Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 119

Assignment Example Malachai started the business when he was in college and now he owns and manages the small service-oriented business by providing price quotes, hiring student painters, purchasing supplies, and advertising their services. He currently employs 22 painters and pays them $10.50 per hour for painting and â€Å"prep-work† (scraping old paint, caulking, cleaning and removing bugs from the areas that are to be painted). In order to be profitable, Malachai has learned to provide superior service to his customers, including free price quotes. He builds in his profit-margin of 25% to all quotes by first computing his total costs, then adding 25% of that number to determine how much to charge the customer. Using his knowledge of the expenses for labor, supplies, and equipment, he has developed the following information: b. (5 points) The Marks family needs to get the outside of their house painted, including the siding as well as the white trim. Malachai estimates that area of the exterior of the house is about 8,000 square feet. Based on the condition of the Marks’ house he also estimates that he will need 2 workers for 8 hours to do the prep-work. How much should Malachai quote for the cost of this job, including labor, supplies, and profit? c. (5 points) Write a formula reflecting the price estimate for a house based on the number of square feet that need to be painted. Assume that Malachai can accurately estimate the painted area (in square feet) and the amount of time it takes to complete the prep-work on a job. d. (10 points) What do you think? Using the evidence from above, explain in a well-structured essay the importance of accurate cost estimates in a service-oriented business such as this. Research at least one other service-oriented business such as a restaurant, dry-cleaners, house-cleaning service and describe how they set

Human Resource Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Resource Paper - Assignment Example A health care organization must have objectives that guide them in their line of duty. Some of these objectives are strategic and have implications on the human resource management. These objectives are; to promote health and impart health education, to immerse in disease inspection and analysis and to collaborate with governments and administrations around the world to promote health promotional programs. These three objectives have implications on human resource management. Human resource management is concerned with the safety and compensation of manpower among other things. When the objectives of a health care regarding promoting of health and imparting, disease inspection and analysis have been attained, then the expenses incurred by the human resource management to make sure that the staff members are safe are cut down and therefore there will be no expenses on compensation brought about by poor health care. This is because with good health and proper health education then case s of disease and infections are cut down. Health problems cost an organization a lot. Disease inspection and analysis will help in the understanding of the causes and the possible treatments that are to be administered to various diseases and infections. The time and money wasted in trying to cater for the treatment of a worker will be reduced if the diseases they have are known unlike when a company uses its funding to facilitate the treatment of an unknown ailment. The above strategic objectives can only be attained if actions and systems are put in place. Health Systems Executives play a big role in the attainment of set objectives. It comprises of health experts who have come together to offer their advice regarding the various issues that affect the health care organization. The experts are in the various fields that have a co-relation with health matters. It might consist of medical doctors, IT specialists, trainers, sales and marketing experts among other professionals. For i nstance, a Health Systems Organization can have an IT specialist who is an expert in issues dealing with technology. One of the objectives of a health care organization was to inspect and analyze diseases. With the proper technology, this objective can be attained. An effective Health System Executive body will ensure that new technologies are introduced in a health care organization; the work force is enlightened through training and the implementation process starts immediately. With introduction of hi-tech machinery, the organization will be in a position to inspect and analyze diseases and new infections. The objective, to promote health and impart health education can be achieved when the Health System Executive consisting of training personnel who educates the masses concerning matters of health. Those who have been trained will then train others and the cycle continues. This will ensure that people become aware of the health issues and how to handle them. The third objective, to collaborate with governments and administrations to promote health promotional programs can be achieved by the Health

Project Plan To British Airport Authority Construction Essay

Project Plan To British Airport Authority Construction Essay This report is aimed at producing an effective project plan to British Airport Authority (BAA) using Heathrow terminal 5 as a case study. The methodology used in this project is the problem solving approach where a major problem is identified, the possible solution to the problem is analysed and the best solution for the implementation of the project is recommended. In producing this plan, a major problem of airport congestion was identified and an option appraisal was carried using the SWOT tool to determine whether the proposed project plan was worth doing, the projects scope, definitions and deliverables were clearly stated. Some assumption, considerations and constraints had to be made to assist the project team consulted for this project in understanding and delivering the plan effectively. The projects critical factors, measurable targets dependencies and resource requirements were outlined in this report. Also a detailed cost estimate was done for the allocated budget. Microsoft project package was used to prepare and produce a Gantt chart including a work breakdown structure for each task identifying the major milestones. A communication and risk plan is also included in this report to ensure a smooth implementation of the project plan. Finally this report recommends time duration for the project and a sustainability framework. INTRODUCTION This is a detailed report based on the project plan presentation made by group 5 project consultants to British Airport Authority (BAA) on the 14th of December 2009. The problem solving approach was used in this project plan using BAA terminal 5 as a case study. This report identifies and addresses the problem of passenger and airline congestion in Heathrows existing terminal. In order to fully understand this report, the project background and rational would be discussed in the following section. 1.1 Background Heathrow located in the London borough of Hillingdon was initially a private airport with one grass runway used to assemble and test aircrafts. During World War II, the land occupied by this private airport was acquired by the government to build a Royal Air Force (RAF) Heston Aerodrome which was an army surplus tent small grass airfield. In 1946 it was handed over to Air ministry as Londons new civil airport. Due to the closure of the old terminal on the North side by 1961, airlines either operated from the Europa terminal or the oceanic terminal which handled long haul carriers (now terminal 2 and 3 respectively). Terminal 1 was opened in 1969 by which time about 5 million passengers were passing through the airport travelling from Heathrow to and from all parts of the world (British Airport Authority 2009). The demand for air travel and increased congestion in the central area further created the need for the development of terminal 4 in 1986. As at 2006, Heathrow owned and operated by British Airports Authority (BAA) can boast of nearly 1.4 billion commuters over 14 million flights (British Airport Authority 2009). It is UKs only international network hub airport. As traffic of commuters increased Heathrow Airport is faced with an ever increasing demand for passenger facilities and capacity constraint which has lead to frequent flight delays. This need has further lead to the construction of terminal 5. Terminal 5 is said to be a passenger terminal and associated facilities that would complement Heathrows existing terminals The planning and building of a new terminal (Exciteh 2009), presents a distinctive challenge compared to the construction of any other structure. Building this new terminal would expand Heathrows capacity to accommodate the rapidly increasing number of passengers, improve the safety and security of air transport, introduce high quality facilities, and increase the status of the British airport worldwide. The new Heathrow terminal 5 would be a gateway between the UK and the world. Group 5, is a project management consultancy team based in Aberdeen. This team has been retained as project consultants by BAA to produce a project plan for the successful delivery of her terminal 5 project at its very best. This report shows explicitly all the steps and phases required to produce the final deliverable (the project plan). 1.2 Project Rationale Heathrow is synonymous with international travel and is one of the UKs most significant fiscal assets. As a two runway and four terminal airports in 2005, it is one of the worlds leading airports in terms of passenger and airline capacity. If Heathrow continues to operate within its existing limits, it is forecasted that the airport will handle 87 million passengers a year by 2015 and thereafter 90-95 million passengers a year (Heathrow airport interim master plan 2005). With such an increase in the yearly passenger travel a new terminal is inevitable. Over the years, these existing terminals could accept more traffic because of the implementation of risk reduction measures. However, the continual congestion in Heathrows terminals may reach a condition such that it cannot be said with confidence that these terminals will continue to be safe. However, since the airline industry is a peoples industry without passengers the industry will not thrive. So the objective to build a structure that would stand the test of time and serve its millions of prospective customers thereby reducing congestion cannot be over emphasized. 2.0 PROJECT BUSINESS CASE The development of a business case to all intents and purposes is to gain support, commitment and eventually approval from the top management. The Business Case depicts the reasons for undertaking for the project, based on the estimated costs of the project, the risks and the expected business benefits and savings (APM 2006). The business case highlights the justification for the project. Reports by BAA (2009) shows that Heathrow runway operates at 95% capacity compared to 75% of its major European competitors. This congestion has lead to increased delay, lower resilience and fewer destinations served. Statistics taken from the UK Parliamentary office of Science and Technology (2000) and Airport council International (2008) shown in the table below portrays a rising trend in Heathrows passenger capacity from 1978 2008. Year 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 No. of Passengers (million) 45.4 49.2 50.4 50.7 51.1 53.7 59.4 61.6 Year 1986 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 No. of Passenger (million) 66.3 76.3 82.3 87.1 89.9 84.3 94.6 100.2 Year 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 No. of passengers (million) 109.2 115.6 120.7 130.7 142.2 150.9 64.61 60.74 Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 No. of passengers 63.34 63.49 67.34 67.92 67.53 68.07 67.06 Figure 2.1 Average passenger capacity (Adopted from UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2000) and Airport Council International (2008) To further explain the table above is a graphical representation of the passenger capacity plotted against years. Figure 2.2 Graph showing increasing passenger trend (Adopted from UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2000) and Airport Council international (2008)) GRAPH ANALYSIS The statistics used for this graph shows all fights into Heathrow airport for terminals 1 to 4. From year 1998 to 2000 there was quite a steady rise in the number of passengers passing through Heathrow. From year 2001 to 2009 Heathrow experienced a decline in airline and passenger capacity. This could be attributed to the global economic situation in many parts of the world and the threat to aviation from international terrorism. On the other hand with the UK economy gradually coming out of this recession there is an expected rise in the number of aviation travel. 2.1 Available options for addressing the opportunity Option Appraisal An option appraisal to determine the best means to achieve the project objectives was done. In carrying out an option appraisal, a need and a cost benefit is first carried out, then objectives are set and options are created and reviewed (Department of Treasure UK 2009). An option appraisal is a decision making technique that identifies the project objectives and explores other alternatives for attaining these objectives. It determines whether the proposal is worth doing and clearly communicates conclusions and recommendation. After a critical analysis a preferred option was taken and used in establishing this project plan. The approach for this project plan also incorporates the traditional project management concept which breaks the project into the various life cycle phases. The three major options identified for this project is as shown below; 2.2 OPTION 1 Do Nothing This option is the base option it involves not embarking on the project. If chosen it may result in undesirable and increasing risks to air passengers due to airport congestion. 2.3 OPTION 2 Expansion of the existing terminals Measures could be taken to expand current terminals including runways to accommodate the increase. However carrying out an expansion work on the existing terminals, would be quite challenging on airlines and passengers. This would require a temporal closure of some of the terminals which may lead to potential loss of customers as they would seek alternative routes. In addition, this approach may leave current structures with minimum factor of safety and do little to improve the deficiencies and congestion in current airport. 2.4 OPTION 3 Construct a new terminal In this option constructing a new terminal of the anticipated capacity would mean that the new terminal would be constructed to expand the operations of older terminals and can potentially replace them. A SWOT analysis for this option was carried out. 2.5 SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a technique used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in the project. This method involves specifying the project objectives and identifying the internal and external factors (Nigel and William 2002) that could stop or improve the success of those objectives. The environmental factors internal to the firm are classified as strength and weakness while the external factors are classified as opportunities and threats. These terms are further explained below: Strengths Strengths could either be a positive tangible or intangible attribute and they are usually within the organisations control. Weakness These are the areas that project needs to improve on. They can be considered as the projects fault or disadvantage that might prevent them from attaining their goals. Opportunities Opportunities propel an organisation. These factors represent the reason for the project or business to exist and develop. Opportunities are beneficial and may assists to negate threat. Threats Threats are factors beyond the organisations control which could result in project failure. The SWOT Matrix for this project is as shown in Appendix 1. Furthermore a cost estimate is also carried out to determine the preferred option 2.6 Cost Estimate 3.0 PROJECT DEFINITION James P. Lewis defined project as a onetime job that has defined starting and ending dates, a clearly specified objective, or scope to be performed, a pre-defined budget, and usually a temporary organization that is dismantled once the project is complete. For this project the objectives and scope are explained below. 3.1 Goals and Objectives Project objectives as defined by Westland (2007) are statements describing in more details what it is that the project will achieve. It is the desired outcome of the project. Unclear objectives could result in conflict when information is not adequately understood. The objectives of this project plan include the following: To supplement Heathrows other existing terminals to accommodate her increasing customer base and increase the airport current capacity by 30% BAA (2009) To reinforce Heathrows position as Europes principal intercontinental hub To provide excellent customer service and travelling experience to her highly esteemed customers 3.2 Statement of the Project Scope The project scope can be defined as the specific and overall definition of what the projects end result should accomplish (Briggs 2009). It specifies what work is included and excluded in a project perhaps defining in effect the boundaries of the project (Carmichael 2004). 3.2.1 Scope The scope of this project is as follows: An effective project plan for the successful delivery of BAAs Heathrow Terminal 5 project Recommendation of a sustainable development plan for the new terminal 3.2.2 Scope Exclusions Exclusions are done in order to avoid misunderstandings they spell out what the project wont do. The following are the exclusions considered in developing this project plan The project plan would not include the conceptual design of the project The effects of inflation on budgeted cost would not be included The project plan does not include obtaining the necessary permits and authorization documents The project plan does not include the ground rules to be adopted during the implementation of the project plan 3.3 Project Deliverables A deliverable is any unique and verifiable product, result or capability to perform a service that is identified in the project management planning documentation, and must be produced and provided to complete the project (PMBOK 2004). It can also be described as the output of the project during the project and at the end. According to PMBOK (2008) there are four generic life cycle phases for a project. However since this is a mega project, five distinct phases have been identified for efficient planning. For this project, the key deliverables are grouped into the various project life cycle phases as shown in the diagram below: Fig 3.1 Project Life cycle diagram showing the deliverables The life cycle for this project is made up of the conception, planning, execution and control, completion/handover and post project review. These phases are further explained below. Conception phase This is the birth phase of any project in which the scope of the project is defined along with the methodology for delivering project desired outputs. Planning Phase This is the phase where all the plans required to deliver the project objectives and scope is done. This phase is characterized by breaking down the project into smaller more manageable work packages. Execution/ Monitoring phase This is the implementation phase of the project where work towards direct achievement of the projects objectives and the production of the projects deliverables take place (APMBOK 2006).This phase also involves monitoring and control. This involves recording, analysing and reporting project performance and comparing it to the planned performance in order to identify and report deviations as well as develop targets and plans. Completion/Handover Phase This is the project exit phase and the formal orderly end point of a project, either because it has been completed or because it has been terminated early (PMBOK 2004). Post project Review In this phase the lessons learned are reviewed. Below is a detailed explanation of the various deliverables at each project phase, their targets, dependencies and resource requirements. Description of Deliverables Project phase Deliverable Brief Description, targets, dependency and resource requirement Conception Business case This is a document that describes the project justification Target: Approval of top management Dependency:Project objective Resource Requirement:Project client or sponsor Project Initiation document (PID) Project initiation document is a statement of the scope, objectives and participants in a project. It defines the authority of the project manager and roles and responsibilities of project stakeholders. Target: Dependency: Resource requirement:project manager Planning Responsibility matrix It is a tool used to assign tasks relating to each project activity in the Work breakdown structure. It indicates clearly the role and responsibility of each project player Target:roles and responsibility of project players Dependency:work breakdown structure Resource requirement: Project manger Work breakdown structure (WBS) It is a hierarchical decomposition of the project into smaller elements or deliverables called work packages thereby allowing for effective management and control of project scope and objectives (PMBoK 2008). Target: work packages in relation to project objectives Dependencies: Project scope and deliverables Resource requirement: Project manager and input from project team Gantt chart This is a Microsoft project tool that illustrates the project schedule. It is a useful tool in planning, predicting and deciding how resources are used to achieve time and cost goals. Target:Project schedule and project resource requirements. Dependency:Work breakdown structure Resource requirement:Project manager Risk matrix This is a plan used in assessing risk Categories their probability of occurrence and the impact on the project it also highlights controls identified to mitigate the risks. Target: Dependency:Risk assessment Resource requirement;project team Execution/ control phase Completion/ handover Certificate of practical completion (CPC) it is a certificate handed over to the project manager after the project has been completed and has been certified to meet clients and stakeholders requirement. Target:client satisfaction Dependency:Project completion Resource requirement: project owner Lessons learned it is a documentation of all lessons learned in course of executing the project and is kept for future references in order to prevent pitfalls in the execution of similar projects in future. Target;should clearly highlight lessons learned from the project. Dependencies: project completion and client satisfaction Resource requirement: Project manager 3.4 Critical Success Factors The primary objectives of any project being completed within the specified cost, time and good performance are not the only determinants of a successful project. These primary objectives can identify immediate contribution to profit (kerzner 2006) but will not identify if the project has been properly managed. These success factors can be seen as value enhancing practises (VEP). The following are some required factors that will determine the success of BAAs Heathrow terminal 5 project (HT5): Clearly established project goals and procedures Strong support and shared vision from BAAs top management Satisfaction of the various groups of stakeholders with minimum or mutually agreed upon scope changes. The contracting strategy employed would enable suppliers focus on delivery Excellent teamwork and good communication among key players to align and convey objectives The use of standard project management methodologies, tools and techniques. For example monitoring and change management practices should be employed to identify and resolve problems early Availability of technological expertise and equipment 3.5 Critical Project Barriers Unlike risks, critical project barriers are overwhelming issues that can be critical to a projects plan. Should any of these events occur the project plan would become invalid. In this project, the following are possible critical barriers: Removal of project funding Occurrence of force majeure e.g. natural disasters or acts of war 4.0 PROJECT CONSTRAINTS CONSIDERATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS According to APM Body of knowledge (2006), constraints are issues that could cause a delay or restrictions that would affect the project; considerations are the key elements required to have a binding contract; and assumptions are statements that will be taken for granted as fact and upon which the project business case will be justified. 4.1 Constraints In an airport environment, height limitations are placed to avoid interference with the airport radar systems and this could affect the project team during construction. Logistics challenge due to condensed site area. Ecological constraints and the landscape of the area to support such a project Permit, licensing or consent approvals could take a long time to be obtained considering the sensitive nature of this project Health and safety of the project team and locals during and after construction due to pollution Legal requirements of the construction regulation and environmental act 4.2 Considerations There could be potential changes to the structure in future so provision would be made available for that in the project design. Satisfaction of the projects large and diverse group of stake holders. 4.3 Assumptions BAA the project sponsor and client will accept the project plan offered by this consultant team All project participants will abide by the guideline identified within this plan All necessary approvals have been obtained The time frame for the project is 10 years Management will ensure that the project team is available as at when required to complete project tasks. All project participants will abide by the guideline identified within this plan The required resources are available, and the estimated budget would be adequate for the project Inflation would be constant throughout the period of the project 5.0 PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PLAN A project development plan defines the phases that connect the beginning of a project to its end (PMBOK 2004). Because projects have a beginning and an end, there is a logical sequence of activities or tasks to accomplish projects objectives. This sequence of activities leads to the Work Breakdown Structure 5.1 Work Breakdown Structure Work breakdown structure is defined as a way in which a project may be divided by level into discrete groups for programming, cost planning and control purposes (APMBOK 2006). It acts as a control and monitoring tool in any project and also shows full clarity and understanding of the project scope. The work breakdown structure for this project is shown in appendix 2. 5.2 Gantt Chart The Gantt chart is used in scheduling the work breakdown structure. It is a useful tool in planning, predicting and deciding how resources are used to achieve time and cost goals. It is a type of bar chart used to represent when activities are being carried out or when resources are required. It uses time lines and other symbols to illustrate multiple time-based activities of a project on a horizontal time scale (Carmichael 2004). The Gantt chart for this project is as shown in appendix 3 6.0 Project Organisation and Management Project organizational structure clarifies the makeup of the project board and teams. It identifies the roles and responsibility of the various stakeholders involved in the project. Lock (2007) defined stakeholders as the people and organizations who affect, or will be affected by the project. Stakeholders can be grouped into primary and secondary stakeholders. The principal/primary stakeholders stand to make profit or loss from the project while the secondary stakeholders are non profit making stakeholders. The following are the stakeholders for the HT5 project. Primary Stakeholders Her Majesties Government British Airport Authority (BAA) British Airways (BA) Local Authorities Major contractors Suppliers Project managers Project team Secondary Stakeholders Sub-contractors Local communities Non-Governmental Organisations Employees of Heathrow airport Regulatory Authorities Customers 6.1 Project Structure The diagram shown in Appendix 4 depicts the project organisation structure. 6.2 Roles and Responsibilities Roles and responsibilities needs to be clearly defined among the project team to avoid conflict. The responsibility charts clarifies the duties of each persons involved in the project .The roles and responsibilities table for this project is as shown in Appendix 5. 6.3 Project Approach/Methodology The methodology for managing the implementation of this project plan for BAA Heathrow terminal 5 is the problem-oriented approach. With this approach, a major problem is identified, the cause and the possible solution to the problem and finally a best solution for implementation recommended. For this project, the problem identified was the congestion of passengers and airline capacity constrain which lead to the decision to construct a new terminal in Heathrow. 6.4 Project Controls Lewis (2001) described project control to be the process of comparing where you are and where you are supposed to be so that corrective action can be taken when there is a deviation from target The project manager will monitor and control the project on a daily basis ensuring that issues are properly resolved. The steering committee shall meet at the completion of each milestone as indicated on the Gantt chart, to ensure that no previous issues are carried over and that quality has not been compromised in any form. 6.5 Project Communication In any successful project, there must be a continuous need for communication to issue directives, solve problems, make decisions, resolve conflicts and keep everyone supplied with the required information (Burke 2003). According to Westland (2007) the communication plan identifies the type of information to be distributed to stakeholders (what), the methods of distributing the information (How), the frequency of the distribution (when) and the responsibilities of each person in the project team for distributing the information (who). For this project, the communication plan as shown in appendix 6 is divided into the external and internal communication for the following stakeholders: Project sponsor Project team Steering committee Local community General public 7.0 Project Risk Management Project risk is defined as the cumulative effect of the chances of uncertain occurrences which will adversely affect project objectives. It is the degree of exposure to negative events and their probable consequences. Project risk is characterized by three factors: risk event, risk probability and the amount at stake (PMBOK 2004) Project risk management is a structured process that allows individual risk events and overall project risk to be understood and managed proactively, optimising project success by minimising threats and maximising opportunities (APMBOK 2006). In order words risk management is an approach of identifying, assessing and controlling risk that occurred during the project life cycle 7.1 Project Risk Assessment Issues of risk (uncertainties) cannot be over emphasized. It must be properly identified, analysed and mitigated. The political, technical, financial, environmental and sociological aspects are the key factors that were considered during the risk assessment. For this project, the probabilities of risks occurrence were classified as: 1 Almost impossible to occur 2 Slight tendency of occurrence 3 Likelihood of occurrence 4 Expected possibility of occurrence 5 Extreme possibility of occurrence And the risks impacts were classified as:   1 Little or no impact and work will continue 2 Slight impact but work will continue 3 Limited Impact but could slow down activity and extend completion date 4 Significant impact and could result in the project standstill 5 Massive impact and could result in termination of project The risk breakdown structure and risk identification mapping for this project is as shown in Appendix 7 and 8 respectively. 7.2 Risk Mitigation and Control The process of lowering the probability of a risk occurrence or reducing its effect or impact should it occur in a project is project risk mitigation and control. To be able to mitigate and control risk, we classified the resulting risk indices into three categories using the colour coding as shown below: Colour Coding Red: High Risk (18 25) Yellow: Medium Risk (11 16) Green: Low Risk (1 10) For this project, the risk assessment matrix is as shown in Appendix 9 8.0 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT BAAs sustainability development policy sets a context for improving its environmental performance. This recommendation will look at the following: noise, air, water and the building. AIR Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of the UKs carbon emissions. It currently represents 6.4 % of the UKs CO2 emissions or 13% of the total climate change. For an important and massive project like the Terminal 5, the following should be considered; Air quality should be weighted on the overall balance of costs and benefits An elaborate air quality computer modelling should be done around major vicinity where the Terminal will be located and around the local areas. Pollutants to model should include but not limited to NO2, PM10 ,Ozone and CO2 The benefit of another runway will surely be of great benefit to the UK Government as facts below states; Benefit to the UK economy of mixed mode at Heathrow is  £2.5 bill

An Analysis on Information Technologies: Fahrenheit 451 :: essays research papers

The idea of a controlling society set in the future is not a foreign concept to the realms of science-fiction. Technology is often utilized in these stories to control the populace under one vision of a perfect world. In George Orwell’s acclaimed novel 1984, the government of Oceania used “telescreens'; that displayed propaganda and censored news in addition to their role as cameras which relayed information back to the Ministry of Love. This constant surveillance provided assurance that the citizens put the needs of the state before themselves. In Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the police precinct of Los Angeles utilized retinal scanning machines to determine the sincerity of the person’s thoughts during routine lie detector tests. These measures perpetuated that the dream of only socially accepted, pure humans holding high statuses. Even in Oshii Mamoru’s Jin-Roh, the National Security Division utilized high-tech heavily armed and armored Capital Police to annihilate non-conformists. The aid of technology assisted all of these fictitious societies in their pursuit of utopia. Ray Bradbury chose for Fahrenheit 451 to have a futuristic and technologically advanced setting to speak in outrage against the possible corruption of technology due to totalitarian abuse. Perhaps science fiction writers speak of one of the greatest fears humans possess, the masking of the truth. The ideology of the control society, deviant thought hinders progression towards a flawless civilization, supports the growth of information concealing technologies to eradicate such “dangerous thought';. The flamethrower, the instrument of terror wielded by the firemen, played the role of such a thought-concealing apparatus. Truly a device with dreaded applications, the flamethrower makes it initially appearance with: With the brass nozzle in [Montag’s] fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history. (3) As Bradbury writes, in one transient moment, years of recorded chronicles can go up in flames. This single sentence embodies the principle of how the rich heritage that humanity took eras to forge can end in a foul moment because of the wicked applications of technology. In a fictional environment where this deviant practice is viewed commonplace, the citizens of adopt a similar mentality. As the fireman Captain Beatty states, “[Fire’s] real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences.

Equal Rights in South Africa Essay

Mission Equal Education is a movement of learners, parents, teachers and community members working for quality and equality in South African education, through analysis and activism. Background 20 years after Nelson Mandela’s release from prison the education received by young people in South Africa remains vastly unequal. Despite attempts to overhaul the system, class and race-linked inequalities remain entrenched. Education was the foundation upon which inequality was fashioned during the years of apartheid, but unequal educational opportunities still remain amongst the greatest obstacles to equality, dignity and freedom in today’s South Africa. What is Equal Education? EE is a community and membership-based organisation. It advocates for quality and equality in the South African education system and engages in evidence-based activism for improving the nation’s schools. It is a leader in youth leadership development. EE’s campaigns, based on detailed research and policy analysis, are aimed at achieving quality education for all. We promote the rights to equality and education, with the firm belief that these will enable the poor and working classes to an equal opportunity in life. Education is an end in itself. Also,education helps one to understand and demand the full realisation of the rights enshrined in the Constitution. Led by young activists, EE seeks to improve the poor quality of education in South Africa by working together with communities, schools, teachers, principals, learners, parents, academics, researchers and the government. We build an understanding of the educational system, whilst drawing attention to problems faced by schools and their communities. Equipped with this knowledge, EE offers a new way for people to participate in the democratic system and bring change to education and society. History of Equal Education The organisation began in February 2008 by conducting research in schools in Khayelitsha (a working-class community in Cape Town, with a population of approximately 700,000 people, and 54 schools). Schools in Khayelitsha, like those in other poor communities, are under-resourced, under-staffed and overcrowded – factors which have a significantly negative impact on academic performance. EE began with the aim of supporting the many hardworking teachers and determined learners within the community who are battling in difficult conditions. Today EE is known nationally, and has members active in most provinces. The Head Office remains in Khayelitsha, where it intends to stay. EE has active branches in Bonteheuwel, Khayelitsha and Kraaifontein. There is also regular campaigning taking place in Grahamstown, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Potchefstroom, Polokwane and Pretoria-Tshwane. Equal Education’s most active members are called ‘Equalisers’. They are high school students in grades 8 to 12. Equalisers have a leading role in the activities of the organisation. They, along with parents, teachers, activists and community members, work with EE to improve schools in their communities, and they set an example to their peers through their dedication to their own education. Major Campaigns to Date †¢ EE successfully campaigned for the Western Cape Education Department [WCED] to fix 500 broken windows at Luhlaza High School in Khayelitsha. †¢ EE has been assisting Harry Gwala High School in Khayelitha to have its leaking roof fixed. †¢ EE ran a ground-breaking campaign against late-coming in 8 Khayelitsha High Schools. In some schools (Esangweni, for example) daily late-coming was reduced from over 100 learners per day to zero. This campaign also spread into other parts of Cape Town and the Eastern Cape. †¢ EE is presently running a major campaign for a National Policy on School Libraries, and a campaign for Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure.

Sailing to Byzantium

Poetry means many things to people all over the world. Poetry is an outlet or artistic and creative way of telling a story or expressing your emotions. It is something that does not require a lot of skill, but imagination and feeling. â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† written by William Butler Yeats is a poem that speaks of the craving for something one cannot have and the immortality of people, art and intellect, and greatness. â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† is a poem based on the theme longing for something one cannot have. In this case the old man in the poem is yearning to be young and live on forever even when his time is up. To escape death and old age the man sails to Byzantium. Byzantium is the opposite of the old man. â€Å"The young in one another’s arms, birds in the trees† and â€Å"The salmon falls, the mackerel crowded seas† are lines from the poem that illustrate the youth and vibrance of Byzantium, the youth and viberance the old man desires. Throughout the poem there are lines that hint about the immortality of people and life. One can continue to live on forever spiritually or by being remembered for having a great achievement or a great impact. In the second stanza Yeats writes, â€Å"An aged man is but a paltry thing. The old man sees age as just a number. His body may be growing older, but his insides are youthful. In the third stanza Yeats writes â€Å"Into the artifice of eternity†. This line can translate into on the illusion of immortality. Finally, in the last stanza Yeats writes, â€Å"Once out of nature I shall never take my bodily form from any natural thing. † Yeats writes that once the old man has passed he will be remembered by a symbol or sculpture much like a royal emperor. He will be represented by any natural thing. In this poem it is important to the old man that he lives on forever in the magnificent paradise of Byzantium. In addition to the immortality of people, the continuous life of art and intellect were written about. In stanza one Yeats writes, â€Å"Caught in that sensual music all neglect, moments of unaging intellect. † These two lines illustrate the immortality of art and intellect. Though some may neglect the elders because the elderly seem to lose their intellect as they age, the older generations were basically bards of education and intellect. Intellect is something that is passed down from generation to generation, it is something that will live forever. â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† is a poem largely associated with greatness. Byzantium was a paradise. It consisted of salmon-falls, mackerel-crowded seas, gold mosaic walls, Grecian goldsmiths, and a royal emperor. Byzantium was magnificent, just like the idea of immortality. I think Yeats wrote about Byzantium and immortality together because they go hand in hand. William Butler Yeat’s poem â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† is a poem about greatness and all of its elements. Byzantium was a lively place where it seemed like anything was possible. It was a paradise to escape to. To me â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† is a poem of inspiration. The poem seemed to make the idea of dying meager because one can live on forever, even past their time.

Dont Be Despondent Over Slough and Slew

Dont Be Despondent Over Slough and Slew Don’t Be Despondent Over Slough and Slew Don’t Be Despondent Over Slough and Slew By Maeve Maddox The spelling slough represents two meanings and two distinct pronunciations. 1. slough (rhymes with now) noun: soft, miry, muddy ground. This is the kind of slough that John Bunyan describes in his allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress: Now I saw in my dream, that, just as they [Christian and Pliable] had ended this talk, they drew nigh to a very miry Slough that was in the midst of the plain; and they, being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bog; the name of the Slough was Despond. Here, therefore, they wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with the dirt; and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to sink in the mire. 2. slough (rhymes with muff) noun: of a serpent or similar reptile, the cast-off skin. verb: to cast or shed the skin. Often used figuratively: Putin, like Yeltsin, is constantly looking for ways to  slough off responsibility  for  his  decisions and their consequences- RussiaLost in Transition, by Liliia Fedorovna Shevtsova. Slew, sometimes spelled slue, has more than one meaning. The verb slew originated as a nautical term meaning â€Å"to turn a thing round upon its own axis, or without shifting it from its place. Slewed became nautical slang for â€Å"drunk† and a slew-foot was â€Å"a clumsy person who walks with feet turned out.† In Texas folklore, Pecos Bill marries a woman named â€Å"Slue-Foot Sue.† The usual modern meaning of slew as a verb is â€Å"to turn a thing around on its own axis.† Here’s an example from fiction: Near the top of the ramp a motorist in a gray Toyota panicked, slamming into the car behind it. Chrome and plastic hanging from its front, it  slewed around  blocking both lanes, effectively cutting off the Aviator. Robert Ludlums (TM) The Bourne Betrayal, Eric Van Lustbader. As a noun, slew means â€Å"a very large number† or â€Å"a great amount.† For example: Baltimore City legislators  prepare  for new Annapolis session with  a slew of  bills.  City Paper, Baltimore. A less common use of slew (also spelled slue) is in reference to â€Å"a marshy or reedy pool, pond, small lake, backwater, or inlet,† as in this description of a journey along the upper Mississippi River: A continual variation of scene now opened to the view, marred only by an occasional ungraceful slew or marsh Some American speakers conflate the spelling and pronunciation of the words slough (miry ground) and slew (wetlands). They take their cue from Merriam-Webster whose entry for slough lumps the following definitions together: 1a. a place of deep mud or mire. 1b. a small marshy place. 1c. also slew or slue, a side channel or inlet I’ll give the last word on the spelling and pronunciation of these words to The Chicago Manual of Style: slew; slough; slue Slew is an informal word equivalent to many or lots (you have a slew of cattle). It is sometimes misspelled slough (a legitimate noun meaning â€Å"a grimy swamp† and pronounced to rhyme with now) or slue (a legitimate verb meaning â€Å"to swing around†). The phrase slough of despond (from Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress [1678]) means a state of depression. This is etymologically different from slough (/slÉ™f/), meaning â€Å"to discard† (slough off dry skin). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should KnowEmpathy "With" or Empathy "For"?Types of Plots

Influence of Visual Cues on Buying Behavior

Influence of Visual Cues on Buying Behavior Influence of Visual Cues on Buying Behavior Retail environment is an art of persuasion, which includes many factors that affect on consumer buying behavior. Though, most customers make their choice in favor of a product spontaneously, and a major role in this case has an attractive appearance of the products. During promotion new products to the market, often the most important visual cues are size, shape, light, and color of the product. Experts are unanimous on the importance of the visual view of packaging and are not inclined to belittle its role in creating the image of the product. It is not a secret that in a competitive environment, especially if the market includes a large number of goods, similar in composition, purpose and other features, the products fate depends on its design. The customer makes an impulsive and unplanned purchase under the influence of intelligently designed product appearance. Visual cues affect the person in the way that his or her mind does not perceive this. One of the most influential visual cues on consumer buying behavior in a retail environment is size of the product. According to Postlethwaite Gerry (1991, p. 154) more than 20% of consumers are guided solely by the big or small, compact or inconvenient products size. As well, human choice depends on the convenience and portability of the bought things. If it is some technique product, of course it is expected to not take plenty of place in the room, apartment or even in the pocket of the consumer. Therefore, if a man or woman came to the supermarket to buy a lot of goods, the number of those, which can be transported directly related to the products size and shape. It has to be admitted that packaging shape is the key to a hidden code inside customers unconscious psyche. For example, architectural elements are unconsciously perceived such feelings as order, organization, and evoke a sense of reality, responsibility and duty. That is why almost product packages have a shape of the pr oper geometric figures. Product packaging light and color are also important and influence on the consumers choice while buying the items. Particular colors and lights draw attention and are involved in shaping the image of goods. Thus consumers emphasize these cues as in the retail environment they are observed first. In the choice of a particular color always considered historical cultural preferences of potential buyers. It is well known that one and the same color in different countries is interpreted in different ways. For example, black color in the West is considered the color of mourning and sadness, but in many Asian countries these emotional meanings have white color. In addition to this not mind-controlled association, products light and color in the consumers representation call up desire to buy the product. The most of the customers faster pay attention to the bright and light colors. Each light and color means how it perceived on a psychological level. This discovery was made by the Swiss psyc hiatrist Max Luscher, who developed the so-called color test that shows human choice and its influence on buying behavior according to the certain attitudes and mood (Sandhusen Richard 2000, p. 113). Visual cues such as size, shape, light, and color are important for manager because of his or her responsibility to ensure consumer in the environmental safety and quality of goods. For the good manager visual cues of the product are necessary help, which is able to increase selling and attract more customers in the future. Successful manager clearly know range of products and its features, skills to not only get clients though to establish with them a long relationship. The role of the products visual cues in all these cases is huge: item with the practical size, well-shaped, and nicely presented with the light and color will always be popular among the consumers and increase managers progress and career.

Bahrain Petroleum Company Bapco Commerce Essay

Bahrain Petroleum Company Bapco Commerce Essay The company has a massive capacity of up to 250,000 barrel of refinery per day. Not only is the gigantic storage capacity of more than 14 million barrels available with the company. Not only that the company owns a marine terminal for marketing and sales of its petroleum products. The new areas of oil and gas reserves are monitored and it is calculated that if the reserves is good enough for exploration that is if the output will exceed the cost that might be input on it. Thus there is a continuous search of oil fields that can help the company to increase its output and sales. Drilling and Production: BAPCO uses advanced drilling techniques and methods to pull out the maximum oil output from its reserves. The company is also working hard to foster more gas as per the rising demand of gas around the world for the vehicle operations. The following diagram shows how the drilling process. Company output: BAPCO has the largest refinery in the Middle East. Its refinery gives an output of 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The company gets 1/6th of its crude oil output from Bahrain and the rest from the Saudi Arabia through a fixed pipeline which is 27 kms on land and the other 27kms under the sea. The following diagram shows the refining process. Marketing by BAPCO: As stated earlier only 5% of the BAPCO output is sold in the domestic market and the rest 95% is exported to other countries of the world. These include the countries in the Middle East, Far East, South East Asia and India. BAPCO also sells aviation fuel to Bahrain International Airport through its affiliate. The company holds 60% of the shareholding in BAFCO or Bahrain Aviation Fuelling Company. Purpose, Mission, Vision and Value statement of BAPCO: Purpose of the BAPCO includes collaboration and growth in its field of business that is petroleum and related industries. The company aims at maximizing its contribution to the national income of Bahrain by earning more foreign currency and bringing full employment to its own country citizens. Mission of the company is to create value for money for its customers in the domestic and international market by improving its present operation and quality of integrated oil and gas business. Vision of the company is to achieve excellence in its field and push back its competitors. Values of the company include the innovation, integrity, teamwork, respect and personal accountability to its customers and the kingdom of Bahrain. Sustainability Report: Sustainability report contains the information about the economic health of the company, its working internal and external environment, social and legal position of the company. Mostly the sustainability report can be found out in the operations part of the financial report of the company. In this article we will take a look at the financial report of the company in year 2010. The sustainability report of BAPCO can be figured out as follows. Economic factors. The economic factors of the company signify the development and progress of the company in the coming years. The key figures of the company economic factors include the followings.

Analysis of Canoe Restaurant in Pasadena Assignment

Analysis of Canoe Restaurant in Pasadena - Assignment Example As a prerequisite for sale contacts, completion of the Canoe restaurant was necessitated and  paramount. The Los Angeles restaurant grading ordinance got formulated to monitor, evaluate and recommend restaurants  particularly  on their food handling methods,  preparation  and storage regulations (Hutter 15). The grading ordinances  have  enabled customers, and authorities to achieve peace of mind in terms of food quality and health (Hutter 20). After inspection of the  Caneo  restaurant, I  wish  to  give  the  inspection  report as follows: First, the restaurant assistants were reluctant to  observe  some basic food handling  procedure; Failure to clean and  sanitize  the  instruments  used for chopping foodstuff. The kitchens chopping instrument gets used on different kinds of food, for example, beef and chicken. This increases the risks of food contamination for both customers and the workers. Secondly, the  chef, his  assistant and the entire kitchen staff  had  a set  of  complete  protective wear although none of them had  hair  nets. This increases the  possibility  of foreign material such as hair strands to  drop  in the food and  thus contaminate  it. The refrigerator  content  is not labeled clearly. This makes it confusing for the chefs to  pick  the  right  ingredients for the preparation of menus. Some of the kitchen units do not contain thermometers for measuring the  exact  temperature of food to prevent them from contamination. There is also laxity in food handling; foods  do not get wrapped  but instead get left to open air. This too increases the  possibility  of contamination. Finally, lack of maintaining the required kitchen temperature from the required optimum temperature hinders proper food storage. However, Canoe restaurant demonstrated positive results in kitchen practising habits. First, there is a high  level  of cleanliness maintained in terms of personal hygiene, equipment, clothing and the kitchen surroundings. An excellent grading result depends on  the perfection  of the restaurants’ staffs’. The  chef gets tasked with the ability  and skills to ensure  per fect  food handling, storage and preparation (Hutter 26).

Hannah Hoch and the Dada Art Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hannah Hoch and the Dada Art Movement - Essay Example The creation of collages was not long in following and became a mainstay of the Dadaist movement, particularly as it evolved into the concept of photomontage.   Artists during this period struggled against the concept that art created spiritual values and frequently used the products of their creative spirit to protest against the First World War. Beginning in France in about 1916, the movement’s progress and development can be seen in context with the Great War, which started in 1914 and was waged for four years. While this artistic movement didn’t start until two years after the war began, about when the populace, artists among them, was beginning to feel the pressure of constant warlike states, it also persisted for a few years after it ended as the populace, again with artists among them, became reconciled to the new world order thus established. The development of this movement is most frequently associated with artists such as Raoul Hausmann, Kurt Schwitters and Marcel Duchamp, among other male artists, but less well known is the equally contributive Hannah Hoch. This investigation into the Dada Movement will, therefore, focus upon Hoch’s contributions to the movement and her artwork as representative of it. The foundation of the Dada Movement is actually attributed to artists in Zurich, Switzerland and in New York, America. It is described in the Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature as a â€Å"nihilistic movement in the arts †¦ that was based on the principles of deliberate irrationality, anarchy, and cynicism and the rejection of laws of beauty and social organization† (cited in Buell, 1998). The name of the movement was arrived at with the same lack of reverence as the movement itself, reportedly arrived at by chance and retained because of its childlike associations. One of its chief goals was to undermine the â€Å"rational and civilized standards† then in place in the art world by exploring the icons of the old world, placing them in new contexts so as to expose a lack of inherent meaning in the work.  

The importance of time management in organizations Essay

The importance of time management in organizations - Essay Example Major, Klein and Ehrhart (2002); Jackson and Martin (1996); Teuchmann, Totterdell and Parker (1999) have studied in detail the stress borne by managers and employees of an organisation to deliver on time in the midst of an acute time-crisis. Adding on to these, Palmer and Schoorman (1999) have identified that the shortage of time in organisations result in employees performing multiple activities simultaneously. A number of studies on this subject have stated that time is an important factor to consider while formulating organisational behaviour models as it greatly affects an organisation’s business, operations and human resource (Wright, 2002; Ancona, Goodman, Lawrence and Tushman, 2001; George and Jones, 2000). As a corollary to their research, Macan (1994) studied the means employees of a company resort to for time management and also recommended several ways in which such initiatives can be bettered and integrated into a holistic effort. The shortage of time As per data c ollected from 557 managers of various companies as part of a recent survey by McKinsey & Company, only 124 respondents stated that they are content with the way their time is assigned to different tasks; against a contrasting 433 respondents who stated that they were discontent. These 500 respondents were categorised into 4 groups: 1. Managers who spend most of their time at their desk and cannot find time to provide support and motivation to their subordinates on a personal basis. 2. Managers who mostly spend most of their time away from their desk and cannot find time to attend important meetings or sit down and formulate corporate strategies. 3. Managers who spent most of their time with their subordinates and cannot find time to interact with the stakeholders of the company. 4. Managers who are actively involved in responding to sudden challenges and crises within the organisation, and cannot find time to take part in long-term strategy formulations. The study indicates that man agers are increasingly feeling the heat of performing too many tasks in too little time. Most of them feel that their work hours are not sufficient to cater to all their responsibilities. Some of the reasons for lack of time may be identified as the constant need to communicate with multiple stakeholders on every little work progress; the added burdens of globalisation such as, different time zones and more complex organisational hierarchies; and the over-aggressiveness of companies in the midst of a global financial crisis. The consequences of such shortage of time also flow down to the end employees who are led by the managers. This often leads to unorganised, non-synchronous activities within an organisation. Although companies consider lack of time as a personal problem of employees and not of their concern, its impacts are far-reaching and are directly associated with a company’s working principles and performance. The study clearly shows that time is not considered duri ng formulating corporate strategies and assigning roles and responsibilities. Most companies perceive time as an infinite resource that constantly flows in, but the fact is that just like money, the time-related capabilities of a company are also limited. Time is essential to plan, track and manage

(not sure) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

(not sure) - Essay Example The functions of the IMF, WB and WTO have expanded in ways unforeseen to eventually affect a wider than ever range of policies and programmes. Necessarily, the international organizations exerted influences over national jurisdictions, which generally fell into two categories. The first is in the form of expansions in broader and deeper conditions applied to borrowing members, including each nation’s domestic and municipal governance, and the policy-setting framework of their economic institutions. The second has to do with the set of commitments binding upon the member states upon establishment of the World Trade Organization in 1995, extending further into other areas traditionally governed by local legislation (Woods & Narlikar, 2001). Financial intrusions. The first kind of interference was intensified during the 1990s upon the occurrences of the regional financial crises during the 1990s, prompting the industrialized and powerful members of the IMF and World Bank to call for â€Å"forceful, far reaching structural reforms† and correct the perceived weaknesses in the domestic financial systems in the member countries – referring, in retrospect, to the weaker member nations of the IMF and World Bank. Kapur (2001) determined that the international financial institutions’ (IFI’s) â€Å"performance criteria† which formed the condition for loans, for a sample of 25 countries, rose from some 6 to 10 in the 1980s, to 26 measures in the 1990s. The number of programme objectives likewise increased, requiring countries to mobilise, redefine, strengthen or upgrade an expanding range of government processes (Wood & Narlikar, 2001). Many have protested that the level of conditionality being imposed by the IFIs was never intended in their original mandates, which in al aspects gave deference to the absolute sovereignty of states within their jurisdictions. In the late nineties, the conditionality and policy-based lending expanded from what

Personal Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal Project - Essay Example Initiation of a new venture has various advantages as well as disadvantages. For example, with the introduction of a new venture, an individual can make more capital and have own freedom (Hultman and Shaw, 2003). On the contrary, initiating a new venture involves huge financial risks and along with that one need to take extra burden of work so as to get success. Yet, individuals explore this avenue so as earn money, respect and at the same time carry out some social works (Carson, Cromie, McGowan and Hill, 1995). In our case, the business chosen was restaurant business. The company was named as E-Food Restaurant and positioned to capitalize on the opportunities arises due to the changing consumer needs. The USP (unique selling proposition) of our restaurant is customer tailored and fresh meals. In addition, the location of our restaurant coupled with large seating capacity acts as a competitive advantage to the firm. The products of our restaurant are mostly inspired from the British culture and wildlife (Hultman, 1999). The launching of our first restaurant business is a part of our long term plan and to drive change in the industry. However, the process was not easy enough and we had to pass through various complexities before reaching this stage. In this report, I on behalf of our company would like to reflect upon the steps that we went through in establishing and running the company through the competition & the decisions that were made during the competition and their outcome. In addit ion, this self reflection report also proposes to shed light on the overall experience and knowledge that we have gained from the module. Lastly, a conclusive statement will be drawn regarding our overall experience and the things we have learned over the years. Our business also took the steps as other businesses usually take before venturing into a business. Likewise, any other business, our

The importance of time management in organizations Essay

The importance of time management in organizations - Essay Example Major, Klein and Ehrhart (2002); Jackson and Martin (1996); Teuchmann, Totterdell and Parker (1999) have studied in detail the stress borne by managers and employees of an organisation to deliver on time in the midst of an acute time-crisis. Adding on to these, Palmer and Schoorman (1999) have identified that the shortage of time in organisations result in employees performing multiple activities simultaneously. A number of studies on this subject have stated that time is an important factor to consider while formulating organisational behaviour models as it greatly affects an organisation’s business, operations and human resource (Wright, 2002; Ancona, Goodman, Lawrence and Tushman, 2001; George and Jones, 2000). As a corollary to their research, Macan (1994) studied the means employees of a company resort to for time management and also recommended several ways in which such initiatives can be bettered and integrated into a holistic effort. The shortage of time As per data c ollected from 557 managers of various companies as part of a recent survey by McKinsey & Company, only 124 respondents stated that they are content with the way their time is assigned to different tasks; against a contrasting 433 respondents who stated that they were discontent. These 500 respondents were categorised into 4 groups: 1. Managers who spend most of their time at their desk and cannot find time to provide support and motivation to their subordinates on a personal basis. 2. Managers who mostly spend most of their time away from their desk and cannot find time to attend important meetings or sit down and formulate corporate strategies. 3. Managers who spent most of their time with their subordinates and cannot find time to interact with the stakeholders of the company. 4. Managers who are actively involved in responding to sudden challenges and crises within the organisation, and cannot find time to take part in long-term strategy formulations. The study indicates that man agers are increasingly feeling the heat of performing too many tasks in too little time. Most of them feel that their work hours are not sufficient to cater to all their responsibilities. Some of the reasons for lack of time may be identified as the constant need to communicate with multiple stakeholders on every little work progress; the added burdens of globalisation such as, different time zones and more complex organisational hierarchies; and the over-aggressiveness of companies in the midst of a global financial crisis. The consequences of such shortage of time also flow down to the end employees who are led by the managers. This often leads to unorganised, non-synchronous activities within an organisation. Although companies consider lack of time as a personal problem of employees and not of their concern, its impacts are far-reaching and are directly associated with a company’s working principles and performance. The study clearly shows that time is not considered duri ng formulating corporate strategies and assigning roles and responsibilities. Most companies perceive time as an infinite resource that constantly flows in, but the fact is that just like money, the time-related capabilities of a company are also limited. Time is essential to plan, track and manage

Personal Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal Project - Essay Example Initiation of a new venture has various advantages as well as disadvantages. For example, with the introduction of a new venture, an individual can make more capital and have own freedom (Hultman and Shaw, 2003). On the contrary, initiating a new venture involves huge financial risks and along with that one need to take extra burden of work so as to get success. Yet, individuals explore this avenue so as earn money, respect and at the same time carry out some social works (Carson, Cromie, McGowan and Hill, 1995). In our case, the business chosen was restaurant business. The company was named as E-Food Restaurant and positioned to capitalize on the opportunities arises due to the changing consumer needs. The USP (unique selling proposition) of our restaurant is customer tailored and fresh meals. In addition, the location of our restaurant coupled with large seating capacity acts as a competitive advantage to the firm. The products of our restaurant are mostly inspired from the British culture and wildlife (Hultman, 1999). The launching of our first restaurant business is a part of our long term plan and to drive change in the industry. However, the process was not easy enough and we had to pass through various complexities before reaching this stage. In this report, I on behalf of our company would like to reflect upon the steps that we went through in establishing and running the company through the competition & the decisions that were made during the competition and their outcome. In addit ion, this self reflection report also proposes to shed light on the overall experience and knowledge that we have gained from the module. Lastly, a conclusive statement will be drawn regarding our overall experience and the things we have learned over the years. Our business also took the steps as other businesses usually take before venturing into a business. Likewise, any other business, our

Portlend Cancer Center Case Essay Example for Free

Portlend Cancer Center Case Essay The model calculates the NAL (or NPV) and IRR of the lease for both parties on the basis of relevant input data. The invoice price and lease rental payments must be the same for both parties, but the other input variables may be different for each party. The model also examines the differential profitability to the lessee between conventional and per procedure leases. The model consists of a complete base case analysisno changes need to be made to the existing MODEL-GENERATED DATA section. However, all values in the student version INPUT DATA section have been replaced with zeros. Thus, students must determine the appropriate input values and enter them into the model. These cells are colored red. When this is done, any error cells will be corrected and the base case solution will appear. Note that the model does not contain any risk analyses, so students will have to create their own if required by the case. Furthermore, students must create their own graphics (charts) as needed to present their results. Both instructor and student versions contains a sheet (Figure 1) that plots lessees NAL, lessors NPV, and total contract value versus the size of the lease payment.

Comparing Disclosure Based Regulation And Merit Based Regulation Finance Essay

Comparing Disclosure Based Regulation And Merit Based Regulation Finance Essay There are tw0 basic models of regulatory system which is the supervision framework for securities market which is a merit based regulation and disclosure based regulation. These regulation systems are important to provide adequate investor protection and regulate business practices or codes of conduct that reduces systemic risks. There are several countries which have adopted the disclosure based regulation which are Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. The countries which are still following the merit based systems are China and Philippines but to certain extend.  [1]   MBR The recognition of the need for a securities regulator to ensure investor protection and market integrity is located in the Securities Commission Act 1993 (SCA), under which the Securities Commission (SC) is established. Section 15(1) of the SCA requires the SC to, which control all matters relating to securities and to take all reasonable measures to preserve the confidence of investors in the securities market by ensuring sufficient security for such investors. The principal thrust of the regulatory framework currently applied by the SC is merit-based. Section 32(4) of the Securities Commission Act 1993 (SCA), give power that all proposals that involve issues or offers of securities to the public be subjected to the SCs prior approval. The SC has the discretion to approve the proposals with such revisions and subject to such terms and conditions as it deems fit. The SC also has the power to reject corporate proposals if it is reasonably satisfied that these proposals are not in the best interest of the public company and/or the investing public  [2]  . Authorities regulate securities offering Under the MBR, The authorities regulate the securities offering by protecting and shielding the investor by ensuring that the offering of the securities of the companys is judged by the authorities to be fair, just and equitable. Under this approach, the regulators or the authorities would make an assessment regarding the companys viability, quality and capabilities of the companys management, its suitability for listing and taking regard of the public interest before approving any issuance proposal regarding the companys securities.  [3]  For example, section 34(4) of the SCA, issues or offers of securities is subjected to the approval from the SC. Issuers and advisers disclose to authorities Under the MBR model, the issuers and advisers disclosed all information regarding the companys business to the authorities or the market regulators. These are because under this type of model, the market regulator needs to approve first the securities before the investor can be allowed to invest in the companys. This is for the purpose to protect the investor. Authorities reviews investment merits of offering Regulators review each transaction according to its perceived merits. The evaluation is completed in two stages which is firstly, adequacy of disclosure is assessed then, and the merits of the transaction are subjected to value judgment. Merit-based regulation assumes that the market regulators are better informed than investors and can better decide the merits of transactions on their behalf.  [4]  These merit judgment is the indication whether the companys can provide safe securities in making business in order to protect the investment made by the investor. Advantages of MBR Model In merit based regulation, it is a paternalistic attempt to improve or to develop the fairness between the relationship between the sellers and buyers of the securities in the capital market. These models also act as a shield to protect the public investors from the risks involved in acting on impulse. This is because the authorities had made deep valuation and merits regarding the companys business in order to approve the securities issued by the companys. This model or regulatory system is particularly suitable to be adopted for Malaysias emerging capital market which has a large proportion of financially unsophisticated retail investors. This is also reduce or minimizing the possibility of promoters of public companies exploiting these less sophicated investors to use as to their own advantages. In the securities market, the Securities Commission is also able to ensure that mechanism in place is working well in order to prevent unscrupulous and unethical practices in the issue or offer of the securities by the companies. By ensuing that the mechanism place is working, the investor would have minimized the risk of losing their investment by the unscrupulous and unethical practices of some companys who would provide false or inadequate information regarding their business. But, the ultimate decision still lies within the investor. This is because the decision and the evaluation of the security offered lies with the investing public. The securities commission will not give a guarantee that the investment made by the investor would get a return or profit.  [5]   The SC has the power to check and ensure that the securities that are offered by the issuers are fairly and reasonably priced. Disadvantages of MBR Model This is regards to the public interest where the public investor would make their decision in investing their money in the companys based on the SC. The approach of MBR posed a problem of moral hazard. This is because when the market regulators or the SC gives their approval of the merits of a particular company, it exist danger that investors will perceive that the corporation will be a good investment as the SC had given their approval after making some merits regarding the business of the companys. This would lead to an impression whereby the investor did not need to individually evaluate the merits or risk of investing in that company. The investor would totally leave it to the market regulator to make the research. By using these models, the regulatory approach of MBR restricts entrepreneurs and investors choice in making decision in choosing the right company to invest by limiting the scope of investment that is offered to them. This is because only SC will give and provide the necessary approval in order to make the issued security to be approved. If the companys does not comply the guideline given and the SC does not approve the issue offered, thus limiting the option available to the investor in investing their money. This approach also denies certain ventures of access to public funds unless the issuer of securities agrees to modify their offering according to the pre-requisite set by the SC. The issue that always arises is that the SC and the issuers of securities tend to have conflicting views as to how and the extent to which a proposed venture or transaction will be beneficial to investor in general. The SC is also known to be more conservative in its judgment and normally will not approve highly risky securities to be offered to the public. The merit based regulation also provided that by giving much protection to the investor, this will take the bargaining power from the securities offeror or issuers and the power will be switch to the investor instead. The protection is significant because the issuers of the securities need to raise funds at a substantial discount from the actual price of their securities. From this Market philosophy, this over-protection of the investing public had compelled issuers to raise funds at a substantial discount from the actual value of their securities or add to the perception of initial investors that they would be guaranteed a premium when the corporate body is launched onto the marketplace. Basic principle of DBR The basic principle of DBR is the need for the issuers and intermediaries offering securities to provide investors with sufficient, accurate and timely disclosure of all relevant information regarding the companys business, prospects, finances and the terms of the securities in order to allow investors to better evaluate the risks and merits of their investment.  [6]  This is to allow the investor to make they own informed investment decisions. Usually is done through the use of prospectus which focuses whether the companies comply with the standard of disclosure required. For example, in Malaysia, the companies that is listed in Bursa Malaysia, one of the listing requirements of the standard disclosure is to have at least two annual reports that can be inspect by the investors in order to make their decision to invest. The investor are expected to carry out their own due diligence or with the assistance of expert or professional such as lawyers and accountant because the investo r hold a higher level of responsibilities in evaluating the risk or particular offering based on the disclosed information before investing.  [7]   Authorities regulate disclosure of information in securities offering Under DBR, the regulation of the disclosure or the standard of the disclosure in securities offering is on the authorities where the authorities will provide the guidelines for the company in disclosing the relevant information pertaining the companys business, finances, prospects and terms of securities. The burden is put on the issuers of the securities and advisers and not on the authorities. Issuers and adviser disclosed to investor Under the model Of DBR, the issuers of the securities will provide sufficient information according to the Securities Commission Guidelines regarding the disclosure of information regarding their business. The advisers which are normally experts or professionals such as accountants, lawyers and other technical experts need to have play their role in the preparation of prospectus for the investing public. These are because each of these adviser or experts can be held liable for a defective prospectus under the DBR. The due diligence process is for the purposes of preparing good and complete prospectus and involves performing reasonable investigate work in order to determine that the prospectus does not contain any material omission or false information. Financial advisers and experts in particular are expected to have a very high standard of reasonable care. An adviser has an obligation to make a reasonable investigation not just for the purpose of its own due diligence defence but al so as a duty to the investing public who will be relying on the opinion and recommendations of the advisers. In order to minimize their potential risk, the expert of professionals must make due diligence enquiries.  [8]   Investors determine investment merits of offering In the DBR System, the investor cannot expect that the securities regulator to protect them forever. In order to invest, the investor cannot invest blindly. The investor must make their own research and collect data and information regarding the companys business. Investors have to evaluate and assess the merits of any security being issued or offered before making any investment decision It would become more apparent that investors would have to change their laid-back attitude. They can no longer take for granted that securities being issued or offered have already passed the regulators investment merit review. Instead, the information necessary for the investors themselves to evaluate the investment merit of a security will be available. Investors must also take a more active interest in the companies they invest in emphasis should always be placed on fundamentals and long-term performance rather than short-term profit. Investors should be concerned about ensuring that their rights and interests as shareholders are protected, and that greater transparency and accountability are shown by the directors or principal officers of the companies concerned. Ultimately the effectiveness of the disclosure regime to be adopted in Malaysia will depend on investors themselves. They must also rise to the occasion by paying closer attention to the affairs of the corporations in wh ich they invest. Under a disclosure-based regulation, investment analysts and financial journalists would have access to more relevant information to enable them to make more detailed analysis, research and assessment of each security issue or offering and can conclude at a better finding and recommendation. This is of particular importance in Malaysia in view of the large proportion of retail investors, some of whom lack the technical expertise and or the time needed to evaluate the web of information disclosed by issuers of securities. These investors may need to rely on the analysis disseminated by the investment analysts and financial journalists to make better informed investment decisions.  [9]   Advantages of DBR There are several advantages of the DBR regulatory model system. Basically, this would result in a more transparent and informed market whereby companies have to improve their quality of disclosure to facilitate potential decision making by potential investors. By upgrading the quality, the investors have more choice and more information pertaining the business and the finances of the companies before making any investment in the companies. Investor must know and get the information given by the issuer of securities to because the investor will hold the burden of all the responsibility towards their investment decision. One of the major advantages of DBR, the companies can raise more funds at a lower or cheaper cost. This is because it is based on the assumption that the higher level of transparency will lead to a greater evaluation risk by underwriters which would then contribute to a lesser cost in raising the fund which give the issuers companies the power to price it assets at a higher premium rates.  [10]   Another advantage under the DBR is where the role of the regulator is to ensure that the structure of the market is consistent and efficient for the market In order for the investor to make a decision. The regulators will ensure that the information given by the companies are disclosed so that the investor will become the judge in making judgment of the merits of alternative investment, so that the regulator would only emphasis on disclosure and eradication of fraud.  [11]   According to analysis, by shifting towards the disclosure based regulation, the benefit that the securities market will enjoy is that the increased of efficiency of the Malaysian capital market by removing the barriers to competitiveness which is present in the old merit regulatory system.  [12]   A higher standard of disclosure by the companies is ensuring by the regulatory bodies. This is because the companies are expected to follow the guidelines of disclosure of the information according to the SC. This would give more chance to the investor in making their own research of the accountability of the companies before making any investment. The Ground for the shift of regulatory model from MBR to DBR The Securities Commission continues to play an important role in providing direction on broad policy matters and in enforcing the securities laws and regulations. Its role is to ensure that the incentives and structure of the market are consistent with efficiency, fairness and stability. The table below shows the ground for the shift to DBR regulatory system. Three Tenets of DBR Disclosure The responsibility of directors of public companies is to ensure that all material information required by the public to make investment decisions is provided accurately, in full and on a timely basis. In disclosing such information, the question that is need to be asked is whether Has any important piece of information been omitted? Is any part of the information misleading? Is the information complete and accurate? Investors rely on available information when deciding where and when they should invest their money. There is a need for information when new securities are offered in the primary market. There is also a need for information when dealing in securities already traded in the secondary market. Disclosure of information therefore benefits investors by facilitating them to make investment decisions. Companies intending to offer securities to the public are required to fully disclose information about the affairs of the companies and the securities which are being offered, in the offering documents or prospectuses. For a public listed company, disclosure obligations are stipulated in the Listing Rules of the stock exchanges. Due Diligence In preparing the information to be disclosed to the public, directors of public companies must undertake a due diligence exercise to verify and ensure that the information to be released is accurate and timely. Due diligence is a process by which inquiries are conducted to ensure that information to be disclosed is true, sufficient and timely. Due care must also be given to ensure that there is no omission of material information. Material information is information which would reasonably be expected by rational investors to facilitate their investment decisions. Information that can affect the trading activities and prices of the companys securities must be released immediately. The onus then lies with the investor to consider and weigh the information provided before making decisions. Following amendments to the Securities Commission Act 1993 (SCA) in 1995, which placed a higher standard of responsibility on promoters, directors, and advisers in respect of disclosures, the Securities Commission released a publication on Due Diligence Practices in August 1996. The publication is intended to explain the importance of due diligence, especially given the criminal liabilities imposed on persons responsible for submission of proposals to the Securities Commission under section 32 of the SCA. In March 1999, another publication on Due Diligence Guidelines on Submission of Proposals to the Securities Commission was published. It was jointly issued by the Association of Merchant Banks in Malaysia, Federation of Public Listed Companies, MIA, MACPA and MAICSA. The publication, in detailing the due diligence process, the question whether 1) Who will be held responsible for conducting the due diligence? 2) Who should be included in a Due Diligence Working Group(DDWG)? 3) What should the terms of reference and role of the DDWG be? 4) What is the methodology used in conducting the due diligence exercise? The publication also includes a due diligence checklist for an initial public offering and sets out clearly the roles and responsibilities of the various parties involved in the exercise. Corporate Governance The timely, accurate and transparent disclosure of material information is an integral component of ensuring good corporate governance. Boards of directors of companies need to be open about the businesses they direct and this includes transparency in corporate activities and transactions. This is essential so that shareholders can exercise their rights constructively. However, they can only do so if they are provided the relevant information. Apart from compliance with laws and regulations that constitutes one aspect of ensuring that directors perform their fiduciary duties properly, there are also codes of best practices which the directors are expected to observe. Among the codes to be observed are The Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance, issued by the Finance Committee on Corporate Governance and The Company Directors Code of Ethics issued by the Registry of Companies.  [13]   Time Frame for Shift to DBR The shift to DBR takes effect over a period of five years under three phases, beginning in 1996, with full DBR expected to be achieved by the year 2001. An outline of the time frame and focus of the shift is set out below: Table 2: Time Frame for Shift from MBR to DBR

A History of Jazz and Classical Music :: Jazz Classical Music

Upon entering a modern record store, one is confronted with a wide variety of choices in recorded music. These choices not only include a multitude of artists, but also a wide diversity of music categories. These categories run the gamut from easy listening dance music to more complex art music. On the complex side of the scale are the categories known as Jazz and Classical music. Some of the most accomplished musicians of our time have devoted themselves to a lifelong study of Jazz or Classical music, and a few exceptional musicians have actually mastered both. A comparison of classical and Jazz music will yield some interesting results and could also lead to an appreciation of the abilities needed to perform or compose these kinds of music. Let's begin with a look at the histories of the two. The music called classical, found in stores and performed regularly by symphonies around the world, spans a length of time from 1600 up to the present. This time frame includes the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary periods. The classical period of music actually spans a time from of 1750 to 1800; thus, the term Classical is a misnomer and could more correctly be changed to Western Art Music or European Art Music. European because most of the major composers up till the 20th century were European. Vivaldi was Italian, Bach was German, Mozart and Beethoven were Austrian; they are some of the more prominent composers. Not until the twentieth century with Gershwin and a few others do we find American composers writing this kind of art music. For the sake of convention, we can refer to Western Art Music as Classical music. Jazz is a distinctively American form of music, and it's history occupies a much smaller span of time. Its origins are found in the early 1900s as some dance band leaders in the southern U.S. began playing music that combined ragtime and blues. Early exponents of this dance music were Jelly Roll Martin (a blues player) and Scott Joplin (ragtime). The terms "Jazz" and "Jazz Band" first surfaced in the year 1900. Some say this occurred in New Orleans, although similar music was played at the same time in other places. The most prominent exponents of this early music, called Dixieland Jazz, included Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet. After World War I, Jazz music had evolved A History of Jazz and Classical Music :: Jazz Classical Music Upon entering a modern record store, one is confronted with a wide variety of choices in recorded music. These choices not only include a multitude of artists, but also a wide diversity of music categories. These categories run the gamut from easy listening dance music to more complex art music. On the complex side of the scale are the categories known as Jazz and Classical music. Some of the most accomplished musicians of our time have devoted themselves to a lifelong study of Jazz or Classical music, and a few exceptional musicians have actually mastered both. A comparison of classical and Jazz music will yield some interesting results and could also lead to an appreciation of the abilities needed to perform or compose these kinds of music. Let's begin with a look at the histories of the two. The music called classical, found in stores and performed regularly by symphonies around the world, spans a length of time from 1600 up to the present. This time frame includes the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary periods. The classical period of music actually spans a time from of 1750 to 1800; thus, the term Classical is a misnomer and could more correctly be changed to Western Art Music or European Art Music. European because most of the major composers up till the 20th century were European. Vivaldi was Italian, Bach was German, Mozart and Beethoven were Austrian; they are some of the more prominent composers. Not until the twentieth century with Gershwin and a few others do we find American composers writing this kind of art music. For the sake of convention, we can refer to Western Art Music as Classical music. Jazz is a distinctively American form of music, and it's history occupies a much smaller span of time. Its origins are found in the early 1900s as some dance band leaders in the southern U.S. began playing music that combined ragtime and blues. Early exponents of this dance music were Jelly Roll Martin (a blues player) and Scott Joplin (ragtime). The terms "Jazz" and "Jazz Band" first surfaced in the year 1900. Some say this occurred in New Orleans, although similar music was played at the same time in other places. The most prominent exponents of this early music, called Dixieland Jazz, included Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet. After World War I, Jazz music had evolved

Psychological Conflicts In Literature(1) :: essays research papers

We all experience psychological conflicts, knowingly or unknowingly. They involve psychological conflicts among our thoughts, emotions, and rational thinking. It may be the most dangerous conflict of all due to the battleground in which it take place in -- our mind. There are many examples of psychological conflicts in the stories we have read. In "Leiningen Versus the Ants" by Carl Stephenson, Leiningen battled not only on his South American plantation, but in his mind. He struggled with the issue of running away and letting the ants take over his plantation. He wasn't a quitter and enjoys the mental aspects of things. But when the ants and the reality of death came, he had to resolve the conflict whether to stay or flee. This was especially true when he ran to the dam wheel. He could of fled then or died, but he chose to try to save the plantation and workers. He was faced with the conflict living or, perhaps the greatest psychological conflict, which he resolved when he chose to run to the wheel. In "The Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets" by Jack Finney, Tom also faced a psychological conflict. The story was mainly focused on his physical conflict, but near the end he experienced psychological conflict. As with Leiningen, Tom faced the choice to die or to live, and he realized with that conflict how much his wife meant to him. He overcame the conflict when, as we read, the yellow paper flew out the window again, but he left to be with his wife. In "Blues Ain't No Mockin'bird" by Toni Cade Bambara, Granny experienced a psychological conflict with her past treatment and her current conflict with Smiley and Camera. She struggled to break and maybe actually kill them or fall into depression, but she was successful in winning the conflict.