Saturday, October 5, 2019
How is the UK as a whole doing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
How is the UK as a whole doing - Essay Example Similar to this is the money or cash flow for output services, (Maher and Wise, 2005, p.85). The key economic players are administration, business trade, households, and the wider international globe. Their means of interaction with one another is explained as a transaction The national statistics office offers statistics of the economy that measure the economy of the United Kingdom in various ways. For instance, there are complete United Kingdom national and economic accounts that offer an overall economic view. The accounts sequence follows the laid out accounts if the national account systems of 1993, as well as the European Account systems of 1995. Similarly, short-term economic indicators like GDP, Index of Retail Sales, Production Index and Services Index exists. Additionally, there are some statistics offered on Payments Balance and Products and Services Trade. UK economic performance The performance of economy of UK is evaluated based on attainment of goals and targets the ec onomy. The goals may be long-term like effective development and growth of the economy, or temporary like economic stabilization in following abrupt and unpredictable factors mainly known as economic shocks. To evaluate economic performance against the above goals, economists use various economic indicators. These economic indicators estimate variables of economy, which directly or indirectly allow them to determine whether the performance of economy has enhanced or declined. Tracing such economic indicators is crucial to policy makers to allow them determine whether to intervene or if the intervention activities and plans have been successful or not. According to statistics, the first quarter GDP increase was about 0.3 percent – a yearly growth rate of about 1.2 percent, (Helpman, 2008, p.12). This was 0.6 percent increased from the previous years; these growth rates are low than the set target and 3% than the growth witnessed prior to the financial crisis. The IMF asserts t hat the 2009 advanced economies GDP - that entails the United States, Japan and popular economies of Europe – will be about 3.8% higher than in the 2007 and 2008 cycles. Although, the United Kingdom GDP has not recovered its initial 2008 level, extreme slowdowns have been witnessed in various economic sectors that make up lower than 21% output and approximately 10% of employment opportunities – services of finance, construction and gas or oil, (Steil and Victor, Nelson, 2002, p.56). Apart from the sector of finance, the services activities that the key UK economic pillars are improving, this is the reason behind increased and strong employment. The informal sector accounts for approximately a million United Kingdom’s employments in the last three years. Whereas UK does not have extensive manufacturing based that maintained its economy in both 19th and 20th centuries, it has various global and prominent manufactures – in aerospace, high engineering technol ogy and health care sectors. UK care industry attained in global record export level last year. UK manufacturing is still competitive in knowledge deployment, skills, and technology and has a competitive advantage over reduced wage; labor-intensive sectors of manufacturing that have shifted to developing economies. UK has also strong and competitive business sector services
Friday, October 4, 2019
Construction law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Construction law - Essay Example Construction projects could clearly be said to be the result of co-ordinated efforts between promoters, project managers, consultants, architects, planners and workforce (own and/or contracted) who actually carry out the construction work at the site. Thus, when considering the construction industry in its entirety, the need for demand creation is vested with groups of individuals who could create more value for organisations than individuals working in isolation. â€Å"But by freely indulging in exchange, that is with no coercion, each member would be better off or at least no worse off than by being in isolation. The group as a whole would be better off; value is created.†(Sen n.d). However, construction activities also envisage time and cost factors. Unjustified delays may cause budgetary constraints which could be avoided if planning and organization of joint projects were carried out meticulously and diligently. â€Å"It was concluded that this approach offers a number of benefits for the client, the main contractor, partnering subcontractors and professional consultants, such as, lower costs, improved team approach and less confrontation.†(Humphreys, Matthews & Kumaraswamy 2003, pp.166-178). non-actions. However, much would depend upon the ensuing covenant and the terms and conditions of employment. Just as there are legal differentiations between contractors and employees, so also there are surrounding differences between the rights, liabilities and privileges of contractors, sub contractors and others along the line. Though much about contracting is gained from the UK Contract Act and ancillary laws, local laws and practices are also of major import, especially in the event of disputes. Often the demarcation of where the responsibilities of the main contractor ends and that of the sub contractors begin could be
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Philosophy Final Essay Example for Free
Philosophy Final Essay Question One            In Plato’s work The Apology Socrates is on trial for three distinct things: Firstly, Socrates fell out of favor with the government (who were constantly berated for being ignorant by Socrates in a fashion) and so the sought to eradicate him by accusing him of not paying favors to the gods for whom the citizenry worshipped. Secondly, Socrates was on trial for impiety. Lastly, Socrates was on trial and sentenced to death for corruption of the young.            Socrates attempted to defend himself in front of the Senate by using his famous Socratic method as revealed in Plato’s pages of The Apology. He bantered and lead the court officials around in a dialogue fashion, asking questions in order so that they would have to answer them themselves and thus prove Socrates’ point in a question answer dialogue. The dialectic art of arriving at the was the system Socrates used. In this regard he would arrive at the answer by questioning the belief of engaged speakers in a philosophic circle, or in this case, in a courtroom hearing. Although this idea of philosophy may come across as non-confrontational,     Socrates used this method to verbally jab at the speaker until they themselves found fault in their philosophy, and through a system of negative or positive responses came to recognize the truth: Thus, Socrates sought to find justice for himself by only asking questions, leaving the answers up to the officials. This type of philosophy has been likened to a cross examination present in today’s court rooms, where the person under oath is asked a series of questions that are both destructive and humiliating, until they are forced to acknowledge the truth, much like the arguments around Socrates. The aim of such confrontational questioning was always about finding the ultimate truth, but in this court case it seems that Socrates failed because the case eventually lead to his demise. Socrates believed that this truth seeking was the main goal of philosophy, and philosophical discussions, and he believed that everyone involved with the account was in pursuit of this goal as well: It was this optimism that lead to his downfall in a way. Socrates could be considered a martyr. It was his stand against the government at the time which lead to the eventual destruction of the Thirty Tyrants, but when democracy came back into place, they then chastised Socrates because of his pull with the younger crowd. The definition of a martyr is a person who dies for a cause. Socrates’ cause was for truth and wisdom; that is what he taught the crowd which followed him about the city (and which attracted the disfavor of the democracy who felt Socrates had too much power and sway over the citizenry and feared an uprising) and in the end, those were the causes for which he died. In The Apology Plato writes of a scene where Crito offers Socrates the opportunity to escape from prison, but Socrates forbids it stating that it would go against democracy for which he stood and it would be a deceitful act which is the opposite of truth, for which he based his philosophy. Thus, Socrates is offered with a form of escape which he denies, thereby choosing death willingly for his beliefs, the true definition of a martyr.   Socrates willingly or rather knowingly accepts his fate as governed by the ones whose democracy he upheld and it was through this act that Socrates was able to demonstrate philosophy in action. Question Two As to the existence of god, Descartes deems that this should be accounted for next to discovering what knowledge is. Descartes explanation of God and existence required an innate sense of the presence of God. He began by thinking that the cause of any idea is as real as the substance of said idea. Since his idea of a Supreme Being or god infinite, therefore the cause of this idea of infinity must also be never-ending and according to his belief, only the real god is boundless. Thus, the cause for the existence of god cannot be human beings because we are not infinite and we are mortal. There must be a cause of this Supreme Being’s existence which is outside the human race. Based on Meditation III, Descartes expressed â€Å"my idea of god cannot be either adventitious or factitious (since I could neither experience god directly nor discover the concept of perfection in myself), so it must be innately provided by god. Therefore, god exists.†It was Rene Descartes who delivered a â€Å"first systematic account of the mind/body relationship†(Descartes 1). Descartes’ dualism theory states that â€Å"mind is a nonphysical substance†(Descartes 1). Further, he differentiated mind from brain. He attributed consciousness and self-awareness to the mind while intelligence is contained in the brain. Descartes used his Meditations on First Philosophy to make certain what he is in doubt before regarding the existence of the mind and body. Because of this, he was able to take a hint that mind and body are two different things. He advocated that the â€Å"mind†is used for thinking, thus, it is immaterial and can exist even without the body. This immaterial and non-physical content of the mind then he called as the â€Å"soul.†And therefore, the mind is a substance distinct from the body, a substance whose essence is thought (Descartes 12). Based on this perspective, Cartesian dualism became a stronghold of future theories. It champions the idea of the â€Å"immaterial†mind and the â€Å"material†body. Even if these are two different entities, they interact to create actions and events reversibly involving mental and physical activities. Despite many non-European supporters of Cartesian dualism, this gave rise to the â€Å"problem of interactionism†wherein it averts the impossibility of interaction between an immaterial and material entity, the mind and body respectively. To defend these criticisms of Cartesian dualism, Descartes formulated an explanation through the pineal gland theory. This gland is located in the center of the brain between the left and right hemisphere, from which the â€Å"immaterial†mind and the â€Å"material†body purportedly interacts. However, this has remained a theory up to this time since Descartes failed to defend such idea of the causal interaction of the mind and body through the pineal gland. Question Three Kant’s deontology ethics involves the belief of actions being immoral despite the outcome. Kant did not put faith in the consequences of people’s actions but the actions themselves; thus leaving the effect of a scenario out of the equation of morality. This ethical stance was part of Kant’s philosophy and he believed that the absolutism of deontology was the correct course of action despite circumstances. For Mill on the other hand, his theory of utilitarianism was in stark contrast to Kant’s theory of deontology. Utilitarianism speaks toward the action of a person directly results the outcome. Thus, the truth is always the correct path in Kant’s philosophy while the outcome of a lie being the pathway to truth or justice is the course of Mill’s philosophy. In a situation where Kant and Mill were able to converse, there would be several issues on which they would agree, as well as many on which they would fervently argue. With Mill’s dedication to the understanding of natural sciences/economy, and his studies into the harm theory as it applies to humanity, he would be at odds with the strong religious conviction of Kant.            For Kant, the existence of God was the principle motivating factor of his studies. His work dealt with the â€Å"constructing an adequate theoretical argument for the existence of God†. (Rossi) His early work was founded on, rather than the proof of God as a being to be worshipped, the idea that God was fundamentally provable through mathematics. Kant will argue that the concept of God properly functions only as a â€Å"regulative† i.e., limiting             principle in causal accounts of the spatio-temporal order of the world. Kants critical philosophy thus undercuts what rationalist metaphysics had offered as proofs for the      existence of God. On the other hand, the critical philosophy does more than simply dismantle the conceptual scaffolding on which previous philosophical accounts of the concept of God had been constructed. (Rossi) To this end, Kant spent his life in study of the pursuit of finding God in science and mathematics that man had developed.            John Stuart Mill, on the other hand, felt that the harm principle was the ruling factors of world existence. John Stuart Mill’s argues in On Liberty that the use of the harm theory, or harm principle is that a state of government must ensure the quality of liberty just so long as the actions committed in the cause of liberty are not detrimental to the activists. That is to say that the government may interfere in order to prevent harm. The following paper will discuss Mill’s harm principle and its application to government in regards to restrictions and controls.            Mill argues for the doctrine of liberty. Mill means to define the role of a person in society and as such the limited amount of coercion consistent in society that should affect that individual, â€Å"No society in which these liberties are not, on the whole, respected, is free, whatever may be its form of government; and none is completely free in which they do exist absolute and unqualified†(Mill). Mill is stating that although these qualities are liberty come at a cost in no society would they be considered free because of the forms of government in which the world adheres. Question Four Nietzsche restricts the presence of God in his equation by saying that the concepts of good and evil have changed with the progression of history and that these two paradigms of human behavior and secular code will continue to evolve toward the demands of a changing society. Nietzsche, therefore, makes the argument that morals are constructs of the times in which we will and have evolved much as human beings have over the ages, but that this is not necessarily a good thing because it is meant as a manner of preventing others from having control over us. This is because people inherently wish to exercise power over others and morals are a way of leveling things off so that the strongest members of society do not dominate, as Nietzsche emphasizes, The pathos of nobility and distance, as mentioned, the lasting and domineering feeling, †¦something total and complete, of a higher ruling nature in relation to a lower nature, to an beneathâ€â€that is the origin of the opposition between good and bad. (The right of the master to give names extends so far that we could permit ourselves to grasp the origin of language itself as an expression of the power of the rulers: they say that is such and such, seal every object and event with a sound and, in so doing, take possession of it.) (Nietzsche) In the Genealogy of Morals, Friedrich Nietzsche presents his idea about the morality of human beings and why it is flawed: Nietzsche begins by discounting many of society’s assumptions on how they function in life, as he believes that we tend to view things as having inherent meanings But all purposes, all uses, are only signs that a will to power has become master over something †¦with less power and has stamped on it its own meaning of some function, and the entire history of a thing, an organ, a practice can by this process be seen as a continuing chain of signs of constantly new interpretations and adjustments, whose causes need not be connected to each otherâ€â€they rather follow and take over from each other under merely contingent circumstances. (Nietzsche) Nietzsche uses punishment as an example in this case, as human beings tend to believe that punishment is an action that happens to a person as a result of that person doing something that he or she deserves to be punished, although counter to this Nietzsche also states that suffering is meaningless and therefore, punishment may also with Nietzche’s own philosophy be meaningless. He would argue that punishment is completely separate from this, however, as punishment is very often used as a way of showing off one’s power or in some cases, as an act of cruelty. This suggests that the punishment does not always fit the crime, as the clichà © is written, so those two things should not necessarily be associated with each other. It cannot be understood how these two things are the same thing, so it is necessary to keep them separate. Nietzsche then continues this argument to show how morality has arrived at the point that it is at right now. Nietzsche argues that all of existence, especially in human beings, is a struggle between different wills for the feeling of power. This means that society wishes to have some sort of control over their own lives and also over the lives of others. This is why competition and the nature of this in man is so prevalent in society, Rather, that occurs for the first time with the collapse of aristocratic value judgments, when this entire contrast between egoistic and unegoistic pressed itself ever more strongly into human awarenessâ€â€it is, to use my own words, the instinct of the herd which, through this contrast, finally gets its word (and its words). And even so, it took a long time until this instinct in the masses became ruler, with the result that moral evaluation got downright hung up and bogged down on this opposition (as is the case, for example, in modern Europe: today the prejudice that takes moralistic, unegoistic, dà ©sintà ©ressà © [disinterested] as equally valuable ideas already governs, with the force of a fixed idea and a disease of the brain). (Nietzsche) It is all a competition to achieve this power, even if there is no physical reward for winning these competitions. Nietzsche shows the constant changing of the ideologies of good and bad by stating that in past generations, the concept of good was defined by the strongest people in society. In barbaric times, anything that the stronger members of society did was defined as good, while the weaker members of society were seen as bad. This is not something that we would agree upon today, but members of these past societies would not agree with the way we do things either. Therefore, Nietzsche believes that to give anything an absolute interpretation does not work because as the times change, so will this interpretation. It is wills which define this, so as wills change, so will the apparent truth. If it is truly desirable to have free will, therefore, a person must not believe in any absolutes, but rather view the world as a constantly changing place and let our wills define the things that are occurring around and in society. This includes looking at things from as many different perspectives as possible in order to decide contingently upon personal perspectives which viewpoint a person wishes to make. This can also be applied to morality as, since nothing is absolute, morals are constantly changing as well. Morality is not something that was passed down from God to human beings, but is rather something that has evolved and changed since the beginning of time and will continue to do so. The only thing that has not change in human beings is that they inherently have the desire to achieve more power over their fellow human beings, because of the existence of free wills. This means that the present morality that human beings possess has been born due to hatred for those things that are stronger in the presence of society. Nietzsche argues that a person will have fear of things that could possibly have power over them, so a person must have developed this moral code in order to protect themselves from the stronger members of society. Nietzsche believes that a person must embrace these animalistic instincts because a person is currently hurting themselves by repressing them. Work Cited Cooper, J.M. Plato Complete Works. Hackett Publishing Company. 1997. Descartes, Rene. n.d. â€Å"Meditations on First Philosophy.†10 March 2008 http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/descartes/meditations/meditations.html Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism. Online. 10 March 2008:           http://ethics.sandiego.edu/utilitarianism.html Nietzsche, F. Genealogy of Morals. Online. 10 March 2008.            http://books.google.com/books?id=OwGPCsLiBlwCdq=nietzsche+genealogy+of+mor           lspg=PP1ots=rTBJrGtorHsig=vLolmBFHWUdXa7z8_CxzfIlj18Ahl=enprev=h           tp://www.google.com/search?hl=enclient=firefox-arls=org.mozilla:en           US:officialhs=ymYpwst=1sa=Xoi=spellresnum=0ct=resultcd=1q=Nietz           che+genealogy+of+moralsspell=1oi=printct=titlecad=one-book-with-thumbnail Rossi, Phillip. â€Å"Kant’s Philosophy of religion†. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. June      2004. 10 March 2008. URL: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-religion/
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Business Comparison of Boots and Oxfam
Business Comparison of Boots and Oxfam As a group of Business Analysts, you have been advised by your senior managers to select two contrasting businesses and provide a report on the following: Describe the type of business, purpose and ownership of the two contrasting businesses Describe the different stakeholders who influence the purpose of the two contrasting businesses Describe how two businesses are organised Explain how their style of organisation helps them to fulfil their purposes Describe the influence of two contrasting economic environments on business activities within a selected organisation Describe how political, legal and social factors are impacting upon the business activities of the selected organisations and their stakeholders. Introduction: This assignment focuses on two different types of businesses namely Boots and Oxfam. Describe the type of business, purpose and ownership of the two contrasting businesses Boots Type of Business Boots is international pharmacy, led health and beauty groups delivering a range of products and services to customers. It started in 19th century as an herbalist store by John Boot in Nottingham. In1870 the Boots business begins to develop under the management of Jesse Boot. 1883 Boot Company Ltd formed.1898 Boots Library established. In 1915 Edgar Moss bought his first pharmacy business in Feltham. In the year of 1929 D1 soap factorys building completed in Beeston site, Nottingham.1935 No7 cosmetics launched.1936 Boots branch opened in New Zealand. 1939 Soltan sun care range introduced. 1947 Boots established to carry out whole sale business in Australia, Canada, and Pakistan and in other East countries. 1949 New Boots factory opened at Airdrie in Scotland to manufacture cosmetics. One new factory in Bombay (India) went into production.1951 first self-service started in London. In 1954, E. Moss opened its first photographic store in Staines.1969 Boots Launched Ibuprofen in the UK. In 1971 Company renamed the Boots Company Ltd. Achievement of Crookes Laboratories Ltd. In1983, Nurofen launched; following the approval of Ibuprofen. 1985 Boots received the Queens Award for technological achievement for the discovery and development of ibuprofen. Boots Opticians Ltd formed in 1987, with the acquisition of Clement Clarke Ltd and Curry and Paxton Ltd. In the 1990, Boots contract, Manufacturing and Boots Healthcare International were established. In 1992 Electronic Point of Sale computer installation completed in all boots stores. 1997 UniChem Plc. merges with Alliance Santà © to become largest pharmaceutical. Advantage card launched. In 2001 Boots Opticians offer the worlds first disposable hearing aid, Songbird. In the year of 2010 Alliance Boots and Pharmaceutical finalise agreement for independently owned pharmacy chain in Sweden under Boots brand. Ownership of Boots:   Boots is a private company, the UKs leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer. With over 2,500 stores in the UK, ranging from local community pharmacies to large destination health and beauty stores. Boots UK is part of the Retail Pharmacy International Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc, the first global pharmacy-led health and wellbeing enterprise. Boots UK Limited(formerly Boots the Chemists Limited), trading as Boots, is a pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with outlets in most high streets, shopping centres and airport terminals. The companys former parent, The Boots Company Plc, merged with Alliance UniChem in 2006 to form Alliance Boots. In 2007, Alliance Boots was bought by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Stefano Pessina, taking the company private, and moving its headquarters to Switzerland, the first ever FTSE 100 company bought by a private equity firm. In 2012, Walgreens bought a 45% stake Alliance Boots, with the option to buy the rest within three years. It exercised this option in 2014, and as a result Boots became a subsidiary of the new company, Walgreens Boots Alliance on 31 December 2014. Boots operates over 2,500 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland ranging from local pharmacies to large health and beauty stores. Boots stores are primarily located on the high streets and in shopping centres. It sells many health and beauty products, and also provides optician and hearing care services within stores and as standalone practices. Boots also operates a retail website and runs a loyalty card programme branded as the Boots Advantage Card. Mission and Purpose of Boots The mission of Boots is to be the first choice for pharmacy, health and beauty caring for people, customers and communities everywhere. Boots purpose is to provide goods and services to help their customers look and feel better than they ever thought possible. Boots Company is very well known in different department such as in production of biggest health and beauty brand, Botanic, Ibuprofen, and No.7. And it also works hard in customer services. Boots Company encourages the latest technologies and modern formulas to achieve the goals and objectives with new strength of the innovative approaches and creativity. So, the cost control is also the important factors in the company to remain in the business world. The Organisational Structure of Boots is illustrated in figure 1 below: 2nd Organisation: Oxfam International Oxfam International was formed in 1995 by a group of independent non-governmental organizations. Their aim was to work together for greater impact on the international stage to reduce poverty and injustice. The name Oxfam comes from the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief, founded in Britain in 1942. The group campaigned for food supplies to be sent through an allied naval blockade to starving women and children in enemy-occupied Greece during the Second World War. As well as becoming a world leader in the delivery of emergency relief, Oxfam International implements long-term development programs in vulnerable communities. We are also part of a global movement, campaigning with others, for instance, to end unfair trade rules, demand better health and education services for all, and to combat climate change. Today, there are 19 member organizations of the Oxfam International confederation. They are based in: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Quebec, South Africa, Spain and the United States. The Oxfam International Secretariat is based in Oxford, UK. The Secretariat runs advocacy offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Geneva, New York and Washington DC. Vision, Mission, Values, Purpose and Beliefs of Oxfam Oxfam vision is a just world without poverty. Oxfam wants a world where people are valued and treated equally, enjoy their rights as full citizens, and can influence decisions affecting their lives. The purpose of Oxfam is to help create lasting solutions to the injustice of poverty. Oxfam is part of a global movement for change, empowering people to create a future that is secure, just, and free from poverty. Oxfam believes that everyone has a right to realize their potential, and to live free of poverty in a secure and more equitable world. They believe that with the necessary action and political will, this world is possible. Oxfam also believes that people have a right to life and security; to a sustainable livelihood; to be heard; to have an identity; and to have access to basic social services. Oxfam subscribes to all international covenants on rights, and to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Type of ownership and Legal Form Oxfam is an International non-governmental organization. An international confederation of charitable organizations focused on the alleviation of global poverty. Oxfam International is a Confederation of thirteen independent aid, development and advocacy organizations. Oxfam India and Oxfam Japan are also associated with OI, with both organizations set to become full affiliates in the near future. Rostros y Voces, a not-for-profit organization based in Mexico currently has observer status in anticipation of becoming fully affiliated to OI. The Confederation is supported by the Secretariat, a not-for-profit Foundation with its registered office in The Hague, Netherlands. The purpose of the Secretariat is to provide leadership, coordination and facilitation to the Confederation as a whole, and to provide individual support to Affiliates where necessary. Oxfam International is governed by three constitutional documents: †¢The Constitution which governs the actions of Secretariat; †¢The Code of Conduct which regulates the use of the Oxfam brand and criteria for membership of the Confederation; †¢The Rules of Procedure which relate to the governance of the OI Board, affiliation of new members and dispute resolution practice within the Confederation. Each Affiliate subscribes to the constitution through an affiliation agreement which governs the relationship between OI and the Affiliate, ensuring a commitment to OIs objectives. Oxfam has a great presence on social media including Facebook and Twitter. Organizational Structure of Oxfam Oxfam International Board The OI Board comprises the Executive Director, Chair of each Affiliate, and the Oxfam International (OI) Chair. The Affiliates Chairs are voting members and are non-remunerated. The Executive Directors and the OI Chair are all non-voting-members. The Board also elects the Deputy Chair and Treasurer from among its voting members. The Board is responsible for ensuring that OI is accountable, transparent, and fit for purpose. The constitution and Strategic Plan are also approved at Board level. The Board takes recommendations from Executive Directors and ensures that the Confederation is working to its agreed aims. The Board also agrees membership of the Confederation, selects the Honorary President, the Honorary Advisor, the Board Officers and the OI Executive Director. A number of subcommittees with expert members are also mandated by the Board to assist with specific issues. Executive Directors The Executive Directors (EDs) include each Affiliates Executive Director and the OI Executive Director. The latter works with Affiliate Executive Directors as a peer in order to reach consensus and form recommendations to be made to the OI Board. As well as Affiliate responsibilities, the EDs form the non-voting half of the OI Board. They operate as a group to take those decisions which are not required to be tabled at the Board. They agree the operating architecture of the Confederation and have overall responsibility for initiating and management of the Strategic Plan. They are responsible for organizational alignment, OI budgetary decisions and alignment of their own Affiliates to achieve OIs objectives. Global Team The Global Team (GT) consists of up to 16 senior staff, nominated by Affiliates and selected on merit by the EDs. The GT is accountable to the EDs and membership is subject to a fixed renewable term to ensure rotation. The GT is responsible for the implementation of the Strategic Plan by directly supporting delivery groups and streamlining Affiliate operational plans in areas such as campaigning, advocacy, marketing and programs. Within this remit the GT are required to promote monitoring, evaluation and learning initiatives within the Confederation. Countries of Operation Oxfam works in more than 90 countries, with development programmes in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, across Asia and in parts of Eastern Europe. Under Oxfam single management system, each of those countries is managed by one Oxfam affiliate to develop programmes jointly. Describe the different stakeholders who influence the purpose of the two contrasting businesses Stakeholder A stakeholder is referred to as anybody who has an interest in an organization or business. An organizations actions, objectives and policies can be affected for stakeholders. There are two main types of stakeholders, namely primary stakeholders who are usually internal stakeholders engaged in economic transactions with the business such as customers, suppliers, creditors and employees. Secondary stakeholders on the other hand are usually external stakeholders who may not necessarily engage directly in economic exchange with the organization, for example, the general public, the government, local communities, activist groups, business support groups and the media. Influence of different stakeholders on Boots and Oxfam There are both internal and external stakeholders for Boots and Oxfam. Examples of stakeholders include the following: Owners or shareholders Managers Employees Customers Suppliers Governments The Local Community Owners: Every given organisation is owned by an individual, partners or a group of shareholders who form a company. In relation to both Boots and Oxfam, they have a great influence on the direction of the organisations. These include the recruitment, selection and employment of workers and volunteers, identifying suitable premises and procuring machinery, equipment, raw materials and resources. The owners have to take these decisions to ensure that the organisations function according to their purposes and objectives as well as remain profitable in motivating their staff to maximise their performance, however, Oxfam in this case is a charitable organisation whereas Boots is a profit making organisation. Employees/Volunteers Employees in the case of Boots and Volunteers in the case of Oxfam are relevant stakeholders. Their performance and how tasks are carried out may affect the organisations objectives. Achieving tasks may require teamwork and therefore they must have good interpersonal skills. And they must follow organisational policies and procedures. The employees of Boots to a large extent may organize themselves in a workers union and ensure that the management provides favourable working conditions, pay structure, flexible shift patterns, among other things. Also, employees in some ways decide how profitable a business would be and can impact on the companys service delivery. Oxfam volunteers and affiliates on the other hand also have much impact on the successful operations of the organisation in meeting the objectives of the charity. Suppliers: Suppliers who supply the goods and services that are provided by the organisations to their customers are key stakeholders for these organisations. They are an example of external stakeholders. Costumers are other types of stakeholders. They are the supporters of the business in the economy and they purchase goods and services to satisfy their needs and wants. Customers are influential and very important to any organisation because when their needs are not met, they go elsewhere and the business looses patronage. Satisfied customers are crucial to the successful operation and growth of Boots as well as Oxfam. Customers are also able to influence the direction of the organisation based on their taste and demands. This helps the organisations to identify changing trends in the market. In the business environment, especially in the case of Boots, the consumer is considered as a priority and influences the objectives of the business. Due to increased competition, it very important the that organisations keep their customers satisfied by offering them good quality products and services. Governments are important stakeholders. The government makes legislations and regulations which govern all organisations and businesses including Boots and Oxfam, for example, Health and Safety Act, Equality Act, Disability, etc. In the case of Boots, the percentage of business rate to pay the government might influence an increase in the prices of their goods and services. Local authority regulations on licence of premises where they operate may influence the opening and closing times of these organisations. Consumer Protection legislation affects how the organisations relates with their customers. Boots on the other hand is required to comply with government regulations in relation to their own organisational objectives. A change in regulation requires a corresponding change in the way the organisations operate, for example, regulations on taxations laws, VAT, immigration, importations, farming etc have effect on the operations of the organisations. The Local Community: The local communityhave a great interest in localbusinesses as they provide them with jobs and training opportunities. Local communities will mainly depend on local shops and organisations and other suppliers. By their activities and operations some organisations create pollution, traffic congestions and noise, however, the local community will not want these to happen as it causes health risks to them. Describe how two businesses are organised: Boots and Oxfam Explain how the style of the organisations help them to fulfil their purposes Organisations or Businesses like Boots and Oxfam are normally organised by their functions, for example, HR department, marketing department, production department, sales department, accounts department, etc, depending on the size of the organisation. The reason is that, grouping them together allows the functions to benefit from specialisation and division of labour which then results in lower unit costs and a greater efficiency in achieving organisational objectives, whereas in some extreme cases, it may also lead to departmental rivalry. Larger organisations might have a number of businesses within the whole company. This would be coordinated by a Head Office, where all the major decisions are made. This explains why various organisations are organised structurally as follows: Organisational structures Hierarchical structures Flat Structures Tall Structures Organisational structures An organisational structure is a system used to define a hierarchy within an organisation.They can be structured by:Function the part of an organisation designed to meet a purpose. It has the advantage of each department focusing on its own department, but a disadvantage of creating a gap between top and bottom of the chart, and coordination may take too long. For example, Boots has the HR department which is responsible for hiring and firing.Geographical area where the business is located. The advantage is that it serves local need better, but may result in conflict between local and central management.Product group having separate divisions, with an advantage of helping people meet customer needs, however, there may be duplication of functions. Type of consumer different areas that deal with different types of customers. Flat organisation structures are structures with fewer levels.Advantages†¢ easier decision making †¢ greater communication †¢ people can take more responsibility Disadvantages †¢ many people will be involved with decision making †¢ limited to smaller organisations Tall Structures A tall structure is a long chain of command. As the organisation grows, the structure grows taller where each manager controls a certain group of people. Advantages†¢ Bigger opportunities for workers to reach higher levels of the structure.Disadvantages †¢ More people reporting to the top manager Hierarchical structures Hierarchy is a system in which members of an organisation are ranked according to authority. Advantages†¢ Employees know who to report to when there is an issue or there are any questions that need to be asked. †¢ Helps new employees by letting them know who they are working with. †¢ Helps to organise the workload. Disadvantages†¢ organisational charts have to always be updated but keeping them up to date can be hard especially for large companies Hierarchy is a system in which members of an organisation are ranked according to authority. A hierarchical structure is a pyramid-shaped structure that only has one person at the top and very few individuals that can directly report to him/her. Advantages†¢ it is easy to see what each team is called and how many members each team has and how they relate to the other members in the team Disadvantages †¢ it is harder for people that are on the lowest level of the structure to get to directly report to the one at the top A business whose decision-making originates from one place only is known as a centralised organisation. Normally the Head Office will decide on the major elements of strategy, no matter where the manufacturing plants and sales teams are positioned around the country or globe. This means that there are good opportunities for economies of scale. Other businesses, especially multinationals will opt for a more decentralised organisation where the individual businesses within the whole company group, make decisions for themselves. This means that there is more opportunity to react to the changing marketplace, which is one of the advantages of a small firm. However there is a possibility that these organisations which may operate in different parts of the world like Oxfam might be duplicating research or not bargaining in such a strong position as a bigger overall company. When a business reaches a certain size it might split into different departments. These departments will specialise, employing people with expertise in these areas. The main departments in a well-established business are typically: A hierarchical style organizational structure means that there will be fewer people at the top of the company managing the people below. It allows the directors to make the key decisions regarding the operations of the organisation. Describe the influence of two contrasting economic environments on business activities within a selected organisation Different economic environments affect business activities within organisations such as Boots and Oxfam, some of them are discussed below: Demand Demand is defined as the quantity of goods or services that consumers and businesses or customers are willing and able to buy at a given price in a given time period. Market demand is the sum of the individual demand for a product from buyers in the market, in this case, the products or goods and services of Boots and Oxfam. Supply Supply is an economic concept that describes the total amount of a specific goods or services that are available to consumers. Supply can also relate to the amount available at a specific price or the amount available across a range of prices if displayed on a graph. This is illustrated in the diagram below: As seen in the diagram above, considering demand and supply together, the supply relationship and demand relationship basically reflect each other at equilibrium, and the quantity supplied and quantity demanded intersect and are equal. As in the diagram above, supply is illustrated by the upward blue sloping line and demand by red downward sloping line at a price of P* and a quantity of Q*. The quantity of Boots and Oxfam goods and services demanded and the supply intersect at the Equilibrium Price. At this stage, suppliers are selling all the goods that they have produced and consumers are getting all the goods that they are demanding. This is the optimal economic condition, where customers/consumers and producers of goods and services are equally satisfied. Change in Demand for Goods and Services provided by Boots and Oxfam A change in demand will cause equilibrium price and output to change in the same direction. a). A decrease in demand will cause a reduction in the equilibrium price and quantity of a good. The decrease in demand causes excess supply to develop at the initial price. Excess supply will cause price to fall, and as price falls producers are willing to supply less of the good, thereby decreasing output. b). An increase in demand will cause an increase in the equilibrium price and quantity of a good. The increase in demand causes excess demand to develop at the initial price. Excess demand will cause the price to rise, and as price rises producers are willing to sell more, thereby increasing output. Change in Supply of Goods and Services provided by Boots and Oxfam A change in supply will cause equilibrium price and output to change in opposite directions An increase in supply will cause a reduction in the equilibrium price and an increase in the equilibrium quantity of a good. The increase in supply creates an excess supply at the initial price. Excess supply causes the price to fall and quantity demanded to increase. An decrease in supply will cause an increase in the equilibrium price and a decrease in the equilibrium quantity of a good. The decrease in supply creates an excess demand at the initial price. Excess demand causes the price to rise and quantity demanded to decrease. Changes in Demand and Supply of Goods and Services provided by Boots and Oxfam If demand and supply change in opposite directions, then the change in the equilibrium price can be determined, but the change in the equilibrium output cannot. A decrease in demand and an increase in supply will cause a fall in equilibrium price, but the effect on equilibrium quantity cannot be determined. For any quantity, consumers now place a lower value on the good, and producers are willing to accept a lower price; therefore, price will fall. The effect on output will depend on the relative size of the two changes. An increase in demand and a decrease in supply will cause an increase in equilibrium price, but the effect on equilibrium quantity cannot be determined. For any quantity, consumers now place a higher value on the good, and producers must have a higher price in order to supply the good; therefore, price will increase. The effect on output will depend on the relative size of the two changes. If demand and supply change in the same direction, the change in the equilibrium output can be determined, but the change in the equilibrium price cannot. If both demand and supply increase, there will be an increase in the equilibrium output, but the effect on price cannot be determined. If both demand and supply increase, consumers wish to buy more and firms wish to supply more so output will increase. However, since consumers place a higher value on each unit, but producers are willing to supply each unit at a lower price, the effect on price will depend on the relative size of the two changes. If both demand and supply decrease, there will be a decrease in the equilibrium output, but the effect on price cannot be determined. If both demand and supply decrease, consumers wish to buy less and firms wish to supply less, so output will fall. However, since consumers place a lower value on each unit, but producers are willing to supply each unit only at higher prices, the effect on price will depend on the relative size of the two changes. Describe how political, legal and social factors are impacting upon the business activities of the selected organisations and their stakeholders. Political, economic, Social, Technological, Environmental/Ecological and Legal (PESTEL) factors/analysis is an effective method to analyze the impact of global forces on UK Business Organizations including Boots and Oxfam. Political: There are many external environmental factors that affect the operation of organisation like Boots and Oxfam. These include political, legal and social factors. Politically, many aspects of government policy can affect business as all organisations must follow the law. Managers must consider how upcoming legislations can affect their activities. The political environment can impact Boots and Oxfam in many ways. It could add a risk factor and lead to a major loss. Political factors have the power to change results. It can also affect government policies at both local and national levels, so Boots and Oxfam should be ready to deal with the local and international outcomes of politics. Changes in the government policy make up the political factors. The change can be economic, legal or social. It could also be a mix of these factors. Increase or decrease in tax could be an example of a political element. The government might increase taxes for some companies and lower it for others. The decision will have a direct effect on the business operations of Boots and Oxfam. Government interventions like shifts in interest rate can have an effect on the demand patterns of Boots and Oxfam. Some factors create Inter-linkages in many ways, for example: Political decisions affect the economic environment. Political decisions influence the countrys socio-cultural environment. Politicians can influence the rate of emergence of new technologies. Politicians can influence acceptance of new technologies. The political environment is
The Power is in the People :: essays papers
The Power is in the People Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. (The United States Constitution: The First Amendment). By the action taken on December 12, 1791 (when the Bill of Rights was adopted), the United States of America granted its people a power that would prove extremely potent one-hundred and twenty-nine years later. During the era of Prohibition (1920-1933), people took whatever action necessary to get their way, and did so through the rights afforded to them in the First Amendment. Individuals in favor of Prohibition, seeing the benefits of the institution, worked together to sustain it. Those against Prohibition, feeling a violation of their rights, acted just as intensely, if not even more so, to stop the movement. The government, ignoring the voice of the people, was primarily concerned with keeping Prohibition alive. However, the right to individual voice, a principle upon which the United States was founded, made it impossible for an institution such as Prohibition to exist successfully. In the years prior to and during Prohibition, many people did everything within their power to keep the nation free of alcohol. Numerous committees were formed for the purpose of pursuing the enactment and continuation of Prohibition. Church and religion also played a large part in the fight to keep the nation â€Å"dry†. Some individuals even entered politics and took office in the government in an effort to be heard. People made an united effort to reveal the virtues of Prohibition to the nation. The Anti-Saloon League of America was founded in 1893 at Oberlin, Ohio. Throughout Prohibition, its members went from town to town speaking out against saloons and alcohol (Merz 8). On January 16, 1920, they also declared, â€Å"it is here at last - dry America’s first birthday†(Kobler 11). Women established a group of their own as well. In 1874, Protestant women formed the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. They, like the Anti-Saloon League of America, cited the advantages of Prohibition (Kobler 10). As a whole, groups such as these utilized their First Amendment rights to the fullest to preach what they believed.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
A constitutional right? :: essays research papers fc
A constitutional Right?      Carl T Bogus, the author of a 1992 article, â€Å" The Strong Case for Gun Control†, explains to the reader of the importance and relevance of tougher and more strict gun control laws in local governments today. Bogus begins by telling of the recent rise in school shootings and violent crimes in the united states. He explains that in 1998, more than four thousand children were killed by guns, and it took a string of school related shootings to bring that fact to the attention of the public. 34 thousand people were killed in total, and over sixty thousand were held at gunpoint. In order to explain and prove his theories, Bogus goes on to compare two cities with similar crime rates, economies, nationalities, and entertainment values, but very different ways on controlling guns. Seattle Washington , and Vancouver British Columbia are only 140 mile apart, but they both have different views on how to control the way guns are used in there city. Seattle requires only a five day waiting period to purchase a hand gun, while Vancouver requires a permit and a VALID excuse to own a handgun. Due to the difference in laws, 41 percent of all Seattle’s population own handguns, while only 12 percent of Vancouver’s population own handguns. It isn’t hard to see that it would be harder for anybody who shouldn’t have a weapon to stumble across a handgun in Vancouver than in Seattle.      Bogus then goes on to explain a new law taken into effect in the District of Colombia not too long ago. Residents who currently lived in D.C. would have sixty days                                         to register there handguns, and after the time period was up, newly acquired handguns became illegal. But, rifles and shotguns could still be purchased and owned after the time period ran out. The result of the new law came out with results that surprised a lot of people. There was a 25 percent drop in gun related homicides and a 23 percent drop in gun related suicides. While D.C. experienced such a significant drop in gun related crimes, surrounding cities experienced no significant change in their rates. Just another reason to believe that even local gun laws can lead to safer cities and homes.      Daniel D. Polsby, the author of the article, â€Å" The False Promise of Gun Control†Focuses on how tougher gun control laws make it harder for regular people to defend themselves, and easier for criminals to get what they want.
Source text
Write the reference Near-perfect reference Write the citation (Krakow 1994) (FDA consumer health Information 2009) Relevance audience / type of language currency connection/relevance to topic in depth information General public with specific interesting.No limit of age, no limit of education. Language: easy to read for anyone, good writing and understandable language, very simple. Currency: new York, 1994 without date. Tattoos, copyright Connection: the legal and forensic Issues General public, people who are interesting. The website has some deep vocabulary; however, it is easy to understand. Currency: the last report update was October 2009. Connection: the site has a lot of information about tattoos, supplies history Depth information: the site provides the advantages and disadvantages of tattoosAuthority reputable author other sources referred to (or links supplied) organization type Author: My Krakow is expert at tattoos. The main content of the book is about what are the tattoo s, history, and the shortages of tattoos. Warner books press is an educational and academic publisher. – consumer health information Author: FDA There are a lot of references supplies for information given E. G. History, advantages and disadvantages.Organization: FDA consumer health information Reliability goal/purpose & kind of information objectivity remarry or secondary source Goal: inform the public about most of information of tattoos; make them know more about tattoos. Objectivity: Workbooks. Com is a one-stop online source It should be primary source Goal: inform the public information about advantages and disadvantages of tattoos Objective: the website no any advertisement. There are a lot of evidences. Primary: a highly recommend as a primary source for academic report. General comment on suitability of resource (I. E. Why you would or would not use this resource)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)