The Religious Symbolism and Architecture of Angkor Wat and Borobudur

Built by the Khmers between 802 and 1220 AD, the ancient temples of Angkor Wat exist as the remaining relics of a historically and religiously rich city. While many other historical and religious structures in Cambodia have disappeared due in part from being constructed out of vulnerable materials like wood, Angkor Wat still remains as a symbol of the divinity of its former kings, as well as for the palace itself. Likewise, Indonesia’s Borodubur temples exist as the single remaining structures of the city.The temples of Angkor Wat and Borodubur hold several similarities within architecture and symbolism, both being heavily based on religious belief. However, different features within both structures, architecturally and symbolically, distinguish and provide insight into the individual cultures. Significance of Hinduism, Astronomy, and Cosmology In Angkor Wat Architecture With Hinduism serving as the prevailing religion of Cambodia, the temples of Angkor Wat serve as a visual b ridge between the terrestrial plane and the spiritual one.The temples of Ankgor Wat uses architectural features in order represent various ideas of Hindu Cosmology; â€Å"The walls, moats, central sanctuary, entrances, pyramidal temples and bridges with naga balustrades, and monuments such as the Neak Pean, or Bayon,† all contribute to the re-creation of the heavenly world on Earth. By re-creating this, Earth and the heavenly world are entwined; creating a bond between the two worlds that allows humanity to flourish. In constructing Angkor Wat to represent religious beliefs, the Khmer people literally built heaven on Earth.By creating a tangible representation of what is believed to have happened in the past, the past becomes more real and more concrete to viewers and believers alike. In order to honor the Hindu God Vishnu, Suryavaram II built Angkor Wat during the early years of the 12th century, around 1150 B. C. Structurally, the central building of Angkor Wat is serves as a re-creation of Mount Meru, the mountain that the center of the Jambudvipa within Hindu cosmology as well as being considered the axis of the Earth by the Hindu religion.The central mammoth of a tower represents Mount Meru, and uniquely faces west instead of east towards the sunrise, as all other temples do. Several theories explain why the temple faces west; the first theory being that the west is associated with Vishnu. In facing the temple west, the temple continues to serve as a means of honoring Vishnu. The second theory states that King Suryavarman intended Angkor Wat to serve as his funerary temple while a the third theory explains that the alignment of the central tower with the sun adds another dimension to the divinity of the temple.Ankgor Wat’s architecture does not only exhibit its religious roots, but also displays the importance of astronomy and cosmology. It â€Å"contains calendrical, historical, and mythological data encoded into its measurements. † Because solar movement regulates the position of the bas-reliefs, the architecture exhibits the importance of the sun to the Cambodians. The Cambodians built the structure of Angkor Wat to align directly with the sun during the spring equinox, â€Å"where the sun can be seen rising over the central tower. Although no concurrent reason exists as to why the sun is so important to the Cambodians, what can be said is that the sun was so significant to the Cambodians, that they not only based their calendar on the solar and lunar cycles, but they constructed their King’s palace, a place of great importance that connects the heavens with Earth, to align with the sun. The five central towers of Ankgor Wat that stand 77 meters tall hold religious significance as well. These five inter-nested rectangular towers represent five peaks of the mountain Meru.Also, the moat surrounding the central temple that measures 190 meters wide symbolizes the cosmic ocean that existed before the dawn of creation, and the enclosing wall represents the rock encircling the universe. Creating a replication of â€Å"Mount Meru, enclosing walls as the wall of rock, and the moat filled with water as the ocean† serves as the essential architectures for the Cambodians to re-create and symbolize their Hindu religious beliefs. Decorative elements through out the towers and galleries present their own characteristics and fulfill specific needs within the temple.The towers are formed into the shape of the ever-popular lotus buds, and the galleries are used to expand the many passageways of the temple. Also, the axial galleries within the temple are used to connect several enclosures. Characteristic decorative components of Angkor Wat include narrative and historical bas-reliefs, pediments, and devatas. The bas-reliefs located in the gallery of Angkor Wat holds a special signification for Angkor Wat. The gallery displays heaven and the underworld in which garudas and lions are holding the celestial palaces.These gerudas indicate that the palaces were floating in heaven, comparing Angkor Wat to the palaces of the Gods. This display furthers the idea that Angkor Wat acts as a liason between the world of Heaven and Earth. Because the palace physically remains on earth but spiritually resides within heaven, the palace acts as communal place for believers to gather. The bas-reliefs and pictures did not only serve to decorate the palaces, or depict stories of the past. They hold the important task of transforming the palace into a â€Å"celestial dwelling† or heavenly place.Further evidence to support this notion is the fact that many scenes are hidden to the point where they cannot even be seen by the naked eye. This highlights the spirituality of the place, that spirituality is not necessarily tangible or seen. In hiding the bas-reliefs, or making them subtler in the overall construction of the temple, furthers the idea that the palace is not meant to be just a place of beauty, but also a place of divinity. Candi Borobudur Layout Unlike Angkor Wat, Buddhism more heavily influences Borobudur.Built in Indonesia in the 9th century as a shrine to Buddha as well as a pilgrimage site for believers, Borobudur consists of six square platforms topped with four circular platforms. Nearly 2. 700 relief panel and 500 statues of Buddha decorate the temple. Additionally, 72 Buddha statues surround the center of the top platform of the monument. As a pilgrimage site, Pilgrims climb from the bottom of the monument, ascending to the top. While on their voyages, they are said to pass two three levels of Buddhist cosmology, or three stages of Buddhist enlightenment: the Kamadhatu, Ruppadhatu, and Arupadhatu.These levels represent the world of desire, the world of forms and the world of formlessness. Borobudur differs from Angkor Wat in that is constructed as a single, large stupa, with no inner space. It is the single remaining temple of its kind in Java, and is more than likely intended as a shrine to Buddha, instead of temple or house of worship. Typical Buddhist temples were built with rooms, intended to possess icons; Borobudur does not have the same amount of space or rooms to properly house icons, suggesting that the purpose of Borobudur differs from the other temples of Java.Various theories exist to explain the purpose behind Burobudur and architecture. It has been said that Borobudur represents Mt. Meru, that it contains three levels of Buddhist enlightenment, that the â€Å"round upper terraces were meant to form the base for an enormous stone stupa which contained a precious relic of Gautama Buddha,† or that Borobudur was simply a stupa or for initiation rights. Religious Symbolism in Borobudur Architecture Similarly to the uniqueness of Angkor Wat facing the west, Borobudur is unique as well, for it was constructed on a bedrock hill, between two volcanoes, instead of on a flat surface like other temples.Similarly t o the Khmer temple, Borobudur also displays several variations of religious significance throughout the architecture. The lotus is prevalent in the architectural and decorative aspects of the shrine. The architecture of Borobudur is similar the appearance of a lotus and the Buddha statues within Borobudur symbolize the Lotus Sutra, which is found in several Mahayana Buddhism texts. Additionally, the four circular platforms located on the top of Borobudur are also considered to embody the leaf of a lotus.The foundation of Borobudur measures approximately 118 meters on each side, in the form of a square. Of the ten platforms that make up the structure six are square and the remaining four are circular. The highest platform exhibits seventy-two small bell shaped and decoratively pierced stupas. Statues of Buddha reside within these pierced stupas. When Borobudur is viewed from above, the monument resembles the appearance of a tantric Buddhist mandala, furthering the representation of t he Buddhist cosmology.The division of Borobudur into three parts, the base, body, and top, symbolizing the three stages of what Buddhist cosmology considers the â€Å"ultimate goal. † The base represents the Kamadhatu, the five square platforms the make up the body represent Rupadhatu, and the three circular platforms that compose the top represent Arupadhatu . Similarly, the paths that guide pilgrims to the â€Å"ultimate goal† were designed through sacred Buddhist knowledge, based on Buddhist cosmology. Comparable to Ankgor Wat, Borobudur possessed exact measurements that possibly indicate calendrical, astronomical and cosmological themes.The exact ratio formula 4:6:9 has also been discovered in the Pawon and Mendhut, two other neighboring Buddhist temples. The monument further represents cosmology because it can be concluded that the 360 squares that surround the central square of the monument symbolize the 36o degrees of the â€Å"celestial circle that surrounds t he Earth. † However, details of the Buddhist system details vary from those of Hinduism origins, although the Buddhist system’s temples also focus on the idea of a central mountain that represents Meru.

Springfield nor’Easters Case Analysis

Johnkingsley Obasi AMBA650-The Springfield Nor'easters Case Analysis. Introduction. The city of Springfield, Massachusetts were blessed with the basing of a baseball minor league franchise in their city. But the class A team is faced with great revenue generation challenges that will make or mar the organization. The new team might likely take advantage of the fact that closest sports franchised teams are all located 90 miles away from Springfield. This might create a ticket and concession boom for the team and other benefits like employment and taxes for the city.The city has a considerable moderate family income and a recent growth index in the healthcare, financial, and other small and medium enterprise sectors is an advantage to the team's marketing and pricing strategies. The process of designing and implementing an effective and strategic pricing structure needs a deep understanding and knowledge of the consumer psychology and a successful pattern of setting, adapting and chang ing prices (Kotler & Keller, 2009). As a center to develop upcoming younger players, the franchise owner has an objective of making money from his baseball operations in the city.By having a successful financial breakthrough, the team will be able to finance itself and grow in a sustainable form to be competitive and profitable. The main task of this analysis is to present the best possible marketing and pricing strategies that will enable the baseball team make profit. As this organization struggles to with the pricing decisions, they embarked upon a survey to obtain an optimal pricing that will be based on the market response and reactions. Respondents will give them a helpful insight about the marketplace and possible consumer behaviors.Unfortunately, low number of respondents and inaccurate data posed another challenge. The Strategic Issues, Problems, And Other Factors Nor'easters Need To Consider Before Price Establishment. Demand considerations is critical to pricing tickets f or a base price. To begin with, management needed to build a demand for ticket sales based on extensive research. This will entail asking how many fans and non-fans would buy the teams ticket at a certain price. This exercise need to be done for various prices.Also, this survey or research could be done by doing a survey among the target tickets market. The best option, especially for a large business organizations like the Nor’easter is to employ the services of a marketing firm to carry-out the research for them. It is an imperative factor that companies must set a pricing structure when they are offering new products or services ( Kotler ; Keller, 2009). The demand price elasticity is an important factor to consider it simply states that consumers will play a role in determining how responsive to price the demand for the product is.Accurate figures can be obtained by research and mathematical calculations through simple steps. Under this situation you ask the effect of sli ght change in prices. If prices are offered at discount rates, then, price is increased then demand will expected to fall significantly as a result of that action. If luxuries goods are been sold, then demand will not respond that much to changes in price. The higher we see demand elasticity grow, the greater the growth volume will be as a result of possible 1% price reduction.When Nor'easters ticket demand goes elastic, that might warrant price-cutting to boost sales, especially cost of tickets productions and operating cost have not gone up in a disproportionate manner. Factor Number 3 that must be considered is cost. Cost here will include the cost of all borrowed capitals that have been invested in the business. Another cost to be considered will be operating cost. Every organization need to consider cost of their products or services are crucial. The issue is that a lot of small and medium business owners and managers have many times failed to do accurate price calculations.It is expected that price calculation should be done in order to work out the accurate cost of the entire process of offering a service or product to the marketplace. Every individual cost is expected to be calculated in relative terms to any type of cost. Fixed cost is cost occupies a larger magnitude in an organization's financial books and therefore, has very well defined value if you are producing or selling a product. To offer an intelligent pricing structure, Nor'easters and their management need to understand how their costs variations in different departments of their business works( Kotler & Keller, 2009).Environmental factor is another factor that Nor'easters must consider-Every business must take the environment factor into account for price policy establishment. They are in the category of constrictions that are carried out by the overall supervising office. Here, the commissioner for baseball has the regulatory powers and he can overrule some certain internal policies of a ny minor team that is in conflict with the core business objectives of the Major Baseball League (MLB). I strongly urge Springfield Nor’easters to consider this factor in the pricing policy and establishment of their organization. . A well defined problem is literally believed to be half solved. The minor baseball team in the Class A category is faced with the problem of earning reasonable revenue from sales of ticket that will empower their sound operations in Springfield. The issue of poor ticket sales could come alive with as a result of what happened to one of the minor league ice hockey teams that left the city. The team is constrained by the fact that only their players salaries, bats, and ball expenses paid by the major league teams. The minor league teams have to offset their other operating costs.In the event of failure to break-even and generate funds to pay for their other expenditures, the team would have to relocate to another city with better market opportunitie s. Concession sales would generate funds that will help offset the estimated $1. 96million operating budget, while the main partner- The Major League will contribute funds, the ticket sales is the key revenue generating source for the team. How to sell these tickets is the major problem for the team. A loyal fan base makes successful minor league baseball team(Cespedes, Winig, and Lovelock, 2009). . Analysis and evaluation. The SWOT Analysis: The city has two market segments for the sports ticketing business- namely-Loyal sports lovers that are willing to drive 90 miles to city of Boston to watch games and the second segment includes: Families, College Students, Little Leagues, and other sports lovers that do not commit absolute loyalty to any team but would love to watch games in their home city. Research shows that the market buyer behavior shows that game watchers need to be entertained in every games, thereby making the sports as an entertainment source.The act of the game provi ding a source of entertainment will surely draw fans repeatedly to the stadium for many season games if not all. Many families with minors are assumed to more likely attend many professional games in their home town. The case brief showed that about 23% had viewed baseball games on TV so it was an easy task to estimate a ticket sale from this segment. According to the survey provided in the case brief, 61% of the respondents in the city of Springfield had said that they might likely not attend a baseball game played by the minor league team.A high percentage rate of 31% indicated interest of being willing to pay $10 to see a game. Survey shows that the past 2 or 3 years, about 76% of the people interviewed had paid to watch a major league baseball game. Strengths: The target team segment of the team are the household with children of school-age under 18 years and other sport fans with loyal tendency. The team, according to survey had received positive responses from residents of the city, if those are authentic, the team will surely generate revenue that will keep them off the red zone.Springfield College has offered the team their stadium to use in exchange of package fees revenues. This has eliminated the cost of leasing a stadium . Another strength addition, $21,000 pledge from the city college and of $25,000 in sponsorship. The team has no product-market competitor in the city of Springfield. Weaknesses: There is a fundamental demographic issue as the city population is out-numbered by a working-class population that has no culture or tradition of going to the stadium to watch minor league baseball games. Ability to generate enough revenue to keep the team alive. expenses.Opportunities: The recent growth in the healthcare, financial, and entrepreneurship might create an new market and segment for the team. It is assumed that new opportunities will follow the new economic uplifting witnessed by the city in recent times would attract a new audiences and foll owership to professional sport games like minor league baseball. There is no existence of any competitor in the city that will share the market with the team , with this, any sports lover would be compelled to visit the matches of Nor'easters. Threats: Survey showed that 61% of respondents residing in the city would pay to see a game.There is a strong assumption that this huge number might influence many others. This is a potential threat that may cause the team ticket sales. Springfield is a city with poor tradition of going to see games. If this culture and tradition is not changed, it might pose a great threat to the existence of the team. Designing a pricing plan for Nor'easters . As marketing Director of the organization, Larry Buckingham embark on a market research with the intention of insightful outcome about the market and to explore and exploit ways of selling large number of tickets.The research was to enable him also to have a knowledge of who his possible and potential customers will be based on segmented ticket structure. The survey results and other information from various sources empowered Mr Buckingham to design a strategic pricing policy and establishment for his organization's concession and ticket sales. Based on data provision in the case brief, I have established from market research information show that two alternative pricing strategies that both offer strengths and weaknesses. Also some recommendations are offered based on the pricing strategies.From the survey data, assumptions made based on information from the case brief, more than 50% of the city population need to buy tickets for at least one game doing the season to enable Nor'easters generate revenues that can keep them on the break-even column. Even though 39% of the Springfield population exhibited interest to seeing baseball games as shown in the survey, this cannot be authenticated because of size of the sample used in the survey. By engaging communication and marketing, N or'easters can increase the percentage of residents willing to watch live games to more than 50%.However, considering to move to another city with high ticket-sales potential is a viable option, right? I personally do not think so. As Nor'easter and its management is faced with the process of designing the right pricing for all ticket levels and seats, the marketing director must take into consideration the fact that he is faced with very †price sensitive† customers. According to Baye et al (2005), â€Å"the application of innovative pricing strategies coupled with innovative management best practices is a perfect recipe for success in the marketplace†.As Nor'easters is seeking to hone in on an optimal prices for their seats, it is vital for them to watch the price sensitivities of their customers all through the seasons, as that will enable them adjust the dynamics of their ticket's markup from time to time. Data show that the median house income is low because m ajority of the city's residents are working class citizens. Survey data shows that more than 93% of residents interviewed have a household income of less than $75, 000 per annum.This means in simple grammar, single ticket do not have to be high and ticket discounts need to be incorporated in the pricing strategy for students, senior citizens and handicapped customers. Nor'easters' marketing plan has a key objective is to bring value-added entertainment to their baseball fans in the city of Springfield. This can only happen when the conducive atmosphere is provided during games. Such an electric atmosphere can mainly be provided by young energetic students with great enthusiasm for sports.Therefore, Larry Buckingham must consider this target group seriously and bring them to the games. With the students and families coming to watch games, concession sales will definitely increase reasonably. The appropriate price for Nor'easters regular season ticket will be very ideal at $10. The gr oup will include families with good income earning comparable to target groups like students and senior citizens. It is assumed that the set price level will not be a factor that could discourage target segment from going to watch baseball games (Kotler & Keller, 2009).As the most potential and lucrative target segment since the electrify the arena and thereby providing a fun atmosphere, their limited funds will be considered a weakness and need to enjoy large ticket discounts to retain their fan-base. I suggest that $6 will be appropriate price establishment for students. The appropriate price establishment for children will be $4 based on the fact that families coming to watch games with children will purchase a lot of concession items. This group is a potential target segment for Nor'easters.Section 3. The marketing director Buckingham, who is tasked with making the break-even of the total analysis while establishing a fan base that is loyal. Based on SWOT and STP analysis, Nor'e asters key target ticket segment will be households with school-age children of 18hyears and below and other sports lovers with consistent loyal. Based on this assumption, these alternatives have been designed. Nor'easters must establish the following: Pricing quantity, Pricing leader and discount markdowns.I suggest they participate in product ticket only, ticket bundling and ticket combinations. Larry Buckingham should carryout ticket promotions in schools backed by direct mail public media commercial. In consideration of the evaluation criteria which has ticket and concession sales as components, it is assumed that the markdown pricing strategy, ticket combination with products and direct mail in promotions will offer Nor'easters an economy that will add value goal of generating enough revenue.As all these facts have been carefully considered, adults tickets in the range of $6-$10, and half priced-tickets for children, family ticket's sale, free tickets and two coupons for conces sion products for customers on the mailing list, and a multiple game discount ticket and an efficient and effective monthly sales review and price adjustments are my recommendations. An Attempt to Calculate break-even point Cost is [email  protected] 3,150,000 70x + 3,150,000 = 160x 3,150,000 = 90 To calculate the individual break-point will be, X = 35,000 35,000 * 160 = 5,600,000.That is how the breakpoint revenue is obtained @ 60 load of the field -= 90*0. 6 = 54 Estimated Break-even point per each game= 35,000/54 = 648 approx Ticket [email  protected]$10 $10x = 70x + 3,500,000 X = 58,333 When the load is 60% level, 90*0. 6 = 54 Estimated Break-even people = 26, 250/54 = 486 based on approximation Incorporating new cost for 90 people will be: 160x = 90x + 3,150,000 Break-even persons will be X=45 [email  protected]% load capacity = 90*0. 7 – 63 Based on assumption, Break-even point here will be is 45,000/63 = 714 Profits after tax = 750,000Gross profit will be y: y-0. 3y=750,000 y = 1,071,429 approximated to be gross profit 1,071,429 = Sales of ticket – operational cost 1,071,429 = 205x-(85x+3,600,000) 1,071,429 = 205x-85-3,600,000 120x=4671,429 X = 38,929 capacity Assuming all ticketed seats occupied by 70% fans = 50x90x0. 7 = 3,150 Assumed seats occupied by extra loads= 50x90x0. 1 = 450 Estimated revenue earned per game (3,150Ãâ€"160)+(450Ãâ€"120) = 558,000 Variable cost incured per day = 70*36000 = 252,000 Income earned on daily basis = 558000-252000 = 306,000Income Generated per month = 306,000*30 = 9,180,000 My estimated profit earning = 9,180,000- 3,150,000 – 180,000 = 5850000 If load per car is 60%, it gives 90Ãâ€"0. 6 = 54 Break-even per month for fans will be, 175x = 70x +250,000 X represents fans. Therefore, X from the above equation will be = 2380 fans. Price adoption could be established based on a possibility of more than 2380 fans attending Nor'easters game on a given day. Recall, 120,000 = 175x – 70x -250,0 00 X = 3524 fans. At 60% capacity 90Ãâ€"0. = 54. References: Baye, M. , Gatti J, Rupert J. , Kattuman P, & Morgan J. (2007, Fall). A dashboard for online pricing. California Management Review, 50(1), 202-216. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from Business Source Complete. Cespedes, F. , Winig, L. , & Lovelock, C. , (2009) The Springfield Nor'easters: Maximizing Revenues in the Minor Leagues. Harvard Business School Kotler, P. , & Keller, K. (2009). A framework for marketing management (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Body Image Research Proposal

I have chosen to study this topic because body image is such a controversial issue in today’s society, especially with adolescent boys and girls. While reviewing select articles on this topic, I noticed that there was a drastic difference in body image between boys and girls. I began to wonder what the reason for this was and through further study of these articles, I realized it had a lot to do with media influences and the role that friends family play in developing body image and so my questions revolve around studying these roles and influences. Much of the media targeted towards girls focuses on portraying only women that fit societys unrealistic expectations of the perfect woman whereas media targeted at men has much more variance in the types of men they portray. According to much of the literature on this topic, this is seen as one of the largest contributing factors to negative body image in adolescent girls. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1) How does the media and advertising contribute to adolescents body image? 2) How do body image issues differ among adolescent boys and girls? What role do family and friends play in developing adolescents’ body image? RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER PARTICIPANTS -individual interviews -observation in this situation would be too difficult as it develops over a length of time, not an instantaneous thing -interviews allow to create open ended questions that help the conversation flow to understand how body image has been influenced, types of friends, family involvement, interests, hobbies (are they into pop culture, do they admire celebs, do they spend lots of time watching tv/movies)

The Social Use of Music in Contemporary American Society Essay

The Social Use of Music in Contemporary American Society - Essay Example Music can often define an individual’s place or desired place in society. The blue collar working individuals are often drawn to country music. Country music appeals and sympathizes with the every day events and hard ships experienced by the blue collar worker. Music that is currently popular or considered â€Å"popular music† as a genre, originates from R&B or African American blues or gospel music of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. This music originally was a mixture of European styles of music as well as indigenous music. Music styles such as rap music can be traced back to African Tribal music and chants. In modern day America, rap is an extremely successful and popular genre. It is also sometimes quite controversial as it tends to use explicit language and adult subject matters. Other cultures have also contributed a great deal to popular music of today. These cultures include Ukrainian, Irish, Jewish, Hispanic, Polish, and Scottish. America is the great melting pot and its diversity in popular music styles tells this story. Much of American music incorporates syncopation with irregular beats and long melodies. It has been said that this type of melody and asymmetry is in place in American music as an example o f the vast and wide open spaces of the country. In addition, it can be said that the diversity of American music is synonymous with American freedom and self expression.

What is Leadership Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What is Leadership - Article Example l cause, an explorer traveling a path through the wilderness for the rest of his group to follow and an executive manager growing an own company's policy to keep up with the competition from rival parties. This essay discusses the process of leadership, particularly, transformational leadership model recommended by James MacGregor Burns and then advanced by Bernard Bass (Manktelow and Carlson, 2015). I came across transformational leadership model, which focuses on visionary thinking and promoting change, in place of management activities that are intended to maintain and progressively increase current performance. Leaders assist themselves and others to do the right things. Leaders keep track of the direction to be followed. They create an inspiring idea and create something that is authentic. Leadership is about setting the direction of where you need to do to be successful as a team or an organization. Leadership should be self-motivated, exhilarating, thrilling and inspiring.  However, while leaders put across the direction to be followed, they must also use management tools to guide their followers to the right purpose, in a smooth and efficient manner (Manktelow and Carlson, 2015). I recently watched a video regarding inspirational leadership (link provided below) and learned that to create an inspiring vision of the future in business; the vision has to be a realistic, convincing and striking representation of where you want to be in the near future. Vision offers a sense of direction sets preferences and gives a marker so that you can tell that you have accomplished what you wanted to attain. A persuasive vision offers the base for leadership, but it is the leader’s skills to motivate and inspire people that assist them to accomplish that vision.  

Goals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Goals - Essay Example One might ask why, from all places around the globe, did I envision going to Italy. From various informative sources: books, films, magazines, online travel destinations, and friends’ shared experiences, I have slowly marveled at the magnificent attractions that Italy offers. The Language Travel Magazine, for one, indicated that â€Å"Italy is famous for its artistic culture and is an obvious study destination for students wanting to learn more about this rich heritage† (Language Travel Magazine, 2006, p. 1). The country boasts of beautiful cities, historical and structural edifices, the romantic language and the prominent people who were instrumental in contributing talents in the fields of arts, literature, paintings, architecture, and fashion, among others. Apart from all these, the distinct and superb food entrees have been known the world over and entice visitors to delve into a vast array of mouthwatering recipes and savory menus. Due to the enthusiasm and burning desire to reach this highly sought after destination, one actually planned an itinerary of things to do once I arrive in Italy. I will definitely wear my most comfortable shoes to indulge in visiting tourist attractions including the famous vineyards, go shopping, forget dieting, and feast my senses on all the beauty that surround the country. As a marveling tourist, I plan to visit the wonderful art galleries that contain a roster of world renowned paintings by Renaissance architects and painters like Michelangelo Buonarroti, Filippo Brunelleschi, and Leonardo da Vinci, among other talented and creative Italians through time. I definitely see myself as trekking the colosseum in Rome and the Tower of Pisa that both mesmerize me. I aspire to visit the wonderful monuments and antique museums in Sicily, Rome, Florence, and Venice. There are musical concerts

Communication analysis on gender equality in the work place Research Paper

Communication analysis on gender equality in the work place - Research Paper Example At the same time, many contemporary cases of women who have developed prosperous corporate entities beg the question of gender equality at the work place (Eikhof, 2012). For example, Oprah Winfrey created a business empire virtually on her own. From a communications standpoint, the following paper analyzes gender equality at the workplace in different sectors. Sectors dominated by women ought to experienced equality in pay, decreased sex discrimination, and have a more or less higher number of managing women than sectors dominated by men. This is because women have better chances in service, investment, property, wholesale, and retail sectors. In addition, Women have better communications skills than men. Women have better communication skills than men do because they bear a more relationship-based attitude towards work than men do. Men often choose to be objective when it comes to work, which makes it hard for them to appeal to others personally. In addition, women process knowledge aloud while men process within their minds. Processing knowledge aloud means there is a form of interaction. The more women process knowledge aloud, the better their communication skills. The relationship-based attitude of women further led to a consensus-type of leadership while men’s rational thinking often leads to a hierarchical-type of leadership. The consensus-type of leadership requires better communication skills than hierarchical because it involves less commands or orders and more personal interaction or engagement. However, this is not the case since managing women keep on lagging behind their male peers in terms of income and workplace dominance and opportunities in virtually all sectors. Author Simma Lieberman argues that men and women differ in a number of ways. These ways determine gender equality at the place of work.

A critical theoretical and visual analysis of my experience of being a Essay

A critical theoretical and visual analysis of my experience of being a student at the University of the West of England in 2013 - Essay Example Workforce diversity is now considered as an essential business concern. According to Gaspar, et al., encompassing a highly diverse workforce is arguably one of the greatest assets of a company. However, the author emphasized that diversity is also responsible for raising a number of issues within the organization. In the similar context, the leadership activities within an organization also play a critical role towards its success. According to Khatri, pursuing the most effective leadership style is an integral function of a business organization. Scholars such as Stadtler, et al. deem that the success of an organization remain heavily dependent upon the quality and style of leadership being pursued. The significance of effective leadership increases to a large extent when the business encompasses diverse employees. However, the significance is not restrained with only business organization, but is applicable in every sphere of society. Hence, the same applies for the universities an d colleges around the world. Figure 1 – Diverse Groups and Teams The image above signifies how the integration of different culture and background helps in increasing the strength. According to Tuomela, a conjoint effort increases the strength and also helps in making pragmatic decisions. However, management of the diverse workforce is equally important in order to get the best out of it; else there are high chances of conflict among the members. Nowadays, students from all over the world like to complete their graduation and masters from renowned foreign universities and as a result of that, students from different cultural and religious background. The University of West England is one such university where students from different places, different religion and different culture come in to pursue their education. As a result of that students are being exposed to various kinds of risks as well as rewards. This statement can be supported by the theory put forwards by Gasper e t al. (2005), where they mention that diversity helps in bringing creativity and innovation, and also increases the overall strength. However, diversity may result in less cohesion and augments the chances of communication problems. In addition, mistrust among the group members can also take place. Thus the various kinds of risks and rewards are clearly demonstrated. In the context of a university, the role of leadership becomes evident when a group assignment needs to be accomplished. Therefore, it is evident that the theories which will be focused upon and emphasized in this paper are the pros and cons of diverse groups and teams and the role of leadership in minimizing its negative impacts. The subsequent section of the study will throw light on my experience of being a student at the University of the West of England in the context of working with diverse groups and teams and significance of leadership. My Experience of Work and Critical Analysis In order to showcase the impact of having diverse team members and the role played by effective leadership, I would like to underline an incident which took place during the last when I was working on group assignments. The university assigned me to carry out a group project on business management. The study was actually a research work and needed around 6 members. The group was divided by the professor and our group comprised of students from different places of the earth. We have members from the UK, Australia and India. The student from the UK was eventually made the group leader and we all happily accepted it as the study required knowledge of local people and he is one who has sound knowledge about UK people (culture, likings, disliking etc.). In addition, the English student has

Str Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Str - Essay Example Trends in the alcohol market Because Pernod Ricard produces many branded products, it is necessary to focus only on the alcohol industry which makes up the majority of their business success and market share against competition. As the business extended into more foreign markets, as identified by the case study, Pernod Ricard required a new structure philosophy to ensure that the business could operate effectively and competitively against large-scale alcohol producers. This required a decentralisation strategy in order to create an environment where sub-units of the company were empowered to act as their own consultant businesses. Taking ownership of individual development with a cross-functional ability to inter-link independent, self-managed divisions was in response to labour-based trends for productivity and support as well as producing a world-class business capable of revenue growth. Heavier emphasis on branding as identified in the case leads to the logical conclusion that th is business relies on marketing and operations in response to consumer trends. A detailed PESTEL analysis identified key competitive or non-competitive activities at the social level that impact consumer buying perception about consumer products. Heineken, a brand operating in the adult liquor markets internationally, refocused its previous position on quality as a competitive tool and adopted new packaging concepts to gain consumer interest, such as the mini-keg bottling format (Beverage World 2009). Even though this is not a direct competitor, the beer brand experienced a 100 percent increase in sales whilst other companies that did not restructure packaging experienced only a dismal 1.7 percent increase in sales volume (Beverage World). This is driven by consumer sentiment and their current buying trends that makes advertising through innovation a success factor for alcoholic beverage producers. However, this is problematic for Pernod Ricard due to the high regulatory influence t hat exists in foreign and/or domestic markets regarding the responsible use of advertising that depicts alcoholic products. â€Å"The Group (PR) has signed several voluntary self-regulation codes, which impose restrictions on the advertising of and promotions for alcoholic beverages† (pernod-ricard.com, 2010, p.3). The business recognises not only the restrictions placed on advertising, a key success factor for many of today’s businesses in multi-national markets, and places an emphasis on voluntary corporate social responsibility. Similar CSR efforts as an adaptation to existing business strategy has been identified in Anheuser-Busch, a leading alcoholic beverage producer, that â€Å"takes its role seriously†¦(and) has long invested in the communities where (they) live and work† (anheuser-busch.com, 2007, p.3). The efforts undertaken by this non-competitive entity only reinforces that business must restructure and change their strategic focus in order to r emain in control and flexible to meet key trends that impact buying behaviour. Like any other business, it is often in a servant position due to economic trends that affect customer disposable income and their product preferences. The technological

Medical Marijuana Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Medical Marijuana - Research Paper Example It was marred with political motives and manipulations. Not all facts were presented. The long-proven therapeutic use of marijuana was not made known to the public. Rather, it was consciously and systematically put aside by emphasizing and worse exaggerating the harmful effects of marijuana. In short, marijuana was demonized driven by political and economic reasons. Since then, the criminalization of drug abuse has become not only legally but also morally right and the war on drugs has become not only a civic but also a moral duty. As a consequence, small drug offenders filled correctional facilities, causing not only human rights abuses in and outside corrections but also causing the Federal State coffer to bleed unnecessarily; urban violence between drug users/pushers and law enforcers heightened, entailing greater police visibility, capability, and sophistication which means bigger budget allocation for efficient law enforcement; and drug operations went underground, not only making law enforcement more difficult but also denying the government millions of potential taxes while enriching drug cartels and crooked law enforcers and legislators. Other than this, the criminalization of marijuana has also deprived patients of a potent alternative medicine that could be less expensive than those being produced by profit-oriented pharmaceutical com panies. Within this context, this paper argues for the legalization of medical marijuana because it is more economically beneficial than it is socially costly. Marijuana is a Spanish-American term originally used to refer specifically to tobacco, but was used later in South and North America to refer generally to cannabis (Iversen 26). This reference change must have been due to the fact that marijuana comes from the Cannabis or hemp plant, named scientifically as Cannabis sativa in 1735 by the well-known Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus, making it an officially classified species (5). Marijuana was

Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment Essay The most severe of all sentences: that of death. Also known as the death penalty, capital punishment is the most severe form of corporal punishment. It has been banned in many countries, in the United States, an earlier move to eliminate capital punishment has now been reversed and more and more states are resorting to capital punishment for serious offenses such as murder. An Eye for and eye, a life for a life, who has never heard of the famous Lex Talionis? The Bible mentions it, and people have been using it regularly for centuries. We use it in reference to burglary, adultery, love and many other situations. However, some people use it on a different level, some people use it in reference to death. One steals from those who have stolen from him, one wrongs those who have wronged him, but do we really have the right to kill those who have killed. Today, there is a big controversy over capital punishment whether or not it works, or if it is morally right. We have a certain privilege on our own lives, but do the lives of others belong to us as well? Do we have the right to decide the kind of lives others can or cannot live? We find someone guilty of murder and sentence him to death, does that not make murderers out of ourselves? Can justice justify our acts? Those who assist in the death penalty are they not partners in crime? Is the death penalty a Cruel and Unusual punishment or is it now a necessary tool in the war on crime? With the increase in crime and violence in our society, how does the death penalty affect a North American family. Use of the death penalty has declined throughout the industrial Western World since the 19th century. In 1972, movement in America to have the death penalty declared unconstitutional during the landmark case of Furman v. Georgia, which declared the death penalty cruel and unusual punishment. However, after a supreme court decision in 1975, Gregg v. Georgia, which stated capital punishment did not violate the eighth Amendment, executions commenced again under state supervision. (Van der Haag, 1975, 3-4). There are seven main types of execution: Hanging, where the prisoner is blindfolded and stands on a trap door, with a rope around his neck. The trap door is opened suddenly. The weight of the prisoner’s body below the neck causes traction separating the spinal cord from the brain. The second most widely used technique is shooting, where a firing quad shoots the prisoner from some meters away. Another method is Guillotine, a device consisting of a heavy blade held aloft between upright guides and dropped to behead the victim below. Then there was garroting, in which a tightened iron collar is used to strangle or break the neck of a condemned person. One of the more recent is Electrocution where the prisoner is fastened to a chair by his chest, groin, arms and legs. Electrodes are placed around a band around the head, then jolts of 4-8 amperes at voltage between 500 and 2000 volts are applied at half a minute at a time. The newest forms of execution are Lethal Injection where a lethal poison is injected into the prisoners arm or the Gas Chamber where the prisoner is placed in a room with Sodium Cyanide crystals and left to die. (Meltser, 1973, 21-26) There are four major issues in the capital punishment debate, the first being deterrence. A major purpose of criminal punishment is to deter future criminal conduct. The deterrence theory suggests that a rational person will avoid criminal behavior if the severity of the punishment outweigh the benefits of the illegal conduct. It is believed that fear of death deters people from committing crimes. Most criminals would think twice before committing murder if they knew their own lives was at stake. That if attached to certain crimes, the penalty of death exerts a positive moral influence by placing a stigma on certain crimes like manslaughter, resulting in attitudes of disgust and horror to such acts. (McCuen, 1985, 11) Studies of the deterrent effect of the death penalty have been conducted for several years, with varying results. Most of these studies have failed to produce evidence that the death penalty deterred murders more effectively then the threat of imprisonment. The reason for this is that few people are executed and so the death penalty is not a satisfactory deterrent. If capital punishment were carried out more it would prove to be the crime deterrent it was partly intended to be. During highly publicized death penalty cases the homicide rate is found to go down but it goes back up when the case is over. (Bailey, 1994, 42) When comparisons are made between states with the death penalty and states without, the majority of death penalty states show murder rates higher than non-death penalty states. The average murder rate per 100,000 population in 1996 among death penalty states was 7.1, the average murder rate among non-death penalty states was only 3.6. A look at neighboring death penalty and non-death penalty states show similar trends. Death penalty states usually have a higher murder rate than their neighboring non- death penalty states. (Death Penalty Information Center) The second issue in the capital punishment debate is retribution. The need for society to express sufficient condemnation for heinous murders. Supporters of the death penalty contend that the only proper response to the most vile murders is the most sever punishment possible. Therefore, society should literally interpret the â€Å"eye for an eye† principle when an individual takes a life, society’s moral balance will remain upset until the killer’s life is also taken. (Block, 1983, 112) Although death penalty opponents disagree society should be able to express its outrage with a vile crime by inflicting capital punishment. They suggest that they are showing outrage for taking a life by talking the life of another. (Bedau, 1982, 88) Use of the death penalty as intended by law could actually reduce the number of violent murders by eliminating some of the repeat offenders thus being used as a system of justice, not just a method of deterrence. Modern supporters of capital punishment no longer view the death penalty as a deterrent, but just as a punishment for the crime, one source said, in recent years the appeal of deterrence has been supplanted by a frank desire for what large majorities see as just vengeance.† (Bailey, 1994, 55) The third major issue is arbitrariness determined by or arising from whim or impulse rather than judgment or reason. â€Å"From the days of slavery in which black people were considered property, through the years of lynching and Jim Crow laws, capital punishment has always been deeply affected by race. Unfortunately, the days of racial bias in the death penalty are not a remnant of the past.† (NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund) Fairness requires that people who break the same law under similar circumstances should meet with the same punishment, however the justice system is not consistent. Statistics show that a black man who kills a white person is 11 times more likely to receive the death penalty than a white man who kills a black person. And blacks who kill blacks have even less to worry about. Its almost like we kind of say, Oh, well, he needed killing anyhow.† (NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund) The fourth debate is the danger of mistake. In the past, there were many people wrongfully executed for crimes that they did not commit all in the name of justice. It has happened that after the execution of the alleged guilty party, the real murderer confessed to elevate his guilty conscience. â€Å"No matter how careful courts are, the possibility of perjured testimony, mistaken honest testimony, and human error remain all too real. We have no way of judging how many innocent persons have been executed, but we can be certain there were some.† J. Marshall (Bailey, 1994, 38) The unique thing about the death penalty is that it is final and irreversible. Since 1970, 77 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. Researchers Radelet Bedau found 23 cases since 1900 where innocent people were executed, and the numbers are growing. With stories of people like Rolando Cruz, released after 10 years on Illinoiss death row, despite the fact that another man had confessed to the crime shortly after his conviction; and Ricardo Aldape Guerra, who returned to Mexico after 15 years on Texass death row because of a prosecution that a federal judge called outrageous and designed to simply achieve another notch on the prosecutors guns. (Death Penalty Information Center) There are safeguards guaranteeing protection of those facing the death penalty. These safeguards are : The defendant can not be insane, and the man’s real or criminal intent must be present. Also, minors very rarely receive the death penalty because they are not fully mature and might not know the consequences of their actions. Finally the mentally retarded are very seldom executed. The reason for not executing the retarded is that they often have difficulty defending themselves in court, have problems remembering details, locating witnesses, and testifying credibly on their own behalf. These safeguards are to try to insure that justice will be served without having it suffer. (Bailey, 1994, 147) It costs up to three times the amount to keep a prisoner on death row than it would be to keep them in prison for the rest of their lives. The expense comes from the long drawn out appeals process that we are giving our criminals, and the court appointed attorneys that the poor are receiving. (Death Penalty Information Center) The death penalty costs the state of North Carolina 2.6 million per execution while it costs the whole nation [United States] 700 million since 1976. And it’s the same everywhere, Florida spent an estimated $57 million on the death penalty from 1973 to 1988 to achieve 18 executions that is an average of $3.2 million per execution. (Miami Herald, July 10, 1988). In Texas, a death penalty case costs an average of $2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for 40 years. However it is also a form of insurance that the criminal will never commit another crime again. (Death Penalty Information Center) In the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) the death penalty was required for a wide range of offenses, both civil and religious. In the following passages from the King James Version of the Bible, Jehovah required the state to execute a person for murder: Genesis 9:6 states: Whoso sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. If sufficient proof were provided that a person had committed a crime, the state imposed the death penalty on the guilty person(s). They were either stoned to death, impaled or burned alive. Witnesses who testified at the trial would often participate in the killing. To their credit, the courts of ancient Israel required very high levels of proof of criminality before they would order the death penalty (Horwitz, 1973, 36) Of course, a person may think it is immoral to kill someone no matter what they have done. When I say it is retributive justice to take the life in turn for the taking of another life, it could be argued that a criminal is not able to learn a lesson since he dies as an immediate result of the punishment. How can this be called punishment if no lesson is taught? In my opinion, the only way for justice to be served is to have the criminal pay with their life, â€Å" an eye for an eye.† Many people believe that capital punishment does not belong in a civilized society. I believe it is needed because we do not live in a civilized society, if we did there would be no crime. We live in a day and age where killing happens everyday, and many get away with it. Those who do get caught, don’t stay in a jail cell for the rest of their live. If we could rig our streets of murderers, it could mean a safer place for everyone. Men and women could feel safer jogging or doing errands at night. Single women could feel safer in their homes. Children could feel safe playing in their yards. No executed murderer has ever killed again. References The Death Penalty in America 256-63 (H. Bedau ed., 3d ed. 1982) E. Van den Haag, Punishment as a Device for Controlling the Crime Rate, 33 Rutgers L, Rev. 706, 719 (1981) H. Gross, A Theory of Criminal Justice 489 (1979) Ehrlich Gibbons, On the Measurement of the Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment and the Theory of Deterrence, 6 J. Legal Stud. 35 (1977). Bedau Radelet, Miscarriages of Justice in Potentially Capital Cases (1st draft, Oct. 1985) E. Van der Haag, Punishing Criminals 196-206 (1975). C.F. Phllips, The Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment: New Evidence on an Old Controversy, 86 Am. J. Soc. 139 (1980). Baumgart, R. A. McCuen, Gary E. Reviving the Death Penalty. Madison, WI: Gary McCuen, 1985: 22. Electrocution. Academic American Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Grolier, 1993: 113. Clark, Lesley. Florida execution of 350-pound inmate turns bloody. Miami Herald. 10 July 1988.

Reflections on the Black Race Essay Example for Free

Reflections on the Black Race Essay That the issue of Obama’s racial background is much talked about in terms of his fitness for the US presidency only proves this: that we Americans have a long way to go in our pursuit of adherence to the ideals of our declaration of independence. After all the document held the fundamental equality of people, and everyman’s inalienable rights, to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The declaration did not favor any race in the universality of its coverage. So how come some people have raised the specter of doom for America once the black mestizo Obama wins the US presidency? How come a Democrat lawyer is doggedly pursuing, ostensibly as a matter of principle—that Barack Obma is not a â€Å"natural born American† and is therefore unqualified to run for the presidency of the United States. The Democrat lawyer claimed his motivation was his loyalty to the US constitution. (Refer to the You Tube citation in the reference below for this item). But Surname 2 one can sense a certain ferocity in his campaign that didn’t seem to jibe with his claimed adherence. The dramatic performance of this Democrat lawyer complete with reciting his monologue with the Philadelphia edifice in his background is obviously a public relations stunt of a deeply rooted racist. This theatrics however considerably lost its mantle after a considered US statesman and former Secretary of State—the full-blooded Republican Mr. Powell— endorsed Mr. Obama, making sure he stood for principle in supporting Mr. Obama. Mr. Powell was also bothered by the way his own Republican camp was hitting the dirt in their campaign of hatred against the black American Democratic candidate. (Refer again to the You Tube citation in the reference. ) Mr. Powell finally called for â€Å"a generational change†, and coming as it did from a senior Republican – for a long time, an unprecedented bipartisanship Mr Powell raised a very important gesture of statesmanship and concern for American welfare. (You Tube). . In his book Dreams from my Father, Obama in the first 20 pages described a life that started as a young mind, clueless on the lifetime struggle that was to be on his shoulders as a black mestizo. He described Kansas, as the dab-smack, landlocked center of the country, a place where decency and endurance and the pioneer spirit were joined at the hip with conformity and suspicion and the potential for unblinking cruelty. (p. 13). Take note of his analogy of the metaphorical duality of his environment when he described Kansas as a place of decency, endurance, and (pioneering) spirit on the upper side, joined in the hip with such negative traits as conformity, suspicion, and the potential for Surname 3 unblinking cruelty†¦ This fairly balanced assessment of his origins recognized the fundamental decency of the American people , but also noted the attitudinal duality to racial origins in his country of birth. In this book Obama explored the pervasive racial issues that he encountered in life, from childhood, to college, and by now he must have realized—to the present, when as the Democrat candidates, he stood on the threshold of American presidency. Despite this stature, he was still grappling with the race issue. As a young man, Obama was unmindful of the thought â€Å"(that )my father looked nothing like the people around me — that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk. † (p. 16) It was an infinitely harder life for the common blacks. In Obama’s case he only started to become aware of the weight of his racial identity as he grew up. Obama as a black did not come from the underprivileged, but from a relatively middle class environment. Compared to what Obama went through, Brent Staples now tells us that ordinary blacks suffered even harsher environments. Consoling blacks, he reminded them of the historical movement toward their freedom. They came from a country that barely a few decades ago was absolutely racist, a virtual apartheid which situation started to collapse only after World War II. Staples said that only after the collapse did blacks start to move out of their sequestered world and into colleges, jobs, and walks of life that had been closed to them until then. Surname 4 Still, black Americans who came from successful, suburban and upwardly mobile families were regularly dismissed as white or inauthentic . In other words, Brent Staples also blamed blacks for wanting to further marginalize themselves and to inflict on themselves a marginalized status. â€Å"The authentic black experience, it was said at the time, was limited to the hard-core, impoverished upbringing that black people often chose to brag about, even when they had actually grown up with private prep schools in the lap of luxury,† was Brent’s assessment of the black mentality of the 60s. In other words, even Obama was unacceptable to these blacks because he was not authentically â€Å"black† in the poverty side of the issue. But another Republican Alan Keyes dished out another execrable crap when he opposed Mr. Obama in the Illinois Senate race back in 2004 saying Mr. Obama was not black because â€Å"he was not descended from slaves. † Clearly both black and whites think of blacks as having to be miserable in order to qualify for this racial group. The self-image of this group seems to be one that perpetually deprecates itself as always coming from the bottom. Mr. Obama himself, a would-be president of the United States has experienced the existential problem of how it is to be black in the world’s most prosperous country. In his book Obama disclosed how he coped with life as a black in a society dominated by whites. As Staples explains it: â€Å"He stumbled onto the mysteries of race in his own good time and pursued them in his own way. His quest took him to an impoverished community on the South Surname 5 Side of Chicago, where he worked as an organizer in an infamous public housing project before discovering his vocation as a politician. † And Staples sees hope that this division would soon be resolved with a greater understanding of the multiplicity of experiences among marginalized peoples in any society. Said he: â€Å"†¦ The hue and cry over Barack Obama’s identity stems from a failure by black traditionalists to recognize multiracial versions of themselves. Soon enough, perhaps by year’s end, however, the Obama story, which seems so exotic to so many people now, will have found its place among all the other stories of the sprawling black diaspora. † Surname 6 Works Cited Obama, Barack. Dreams of My Father. US: Three River Press, 1995,pp. 1-20. Staples, Brent. Decoding the Debate Over the Blackness of Barack Obama. (2007) The Editorial Observer. Retrieved October 19. 2008 from: http://files. meetup. com/427541/Blackness%20of%20Barack%20Obama%20. doc You Tube campaign against Obama . Retrieved Oct. 21, 2008. http://sayanythingblog. com/entry/a_video_that_could_change_the_election/

Legislation Of Health And Safety Construction Essay

Legislation Of Health And Safety Construction Essay This report provides a brief overview of the legislation, which sets out the duties imposed on everyone at workplaces.This outlines the responsibilities of every person at the workplace, the consultative framework, the requirements for reporting injuries and dangerous occurrences, the use of codes of practice, how the legislation is administered. One important principle underlying the legislation is that by bringing all parties in the workplace into consultative and decision-making processes, there will be greater commitment to workplace health and safety. INTRODUCTION Health and safety all about is keeping people from costing harmed by work or turning ill by taking the correct precautions or safeguard and supplying a satisfactory working environment. A risk assessment or judgment is nothing more than a proper way of examination of what reason behind safety of worker in danger and cause harm to work. Risk assessment/judgment should be a practical workout, directed at getting the right way of controls of safety in place keep it simple and set the outcomes into practice [HSE : 2001]. Steps include in risk assessment Make systems for implementing the health and safety assesses identified as necessity by the risk assessment; Put up emergency processes; Offer clear information and training to employees; Guidance in particular to the health and safety troubles of an industry or of a particular procedure applied in a number of industries. The important functions of guidance are: To understand serving people to realized what the law says and provide for instance how demands based on EC Directives meet with those beneath the Health and Safety at Work Act; To aid people follow with the law; To establish technical proposal. Figure Overall safety scheme HAZARDS A health hazard is any chemical or biological substance or physical stressor that causes or aggravates illness in humans. Chemical health hazards occur in many different forms. They can be liquids, such as benzene; solids, such as silica dust; or gases, such as hydrogen sulfide. Normally, it is much easier to determine the cause of an injury on the job than it is an illness due to the following reasons: The chemical substance causing the disease may be odorless or invisible. Symptoms may be mistaken for common non-occupational illnesses. Diseases may not become apparent until many years after the exposure to a hazardous substance. 2.1 Routes of Entry Chemical health hazards can enter the body in different ways: Inhalation from the lungs into the blood stream. Absorption through the skin into the blood stream. Ingestion through digestive tract into the blood stream. 2.2 Types of Hazard Controls Engineering Controls Engineering controls, which involve changes in a machine, work process, chemical, or a building that eliminate or reduce exposure to health hazards are recommended by OSHA as the best method to control hazards. Administrative Controls Administrative controls are used to reduce the number of workers who are exposed to a hazard or to distribute the exposure among more workers so that each workers exposure is less. Administrative controls do not eliminate or reduce the amount of the hazard in the workplace. Personal Protective Equipment Personal protective equipment does reduce exposure to hazards but it is the least desirable protection because it may be uncomfortable, used improperly, or fit poorly. 2.3 Type of Hazards Slips or trips The slip or trip at work in almost all kind of businesses activities or work place cause many serious injurious such as food and catering. Falls from a height Falls from ladders results serious harm to people and to protect falls from height, the work is planned or designed and conveyed out by capable people and adopt the hierarchy for managing and dealing with risks. Fire and explosion Each year many peoples health and safety in danger because of the flammable materials present at workplace or they work with it like heating fuel(LPG gas), Petrol, Paint thinners and during wielding gas used. Musculoskeletal disorders Manual (or mechanical) carrying or moving or delivering or working with loads by hand or using bodily force or power . Noise High levels or degrees echo of noise at work can probably cause hearing damage deafness to both age group young and old. Electricity Electricity can cause non-fatal shocks, falls from ladders caused by contact with overhead or underground power cables. Poor electrical installations or facilities and faulty or defective electrical gadgets can lead to huge fires and sometimes blast result in death or danger to safety and health to others. Radiation Different kinds of radiation harmful and very dangers to human and environment like UV radiation, Laser, X-ray. First aid and accident reporting First aid means emergency care given before regular medical  aid can be obtained. It basically involve treating any physical damage to the body caused at work and giving immediate care to more serious and of great consequence casualties before the medical help are obtainable. Through with this at the beginning management of injury or damage suffered at work, lives can be saved and minor injuries prevented from turning into major ones[ Work cover: ISBN 978 1 ]. Reporting accidents and ill health of worker at workplace is a legal demand. LEGISLATION There are certain mass of legislation are provided and come year by year for the safety and health of worker at workplace. We discuss some important Laws available [HSE: 2001]. 2.1 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (risk assessment). Choose specially and sufficient risk assessment is made of:- The risks to all employees whilst they are working; The risks to all workers originating from companys operations; The recognition of the measures needed to follow with the applicable statutory conditions. These Risk Assessments will be examined at least yearly. Interpretation of Risks: Hazard or danger Hazard Material Risk involved 2.2 Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995(the Act). The aim of the Act is to provide for the health and safety of people employed in, engaged in or affected by industry [ Work cover: ISBN 978 1 ]. Specifically, the Act aims or objectives to: †¢ assure the health, safety and welfare of employees at work †¢ protect people at or near workplaces from risks to health and safety †¢ promote an occupational environment for employees that harmonize with their health and safety needs †¢ foster a co-operative, consultative relationship between employers and employees The Act covers employers, employees, self-employed persons, manufacturers, service providers, designers, importers, suppliers and installers [HSE : 2001]. 2.3 Workplace Health and Safety Regulations 1996. The function and purpose of regulations is to give details of requirements that must be observed in the workplace. Regulations are the second tier of legislation. While they are subordinate to the Act, they still represent legal requirements, and failure to comply will generally be an offence punishable by a fine. The Act broadly outlines the legal obligations employers and workers have to workplace health and safety. The Regulations set out goals for meeting these legal obligations and making workplaces safe. Employers and workers can tailor safety measures to the needs of individual workplaces provided the outcomes specified in the Regulations are achieved[ Work cover: ISBN 978 1 ]. Risk management is a key element of the Regulations. Other important issues outlined in the Regulations include the need to: †¢ communicate with all parties at the workplace, including health and safety committees or employees safety representatives and those responsible for managing workplaces particularly whenever any proposed change to a workplace is likely to affect health or safety †¢ keep records relating to a number of workplace matters †¢ make any relevant health and safety information available to workers. 2.4 Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 Under the Act, the functions of the health and safety committee are to: †¢ Foster consultation and co-operation between employers and people working at the workplace †¢ Initiate, develop and implement measures that will ensure workplace health and safety †¢ Keep abreast of changes in standards of workplace health and safety †¢ Recommend to the employer that programs, measures and procedures about workplace health and safety are established, maintained and monitored †¢ Keep information provided by the employer about hazards that may arise at the workplace in a place where employees can access them Figure The law on consulting employees about health and safety in your Health and safety in Construction This section provides a brief outlines the main health and safety management requirements during a construction project by including and addressing the following project specifies [OGC: 2003]: Objectives, the key health and safety performance and success criteria during construction and for the finished asset. Background, the key health and safety drives ( such as the intention to achieve excellence as a client and to align the project with current national improvement campaigns. A business case that recognizes the need for client health and safety leadership and commitment Quality plans that measure health and safety performance during design, procurement and construction(including , where appropriate, facilities maintenance etc) Project organization, addressing responsibilities for the management of health ans safety risks as part of project governance. CONCLUSION A systematic and regular audit of Safety Systems and Performance can lead to significant improvements. There are certain laws and legislation are made in favor of workers and employee for their safety and there are so many committee and representative are assign to groups of worker under safety representatives. The main function of safety representatives to look into possible hazards and dangerous happening at the workplace (whether or not they are drawn to his attention by the employees he represents)

Knute Rockne - Coach And Legend Of Notre Dame Essay -- essays research

Knute Rockne - Coach and Legend of Notre Dame Knute Kenneth Rockne was born on March 4, 1888 in Voss, Norway. He first moved to Chicago at the age of 5. Nobody liked him there, and he was in many fights. Before football or even baseball, Knute discovered skiing.   He loved it, and went skiing every chance he got during the winter. Knute was a natural athlete, and excelled in all of the sports he tried. He excelled in track, making a name for himself later on. Although he was always one of the shortest guys around, Knute was one of the toughest. The only protective gear he ever wore was adhesive tape that he stuck to his ears to prevent them from being torn off. Knute often said "Show me a good and gracious loser and I'll show you a failure." Knute discovered the great game of football at the age of 7. He played in games against other teams his age. The team he played on was called the Tricky Tigers. All of the teams were "sandlot" teams. Knute could not get enough of the sport. He praticed every chance he got. In fact, the other boys thought him crazy for practicing so much. This obsession almost got him an education. Knute never made the starting team until he was a senior, so he played on the scrubs team. At the same time, Knute tried playing many other sports. His school attendance slipped and his grades became mediocre. Persistence paid off, and after 3 years on the scrubs, Knute finally made it to the starting football team. After this successful senior football season, it was time for him to leave high school. It was a wonder that he got into Notre Dame with his high school record. At the age of 22, Rockne decided that he wanted to fulfill a dream. That dream was to become a pharmacist and to eventually own his own drug store. Two of Knute's friends gained acceptance to a small college in South Bend, Indiana called Notre Dame.   Knute decided to try to get into this same school, although his high school grades were dismal. He was accepted, but his parents were not fond of the idea of him going to a Catholic school, as they themselves were practicing Lutherans. However, they did not forbid him to go. Interestingly, Notre Dame was not Rockney's first college choice. For years he had saved and planned to go to the University of Illinois. Knute had not even planned on playing football in college. That decision would have resulted i... ...! Practice makes perfect and perfect practice makes a winning team." One of his most innovative ideas was the Notre Dame Shift'. This was when the entire backfield would move all to oneside of the ball before the ball was snapped. This really screwed up the defenders and it worked a lot for ND. "Knute was the most innovative and charismic coaches of his era." The Cleavland Press called him "the Buffalo Bill of his generation." In his last game as coach he defied his doctors   orders and went to the field. The players looked on in horror when the man they thought might die in front of them told them to win or watch him die. Rockne ended his career with the greatest all time % of .881: 105 wins,12 losses, 5 ties, 6 national championships and 5 undefeated seasons. Rokne tragically died in a plane crash a the age of 43. Studebaker named a car after him and the U.S. government named a ship after him. Will Rogers put it best when he said, " It takes a big calamity to shock a country all at once, but Knute, you did it. You died one of our national heroes. Notre Dame was your address, but every gridiron in america was your home."(needs to be proofread)

Lee Iacocca :: Essays Papers

Lee Iacocca Lee Iacocca grew up in Allentown Pennsylvania, very close to my hometown of Boyertown Pa. My geographic connection with Iacocca is one of the reasons I chose to read his autobiography. We are both very interested in automobiles and automotive history, which connected me even further with Iacocca . Iacocca believes that you can become and achieve anything in life as long as you have strong determination and motivation. I too share this belief. Lee Iacocca did not focus his life on goals that others set for him; he followed his heart and his dreams, which someday is something I hope to be able to say about myself. Iacocca, the son of Italian immigrants grew up in an upper middle class family. His father started out with nothing and over many years, he managed to build a successful chain of hotdog restaurants in Pennsylvania. Because of his father's success and strong beliefs in the value of education, Iacocca grew up attending private schools and eventually found his way into Lehigh University. While attending, Lehigh Iacocca earned a degree in Mechanical engineering. Upon his graduation, he landed a very prestigious job with Ford Motor Company. In August 1946, Iacocca began his work in the engineering department of Ford. After a year of engineering Iacocca discovered that it was not what he wanted to do with his life, he wanted to be in sales. Ford agreed, which was the start of a very successful venture for Iacocca and the Ford Motor Company. Through many years of hard work, Iacocca was promoted to top management. This is where he found himself living his dream. He never wanted to leave work at the end of the day and could not wait to go back the next morning. Although Iacocca was doing very well and could not be happier, the Ford Motor Company was going through hard times. General Motors was really hurting Ford in sales and in innovations. In the late 50's and early 60's Ford produced cars that were just not selling and were real failures in the industry. Iacacco knew something had to be done, and he convinced president and CEO Henry Ford Jr. that he was the man to do it. Through many months of close arduous work with Ford's design team, Iaccoca came up with the Idea of the Mustang .

Magic in The Descent of Innana and Sappho Essay -- Descent Innana Sapp

Magic in The Descent of Innana and Sappho In the ancient text The Descent of Innana and the lyric poetry of Sappho, language is viewed as magic. Not only are the words themselves acting as magic, as in an invocation, but other things manifest themselves as magic throughout the works. The most common throughout the works of Sappho is that of love. Sappho also shows us the magic of everyday life in many of her poems. Finally, the writing down of the works performs a magic all of its own; the magic of continuation. Through the writing of their works the story of Innana and the poetry of Sappho will live on forever. The most obvious use of language as magic is in The Descent of Innana. This text is actually all about language as magic. It originated as a ritual that was reenacted along with group participation as part of a religion. Innana is the earth goddess and in this ritual the story of the past is invoked to reproduce the happenings in it and guarantee the passing of one season to the next. The words also held the power to unite people in the cause. At certain times, the priestess would say a line such as â€Å"my lady abandoned heaven, abandoned earth, to the nether world she descended. Innana abandoned heaven, abandoned earth, to the nether world she descended. Abandoned lordship, abandoned ladyship, to the nether world she descended (Descent 790)†, the audience would have chimed in on the repetitive parts of the lines. It is also possible that, due to the repetitive nature of the ritual, people memorized the ritual and would recite along with the priestess. This s hows how the ancient people bound themselves together through language, they had a common ritual, which they took part in and knew the... ...s could also have eternal life. This is another way that these works are sacred magic. The Descent of Innana is one of the first written pieces of literature we have. Sappho is one of the earliest lyric poets that we have a record of. These works are an example of the idea of the magic of writing itself coming to life. The idea that something can be written down and outlast the writer is truly something the Greeks would have held as magical. As you can see, the writing of ancient Greeks shows sacred magic in many ways. There is magic in it’s most literal form in the ritual of The Descent of Innana. Magic also manifests itself within these texts. There is magic in love, everyday life, and in the writing of these texts, which brings about eternal life. Seen in this way, it is easy to see why people would agree that these texts hold sacred magic.

George Lucas

English George Lucas 11/3/11 Greatest Producer of all Time, Mr. Lucas George Lucas, the man who created Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Lucas was born in Modesto, California on May 14, 1944. Lucas was a single child while his father sold nuts on his Walnut Farm. Before graduating Modesto high school in 1958, Lucas was in a car accident that left him in the hospital for three months. Lucas then became interested in movie making and photography.With getting into filming Lucas’s career took off. Lucas would film car races with a camera. Lucas’s filming style got the attention of Haskell Wexler, a great cameraman, who helped Lucas get into the college of USC. Lucas made eight films on campus, graduated, and became a cameraman. One of his best school films was THX:1138 which won first prize in the National Student Film Festival. After college Lucas got a scholarship from Warner Brothers to go and work with them in1969. Lucas then married Marcia Griffin in the same year.In 1973, Lucas directed, and co wrote his first movie, American Graffiti, which costs 750,000 dollars. When the movie came out Lucas was nominated for five academy awards. Lucas then started working on Star Wars, which would be a trilogy. Star Wars came out on May 1977 and was rated very well. Star Wars grossed 400 million dollars. The merchandise sold from Star Wars grossed 500 million in the first three years! In 1979 Lucas made his own movie business company called Lucas Film Ltd.The rest of the Star Wars film brought in 1 billion dollars and merchandise brought in 3 billion dollars! Star Wars placed thirteenth in top 100 Best Films of All Time. As Lucas began making money with Star Wars, he decided he wanted to start working on some new films. Lucas began working on Indiana Jones, which supported archeologist movies and work in 1940. The first of the Indiana Jones movies was Raiders of The Lost Ark which made 2,500,00 dollars. The rest of the Indiana Jones movies didn’t do as gre at but still made close to the same amount of money.Indiana Jones was not as great as Star Wars but came in sixty-sixth place in top 100 Best Films of all Time. Lucas changed ideas of filming. Even though Lucas has produced only six movies he still has been in many more. Lucas is known as one of the best producers on earth. Since high school he has been filming movies and working to become better at this art. Lucas’s movies have made the most money in the history of movie making. Lucas will be remembered for a long time. TRIVIA Lucas was a diabeticLucas adopted three kids Star wars was turned down by every big movie company except 20th Century Fox Lucas is a fan of Family Guy and lets Family Guy make skits about Star Wars Sound and music are 50% of the movies of Lucas Friends with Steven Spielberg a great producer like George Lucas Websites â€Å"www. notablebiographies. com no publication date. 11/7/11 <http://www. notablebiographies. com/Lo-Ma/Lucas-> www. imdb. com † 1990-2011, 11/7/11 <George. htmlhttp://www. imdb. com/name/nm0000184/>

Successful Property Development

Through emerge this paper the virile gender is utilise when referring to developers. This is purely for gadget and does non imply that roaring developers keep up to be male. Demand for revolutionary collapses from inhabits and takeer occupiers is the basis of altogether commercialized message hold fasting emergence in the United ground. A typical ontogenesis device bequeath be initiated by a developer identifying a demand for a new drawing or expressions in a fixd placement. A major(ip) office user for example whitethorn wish to mix in a number of regional offices into unmatched new build able to charge new echnology and modify all of the caller-ups de expositments to be housed under champion roof. The icon to be attested by the new building pass on likewise be anatomyical and the Comp some(prenominal) whitethorn prefer a bountiful town meat location with lento rail access or a blast of town location on the motorway net subject field.The run acrossd developer go out live that if a culture is to be boffo the location must be the one which volition compendium to tenants or purchasers who go out either pay crosscurrent or a upper-case letter matrimony to deplete the attribute. there be legion(p ablaze(p)icate) examples of scoreless objects which fai guide because of poor location. With obtainping centre evelopment the natural selection elicit be in truth clear-sighted and a slightly off-pitch location may be enough to discourage tenants from leasing break units in the new centre. If a land come in for a new organic evolution is identify and the site (or wildundant buildings) is available for purchase, formulation set out for the intrigue must be sought from the local anaesthetic self-confidence. It is unremarkably the event that the developer leave puddle concentrated on those locations where the be afterners ordain support ripening proposals and supply react is probable to b e received. If the location is correct and prep bedness agree is likely the developer must likewise rrange finance to subvert the site, build the scheme and let (or manage) it.He may also wish to sell the accurate income producing enthronization. If he does so and the specie he receives from the sale of the enthronisation is much(prenominal)(prenominal) than the capital and pertain he borrowed to build the scheme, he go out receive a monetary wampum. on that point ar many sources of finance for developers entirely conventionally capital depart be borrowed from banks to buy the site and build a scheme with huge call finance being provided by aliveness assurance funds and aid funds. Long precondition finance in this ontext means the purchase of the completed investing by the fund which lead channelize the developer to repay all his piddling bourn debt and (hope extensivey) give him a internet. The enthronisation market place and ontogeny market argon and so closely linked and the developer forget be mindful of the funds requirements from the scoop of the culture cultivate. The to the highest degree common form of development keep which involves the institutions if known as get ahead erosion, priority yield.This method allows the developer to borrow near of his of a sudden precondition finance from the institution and non pay it back until the cheme is completed and let. At this time the fund takes over the scheme in return for providing the developers pathetic term monies. The developer departs with a lump sum remuneration for carrying out the jut which entrust be cypher by capitalising that amount of rent from the scheme which pull up stakes be calculated by capitalising that amount of rent from the scheme which exceeds the funds required return on the notes lent in other linguistic process its priority yield. Even if the rent from the scheme does not exceed the funds priority yield, the developer p ull up stakes excuse receive a requital only if obviously not as uch as he would get if he lets the building(s) at a high rent. there be many other sheaths of development living some of which be depict in keeping and Money by Michael Brett (see the bibliography at the back of this booklet).The developer entrust employ a professional group to radiation diagram and equal the proposed building. The architect as leader of the propose team has a crucial authorisation to interpret his clients intentions and bring up a function which impart meet the requirements of tenants, planners and gigantic term funders. Other commentators such(prenominal) as journalists, he general open, and the Prince of Wales may also pink the stick out of a scheme where it is comprehend to be ugly or contrasted for its location. Successful commercial development requires therefrom a combination of good location, prep consent, good inclination and funding. Even if these factors argon present the scheme may still fail, at least in the go around term, if the economy is weak and firms fag endnot expand. This introduction provides a resume of a typical development and the process can now be considered in more detail. The Developer The developer is the instigator of the scheme.He provides the entrepreneurial flair to identify the development opportunity and bring it to a victorious conclusion. In doing so he pull up stakes make use of realised relationships with commercial estate promoters and his knowledge of the occupier market. just about great development companies specialise in particular areas of the market. Slough Estates for example, built its temper in the development of industrial and transshipment center property whereas Hammersons developed the first obtain mall in the United Kingdom at Brent Cross. Some purport assurance funds act as their own developer and one example is Norwich fusion in the development of the Bentalls centre in Kingston o n Thames. Various disposal agencies also act as developers such as District and Regional health Authorities with hospital building. Increasingly, the newly privatised utilities go away carry out their own developments. There are many types of developers. Some are developer traders who build with a view to selling the scheme when it is complete. Others go away develop and hold the completed investment in their investment portfolio. Some developers are quoted on the stock exchange and others are little more than one man bands.Throughout the development process, but crucially at the start in front funds are committed, the commercial developer forget carry out an judgement which entrust predict the ultimate clams to be earned from the scheme. A massive amount of work has to be do to produce a full judgement as all the bes of the scheme pay off to be considered. The site itself volitioning charter to be fully investigated and this volition involve bore hole surveys t o enable the structural engineer to estimate the woo of the foundations. An environmental impact study may be required before preparedness consent is forthcoming.With the assistance of his agent, the developer give also predict the rent which the scheme will produce and (if the investment is to be sold), the investment value. If a scheme is to be successful the investment value less all capital and interestingness cost will rush to leave an acceptable profit. If a developer has used rents in the appraisal which are too high, perhaps in foretaste of rent rises in the development termination, he may last make no profit at all and the scheme (from the developers viewpoint) will look at failed. To avoid peril and to attract other tenants to a development, a developer will often eek a pre-let tenant for a scheme. onwards construction starts, a tenant will sign an pact to lease all or part of the scheme at an concord rent.This is especially valuable in shop centre developme nt where an anchor tenant such as a surgical incision store will make a payload before development commenced, thereby give confidence to other lessees to take shop units. A developer who borrows money to buy a site, construct a building, and seek lessees will have no appreciable network until the scheme is let. It would be difficult therefore, for any interest on capital borrowed to be re adoptful during the development period.It is commonly the case that interest is repaid as a lump sum when the fully let investment is in the end sold. Interest in these circumstances is state to be rolled up until the end of the development period. In arranging finance, the developer will often have a short term interest in the scheme, whereas the fund buy the investment when fully let, has a coarse term interest. Funds are, therefore, particularly elicit in tenant quality in the longer term and building tractableness which may not be of unproblematic immenseness to the developer. loc al anesthetic Authorities may initiate development, particularly retail, by making town centre ites available on ground leases to developers. The Authority will have a long term interest in the schemes success, as they will receive a grounds rent, probably adapt to the full rental value of the development. non all developers have a short term interest in a development. Major developers may hold completed investments in a portfolio rather than limit long term finance by selling the investment to a fund. prep In the words of Clara Green preparedness practical applications (like prayers) receive one of three answers yes, no or yes but. The process can be one of great frustration and ifficulty for developers and for a major scheme it is usual for a specialist planning consultant to be employed to negotiate a consent with the Local Authority. Planning law is heterogeneous but in general terms, planning consent is required for or so major building in the United Kingdom. The depar tment of the Environment is trusty for planning and the escritoire of offer for the Environment is advised by teams of professional planners, surveyors and architects. All applications are do to local councils and it is only the most master(prenominal) or controversial applications which will be of interest to the higher tier of overnment. roughly applications are, therefore, seed locally although the Secretary of State may decide to call in any application at his or her discretion. To obtain planning permission, an application will be do to the District Council although applications in the future also may be considered by the new unitary authorities. The developer can choose the type of application he wishes to make. If he wishes to seek approval to the prescript of development, he can make an define application.This is sometimes referred to as a red line application, as a red ine is drawn around the site plan supporting the application. If consent is granted, this will b e subject to reserved matters and the developer will have to seek a subsequent consent for these particular matters later. Alternatively a full application may be made which will include all detailed matters as soundly as the raw material principles. The Local Authority will decide the application in the context of plans which will have been previously published and authorize by the Secretary of State. Under the present two tier frame of Local Government, the County Councils produce structure lans for their area which show up in strategic terms the type and location of development which will be permitted during the period of the plan.The District Councils produce local plans which deal with detailed matters related to ad hoc areas of land. If the planning application does not understanding with the local plan, the Local Authority will be justified in refusing the application but obviously a developer would be unwise to make an application of this type. twist plans have a li fe of betwixt 5 and 15 years and comprise a lengthy written avouchment supported by explanatory diagrams.The burning(prenominal) matters dealt with in the structure plan are strategic matters such as tourism and leisure, waste disposal, new housing, employment and transport. The Authority has a two month period in which to decide an application but it can ask the applicant for more time. If the application is refused the applicant can appeal to the Secretary of state and the matter in the majority of cases, will be pertinacious by a Government Inspector. In major cases, the Inspector will make recommendations to the Secretary of State who will, after advice, take a decision.There may also be a Public Local Enquiry here narrate is comprehend by the Inspector over a number of days from all interest parties. In producing their structure and local plans as vigorous as deciding applications, Councils have to take into account policy tale produced by the regimen. These are call ed Planning insurance Guidance Notes (PPGs) and they are published or amended from time to time. Two of the most important are PPG 6 which relates to out of town retail development and PPG 13 which deals with transport. There are a summarize of 25 PPGs and many are oft revised. For example a new PPG 12 was produced in April 1999.This revision emphasised the importance of regional planning which now has it own PPG (PPG 11) and also stressed the governments commitment to a plan led system. Any developer seeking to build against government guidance as stated in the PPGs faces a long, pricey and uncertain battle and therefore is well advised to tailor development proposals to distribute with published guidance. The government is at sedulousness to demonstrate that the plan led system is sensitive to demographic changes and this is seen in the revisions to PPG 3 (Housing) which take account of the prediction that 7 out of ten new ouseholds forming over the next 20 years are likely t o be single somebody households (Nick Raynsford, Housing and Planning Minister).A topical revision PPG 25 (Flood Risk) which aims to avoid development in flood risk areas and emphasises a precautionary approach in marginal areas with flood defences to be shown to be in place (and paid for by the developer) before development is approved. The knowledge Team The team will be employed by the developer at the start of a project and it bureau will encompass visualize, costing, funding and merchandising. In summary its functions are as followsArchitect The Architect is the leader and coordinator of the programme team who has a major role in interpreting his clients requirements and producing a design brief. The brief establishes the clients basic requirements and from this the Architect and other members of the design team will produce detailed design drawings. These will eventually be given to selected building abbreviateors who will tender for the job of constructing the building. During construction, the Architect will inspect the work as it income tax return on behalf of his client. Because the Architects work is so important he ill be paid a fee based on a percentage of the total cost of the building work. For a new building this will normally be amidst 4% and 5% of the cost of the work. criterion Surveyor The Quantity Surveyor estimates the eventual cost of the new building and will produce unremitting cost checks as the design is developed.Before tenders are invited from building contractors, he will inform the client of the estimated cost of the whole kit and caboodle (the pre-tender estimate) and the client can then drop dead to tender with confidence. Services and Structural Engineers In some instances the engineers will be responsible for producing design drawings nd specifications of the building work (air-conditioning, electrical installation etc) and the structure (foundations, structural frame). Increasingly however, the service engineer w ill only produce a recital of how the services will perform (a implementation specification) rather than a full design. In these circumstances, design becomes the responsibility of the contractor. Estate Agents Developers usually have established relationships with firms of estate agents who will be aware of development opportunities. The agent will also provide marketing advice and will be responsible for let the building.Other Consultants Other consultants include solicitors, landscape painting architects and planning consultants. With some complicated and large schemes, a project manager may oversee the project on behalf of the client. specializer noise or environmental consultants may be required where development will take place in environmentally sensitive areas where special planning conditions have been imposed. Successful Schemes A scheme will be successful if its location and design has attracted a number of first class tenants and will continue to do so in the future s hould any tenants vacate. A uccessful scheme will provide a secure and growing investment for the eventual long term investor as well as an adequate monetary profit for the developer.There are many reasons why development schemes are unsuccessful, some of which are discussed below Poor Location This is the most obvious but nevertheless very common reason for failure. A shop scheme may be fixed where there is a lack of unglamorous catamenia. An office building may be find where vehicular access is difficult or the chosen site does not provide the required look and identity element for the tenant/s. On a wider scale, he development may be located in a city which is in decline, to the disadvantage of long term investment quality. Some commentators are casting discredit on the future quality of fringe of town retail warehousing schemes which do not have the support of an established town centre. Poor Design A obtain centre must be designed to maximise pedestrian flow and enable shoppers to both park and gain easy access. If the design fails to do this, the public may avoid the centre and tenants will be hard to find.Also shopping centres must allow frequent changes of image and must provide the correct ambience for the ublic. Attention to detail with the internal design will allow this to benefit the investment. Thee are many examples of office buildings constructed in the 1960s and 1970s which do not provide the necessary ducting and image for modern tenants using todays technology. These developments may have been regarded as successful when they were first constructed, but in terms of a long term investment are of tentative quality. Lack of flexibility with many buildings means that where occupier requirements change the buildings cannot and voids are the result. increase Costs during Design or edificeIf a developer allows costs to increase, he will eventually make no profit whatsoever from the scheme. If costs increase beyond those used in the apprai sal the developers profit will be eroded. The expertise of the design team to contain costs whilst, at the same time, producing a quality building is of vital importance but sometimes mistakes are made. A lack of coordination amongst building work and services is a typical example leading to redesign, clench and increase costs. Planning Errors When a contract is awarded to a contractor, it is important that the site of the evelopment is for the first time in the legal control of the developer and second the same site for which planning consent has been granted. There have been many examples of mistakes in this area to the detriment of the project. Empty Property A newly built shopping centre with few tenants is clear evidence of a scheme which falls short of success. There are many examples amongst those centres completed during the recession. As with office and warehousing property pre-let tenants are particularly valuable in recessionary periods. Public Sector Development The n onpublic Finance Initiative.In the prehistorical public arena development such as streets, hospitals and bridges were built by government contracting with the tete-a-tete celestial sphere for the design and construction works. Civil servants and their consultants would work to precise specifications of what was required to be built. When the development was complete the government would then be responsible for tally the completed hospital, road or whatever to the benefit of the public. The Private Finance Initiative (or PFI) is intended to root on the traditional method of producing public facilities expound above.It was conceived in 1992 during Norman Lamonts troubled chancellorship and was sprucely supported by his successor Kenneth Clarke. In essence PFI only required the government to state how the building is to be used and the feat it must achieve. The personal heavens is then invited to tender for the design, construction and running of the new facility. The rewar d for doing this is negotiated with the government agency responsible for the facility and will usually take the form of a fastness monetary payment so long as the facilities provided continue to meet the agreed criteria.Kenneth Clarke stated that PFI is a radical and utmost reaching change in capital investment in public services which will break down kick upstairs barriers between the public and private sectors. The rudimentary argument in favour of PFI is that the private sector is more capable of promoting force than government and will provide employment solutions to public sector requirements. It is also argued that the risks of increased construction and running costs, which appears to be a feature of public sector schemes, will disappear with PFI where all the risks are borne by the private sector.Critics of PFI point out that it is passing difficult to produce a performance specification for, say, a highly labyrinthian building such as a hospital and this will lead to private sector contractors being allowed to cut corners to the detriment of the public. It is also pointed out that the government can always borrow money more cheaply than the private sector and that this will inevitably lead to increased costs which will be passed on to the public. The change of government in May 1997 led to a thorough polish up of the experience gained from using PFI in the previous quintet years. Malcolm Bates was appointed to arry out a review which resulted in 29 recommendations aimed at rationalising and reinvigorating the PFI process.The exchequer Taskforce was the governments response to the review and this body consisted in the main of city financiers who were charged with building up PFI expertise in government. The taskforce had a life of three years and is replaced by Partnerships UK which will operate as a spliff private/public consultancy to assist with the PFI process. There are currently hundreds of PFI schemes in the process of completion an d the present government is devoted to this form of procurement for public sector projects.