad traits don’t tend to have
long-lasting relationships.
Even if they wanted to stay in a long-term relationship,
people with the dark triad have a hard time making it last, perhaps because
they are simply hard to get along with. The researchers who first coined the
“dark triad” term noticed immediately that agreeableness—warmth, friendliness,
tact—is the one thing most people with these traits lack.
The dark triad traits have gray gradations, and if you
find yourself in a relationship with someone low on those scales, it might
simply end with hurt feelings. But someone high on the rungs of psychopathy,
narcissism, and Machiavellianism might cause you serious damage.
Medical Disclaimer: All content here is for informational
purposes only. This content does not replace the professional judgment of your
own mental health provider. Please consult a licensed mental health
professional for all individual questions and issues.
Red-flag behaviors
What should a manager do after identifying such job candidates or employees? Over-claiming, or falsely taking credit for, contributions to the organization. (narcissism)
Being aggressive after negative feedback and criticizing the source of feedback. (narcissism)
Treating valued members of the organization (trophy colleagues) differently than those who do not boost their egos. (narcissism)
Demonstrating a selfish perspective with a “choose your battles” mind-set. (Machiavellianism)
Trying to control or minimize other people’s influence. (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy)
Not sharing knowledge with colleagues. (Machiavellianism)
Using manipulation to reach strategic goals. (Machiavellianism, psychopathy)
Scheming for personal benefit without considering consequences for others. (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy)
Competing rather than cooperating. (Machiavellianism, psychopathy)
Making quick, short-term-focused decisions without considering consequences for others. (psychopathy)
Making bold, risky decisions without regard to organizational rules or ethics. (narcissism, psychopathy)
Questioning authority figures, rules, and the status quo. (psychopathy)
Bullying or criticizing coworkers to focus on interpersonal relationships instead of tasks at hand. (psychopathy)
Luring coworkers into wild behaviors or seducing coworkers or supervisors into romantic relationships. (Machiavellianism, psychopathy)
“If you can avoid it, don’t hire them. If you have them, don’t promote them,” Schyns said.
How to get out of a relationship with a dark triad personality
It can be scary to realize that your partner has dark triad traits. At the same time, it might feel like a morbid relief to put the pieces together. Either way, if you find yourself finally understanding why you feel insecure, emotionally spent, or like you’ve been gaslit, it’s a good first step to changing your situation.
To safely get yourself out of a relationship with someone with dark triad traits, here are good places to start:
1. Surround yourself with supportive people
People with high dark triad levels are known for playing mind games and undercutting your confidence. Bolster your defenses with people you can trust to be in your corner who will believe what you say and offer you a safe emotional haven.
2. Get your affairs in order
In some tragic cases, people have lost their financial resources, independence to move around, or other important safety mechanisms during a messy breakup.
Ideally, you'll want to secure:
An independent bank account
A safe place to physically go to
A private place to communicate with your supportive people
Anything else you may need to stay safe in case the other person acts recklessly
3. Make a clean break
Like Dua Lipa said, "Don't pick up the phone ... Don't let him in ... Don't be his friend."
You don’t need to keep justifying why you're leaving, especially if the other person is trying to excuse away your concerns or gaslight your feelings.
Commit to a clean break without giving in to crocodile tears that can seem convincing. Don’t linger in a shared living space. Don’t bargain. You don’t need to keep justifying why you're leaving, especially if the other person is trying to excuse away your concerns or gaslight your feelings.
4. Be compassionate with yourself
It’s so hard to be in a relationship (and to break up) with someone with dark triad traits. It’s not a sign of weakness or foolishness on your part that you got sucked in! Be kind to yourself. In extreme situations where safety is a concern, make sure you use your resources, including law enforcement, legal representation, and therapy.
It’s not a sign of weakness or foolishness on your part that you got sucked in!
You deserve to be respected and loved in a relationship, not lied to or manipulated. Now that you know the signs of the dark triad, you know how to spot a bad relationship in the making and get out before you get too deeply into it. And if you're already in it, don't be afraid to let go. You've got this!
Thanks
Jones, D. N., & Paulhus, D. L. (2012). Introducing the Short Dark Triad (SD3): A brief measure of dark personalities. Journal of Research
in Personality, under revision.
Jade Wu, PhD
Dr. Jade Wu is a licensed clinical psychologist. She received her Ph.D. from Boston University and completed a clinical residency and fellowship at Duke University School of Medicine.
Procurement isn’t rocket science,
it’s not brain surgery and it’s not curing illness, junior buyers have been
told.
For the most part, procurement is
“absolutely about following a series of systems and processes” to identify,
source and manage contracts, said Matthew Sparkes, head of financial services
at the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), who describes himself as “not a
procurement person by trade”.
What Is Procurement?
Procurement is the act of
obtaining goods or services, typically for business purposes. Procurement is
most commonly associated with businesses because companies need to solicit
services or purchase goods, usually on a relatively large scale.
Procurement generally refers to
the final act of purchasing but it can also include the procurement process
overall which can be critically important for companies leading up to their
final purchasing decision. Companies can be on both sides of the procurement
process as buyers or sellers though here we mainly focus on the side of the
soliciting company.
The Sri Lanka Government Procurement Guideline defines procurement as.
'Procurement means obtaining by
Procuring Entities of Goods, Services or Works
by the most appropriate means,
with public funds or funds from any other source
whether local or foreign.
received by way of loans, grants, gifts, donations.
contributions and similar
receipts. It would include purchase, rental, lease or hire
purchase. including services
incidental to the provision of the said Goods or
Services or the execution of the
Works'.
DEFINITIONS Unless the Context otherwise requires, the following terms whenever used in these Guidelines have the following meanings:
“Bid or Quotation”
means a formal offer by a potential bidder indicating the price and other terms at which the bidder agrees to provide the Goods or Services or to execute the Works, where the offer tendered by the bidder is accepted by the Procuring Entity.
“Foreign Funding Agency” Means any multi-lateral or bi-lateral agency which has entered/intends to enter into an agreement with the Government of Sri Lanka and is not limited to the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Japan Bank for International Co-operation.
“Foreign Funded Project”
means a project fully or partly financed by a Foreign Funding Agency.
“Goods”
means commodities, raw materials, products, equipment and other physical objects of every description, whether in solid, liquid or gaseous form and electricity.
“Procuring Entity”
means a Government ministry, provincial council, Government department, statutory authority, government corporation, government owned company, local authority or any subdivision thereof or any other body wholly or partly owned by the Government of Sri Lanka or where the Government of Sri Lanka has effective control of such body, that engages in Procurement.
Key Points
Procurement is the process of
purchasing goods or services and is usually in reference to business spending.
Business procurement requires
preparation, solicitation, and payment processing, which usually involves
several areas of a company.
Procurement expenses can fall
into several different categories, depending on the procurement demand.
Competitive bidding is usually a
part of most large scale procurement processes involving multiple bidders.
How Procurement Works
Procurement and procurement
processes can require a substantial portion of a company’s resources to manage.
Procurement budgets typically provide managers with a specific value they can
spend to procure the goods or services they need. The process of procurement is
often a key part of a company's strategy because the ability to purchase
certain materials or services can determine if operations will be profitable.
In many cases, procurement
processes will be dictated by company standards often centralized by controls
from the accounts payable division of accounting. The procurement process
includes the preparation and processing of a demand as well as the end receipt
and approval of payment.
Comprehensively, this can involve
purchase planning, standards, specifications determination, supplier research,
selection,financing, price negotiation, and inventory control. As such, many
large companies may require support from a few different areas of a company for
successful procurement.
Procurement Committee
Some companies may even choose to
hire a chief procurement officer to lead these efforts. A chief procurement
officer can oversee the establishment of procurement standards, work with
accounts payable to ensure procurement standard integration and efficient
payment, and serve on procurement teams making procurement decisions when there
are multiple competitive bids.
Overall, procurement costs will
be integrated into the financial accounting of a business, as procurement
involves acquiring goods and/or services for the revenue goals of the business.
Financial Accounting
Procurement processing can be
divided and analyzed from several angles. Companies and industries will have
different ways of managing the procurement of direct and indirect costs. Goods
companies, as compared with services companies, will also have different ways
of managing costs.
Direct vs. Indirect Procurement
Costs
Direct spend refers to anything
related to the cost of goods sold and production, including all items that are
part of finished products. For manufacturing companies, this can range from raw
materials to components and parts. For merchandising companies, this will
include the cost at which merchandise is purchased from a wholesaler for sales.
For service-based companies,
direct costs will primarily be the hourly labor costs of employees performing
services. Procurement for items pertaining to the cost of goods sold directly
affects a company’s gross profit.
By contrast, indirect procurement
involves non-production-related purchases. These are purchases a company uses
to facilitate its operations. Indirect procurement can involve a broad range of
purchases including office supplies, marketing materials, advertising
campaigns, consulting services, and more. Companies will generally have
different budgets and processes for managing direct costs as compared with
indirect costs.
Goods vs. Services Procurement
Accounting
Procurement is part of the
expense process for all types of companies, but goods and services companies
account for revenues and costs differently. As such, accounting for procured
goods will also differ from accounting for procured services.
Companies focused on goods will
need to deal with the procurement of those goods as inventory. These companies
place a lot of importance in this area on supply chain management.
Service-based companies provide services as their primary revenue generator so
they do not necessarily rely as heavily on a supply chain for inventory
although they may need to purchase goods for technology-based services.
In general, the cost of sales for
many service companies is based on the hourly labor cost of employees providing
the service so procurement as a direct expense is not a major factor. However,
service-based companies will usually have higher relative indirect costs
because they typically deal with their own procurement as an indirect expense
through marketing.
Special Considerations
Competitive bidding is a part of
most business deals involving multiple bidders. The competitive bidding process
for goods is usually more simplified than for services. Procurement is also the
term used for purchasing goods and services on behalf of the government which
has its own bidding processes and requirements.
Competitive bidding for all types
of goods generally involves proposals that detail the per-unit price, shipping,
and delivery terms. Competitive bidding for the procurement of services can be
more complex since it can involve a multitude of things including individuals
involved, technology services, operational procedures, client servicing,
training, service fees, and more.
In each case, the solicitor of
bids chooses the supplier they want to work with based on both operational
business aspects as well as costs. The solicitor is then responsible for
accounting for expenses depending on the goods or services agreed to.
Government agencies and large companies may choose to solicit procurement
proposals on an annual or scheduled basis to ensure that they continue to
maintain the best relationships for their business.
Tender Process and Notices
Any organization that wants to place an order after the inquiry is done, needs to fill out a tender. A tender is essentially an official letter that the organizations have to send for the procurement of the goods and services required on a large scale. For the execution of projects also tender notice is required. Thus, the tenders are filled when an invitation is received for bidding. In this, the organizations fill out their quoted prices in exchange of goods and services which are further subjected to stated conditions.
Preparing Tender Notices
A tender notice can be prepared in the form of tabular or serial or paragraph form. The tenders may be open to all the parties and are often done for pre-qualification purposes. They are meant for registered parties only.
While for the jobs that are funded through foreign assistance or loans which requires heavy technology or sophisticated machinery can be offered through global tenders.
Thus, the delivery details and the estimated value of services and goods are included in the tender. The bids that are made through tender are in non-transferable form. They are available in the form of documents, which are sold and printed only by the concerned authorities.
Further, these forms are divided into different sections which are dealing with commercial conditions and technical specifications of the product.
There is a difference between the tender and pre-qualification for a contract. Pre-qualification is completely different from a tender. It is not even a form of tendering. Because the document which precedes the tender is called pre-qualification. It is done to identify who are allowed to tender for the specific contracts.
Thus, an advertisement for pre-qualification does not mean an advertisement for tendering. Because pre-qualification just allows the organizations interested to express their desire in order to be eligible for a tender. Once the organization is pre-qualified for a particular contract than only it is eligible for that particular tender.