A approach towards hotels

Risks in relation to Opportunities, measurement of decisions Appendix 10. 5: 24 Probability of risk occurrence Appendix 10. 6: Provisions of outcomes incorporating and eliminating the influences of controllers 25 Appendix 10. 7: 26 Influence of a risk in relation to costs Appendix 10. 8: 27 Checklist for evaluating risks 2 1. 0 The risks are now attached powers related with the lifespan of hotel ‘s projects or activities in the specific region, combining unreliable nature of vague commodities, quickly changing market, advances in technology, and the revolution of the customer' s requirements.Hotel ‘s projects usually consume large capital investments to achieve profitability and momentum within the market, but perhaps associated unpredictable risks generate restrictions or even a substantial loss of investment. Consequently, risk management is applied uninterruptedly through the life cycle of the hotel ‘s project to reduce or minimalism the undesirable effects of ri sks from the project' s schedules, costs and performances, in order to ensure achievement of economic goals.This report is initiated to analytically examine the procedures of risk management regarding the hotel industry. Initially, this report ascribes theoretical context of risk management and of its perception and significance within the industry of hotels. In addition, this report analyses and reviews risk a managing procedure, including risk identification then the analysis and controlling of risk, to finalize with risk reporting. The report investigates how risk potential dangers and facilitates the project's procedure regarding decision-making (Kite & Eluding,1997, p. ). This report also shows how risk management sequences benefits the assignment ‘s responsible to evaluate if they acquire satisfactory possessions for the project to manage the risk connected with high existence possibility and significance that not all risks are of equal weight. Furthermore, risks may be various and theoretical; consequently the report will establish the significance of finding parts and mutual risks methods, which are advantageous to aware the management of the hotel from dangerous risks.Additionally, the report shows the value of the statistical normal distribution, and the likelihood of risks within the project management of hotels, including a strategy of efficient warning methods and emergency forecasting in order to monitor future risks. This report continue explaining in what way risk reporting would be efficient in delivering the results of the conducted analysis and control of risks so the hotel ‘s project to accelerate investing conclusions.Yet, this report shows important debates concluded through a concise summary of the risk management progression and its values within the hotel industry. Additionally, references, and appendices serve an as extra resource that highlights key philosophies in this report. 1. 1 Aim & Objectives This report main aim i s to analyses the procedures of risk management and how it effects project management within the industry of hotels. Goals: To diagnostically examine the academic frame of risk management in relation to project management within the industry of hotels. 2.To identify the settings of risk management and its effects on hotel ‘s project. 3. To investigate the procedures of risk management within the hotel industry. 4. To discover the significance of managing risk in project management within the industry of hotels. To analyses the risk management procedures and its effect towards hotel ‘s approach of managing risks within projects. In accordance to Serener, (2006, p. 1 1), risk management is defined as an organized function procedure useful in a methodological approach in order to cope imaginable risks offered to a company.Moreover, Mills, (2001), argues that risk management if systematic, is a crucial tool for company's in order to control and obtain the possible occurring risks, which could simplify the process of dealing with the actual risk. Moreover, the risk management procedure where the team monitoring is accountable for couple of areas of responsibility: recognizing, evaluating, forecasting, tracing, controlling and communicating (NASA NIPPERS. A 2004 p, 5).The usefulness of risk management provides hotel management to a opportunity to reduce the risk through using the systematic approach for better a better adaptable response to risks, and eliminating the accomplishment of strategic objective and profits (Rival & Fuchsia, 2007, p. 4). Noticed by Mills, (2001) that risk management don't only emphasizes on classifying the risks after a ranking system, it also monitors and administers risks to be able to decrease imaginable damages to the business ‘s entity.However, Serener (2006) claims that the purpose of risk management is not to serially eliminate risks, therefore, focusing on the risks that are involved in the furthermost effective me thod or reactive actions. Further down the line of a project, the possible risks could drive the project or organization to unnecessary expenditure, fiasco, or liquidation (appendix 10. 1). According to Scott, (1997) there is a significance importance to include the process of risk management within the decision-making procedure by hotel ‘s leaders, in order to reduce the negative impacts of risks such as efficiency, implementation and budget problems.Within the hotel association, inconsistency concerning established objectives and actual implementations is created due risks being very stretched to projects (Kindlier, 2009). To continue, there are very high cash investments within properties and assets belonging to hotels, which triggers a bigger risk if the particular hotel fails to produce profit and inevitably lose investor's investment.In addition, prompt alterations and high manipulations origins greater risks to hotel ‘s developments, impacting the day-to-day proce dures and generating insecurity in decision-making (Serener, 2006). So, through arranging risk management at the entree, hotels can certify adaptive reactions to risks in a well-timed method; evade upcoming damages, enabling supervisors to create a contingency plan to response towards risks, and seizing hypothetical opportunities (Kindlier, 2009).Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) – Project Risk Management Enterprise Risk Management shortened term ERM, is perceived as a procedure, stimulated via an independent panel of managers, executives, and other employees, which is combined with tactical instructions throughout the business, to be able to pinpoint probable impacts measured to be forceful to the independence (Rival & Fuchsia 2007, p. ). Kindlier (2009, p. 323) argues that ERM embraces all the management of assignments, agendas and collect the concepts of risk management within a structure.In order to seize business development and reduce dangers the ERM could be focused tow ards the safety and security department of a hotel. In addition, ERM is appreciated within project risk management in order to compute and manage risks with great safety, henceforth focusing the practice of capitals. Further, discussed by Stuntman et al. , (2011, p. 336) PRM ‘s function as a procedure, which monitors all actions in order to guarantee a positive result from investments.Moreover, when a new project is offered to a hotel, PRM is highly useful in order to evaluate the foundation of the dangers, the comprehensiveness of risks, and hypothetical results designated from risks. Nonetheless, hotel ‘s plans are indistinguishable to stint of time regulating, highlighting the introduction of latest commodities or assistances towards the market, nonetheless limited by limits and certain objectives according to Groove (1997).Therefore, it is essential to apply PRM uninterruptedly during the project lifespan to successfully moderate risks and achieve project's objective s in relation to he strategic schedule, financial plan, and implementations (Stuntman et al. , 2011). The risk management process is alienated in four different boxes; it starts by identifying the actual risk thereafter follow an analysis and control of the risks and management process in order to safeguard stability between the profits versus the costs within operations (Kline & Eluding, 1997, p. ). Continuously, another elaborated definition discussed by Groove (1997) the risk management procedure is one-chain rotation, due to each step commences in a systematic approach to be able to execute risk management efficiently. Moreover, Kindlier (2009) emphasizes the importance of utilizing the risk management process, managers and supervisors would gain a holistic overview of the entire activities, reduce the uncertainty and making the hotel project reliable and profitable.In addition, the process is valuable in order to clarify if the projects are feasible or problematic. Chapman & Wa rd, (2010) introduces the first step of the risk management procedure, first step: risk identification, a procedure where potential and actual risks facing the hotel, gets revealed and diagnosed. Risk identification tributes to instructing the reject supervisors of related obstacles or risk being a factor where the achievement of goals develops the base for risk analysis and control.Second step is called a risk analysis, where a process takes place of analyzing various risks by the usage of specific techniques such as statistics. This step is also recognized as the â€Å"action† step, to conduct an analysis against the risks, which has been identified in the previous step. Furthermore, follows risk control, by endeavoring to manage the risks for modifying damaging influences and defending productivity. Last step in the risk management process, risk reporting explained by Kline & Eluding (1997), either written or oral communication of the findings from the conducted.Hotels are affected when impacted by the occurring fluctuations that are uncontrolled, such as the financial state or advantages of competitors, which are usually invisible at the early phases of the hotel plans (Stuntman, et al. , 2011, IPPP). It is further argued by Scott (1997) in order to receive high returns on invested capital, hotels should apply the process of risk management in order to systematically diminish the negative influence of risks.Continuously, the process is also beneficial regarding the assistance provided to hoteliers in order to increase the certainty of the project's future, which leads to overall better confidence in the decision-making process regarding anything related to the project from cost efficiency plans or contingency plans versus possible upcoming risks. 8 diagnoses possible impacts of the company that could trigger the risks both internally and externally.Risk identification is the first step before the risks gets analyses and purposed, thereafter becoming the foundation of the next steps in the recess; analyzing and controlling risks (Scott,1997). According to Keen, (2011) the most problematic and difficult step in the process is the risk identification, because it outcomes of strangeness or vagueness of forthcoming occurrences. However, identifying risks allows managers to distinguish the partnership between the causes and consequences of events, thus enabling the strategy of the stronger risk image, protective plan, and increase self-confidence in decision-making.If the management of the hotel disappoints in identifying any upcoming potential risks in the projects or operations, then unfortunately the non-identified risks will become hard to manage and cultivate to be devastating (Tchaikovsky, 2002). Additionally, the stage of risk identifications includes a complete analysis of the settings both internally and externally in order to interpret nature, and measure influences from risks (Meredith & Mantel 2012).Furthermore, Groove, (1997) argues that by recognizing foundations and influences of risks, for instance operational or market risks towards the projects of the hotel, the management could therefore categorize these risks if they are manageable or uncontainable. Nevertheless, even if risks are identified as uncontainable such as inconsistent seasonal demands, the management within hotels could still plan and work out a protective plan for producing short-term demands in order to change the undesirable outcomes (Ammonia. , 2008, p. 1 1).In addition, when risk management process is implemented, the procedure should be on-going and not perceived as one-off activity, as new risks are constantly occurring regarding the changes occurring within the micro and macro environment said by Tchaikovsky (2002). 4. 1 Identification of the major significant participants – Steadying groundwork, lassoing pieces – communal risks When identifying the foundation and stabilizing it, hotel's directors must have a look at the entire party of personnel carrying this project out instead of Just concentrating on the information (appendix 10. ). The managers must identify and know they key people, in other words are the very important participants, who in turn will give the vital information for the risk performance identification and enquiry steps. Furthermore, in order to stabilize the groundwork, manager or directors have to gain every part of necessary and significant data in a certain period of time. Such as the different and various sources of risks and influence areas to have a performance on the risk study efficiently and effectively (Scott 1997).However, by the conversion of information into different distinct pieces, managers should know and recognize the different risk components in the hotel's plans and the corresponding relationship in each component, which is why planning specific goals can become easier in specific risk. Additionally, when identifying and ordering distinct compon ents and pieces, there are two available approaches; it is either doing it independently or with a group (Serener, 2006). Identifying individually is considered as efficient when considering time, but can lead to limitations, narrow perceptions or own biases by ignoring the hotel's atmosphere.Uncooperative, Stuntman et al. , (2011) have argued by the identification of risks in a group, an additional stable and serious identifications can be accomplished, but, the period could take longer, costly, and very difficult for adding various information into one piece. Meanwhile, it has to be recognized that the human error, results and occurs of them who see the event on occasion basis can produce bias in recognizing risk Keen, 2011). Moreover, mutual risks have to be found and identified for its great level of danger challenging the projects.Through common risks recognition, the project managers can focus efforts on risk with great impact, because not all the risks are the same and they a ll require different attention and treatment (Pritchard, 2010). Nevertheless, the 10 mutual risks differ as the project proceeds, because the consequence of the risks may reduce; yet others become dominance. For example, in the lodging industry, the hesitation of the market fluctuations, economic rejections, and as well inflation may to show at the beginning of the hotel's projects.Thus, forming inconsistency among the plans and the authentic upcoming implementations argued by Haze &Kouki (2009, p 262). Analysis of risk occurs when managers' converts information gathered throughout the identification process when handling risks like rational knowledge by operating designated methods (Kline & Eluding 1997, p. 59). Risk analysis is also related to activities of examining assignments or functions to observe dangerous areas including risks in a methodical method, which might relieve risk control procedures Pritchard, 2010).Hotels could be quicker adaptable and better responsive to perce ivable occurrences, which comprehends chances and disorders (appendix 10. 4) by using risk analysis. Keel & Eluding, (1997, p. 8) states two types of risks analysis, one being quantitative and the other qualitative. Still, statistic plays a important role when risks is being analyses, in order to explain outcomes by taking a look at the frequency scattering using authentic numbers or calculations, to be able to compute data. Frequency scattering is utilized in risk analysis to review big volumes of

Love Letter to Her

From the moment I heard your voice I felt a connection to your soul. I can still remember exactly how you looked the day we first met. Your beautiful eyes captured my heart and your smile erased any and all doubts that I had ever experienced. When you opened your arms I stepped into your loving, kind embrace and knew that I was â€Å"home† right where I had always belonged. You knew just the words to say to put me at ease and when your hand reached out to hold mine, I realized that I had found my future, my soul-mate and the love that I had always dreamed of discovering.We spoke for hours about every possible subject and never ran out of words to say to each other. I could see the longing and passion in your eyes and I am sure that it was a reflection of the incredibly intense desire that I was feeling at the same moment. The world had ceased to exist and there were only the two of us sitting next to each other, holding hands and experiencing emotions that we had never felt be fore. When you first whispered the words, â€Å"I love you,† into my ear as we walked towards your room, it was the happiest moment in my life. My joy was deeper, richer and more intense than I had ever dreamed possible.I can remember the tears in my eyes as I turned to look at you. The kiss we shared that night was one I shall never forget. Having to tell you â€Å"Good Night† and return home without you was the hardest thing that I have ever had to do in my life. Even knowing that you would call me on the phone later to wish me goodnight once more made our parting no easier to bear. The moments when we were apart seemed like a bitter eternity and I could barely wait until the next time I would see you or talk to you. Never have distances seemed so long and cold and lonely.Our phone conversations would often have long moments where the two of us just held the phone to our ears and took comfort from the sound of the other's soft breathing. You are the only person that could cause my heart to skip a beat with just a sidelong glance or a gentle smile. I gaze into your eyes and lose track of where I am, and even who I am. Your voice stirs a deeply intense longing in every fiber of my body and your caress makes me feel as though I am melting inside. These are feelings that I never knew existed and now I never want to lose these feelings, not even for a moment.Ever since you came into my life I have known what true love and desire really are and these are emotions that many people will never know. You appear to me in my dreams and even these imaginary kisses rock my world and thrill me to the very core of my being. I can barely wait until the night is here, when I can lie in bed and dream of you once more. I want nothing more than to spend my life with you at my side. When I wake in the morning I want to find you there beside me. When I go to sleep at night I want to feel your arms holding me, protecting me from the world.You are the one true love of my life and I am only sorry that it took us so many years to meet. Now that we have found each other and are making a life together I will never again know the empty feelings of loneliness. You have made my life complete and I shall cherish your incredible gift of unconditional love and devotion until the moment that my body takes its last breath on this Earth. I love you, my babygirl No matter what the future holds for us I will love you until the end of time, and beyond. These words are my promise to never take you for granted or doubt the love that binds us for now and all eternity.

On the Relationship between Literature, History, and Human Beings Essay

To assume that an object belongs to a particular set entails that an object possesses similar characteristics to all the other objects in the set. In most cases, two or more sets have a tendency to intertwine with one another since some objects in another set have similar characteristics to the objects in a different set. This intermingling of different objects with different characteristics is apparent in the field of literature. Literature here ought to be understood as a written art form that allows the creation of new worlds. Such a conception of literature is based on the assumption that literary texts are fluid and malleable in nature due to the vast meanings that may be attributed to their content. This view of literature is based on the Reader-Response Theory which assumes that literary texts may only exist within the reader’s consciousness (Murfin and Ray 426). Murfin and Ray claim, â€Å"With†¦ the literary work as a catalyst of mental events comes a redefinition of the reader†¦ (as) the passive recipient of those ideas that an author has planted in a text (427). The field of literature is thereby characterized by the intermingling of different objects with different characteristics since although some works adhere to a specific form, the meanings attributed to these works change in line with the reader’s conception of a their content. In line with this, the following discussion posits that all forms of literature, regardless of their form and content, are united with one another due to their dependence on the human mind. This is another way of stating that literature is connected to human existence due to its dependence on human production as well as on its dependence on human interpretation. Such an assumption is based on several propositions. First, literature, as an art form, reflects the social and political conditions during a particular period in history, whether on the period of its production or on the period of its reproduction. Second, the function of human consciousness in determining the meaning of a work is evident in both the author and the reader’s association of a meaning to the form and content of a text. Finally, the function of human consciousness in unifying not only human experience but also all forms and types of literary works is apparent as the production and reproduction of a work manifests the creation of new meanings and hence new ways of understanding a text. These assumption merely show that the production, reproduction, and reception of a literary work throughout history involves a dialectic process wherein a literary text serves as the main referent for the opposing meanings given to a specific event and? or concept located in a literary work. Eagleton specifies the interconnection between literature and history as she posits that the definition of the concept literature continually evolves along with the social and political conditions in a particular period in history. She claims, â€Å"[W]e can drop once and for all the illusion that the category â€Å"literature† is objective in the sense of being eternally given and immutable†¦Literature reflects†¦ the ways in which what we say and believe connects with the power-structure and power relations of the society we live in† (Eagleton 10-14). Eagleton emphasizes the dependence of the association of the values and meanings used in the analysis of literary works to a predominant belief in a particular period in history. A concrete example of this can be seen in the case of Gilman’s â€Å"A Yellow Wallpaper. † Gilman’s text was only considered as an important literary work in the later part of the 20th century which may be associated with the sociopolitical conditions that allowed the equality of both men and women and hence the recognition of woman writers and their works during that time. Another example of this is apparent in the distinction between Formalism and Modernism in literature. Formalists believe that all literary works can be analyzed in terms of their form (Eagleton 3). They argued that form precedes content as they conceived of the former as a mere expression of the later, that being â€Å"content was merely the ‘motivation’ of form† (Eagleton 3). As opposed to this, the Modernists argued that the content was more important than the form (â€Å"Brief Guide to Modernism†). The Imagists, a sub-group of Modernists, for example, wrote in free verse as opposed to the restrictive forms of sonnets or villanelles (â€Å"Brief Guide to Imagism†). This distinction between Formalism and Modernism shows the evolution of the concept literature. Given that no fixed meaning may be attributed to the term literature; one may claim that a fixed meaning was presented in relation to the term in the initial part of the discussion. It is important to note however that the meaning given to the term above merely emphasizes the fluidity of literature. Such is the case since a description of literary works as texts that enable the creation of new worlds merely provides a loose definition of the term as opposed to the rigid definition provided by the Formalists. In other words, the way literature is conceived in this discussion merely emphasizes the reader’s relationship to a work, which is the reader’s ability to identify new world or new meanings in the combination of a text’s form and content. Although the looseness of the definition specified above may seem to consider all forms of written works as literary texts, it is important to note that the definition is still grounded on what is considered to be an art form. Regardless of this definition, the point which is being emphasized here is the dependence of the term literature on the sociopolitical conditions of a period. As can be seen in the case of Gilman’s text as well as in the case of the Formalists and Modernists, the way one understands literature is dependent on the predominant beliefs during the period of a literary text’s production or a literary movement’s existence. With the relationship between literature and history mentioned above, it becomes evident why human consciousness occupies a primary role in determining the meaning of a literary work. Human consciousness provides the link between literature and history as the human mind interprets specific beliefs and associates them with the content of literary works. In the case of literary critics, the human mind interprets the predominant beliefs regarding the structure of objects in society and creates a connection between this order and the form and content of literary works. In other words, the human mind ascribes meanings to literary texts. In the same manner that human beings create a bridge between history and literature, literature also creates a bridge between human beings. This relationship between history, literature, and human beings can be seen in Albee’s â€Å"The American Dream† and DeLillo’s White Noise. In the case of Albee’s play, his discussion of the American dream not only shows the association of a specific male stereotype to the dream but its association to superficial ideals. The stereotype is apparent as the Young Man, which represents the American dream, is describes as a â€Å"clean-cut, Midwest farm boy type, almost insultingly good looking in a typically American way† (Albee 112). He was further described to possess a â€Å"good profile, straight nose, honest eyes, (and a) wonderful smile† (Albee 112). This description of the Young Man shows the dependence of his existence on a specific setup in society wherein â€Å"lights fill up†¦as he steps into†¦(a) room† (Albee 112). The Young Man’s existence, as a representation of the American dream, is dependent on a society wherein external appearance is lauded in comparison to a person’s character. Note for example that the Young Man is also described to be incapable of loving anyone else (Albee 115). He is thereby an individual who is devoid of establishing a loving connection with other human beings. By representing the Young Man’s existence to be dependent on a superficial society, Albee paves the way for different ways of reading the text. One, for example, may focus on the Young Man’s representation of the Hollywood ideal in America and its connection to the American dream. In addition, one may also focus on the Young Man’s superficial existence. Albee’s text, in this sense, is fluid since no specific interpretation of the work may be given. Its interpretation is dependent on the reader and? or audience of his play. In a similar manner, DeLillo’s White Noise is also a text open to interpretation. The text also discusses an aspect of life which is also common to all men, that being death. It is a truism that all human beings are bound to die. DeLillo’s novel associates death with the rapid developments caused by the electronic age. Consider, for example, his description of white noise in the following passage, â€Å"[T]raffic washes past, a remote and steady murmur around our sleep, as of dead souls babbling at the edge of a dream† (DeLillo 4). The novel’s title, White Noise, may be understood as a representation of death. Death, like white noise, is a sound that permeates human existence. They are both representations of the nothingness that lies outside of life and activity. Notice that it was only in the graveyard, as Jack was faced with the figures of the dead, that there was no mentioned of the white noise in Jack’s surroundings (DeLillo 71). White noise, in this sense, serves as a reminder of death. It is the sound that one hears before one encounters the death of one’s own body. In conjunction to the continuous technological developments in our world, white noise is a sound of reckoning for the possible end of the world itself. In both Albee’s play and DeLillo’s novel, one notes that both texts discuss certain universal themes. Albee’s play revolves around the theme of a country’s dream. DeLillo’s novel, on the other hand, revolves around the theme of death. Both of these are universal themes as they represent certain aspects of human experience that resounds throughout time. The relationship between literature, history, and human beings is thereby apparent in both texts as they themselves present an author’s view regarding a universal theme, one which will be experienced by all human beings throughout the existence of our race. Due to its universal character, these themes, and hence both texts which are grounded on these themes, will be interpreted in different ways by all those who will read them. Human consciousness thereby determines the meaning of a work as an author and a reader associates meanings to a work’s form and content. The universal themes of all literary works provide all human beings, regardless of the spatiotemporal conditions during their existence, with a common ground for understanding literary texts. It is partially due to these universal themes that the members of the current generation are able to find a connection with the works of authors who belong to a different generation. These themes however have been reinterpreted in line with the current generation’s experiences and conception of reality. This can be seen in Frosts’ â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Rainy Evening† and Jacoby’s â€Å"The Diner. † In Frosts’ poem, one is presented with the theme of death as the poem’s persona ponders on the mysteries associated with it. He states, â€Å"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep.? But I have promises to keep, ? And miles to go before I sleep† (Poe). The persona, in this sense, attempts to ward off thoughts of death since he recognizes that life has a lot more experiences in store for him. Although Poe wrote this poem in the 1920’s, its theme continues to be found in contemporary works as can be seen in Jacoby’s â€Å"The Diner. † In the text, Jacoby speaks of another form of death, one that has been brought about by the artificial reality enabled by technological innovations. He claims, â€Å"Bright bright city lights†¦? I’ll take your pale and shadowed glow,? Whatever half-light path you show†¦? I feel so close to those in here, ? I share their loneliness and fear†¦? From the probing, searching nighttime† (Jacoby). In â€Å"The Diner,† the persona speaks of the death of human interaction caused by the alienating conditions in the modern world. In this world, although men are given the innovations that should have provided them with the chance to have longer periods of meaningful interaction with one another, the artificiality of their surroundings has led them to create artificial relationships with each other. The similarity of the theme of both Frost’s and Jacoby’s texts manifest how literature may serve as a tool for portraying similar themes whose meanings vary due to the new events and? or concepts which have been associated with it. Within this context, it is evident that all forms of literature are much more alike than disparate. Human consciousness has allowed the connection of all literary works as it has enabled the form of all literary texts to correspond with one another due to its relationship to the reader who continually participates in the active reinterpretation of literary works. As McEwan claims, â€Å"Literature flourishes along the channels of this unspoken agreement between writers and readers, offering a mental map whose north and south are the specific, and the general† (41). In this mental map, human minds throughout history interact in a dialectic dialogue with one another as they conceive, interpret, and reinterpret universal themes in literature. This dialogue allows the conception of literature as an art form that continually allows the creation of new worlds and new ways of perceiving reality. Works Cited â€Å"A Brief Guide to Imagism. † Poets. org: From the Academy of American Poets. n. d. Web. 15 May 2010. â€Å"A Brief Guide to Modernism. † Poets. org: From the Academy of American Poets. n. d. Web. 15 May 2010. Albee, Edward. The American Dream: and, The Zoo Story: Two Plays. New York: Plume, 1997. Print. DeLillo, Don. White Noise. New York: Penguin Books, 1985. Print. Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1996. Print. Frost, Robert. â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. † Poets. org: From the Academy of American Poets. n. d. Web. 15 May 2010. Gilman, Charlotte. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and Other Stories. London: Courier Dover, 1997. Print. Jacoby, Peter. â€Å"The Diner. † Prof. Peter R. Jacoby’s Spring 2010 Web Site. San Diego Mesa College. n. d. Web. 15 May 2010. McEwan, Ian. â€Å"Literature, Science and Human Nature. † Human Nature: Fact and Fiction. Eds. Robin Headlam and Johnjoe McFadden. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006. 40-62. Print. Murfin, Ross and Supryia Ray. The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. London: Bedford? St. Martin’s, 2009. Print.

Environmental issues for business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental issues for business - Essay Example These impacts may interfere with the requirements that govern business activities and the response of the organizations to them is considered to be very important. This thus shows that there is a vital relationship between the activities of a business and the environmental impact. International businesses make the issue even worse as these requirements vary from one country to another. This should be considered critically when making plans for the running of the business. Pollution is one factor that affects the relationship between a business and the environment. The way the business disposes its waste products may bring about social costs as it may be forced to invent better ways that may turn out to increase operational costs. It is known to be against some government policies in some countries and good citizenship in others to dispose hazardous waste products in the water systems or even in the air especially for developing countries. This may go as far as restricting the running of some industries if not well taken care of. Solutions therefore for such problems should be considered right from the start of the business. Plans may vary and the cost may depend on the choice of plans. It may require new facilities to take care of the waste and may be an increment in working hours. However, business activities may be boosted if the waste product can be sold to other industries that use them as raw materials. Another favorable solution is the recycling of the waste products. This however may increase cost as the recycling equipment may be required. It may also not favor all organizations as some of their waste products may not be in a position to be recycled. Some wastes cannot be reused. It is the responsibility of the business organizations therefore to take note of them all and evaluate the possible solution for their case. This makes the environmental issues more important as far as planning for business

Foundations of Finance and Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Foundations of Finance and Investment - Essay Example The Repo rate is the short-term interest rate at which financial institutions such as banks and building societies can borrow money from the BOE for a two-week period. The MPC meets monthly to set the Repo rate as part of its monetary policy function to control inflation. Its decision on what this rate should be acts as a signal to the money markets of how much to pay savers and charge borrowers for the use of money. The Repo rate therefore acts as the baseline for the cost of money that can be loaned to customers, which can include other banks, in the form of mortgages and overdrafts (BOE, 2005). Many households and firms, however, borrow for longer time periods and prefer to fix borrowing costs in advance, either because this helps them plan their cash flows better or protects them from the future risk of rising interest rates. This is a gamble some lenders and borrowers take, since interest rates may also move the other way. Fixed long-term borrowing or interest rates are relevant to those who want fixed-rate mortgages for housing or to firms with long-term investment plans like expanding a factory that needs some years to pay off. Long-term interest rates ranging from one to ten years are calculated simply by taking an average of forecast short-term interest rates over the desired period. Short- and long-term interest rates are closely related, but differ on the basis of MPC decisions; the expectations of how the national economy will fare; the expected future inflation rates; and how likely the MPC will achieve its inflation targets (BOE, 2005). The direction of short-term rates is easy to determine because the figure depends on the latest interest rate decision of the MPC that can either raise or lower the Repo rate. Long-term rates, however, may go either way, determined by how the economy will perform many years from now. It can happen that whilst the MPC raises the Repo rate next month, ten-year rates may go down if the market thinks such a decision will cause rates to fall in the future. Future rates depend on how reliable the market finds the MPC (Barrell et al., 2006, p. 60). In deciding to keep the Repo rate at the same level in April 2006, the MPC considered several rigorously monitored variables such as U.K. inflation (down from 2.0% to 1.8%), money supply (M4, the sum of notes, coins, and so-called broad money consisting of what is held in bank and building society accounts, grew 12% in the year to February), economic growth (in line with first quarter trend rate at 0.6%), U.K. consumer spending and manufacturing (growing steadily), asset prices (rising prices of equities and houses), the sterling exchange rate (weakening or depreciating to the dollar and the Euro), risk of higher inflation (rising due to the increase in energy and oil prices), the economic performance of the U.S., the so-called Eurozone (EU countries that have the Euro as its common currency), and Japan (inflation, exchange rates, asset prices, etc.), wage pressures (rising average real product wage balanced by lower growth of average real consumption wage; the first refers to the re al cost incurred by employers whilst the second refers to the take home pay of employees), and consumer surveys on inflationary expectations (rising), a key emotional factor that influences personal decisions to either save or spend. Inflation - the rise in prices of a basket of goods and services in the whole economy - if

Summarizing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Summarizing - Essay Example His mother did everything to ensure that he gained education that would give him a bureaucratic career, and Kemal excelled in school where he was nicknamed as such, to mean the perfect one, since he was bright and excellent in mathematics (Kemal, 3). After his school, he joined the military training college in 1899 and starting 1919, he embarked on a mission to save his country from the European invasion. He was selected as a loyal and professional officer of the Turkish army and he headed to Anatolia on May 19, 1919, where he offered a famous speech against the European invasion (Kemal, 4). Having got no ample support due to opposition from the Sultan, Kumal resigned from the military on July 7 1919 only to join another wing of the military that allowed him to gain an official status. This position he applied to his advantage and fought for the independence of Turkey from the Greeks who had occupied their territory, and eventually Turkey gained independence after a series of battles. Although money can buy many things, Saudi Arabia is one of the countries in the world with immense wealth, yet its people, even the very rich ones are not happy (The Economist, n.p.). While they may have as much money, which can be reflected in the enormous country’s GDP which runs into $745 billion, the structure of the society, in form of the social, political and religious structures have remained one of the most stifling (The Economist, n.p.). This means that the people in Saudi Arabia, whose population is approximately 30 million, have less freedom to enjoy their wealth. The government stifles this freedom either with money or threats. The influence of the Saudi regime has also been extended to its neighboring countries, where the country has become erratic and assertive in supporting its perceived friendly regimes, while opposing the regimes it finds threatening (The Economist,

Land Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Land Law - Coursework Example The Court of Appeal provided that the four essential characteristics of an easement must exist. First there is required to be a dominant and servient tenement in which a benefit (to the dominant tenement) and burden (to the servient tenement) are each defined. Secondly, the easement must be capable of benefiting the dominant tenement. Thirdly, the dominant and servient tenement must own and occupy different pieces of land. Fourthly, the easement must be one that is capable of being created. In other words, the person creating the easement must have the authority to do so and the recipient must have the right to accept it. The easement must be unambiguous and the servient tenement may not be denied excessive rights.2 An evaluation of the facts of the case demonstrate that there are benefits and burdens, in which the dominant tenement acquires a benefit and the servient tenement is not denied too many rights. For example, Margaret permitted Arthur to park his caravan in her garden with the understanding that she could sit a satellite dish on his roof. Since this was placed in the Conveyance of registered title, it is a legal easement. Section 1(2) of the Law of Property Act 1925 essentially provides that a legal easement arises once it is conveyed.3 Likewise the easement permitting James to temporarily store material in Margaret’s garden is also a legal easement since it is conveyed via the conveyance. Moreover, by placing these easements in the conveyance, the requirements contained in Section 52 of the Law of Property Act 1925 which mandate that a legal estate in land may only be created by deed.4 Moreover, as registered land, the easements will not be legal unless they are registered.5 In other words only those easements expressly created in the conveyance of registered land will be binding on the dominant and servient tenements. Therefore the oral agreement that Arthur may hang a sign advertising his business on Margaret’s wall is not binding on Margaret and successive owners. To this end, Barry as a successive owner of Margaret’s property is at liberty to have the sign removed. Wheeldon v Borrows however, indicates that Barry might be bound by the oral easement which creates an equitable right. In this case Thesiger LJ delineates the circumstances in which a right created by an easement that was not express, can be acquired by a successive owner over the land. According to Thesiger LJ, successive owners acquires all of the obvious and continuous easement or any easement that is essential for ensuring that the property is reasonably enjoyed provided that easement was used by the vendor just before the property was sold. However, the second rule expressed by Thesiger LJ in Wheeldon v Burrows suggests that Barry may not be bound by the oral easement. By virtue of the second rule, where the vendor sells adjourning land and fails to give expression to an implied or imperfect easement, he may not claim it at a later date .6 It therefore follows that since Margaret failed to expressly provide for the right to hang a sign on her wall, she was not bound by this easement and as such cannot pass the easement on to successive owners of the land. It would appear that each of the easements that were

Mini Project 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mini Project 1 - Essay Example According to water.org (2015), nearly 750 million people, globally, lack access to safe water. Population has rapidly grown, for instance, over the last two decades the population of people in the world has doubled, and it is continuing to grow drastically. The growth is due to large family sizes, adequate food supply, and effective access to health care. Therefore, it justifies that the overall consumption of water, cooking, cleaning, and sewage has magnified. Population expansion has led to the global shortage of water as explained by (WWF, 2015). Destruction of vegetation and cutting of catchment areas have led to desertification, globally. Trees act as water catchment bodies and they prevent excessive water evaporation (Forsyth et al., 2012). Therefore, destruction of forests by logging or farming causes the shortage of water. Pollution of air, water, and land contributes to the reduction of water quality. Oil effluents from industries, waste dumping into water bodies, sewage, and radioactive waste from mining activities pollute the waters. Therefore, minimizing the amount of usable water globally The growing and expansion of cities has led to global water shortage. The cities sustain several people who increase the use of sewage, cleaning, construction, and manufacturing (Majumder, 2015). Therefore, urbanization has led to the global shortage of

Early childhood learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Early childhood learning - Essay Example Cognitive Development helps children in improving in areas such as music, art, mathematics, logical reasoning, recognition of symbols and manipulative skills. These types of areas improve the mental capabilities of children and help them in learning more though different forms. At very early age, children must be taught how to behave socially. Developing social and personal aspects includes learning through self-concept, temperament, aggression, stereotypes and different stages of social behaviour. Every person has to encounter with different situations and different people in life, therefore early development in these areas help children to deal with such people and situations with a comfortable position. Physical Development is as important as any other area because without proper health and hygiene children would not be able to concentrate and give best of efforts. Physical development can be attained by incorporating healthier food, sports and restful sleep in children’s daily routine. Generally, there is very less attention paid to this area which is the most important of all. If a child is taught to spend a substantial time in grooming and enhancing the spiritual areas than there is a chance that it will become a major part and something of considerable importance to him. Spiritual grooming is essential as it is necessary to detach one from the worldly things and to give some time to the nourishment of one’s inner

The Royal British Legion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Royal British Legion - Essay Example It was this royal charter which gives the Legion the prefix 'Royal' in its title. Till date, the Legion is principally a campaigning organization which promotes the wellbeing and welfare of presently serving and retired members of the British Armed Forces. The first campaign of the Royal British Legion pertained to the campaigning for War Disablement Pension cases for war veterans. At present, campaigns of Royal British Legion which are ongoing include advocating for increased research into psychological conditions of  Gulf War syndrome  and for enhanced compensation for the victims of the war. Other campaigns by the organization include upgrading of War Pensions; the expansion of endowment mortgage payment for British military personnel that are serving outside the country. The key objective of the organization is better provision for support of British military personnel that are facing difficulties in resettling back into civilian life. One of the most successful campaigns of the organization is the one in which the Legion organized a fund-raising drive weeks before  Remembrance Sunday. During the course of this campaign supporters of the war veterans were required to wear artificial  red poppies on clothing. It was announced that the proceeds from the sales of the artificial poppy flowers will be donated to charity. Appeals for Charity The organization can use a number of appeals for raising charity. Two forms of marketing objectives can be relevant to this organization. The first one relates to recruitment of volunteers, the second one relates to collection of charity for the objectives of the organization. To increase inflows of charity funds to the organization, the Royal British Legion can organize a festival to commemorate celebrate war veterans. It is proposed that most parts of this festival should be composed of formal. The event can generate revenue for the organization through sale of the attendance tickets or sale of items related to cele brated wars. These wars can depict civilian life during wartime or based on similar themes. Such an event is likely to generate high attention of the prospective target market because it will enable viewers belonging generations that were born after these historic wars – for instance, the World War II – to benefit from the affirmative engagements of those people who want to relive glorified history of the nation. Another appeal for charity which can be used by The Royal British Legion is the support for foreign troops of United Kingdom who are engaged in military combat. The organization can launch an ‘Honor’ campaign which can call on the citizens of United Kingdom both within country and abroad to honor the  military men protecting country’s interest in foreign lands like Afghanistan (Beamish and Ashford, 2009). The objective of the campaign would be gather public support for the issues recognized by the Legion and to promote interests of milita ry men abroad. The same campaign can be used to create support of the federal government, as well, for the troops and to influence government to create laws which are beneficial for the interest of these men. One aspect of this campaign can be seeking priority treatment for military men in hospitals rather than having them to wait for treatment in national institutions. ‘Online Assistance of Military Men’ can be a campaign which can

Contemporary management issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Contemporary management issues - Essay Example The project would be conducted through a critique of secondary sources on a wide range of topics that relate to the Greek financial crisis. To this end, various authoritative sources would be examined to provide important information about the topic under review. The Greek Financial Crisis Video images of demonstrations and other harsh economic conditions in Greece are not uncommon in the media. Greece has been at the forefront of a major financial situation that can be attributed to their inability to meet the requirements of the European Union (Sladek, 2010). Many debates and arguments have ensued about the appropriateness of the country continuously remaining as a member of the European Union (Sladek, 2010). However, the rules of the European Union requires that the country discharges its obligations to the European Union and works to meet all the requirements of the Common Market. On the other hand, many Greek citizens are very unhappy about the changes and adjustments that are r equired. The root of the Greek financial crises can be traced to the fact that the country has maintained a government that carries out uncontrolled spending which leads to high sovereign debts (Pasiouras, 2011). The European Union requires that member states' governments cut down on subsidies and excessive spending amongst other things (Levy, 2012). However, Greece has a history that goes back to years of running a welfare-state modelled on the principles of Communism (Grawitzky, 2012). This is because from the period before Greece joined the European Union, the nation maintained a system whereby the public sector was the primary engine of the economy. The public sector was the largest controller of resources and the public sector also employed the vast majority of workers in the country (Grawitzky, 2012). Impact of EU-membership on Greece Greece's membership of the European Union came with several requirements and expectations from the article of membership (Pettifer, 2012). This is because the European Union is built on the elements of supply-side economics which requires the private sector to be the main and primary engine of growth of the economy (Pettifer, 2012). This is connected to the fact that the European Union was formed by nations that were on the Capitalist side of the Cold War. These nations believe in allowing people to work to earn their expectations in life, rather than get the state or government to control resources. The clash between the European Union and the Greek economy meant that there was an inevitable conflict which would require Greece to dismantle its public-sector oriented economy in favour of a more privatized system. The European Union seeks to create a Single Market that would promote property owning democracy across member states with the hope of promoting efficiency through the principles of Capitalism. Greece joined the Union in 1981 but it has been slow in dismantling its welfare-structured system in favour of a Capitalist model of governance where competition was encouraged (Sladek, 2010). In spite of these realities, Greece has been repeatedly ruled by parties that are Socialist in outlook (Sladek, 2010). These parties have continued to uphold the welfare-oriented practices of the government and reforms and conformity with EU principles have come rather slowly. Around the year 2005, pressure from the European Union increased and the problems in the Greek public sector was uncovered (Pasiouras, 2011). The country was not able to pay its sovereign debts and the International

Public Support for NASA Essay Example for Free

Public Support for NASA Essay Established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, NASA believes in these words of Abraham Lincoln: â€Å"With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed (â€Å"External Assessment;† â€Å"Public Opinion of the American Space Program†).†Ã‚   After all, NASA is dependent on public funding for its unspeakably expensive space programs.   Even though the government has spent an immense amount of money on the Iraq War, and it is common knowledge that at least forty seven million people in the United States, including at least eight million children cannot afford health insurance, NASA’s programs must continue. These space programs cost billions of dollars, while the cost of providing health care for a single American child is far less.   Therefore, public support for NASA must dwindle according to the times.   The American public is pretty wise as far as funding for NASA’s space programs is concerned.   This is the reason why public support for NASA slipped during the year 2001 after its rise in the 1990s (David).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite the current trade deficit of the United States – a loud and clear message that American consumption is beyond control – as well as the health care failures confronting the country besides the overuse of public funding on the Iraq War; the famous Gallup Poll has revealed that the American public is by and large supportive of NASA at present (Jones).   Of course, the Gallup Poll is a survey conducted through the scientific method.   So therefore, its results are considered credible.   All the same, Bergin reports that there is an obvious gap in support for the prestigious space agency of the United States among the group of Americans aged 18 to 24.   Perhaps the Gallup Poll would be considered credible still.   Regardless, Bergin adds that the young people of the United States are the future voters and taxpayers whose support is crucial for NASA’s future planning.   Hence, the Office of Strategic Analysis and Communications has assumed the responsibility of finding out whether the communications and public relations department of NASA is failing the young members of the American public (Bergin).   In other words, the young people of the United States must be inspired by the space programs of NASA.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   NASA has plenty of supporters willing to convince the public about the value of its work.   The Citizens for Space Exploration, for example, is a â€Å"multi-state organization† comprising U.S. taxpayers who are supportive of the United States’ space exploration investment (Citizens for Space Exploration).   The organization describes itself thus: â€Å"We are private citizens, small business owners, students, teachers, space and non-space business representatives, and county and municipal officials (Citizens for Space Exploration).†Ã‚   Seeing that people from almost all walks of life are backing NASA today, there is no doubt that the United States’ space exploration investment is almost fully supported by the American public.   Moreover, it may very well be that the young people of the United States are taking the problems of Iraq as well as health care more seriously than the older Americans. This is making them disbelieve in the value of NASA to the American society.   The goals of NASA, after all, do not appear as serious as the problems confronting the nation.   According to the Presidents National Space Policy, NASA must achieve the following goals for the United States: (1) Enhancement of knowledge about the universe, the solar system, and the Earth through robotic as well as human exploration; (2) Strengthening and maintaining the security of the nation; (3) Enhancement of â€Å"economic competitiveness† in addition to â€Å"scientific and technical capabilities of the United States;† (4) Encouragement of private, local and state use of, and investment in space technologies; and (5) Promotion of â€Å"international cooperation to further U.S. domestic, national security, and foreign policies (â€Å"External Assessment†).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Apparently NASA did not help to secure the United States against the terrorist attacks on 9/11, which is why young people do not believe in the capabilities of the space agency.   Levin and Watson write that the majority of people in the United States had doubts about NASA even after it had managed to send man to the moon.   According to David, the American public is not very interested in sending people out of the Earth’s atmosphere in any case.   Hence, a survey conducted in the year 1971 by the Roper Organization revealed that two-thirds of the Americans were of the opinion that the government was spending far too much money on the exploration of space. However, the American public showed a great deal of support to NASA after the Columbia accident.   Although the accident entailed an increased need of public funding for NASA’s space programs – the number of Americans that had previously claimed that they wanted public funding for NASA to be reduced, declined.   As a matter of fact, soon after the Columbia accident, the National Opinion Research Center conducted its annual poll to discover that the number of people wanting a reduction of public funding for NASA had declined to thirty five percent (Levin and Watson).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even so, the American public has consistently ranked the budget of NASA lower in importance than defense, health care and education.   When public funding for NASA fell during the 1990s – to the point of being halved – the space agency had little to spend on Research and Development, considering the massive amount of expenses it incurs on virtually all of its departments and programs.   After the Columbia disaster, the agency complained that the decline in public funding was indirectly responsible for the accident. As an example, NASA had cuts its budget for photographing the launches of shuttles.   Without vivid photographs of the patch of foam that had struck a wing of Columbia eighty two seconds after its launch, engineers at NASA had mistakenly concluded that Columbia was not in danger (Levi and Watson).   This may very well be the reason why public support for NASA increased after the accident.   After all, NASA cannot be shut down under the Presidents National Space Policy.   Thus, the American people must have gathered that they ought to support NASA as best as possible to ensure the safety of other Americans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Still, the people of the United States do not believe in the extravagance of NASA’s programs.   Educated Americans are more likely to assume that the benefits of NASA continue to exceed its costs.   The majority of the Americans, on the other hand, are of the opinion that the space program should be similar to the Centers for Disease Control in delivering practical benefits to their lives.   Rich Americans, mostly men and white, are known to support NASA much more than the others.   The others are not too confident that the space agency is â€Å"worth its price tag (David).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although NASA is not supported by eighty percent of the Americans at present, and only a little more than half of the population of the United States is known to believe that the benefits of NASA exceed its costs; it is possible for the space agency to raise public support for its programs by communicating with the Americans, especially the young Americans, more often.   The young people can be inspired to enjoy NASA’s creativity.   All the same, there are a number of concerns on the young American mind that must be addressed before NASA’s experiences can be thoroughly enjoyed by all. These concerns include the health care problems facing the nation, as well as the tremendous amount of money that has been spent by the U.S. government on the Iraq War.   Undoubtedly, young people are more likely to believe that the problems faced by their nation present them with a great responsibility.   Hence, NASA would have to be patient if it is not supported by the young people of America.   After all, nobody ever said that NASA was more important to the United States than its defense, health care and education.   The United States is also suffering from a trade deficit at present.   NASA should consider it a blessing, therefore, that even fifty percent of the Americans support its programs. Works Cited Bergin, Chris. â€Å"Constellation concerned by the gap in public support for NASA.† http://www.citizensforspaceexploration.org/index.htm. David, Leonard. â€Å"Poll: Public support for NASA slipping.†http://www.space.com/news/nasa_poll_020510.html. â€Å"External Assessment.† http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/nsp/assess.htm. Jones, Jeffrey M. â€Å"Americans continue to rate NASA positively.†   31 Oct 2007. 19 Novhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/102466/Americans-Continue-Rate-NASA-Positively.aspx. Levin, Alan, and Traci Watson. â€Å"Public Support Could Prove Crucial for NASA.† 18 Aug 2007. 19 Nov 2007. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-08-18-inside-shuttle_x.htm. â€Å"Public Opinion of the American Space Program. Sep 2007. 19 Nov 2007. http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/hqlibrary/pathfinders/opinion.htm.

Four Functions of Business: Case Study of Asda and Kwik-Fit

Four Functions of Business: Case Study of Asda and Kwik-Fit Functional areas of business operation Introduction This paper studies four distinct functions of business and how they interrelate. The chosen areas are human resources, distribution, marketing and customer services. Human Resources The function of human resources is to provide a focus and strategy for the efficient management of business employees. Employee management is a primary task of modern corporations. If not dealt with appropriately, employees can have an adverse effect upon the success of the business (Alan Price 2003). Employee satisfaction affects all areas of the business. For example, if an employee is happy at work it will show in the customer service they provide. It also helps promote the business, justify the marketing and promotion message and ensure the smooth running of the distribution function. Distribution Distribution is the function by which the product or service is moved from the manufacturer to the end user (P. Kolter 1991), ultimately the consumer. This can be represented by physical methods, such as transportation and storage or, in a service industry, the method by which that service is packaged and delivered. A breakdown in the distribution process affects customer services, as the business may not be able to deliver the product or service required. The marketing function would be undermined, as promises made cannot be kept. Ultimately, this situation would de-motivate employees, as they are the ones receiving consumer complaints. Marketing Effective marketing and promotion is essential as a method of ensuring the message regarding products or services attracts the attention of the consumer. (George Belch 2004). The marketing function is to deliver a message that is seen, believed and remembered. A successful marketing campaign is heavily reliant upon the efficiency of other business functions. If the business cannot deliver the goods, customers will stop listening to the promotional message. Similarly, if the employees have not received training in customer care, a marketing campaign suggesting consumer care is paramount will not be believed. Customer Services Delivery of customer services is probably the most crucial function. The consumer adds value to the success of the business by purchasing their product or service (Sean Kelly 2005). Therefore, every business has to build and maintain a close relationship with consumers. They have to deliver what the customer needs at a quality and price that meets their requirements. In a competitive marketplace, the correct level of customer service is essential if a business is to achieve a growth in market share. Two organisations, Asda Plc., and Kwik-Fit Insurance Services have been chosen to demonstrate how these functions work in practice. Asda The Asda supermarket chain is a subsidiary of the American Wal-Mart retailer, one of the UK’s leading supermarket chains, with over 150,000 employees. Human Resources Asda’s HR strategy is built on the basis that every employee (All about Asda, 2006) â€Å"plays a part in making the business a success.† To achieve employee satisfaction, retention and succession, Asda runs a programme that provides training covering every area of the business, including in-store and external processes, as well as company policy and customer care. The business is committed to achieving in house succession and to promote this aim, it includes management training as part of its HR programme (See Asda Website Training page). Understanding the need for employees to feel an affinity with the business, Asda encourages staff to take an active part in work meetings, which take place in-store, regionally and nationally, where views can be expressed and discussed. The core of its HR function is to gain the best from employees by encouraging involvement with the business at all levels. Distribution Asda works closely with suppliers to maintain efficient distribution services. This ensures levels of goods required are fed through warehousing centres and to individual stores in a manner that maintains consistent product availability for customers. To allow for regional variances, the business delegates an element of the distribution decision-making process to local store management. Marketing Faced with changing consumer demands (Sean Kelly 2005), Asda now focuses its marketing and promotion on the dual aspect of quality at the right price. This has enabled the business to achieve second position within the grocery industry. Customer Services Asda has consistently sought to improve its customer services. In addition to staff customer care training Asda has expanded the product range throughout its stores. Internet shopping and expansion of till services, including self-service options, are other areas of the business where customer service improvements have been introduced. Kwik-Fit Insurance Services KFIS is an insurance call centre based in Glasgow. Although it was founded with the view to concentrating on the motor industry insurance, the business has expanded into more general areas of insurance. Human Resources To compete with other local call-centre operations, KFIS had to completely revise its HR strategy. This was partially achieved through improving the working environment. Like Asda it introduced training programmes to improve employee standards and encourage involvement. In addition, KFIS operates a â€Å"guardian angel† scheme (Jill Boulton, 2004), where existing staff act as mentors to new recruits. It also appointed a â€Å"minister of fun,† to organise staff social activities. The success of these measures has been reflected in business results. Distribution Unlike Asda, KFIS does not have a need for a physical distribution function. The distribution element here is to ensure the insurance products offered are designed to match consumer requirements. As the service KFIS offers is distributed through call centre operators, the importance of staff and producer knowledge levels is essential in distributing the correct range of products to the end user. Marketing Whilst much of its marketing is directed through Kwik-Fit auto centres, and dependent upon the quality of their service, a significant proportion of promotion is undertaken through advertising and the call centre operators. For example, when engaging with a customer an operator may attract them to other insurance products. In this business the interaction between employee and customer is an integral part of the marketing process (George Belch 2004). Customer Services The customer service aspect of KFIS is more directly linked to the reaction of the employee than with Asda. In a call centre situation consumers instantly judge the services they are receiving by their perception of the operator. The operator’s reaction, explanation and provision of the most appropriate product, and efficiency of service, will determine whether the customer is satisfied and will remain loyal to the business. HR director (Keren Edwards 2006) believes that the strategy in place in the business is contributing to the success in terms of customer retention. Conclusion From the information within this paper it is clear that every function described is dependent upon, and influenced either positively or adversely by the others. If one function, for instance, customer services, does not perform at its most efficient, the result will affect the other functions. Customers will stop believing the marketing, resulting in fewer products sold, parts of the distribution function becoming redundant and a reduction in employee moral and efficiency. References All about Asda (2006). Asda People. Asda Plc. Retreived 19 January from http://asdacares.gpalm.co.uk/people/people_load.html Armstrong, Michael (2006). A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. Kogan Page. UK. Price, Alan (2003). Human Resource Management in a Business Context. Thomson Learning, UK. Kotler, P. (1991). Marketing Management. FT Prentice Hall, 7th Ed. UK Belch, George. E (2004) Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. McGraw-Hill Inc. U.S. Kelly, Sean. (2005) Customer intelligence From Data to Dialogue. John Wiley Sons Ltd., UK Boulton, Jill (2004). Kwik-Fit hires fun guy to keep staff smiling. The Scotsman, Friday 21 May 2004. Edwards, Keren (2006). Keep Fit Scheme. People Management Scheme. UK. 6th April 2006. Caffà ¨ Nero: Strategy and Balanced Scorecard Caffà ¨ Nero: Strategy and Balanced Scorecard Introduction The aim of this essay is to design a strategy and two balanced scorecards for a coffee shop company called Caffà © Nero to compliment their mission statement. This will be done after conducting extensive secondary research to gain a clear insight into what a balanced scorecard involves as well as looking into how Caffà © Nero operates. This will hopefully provide knowledge of potential benefits and difficulties to consider when attempting to successfully implement scorecards for both Headquarter and Store Levels for Caffà © Nero. In addition to this, for each scorecard, a strategy map is used to demonstrate how each key performance indicator (KPI) contributes to the overall vision of the company. Finally both levels are then assessed on its contributions to Cafà © Neros strategy and a conclusion is drawn on the main points outlined throughout the essay. What is the Balanced Scorecard? Kaplan introduced the balanced scorecard in 1992 with the aim to translate strategy into action, he stated, The balanced scorecard translates an organisations mission into a comprehensive set of performance measures that provides the framework for implementing its strategy. (Kaplan Norton, 1996: p88). Having understood an organisations vision and strategy, the balanced scorecard aids to develop creative objectives to help measure performance. These objectives can be split into four main perspectives: Financial, Customer, Internal Business Process and Learning and Growth all of which link together to form a strategy map. Implementation of the Balanced Scorecard Benefits and difficulties Bourne Bourne (2007) presents reasons to why once implemented the balanced scorecard can fail. It is beneficial for Caffà © Nero to be conscious of potential problems that may arise in the near future when implementing their balanced scorecards. Looking at the difficulties and problems portrayed by theorists and other organisations experiences should present Caffà © Nero with a competitive advantage. The opportunity of being able to use other organisations failures and theorists advice to overcome the issues presented is valuable. It is particularly important as large amounts of time and money from the company are being invested into this performance management tool. One potential problem is the complexity of the system, resulting in unachieved objectives which will affect the overall vision and strategy of Caffà © Nero. Organisations are faced with de-motivated staff as they steer away from the main objectives that are originally assigned. Although, this is a common problem for the majority of companies when introducing the scorecards, Caffà © Nero is aware of this problem and can therefore take this into consideration throughout the design stage. In particular consideration would be beneficial, in terms of the strategy map when linking the objectives together, so that they are easy to follow and comprehensive for the whole company. As for overcoming the complexity issue, Caffà © Nero can focus on their employees with training, conferences, group and one to one meetings to ensure that every employee within the organisation fully understands what a balanced scorecard is. Their objectives and how they are being measured as well as how each pers pective interlinks in achieving Caffà © Neros strategy. Drury (2004) suggests another difficulty with the scorecard, he identifies that the assumptions of the cause and effect relationships are being excessively vague as well as lacking empirical support. Further research has concluded that is it difficult to link non financial data with future financial performance if at all. Caffà © Nero needs to consider this, as their main objective is to achieve future revenue growth both within the UK and internationally. So perhaps with measures and objectives that are assigned, should be more focused around revenue and financial aspects where possible. An additional difficulty concerning the perspectives shown within the management tool is that it does not factor in other aspects of the business to incorporate customers, employees, suppliers and other environment perspectives. Although Caffà © Nero is not restricted to adding additional perspectives, it could complicate the scorecard further making it difficult to achieve all objectives assigned and some may overlap with existing objectives. Traditionally, when implementing a scorecard the assumption is, the decisions sit with the senior management throughout the design stage as they fully understand the ins and outs of the organisation. Although this may be the case, it is not always in the best interest of the organisation to design a scorecard that only looks at all levels of the business from a top heavy approach. To overcome this Caffà © Nero can be smart and ensure that all functional representatives of their hierarchy from store-level to headquarter level are included within the design. This in turn will show teamwork in working together to understand where each individual fits in to the overall strategy in order to meet the companys objectives. Although the scorecard demonstrates various difficulties that Caffà © Nero should be aware of. Not all is bad; the on-going popularity of the balanced scorecard from other organisations makes it extremely hard to not notice some of the benefits of this management tool. One important trait of the scorecard is its use of effectively combining all the separate elements of the company into one simple model, with help from the strategy map. The tool is also able to help employees and the company to understand how everything interlinks and contributes to the overall strategy. For example, looking at how employees from Caffà © Nero store-level are able to contribute and work with headquarters objectives by improving customer service at store-level in aid to reduce customer complaints for headquarter level at the other end. This management tool is also enabling managers to consider all objectives and measures together as a whole by looking at the bigger picture. Therefore Caffà © Nero can take advantage of these benefits and make necessary improvements to the costs of the company with cost reductions at headquarter level. Lynch (2009) comments that the real benefit of the scorecard is the linkage between strategy and implementation. Most theorists argue that the main goal of the majority of organisations is a form of shareholder value added. Caffà © Nero should consider this when implementing both scorecards. By looking into both quantitative and qualitative measures within the strategy, they should hopefully determine the expectations of their shareholders within performance measures in their strategy and scorecards to achieve growth in shareholder value. Caffà © Nero Strategy Grant (2008) outlines various strategies an organisation can adopt when trying to achieve growth. Having viewed this, Caffà © Nero is more geared towards a business strategy, as it concerns the company with competing within a particular coffee shop market. To prosper within this market it is important to concentrate on establishing a competitive advantage over rivals. To support this Caffà © Nero should base their strategy around product differentiation, by providing customers with quality ranges of espresso that is exclusive to Caffà © Nero stores, will only contribute to concreting a competitive advantage for the company. It also works on shielding Caffà © Nero from their prices being levelled down to the bottom part of the price spectrum, due to potential competitive price wars of the same product between their competitors. This is an important strategy to implement as due to the increase of popularity of coffee shops it is likely for these price wars to occur. As a result, Caffà © Nero can look to improve further, with the quality of their products as well as launching new products in the future as part of their strategy. This can be achieved with product innovation to cater to larger consumer base within the market, hopefully contributing to the growth in both revenue and size within the UK and internationally. Cafà © Nero is well known for its acquisition of Aroma which increased the amount of sites they owned to 106 by 2002; this made them the largest independent owned coffee shop. The company now has 400 stores operating in various locations within the UK, Turkey and the Middle East. Caffà © Nero should now look towards the future of the company, by expanding the number of sites owned. Therefore it is important that part of the strategy should reflect in achieving expansion both internationally and UK based. Caffà © Nero will incorporate this in the scorecard within the financial perspective at headquarter level, as Kaplan and Norton (1996) states that the designing of the strategy of the company is combined with the process of the balanced scorecard. However Caffà © Nero may be faced with great difficulty with trying to implement their strategy due to the diversity of locations they operate in. As it is harder to standardise a scorecard for all site levels throughout the business internationally, as culture and expectations of customers and employees may be different throughout locations. This can be said the same about different locations within the UK. For example Londons objectives may incorporate a faster pace of service to compliment their busy, on the go customers in comparison to another site in a quieter location that may prefer much more of a mellow approach, at a slower pace and friendlier atmosphere where everyone is a community. Caffà © Nero tries to incorporate all of these elements within the overall strategy. Balanced Scorecard Strategy Map The following models demonstrate Caffà © Neros scorecards for both headquarter level and store-level. As well as strategy maps to illustrate how each objective will link together. It is important to note that although the scorecards produced are for the same company, they may differ in objectives for each level, to incorporate all personnel throughout the company. Objectives of headquarter level will focus more on the overall performance of the company, in terms of how they can grow in revenue, size and customers. The model will also focus on innovating products and retention rates of employees and customers. Where as, with the store-level objectives will be more centred around individual stores in terms of customer service, delivery times and empowering and motivating staff with training and incentive programmes. Once the following scorecards have been implemented for Caffà © Nero, it is then important to ensure that everyone throughout the company understands the balanced scoreca rd and where they are contributing to achieving Caffà © Neros vision. As well as considering how all of the objectives from each level will interlink between the two scorecards. This can be done through training centres, conferences and meetings. Scorecard Evaluation Having designed both scorecards (Figure 1 and 2) an evaluation will be conducted to explore both the similarities and differences presented within each models. Additional to this, supporting evidence will add weight to justify reasons for selecting objectives and indicator to contribute to Caffà © Neros overall strategy. Financial Perspective The first objective shown in the financial perspective (figure 1 2) is revenue growth this relates to achieving an increase in growth in some form or another. To drive revenue growth Caffà © Nero objectives concentrate on diversifying into new markets internationally and within UK. As well as branching out into new customer markets and increasing the number of stores owned by Caffà © Nero. Each of these objectives chosen all tie in with Caffà © Neros overall strategy of expansion of the business in the near future. The key performance indicators incorporated into this perspective help to measure each objective for the company. The main similar measure here is (F1 F4) percentage of increase in revenue growth in the overall company and individual store-level (F5). To achieve these objectives they would have to be based upon implementing bonus and incentive schemes for employees so that they are motivated to achieve targets set. They would also need to target larger segments of new customer markets by advertising in new locations such as near to universities to appeal to students or offices to appeal to the working customers. However a drawback of this measure is due to the population suffering from the effects of the recession and the economy resulting to a decrease in disposal income. Meaning growth in revenue for Caffà © Nero will be delicate as new potential customers may not be as opened to trying new coffee shops then their norm as well as lifestyle changes that will affect the amount of r evenue that each store generates. This is why a mark up % was not included in aid to limit other problems such as the affect on shareholder value, as incorporating percentages would put further pressure on the company in case they were unable to achieve resulting to shareholders expectations to decline. Another important objective within the financial section is (F6) improve operational efficiency, which is reducing wastage costs for the business. It is important to achieve this objective as it saves the company money and better for the environment. This can be done by providing more awareness of how to reduce wastage i.e. not leaving taps of water on just for the convenience element for coffee shops. Being aware of waste problems presents benefits as in turn this will maintain the companies overall brand image, which links in will the customer perspective (C3 figure 1) of maintaining brand image. Customer Perspective It is important to measure this objective (C3), as it involves the public with collating feedback and results in reference to how the general public perceive Caffà © Nero as a company. This objective also gives the company an opportunity with participating in charity and environmental work that will help several organisations as well as portraying a better image for the company. This is with the intention to increase in revenue and customer satisfaction, as customers like to be involved in supporting good causes. This is why it was important to incorporate this within the headquarter scorecard. Figure 2 also looks at customer retention (C5), customer satisfaction (C6) and customer profitability (C4) as main objectives to achieve. Each of these objectives link with each other, for example if the customers are satisfied with the service and products offered by staff then they are likely to come back time after time. Creating customer loyal will result in increasing customer retention rates hopefully leading to customer profitability. Therefore ensuring customers are provided with great customer service and high standards of quality products will cement this relationship with customers and employees. Where the employees are concerned this is incorporated into the internal process and learning and growth perspectives. It is significant to note that both levels differ in objectives as the store-level is more involved with direct customer improvement as they adopt a more personal approach with more of a face to face relationship. Therefore objectives will be focused around the service element. In comparison to the headquarters that will look more to indirectly improving service by site quality, reducing complaints and activities involving improving brand image. However one similarity between them is that they are measured by customer feedback in one form or another. Internal Business Processes Perspective The first objective presented in figure 1 is (IP1) innovating products involved, this objective is important for businesses to maintain as their strategy and brand image pride themselves on producing unique high quality products in espresso and food. Therefore it is important for Caffà © Nero to innovate new products in order to compete within such a popular market. To measure this objective Caffà © Nero will look at increase in sales from new products in order to measure if they are successful or not. For that reason employee should be aware of the new products that are available by offering them at pay out areas in order to advertise new products, which links into objective (IP4) developing internal product knowledge. This will be achieved by daily staff meeting and work booklets to test staffs knowledge. Again, this perspective demonstrates some similarities between figures 1 2. Objectives are set to improve on delivery times for customers (IP2 IP5), this is aid of achieving h igh quality of service to link to customer satisfaction (C6), retention (IP3) and profitability (C4). If customers are dissatisfied they will go elsewhere which will affect growth in revenue (F1). To measure delivery times, focus as obtain comparing where Caffà © Nero are in terms of the market, as customers will have a certain level of expectations. However if Caffà © Nero are able to excel over this, it will create customer satisfaction which in theory will lead to more business from that customer. Also by ensuring there is a balanced customer to employee ratio in each site helps to improve delivery and customer service for customers as waiting times will decrease. Learning and Growth Perspective This area focuses on employees in terms of creating objectives to maintain training, in aid of retaining employee loyalty (LG1), improving both job and employee satisfaction (LG2), increasing employees capabilities in skills (LG4) as well as motivating and empowering employees (LG5). In theory these objectives should participate to maintaining a customer centric focus (LG3). Within this perspective, there are many differences between the scorecards as store-level focus on individual needs of employees to drive employee satisfaction. In comparison to headquarters which looks at overall achieving programmes to assist employee satisfaction, presenting a common objective in both scorecards. To measure these objectives appraisal and one to one meetings are used to assess their performance and how to improve in growth in revenue for the business. Each level is assessed by individual employees at store-level and individuals stores for headquarter level. Olve (2003) looked into how incentive and reward programmes can be aligned with scorecards in order to promote realization of intended strategy. This has been incorporated into the learning and growth stage of the scorecards. In aid to attract employees attention, to perform well at store level, contributing to the overall objective of increasing revenue growth for the company. Although there are many differences between the models as each scorecard targets a different audience, it is important to note that they both interlink to together to achieve Cafà © Neros objectives. As store-level focuses on direct customer service it is important that they get it right to achieve sales, retention as well as maintain a happy working environment for staff as getting these objective help to achieve objectives set for headquarter level. In terms of employee retention, training programmes, customer profitability and satisfaction as well as product innovation Conclusion To summarise the main points of this essay, it is essential to consider the information available in order to successfully design and implement a scorecard for a company. As statics show that 70% of balanced scorecards fail due to lack of research within their own individual company and the scorecard. The second point was to fully understand what Caffà © Nero wanted to achieve in regards to their strategy, as it is vital to not incorporate everything as this will only present more problems then benefits. Thirdly, when designing the scorecards for Caffà © Nero, it was crucial to ensure that they were easy to follow for all members of the organisation, as every objective interlinks and filters up the model in a form of a chain. If one objective is not met then this will affect the rest of the model creating a cause and affect relationship throughout the scorecard. For example consequences may lead to losing customers due to bad customer service, lack of high quality products and product knowledge due to limited training. As to measurements within the scorecards Caffà © Nero tried to be realistic so that they are able achieve their strategy as unrealistic measurements can disadvantage a business, as the costs of implementing balanced scorecards is a large investment to make as large amounts of money and time is needed. It is also important that Caffà © Nero adopted a trial and error approach so they could keep reviewing their scorecards to ensure they were aligned with their strategy. Overall a balanced scorecard is an affective management tool to translate strategy into a vision. Word Count: 3299

Project Management in Construction

Project Management in Construction Definition: â€Å"Project management is the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, quality and participation satisfaction.† Definition according to Project Management Institute Objectives of Project Management: For construction project management the objectives depend a lot on resource constraints and the target should be accomplished with these in view. A main component of the whole process would be to investigate for better alternatives or making tradeoffs to reduce the conflicts between stated objectives and resource constraints. Especially with manual resources originating from so many cultural backgrounds, the probability of conflict is far higher. In general the objectives of project management in construction can be stated as: Stating of objectives and plans: this should include the various factors like Budgeting, Scheduling, targets and participants. Maximization of Efficiency: This should be accomplished by proper utilization of various resources, labor, material and equipment. The ultimate goal is to meet the objectives within prescribed schedules mentioned in (1). Coordination: A proper communication and coordination has to be maintained between various phases like planning, design, estimating and constructing. Conflicts and differences should be properly evaluated and resolved thus leading towards a common goal and objective Modern Management: Development in various tools and technologies along with detailed research into existing project management principles and trends lead into a new phase of management called Modern Management. Research and study into modern management processes reflected the following additional components: Management process approach: To study the management functions in detail. Management science and decision support approach: Assists managers in taking complex decisions by approaching a given problem in mathematical and scientific manner. Example: Operations Research Behavioral science approach: Involved more in interacting with people Sustainable competitive advantage: Is an indication of a proper management strategy. Modern management can be considered to be a combination of all the ingredients mentioned before, that is General Management, Project management, Special knowledge domains and supporting disciplines. The application of Modern management into construction has proven to be quite effective and efficient. Project Risk: Risk is an important factor of any project. Taking risk by a participant of a project shows his willingness to compete but has the down side of putting the whole project at stake. There are also potential chances of conflicts being arisen between participants due to this factor. There are usually many risks involved in a construction project, a brief list of which can be stated as follows: Social Problems: This includes factors like Environmental protection, public safety rules. Economic problems: Stock fluctuation, fluctuations in exchange rates. Relationships: This is one of the most common and most important factors. These risks develop due to the instability in relations between contracting agencies, participants of project, etc. Technological: Though a key factor in a project life cycle, technology can become a risky factor sometimes. It is up to the project owner and upper level managements to resolve the conflicts created by risk and to give the Go/NO-GO order to the team. Once the decision is made to take the risk, the project management and participants should strive to make the project a success. Organization: The other important factor in project management in general and construction project management in specific is the organizational structure of the company. There are various factor involved in designing and configuring the project that depend on the organizational flow. Some of the factors are Method of decomposition of project (Sequential Vs Parallel Vs Staggered decomposition, which depends on the organization needs and availabilities). Number of organizations involved in the project and the phases they are involved in. (Ex: The owner organization which is involved in the whole life cycle can call some contracting organization for their specific needs). Organizational structure which decides the number of projects being taken up at a given instance of time. (Ex: Matrix organization structure involves same teams for various projects, where as Project oriented organizational structure involves various teams for various projects). Professional Construction Management: A professional construction management normally refers to a team that specializes various phases of construction activities like Planning, Design and construction. They have the responsibility to coordinate with contracting organizations to resolve conflicts and make the project a success. A professional construction manager is a firm specialized in the practice of professional construction management whose responsibilities includes: Working with the owner and the Architectural/ Engineering teams to decide on strategies and make decisions. Consider various resources and constraints and develop alternatives if needed. Process the progress of the project making sure that the owner is well informed of the situation. Material and supply chain management. Provide other services and subcontracts. Professional construction management is involved normally for massive projects like Alaska Pipeline Project. 10 rules for Managing projects that win: Rule1: Clarify the project goal: the most important part of the project is Goal. An effective project manager always emphasizes on goal and rephrases it again and again to the team members. This will clear the vision of people (team members and end users) regarding what they have to achieve thus compelling them to strive for it. Rule2: Use objectives to define responsibilities: the objectives defined to reach the goal should be used in recognizing and allocating responsibilities. An effective team manager will recognize individual talents of team members and assign responsibilities accordingly. Rule3: Establish Checkpoints, Activities, relationships and time estimates: Team members work the best when they know what to do and have a specific target set in front of them. Creating Timelines, checkpoints and activities help the team members concentrate their energies in the proper direction. Rule4: Supercharge the plan with a picture: Try to make the project progress as clear as possible to your team members and upper management. Use Gant and Pert charts to show the progress visually which will aid them to understand the process much better than verbal explanation or presentations. Rule 5: Develop an empowered project team: Understand the elements of human behavior and recognize the differences in team members. Note that each person’s skill can be used in a unique fashion to contribute to the project. Try to find the motivating factor for team members, each person can be motivated by something different. Rule6: Reinforce People’s motivation and energy: This can be accomplished by bringing in a sense of ownership into team member’s mind. Trying to align people’s thoughts with one another and with project goal will help a lot too. By brining in this common thinking and sense of challenge, team members will be cheered and motivated at all stages of project life cycle. Rule7: Communication: Communication between team members and team management is one of the most important factors for project success. Make sure all the aspects of project including progress, successes, failures, etc, are all well informed to the team members. Another part of communication is to listen sincerely and regularly to the opinion of team members, some times listening is more important than talking. Rule8: Vitalize people with energy from conflicts: Try to use the energy generated with various conflicts in the project life cycle to encourage people. This will help them to focus and resolve issues cooperatively. Rule9: The Power of being a project manager has to be used in brining the commitment from team members. This will help them in using their individual powers to make the project a success. Rule10: Try to be creative. Case Study: Alaska Pipeline Project: Alaska Pipeline project was considered to be the most expensive private project in 1970s. With over 10billion dollars of budget and 800 miles of pipeline, this project required top notch project managements abilities to be completed and perfected. I choose this project as an example because of two reasons: (i) The Vast ness of the project and (ii) The involvement of Professional project management organization. During the planning phase, the owner assigned the whole project to a Construction Management company (contracting, called CMC) while retaining the centralized decision making ability. Initially the hierarchy from top to bottom consisted of 9 layers which created many risks and conflicts between various subcontractors and other participants of the project. There were also delays made in decision making process because of various construction sites and count of subcontractors. To eliminate this, the owner then created a Professional Project Management firm by combining a portion of Owner and CMC. The primary goal of this team was to control all the subcontractors. This change reduced the number of layers of hierarchy from 9 to about 5, in turn closing the gap between management and workforce. This also boosted the performance of decision making process as the communication and collaboration process was greatly improved. . One of the primary decisions of this team was to decentralize th e construction of 5 segments of the pipeline as a different project thus giving the organization a goal oriented look. With the introduction of this new firm, all the major rules of project management were covered and the project was successfully completed within given budget and time. References: Burke, Rory â€Å"Project Management-Planning Control†, 4th Ed, John Wiley Son 2002 Lock D, â€Å"Project Management†,   8th Ed Gower 2004 W.Alan Randolph, Barry Z.Posner, â€Å"Checkered Flag Projects†, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall. Project management in construction Project management in construction Brief 199803 The role of the Project Manager amongst other things may be that of the partnering facilitator as identified in various literatures and by authors such as, but not limited to Latham and Egan etc. Highlight a theoretical but practical role for the project manager as a partnering facilitator.     Outlined below is a discussion and an examination of the notion that the role of the Project Manager amongst other things may be that of the partnering facilitator which enables projects to be carried out efficiently. The notion that the Project Manager amongst other things could fulfil the role of the partnering facilitator has been identified as well as being developed further in the literature of Latham and also Egan, besides others. Authors such as Latham and Egan regarded that the fulfilling of the part of being a partnering facilitator as one of the main functions of any successful Project Manager, but of course not the only one. As part of the evaluation of the role played by Project Managers, the potential role of being a partnering facilitator will highlight a theoretical but practical role for any Project Manager to carry out whilst acting as a partnering facilitator. Project Managers have played and still continue to play important parts within the public and private s ectors of the British economy. However, for the purpose of this evaluation the theoretical, yet practical role that would allow any Project Manager to act as a partnering facilitator are considered within the confines of the construction industry in the United Kingdom. It should also be remembered that the ideas relating to the concepts were actually originally developed by engineers in the United States before being widely adapted by businesses and academics alike (Deeprose, 2001 p. 3). The construction industry within the United Kingdom would upon both a theoretical as well as a practical basis provide plenty of scope for a Project Manager to fulfil or serve the role of a partnering facilitator during the course of carrying out their job. The reasons for the construction industry offering opportunities for Project Managers to be able to act out a role of being a partnering facilitator are strongly related to the nature of that industry within Britain itself. Construction firms exist to develop, plan, deliver, and finally complete building projects, Project Managers are also trained to think and function in a similar way (Deeprose, 2001 p. 18). The Project Manager thus arguably has a vital linking and organising function or purpose contained within the core responsibilities of their job, which in itself is pivotal for the efficient running of the construction industry in Britain. Any or every construction project needs to be managed effectively, and well organised i n order for it to be completed on time and within budget, a requirement that the use of a Project Manager is intended to fulfil. Even if only one company was formally engaged in completing a construction project a high degree co-ordination and organisation would still be required to make sure the efficiency of the organisation remains consistently high as well as being successful. A single company will have various stakeholders with different concepts of what needs to be done to successful complete. The more companies which are involved in a proposed project means a higher number of stakeholders need to enter working partnerships (Briner, Hastings, Geddes, 1996 pp. 10-12). In reality, construction projects normally have several contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers involved in the whole process, which further increases the need for co-ordination and sound organisation. The Project Manager is therefore ideally placed to carry out the necessary co-ordination and organisation to achieve the full completion of the project (Deeprose, 2001 p. 3). Latham and Egan, amongst others, have contended that the level of co-ordination and organisation that Project Manager have to use to get their jobs done with the British construction industry could justify the tag of partnering facilitator. Deeprose has argued that the operating methods of Project Managers and companies are very similar, which helps to explain why Project Managers are very useful in running construction programmes (Deeprose, 2001 p. 18). In theoretical and practical terms, the Project Manager needs to work in partnerships whilst facilitating the means to ensure that all are programmes are carried out. One way of exploring whether the Project Manager could theoretically and practically act as a partnering facilitator would be to look into how a project to build a housing development could actually be managed. To be able to complete a housing construction programme theoretically and indeed practically involves a great deal of partnership to move from initial planning a nd designing, through to finding contractors or suppliers, gaining planning permission, then finally construction. Even after construction has been finished partnerships could still be needed to make sure that the required standards are met, and to achieve the highest quality houses. Young argues that the key to the successful completion of any construction project is for it to be well designed with all the people that need to make the decisions having access to all relevant information (Young, 1996 p. 21). The Project Manager needs to form a partnership with the architects that design the building that make up the housing construction programme, and both need to discuss the exact specifications and materials required to make the project achievable (Young, 1996 p. 45). These architects could either work for the same company as the Project Manager or be employed by a different company if not a specialised architectural consultancy. Having a sound partnership with the architect would allow the Project Manager to examine whether the designs for the proposed housing programme are practical, are what the stakeholders actually requested, and also if they meet health and safety standards (Maylor, 1996 p. 47). Close consultation between the Project Manager and the architects will facilitate discussion with regard to the quality, as well as the practical feasibility of the housing being designed. Together the Project Manager in conjunction with the architects will draw up plans as to what will b e needed in the houses to ensure that all features and facilities are installed as planned, and altered if needs be (Young, 1996 p.45). Theoretically and practically for the successful finishing of a house building project the Project Manager needs to form a relationship with the Local Planning Authority to ensure that planning could be granted to allow building work to begin. Without planning permission the proposed housing construction will not be carried out (Deeprose, 2001 p. 18). A good relationship with the Local Planning Authority responsible for granting or not granting planning permission could be useful if the Project Manager needs to arrange for water, gas and electricity supplies have to be extended to the new houses after those have been finished (Young, 1996, p. 45). The Project Manager might even have to liase with the Local Planning Authority to arrange new roads or an extension of existing roads to the new houses. The Project Manger as the main facilitator between the company or the consortium they work for and the Local Planning Authority would have the task of sorting out any differences between th e tow to make sure that planning permission is granted as quickly as possible. Partnership between the Project Manager and the Local Planning Authority should help to facilitate the successful completion of the proposed building of new houses (Maylor, 1996 p. 6). Theoretically as well as practically the Project Manager would therefore need to facilitate a partnership between all the constructors, and sub-contractors, which are, actually needed to design, build and complete the new houses (Maylor, 1996 p. 47). New houses are completed through the combined efforts of contractors and sub-contractors, which have special skills and functions (Briner, Hastings, Geddes, 1996 pp. 10-12). For instance, new houses will need electricians, gas fitters, plumbers, as well as plasterers to complete the infrastructure of every house being built. The Project Manager will be responsible for hiring all the contractors and sub-contractors, as well as any general labourers needed to finish the new houses (Deeprose, 2001 p. 3). The Project Manager would have to make sure that everybody or firm hired to complete the construction is capable of doing their jobs to satisfactory standards or have work done again by alternative contractors (Briner, Hastings, Geddes, 1 996 pp. 10-12). Not only will the Project Manager ensure that the contracted work is done effectively, they will have to action any complaints, needs or problems that the contractors, sub-contractors, and workers have with completing the new houses (Young, 1996 p 47). Health and safety is also an issue that the Project Manager has to consider. The Project Manager has a responsibility to make sure that everybody is safe upon the construction site. Hand in hand with making sure that workers are safe, the Project Manager would also have to ensure that all the work carried out on the new houses complies with all health and safety regulations (Briner, Hastings, Geddes, 1996 pp. 10-12). Facilitating with all contractors, sub-contractors and workers not only maintain the partnership between them all, it also allows the new houses to be safe without anybody being hurt during their construction. For the Project Manager complying with health and safety standards will mean that the building p rocess runs smoothly and reduces the risk of legal action being taken against the building consortium (Deeprose, 2001 p. 18). Therefore, one way in which the function of any Project Manager as a partnering facilitator could be theoretically and practically demonstrated through the co-ordination and organisation needed to build new houses. The Project Manager could and indeed should play a pivotal role in partnering or linking all the elements needed to complete a new housing programme. The Project Manager has an essential part to play in ensuring that the parties involved in the construction of the new houses would work closely together to make sure that the building is completed successfully and to time. Without the Project Manager acting as a partnering facilitator it would arguably be more difficult to design, construct, and fully complete the new house building programme. The Project Manager co-ordinates and liases with the architects over the design as well as the features of the new houses before the plans are finalised and then submitted for planning permission. Then the Project Manager would thus us ually have to approach the appropriate Local Planning Authority to gain planning permission and then amend the building proposals if that is required. Probably the most important partnering facilitating performed by the Project Manager would be co-ordinating, as well as organising all the contractors, sub-contractors and all workers needed to build and finish the new houses once planning permission has been granted. A good working partnership actively facilitated by the Project Manager should mean that the new houses are built up to a high standard as quickly, yet effectively as possible. The Project Manager will achieve the function of partnering facilitator most effectively by involving all the relevant stakeholders that are part of the construction project. Briner W, Hastings C, Geddes M, (1996) Project Leadership – 2nd edition, Gower, Aldershot Deeprose D, (2001) Smart things to know about Managing Projects, Capstone Publishing Limited, Oxford Maylor, 1996 Young T, (1996) The Handbook of Project Management, Kogan Page, London