Electoral College Paper Essays - Elections, Electoral College

Electoral College Paper The Electoral College is a gadget in which the character voter does no longer in reality vote immediately for the president. When someone votes they're voting for an elector that has pledged their vote or allegiance to the strolling party. The Framers found out that without considerable communications available at the time and with other varying elements an "every vote counts" or "the famous vote" system might not be practical. Because of this they formed the Electoral university machine, beneath Article II of the us constitution, even though this system was never referred to as this in the Article. This machine has survived for over two hundred years, with handiest changes to it. These would be change 12, and 23 of US Constitution. Many humans have in the course of the years said that the Electoral university is antiquated and wishes to be changed, wherein as many others defended the Electoral university gadget. Some people believe the Electoral College system have many flaws, these can include electing a minority president, faithless Electors, the Electoral College causing a decline in voter turnout, the inequality of votes from large to small states, and the disadvantages for third parties. One huge problem is that a president may be elected without the nation's famous vote. One way this will appear is if three or greater parties run splitting the Electoral votes so nobody celebration can receive most of the people of the votes. This has occurred in 1824 and nearly happened in 1948, and in 1968. If this does happen amendment 12 states that the U.S. House of Representatives would then pick the president from the top three Electors that vote for the opposing running party after pledging their allegiance to another. This is called faithless electors. Faithless electors have caused many people's faith in the Electoral College to waiver. On many occasions an Elector have placed their vote for the opposing party. To help stop this many states have enacted laws to punish Electors that do this. Although no Elector had ever been prosecuted. This century alone there have been 7 faithless Electors, the most recent was in 1988. Even though this has happened many times, it has never changed the outcome of the election. Many people worry that the Electoral University might also reason a decline in voter turnout. They are saying that there may be no incentive for states to encourage human beings to vote. They say that human beings may decline to vote because many believe there vote does no longer be counted. A problem that has plagued the machine seeing that its development is the inequality of Electoral votes from small states and big states. An example could be within the 1988 election, the blended vote casting age population of 3,119,000 of the seven least populous jurisdictions of Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming carried the equal vote casting strength within the Electoral University as the nine, 614,000 balloting age human beings in the nation of Florida. Due to this each vote in Florida became best approximately 1/three the weight of the alternative states listed. Third parties have a large disadvantage in the Electoral College system. Most states allot their Electoral Votes that favor a tow-party system. Even if a third party candidate receives a large amount of vote they still may not receive even on Electoral vote. This actually happened in 1992 when Ross Perot won 18% of the popular vote but did not win any Electoral votes. There are many people that feel that the Electoral College system actual helps the country and does not need to be changed. Some of the benefits include that it helps the country join together to select a president, it enhances the minority interests, contributes to a politically stable nation by encouraging a two-party system, and that the Electoral College system works. The proponents of the Electoral College system point out that the system helps keep one region from dominating over another region. This can keep a large metropolitan area from dominating a very rural area for votes. It allows these areas to join together to cast their vote. Due to these issues there have been many proposed changes to the Electoral College

An Overview of Political Conservatism

An Overview of Political Conservatism Principles Ideologies Political conservatism is a term applied to people who believe in: Economic liberty and the central role of free enterprise in American societyA small, non-invasive governmentA strong national defense focused on protection and the fight against terrorism The most influential national political organization for conservatives in the US is the Republican party, although the recent Tea Party phenomenon is perhaps the most tightly aligned with the ideologies mentioned above. There are also many advocacy groups that focus on the promotion of these initiatives. Ancillary Principles Ideologies Conservatives are often wrongly equated with the Christian-right. For years, social conservatives held a firm grip on the Republican Party and by extension the entire conservative movement. For religious conservatives, the principles and ideologies mentioned above are ancillary to the wedge issues that threaten Christian culture. These include: Traditional family values and the sanctity of marriageA commitment to faith and religionThe right to life for every human being While many mainstream conservatives agree with these concepts, most believe they are secondary to the core tenets mentioned previously. Political Leaders Most conservative political leaders tend to be Republican. In most cases, Republican politicians seek to gain the trust of the conservative community. President Ronald Reagan was perhaps the modern conservative movements most important political leader. He ushered in a number of socially conservative initiatives and is widely regarded as the icon of political conservatism. The father of modern conservatism, who was known as Mr. Conservative, was Barry Goldwater. Other conservative leaders have included notable figures such as Newt Gingrich, Robert Walker, George H.W. Bush and Strom Thurmond. Conservative Justices, Media Intellectuals Outside Congress and the White House, the Supreme Court and the national media have a strong influence on US conservative politics and perspectives. Supreme Court Justices William Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and judge Robert Bork have all had a major impact on the interpretation of law. In the media, Rush Limbaugh, Patrick Buchanan, Ann Coulter, and Sean Hannity are seen as the conservatives whose opinions have tremendous influence today. In the 20th Century, Russell Kirk and William F. Buckley Jr. were perhaps the most influential and highly regarded conservative intellectuals. Campaigns Elections To be an effective political leader, a conservative must first run an effective campaign. Perhaps no other campaign has been as important to the conservative movement as the one run in 1964 between Mr. Conservative Barry Goldwater and Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson. Although Goldwater lost, the principles he fought for and the legacy he left have resounded with conservatives ever since. Nevertheless, conservatives who run campaigns today often appeal to social conservatives, using abortion, the second amendment, the sanctity of marriage, school prayer and the War on Terror as the key planks in their political platforms. War on Terror In the 20th Century, the Vietnam war stiffened the resolve of conservatives to never again suffer defeat at the hands of a foreign enemy. The War on Terror began with the attack on 9/11, and conservatives remain largely divided about what the battle parameters should be. Most believe the War on Terror must be won at all costs. The decision to invade Afghanistan to search for Osama bin Laden found favor with many conservatives as did the invasion of Iraq to find al Queda operatives. Despite liberal opposition, conservatives see victory in Iraq as the key front in the war against international terrorism. Division of Church State Because conservatives have such a strong belief in small, non-invasive government, most believe the state shouldnt dictate morality or interfere with the church. Conversely, they believe that although government should be free of religion, it shouldnt be free from religion. To conservatives, school prayer isnt an exercise of the institution, but of the individual and should, therefore, be allowed. Most conservatives oppose the idea of a welfare state and believe the government should regulate standards, not appropriate funding, since private organizations are often better equipped to deal with social problems. Abortion Stem Cell Research For social conservatives, no other issue is as important as abortion. Christian conservatives believe in the sanctity of all life including embryos and believe it is morally wrong to abort living fetuses. Consequently, the pro-life movement and the fight against abortion rights is often incorrectly equated with the conservative movement as a whole. While most conservatives are pro-life, the issues gray areas make it as highly debatable inside the conservative movement as they do anywhere else. Still, most conservatives believe abortion is the same as murder and, like murder, should be against the law. Capital Punishment The death penalty debate is another very controversial issue among conservatives. Opinions vary and depend mostly on what type of conservative ideology the person espouses. Compassionate conservatives believe in the Christian concept of forgiveness and compassion, whereas other types of conservatives believe that when justice for murder is delivered, the punishment should fit the crime. In most cases, conservatives believe the well-being of the victim is more important than that of the criminal, and thus capital punishment is justified. Others believe in rehabilitation and a life of repentance and service to God. Economy Taxes Libertarians and Constitutionalists are natural fiscal conservatives due to their desire to reduce government spending, pay off the national debt and shrink the size and scope of government. Although the Republican Party is most often credited with reducing government waste, but big-spending from the most recent GOP administration has hurt the partys reputation. Most conservatives identify themselves as fiscal conservatives because of their desire to deregulate the economy through lower taxes and incentives for small businesses. Most conservatives believe the government should leave the private sector alone. Education, Environment Foreign Policy The most important education issue concerning conservatives has to do with how the theories of creation and evolution are taught in schools. Social conservatives believe that, at the very least, the biblical concept of creation should be taught as an alternative to the evolution theory. More radical creationists believe evolution shouldnt be taught at all because it undermines the notion of mankind being created in Gods image. Another issue is school vouchers, which give parents the freedom to choose which school their children should attend. Conservatives are largely in favor of education vouchers, believing it to be their right to choose where their children receive their education. Conservatives have traditionally argued that global warming was a myth, but recent scientific evidence has indicated it to be a reality. In the face of these overwhelming studies, some conservatives still cling to the idea that it is a myth and that the statistics are skewed. Other conservatives, such as crunchy conservatives, advocate for a cleaner, greener way of living and are in favor of providing the private sector with economic incentives to reduce pollution and develop alternative fuel sources. When it comes to foreign policy, conservatives are divided on this issue as well. Paleoconservatives take a largely non-interventionist approach to foreign policy, but neoconservatives believe that failure to intervene in international affairs is tantamount to isolationism and as such, stokes the flames of terrorism. Conservative Republicans in Washington are mostly neoconservatives, who support Isreal and the War on Terror.

Financial Accounting Analysis of Pearson Group Case Study

Financial Accounting Analysis of Pearson Group - Case Study Example The Company operates a variety of pension plans, the largest being the UK Group plan which includes both defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans. It also operates a few smaller defined benefit plans in the U.S [(401 [K)] and Canada. Defined contribution pension plans and post-retirement medical benefit plans (PRMB) are principally for employees located in the U.S. The plan assets for the UK Group plan are held by a trust independently of the Company and hence are accounted for at their net value in the balance sheet as per IAS 19 (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group, 2008). Based on the discount rate of 5.80% (FY06: 5.20%), present value of this obligation was 1,682m (FY06: 1,683m) and the fair value of plan assets were 1,744m (FY06: 1,528). The net value of 62m was carried to the balance sheet as Retirement Benefit Asset. Deficit in FY06 amounting to 155m was reported under non-current liability as Retirement Benefit Obligations. In FY07, the Company contributed 121m (including a special contribution of 100m) to fund this shortfall and disclosed it as a reduction from cash flow from operations. The Management expects to eliminate this shortfall by FY14 and has agreed to further contribute 21m in FY08 and 21.9m per annum thereafter in excess of an estimated 30m of regular contributions. Any further deficit in funding can add significa nt burden on the Company's cash flows from operations. As per IAS 19, service cost of 29m (FY06: 27m) for UK Group plan was charged to income statement as an operating expense. Excess of expected returns on these plan assets over the interest paid on plan liabilities amounting to 12m was reported as finance income. While the expected return was 96m (FY06: 85m), the interest paid was 84m (FY06:78m). The rate used for discounting these plan assets is based on the annualized yield on the iBoxx over 15-year AA-rated corporate bond index. As required by IFRS, the Company has disclosed the details of retirement benefits arrangement for its directors and the assumptions used for estimating the present value of benefit obligations. The expected sensitivity of present value of obligations to changes in discount rate and the changes in the value of plan assets and liabilities are also disclosed under notes to consolidated financial statement. The Company has also reported Retirement Benefit Obligations amounting to 95m (FY06: 95m) under non-current liabilities as their present value of obligations were exceeded the fair value of their plan assets. These liabilities relate to other defined benefit obligation pension plans, US PRMS and other pension accruals. Service costs of these plans amounting to 3m were charged as an operating expense; whereas and the interest on the PRMS liabilities of 2m was recognized as finance expense in income statement. PRMS are unfunded but are accounted for and valued similarly to defined benefit pension plans. The total actuarial gains on defined pension benefit plans and post retirement plans amounting to 80m (FY06: 107m) was directly charged to equity and reported under Statement of Recognized Income and Expense (SORIE). Discount rate for all the U.S plans are based on a U.S bond portfolio matching model, which

CONSULTANCY PROJECT REPORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

CONSULTANCY PROJECT REPORT - Essay Example As a result of that most of the companies are continually focusing on the single projects to the detriment of the project portfolio as a whole (PMI, 2013). It is indispensable for the companies to identify the loopholes in their system so as to ensure their goals and objectives get successfully fulfilled. Assessing the current practices of organizations and comparing it with the industry recognized best practices will strongly assist them in discovering the gaps. In the similar manner, the loopholes of a company in its project management area can be identified by comparing it with the industry recognized best practise project management. The role of a consultant in such scenarios becomes highly visible. In this context, a consultant or a subject matter expert plays a crucial role in identifying those gaps and focuses on the opportunities that drives improvements and augments the business performance of the client organization (Kennedy, 2007). Hence, from the discussion it is evident that the role of a consultant is to identify the problems and make suitable recommendations to get rid of those problems (Biech, 2008). Although, from a broader aspect the process may look simple and uncomplicated but in reality the consultancy process involves several complicated tasks. The theory of consultancy foster organizations to explore alternatives those are unknown to the company itself and ultimately help them to choose the most viable and promising option from the lot. In addition, consultants also play a critical role in the implementation process of the alternative course of action. This report gives insights into how a consultancy project should be undertaken and how it would add value to the client organization. In doing so, suitable examples pertaining to the subject of concern well be provided. Discussion How to Undertake a Consultancy Project It is essential for the organizations to know the fact that a consultant would not make decisions for the companies, purcha se specific products and provide standard services. Consultant’s just acts as a support for organizations to solve a problem rose due to specific reasons or recommends companies on how to improve their performance levels. In other words, a management or a strategic consultant is responsible for assisting organizations to enhance their performance levels, through the evaluation and analysis of the active organizational issues, and simultaneously develop plans for improvement. An organization may draw up the services of consultant on a number of grounds, encompassing gaining external piece of advice and admittance to the consultants' specific know-how. A company faces different type of challenges which may take place due to the internal or external business environment. For example, an internal issue for a company can be defaulting HRM systems, failed car park pricing strategy, and failed staff retention strategies, unfeasible new cafe bar, failed strategy of launching of fully serviced apartment building and failed perception assessment of the staff members. In the similar way there can be external problems as well for the company. Some of the issues in this context can be integrating quality, environment and health management systems, marketing plan for a new hotel, and competitor and market analysis for a firm of accountants, health issues awareness campaign, finding sponsors for an event, plans for setting up a charity and developing an environmental management strategy

Gothic Revival and Neoclassicism Architecture in Churches

Gothic Revival and Neoclassicism Architecture in Churches Gothic Revival and Neoclassicism were strong architectural movements which occurred during the mid 18th to the end of the 19th century. In Wellington, these two architectural movements can be seen through the churches of Old Saint Pauls (OSP) which is a Gothic Revival church and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (MCSH) which is a neoclassical building. Reverend Frederick Thatcher (1814 1890) designed Old Saint Pauls church in 1866. He was born in Hastings, England and came to New Zealand in 1843. His influences for designing the church were by the ecclesiastical movement and he strongly supported their theories of letting every material used being real and that Gothic architecture is the only true architecture (Alington, 26) Francis (Frank) William Petre (1847-1918) designed Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Petre was born in Lower Hutt in the North Island. He had strong family connections to the Saint Marys Cathedral (Gothic Revival Church) which had been burnt down in a fire in 1898. This made Petre to design a new Cathedral in MCSH to mark the site of the burnt down church. Although, MCSH is a neoclassical church and construction started in 1899 and was completed in 1901. Petre was influenced by Pugin as gothic was his first love but later moved into classical basilica design because it was a lower cost and for structural sustainability. Approaching OSP externally, I felt that the church seemed to be slightly hidden behind the large trees which obstructed parts of the church at eye level. I could have walked past the building without noticing that it was a church as it was so homely. Mulgrave Street is the road running in front of the church and it is placed on ground level with no major slopes or elevation. (See Figure 1 for exterior illustration) The original clients of the church were British Anglican worshippers and Ecclesiology in church architecture was important during this period in time and the worshippers would have responded to the building with pride as it symbolised British dominance. Todays users are majorly still Anglican worshippers and the growing number of worshippers mean that the church would be used more than at the time that it was initially built. On the other hand, approaching MCSH was a contrast to approaching OSP. A dominant grand building standing tall on a raised platform rose as I walked towards it. The six exterior ionic pillars with immense pedestals which are larger than an average human really made me feel discrete and powerless. This adds an authoritive label to the church. (See Figure 2 for exterior illustration) Catholic worshippers were the original clients and the same remains today. The two distinctly different churches were designed by their architects deliberately to show the different faiths being practised at each church and how specific elements reveal this. This paper addresses how the ordering principles of the columns in both Metropolitan Cathedral and Old St Pauls reveal that the architects planned the structural element not just for functional demands, but to compliment aesthetic values as well. Columns are essential building elements which are used both in OSP and MCSH. In OSP the basic function of the square base column is to support the ribs of the vaults. In MCSH the internal ionic columns are placed to support the altar canopy in the sanctuary area. The columns in each church add to the overall experience with ones individual personal relationship with god. Approaching through the sideway entry at OSP creates an extra anxious wait for seeing the internal of the church at a full scale. There is a true definite emotional aspect walking through the entrance as it somehow silently makes one go on a journey, a journey to God. The columns are noticeable because they are placed near the seating area by the nave so therefore when sitting down looking towards the chancel, the view is filled with the columns alongside the nave with the presence of artificial light inside the church. Although, with purely natural light coming into the church the columns are certainly no distraction when looking at the chancel area because of the dimness created by the stained glass windows. To an extent hides the tall columns and the focus of the eye is upon the chancel due to the maximum natural light in the church being maintained in this area. Margaret Alington reinforces: quality of light within the building is dim, however, as a Neo- Gothicists believed that this was suitable for their style of architecture†¦Natural light leaves Old St Pauls feeling gloomy additional lighting is directed throughout the nave and chancel areas (47). Today, approaching into MCSH is similar to the entering into OSP because the new entrance is perpendicular to the sanctuary area and the internal columns appear when looking towards the chancel. Two main ionic columns which support the altar canopy but there are other decorative purpose ionic columns like structures attached to the arched walls. This can be misleading because they are not classified as architectural columns because they do not support anything. The white columns in the altar from far have a very powerful and elegant look because it holds the canopy in which a painting of Jesus placed underneath. From a closer view, the size of the columns really did place my perspective in scale and the details of the Ionic order appeared more clearly. Historian Margaret Alington explains that one of the most striking features of the Gothic style is the relationship between structure and appearance. They are as one (32). This is portrayed through the columns in OSP. Alington also states that: it is from these columns that the ribs appear to grow. At their beginning, the ribs encase the columns, and at a greater height do they become elements on their own right (38). Thatcher designed the column set up this way to follow the Gothic tradition of emphasising height. Alington further mentions that the continuation of the columns, the ribs add to the organic feeling of the vertical growth which the building possess (38). The Christian soul experiences uplift as the height of the building is symbolic during worship (38). This is an example of the column contributing to the building in physical terms as well as showing historical ideas that they can be seen as being representative of. (See figure 3 for ribs growing from column). Internally, the Ionic order columns are employed by Petre in MCSH to support up the altar canopy. The Ionic column is historically defined by Italian architects, as one of three orders built by the Greeks. Many structures are seen portraying Ionic columns, and examples are seen throughout the world. The Coliseum in Rome, Italy shows a simple Ionic column that has lasted since the original construction in 1st Century AD. The Erechtheion in Athens, Greece is also exhibiting the Ionic column. Dating back to the building of these structures, the Ionic column was an obvious favourite, when trying to communicate strength and dignity. Dr Fil Hearn describes the ionic capital as being faintly evocative of feminine curls but abstractly decorative all the same (110). This explains that Petre wanted to exhibit strength and dignity to the church but at the same time have a decorative quality to it. This relates to a respectful relationship with God where as in OSP it is a more personal one. (See figure 4 columns supporting altar canopy). Gothic architecture is unique in its use of materials. Alington mentions that: In medieval Europe, the building material was stone- usually limestone, frequently sandstone and occasionally granite. This heavy material was made to soar to great heights and to feel light in gothic spires (66). Although, stone is rare in New Zealand but timber is an available resource and the gothic style of England was adapted into this material (66). Thatcher cleverly manipulated the new wooden elements used inside the church as a substitute to stone. New Zealand rimu timber is used for the square base columns inside OSP which lead into the ribbed vaults which are also made from rimu. Rimu can be used in interior situations for a variety of elements, without the need for treatment from decay. Alington writes the English settlers bought with them the style and technologies of their mother country (66). The natural browns of rimu are present in the columns. This also gives a homely effect which ultimately plays with ones senses and leads to a worship of personal qualities. (See figure 5 for colour palette). As an effect of running my hands down a column, the smooth texture of wood is an indication that it has been varnished and handled very carefully. On the other hand MCSH has been made out a much harder structural material. It has a red brick and masonry exterior and white Oamaru stone in the interior, also plastered pilasters and concrete was used for greater strength and is weather resistant. My conclusions of why stone is used for the ionic columns in MCSH and in neoclassical buildings are because of the solidity of the stone. It adds to the overall effect of the building of representing strength and dignity as this was a key prospect in classical architecture. Also, the painting of Jesus under the altar canopy needs to have a strong support by the columns. This is symbolic in a way because the ionic columns act as the strength of the church as this may be the importance for the shelter of Jesus Christ. The architects of both churches purposely used ordering principles to position the columns to create, axis, symmetry, hierarchy, rhythm and repetition. Both churches include ordering principles which overall create an emotional experience on the worshipper of each respective church. Some aesthetic values are also created in this process. Geometry formed the basis of gothic art (Alington, 54). Thatcher designed OSP with series of squares. Also the repetition of equilateral triangles were employed by Thatcher to symbolise the Trinity, and the quatrefoil being symbolic of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the four evangelists (Alington, 60). (See figure 6 for plan) The forms and spaces of any building should acknowledge the hierarchy inherent in the functions they accommodate, the users they serve, the purpose or meaning they convey, and the scope or context they address (Ching, 320). Ching is addressing to the fact that forms and spaces should have a purpose in a building and they must portray a meaning and this is what is done in OSP by Thatcher. The placement of the columns creates an axis running through the centre of the nave and this also establishes a symmetrical arrangement of the columns and space. Ching states that a symmetrical condition cannot exist without implying the existence of an axis (330). A hierarchy of the chancel area is also formed by the columns creating a visual direction to look towards when sitting down. This hierarchy is formed by size and placement. dominate an architectural composition by being significantly different in size (339), the focus of a centralised or radial organisation (339). Rhythm refers to any movement characterised by a patterned recurrence of elements at regular intervals (356). This is true because of the pattern made by the columns in OSP as they are placed at regular intervals on either side of the nave. This cre ates a sense of order and is pleasing to the eye as one walks into the church. (See figure 7 for plan). The Classical language of architecture adheres to notions of natural order and beauty through harmony and discipline and Petre addresses this in MCSH. Symmetry and harmony is achieved by using balanced axis through the building. Everything is perfectly balanced (or was until the restoration and additions in the 1980s).Each part of the building stands a mirror image of the other part from macro to the micro. This creates symmetry which is very aesthetically pleasing. Ching mentions that radiating elements such as the composition can be divided into similar halves along a central axis (330). The windows also match up to their opposites. Entrances into the building stand opposite the entrance to the sanctuary. Nothing is random or asymmetrical. The two columns supporting the altar canopy creates the hierarchy point because the main painting of Jesus is placed underneath the altar. Also because there are only two proper columns inside MCSH, the rest which are decorative illusions are pl aced against the arched walls. (See figure 8 for plan) In comparison, OSP and MCSH have numerous ordering principles although, MCSH has a very controlled and dignified march to the focus of the Sanctuary which is first manipulated by the narrow columnisation at the exterior portico, with a pace that makes you hurry. MCSH holds a more disciplined order through the arrangement of elements than OSP. For aesthetic considerations Petre used the golden section in MCSH. The Greeks recognised the dominating role the Golden sections and the proportions of the human bodythey utilised this proportions in their temple structures (Ching, 286) The golden section/ratio is also used in the ionic column. The base end of the ionic column is 0.618 time larger than the top end. This creates a perfect balance for the element which creates visually pleasing qualities and supposedly to be the perfect building ratio. The golden section is not only present in the columns but also in the whole church itself. The external face of MCSH is all presented through this ratio and also the floor and ceiling all use this rule. This symbolises authority through perfection and order and impacts worship activities in many ways. The sense of perfection and order in MCSH discards any sense of private discovery of god because everything has been discovered through the perfection of the building. Similarly, the original floor plan of OSP is based on this golden section. Although that is the only aspect of the golden section used in this church and aesthetic values thrive through the arrangement of elements as discussed before. Thatcher and Petre planned the columns to fit ordering principles which suited functional demands and complimented aesthetic values too. Overall, OSP demonstrates the Neo-Gothic style, following the ecclesiological society and MCSH demonstrates the Neo classical style following the Ionic order effectively. The functional demand of the columns in MCSH is to support the altar canopy of which the main painting of Jesus is placed under and therefore serves an important role in the church. Meanwhile is OSP the columns are present to support the rubbed vaults which ultimately holds the church up. Thatcher and Petre use ordering principles such as axis, symmetry, hierarchy, rhythm and repetition to show reason for each respectable church and to create aesthetic properties as well. Aesthetics values were also evident through the use of the golden mean and this was employed in both churches. The columns presented in both churches contribute to each of the buildings in physical terms as well as the historical ideas that they can be seen as being representative of. The two architectural movements (Gothic revival and Neo-classica l) in the 18th and 19th century were evident in both churches and Thatcher and Petre can be proud with their creation of both churches as it is a place for many worshippers today.

A Report on the Link Between Management Principles, Functions and Organisation Structure

A REPORT ON THE LINK BETWEEN MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES, FUNCTIONS AND ORGANISATION STRUCTURE ESHUL RAYHAN ID 103718-86 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE NO. SUMMARY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 FUNCTION OF PLANNING LINKING WITH MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 FUNCTION OF ORGANISING LINKING WITH MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTUREâ₠¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 FUNCTION OF LEADING WITH MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES ANDORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 FUNCTION OF CONTROLLING WITH MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 CONCLUSION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 REFERENCE LIST†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 SUMMARY The report shows the connection between the four functions of management, Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling with the Management Principles and Organizational Structures are designed to imply the factors for the successful operation of a business organization like Marks and Spencer.Examples has been drawn to support the ideas and put light on the scenarios in the organization. INTRODUCTION The motto of the following report is to identify and highlight the connection between the management principles, functions and organizational structure. Every organization has the application of these three factors as better outcomes are achieved when they are linked together and implied. The management principles affect the management functions which have a great influence on the organizational str ucture.This report is using ‘MARKS AND SPENCER’ as an example to show how the three affect on each other. Management is the process of getting activities completed efficiently and effectively through other people. It includes various processes and steps which will be further discussed in the following report. There are 14 management principles as stated by Henry Fayol ( Boddy, 2005 ). Many of them are linked with the functions of management which are, Planning, Organizing, Controlling and Leading.The report is to show the relations between the three factors of the business and how are they implied. FUNCTION OF PLANNING LINKING WITH MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES AND ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE Planning is an essential component of management function to carry out the smooth operation of a business. It contains the property of identifying the obejectives of a business by the management team. When the plans are being made, the changes are implied immediately or according to a time sp an as required according to the current status of the business.For a successful planning, forecasting is very necessary for the management as it helps them to be prepared for the worst case scenarios and to earn more revenues as well. This very function management can be linked with one of the management principles as stated by a French business analyst named Henry Fayol, which is Unity of Direction. The author defines the principle as the combination of group of people who work together to achieve the same organizational goals and performs the activities in a definite synchronized system to achieve them with maximum efficiency.For example, if we look into a press release by Marks and Spencer during their AGM in 11th July 2011, it is seen that the Chairman and CEO of the company, Mr. Luc Vandevelde announced that the company is going to bring a significant change in their planning and thus a change in their organizational structure as well. He also announced the new planning strateg ies which will be carried out to maximize profits for the company. The plans were implied from 29th March 2001. It included the selling of their own brands only but not any other external brands anymore.This is done to reattain the fame regarding the quality of own products as customers experienced no extra facilities buying external brands from Marks and Spencer and neither the external brand companies nor Marks and Spencer could gain any outstanding revenue selling exrternal brand products. To make this come into action, the company decided to return to their own suppliers who had been supplying the very own products dedicated for the selling purpose of Marks and Spencer only. This would result to the attainment of the former business relations and strong future commitments and the uphill formation of M & S business achievements.The second plan was to close down the subsidiary companies which were making losses rather than profits M & S. For example, Brooks Brothers and Kings Supe r Market in USA were sold off as they were loss-making companies and were affecting the gross profit margin of M & S. The company also decided to close down the stores in Central Europe as it was not making profits. These plans were made and implied after research being made by the superiors of the company and the structures had been re-organized.This is where the organizational structure comes into action when the company sort out and design the strategies to overcome the difficulties and perform smooth business actions. FUNCTION OF ORGANISING LINKING WITH MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLE AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Organizing is the process of combining human, physical and financial resources to achieve organizational goals. It is important to carefully dedicate the resources to maximize profits since resources are always limited. This is synchronized with the ‘Division of Labor’ management principle by Henry Fayol.This factor of management principle is described by the author t hat the every duty of an organization is spread evenly among the employees to ease out the process of output. If we draw an example regarding M & S, its seen that the duties are segregated between the employees. The organization is structured from the Chairman to Customer Service Assistant, where, they have different tasks to complete. This results to finish and achieve goals within less time and with more efficiency as there is a saying that,’ A load of ten is a burden of one’.Each of the employee are asked to perform their own definite task which then becomes a positive outcome when made total. FUNCTION OF LEADING LINKING WITH MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Management needs to exercise the function of leading in order for the organization to achieve their goals. It is an essential part of the management as it helps the management to direct employees to focus on ‘the big picture’. Normally management focuses on increasing productivity to improve cost efficiency. To improve productivity employees need direction and motivation.The direction and motivation are usually received from superiors. This can be linked with the management principle of ‘Authority and Responsibility’ which means to have the power to order the sub-ordinates and direct them to achieving goals. For example, M & S have the supervisors who lead the Retail Operatives to fulfill the targets which are set by the Managers to the supervisors. It follows a chain of command which has the ultimate goal of maximizing profit. The chain of command starts from the highest level of authority like the Chairman and ends to the Retail Operatives’ tasks.FUNCTION OF CONTROLLING LINKING WITH MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Management must use the function of Control to maximize employee performance and stabilize the working environment. There had been always a controversy where it is widely believed that Controlling is a negati ve term because the employees regard it to be a restriction. But at the very conclusion, it helps to maintain a strict guideline which the employees must follow to avoid chaos. â€Å"Managers expect people in an organization to change their behavior in response to control† (Erven, 1994).This can be inter related with management principle of â€Å"Discipline†, which is clearly stated by Fayol that there should be certain rules which are to be followed must by the employees. When it is looked into M & S, it is apparent that the company applies a number of rules which must be obliged by the employees to create a better working environment and prevent any internal hassles within the company. Therefore, the organization has been structured in such format where certain rules are set in purpose to keep the working environment healthy and prosperous in respect to business aspects. CONCLUSIONFrom the report it is apparent that Management Functions are greatly influenced by the Management Principles based on which the organization is being structured. The achievement of organizational goals are highly affected due to the implication of these three management factors. It is fair to conclude that, for an organization to make profit and carry out its operation in long run, the application of these management factors are inevitable. REFERENCE LIST 1. Boddy, D (2005), Management Concepts and Principles, Prentice Hall 2. [Online] http://corporate. marksandspencer. com/aboutus/ourhistory, Accessed at 12/04/2011

Personal development Plan Essay

Capital is generally referred by the people to the financial assets and resources, however besides the money; personal capital is also a part of capital. Capital is basically the ability to do something and it allows a person to make his own selections and if it is not available, it is very hard or almost impossible for one to make selections. To evaluate the performance of an individual, capital is an important concept. However, personal performance is not normally termed as capital but it does function in the same way as the financial resources but as for the financial resources, we must build up these resources if we want to accomplish something but the personal capital of an individual is his skills, intelligence, his network of contacts, education, or relationships, etc. (Productivity 501, 2007). We have certain options from where we can choose and these options are interdependent on the amount of capital we have actually acquired. For instance, let’s consider the skill capital. This can further be explained by an example of the skill to perform a particular task to accomplish a particular goal. This can also be to sail all around the world. However, this can only be made possible if the person knows how to sail. If this person does not even know how to sail in a lake along with strong winds, he would never be able to sail around the world. Same applies to the other skills that come under personal capital. Personal capital is something that an individual need to develop personally and is not present in a person from the start. This is basically about polishing the skills you already have in you and is all about increasing our skills as well as the level of intelligence that can be done by various activities such as by reading, studying, taking courses, etc. As for the relationships, they can be improved by investing some more time in them. In order to build up a relationship, giving time, taking care of the person and showing love is very essential and without all these factors it would be hard to maintain any relationship as these are the core factors that are required to make up and then to handle a relationship. To increase our network of contacts, it is a must that we reach out people after which we must stay in contact with them because just reaching them out won’t work effectively. Therefore, we must also remember our past acquaintances and should keep in touch with them as well. The activities mentioned above helps to increase our personal capital and so it also increases the opportunities that we might get.   According to Tom Peters, â€Å"everyone lives by selling something.†Ã‚   (Peters, 1999). People normally retreat when they hear about the word sales as it sounds devious. However, when you convince the other person and you sell, it develops more pleasure and satisfaction and it is all about moving your resources to the ones who need them. Personal capital is basically an ability in a person to make a difference and it can be either processing ability or leverage. The processing ability is basically the extent to which a person achieves a desired result with the resources available to him. It is all about achieving a task based on the thinking skills, energy, character of a person, the level of knowledge and know-how about an activity, thus it is all about achieving the targets within the given resources. This furthermore increases the value of a person as when an individual is different from the others and is able to do tasks effectively, it gives him an edge over others and this can even be his core competency. For instance, let us consider an example of a person who has stared with a new job and as the job is new, the person would need some guidance in order to achieve the targets. Therefore, as assistance is needed by the employee, the results would not be totally based on his skills but later after the employee develops understanding and know-how; he would be able to do the same task without getting help from any other person and can work independently. This shows that his processing ability has been increased. The second part of personal capital is leverage, it raises the productivity of others by using your expertise and further explaining it, we can say that it amplifies your processing ability through others and this can either be done by coaching an employee who is new or by guiding him with the way in which the task is to be performed. Leverage can be measured in a way as our ability to transfer our knowledge to the other party, for example leverage of an economics teacher who teaches the course at a university can be judged in way how he teaches the student and does that really benefit the student or not i.e. does it increase the knowledge of the student or not. Furthermore it is also about using your own previous experience to teach the new employees and help them out to reduce chances of errors or mistakes and when this is achieved, a person achieves leverage. Personal capital can only be built only by learning and trying, it is about the way in which an individual is supposed to take a process and further turn it into a better work process and it is also about adding value to the ideas proposed by the others. People can take courses that could help them to increase knowledge and their processing ability and the way they can share their knowledge that in turn increases their leverage. The reason why personal capital should be built is because of the value we place in making a difference in the tasks we are assigned and the better personal capital an individual has, the better can he perform and achieve he desired goal. Moreover, people have better personal capital will also be able to accomplish tasks that are more complex and challenging.   This is not just the only requirement; however a person should keep on improving his personal capital so that they can benefit from it and fulfill his responsibilities as a team member. Being creative is to turn the ideas that erupt into your mind into a reality and for consists of two aspects that have to be considered. The first one is the ability to think that a person has and the other is to actually create that particular idea. For creative thinking, innovation is a must. This basically means to implement the idea that has been though of. However, if some one has ideas but he does not implement them, he would be considered imaginative and not creative. Therefore, the crux of this paragraph is that there is no use of thinking if you are not doing what you have thought about. (Linda, n.d.) Moreover, creativity can also be defined as something that is new and it therefore requires both zeal as well as dedication. People usually determine certain symbols and myths from creativity that further reveals the hidden points of life. (Rollo May, The Courage to Create) According to another author, a product is only creative when it is novel and appropriate. Moreover, he states that a new product shows its originality, however it cannot be predicted. Creativity of a product basically depends on the concept. The bigger it is, more the ideas are generated and so creativity increases. (Sternberg & Lubart, Defying the Crowd) Creativity can be used for the purpose of economic development, at work and everywhere. The resources available to us in the world are limited but the demands of the people are unlimited. Creative ideas only come in such case when our resources are restricted and as a popular saying of an economist and a social philosopher says that â€Å"Invention is the mother of necessity.† (Thorstein Veblen, 1857 – 1929). However, time and budget can limit creativity. In today’s world creativity is taken as something more than just an artistic expression as it was perceived to be in the previous centuries. However, now it is also essential in many other areas as well. It can be used just anywhere, in a very small thing such as to make a loft or a professional canvas painter. However, creativity can be taken differently by different people who are engaged in different tasks. Constant learning enhances the creativity in a person. Moreover, we should explore different techniques that can help us in improving our creativity. We should brainstorm ideas, do mind-mapping and meditation, etc. I would also say that creativity is basically a mental process that is all about creating new ideas but its originality and appropriateness should not be affected in any way. Creativity is also referred as a divergent thought from the scientific point of view and can be studied from various point of views such as in some of the aspects such as – behavioral psychology, social psychology, psychometrics, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, philosophy, history, economics, design research, business, management, etc. (Linda, n.d.) There are certain questions that one must ask oneself for personal development.  · What’s the history of a person and repercussions for contributions in the past.  · Where we are and what have we gained? (Instead of, â€Å"What have we lost?†)  · What needs to be changed, such as structures to encourage and support learning and innovation?  · What needs to change in my leadership style to foster more of a learning culture? When and where should I practice being a learner? Once we ask those questions to you, one must also consider some of the things mentioned below.  · Hierarchy is not inherently a problem.  · Technical hierarchy not social hierarchy.  · Acknowledge power & power dynamics. The more open this is, the less it will be a subtext of interaction.  · Be in the role of teacher, when the authority in a particular skill or situation, and of learner when not.  · Trust, trust, trust. Trying to control everything accomplishes the opposite.  · Communication – Interaction must be encouraged as it is essential for personal development.  · Documentation – Document learning in one area or project such that it can be shared with other areas and projects. The personal vision of a person is very important as this further develops goal awareness and social orientation. The personal vision of an individual helps them to guide their lives and also provides the direction that is essential to make a choice about the career. It thus, helps to show a way to a person and so it is important for us to identify our personal visions. A personal vision is basically written focusing on the life of person i.e. the joys and the sadness’s filled in their life, what they have achieved and how they have achieved, their contribution, what makes them, their brilliance as well as heritage. Personal vision in turn develops goal awareness as once you identify the personal vision is it easier for a person to focus more on his goals and what he wants to do in life. Moreover, it also develops social orientation in a way that a person cares more about the well being of the society and so he makes sure that their needs are being taken care of and they are satisfied. Other than that, an individual should also have the capacity to working together with other individuals and for this it is necessary that he develops communication, interactive skills and development orientation. The skills and performance of an individual must be upgraded continually and meeting this requirement involves training and development activities and appraising performance for the purposes of giving feedback and motivating people to perform at their best. Training usually refers to teaching lower level employees how to perform their present jobs, while development involves teaching managers and professional employees broader skills needed for their present and future jobs. Individuals must take training to enhance their individual performance that would then increase their productivity. It should focus on developing management skills/development and supervisory skills, technical skills and communication skills. Orientation training programs should be designed for individuals because they are typically used to familiarize them with certain things such as the general policies, procedures, culture and the like. All this results in reputed benefits such as increased morale of an individual; he becomes more productive, lower costs and the like. Team training is also important because it recognizes to facilitate individuals working together. It teaches the people, the skills they to work together and also facilitates their interaction that further focuses on technical, interpersonal and team interaction skills. Communication is very important because it is the only mode through which there can be an exchange of ideas between people but for this they need to interact with other people. They need to form their social groups, talk to their mates and develop orientation that helps to familiarize them with other people. Moreover, concreteness is important too. In this comes openness to change, operational effectiveness and responsiveness challenge. To be concrete basically means to be specific. While making a personal development plan it is also essential to be concrete. An individual cannot do each and everything. Some might be good as some tasks and some might be good at some tasks and so it is not necessary that all people can do the same work well. This in turn develops core competency. In the world today, changes are being made like in every second. However, it does take time for people to adjust to change and people are usually resistant to change but in the end they do have to accept the change. Therefore, it is necessary that one must be flexible and be able to adjust to change well.