Gap Model Approach Towards Measuring Customer Satisfaction

Introduction This report is based on The Northern Breast Screening Unit (NBSU) and its aim is to critically evaluate the use of the GAP model approach towards measuring customer satisfaction. It will further explain the advantages and disadvantages of this tool for managers to measure service delivery at NBSU. Further, it will assess the quality of the service which is being provided by NBSU based upon the results of their recent patient satisfaction survey. Furthermore, it will compare and contrast the different perceptions of the service received by the two patient groups. It will also explore how the three staff members differ in their understanding of the patient’s priorities and perceptions. Finally, recommendations will be made to NBSU management to help improve their service quality management. Gap Models A GAP model approach refers to the following five Gaps of service quality in operations in which a Gap Model is split. (Parasuraman et al, 1985). Gap number one, positioning, is where the customer’s expectations of the organisation versus what are the management perceptions of these customer expectations. Gap number two, specification, is when management perceptions of the customer’s expectations versus the design of service specification. Gap number three, delivery, is the service designed for customers versus the actual service being delivered to the customer. Gap number four, communication, is the service being delivered versus the service that wasShow MoreRelatedLiterature Review : Key Concepts Theories And Theories1125 Words   |  5 Pagesscholarly material and to understanding gaps relating to the research area the questions pose. Meharabian and Russell (1974) proposed a theoretical model in which they discussed how service environment stimulates the customer’s emotions and there by influences their behavioural intentions. In this model quality of a customer’s experience is measured by measuring the emotions of pleasure, arousal and dominance (PAD). Pleasure comes from happiness or satisfaction, arousal is derived from excitement basedRead MoreService Quality And Quality Management Essay1510 Words   |  7 PagesService quality can be defined as the reflection of service delivery by finding the gap between the perceived service and expected service. There are 8 dimensions for quality , they are performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, service ability, aesthetics, perceived quality and value. Total quality management depend mainly on quality control tools and previously developed quality techniques. It’s a process of continuous quality improvementRead MoreWhy Non Verbal Communication Is Importance4940 Words   |  20 PagesAnalysing the Use of the SERVQUAL Model to Measure Service Quality in Specific-Industry Contexts Mr. Tameem Al Bassam PhD Researcher tameem.albassam@brunel.ac.uk Information Systems Evaluation and Integration Group (ISEing) Brunel Business School Brunel University Uxbridge, UB8 3PH Middlesex UK Phone: +44 (0) 1895266025 Dr. Sarmad Al Shawi Lecturer sarmad.alshawi@brunel.ac.uk Information Systems Evaluation and Integration Group (ISEing) Brunel Business School Brunel University Uxbridge, UB8 3PHRead MoreResearch Project29890 Words   |  120 PagesUsing the SERVQUAL Model to assess Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction. An Empirical study of grocery stores in Umea. Authors: Chingang Nde Daniel Lukong Paul Berinyuy Supervisor: Sofia Isberg Student Umeà ¥ School of Business Spring semester 2010 Master thesis, one-year, 15 hp Abstract Service quality and customer satisfaction are very important concepts that companies must understand in order to remain competitive in business and hence grow. It is very importantRead MoreA Conceptual Study on the Relationship Between Service Quality Towards Customer Satisfaction: Servqual and Gronroos’s Service Quality Model Perspective6825 Words   |  28 PagesAsian Social Science; Vol. 8, No. 13; 2012 ISSN 1911-2017 E-ISSN 1911-2025 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education A Conceptual Study on the Relationship between Service Quality towards Customer Satisfaction: Servqual and Gronroos’s Service Quality Model Perspective Muhammad Sabbir Rahman1, Abdul Highe Khan2 Md. Mahmudul Haque2 1 2 Graduate School of Management, Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, Malaysia Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, International IslamicRead MoreMeasurement of Sevice Quality of Apollo Using Servqual12789 Words   |  52 PagesEXECUTIVE SUMMARY Service firms like other organizations are realizing the significance of customer-centered philosophies and are turning to quality management approaches to help manage their businesses. This paper starts with the concept of service quality and demonstrates the model of service quality gaps. SERVQUAL as an effective approach has been studied and its role in the analysis of the difference between customer perceptions and expectations has been highlighted with support of measurement of qualityRead MoreService Quality Of The Hotel Industry1862 Words   |  8 Pagesguests expectation and perception, customer satisfaction in the hospitality industry as well as the gap model that is used by parasuramanal. on foreign and local past articles that are also related to this study. 2.1 Service Quality Service quality is not objectively measured according to some technical standards but is subjectively felt by customers and measured relative to customer-determined standards (Kwortnik, 2005). Hence, the service quality is the gap between perceived services deliveredRead MoreThe Basic Elements Of Tqm Essay1410 Words   |  6 Pageseventually dipping the overall quality of the care. [1] The basic elements of TQM: A. Customer Focus: The customer is the judge of quality. From the TQ perspective, all strategic decisions a healthcare institute makes are â€Å"customer driven†. Customer driven firms measure the factors that drive customer satisfaction. The perception of value and satisfaction are infused by many factors through the customers overall purchase, ownership and services. Also reducing defects and error and eliminatingRead MoreCrm Qci Model2134 Words   |  9 PagesCustomer Relationship Management | | | | | | Contents page Introduction 1 What is Customer Relationship Management? 1 QCi Model 2 Elements of QCi Model 2 Executive Summary 8 Reference 9 Appendix 10 Introduction Even though the interaction between a company and its customers exists long time the expression of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has only been used since the early 1990s. IT companiesRead MoreQuality in Services5877 Words   |  24 Pagesexternal customers. Quality serves as the bridge between the producer of goods or services and its customer.† -Johnson Weinstein â€Å"Quality is( consistent conformance to customer’s expectations.† –Stack et al ( â€Å"Quality is a predictable degree of uniformity at a low cost with a quality suited to the market.† -Deming â€Å"Higher quality has a beneficial( effect on both revenues and cost.† -Gummesson Why Quality Matters? In this increasingly competitive world, customers are in a

The Fight for Bilingual Education and Women’s Rights in...

The Civil Rights movement, during the 1960s and 1970s, created many changes for both American society and its schools. The transformations were the result of such movements as Bilingual Education, women’s’ rights activity, and the passing of the Public Law 94-142 legislation. The incorporation of these new laws and ideas into society all came with their own consequences. Each of them helped, in some way, to lessen the inequality of minority groups in America, like students whose primary language was not English, women, and handicapped children. They also faced opposition by certain groups, who did not feel that their inclusion in American life was necessary. Those fighting for the minorities, though, were steadfast in their†¦show more content†¦The third approach, bilingual education, suggested teaching the student’s native language and English equally. According to Urban and Wagoner in American Education: A History, â€Å"advocates of this last approach sometimes emphasized biculturalism as well and bilingualism† (ibid.). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;These attempts were both supported and opposed by various parties. Those who defended incorporation of bilingual education into American schools included politicians and other Hispanic leaders, who were trying to prevent assimilation. Opposers included â€Å"teachers, Anglo politicians, and some Hispanic intellectuals†, who thought that it was important for the children to assimilate in to the society (ibid.). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Women’s rights activity also became popular in the 1960s, but did not have many large effects on the schools. Teachers did not want to be involved with the feminists, and so the activists also distanced themselves from the teachers. The hard work and determination of the feminists did though, bring about the passing of the Title IX of the Higher Education Act in 1972 (ibid., 320). This act instilled gender equality in institutions of higher education, and has played a monumental role in regulating fairness among the sexes in colleges and universities. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Title IXShow MoreRelatedThe 1960’s: Decade of Disillusionment992 Words   |  4 PagesThe 1960’s and early 1970’s were a time that eternally changed the culture and humanity of America. It was a time widely known for peace and love when in reality; many minorities were struggling to gain a modicum of equality and freedom. It was a time, in which a younger generation rebelled against the conventional norms, questioning power and government, and insisting on more freedoms for minorities. In addition, an enormous movement began rising in opposition to the Vietnam War. 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To focus on performance, each department and every employee have HR managers participate in developing strategies and ensure that human resource dimensions are considered. almost 18%Read MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pagesin 10/12 ITC Legacy Serif Book by Aptaracorp, Inc. and printed and bound by Courier/Kendallville. The cover was printed by Courier/Kendallville. This book is printed on acid free paper. Copyright  © 2010, 2007, 2005, 2002 John Wiley Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108Read MoreMedicare Policy Analysis447966 Words   |  1792 PagesDINGELL (for himself, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. STARK, Mr. PALLONE, and Mr. ANDREWS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, the Budget, Rules, Natural Resources, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within theRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesThe Art of M A: Merger/Acquisitions/Buyout Guide, Third Edition Reed−Lajoux and others . . . This book was printed on recycled paper. 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Sloboat Case Study Free Essays

Sloboat Case Study March 7, 2013 Capstone Seminar Sean McNamara, Matthew Sylvia, Michael Regghetio Analysis of Sloboat Case Study In this case we take on the role of Rick Craner, the financial accountant for Sloboat Shipping Inc. Rick is faced with compiling, organizing, and evaluating the company’s financial activity for the 2012 fiscal year. We are provided with several notes on Sloboat financial transactions, and we are tasked with sorting through these transactions to provide a suitable evaluation and presentation of Sloboat’s financial standings at the end of the 2012 fiscal year. We will write a custom essay sample on Sloboat Case Study or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is important to look at all of the transactions described in the case study before moving forward. The case study broke down these transactions into â€Å"financing† and â€Å"investing†. The following are transactions that occurred under â€Å"financing†: * 7% bonds payable issued on November 1, 2010 * Bonds pay interest semi-annually on May 1st and November 1st * Market interest rate on the date of issuance had been 8% * SSI decided to retire 50% of the 7% bonds on August 1, 2011 * Additional 30,000 common shares issued on June 14, 2011 * Common dividend of $0. 5 per common share on December 1, 2011 with date of record of December 5th and distribution on December 20th The following are transactions that occurred under â€Å"investing†: * SSI owned 250, 7. 5% bonds of â€Å"OnCap Financial†, purchased in late fiscal 2011, bonds paid interest on March 1st and September 1st and set to mature on March 1, 2014. On January 31, 2012, the market decrea sed to 5% and SSI sold all the outstanding bonds. * SSI owned 20,000 shares in Lowland Resources. On October 2, 2011 SSI received a 5% stock dividend. Each share was trading at $22. 62. On December 15, 2011 SSI decided to sell 60% of its holdings (12,000 stocks). SSI paid a $400 brokerage fee. On February 29, 2012, the remaining shares were trading at Statement of Financial Position| As at February 28, 2011| | | | | | ASSETS| | | | | Current Assets:| | | | | Cash| $| 12,736 | | Bond Investing Recievable| | 9,375 | | Trading Investment-Stocks| | 468,600 | | Trading Investments-Bonds| | 260,156 | | Inventory| | 47,987 |   | | | | | 798,854 | Property, Plant, and Equipment| | 742,108 |   | | | | | 742,108 | Total Assets| | | | 1,540,962 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Liablities Shareholder’s Equity| | | | Liabilities| | | | | Current liabilities:| | | | | Bond interest payable| $| 23,333 | | Dividends payable| | 11,250 |   | | | | | 34,583 | | | | | | Long-term liabilities:| | | | | 7% Bonds Payable(1,000 bonds; mautres 11/1/15)| | 961,694 |   | | | | | 961,694 | Total Liabilities| | | | 996,277 | | | | | | | | | | | Shareholders’ equity| | | | | $2. 25 cumlative, non-convertible preferred stock| | 37,500 | | 150,000 authorized; 5,000 outstanding| | | | Common stock| | 253,000 | | 500,000 authorized; 20,000 outstanding| | | | Stock dividend to be distributed| | 15,430 | | Retained earnings| | 238,755 |   | Total Shareholders’ equity| | | 544,685 | | | | | | Total liabilities and Shareholders’ equity | | | $1,540,962 | | | | | | Cash Reciepts and Disbursements| For Fiscal 2012| | | | | | Cash Reciepts| | | | | Common Shares| $| 610,500 | | Bond Investment| | 18,750 | | | | | | Trading investing – Bonds| | 272,331 | | Trading investing – Stocks| | 268,610 | | Total| | $| 1,170,191 | | | | | | | | | | | | Cash Disbursements| | | | | 7% Bonds Payable| $| 528,517 | | Bond interest| | 52,500 | | Dividends| | 30,150 | | Total| | $| 611,167 | | * $19. 45 (8,000 stocks). Statement of Financial Position| As at February 28, 2012| | | | | | ASSETS| | | | | Current Assets:| | | | | Cash| $| (468,111)| | Bond Investing Recievable| | 9,375 | | Trading Investment-Stocks| | 468,600 | | Trading Investments-Bonds| | 310,644 | | Inventory| | 47,987 |   | | | | | 368,495 | Property, Plant, and Equipment| | 742,108 |   | | | | | 742,108 | Total Assets| | | | 1,110,603 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Liablities Shareholder’s Equity| | | | Liabilities| | | | | Current liabilities:| | | | | Bond interest payable| $| 73,821 | | Dividends payable| | 11,250 |   | | | | | 85,071 | | | | | | Long-term liabilities:| | | | 7% Bonds Payable(1,000 bonds; mautres 11/1/15)| | 480,847 |   | | | | | 480,847 | Total Liabilities| | | | 565,918 | | | | | | | | | | | Shareholders’ equity| | | | $2. 25 cumlative, non-convertible preferred stock| | 37,500 | | 150,000 authorized; 5,000 outstanding| | | | Common stock| | 253,000 | | 500,000 authorized; 20,000 outstanding| | | | Stock dividend to be distributed| | 15,430 | | Retained earnings| | 238,755 |   | Total Shareholders’ equity| | | 544,685 | | | | | | Total liabilities and Shareholders’ equity | | | $1,110,603 | | | | | | Cash Reciepts and Disbursements| For Fiscal 2013| | | | | | Cash Reciepts| | | | | Common Shares| $| 610,500 | | Bond Investment| | 18,750 | | | | | Trading investing – Bonds| | 272,331 | | Trading investing – Stocks| | 268,610 | | Total| | $| 1,170,191 | | | | | | | | | | | | Cash Disbursements| | | | 7% Bonds Payable| $| 528,517 | | Bond interest| | 52,500 | | Dividends| | 30,150 | | Total| | $| 611,167 | | Bond Interest Payable $33659. 29 Bonds Payable $480847 Bond Interest Payable $16829. 50 Bond Interest Payable $33659. 29 Bonds Payable $480847 Bond Interest Payable $16829. 50 Trading Investments bonds $33659. 29 Cash $480847 Trading Investment Bond $16829. 50 Trading Investments bonds $33659. 29 Cash $480847 Trading Investment Bond $16829. 50 Debit Credit How to cite Sloboat Case Study, Free Case study samples

Concept and Application of Practical

Question: Discuss about the Concept and Application of Practical. Answer: Introduction: Trespass to persons means directly interfering with the liberty of an individual or intentional interference with a persons body without has been granted the permission or authority do so. This violation of the right of a person falls within the jurisdiction of the kings court and henceforth there are allegations that the trespass was indeed committed. Irrespective of whether there is truth in the matter in the facts the proprietary is supposed to be observed as having brought the action to the court for settlement of the dispute. Forms of trespass to a person generally are divided into three, these are: assault, battery and false imprisonment. However the wrong purported to have been committed must be in a direct means in such a way that the jury will be able to reach the judgment of the actions with ease and place penalties and sue for damages where necessary. The invaded interest of a particular person with prove and justification can serve as the basis upon which the court can sue the plaintiff on final judgment as there exists prove of justification. If the invasion was indirect in nature there could not be any liability to the protected interest because there was no ill intention. The principle of tort can be united together with the concept of assault and battery when discussing law of persons to base the idea that recovery of compensation for the suffering party. The third party may also be liable in the circumstances where delegation took place or administering of interest or estate of a deceased person. The term tort is a civil wrong which constitutes offences that have been committed and causes injury to another person. However the plaintiff is not the only one who is liable hence there is fair consideration where the defendant is seen to act unlawfully. The law of persons makes sure that recognition of the fact that both parties are subject to the jurisdiction under the court of law subsidiary civil law. The torts are actionable per se which means they can be applied without prove of action in order to protect the civil rights against violation. The most basic wrong such as using the finger print without consentient from the owner constitutes a tort actionable in order to protect the dignity of the person even though no physical damage that occurred. Trespass to a person is Assault Classification as torts, in these scenario criminal proceedings may be conducted against the offender to bring upon compensation for the affected party. An assault is a threat or an attempt to do harm to another person accompanied with intention to perform the malicious damage to another human. The act may demoralize the person either in the organization and working environment or a mere comment. The signs of the assault are messages formally and verbally to a person threatening the enjoyment of aright without any justifiable grounds. The assault is the action of defendant which causes apprehension which is reasonable of the infliction. Battery on the other hand occurs when there is contact with the other person in a physical form and hurting in a way those sensory nerves detects pain on the body. Holding hand upwards against another person in a threatening way that leads to even screams from the frightened person contributes to an assault. Heilman (2001) Description and prescription: How gender stereotypes prevent womens ascent up the organizational ladder. The assault comes before battery but in circumstances where there is unseen assailant the assault can identified in any dimension provided the verbal took place to the inflicted and apprehension can be justified henceforth. Telephone conversation to another with threats which are indiscipline in nature can be termed as an assault. Accomplishment of a battery cannot take place without physical contact taking place hence it will be only a mere assault until the defendant makes the move. Spitting on the face of another human being where the mucus heavily lands on him with a thud amounts to a battery. Holding another person by the collar and pulling him towards the opposing direction constitutes to battery and this especially occurs in many homesteads where the defendants takes it lightly and says that they only held the cloth without touching the body. In Thomas vs. Num (1985) the complainants were members of a union of mineworkers. In 1984 the commissioning branch head which controlled the miners and the entire union decided to go on strike and thus formed an industrial action. The plaintiff unlike the expectations of the leaders of the union did not take part in the strike since they resisted. They embar ked on their work while the rest were involved in the unrest. Battery The branch did not take it lightly and they abused and used violence to the plaintiff to an extent that made police to be involved. The plaintiff did not just keep quiet and they proceeded with placing injunctions against the branch, its officials and trustees. In this case picketing of the colliery gates was an actionable tort which amounts to a civil wrong. Intimidation of other people and blocking even the roads accessed by these miners was also present in complains that were brought forward. Obstruction and unlawful interference is another matter that was given the priority criminal offences act. However it was held that picketing did not amount to wrong since it was an offence under section seven. Picketing of the gates was not actionable because it caused no special damage since pickets were held back from the vehicles in a separate place entirely from the working miners. The plaintiff failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt and thus picketing could not be a point of discussion as long as the complainant used the same grounds hence they were not torturous. Mass picketing is common law nuisance hence the defendants are entitled to immunity from this offence. Lee (2007) Gender effects and investor reactions to the announcements of top executive appointments. The judge dismissed the plaintiff application since there were no any arguable cases to be used as a reference for implementation of the law of persons against the defendant. The plaintiff lost the case and he was not to commence any further legal hearing from the moment jury was reached as not guilty. Grandly (2007) said the framing of female executive profiles in Canadian business. The case of Amanda Lang made the news in Canada where the star was caught up in conflict of interest by the CBS. The scandal entailed working on behalf of the Royal bank of Canada in the year 2015, this action by Lang made other journalist furious and their intention to sue their partner was witnessed by their unfriendly actions. McNish (2011) Quiet revolution that Report on Business. Case scenario Kathy who was among the reporters who let the cat out of the bag about the story bravely spoke and portrayed the actions of the journalist were not in line with the accepted code of conduct. She argued that CBs had refused to answer the questions that she asked and also did not get any response from Lang and instead she continues to pursue her dream career despite the allegations that were raised against her. The issue if trust emancipated in this case because Amanda was not in a position to be entrusted property or exercise of other rights while in the company premises. The illusion of neutrality is the major cause of rotten journalism in Canada hence the politics interference by the nationalists perceives the idea in another dimension. Mc Elgunn (2009) Canadas entrepreneurs and the turbulencs faced in investments of the decade. The background research found out that the Central bank of Canada had been cruel back in the year 2013 hence any reporter who justified the situations and the liable party in present could sue for damages. Koller (2004) Businesswomen and war metaphors: Possessive, jealous and pugnacious. Amanda had received payment from the Royal bank of Canada amounting to $ 15000 in order to represent the bank at a conference in the event that was held to make the bank appear on top of other banking institutions. When interviewed by the chief executive of the bank she termed the story as unfair and discriminates against her enjoyment to the title of the journalist In Amanda Lang case the defendant is herself against the large media and the reporter Kathy Tomlinson is the complainant or rather the plaintiff. The reporter spots out that there is conflict of interest between the bank and Amanda and thus the law of persons is applied to sue for any verbal harm of words spoken at the conference. The cruel practice that the bank was undertaking in order to benefit in a selfish way was manipulation of power. Ebner (2011) Printing money and report on business is a lawful act by the bank officials. The employees of the bank were in a position to identify the fault practices but failed to raise their grievances to the media in fear of losing their jobs. The security of their job would be compromised if at all the workers attempted to speak ill about the operations of the bank. The plaintiff is the reporter who represents the voices of the minority in the society and the infliction of their rights. The reporter has the authority to raise concern as the institution is public and the regulations that are supposed to be complied with are not followed. Kingston (2005) the claims why women cant get ahead in the globe and mail. The defendant on the other hand has the defense in that she could say that she acted in good faith without any knowledge of the malicious act by the bank to exercise its monopoly power in a negative manner. She used the defense that only the required information that was spoken and hence she did not add her own message to the media. The court of law can allow her to place the blame on Royal bank of Canada where Amanda Lang can act safely and also sue the bank for trespass into her rights under the law of persons. The defamation of the content that she gave out at the convention could cause her imprisonment hence the bank is liable and sue for damages. Alice (2002) argues the role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders in Psychological Review. There is conflict with media by Leslie Roberts who resigned from the global television following the allegations that he owned part of the public relation firm. Global was in consent that Robert owned part of the company where it was a show. Gill (2007) said there is relationship between gender and the media. Journalist were not supposed to be entitle to any ownership of the named communication firms in which they intentionally promote those interests of the persons clients rather than the legitimate new stories. The accused person was the journalist by the name of Robert who engaged in conflict of interest. Global News was within its legal and also the professionalism rights and the upheld duties forced terminate Roberts from the show. He was entitled to zero influence over how stories were aired. Hewlett (2005) Off-ramps and on-ramps: Keeping talented women on the road to success. Kashif Khan, co-founder of the company and the managing director gave out the statement that demoted Robert from the position that he held in the company. The issue of public relations is on the rise where neither Mr. Khan nor Robert follows the professional code of conduct and th ethics that govern how the journalist should behave in such a scenario. Mr. Khan is not capable of suing Robert because the profession that he has been trained for is that of an auctioneer. The seller of diamonds as he is being referred by the writers in Canada lacks the core skills. Remedies He was also in the danger of being fired and removed by the vote of no confidence by the committee that constituted the watchdogs of the company and majority shareholders. The case is a difficult scenario since under the circumstances that the plaintiff was not qualified to sue Robert. Dias (2009) claims Good medicine in financial Post Magazine should be emphasized. There is fact that the managing director is also liable. Heldman (2009) Sexism in media coverage of vice presidential candidates and the Social Science. There is incompetency and misleading the company members and the shareholders that Robert was the right employee for the job can Place him in controversy and also be sued for damages and breach of the contract. The complainant is Khan the senior most manager of the company that owns the show. Johnston (2003) Undermining mothers content analysis of the representation of mothers in magazines. He takes the necessary step of firing the employee who has been engaging in malpra ctices. Linda (2002) Re-presenting women executives: Valorization and de revalorization in US. Conclusion The defendant is Robert who have committed the crime as under the law of persons he has used the words to refer to his own clients as potential and worthy instead of complying and working to the best interest of the company. He is thus liable for the loss incurred and thus the court can fine the person or issue judgment for imprisonment to serve a term not exceeding ten years. The role assigned to him was so sensitive because he acted as the marketer to the outsiders who were interested in carrying business with the company. DeCloet (2009) said that Robert Milton has a lot of baggage that report on Business. This amount to bleach of duty and deviating from the main responsibilities to suit own self. The court of law can also place a ruling that will affect Khan who knowingly conducted the activities of hiring the incompetent staff. McCullough (2010) The Gen-X CEO takes his leave in Canadian Busines. Given the fact that he was regarded as an auctioneer he has no authority to place blame on others where the company failed to reach the target. He is liable under the law of tort for the civil wrong of other members who trusted him of being capable to run the company affairs. References DeCloet, R. (2009). Robert Milton has a lot of baggage that report on Business. Times press: Canada, https://search.proquest.com/docview/194550888 [December 17, 2012]. Dias, D. (2009). Good medicine in financial Post Magazine. Augean press: Germany. Alice, H., Steven, J. (2002). Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders in Psychological Review. Hungarian press: Australia. Ebner, D. (2011). Printing money and report on business. Lite press: USA. https://search.proquest.com/docview/858415439 [December 17, 2012]. Gill, R. (2007). Gender and the media. Polity Press: United Kingdom. Grandy, Karen. (2011, June). The framing of female executive profiles in Canadian business magazines. Canadian press. New York. Heilman, E. (2001). Description and prescription: How gender stereotypes prevent womens ascent up the organizational ladder. Journal of Social Issues, 57, 657674. Heldman, C. (2009). Sexism in media coverage of vice presidential candidates and the Social Science Research Network. Cadbury press: Britain. https://ssrn.com/abstract=1459865 [March 13, 2013]. Hewlett, S., Luce, C. (2005). Off-ramps and on-ramps: Keeping talented women on the road to success. Journal; of Harvard Business Review, 83, 4354. Johnston, D., Swanson, H. (2003). Undermining mothers content analysis of the representation of mothers in magazines. Journal mass Communication and Society, 6(3), 243265. Kingston, A. (2005). Why women cant get ahead in the globe and mail. Canadian press: New York. Koller, V. (2004). Businesswomen and war metaphors: Possessive, jealous and pugnacious Journal of Sociolinguistics, 8(1), 322. Linda A. (2002). Re-presenting women executives: Valorization and de revalorization in US business press. Journal of Women in Management Review, 17(3/4), 104119. Lee, P., James, E. (2007). Gender effects and investor reactions to the announcements of top executive appointments. Strategic Management Journal, 28, 227241. McCullough, M. (2010). The Gen-X CEO takes his leave in Canadian Business, https://search.proquest.com/docview/89199084 [December 17, 2012]. McElgunn, J., Shiffman, K. (2009). Canadas entrepreneurs of the decade. American press:New York. https://search.proquest.com/docview/219297153 [December 17, 2012]. McNish, J. (2011). Quiet revolution that Report on Business. Austria press: Australia.

Solar Energy Installation Project Management

Introduction Establishment of renewable energy resources to curb global warming is receiving immense support from a majority of the governments (Atkinson 2001). Atkinson claims, â€Å"People have used non-renewable sources of energy like coal and petroleum for a long time† (2001, p. 45).Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Solar Energy Installation Project Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These sources have significantly contributed to the emission of greenhouse gases, prompting the nations to look for alternative sources of energy. The sun has proved to be the sole source of energy that does not contribute to environmental pollution. Moreover, the source of energy is inexhaustible and naturally acquired. What’s more, the cost of solar power continues to go down as many people appreciate its use in the society (Ghosh et al. 2002). It underlines the reason many institutions and households a re installing solar panels in their buildings. Project Overview Countries like India have also established â€Å"grid connected solar photovoltaic power systems as part of their action plan for climate change† (Goletsis, Psarras Samouilidis 2003, p.139). Many solar energy projects are in progress as countries respond to the call for environmental conservation. The sun is an excellent source of energy, but many people have not taken its advantage. The sun emits most of its energy in the form of heat and light, which can be harnessed and converted into other forms of energy for various uses (Haapasalo, Ingalsuo Lenkkeri 2006). Long ago, people used solar power to keep warm. They could use solar energy to start a fire and warm themselves. Later, some people came up with passive solar energy plans to keep their houses warm. They built their houses in such a way that the floors and walls could absorb heat energy from the sun and emit it during the night. With time, people learnt that the sun could act as an essential source of energy. In 1839, scientists discovered photovoltaic, which was a breakthrough in the history of humankind. According to Haralambopoulos and Polatidis, photovoltaic (solar) cells are â€Å"large-area semiconductors that convert sunlight directly into electricity† (2003, p. 967). Photovoltaics can be used in numerous gadgets, which include satellites, watches, telecommunication devices and in calculators. Photovoltaics are not widely used because they are very expensive. However, the reduction in cost of energy power should make photovoltaics affordable.  Changes in global fuel cost have led to many organisations losing a lot of money.Advertising Looking for proposal on project management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Adoption of solar energy would go a long way towards saving the countries and companies from costs attributed to the energy crisis. The fact that solar energy is inexhaustible makes it the most reliable source of energy for business and nations at large (Kendrick 2009). It is alleged that the available oil reserves will only sustain the world for at most 40 years. It implies that countries will have to look for alternative sources of energy before the oil reserves get exhausted. Solar power is inexhaustible, which makes it the next source of energy that countries are likely to adopt.  The objective of solar energy installation project is to ensure that households get the most required light and heat energy. It is hard to run domestic chores without light and heat energy in the houses. Consequently, installing solar panels would go a long way to facilitate domestic duties. The project aims to equip 1000 households with solar panels by the end of six months. The installation will be the first phase of the project. Another objective of the project is to integrate families into the global campaign on environmental conservation. Homes , contribute to environmental pollution through the use of nonrenewable sources of energy like coal and petroleum. Installing solar power would lower the rate of environmental pollution linked to households. This project covers 3000 houses from the outskirts of London. Majority of the families outside the city of London rely on electric energy supplied by the government. The project intends to equip all the households with solar power by the end of one and a half years. The project will not involve non-governmental organisations and public facilities that might be found in the region that the project covers. It will strictly focus on domestic households.  One of the project’s deliverables is the establishment of proper procedures to facilitate installation of the solar panels. The other deliverable is the installation of solar power system in two households to demonstrate the realism of the project in outskirts of London. The project desires to encourage the society to embr ace solar energy as the only source of energy that is sustainable and does not contribute to environmental pollution. Work breakdown structure Kerzner alleges, â€Å"Success of project management depends, to a significant extent, on the manager’s ability to effectively specify the work contents of the project in terms of its activities and deliverables† (2009, p. 113). One of the instruments of planning and managing the activities of a project is work breakdown structure (WBS).Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Solar Energy Installation Project Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Kerzner alleges, â€Å"The work breakdown structure identifies and groups the project elements in a way that defines the overall range of the project† (2004, p. 75). Every lower level of the structure stands for a progressively more detailed definition of a project component (Kerzner 2004). The constituents may be in form of goods or services. In other words, the work breakdown structure is â€Å"a hierarchical representation of the work contents, whereby the project is divided into progressively smaller elements. The elements found at the lowest level of the hierarchy are known as work packages† (Rogers et al. 2008, p. 4219). The success of the project lies in the ability of the project manager to accurately identify, organise and run each work package. The entire work requires being broken down into a number of successive activities that work coherently to achieve the overall goals of the project (Solangi et al. 2011). The figure below represents the high-level planning workflow of solar energy system installation. Assessment report will involve analysing and reporting on the energy system that the homes are currently using to identify its merits and demerits. The report will give a detailed account of how the existing power system contributes to environmental pollution as w ell as it inefficiency (Cleland 2002). The compilation of assessment report will run concurrently with a pilot project aimed at determining feasibility of the intended project. The pilot project will help the managers to determine if the project will work. Besides, it will help the managers to understand how the society will respond to the project. The success of any project depends on how it is received by the target population. Prior to rolling out the project, it is imperative to conduct a pilot project to understand its reception.  The assessment report will help the project managers to have clear information about the project. It will assist them to evaluate and compare the cost of the project to its benefits.Advertising Looking for proposal on project management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Besides, the report will give a clear regional input-output analysis, which is vital for the managers to know if the project will be of significant benefit to the society. The solar installation project is not only intended to help the community to cut down on environmental pollution, but it is also designed to help the nation to reduce its energy cost. Consequently, one of the work packages of the project will be to identify the existing energy service company (ESCO) billing structures and come up with a database for the same. The database will be crucial when determining the energy billing structure to adopt.  Another task that the installation project will cover will be carrying out an audit of the energy saving opportunities. One way of reducing energy cost is reducing the rate of energy consumption. Besides, it is imperative to lower the rate of energy consumption for solar energy to be enough. The audit will help the managers to identify possible ways of maximising the usage of solar energy. Besides, they will identify the available options of solar power projects and settle for the most efficient. Work breakdown dictionary ID Task name Description Duration Start Finish 1.0 Assessment report The report gives an account of the available energy system and its costs. It documents how the existing power system contributes to environmental pollution. 20 days Jan 10 ‘15 Jan 30 ‘15 1.1 Costs/Benefits analysis A cost/benefits analysis will be run to compare the existing and intended energy systems. The analysis will identify the current ESCO billing structure, possible alternative billing structures and establish a database for the same 20 days Feb 2 ‘15 Feb 22 ‘15 1.2 Identify energy saving opportunities A field study will be conducted to determine how the households utilise energy and come up with measures to save energy. On-site energy assessment will be done, and an energy review carried out. 20 days Feb 25 ‘15 Mar 17 ‘15 2.0 Pilot solar energy project Managers will run a pilot project to determine the feasibility of the project. The pilot project will help to determine if the community will embrace the intended project. 28 days Mar 20 ‘15 Apr 17 ‘15 2.1 Project design and implementation After the pilot project, managers will sit down with other employees to develop the overall solar installation project based on the findings of the pilot project. The end of the project plan will mark the onset of project implementation and monitoring 90 days Apr 20 ‘15 July 7 ‘15 Determining package size This project will use â€Å"hammock† activities to ascertain the degree of the lowest package. Many people believe that each work package ought to last for about 80 hours and not more than a month. It cannot happen in this project since it would lead to the establishment of millions of work packages. Therefore, the â€Å"hammock† activity will be used to break the task into smaller packages by splitting the total work into distinct and coherent sub-elements. Activity schedule The success of any project depends on the ability to organise and sequence activities in an orderly manner (White Fortune 2002). Project managers ought to identify the activities that are interdependent and sequence them accordingly. Besides, they need to determine the independent activities and schedule them in a way that they run concurrently to save on time. For decades, countries have incurred enormous economic loss due to the energy crisis (Huraib, Hasnain Alawaji 2007). The project will entail a number of activities, which will be implemented in a sequence to guarantee the success of the project. These activities will include compilation of assessment report to understand the degree of energy requirement. Additionally, the project managers will evaluate the costs and benefits of solar energy and analyse the existing ESCO billing structures. The project will b e preceded by a pilot project aimed at ascertaining the feasibility of the project. The following is the work plan for the project: S. No Position in WBS Activity Depending on Duration 1 1.0 Assessment report – 20 days 2 1.1 Costs/Benefits of current vs. previous energy – 6 days 3 1.1.0 Economic input/output RIO scrutiny 2 2 days 4 1.1.1 Analyse present ESCO billing – 5 days 5 1.1.2 Identify substitute ESCO’s billing 4 4 days 6 1.1.2.1 Establish a database of substitute 5 3 days 7 1.2 Identify possible energy saving opportunities – 7 days 8 1.2.1 Energy audit evaluation 7 3 days 9 1.2.2 Collect data – 4 days 10 1.2.3 Analyse data 9 3 days 11 1.2.2.0 On-site assessment 9 1 day 12 1.2.2.1 Energy review study 11 2days 13 2.0 Run pilot project 12 14 days 14 2.1 Project design 13 10 days 15 2.2 ID feasible solar energy project options 14 4 days 16 2.3 Implementation 15 3 months Project network It is imperat ive to identify the dependencies and to sequence them correctly in a network so as to come up with a project network (Andersen, Cook Marceau 2004). Dependencies are activities that depend on others and cannot be executed before the independent activities (Wustenhagen et al. 2007). The above schedule shows some of the dependence activities in this project. The importance of establishing the project network is to show the order in which the various activities will be executed. Besides, the system helps to identify the critical path, which shows the principal activities. Critical path facilitates in work prioritization to ensure that the project is completed on time. The network technique helps the project manager to identify where to start the project, the order of activities and where to end the project. Besides, the method helps the project manager to identify the relevant activities and trail their execution (Burke 1999). On the other hand, Gantt diagram helps the project manager to identify the various activities of the project. However, Gantt diagram does not allow the manager to determine the critical path. Instead, the manager ends up executing all the outlined activities without understanding their interdependence. For the Gantt technique, the project may take a long duration since it is hard to identify the critical path and the most important activities. The project will use optimization technique to allocate time to the various activities. It will guarantee that critical activities get adequate time. Additionally, it will ensure that managers do not take a lot of time on trivial activities. Resource estimation One of the benefits of breaking the work into smaller packages is that â€Å"it provides accurate cost control if and only if the line managers can determine the costs at this level of detail† (De Wit 2004, p. 167). The managers will use the Ratio Method to estimate the total cost of the project. The ratio method is a top-down approach, which is conducted through estimation (Vine 2005). The managers will do a rough estimate of the requisite resources based on what the project will require for its completion. Ratio Method technique does not require the elements of work breakdown structure. Nevertheless, the elements will help the project managers to understand the required resources based on workflow. For the activities that require an enormous amount of money and time, the project managers will do the estimations based on the available data from previous projects. It will be difficult for the managers to come up with a correct estimate of the cost of the entire project. However, the estimation process will be conducted in a way that takes into account the changes that might arise during project realization. Hence, financial estimates for each activity will be raised a bit to cater for any unforeseen changes.  A number of resources will be required to complete the project. They include both material and human res ources. In the case of human resource, the project will need experts in solar panel installation. The experts will be assigned the duty to install and manage the solar panels once the project managers learn that the project is feasible, and it receives support of the community. On the other hand, the project will require research and data analysts who will be responsible for researching on the existing solar energy installation projects. They will identify and analyse the challenges that the projects face, how the challenges are overcome and project feasibility. In the case of material resources, the project will require numerous resources, which range from solar panels, inverters, batteries and photovoltaic diodes. These resources are essential for the project to be complete. Below is a summary of the costs associated with the project. Resources Estimated cost ($) Human Resources $120,0000 Solar panels $40,000 Inverters $25,000 batteries $75,000 Photovoltaic diodes $15 ,000 Miscellaneous expenses $20,000 Total $295,000 Financial Manager will be responsible for controlling the cash flow during the timescale of the work package. The manager will liaise with procurement staff to purchase all the necessary materials. It is important that cash flow is managed from a central location to minimise wastage. Therefore, the finance manager will account for the money spent throughout the project. Risk assessment and conclusion The project faces a number of constraints, one of which is financial challenges. The cost of installing the solar power system is high. Besides, the amount of energy generated by the system is less relative to the energy produced by the non-renewable sources. Solar power relies on the sun. Hence, it would be hard for the families to use the energy, especially during winter seasons (Kern Howlett 2009). The families will be advised to cut down on their rate of energy consumption to curb these challenges.  Solar energy installati on projects are susceptible to a number of risks. The risks include financial risk, operational risk, technological risk, climate and the weather risk and construction risk. Financial risk may arise due to insufficient capital (Bing et al. 1999). On the other hand, operational risk may occur in the form of project closure due to scarcity of resources or component failure. Technological risk may arise as a result of the equipments not producing the expected amount of electric energy. Changes in the weather condition may also affect the project. Risk assessment matrix Risk identified Management Reactions Probability Cause of the risk Manageable Solution There might be insufficient financial resources Gathering adequate financial resources Low Poor planning Soliciting for funding from financial institutions The project may come to a halt due to inadequate resources Not starting the project before all resources are mobilised Very low Poor planning Mobilising resources before laun ching the project The equipments may not produce the required amount of energy Not purchasing equipments before they are tested Low Technical problem Purchasing electrical gadgets from authorised dealers There may be alterations in electricity generation Ensuring that solar panels are clean, and no snow covers them Low Natural cause Cleaning the solar panels regularly Conclusion The accomplishment of the solar energy installation project will depend on accurate identification of the work packages and proper allocation of human and financial resources. The work breakdown structure has been provided to help the project manager to identify all the activities that the project involves. Besides, a project network has been prepared to assist the project manager to prioritise the different activities. The project is vulnerable to numerous risks. However, if the management team conducts thorough preparation prior to starting the project, it will avert all the potential hazards. The o verall cost of the project stand at $295,000. To ensure that the project is completed on time, the management team should make sure that it has mobilized the necessary resources, and it has evaluated all the potential risks. Reference List Andersen, P, Cook, N Marceau, J 2004, ‘Dynamic innovation strategies and stable networks in the construction industry: Implanting solar energy projects in the Sydney Olympic Village’, Journal of Business Research, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 351-360. Atkinson, R 2001, ‘Project management: cost, time and quality, two best guesses and a phenomenon, its time to accept other success criteria’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 337-342. Bing, L, Tiong, R, Fan, W Chew, D 1999, ‘Risk Management in International Construction Joint Ventures’, Journal of Construction Engineering Management, vol. 125, no. 4, pp. 277–284. Burke, R 1999, Project Management: Planning and Control Techniques, John Wiley Sons, Chichester. Cleland, D , 2002, Project Management: Strategic Design and Implementations, McGraw-Hill, London. De Wit, A 2004, ‘Measurement of project success’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 164-170. Ghosh, D, Shukla, P, Garg, A Ramana, P 2002, ‘Renewable energy technologies for Indian power sector: mitigation potential and operational strategies’, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 481-512. Goletsis, Y, Psarras, J Samouilidis, J 2003, ‘Project ranking in the American energy sector using a multicriteria method for groups’, Annals of Operations Research, vol. 120, no. 4, pp. 135-157. Haapasalo, H, Ingalsuo, K Lenkkeri, T 2006, ‘Linking strategy into operational management: A survey of BSC implementation in Finnish energy sector’, Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 701 – 717. Haralambopoulos, D Polatidis, H 2003, ‘Re newable energy projects: Structuring a multi-criteria group decision-making framework’, Renewable Energy, vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 961-973. Huraib, F, Hasnain, S Alawaji, S 2007, ‘Lessons learned from solar energy projects in Saudi Arabia’, Renewable Energy, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 1144-1147. Kendrick, T 2009, Identifying and Managing Projects Risk: Essential Tools for Failure-Proofing Your Project, John Wiley Sons, London. Kern, F Howlett, M 2009, ‘Implementing transition management as policy reforms: a case study of the Dutch energy sector’, Policy Sciences, vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 391-408. Kerzner, H 2009, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, John Wiley Sons, London. Kerzner, H 2004, Advanced Project Management: Best Practices on Implementation, John Wiley Sons, New Jersey. Rogers, J, Simmons, E, Convery, I Weatherall, A 2008, ‘Public perception of opportunities for community-based renewable energy project s’, Energy Policy, vol. 36, no. 11, pp. 4217-4226. Solangi, K, Islam, M, Saidur, R, Rahim, N Fayaz, H 2011, ‘A review on global solar energy policy’, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol.15, no. 4, pp. 2149-2163. Vine, E 2005, ‘An international survey of the energy service company (ESCO) industry’, Energy Policy, vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 691-704. White, D Fortune, J 2002, ‘Current practice in project management- an empirical study’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 1-11. Wustenhagen, R, Wolsink, M Burer, M 2007, ‘Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation: an introduction to the concept’, Energy Policy, vol. 35, no. 5, pp. 2683-2691. This proposal on Solar Energy Installation Project Management was written and submitted by user Qu1nt1n to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Automobile Industry in India Essay Essays

Automobile Industry in India Essay Essays Automobile Industry in India Essay Essay Automobile Industry in India Essay Essay Chennai histories for 60 % of the country’s automotive exports. In melody with international criterions to cut down vehicular pollution. the cardinal authorities unveiled the criterions titled ‘India 2000’ in 2000 with later upgraded guidelines as ‘Bharat Stage’ . These criterions are rather similar to the more rigorous European criterions and have been traditionally implemented in a phased mode. with the latest upgrade acquiring implemented in 13 metropoliss and subsequently. in the remainder of the state. The Automotive Industry has flourished in Pune Region in Maharashtra. What were the particular conditions were at that place for this development. Still Indian autos are non considered as a category in itself compared to European autos. India’s strong technology base and expertness in the fabrication of low-cost. fuel-efficient autos has resulted in the enlargement of fabricating installations of several car companies like Hyundai. Nissan. Toyota. Volkswagen and Maruti Suzuki In recent old ages. India has emerged as a taking centre for the industry of little autos. Indian trade names: AMW ( Asiatic motor works- Commersial vehicles ) . Eicher Motors ( tractors. Buss. constituents ) . Force ( Bajaj Tempo ) . Hindustan motors ( Birla. Ambassador auto. Joint venture with Mitsubishi ) . Premier ( Padmini. Moved from Mumbai to Pune ) . Tata. Mahindra. BharatBenz. Per capita incursion at around nine autos per 1000 people is among the lowest in the universe. While the industry is extremely capital intensifier in nature in instance of four-wheelers. capital strength is a batch less for two-wheelers. Though three-wheelers and tractors have low barriers to entry in footings of engineering. four Wheelers is engineering intensive. Costss involved in branding. distribution web and spare parts handiness addition entry barriers. With the Indian market traveling towards following with planetary criterions. capital outgo will lift to take into history future safety ordinances. Car big leagues increase profitableness by selling more units. As figure of units sold additions. mean cost of selling an incremental unit comes down. This is because the industry has a high fixed cost constituent. This is the cardinal ground why operating efficiency through increased localisation of constituents and maximising end product per employee is of significance. Maruti Suzuki. which is the market leader in PVs. had to cover with labour work stoppages at its works at Manesar as a consequence of which production was badly hit. As gasoline monetary values firmed up. the derived function between gasoline and Diesel widened. Therefore. there was a rush in demand for diesel autos. Most companies faced force per unit area at the operating degree as borders declined due to lift in input costs. Steep depreciation of the rupee besides took its toll. Tractors: While good monsoon is a positive for the sector. given the fact that non-farm incomes have continued to mount up. volumes should still keep up good in the longer run despite a twelvemonth or two of hapless monsoons. denationalization of choice province conveyance projects bodes good for the coach section.

Woody allen's films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Woody allen's films - Essay Example aracters’ problems too easily and therefore, his humor serves a detrimental purpose in draining away the potential value that his films could represent. This is opposed to the view of Nangy Pogel who affectionately refers to Allen as the â€Å"little man† and views his humor as a cartoonic representation of the Director. Girgus sees a more serious purpose behind Allen’s view and is of the view that it serves to deepen the intricacy of the narrative rather than detract from it. In his criticism of Allen’s films, Carney therefore differs from these other two authors in that he views the humor in Allen’s films as an element that detracts from the real value that his films could have. Carney is critical of Woody Allen’s use of humor in the context of the real problems that the characters in his films may face. He points to the example of Hannah’s drug problem in the film Hannah and her sisters. Holly has a serious problem of drug addiction, yet it is never presented as such in the film, although the problem is mentioned in almost every scene in which the character of Hannah appears. Her muddled state and her pleas for money while in a drug induced state are presented in an endearing rather than a frightening manner. She is openly shown taking drugs in only one scene, when she goes on a date with Mickey (played by Allen). Yet the scene that ensues after she takes drugs is full of gaffes and jokes and it ends up with Hannah being cured of her drug problem. This is another aspect that Carney is critical of – the manner in which serious problems are often revealed only at the end and then miraculously cured through the use of humor. In the film Annie Hall, when Annie is almost being induced to try drugs, the character of Alvy tries the drug and sneezes the powder all over the room, thereby dispelling the frightening moment when Annie could have slipped into that dangerous state in a puff of powder humor, and the problem ends right there and the time bomb is

The Theme of Emancipation in A Doll's House & Girl by Jamaica Kincaid Essay

The Theme of Emancipation in A Doll's House & Girl by Jamaica Kincaid - Essay Example Both arms of the scale are equally important to strike the correct balance. Imbalance leads to many problems. Ibsen in â€Å"A Doll’s House† develops a powerful theme—that of emancipation of a woman. What can a doll do? It will be controlled by the string to which it is attached. It has no free movements of its own. That is the type of married life Nora and Torvald live. Nora’s submissiveness to him is seen in every aspect of her life; she is indeed the doll with human physical equipment (body) Forget the movements, even her thoughts are controlled by Torvald. A puppet has no existence of its own, and is totally dependent in its master as to what he will do with her. When Nora learns tarantella, the absolute controlling aspect becomes obvious. Out of sheer submission (and perhaps hidden fear in the mind) Nora pretends that she heeds him to relearn the dance and its each move. Torvald treats Nora like a sex object to be enjoyed at will. He takes her sexual submission for granted and as a matter of right for the husband. After he completes the session of teaching her tarantella dance, Torvald with the urge that reveals his craving for her body says, when she was gyrating, his blood was pounding and obviously he had strong urge for sex. He was constantly observing her physical assets and didn’t care much about her emotions. Nora was in no mood to respond and asked him to go away. Torvald reminded her that he was her husband. This adamancy on the part of Torvald indicates that as a husband he has the right to demand physical pleasure from his wife, at will! Torvald has poor opinion about Nora; he treats her like a child or a slave. She doesn’t have the freedom to spend the money which Torvald gives her on rare occasions. The following conversation reveals the essential gap in their mindset, when Torvald asks her whether she wants anything from him. Henrik Ibsen (2005, p.13) writes, â€Å"Nora :( speaking quickly) You might give me some money, Torvald. Only just as much as you can afford; and then one of these days, I will buy something with it. Torvald: But, Nora†¦. Nora: Oh, do! Dear Torvald; please do! Then I will wrap it up in beautiful gilt paper and hang it on the Christmas Tree. Won’t that be fun?†Torvald thinks that she would spend the money on children goods like candy and pastry. She has a fixed duty schedule of caring for the children, remain engaged in routine household work, and work on her needlepoint. She performs all her assigned duties, the main objective of which is to please Torvald. The issues raised in A Doll’s House by Ibsen, concern not a solitary case of Nora vs. Torvald, but the entire womenfolk of the Victorian Society. There were restrictions around women in every facet of their life. A Doll’s House is not the story of a House, but how the House assumes the form of the prison for the women. They have no freedom of free thinking and their mind is fettered. Nora was treated like a child by her father as well--that was the structure of the society as for the treatment for women! Her husband later dutifully took over the role of dominance. At every stage of life the growth of the women was curtailed. In many societies and in many households, the position of women, even today is comparable to the status of Nora. Even in some advanced countries, her position is equal as per the provisions of the Constitution only—the society still treats her as unequal with antiquated social views regarding women. It is a case of double fault. Women are inclined to use their feminine charm to secure what they want from men and remain satisfied at that level. This is the mindset that one sees in A Doll’s House. Men like Torvald are concerned about the controlling aspect and exercise

Safety management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Safety management - Assignment Example Directing is a function of management that involves leadership. The people chosen to perform particular tasks need supervision and direction on how to perform their duties. The management of an organization does this supervision and leadership through directing. It involves more than merely giving directions to one’s juniors on what to do. The directing duty also involves motivating one’s team members to perform optimum towards achieving the set goals and objectives. Staffing, on the other hand involves assessing and evaluating of suitable individuals to take over positions in an organization, and placing them in the positions they most qualify to serve. The management determines the requirements of the job, makes advertisements on the available vacancies and takes the responsibility to hire the best candidate. This is usually after interviews. Thereafter, the management does orientation of the new staff member, trains him and places him. It also involves checking the progress of the new employee as far as performance of his duties is concerned. Controlling involves determining whether or not the resources available for operations of a company are used effectively. It has a close link with planning since it entails checking if the allocated resources have been utilized properly. Tools such as auditing could be employed to control the use of resources in an organization. 2) Safety incentive programs are essential in ensuring organizations are lured into practicing safe methods of production. This is essentially important in the manufacturing industry that produces a lot of wastes in form of gases and solid debris. Incentives that promote the use of methods that reduce production of poisonous gases are necessary to reduce illnesses and environmental degradation. Although the overall burden is borne by the tax payers who have to pay more to cover for the incentives, the

Doctrine of Separation of Power Analysis

Doctrine of Separation of Power Analysis Introduction The doctrine of separation of powers is not a legal principle, but a political theory.[1] The separation of powers concerns the division of State power as between the executive, the legislature and judiciary.[2] Article 16 of the French Declaration of the Rights of man (1789) states, that ‘’a society where rights are not secured or the separation of powers established has no constitution’’.[3] The most important aspect of the separation of powers is the way in which the organs of State act to restrain each other and prevent the other institutions from exceeding their powers. There is a general belief that in all societies that there is a natural tendency for an individual to monopolise power. The doctrine of separation of powers attempts to combat this by providing mechanisms to make it difficult for any single power group to dominate and to ensure that government action requires the cooperation of different groups, each of which helps to keep the others within bounds.[4] One of the functions of government is to protect the rights of individuals, however, historically; governments have been the major violators of these rights that they are meant to protect. The concept of separation of powers is one of a number of measures that have been derived to reduce the likelihood of abuse of power by the government and the violation of individual rights.[5] If power is concentrated in a single group, they would have unlimited power and they would do as it pleases them. The French writer Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron Montesquieu is the person, most often associated with the doctrine of separation of power. Writing in 1748, the French jurist, Montesquieu argued that, there can be no liberty and there would be no end of everything if the legislative, executive and judicial powers of government were to be exercised by the same person or authority.[6] The English political philosopher, John Locke had earlier expressed similar sentiments and he wrote in 1690, ‘’it may be too great a temptation to human frailty†¦for the same person to have the power of making laws, to have also in their hands the power to execute them, whereby they may exempt themselves from the obedience to the laws they make, and suit the law both in its making and execution, to their own private advantage.[7] The scope of the doctrine of separation of power is not caste in iron. The doctrine has generated a lot of debate and is capable of different interpretations. Statements about the existence and importance of separation of powers in the United Kingdom should be treated with caution.[8] This essay will look at the doctrine of separation of power and if the doctrine operates in a satisfactory fashion in the United Kingdom today. I will first look at the origin of the doctrine of separation of powers. I will then look at doctrine of separation of powers in the U.K Origin of separation of powers. The doctrine of separation of powers includes a proposition about the functions of government, and discussions of the forms and functions of government may be traced back to ancient Greece.[9] John Locke recommended that the legislative and executive functions should be placed in separate hand, for the sake of efficiency as well as for the protection of liberty. His classification of functions was in to legislative the executive, and the federative.[10] Collin Munro, professor of constitutional law at University of Edinburgh wrote that , ‘’another related term, which has as long a history in political thought, is the problem of ensuring that the exercise of governmental power, if it is necessary for the promotion of a society’s values, may nonetheless be subject to limits so that it does not itself destroy those values. That is the principle of constitutionalism, which became central to western democratic tradition government’’.[11] Another theory, which was first, developed in ancient Greece and Rome was the theory of mixed governments, which proposed that the major interests in society must be allowed to participate jointly in government, so preventing any one interest from being able to dominate entirely. The doctrine, just like the doctrine of separation of powers was aimed at avoiding absolutism by preventing a monopoly of power.[12] Viscount Bolingbroke presented a clear delineation of the functions of the different arms of government. He wrote, ‘’A king of Great Britain is that supreme magistrate, who has a negative voice in the legislature. He is entrusted with the executive, and several other powers and privileges, which we call prerogative, are annexed to this trust. The two houses of parliament have their rights and privileges, some of which are common to both, others particular to each other†¦the supreme judicature resides in the Lords. The Commons are the grand inquest of the nation; and to them it belongs to judge of national expenses, and to give supplies accordingly’’. [13] Bolingbroke, had the vision to see that, ‘’in a constitution like ours, the safety of the whole depends on the balance of the parts’’.[14] In Bolingbrook’s writings, he proposed that that no arm of government should have monopoly of power, that was the only way, the rights, and liberty of individuals could be protected. Montesquieu took on the constitution that Bolingbroke described as his model and explicitly restated the doctrine of separation of powers. The Separation of Powers in the UK The separation of powers has been endorsed by contemporary UK judges, e.g. Lord Templeman in M v. Home Office (1993) 3 ALL ER 537.[15] Lord Diplock in a case concerning an industrial dispute stated, ‘’At a time when more and more cases involve the application of legislation which gives effect to polices that are the subject of bitter public and parliamentary controversy, it cannot be too strongly emphasised that the British constitution, though largely unwritten, is firmly based on the separation of power: parliament makes the laws, the judiciary interpret them’’.[16] Sir John Donaldson MR once remarked, ‘’Although the United Kingdom has no written constitution, it is †¦one of the highest importance that the legislature and the judicature are separate and independent of one another, subject to certain ultimate rights of Parliament over the judicature which are immaterial present purposes. It therefore behoves the courts to be ever sensitive to the paramount need to refrain from trespassing on the province of Parliament†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢.[17] Shortly afterwards, Lord Scarman referred to the doctrine in Re: Nottinghamshire, in explaining why the courts should be slow to intervene over the exercise of an executive power which had been subject to the specific approval of the House of Commons.[18] More recently in the case of M v Home-Office, Lord Templeman remarked that , Parliament makes the law, the executive carry the law in to effect and the judiciary enforce the law’’.[19] Other judges have recognised it as applying at least between the legislature and the judiciary, e.g. Lords Nicholas and Hope in Wilson v First County Trust (2003) 4 All ER 97.[20] A strict separation of powers in the United Kingdom is impossible, because in strict constitutional theory the three functions of government are derived from the Crown.[21] The Crown has always been an element in the exercise of all three kinds of powers, namely the executive, legislature and judiciary.[22] There is not, and never has been, a strict separation of powers in the English constitution in the sense that the legislative, executive and judicial powers are assigned respectively to different organs, nor have checks and balances between them been devised as a result of theoretical analysis.[23] There is clear overlap between the three organs of government in the United Kingdom both in terms of personnel and between functions. The principal overlaps in personnel are that the majority of government ministers will be members of the House of Commons, while other ministers will have seat in the House of Lords. The Lord Chancellor presided over the House of Lords prior to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 in its legislative capacity. He was also the head of the judiciary and a cabinet minister. However, by virtue of Part 2 of the Act, the Lord Chancellor ceases to be a member of the judiciary and loses the judicial functions traditionally associated with the office. Future Lord Chancellors may be drawn from either the House of Lords or the House of Commons.[24] The principal overlap in functions are that government ministers direct the activities of central government departments and, as it has been alleged, through their majority in the House of Commons exert a controlling influence over its timetable, business and legislative output.[25] The Law Lords exercise both judicial and legislative functions, although this dual rate will end when the Supreme Court is established. The Lord Chancellor will continue to be involved in the process of judicial appointment, notwithstanding that his judicial functions were removed by the 2005 Act.[26] The Home Secretary exercises the prerogative of mercy, and the Attorney General may enter a nolle prosequi to a prosecution on indictment.[27] In R. v Home Secretary ex. p Fire Brigades Union[28], Lord Mustill referred to the ‘peculiarly British conception of the separation of powers that Parliament, the executive and the courts each have their distinct and largely exclusive domain.’[29] Most writers on constitutional law unanimously agree that separation of powers is not a feature of the British Constitution. W.A Robson, likened Montesquieu’s doctrine to ‘a rickety chariot’ and claimed that, ‘’ †¦the division of powers enunciated in this theory, and their allocation to separate branches of the government has at no period of history borne a close relation to the actual grouping of authority under the system of government obtaining in England’’.[30] In Halsbury’s Laws of England, Sir William Holdsworth denied that the doctrine of separation of powers had ever ‘to any great extent corresponded with the facts of England’.[31] S.A de Smith equa lly towed the line of other writers, arguing that the doctrine has no place in the British constitution. In his textbook on Constitutional and Administration law, he wrote, ‘’No writer of repute would claim that it is a central feature of the modern British constitution’’.[32] The doctrine of separation of power is susceptible to a variety of meanings. There appears to be a consensus amongst academics that , the doctrine is not a central feature of British constitution and that a strict separation of powers is impossible in the United Kingdom, however some leading judges seem to have an opposite view. What the judges seem to have in mind is a version of the doctrine, which would require that the persons who exercise one kind of governmental function should not also exercise another.[33] Conclusion There is no absolute separation of powers in the United Kingdom. The Crown has always been a part in the exercise of all three kinds of powers, namely the executive, legislature and judiciary. There has never has been, a strict separation of powers in the English constitution in the sense that the legislative, executive and judicial powers are assigned respectively to different organs. There is clear overlap between the three organs of government in the United Kingdom both in terms of personnel and their functions. There are substantial and not merely trivial links between the legislature and the executive, however, this does not mean that the separation of powers doctrine has been without effect.[34] The doctrine of separation of powers, no doubt has shaped our constitutional arrangements and thinking, and continues to do so.[35] The doctrine is not absolute in the United Kingdom; nevertheless, it should not be dismissed lightly. Bibliography Alder, J (2005) Constitutional and Administrative Law, 5th Edition, Palgrave Macmillan, London Barnett, H (2006) Constitutional and Administrative Law, 6th Edition, Routledge-Cavendish, Oxon Bradley, A.W Ewing, K.D (2007) Constitutional and Administrative Law, 14th Edition, Pearson, Harlow. Carroll, A (2007) Constitutional and Administrative Law, 4th Edition, Pearson, Harlow Marston, J Ward, R (1997) Cases Commentary on Constitutional and Administrative Law, 4h Edition, Pitman, London Munro, C.R (2005) Studies in Constitutional Law, 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford Parpworth, N (2006) Constitutional and Administrative Law, 4th Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford Phillips, O.H Jackson (2001) Constitutional and Administrative Law, 8th Edition, Sweet Maxwell, London Pollard, D, Parpworth N, Hughes, D (2001) Constitutional and Administrative Law, 3rd Edition, Butterworths, London Thompson, B (1997) Constitutional and Administrative Law, 3rd Edition, Blackstone, London. 1 Footnotes [1] Munro, C. R (2005) p.295 [2] Martson, J Ward, R (1997) p.219 [3] Alder, J (2005)p.145 [4] Alder, J (2005)p.145 [5] Landauer, J Rowlands, J (2001) [6] L’Espirit des Lois, 1748 citied in Carroll (2007) p.37 [7] Second Treatise of Civil Government, 1690, citied in Carroll (2007) p.37 [8] Marstson, J Ward, R (ibid) p.219 [9] Munro, C. R (2005) p.295artso [10]Munro, C.R (ibid) p.298 [11] Munro, C. R (ibid) p.296 [12] Munro, C. R (ibid) p.296 [13] Remarks on the History of England (1743) p.84 cited in Munro, C. R (ibid) p.299 [14] the Craftsman 27 June 1730 cited in Munro, C. R (ibid) p.298 [15] Alder, J (2005)p.150 [16] Duport Steels Ltd v Sirs (1980) 1 ALL ER 529 at p.541 [17] R v HM Treasury, ex p Smedley (1985) QB 657 at p.666 quoted in Munro, C. R (ibid) p.306 [18] (1986) AC 240 citied in Munro, C. R (ibid) p.307 [19] (1994)1AC 377 at 396 [20] Alder, J (2005)p.150 [21] Marstson, J Ward, R (ibid) p.219 [22] Jackson Leopold (2001)p.26 [23] Jackson Leopold (2001)p.26 [24] Carroll (ibid) p.38-43 [25] Carroll (ibid) p.39 [26] Carroll (ibid) p.39 [27] Jackson Leopold (2001)p.26 [28] (1995) 2 AC 513 [29] (1995) 2 AC 513 at p.567 [30] W.A Robson (1951) p.16 cited in Munro, C. R (ibid) p.304 [31] Halsbury’s Law of England (1932) p.385 Munro, C. R (ibid) p.304 [32] SA de Smith R Brazier (1998)p.18 citied in Munro, C. R (ibid) p.305 [33] Munro, C. R (ibid) p.307 [34] Munro, C. R (ibid) p.329 [35] Munro, C. R (ibid) p.332

Odysseus :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Bond of Love There are many essential emotions that form the building blocks of our lives. These emotions help to shape the people that we are. These feelings are ones that are ultimately necessary to keep us happy. Nothing makes these feelings more evident than the Odyssey by Homer. Through out the course of this book there is one major emotional theme, which is love. Love is shown within a family, which chose to fight to keep their togetherness no matter how much that had to endure. One main strife in life is to be in search of a companion who makes us happy and for whom we would do anything. Odysseus and Penelope's lasting loyalty is an obvious representation of love in the Odyssey. Although Odysseus is gone for twenty years he never forgets his faithful wife in Ithaca. This love seems to help him persevere through the many hardships that he encounters on his journey home. On the other hand, Penelope too remains loyal to her beloved Odysseus no matter what happens. At home in Ithaca, she stays loyal to Odysseus by unraveling his shroud and delaying the possible marriage to one of the many suitors. She always keeps the hope that her love, Odysseus, will return. Odysseus and Penelope's marriage clearly illustrates the theme of love in the epic. The bond formed between father and son is another one of life's ways of showing love. This relationship is shown throughout the Odyssey. Telemachos's desperate search for his father, and Odysseus longing for his homeland and the warmth of his wife and son are prime examples. Although Telemachos knows not weather Odysseus is really his father, he still cares for him and the well being of what could be his father. When Odysseus hears of all the suitors devouring Telemachos's future fortune and mistreating him, he wants to return and do away with them. Odysseus, like any parent, also misses his only child while he is at war. Telemachos leaving Ithaca in search of knowledge of his father, not knowing anything about life on sea, shows his love for the father figure that he really needs. Odysseus :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Bond of Love There are many essential emotions that form the building blocks of our lives. These emotions help to shape the people that we are. These feelings are ones that are ultimately necessary to keep us happy. Nothing makes these feelings more evident than the Odyssey by Homer. Through out the course of this book there is one major emotional theme, which is love. Love is shown within a family, which chose to fight to keep their togetherness no matter how much that had to endure. One main strife in life is to be in search of a companion who makes us happy and for whom we would do anything. Odysseus and Penelope's lasting loyalty is an obvious representation of love in the Odyssey. Although Odysseus is gone for twenty years he never forgets his faithful wife in Ithaca. This love seems to help him persevere through the many hardships that he encounters on his journey home. On the other hand, Penelope too remains loyal to her beloved Odysseus no matter what happens. At home in Ithaca, she stays loyal to Odysseus by unraveling his shroud and delaying the possible marriage to one of the many suitors. She always keeps the hope that her love, Odysseus, will return. Odysseus and Penelope's marriage clearly illustrates the theme of love in the epic. The bond formed between father and son is another one of life's ways of showing love. This relationship is shown throughout the Odyssey. Telemachos's desperate search for his father, and Odysseus longing for his homeland and the warmth of his wife and son are prime examples. Although Telemachos knows not weather Odysseus is really his father, he still cares for him and the well being of what could be his father. When Odysseus hears of all the suitors devouring Telemachos's future fortune and mistreating him, he wants to return and do away with them. Odysseus, like any parent, also misses his only child while he is at war. Telemachos leaving Ithaca in search of knowledge of his father, not knowing anything about life on sea, shows his love for the father figure that he really needs.

The Petersons Home ICT Devices

The Petersons have a limited amount of equipment in their homes and all the items are unsuitable for the family. Here is a conclusion as to why the devices are unsuitable, and how the situation could be improved. The family is equipt with a Pentium II computer with a 32mb of ram, a 2Gb hard drive and a 2mb graphics card. This is very unsuitable for this busy family as the computer would be extremely slow and has very little space to install new programs and save the documents the family would need. This is a very old type of computer, and would not be able to run some of the latest software. A faster, and more update computer, such as a Pentium 4 Processor would be much more appropriate for this family. With the computer is a 14-inch monitor capable of 640 x 480 screen resolutions, which is also inappropriate for the likes of this family. A 14-inch screen is very small and most of the more dated computer monitors are less able to adjust. With a low and small screen could cause health problems for the family, such as neck and back pains. The low screen resolutions would be a problem when trying to run newer software, which needs a higher resolution. A more suitable choice would be a larger, and higher resolution screen, and possibly flat screen too. The computer has a black and white dot matrix printer, which is very unsuitable for members of the family who wish to print documents in colour. Dot matrix printers produce a low quality print too, the document may seem unclear and patchy compared to a laser colour printer, which would be more advisable for the families needs. The computer only has a 28k modem that is not capable of sending faxes. The most obvious disadvantage to this is that the family cannot send faxes form the home office. However, with a 28k modem, the computer would also have ridiculously slow Internet connection. Most computers on sale at the moment have a modem included in the package, however they can be bought. The standard modem is 56k, which would provide fast access to the Internet. Windows 95, and Office 95 are both very dated versions and desperately need to be updated. The setup would be slow and unable to cope with large quantities of data and the users would be restricted on what software they could use. Office 95 would have a very limited amount of programs available, and would not satisfy all the day-to-day needs of a family. Most new computers come with Windows XP, which would mean a fast setup and more programs available for the family to use. The family only have floppy disks as a backup for the computer, which is an unwise choice. If the computer fails, and the disks cannot be located or the disk does not work, it is sure that the data will be lost. However, a larger problem would be fitting large files onto a floppy disk, which has on a 1.4k capacity, which would not be enough for the likes of graphics files, or picture files that are very large. Also, if there is a large amount of data to be stored, one would have to use many disks to store all the information, this may make the data hard to locate. A more ideal solution would be to store the information on re-writable disks, which store a large amount of data. However, this would also mean the family would need to invest in a CD-ROM drive, which now comes free in addition with all computers sold. With no gaming equipment the family would be unable to play games to their full satisfaction, or in some cases, the game may not run at all. This would mean that the computer could not be used as a gaming machine. There is a lot of gaming equipment available at the moment, but the most popular is a Joystick, which is useful for the majority of games. Many games and programs that are on the market have sound features for added effect. Of course with no speakers attached to the computer, no sound can be heard. This is a problem for interactive programs, where instructions are given verbally. Also, watching DVD's, or listening to music form CD's or MP3's is impossible. With no speakers, you also cannot use recording equipment such as microphones, as there will be no feedback. All modern computers now come with a speaker sound system, sometimes including sub-woofer, but they can also be sold separately. The family have access to a standard TV with no digital capacity and an analogue satellite receiver. This means that the family can only pick up some satellite and analogue stations that are broadcasted. The digital channels would not be available on the television or via the satellite, as they have no digital capacity. The family could invest in a digital decoder or a new television with digital capacity. If the family bought a digital decoder, then they would not be able to interact with some of the features available on the channels, however with a new television, or a digital channel receiver, the family would be able to interact. There is an old hifi which has no CD player, or mini disc player, which is not suitable for this family. Most music on sale at the moment is sold on CD; therefore it may be hard to get hold of music on cassette or record. Cassettes and records produce a low quality of sound, and are not as reliable as a CD. More and more records are now becoming available on mini discs, which are compact, and can store a lot of music, and record music easily, also providing quality sound. All good stereo systems come complete with a CD player, and some with minidisk players, along with tape players and radios.

Stratification Theory Essays

Stratification Theory Essays Stratification Theory Paper Stratification Theory Paper Max Weber Socia Stratification So, while the above quotation may be a rather hackneyed phrase (to me and countless long-suffering sociology examiners, if not to you, since youre probably encountering It for the first time), it does sensitive us to a couple of major ideas (my advice here is to remember these ideas and forget about trying to sneak the quotation into your exam). That Weber addressed many of the same concerns addressed by Marx. That Weber came to substantially different conclusions to those interpreted by Marx. While this should come as no great surprise if youve been studying sociology for some time (and I would suggest that its probably a good idea to have gained some experience In handling sociological ideas and concepts before you attempt to tackle he concept of social stratification In any depth) sociologists frequently Interpret evidence In radically different ways It should alert you to the fact that there are a number of clear differences between the ideas, arguments and conclusions put forward by Weber and Marx in relation to social stratification. The task of these Notes, therefore, is to help you understand and evaluate both Weepers ideas and their relationship to Marxist ideas. Before we continue any further however, It might be useful to note that, for theoretical purposes, Ive classified Weber as a Conflict Theorist, for three good seasons: A. Firstly, because that is my interpretation of his general sociology. B. Secondly, because he talks In terms of the way In which social structures condition unman Detonator. Deer recognizes ten way In wanly structural relations denotable at the level of social class, status and power affect human behavior and consciousness and his interpretation of this relationship makes him, I would suggest, rather different to Interactions sociologists. C. Although Weber puts more emphasis than most structuralism sociologists on the importance of human consciousness and subjectivity, he does not make this the coco of his research. On the contrary, like most Conflict theorists, Weber analyses the nature of human consciousness within a structural context he may have come to different conclusions to Marxist Conflict theorists, but he appears to have more in common with the latter (in terms of his central sociological concerns) than with Interactions perspectives. However, since the whole perspective question is such a significant one in relation to A-level sociology, this might be a good place to note a number of points raised by Mary Maynard (Sociological Theory) in relation to the whole idea of sociological respective A. How Social Stratification Is Defined. Unlike Marx, Weepers analysis of social stratification was not rooted in or linked to any attempt to formulate a general historical analysis of social development. While, in common with Marx, Weber argued that class stratification had a clear and important economic dimension, he believed that two other related dimensions of stratification, namely: a. Status and b. Party (or political power) needed to be included if a full analysis and understanding of the rich social variety of different forms of social stratification was to be obtained. Thus, as has been suggested above, in order to understand the relative significance of Weepers three dimensions of stratification: a. Class b. Status and c. Party we need initially to know how they are both defined and inter-related and, in order to do this we need to further understand that all three dimensions are, for Weber, rooted in the concept of power. If you are unsure about how Weber (and others) have defined and used the concept of power then it would be useful to work your way through the Notes on Concepts ere In ten Power Ana Politics section AT ten course Detour you go any Turner since the following assumes you have a basic understanding of Weepers use of the concept of power). Central to Weepers analysis of social stratification in all its forms was the idea that we need to understand two basic things: Firstly, how societies are organized in hierarchical systems of domination and subordination (in terms of both individual and collective hierarchies). Secondly, the significance of power in the determination of social relationships based upon domination and subordination. In this respect, there are two basic dimensions to the concept of power that we need to understand: a. The possession of power: According to Weber, the ability to possess power derives from the individuals ability to control various social resources. These resources can be anything and everything and might include things like: Land, Capital, Social respect, Physical strength, Intellectual knowledge, In basic terms, the definition off social resource is simply something that is both socially desirable and in some sense limited (that is, it can be possessed by some but not others). As I hope you will appreciate, this concept of social resource is both: 1 . Extremely flexible (almost anything can qualify as a social resource) and 2. Liable to vary in time (for example, at different points in the historical development of a society) and space (for example, between different societies / cultures). Activity Give examples of social resources that have varied in their significance in both time and space. For example: Time In our society in the asses, ownership of a television was a form of power since it conferred status upon owners of this social resource. Nowadays, because television ownership is not limited, no such status is given to ownership of this resource. Space In our collects, meal doctors are generally well-pal Ana nave Nell status This is not true of all societies (the old Soviet union being a good example). B. The exercising of power: The ability to exercise power takes a number of different forms, but all involve the idea that it means the ability to get your own way with others, regardless of their ability to resist you. In terms of understanding the relationship between power and social stratification, Weber theorized the various ways in which societies are organized in hierarchical systems of domination and subordination using the following major concepts: 1 . Class Power (Class): This was theorized by Weber on the basis of unequal access to material sources. For example, if I possess something that you want (or, better still from my point of view, need) then this makes me potentially more powerful than you. I am in a dominant position and you are in a subordinate position because I control access to a desired social resource. A classic illustration here is the relationship between an employer and employee. Explain this relationship on the basis of control of resources / power. 2. Social Power (Status): If you respect me or view me as your social superior, then I will potentially be able to exercise power over you (since you will respond positively to my instructions / commands). In this respect, social status is a social resource simply because I may have it while you may not 3. Political Power (Party): This form of power is related to the way in which the State is organized in modern social systems (involving the ability to make laws, for example). If you can influence this process of law creation then you will be in a potentially powerful position. Thus, by your ability to influence a decision-making process you possess power, even though you may not directly exercise that power personally. Political parties are the organizational means to possess power through the mechanism of the State and they include not Just formally organized parties, but any group that is organized to influence the way in which power is exercised legitimately through the machinery of the State. For example: Status groups (political organizations that exist to protect the social status of a particular group Walton society Tort example: I en Brattles Meal Escalation) Interest groups (political organizations that exist to advance the interests of a particular section of society by attempting to influence the way decisions are taken by government). Give some examples of: a. Status groups: b. Interest groups: What this means, therefore, is that if you are in a position to influence a decision- making process then you are in a position of power. By your ability to influence this process you possess power, even though you may not directly exercise power. Obvious examples here might be exercising power through your ability to influence: a. Political parties (for example, through donating money to them). B. The making of laws (for example, through ownership of the mass media, your influence with a party in government). In our political system, political parties are organized to possess power through the Achaeans of the State. As Ive suggested above, this involves not only formally organized political parties, but also any group that is organized to attempt to influence the way in which power is (legitimately) exercised through the agencies of the State (pressure groups, status groups, interest groups . One of the strengths of this approach to the understanding of social stratification is the fact that it identifies three separate but inter-dependent dimensions of stratification: namely class, status and power. Its important that you dont see these three dimensions of stratification as either / r categories (that is, an individual as either economically powerful (class) or socially powerful (status) or politically powerful (party)). In the real world each dimension tends to be very closely related to one another such that: People who are economically powerful tend also to have a relatively high standing in the community (status) and are able to use these two forms of power to influence the political process in some way (for example, attempting to influence the government into passing laws favorable to such people). Slung ten concept AT values, snow now we can apply tens concept to unreason TN allegations between class and status in our society. This separation between class, status and power was not unique to Weber, since if you think about it for a moment, we have seen that Marx was well aware of these three different forms of power. Like Weber, Marx viewed these dimensions of stratification as: a. Theoretically distinct and b. Empirically inter-dependent. What this means, in simple terms, is that we can define these dimensions separately for the sake of theoretical convenience / clarity, but it is impossible to separate them empirically in the real world of human social interaction. Where Marx tended to differ from Weber was in the basic emphasis he placed upon each of the three dimensions the economic dimension was, according to Marx, the most significant one, since possession of economic power invariably leads to the possession of status and political power. In this respect, we have already seen, in an earlier Study Pack, the way in which Marx related economic power to status and political power when he talked about the distinction between infrastructure and superstructure in society. To which of these areas, according to Marx, does each dimension of power belong? Weber was, of course, also aware of the problems involved in the personalization of these three concepts, since it is evident that: High class, High status and High power are most commonly found together in our society (it is unusual, for example, to find someone who is immensely wealthy without their also enjoying high social status and political power). However, where Weber differed from Marx was in the relative emphasis that he placed upon the significance of each dimension of stratification. As we have seen, class forms of stratification (your relationship to a means of production) tended, for Marx, to be most significant. The focus of Mars analysis tended to be on the system as a whole, rather than the individual problems of placement within that system. Weber, on the other hand, was more concerned to analyses the way in which social systems were stratified at the level of individuals / social groups the way in which, for example, people doing much the same sort of work could have quite different levels AT status Ana / or power. In this respect, we can see here two things: a. The importance of theoretical perspective. Both Marx and Weber were looking at the same things, using very similar incepts. However, their analysis and conclusions tended to differ mainly because they were concerned to explain different things. B. Marx and Weber were in many ways complimentary to each other, sociologically, in the sense that they both tell us useful things about the nature of social stratification. Marx tells us something about the general nature of social stratification (a kind of macro picture). Weber tells us something about the specific nature of social stratification (a kind of micro picture). In this respect, this difference is reflected in terms of their overall theoretical respective, whereby Mars conflict approach can be contrasted with Weepers conflict perspective on the basis that the former emphasized the importance of social structure (the way in which individual behavior is conditioned by the general structure of social relationships) while the latter emphasized the importance of social action (the ability of individuals to influence the nature of their social relationships in sociologically significant ways). Since Weepers conception of social action is important, it might be opportune here to digress slightly by outlining some f the major elements in Weepers approach to the understanding of the social world Social Action Theory: A Hibernia Perspective. Max Weber is a difficult sociologist to pigeon-hole in perspective terms (for reasons that will become clear in a moment), since he doesnt fit neatly into the usual Structuralism / Interactions dichotomy so beloved of sociology textbooks. However, in terms of this dichotomy, Weber is closer to the Conflict Structuralism perspective since it is clear that in much of his sociological analysis he focuses upon the way in which the structure of peoples relationships influence (but not determine) peoples behavior. The confusion over his theoretical status largely stems from the fact that Weber concerned himself with the attempt to make sense of the rational basis of the choices of behavior made by individuals in their daily lives; that is, he attempted to analyses human behavior at an individual level within the context of a clear sense of structural constraint (the choices we make about how to behave socially are clearly contralto others). A Day ten structural relationship wanly we Don Tort Ana are Tort For Weber, therefore, society is created through social interaction (it is not something hat is naturally given) and such interaction involves the conscious behavior of thinking, reflective, individuals. People, in effect, make choices about their lives, their group memberships and so forth and these are neither pre-determined nor pre- destined. As we have seen, power was a very important concept for Weber and he used it to explain the way in which societies both change and remain relatively stable and orderly. Social change, for Weber, came about in many ways: a. Purposeful social action people thinking about the nature of society and acting purposefully to develop and change the way they live. . The unintended consequences of social actions for example, wars bring about social change in ways that may not have been intended by their participants . Economic conflicts that marry both purposeful social action and unintended outcomes. In this respect, we can see that, unlike Marx, Weber emphasized the way in which social change could come about in ways that did not simply involve class conflicts (as we see when we look at his analysis of the relationship between social change and the role of religion). In this sense, therefore, power struggles occur throughout society and, while economic power is a crucial variable in this st ruggle, it is not the only one. Powerful groups other than social classes may arise within a society from time to time and the power struggle between them may involve interests that are not specifically economic. In this respect, Hibernia sociology is sometimes seen as a pluralist perspective, in the sense that societies are invariably seen to involve a variety of different groups (a plurality), each possessing (or competing for) greater or lesser forms of power. As we have already seen, such groups may be of the class, status or party variety (or, more usually, a combination of each) The basis of each group is: Class the relationship each group has to the means of economic production, in addition to a variety of factors such as technical skills and educational qualifications that affect an individuals market situation independently of the ownership / non-ownership of property. B. Status a group that is related on the basis of a parity of esteem (a group of equals), ten Oasis Tort wanly Is a groups pattern AT consumption (or Testily). C. Party a group that is organized in some way for the taking / exercising of political power. Such groups may be class based, but they may also draw their membership from a variety of social classes. On the basis of the above, social stratification represented, for Weber, the way in which the distribution of power in any society becomes institutionalized that is, starts to assume a relatively stable pattern of social behavior that exists over a long period and the economic aspect (class) was considered to be neither more nor less important in terms of stratification than the status and party dimensions. To understand why this should be so we need to look briefly at the different sociological tauter of the concepts of class, status and party. . Economic class, for Weber, was considered to be an objective sociological / political category. That is, it was a statistical category to which people could be sociologically allocated on the basis of their market situation. While people could, of course, be conscious of belonging to a particular economic class, Weber argued that this was not assured; Just because, as sociologists, we can objectively allocate people to a particular category doesnt mean that: a. People accept that they belong to that category. For example, someone who can be classified as working class on the basis of their objective market position as a road sweeper may (subjectively) believe themselves to be middle class and this will have important social consequences for their social behavior. B. People placed into the same objective category necessarily think and act in similar ways. One major problem for Marxist is the fact that class is such a central theoretical concept in their analysis. Class is more than Just a statistical category; it is the expression of a whole set of norms, values, beliefs, interests and so forth. In this respect, to (over)simplify the situation, each class in capitalist society has its own set of class interests the proletariats interests involve taking-over the means of production and holding them in common, while the interests of the bourgeoisie are basically to prevent the proletariat doing Just that. Whereas the ruling class recognize their basic class interests, a problem arises when the proletariat do not seem to recognize their class interests when, in effect, they show no overwhelming desire to overthrow the bourgeoisie. For Marxist, the robber here is how to explain why something has not happened in the way that it should be happening / should have happened. In short, based upon the assumption that the proletariat should see it to be in their interests to throw off their exploitation Day ten Doorbells, Marxist nave to explain winy ten proletariat nave not Addenda predicted and to do this they have employed a variety of concepts (false consciousness, ideological indoctrination and so forth) to try to explain the shortfall between prediction and reality. According to Weber, on the other hand, we must avoid the trap of assuming that, cause people can be objectively assigned a particular class their failure to act in ways that further their objective class interests have to be explained in terms of such concepts as false consciousness or ideological distortions introduced through a ruling class control of various agencies of colonization (education, mass media, etc. ). People may appear to act in ways that are not in their interests for a variety of reasons and we can only understand these reasons by looking at the (subjective) dimensions of status and party. The concepts of status and party add a subjective dimension to social stratification, n terms of the fact that they allow Weber to theorize an element of conscious social organization that is related to but also separate from economic class. In this respect, we can see the basis for some of the theoretical confusion that tends to surround the pigeon-holing of Weber, in the sense that his form of conflict structuralism includes reference not simply to social structures but also to the subjective consciousness of individual social actors.