Renaissance Architecture as the Pinnacle of Genius Or Brunelleschi’s Dome

Architecture is the evolution of beauty in the fourth dimension. Art has continuously been about the creation of something beautiful, intrepid, and ingenious. Although there are many great art movements such as Baroque, Pop Art, Gothic, Avant-Guard, none are more striking in architecture as that of the Renaissance era. With the Renaissance convalescence to beauty, the color combination and the presence of the classical nude incorporated into a lot of the decor, it is with the Renaissance art era that art history was witness to the best possible architecture. The following essay will seek to prove this point using the geniuses of the Renaissance period and using their works as examples of this thesis. The Renaissance took its cue from the elegant forms of architecture and beauty from the Greeks and Romans. The idea of symmetry and shapes and elegance are staple features in Renaissance architecture. Thus, a viewer can see a lot of Rome represented in the Renaissance architecture such as columns, pediments, arches and domes. It was through Vitruvius’s writings on architecture that inspired many Renaissance artists to embrace the Roman ideal of beauty, harmony, and symmetry (Architecture in Renaissance Italy paragraph one). This is Vitruvius’s idea of symmetry as is presented in Renaissance architecture and conceptualized by Vitruvius in the human body, The measurement pertaining to the body being designated by headlengths is emphasized by Vitruvius in this manner, â€Å"For the human body is so designed by nature that the face, from the chin to the top of the forehead and the lowest roots of the hair, is a tenth part of the whole height; the open hand from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger is just the same†¦The other members, too, have their own symmetrical proportions, and it was by employing them that the famous painters and sculptors of antiquity attained to great and endless renown† (72). Some of the famous architects of the Renaissance era included Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Battista Alberti and Palladio. Each had their own style and power to not only engineer great feats of architectural beauty but to also bring forth their vision of classical Roman design with symmetr y as the focal point. Though Vitruvius speaks of symmetry his nature of the term also gives leeway, â€Å"Therefore, since nature has designed the human body so that its members are duly proportioned to the frame as a whole, it appears that the ancients had good reason for their rule, that in perfect buildings the different members must be in exact symmetrical relations to the whole general scheme† (73). This is especially seen in Brunelleschi’s brilliant masterpiece the dome of the Florence Cathedral or duomo as the Italians call it. The genius of the duomo was that it is a dome built within a dome. Bruniselleschi realized the weight issue of this dome, and thought that another structure to hold most of the weight would allow for the architecture to last longer without future engineering. Along with the genius of building this dome within a dome, Brunelleschi also used less material at the top of the dome where the oculus is located in order for the issue of weight to have less of a detrimental effect on the design, â€Å"As the total weight of the structure was thereby lightened, he could dispense with the massive and costly wooden trusswork required by the older method of construction† (Janson 1997, 419). Among Brunelleschi’s other major accomplishments and contributions to architecture is he renewal of the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns in their proper places. Another recognized accomplishment of Brunelleschi is his system of proportions; although his architecture seems simple to the layman, his intricacies lie within his use of appropriate measurement inducing harmony in his overall structure such as the Ospedale degli Innocenti. This modular cube building is pristine in its measurements between columns, and the height and space are especially p roportioned (Architecture in Renaissance Italy paragraph two). There is a definite sense of these elements intermingling in architecture so much so that the physical is being eclipsed by the virtual and when this happens the most important element of architecture which will lead the evolution is light. The Renaissance was an era of individuals. The art movement occurred in the 1400s at which time the world was succumbing to great travesties. The one hundred years war was happening, the bubonic plague had killed at least 50% of the population among such countries as France, Germany and England, but Italy was spared. Due to Italy’s political system, which is a series of city republic states with not king, no true peasant class, and so there is room for social mobility, and capitalism has made the culture a commercial society. Merchants, such as the Medici’s, ran this commercial society and all of these circumstances put together gives way for the Renaissance, â€Å"In 1419, while he was working out the final plans for the Cathedral dome, Brunelleschi received his first opportunity to create buildings entirely of his own design. It came from the head of the Medici family, one of the leading merchants and bankers of Florence, who commissioned him to add a sacristy to the Romanesque church of S. Lorenzo† (Janson 1997, 419). . In order for artists to have observed the world around them, leisure time must have been pursued and because Italy did not so entirely succumb to the great plague, the entire culture was left to flourish. They flourished in everything, mostly art. This era of individuals allowed for self-made millionaires who would commission artists to create whatever they wanted. One of the main contributors to the Renaissance was the Church. The ability of a Renaissance artist to create and invent hinged on the indulgence of the commissioner. Thus, many great religious art works were also the focal point of the artist. , and so, by observing the world around them Renaissance artists created a plethora of religious structures. By seeing the world around them and inventing necessary objects with which to engage in that world or to improve life, Renaissance artists proved that invention was key in discovering the world. Thus, the Renaissance did not only give the world great art, but the artistic genius and fortitude to create great monuments and inventions. By simple observation, artists such as Brunelleschi could give the world new forms of sculpture, architecture, and design implementations involving grand scale construction. Observation is the key to artistic genius, and it is through observation that art and invention collide. The genius of Brunelleschi was able to flourish because of religion. His work on the duomo was not limited to just the architecture, but the engineering as well, â€Å"Instead of having building materials carried up on ramps to the required level, he designed hoisting machines† (Janson 1997, 419). Thus, not only was architecture thriving but also other avenues of art such as engineering. It was financial freedom which lead to the greatness of the duomo, and Brunelleschi’s stamp in art history.

Strategic Decision-Making

â€Å"Rational decision-making is an impossible ideal in strategy formulation and implementation due to incomplete information and organisational politics. † Strategy is formulated and implemented by organisations as a means of gaining competitive advantage and achieving organisational success. Frequent fast, widely supported, and high quality strategic decisions are the cornerstone of effective strategy (Eisenhardt, 1999 in Clegg et. Al, 2012). In today's world of borderless business, ever-evolving technology and rapid change, can these decisions be made rationally?Currently there are three main decision-making paradigms in the literature – rational decision-making, political decision-making and the garbage can model. Each paradigm frames the decision-making process differently and each will be discussed in turn in this essay. It will then be concluded that while rational decision-making is possible, it is only boundedly so due to incomplete information confounded by t he limitations of human cognition, particularly in the fast-paced business world of today.Furthermore, while people can be individually rational, collectively this is not the case (Eisenhardt ; Zbaracki, 1992) – as organisations are political systems, politics and power are often central to decision-making in the formulation and implementation of strategy. Rational decision-making Model According to the rational decision making model, clear goals and objectives are first identified and listed in order of importance. All the alternative courses of action associated with each objective are then identified and the consequences of each action are established.Consequences are assessed against the values and objectives pursued, with the course of action that best maximises these values being the one that is chosen. This logical step-by-step approach suggests that the outcome will be maximised. It also assumes the decision maker has complete knowledge of not only all possible altern atives, but also their consequences. For strategists who subscribe to this model of decision making, the organisation is seen as a rational bureaucracy where strategic planning is conducted by top management and organisational structure follows.This prescriptive view of decision-making has scientific principles at its core as decision makers are thought to be accurate and objective. Research, however, has shown that the decision-making process used by managers is not as straightforward or linear in nature. In fact, the assumptions underpinning the theory of omniscient rationality, while ‘strikingly simple and beautiful' (Simon, 1978), are fundamentally flawed. Although such an approach to strategy formulation may appear ideal in theory, it cannot be practised except for with relatively simple problems (Linblom, 1959).Limits of the cognitive capacity of humans, and on available information set definite limits on a manager's ability to be fully rational. In addition to this, oth er members of the organisation may disagree with the decision makers choice leading to power plays and politics. Whilst strategic decisions then, fall short of omniscience, they are not necessarily irrational. Rather, they are, and can only ever be, a bounded rationality. Cognitive biases of managers limit the applicability of the rational decision-making approach (Santos & Garcia, 2006).The organisational situation is framed by the decision makers who perceive an approximate model of the circumstances, choosing from a limited list of subjective alternatives. Some choices are given weight and others are relegated to the background, thus large segments of reality are out of focus (Feehan, 2013). Simon (1956) recognising the limits of comprehensive rationality, posited the concept of ‘satisficing', that members will choose the first alternative that is deemed to adequately meet the organisation's objectives rather than taking the time to survey all possible alternatives and find ing the optimal choice.This satisficing alternative will meet the minimal satisfactory requirements. Linblom's ‘Muddling Through' theory (1959) was one of the first to recognise the role of politics in strategic decision-making. Linblom refers to the comprehensive rational model mentioned above, as a ‘root' approach to decision-making where the process begins with the fundamentals, always starting from the ground up. This means-end analysis requires that values are clarified in advance of examining alternatives. He posits a ‘branch method' of incremental comparisons as a more suitable method for complex problems.Here, the decision-making process begins in the current situation, building out with incremental changes. Lindblom argues that the organisation and individuals may hold conflicting values which only become clear after the fact. A good outcome is therefore, not the optimal one but one that is agreed upon by all players. These theories highlight both the limi ts of rationality and the importance of context in strategic decision-making. Unlike many other decisions, strategic decisions are made in an organisational context where the reaction of the players affects the outcome.This view of organisations not as rational optimisers but ‘satisficers' resonates with the author's experiences. Having owned my own business I understand due to time constraints, working memory limits and finite funding levels, it is not possible to make decisions in a perfectly rational fashion. There will always be alternatives you (the organisation) had not considered, preferences you have that may be conflicting, and choices that cannot be made due to disagreements among stakeholders.This is not to say that the strategic decisions cannot be rational – they can but only boundedly so. It is important, in my view, to approach these significant and complex decisions in a systematic manner when possible. However in a dynamic world, where business is borde rless and technology is advancing at an ever increasing rate, I would question the utility of this approach. Context is key. Political decision-making model The political model of decision-making presents a compelling case against the possibility of perfect rationality in strategy formation and implementation.In fact, according to Clegg (2012, p. 267) the biggest enemy of rationality is the power and politics that are inscribed in every organisational decision. The division of an organisation into separate departments, encourages political activity between them as they compete for scarce resources (Pettigrew, 1973). Coalitions are formed around a perceived affinity of interests, with the ultimate aim being to accrue enough power to influence the decision-making process. It is out of this struggle for power that decisions emerge.Strategic decisions are particularly likely to stimulate political actions because they are complex, significant, and subject to uncertainty. There may be mu ch to gain/lose for each of the players from both a material and reputational point of view (Child, Elbanna ; Rodrigues, 2010). Take for example, an organisation such as a hospital. It is pluralistic in nature, often experiencing conflict between departments, staff subcultures and rifts between administrative staff and departments.Imagine as part of a cost containment strategy, it is decided after rational analysis, that the optimal alternative is to reduce wage costs by 20%. The highly paid consultants and lower paid floor staff will be pitted against each other, each protecting their own self-interests. The cost cutting strategy may have to be adapted in order to appease the players. As this example conveys, it is out of differences in self-interests that conflict rises (Eisenhardt ; Zbaracki, 1992). Research has consistently found organisational decision-making to be political in nature.A study of nine international corporations found that they were political systems comprised of a myriad of coalitions and groups (Quinn,1980 in Child et. al 2010). Pettigrew (1972) observed a scenario where established computer analysts conflicted with a newer team of analysts over which IT system their company should invest in. A member of the established coalition of analysts acted as gatekeeper, using his role to control the flow of information to top management whilst communicating negatively about his opponents ideas at the same time.This resulted in management deciding to take his advice. Another often cited example of the political decision-making model the Cuban Missile Crisis (Clegg et al 2011; Child et al 2010). Garbage Can Model The garbage can model of decision making offers an alternative insight into strategic decision-making in organisations. Here, the organisation is described as a loose collection of already-made solutions, waiting for new decision opportunities to be applied. Contrary to the assumptions of the rational model, decision making in these organi sed anarchies is not an orderly, linear process.The ambiguity is due to the radical instability of three premises – preferences, technology (know-how, techniques ; equipment) and participation. Decision-making occurs when the right problem arises and the right people are receptive to it's solution. These variables are coupled temporally, by chance, rather than consequentially by rational calculation (Rainey, Ronquillo & Avellaneda, 2010). The garbage can model differs from the rational and political models as it conveys the role of chance in the decision-making process.Decisions are not arrived at through boundedly rational analysis, nor are they negotiated by the interactions of coalitions. Instead, they are the random result of the convergence of problems and solutions at a particular point in time. This is not to say that this model is intended to replace rational decision-making, rather it's purpose is to supplement it (Rainey et. al 2010). Not all decision making situati ons are organised chaos, neither are they all rational. Many organisations in the public sector serve as examples of the garbage can model of decision-making.Many policy-making decisions for example, are imprecise and vague in nature with no defined goals attached. Participants in the public sector decision making process are prone to change – board members, consultants and even governmental parties are likely to change during the course of the decision-making process. Rational decision-making then, is problematic for making the predictions about the future preferences and consequences when formulating strategy. The human cognitive system will simply not allow us to consider all possible alternative solutions to any given problem.This assertion highlights the importance of brainstorming and group work in order to generate possible alternatives that we, ourselves, may not have thought of. Even taking this into account however, it is doubtful that an exhaustive list of all even tualities would be arrived at. Groupthink and politics are also likely to factor into the equation. Furthermore, even if rational decision-making were possible, it may not be even be the ideal. It does not allow for the input of emotional intelligence and ethical considerations which are often required in the decision-making process.How then can the business of today ensure they are making adequate decisions when formulating and implementing strategy? Organisational learning has been posited as an alternative view to organisations as decision-makers. Organisations are seen as learning by encoding inferences from experiences which are then used to direct behaviour (Levitt ; March, 1988). Organisations adapt to changes in the environment, storing data in it's repository to be drawn on later. References Clegg, S. , Carter, C. , Kornberger, M. amp; Schweitzer, J. (2011) Strategy: Theory & Practice. London : Sage. Child, J. Elbanna, S. & Rodrigues, S. . (2010). The Political Aspects of S trategic Decision Making. In: Nutt, P. C. & Wilson, D. C. Handbook of Decision Making. Sussex: Wiley. 105-138. Eisenhardt, K. M. & Zbaracki, M. J. (1992). Strategic Decision-making. Strategic Management Journal 13, pp. 17-37. Feehan, M. (2013) Organisation & Strategy Slides. IPA Moodle. Accessed on 21/01/2013. Levitt, B. & March, J.G. (1988). Organizational Learning Annual Review of Sociology. 14, pp. 319-340 Linblom, C. E. (1959). ‘The Science of Muddling Through. ‘ Public Administration Review 19 , 2. pp. 79-88. Pettigrew, A. M. (1973) The Politics of Organizational Decision Making. London: Tavistock Pettigrew, A. M. (1972) Information control as a power resource, Sociology, 6, 187–204. Santos, M.. V & Garcia, M. T. (2006) Managers’ opinions:reality or fiction. A narrative approach. Management Decision 44, 6. pp 752-770.

Open Work Space Research Essay

The Study Recently in the work space, there seems to be a shift from this traditional cubicle style to a more open environment for the employees. This shift has me questioning why are innovative companies shifting towards this more open environment? It seems that these companies are looking not only for a change in scenery, but a change in the how there employees utilize the environment.During this study, I will use a variety of sources in order to understand a comma NYSE work space environment and other information pertaining the architectural design of a company. The questions especially want to explore are: How does the open workspace effect the collaboration between employees? How does this work space attempt to foster an environment for creativity and innovation? Informational Sources The sources have used ranged from a variety of places.The information I collected from Kidders Studio and Kramer Design Group was a large group interview which was required for a summer class where we studied cultures of creativity in Detroit, Michigan. These two interviews took place on August 24, 2013. The large group interview also included a tour of both companies to actually see the working environment firsthand. Field notes were also taken to help record detailed descriptions of the environment at both companies. Another source used for this research included an online magazine called 991. . This magazine publishes research in a condensed and easy to understand format for the general public. It described research on how to build a collaborative work space. I read this to help better my understanding of what a collaborative work space might look like and what re some key components for a creative work space. Also watched a video created by Wall Street Journal on Google's New York work space because, have never been there. This video allowed me to visually see the environment where Google employees work.Another source utilized was a prCICS completed from an article called Building Research and Information. It included research done in this area which helped me orient myself with prior research already completed on this topic. Previous Research Completed on Work Space Environment One research prCICS I looked at included the importance of collaboration in the work space. They looked at three behaviors that contribute to effective collaboration: â€Å"awareness, brief interaction, and collaboration (working together)† (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 2).This term awareness means to understand what is going on in the environment around you. You are able to process this through â€Å"spatial features that promote awareness† and organizational factors that allow you to see other employees (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, pars. 4-5). They noted Some benefits to this ‘high awareness' Were rapid information sharing and ability to recognize when other employees were struggling Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 6). However there are some concerns for ‘high awareness' in a collaborative environment also.It can be distracting, noisy from employees talking, and create a loss of privacy for the workers (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 7). Another term discussed was ‘brief interactions' which means unplanned and short discussions you have with other employees. This results in â€Å"spatial features that promote interaction† and organizational factors that allow you to run into other employees (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, pars. 9-10). Some benefits include improved information flow, increased learning, and increased development Of friendships (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 1). There are, however, some drawbacks which include a high potential for stress, an increase in distractions, and the potential for over communicating with employees (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 12). The ot her term discussed in the prCICS was collaboration. Collaboration in the work space can result in organizational factors that allow employees to work in project rooms (Hangmen, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, ears. 18-19). Some benefits from these project rooms are quicker answers, access to other team members, and better project tracking (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 0). Despite these benefits, there are some concerns including the possibility for information overload, a shorter amount of time on certain tasks, and less privacy for employees (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 21). Evaluating Google and Two Outside Innovative Companies Google is the company which typifies an open work space concept. However, I needed to use Kidders Studio and Kramer Design Group in Detroit, Michigan because they were local and accessible. Both of these companies were much smaller than Google.However, there are innovative and utilize the open work space con cept. Google is known for their web search engine and try to make information easily accessible to the users. The Google New York campus occupies an entire floor and parts of other floors in a building covering an entire â€Å"city block in Manhattans Chelsea neighborhood† (Alter, par. 7). This campus has grown from around 2,000 employees to nearly 3,000 and hiring in the areas of media and advertising (Jordan). Due to the arrival of additional employees, the newly hired have had to move from floor to floor (Jordan).In this campus as opposed to Silicon Valley, it is less tech focused and gives the employees a more natural working environment (Jordan). Google's competitive and innovative nature attracts many young employees to their company. Despite Google's great benefits, there is still a high turnover rate, which means they have a limited amount of time with their employees. Kidders Studio is an innovative company which is a part Of the creative community in Detroit, Michig an. Since 1 959, Kidders Studio has earned a beatable name for solving problems with designs.They started off solving problems by designing logos for the automotive companies in Detroit. In 201 1, Kidders moved to their new location on Broadway Street near the Detroit Tigers Stadium. Their diverse team of 25 office employees design logos and websites for advertisements, but their goal is to create the extraordinary (Patrick). They started with 16 employees and are looking to expand to 35 employees. Some of their biggest clients are Dave and Buster's, Detroit Tigers, and Andiron Restaurant. At Kramer Design Group in Detroit, they specialize in designing the interiors of buildings.There are about 18 to 28 people that work at the office, because there are only 28 desks available. When they work with their clients, they focus on creating a particular environment in order to invoke a certain feeling (Kramer). They strive for listening to the client. However, sometimes the client does not know what they want until you show it to them. This company provides swatches of materials to help visualize the production or prototype built. They are known for creating traditional architecture, hotels, and presidential lofts. They have completed such projects in Detroit like theMadison Building, Broodier Towers, and Whitney Building (Kramer). Kramer Design Group is starting to pick up some business throughout the state. Kramer Design Group and Kidders Studio Work Space Company ices are redesigning offices in order to get a more spacious working environment for their employees. This open work space is intended to foster creativity and innovation. Designing a place to enhance creativity takes a lot of work not only on the companies half, but on the architects half as well. It is important the architect works in collaboration with their client to create a specific environment.In this case, the architect needs to create an environment that is not only functional to the employees, b ut pleasing to the customer. Open office spaces seem to fuel this creativity through the collaboration of diverse groups of people, the flexibility of the work space, and the atmosphere of the room with numerous examples from Detroit, Machine's Kidders Studio and Kramer Design Group. A key component to this creativity and innovation is allowing the mixture of diverse groups of people to work together in an open area.To define diverse, this word is meant to describe how individuals with various job titles and functions can ark cohesively together. Providing people an open environment encourages informal connections to be made and ideas to be bounced off one another (Patrick). For example, at Kidders Studio, their work place fosters an environment where colleagues can collaborate with each other (Patrick). The studio is set up with no doors on any of the offices, even the Coo's office. Over the years, the company has developed this process to be successful.During their meetings, they encourage administrative workers, designers, marketers, and writers to brainstorm ideas for projects (Patrick). These brainstorming sessions involve everyone in the company to work on a project where titles mean nothing (Patrick). Sometimes, disagreement can be a bad thing. But it has become a useful tool because, it encourages ideas to be explored and defended by the creator (Patrick). The end result is a better thought out solution which provides the customer with an outstanding product.Creating flexibility in the work space seems to be another crucial element which allows this creativity and innovation to flourish. Kramer Design Group utilizes the portability and disability of the room to create an environment where creativity is maximized. The portable chairs in the lunch space allow the user to rearrange the space. The emphasis on designing a flexible work space allows people to freely converse amongst one another (Kramer). It also gives the workers an environment which allows easy access to coworkers (Kramer).Some of the offices have glass walls to give the illusion of a more open space (Kramer). One thing that stands out is there are few private offices. Private offices close workers off from the company and do not allow for ideas to be exchanged while the open spaces help stimulate creativity. In an open space, the atmosphere plays an important role in the minimization of creativity and innovation. Kramer Design Group's office is designed with a level of sophistication and professionalism to illustrate their knowledge in the design field (Kramer).The minute you step into the office, it is meant to create a feeling bigger than meets the eye. There is wall to wall glass to give an expansive feeling to the area and it makes the ceiling appear taller (Kramer). In the hallway, there are columns spaced equal distances apart and a white strip on the carpet to give the illusion of a never ending hall (Kramer). Even the lighting plays into the comfortable ambia nce of the room with their modern looking lights which use some incandescent lighting. Their office provides a creative, yet comfortable environment.It allows their employees to think freely in the office with the respect of their fellow colleagues. Google's Innovative Design Google's New York campus has a similar goal in their office design like Kidders Studio and Kramer Design Group. â€Å"All of the design is meant to encourage interaction between structurally separate teams† (Jordan). By implementing this open work space, it influences the way groups of Google's collaborate. Google's intention by using an open work space is to create an environment specifically for the interaction between the workers.A fun design plan Google's architects implemented is the vertical ladder chutes between floors, because the elevators are never known to be on time. This vertical ladder chute promotes unplanned collaborations (Alter, par. 7). Another touch Google added was giving the employe es a bag to place their laptop in while climbing up the ladder (Jordan). This bag helped Google's minimize the chance of dropping their laptops. When workers causally intermingle, it encourages informal connections to be made among colleagues. Senior software engineer, Mike Labels moved from Google's Silicon Valley to Google's New York campus.At Google's Silicon Valley, their offices are created as an individual place with their own unique perks and specific design, which help the worker relate to their environment Road). Since Labels has transferred to Google's New York office, he feels that coming to work here you will not mistake you are in some room at an ordinary building; you will know you are at Google in New York (Jordan). It seems Google's New York office has created their own city within their building. Even some of their conference rooms are designed as a New York apartment to create a close environment for colleagues to collaborate within.Directly outside these conferenc e rooms, it is setup like city with a fire hydrant, subway grates on the floor, and a narrow hallway with a cityscape on the wall (Jordan). This use of schematics throughout areas of their building makes it seem like the real New York City outside of the building. Collaboration is a good thing, but too much can also be a bad thing sometimes. There are many places to get away from the hustle and bustle of the office area. These areas include a reflecting room, a library, a private hone booth, and more. The library is dotted with Victorian photos from Star Wars hanging on the walls (Jordan).There are also secret door bookcases leading to refection or reading rooms (Jordan). Throughout the library are many books to help employees on coding, programming and working with different types of computers (Jordan). One of the coolest features is the virtual wall of books where employees can download books to their phones (Jordan). Theses rooms are meant to give the workers a place to escape to when they get stressed at work. Google jobs can cause high stress because Of all the work demands. They can stop by the library and pick out a book or even download one from the virtual wall.By creating this comfortable environment, it gives the employees a place to relieve their stress. Regional facilities manager, Laura Gimped mentioned with groups growing in Google how proprieties and juxtaposition effect the workers interactions (loran). Laura understands generally information and ideas are shared with co-workers who are nearby. This is part of the reason that Google has positioned their offices no more than 150 feet away from food to enhance informal interactions between its employees. So at any office location there s a micro-kitchen, a restaurant, or cafeteria nearby.This place encourages fellow Google's to go grab a bite to eat whenever and where ever they may be in the building (Jordan). Their set up enables employees to â€Å"bump into coworkers from different teams with in the† work space (Alter, par. 8). She has taken into account the growth of the company with an eye towards this idea of casual collision in the work space (Jordan). This allows fellow Google's to have the opportunity to discuss an idea with someone they normally do not work with (Jordan). Some of the greatest ideas are inspired from unexpected inventions between people.Findings Coming from an architectural background has enabled me to see rooms differently from other people. However, after this research, I was able to look at a room and see the choices and decisions the architect had to make in designing the room. For example, their placement of furniture, walls, doors and windows in a room plays a critical role in how the work space is used. The way an architect designs a room actually plays an important role for what the customer ultimately wants. Each of the companies I research ultimately had a similar goal through using the open work space concept.Kidder's goals was to create the extraordinary through logos and design. Their office design fostered their employees to be creative. Kramer Design Group specialized in interior designing. Their open work space also did the same by providing their employees with a creative environment. Both of these places were designed, so the employees interacted regularly in order to get their ideas. Through my research even though did not actually visit, Google, the above examples helped me visualize what I could not see at Google. I have come to greater appreciate the open work space concept and its purpose atGoogle is to maximize its employees creativity. Through my research on open work spaces at Google, I have come to understand the choices the architects had to make while designing Google's New York office. They choose to design the environment with many unique features to enhance the collaboration between employees. I have now come to see that through creating an open work space it results in good ideas from em ployees. Essentially, these good ideas are able to be obtained through creating these unexpected conversations and casual collisions. This new understanding can help companies understand ways to obtain ideas from their employees.Through creating this type of environment similar to Google, companies will be able to design an environment to maximize the productivity of workers. Conclusion Google is known as the gold standard for innovation and creativity. Their architects have used the open work space to help them achieve this goal. Through the design of the open work space, Google's from different teams or backgrounds bump into each other casually throughout the day. The intent is for these Google's to discuss an idea with someone they may not work with daily. This chance interaction may be the catalyst for a new and creative idea.This new open work space approach is intended to inspire its employees and support creativity where new ideas can be developed and new discoveries made. Fu rther Questions If another research paper was completed, it may be interesting to see how other innovative companies like Apple, Paxar, and Twitter are set up in regards to their work space design. It would be interesting to see how these companies layout their work space, because there could be similar correlations to how their employee's collaborate like Google. In order to answer this question, you would need to look at the interactions between the errors of the company.Since work spaces are always being remodeled by companies, it would be interesting to track innovative companies over the next five year to see how their work space changed over time. It would be ideal to interview employees throughout the change of the work space to see how it has effected them. It may be interesting to also speak to the management to determine whether there were more ideas generated in the newer work space than in the current type work space. This could help understand the reason behind why comp anies design a creative environment for their workers.

The Young Persons Rail Card Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

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National Basketball Players Association Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

National Basketball Players Association - Essay Example According to Stein (2011), the union was supposed to be like the guardian angel to the players by negotiating collective agreements, representing their grievances and guiding the players. It would also solve disputes arising between players and their teams, even player-player quarrels. Its overall purpose was to act at the best interest of players. The organization also creates a forum for members to engage in union activities. This is mainly through community outreach programs and in leadership roles. History of the Union The organization of the basketball union began in 1954 by the league’s top player Bob Cousy. He contacted other top players within the league and encouraged them of the importance of player unity. However, he received some opposition mainly from club owners, but the  club owners  insisted on their perspective. NBPA Official website (2013) says that in the year 1955, they came up with a list of concerns to the league’s bosses especially on the paym ent of back wages to the non-operational Baltimore Bullets club. They urged for the institution of a twenty-game limit on exhibition games and also to allow players to share on the benefits. They also championed for an independent settlement of player-owner conflicts. In 1957,  the National Basketball Association's board of governors eventually gave in to the pressure and acknowledged the players union. They gave in to a list of demands from the players. According to the demands, players’ contracts had to be done by September 1st of every year. Regular players were not needed to report to training earlier than four weeks before the start of the season. Appearance of players on radio and television was to be considered, and the removal of the fine on whispering. According to Stein (2011), these acts were all for the benefit of the professional basketball players, thus encouraging them to participate in it. With time, they were able to bargain for more; in 1967 they bargained for monthly pension to players up to 65 years of age from start of their careers. These included new insurance packages and medical benefits and an increase to rookie salaries. Current Demographics of the Union The National Basketball Players has grown a lot over the years. It has led to the growth and development of talents. Many basketball players owe their fortune and careers to this organization. It has helped nurture and protects the players, welfare throughout all these years since its inception.  Thirty basketball clubs have their representatives on this union, and they are players chosen  by their colleagues  to represent them during executive meetings. The union’s current president is Derek Fisher while the first vice president is Jerry Stackhouse. Secretary-Treasurer is James Jones with six other vice presidents. Thirty teams each have one representative to the union. The representatives also have alternatives who can sit on their behalf in case they might no t be available. The organization has well over four hundred professional basketball players as its members. They are thus the major stakeholders of the union and are responsible for electing new officials to govern this body. The organization is created such that it has a number of departments with each responsible for various activities. According to NBPA Official website (2013), executive director’s office is the overall office overseeing all activities in the organization. We then have the legal department involved in handling all legal

Acquisitions and Mergers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Acquisitions and Mergers - Essay Example However, if a merger is not successful, it can cause problem for the resulting organization. Nevertheless, the strategy to merge or acquire can be guided by the corporate philosophy that an organization may follow. Mergers and acquisitions are often taken to be as same terminologies however there is a difference between them. The differences, types, advantages and disadvantages of mergers and acquisitions will be discussed in detail in this assignment. Mergers and acquisition often abbreviated as M&A refers to the strategies and finance related to the corporate level and management which deals with the purchase, selling and joining of different companies for the purpose of assisting or helping a company grow in its respective industry without establishing a new business. Mergers or acquisitions may be private or public depending on whether the merging company is in the list of the public companies or not. These types of dealings can be either friendly or hostile. In the situation where one company takes over another company and declares itself as the new company, the purchase is termed to be as acquisition. Legally, the company that has been purchased can no longer operate in the market and the buyer is free to trade its stocks and shares. In merger, the two companies combine and continue to work as one business rather than existing as separate businesses. This usually takes place between companies which are of the same status, their previous stocks are dissolved and new stocks are maintained. This is usually termed as ‘merger of equals’. For instance in 1999 a merger took place between two pharmaceutical companies; GlaxoWellcome and SmithKline Beecham, both the firms combined together to and a new company, GlaxoSmithKline emerged. (Sherman, 2006) Vertical Merger: This type of merger takes place between a company and a supplier or to say it in other words, company

Pop culture across cultures Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Pop culture across cultures - Assignment Example Walt Disney`s personages are often charming, attractive, and mostly traditional: princesses, princes, animals with extraordinary powers, villains. Disney chooses not to risk as Pixar producing films about an old man mourning his late wife or about a lonely robot cleaning the planet Earth from trash. So it was another good old story about a beautiful big-eyed and wasp-waisted princess who was waiting for true love to get rescued. But something went wrong†¦ In a couple of months after the release of the animation film the world got literally infected by â€Å"Frozen†-mania. The name of the main character became one of the most popular baby-girl names in Scandinavian countries and in Britain (not to mention America). YouTube got flooded with the videos in which the whole families, including toddlers and grandfathers, sing the songs from the animation film. I personally was impressed by the video of the head of the school who announced winter vacations with his own variant of â€Å"Let it go†. Children were ready to wait for more than five hours to meet Elza, Anna, and Olaf in Disney World. The hashtag #TheColdNeverBotheredMeAnyway got incredibly popular in so unexpectedly different groups and communities in Twitter and Instagram. The main theme of â€Å"Frozen† got a number of interpretations starting from divorce and autism and ending with the concept of homosexuality and transgender ( Lynskey). The answer why children are obsessed with â€Å"Frozen† seems obvious at first sight. It is the Walt Disney studio, it does not make bad movies, the company invests thousands and millions of dollars to make its animation colorful and realistic and attracts the best composers to create incredible soundtracks. But that is their general policy, and the number of films they produced before â€Å"Frozen† were made according to this high standards. I looked through the movies Disney created last five-six years and realized that I did not know the name of a

The person worthy of being considered a leader Research Paper

The person worthy of being considered a leader - Research Paper Example The three personality traits of Che Guevara that will be discussed in this paper are selflessness, decisiveness and courage. The life history of the great leader will be searched and facts about his life that represent these traits will be reviewed for providing evidence that he possessed these three traits throughout his life. A noticeable characteristic of Che Guevara is that of selflessness. He possessed such acquaintance with his chosen life of working for the people that he sacrificed his personal privileges of leading a sophisticated lifestyle. He found out accidentally that according to the food rationing government scheme introduced in the year 1961, he was being provided with higher rations than other general people. On knowing this fact, he immediately cut off his extra rations that he was provided. Evidence of his selfless nature has even been found when it was observed that during certain periods of time he even refused to take the travelling allowances provided by the go vernment for use in purposes related to official activities. In this regard, he refused to take the allocated petrol from the government for official purposes in taking his wife to the hospital. At a certain point of time in his life, when the government allotted airfare to his family to visit him in Cuba, he asked his family members to not accept the same from the government and asked them to bear their respective airfares to travel from Argentina to Cuba to visit him. His selfless nature led him to become more committed to the processes of revolution. His nature of being committed and the lifestyle that he led all throughout his existence in the world has helped enormously in earning the special place within the minds and hearts of the people belonging to the Latin American and the Cuban region (Saunois, â€Å"Che Guevara - Symbol of Struggle†). Guevara was a person who also possessed strong decisiveness. He was so clear about his goals that he never allowed his professiona l possessions collide with his desires and aspirations in life. When he faced the cycle of dilemma related to either choosing medicine or guns as his career, he noted the following verse which clearly evaluates his nature of being decisive. He stated that he was in an ambiguous state in his life when he had to decide whether he should dedicate his life working with medicine or should perform comprehensively his duties as a revolutionary leader. At that point, he decided his career through a straightforward thought that he had to choose one from a bag which was filled with medicine and an ammunition box. The bag and the box together were quite heavy to be carried by him and thus he decided to carry the ammunition box and left the medicine bag. With decisiveness, gradually he became the chief lieutenant of Fidel Castro and differentiated himself from others as a practical and brutal diplomat who could effectively lead his collaborators and traitors. Also at the same time, he deemed hi mself to be holding deep concern for the wellbeing of his groups. His decisive nature took him to the heights of popularity not only in Cuba but also in Latin America. With the passage of years in his life, he grew more and more focused towards his ambition in life. Along with popularity and love among the people of Cuba and Latin America, success in line with the fulfillment of his ambition also arrived throughout his various phases of life

Cyclermate Consultancy report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cyclermate Consultancy report - Essay Example This report will try to establish whether it is possible for Cyclermate Company to clear off its debts and attain financial stability in the near future with the increasingly loss of profitability. Background information Cyclermate Company has been enjoying unprecedented growth in the manufacture of cycles for quite some time. However, the last few years have seen the profits of this company sink sharply resulting from declined sales. The company was started in 1988 by two friends, Lewis Llewellyn and Dai Armstrong who had been in this business of making cycles for more than 20 years.The two friends brought their wealth of experience together and they decided to start a cycle manufacturing business going by the name Cyclermate. Within just a span of slightly more than two years, the firm had expanded to an extent that the two friends decided to acquire premises from where they were conducting their business. With increased demand for their product, the staff also increased considerab ly but they still insisted on keeping the staff at a skeletal minimum to cut costs. Everything was done manually or through the use of old or effective machinery. Automation was discouraged as they couldn’t justify buying the machines that were to be used in bending of the bars to manufacture these cycles. The issue of quality with these cycles arose when a cycle had an accident and blamed it on the fault of a braking system. Sales have declined and with a few creditors, Linda Llewellyn, who is Lewi’s wife and she demands that her share of the business be given to her and along term loaner, Geraint Williams, who relies on the payments from this loan to take care of his ailing wife. There is much financial pressure on the business and if measures are not taken into place, financial strain could cause the business to close down (Campello, Graham, & Harvey, 2010; Bancel, & Mittoo,2011). To this regard, the chairman Dai Armstrong and Gwyneth Morgan the secretary were taske d with the prerogative of arranging for a meeting with the bank to negotiate the possibility of an overdraft. The bank had already stipulated that this request would be highly unlikely to be considered unless the company provides proof that there would be increased trading to turn around the declining profits. To be able to know for sure whether the company can be capable of turning around and consolidate itself on the financial front in the short run, a full overview and assessment of the country will be done in this report. A SWOT analysis will be conducted to identify the areas of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities as well as threats that face this company. The issue of quality in production will also be illuminated upon. Measures that the company is undertaking to ensure it reverses these negative profits will also be looked into among other relevant issues pertaining to this case. Assumptions made To be able to provide a comprehensive and granular analysis of the company in f orm of its financial position and other aspects such as production techniques as well as marketing strategies and administration strategies, a number of assumptions will have to be made here. These assumptions are discussed in the following paragraphs. The main assumption is that both the company management and the bank acknowledge that the company had been performing well in the past but the

Goals Statement Essay Example for Free

Goals Statement Essay When I first sat down to write my educational goals statement, I thought it would be easy. I am an extremely goal oriented person, with my entire life being spent focusing on â€Å"what’s next†. So, how difficult could it be to simply write down those goals? When I began writing, however, I discovered it was going to be a little more difficult than I anticipated. I realized that it may be possible to have too many goals. My list was long and confusing with some goals very specific, and others vague. I thought to myself, how can I produce a smart goals statement out of this? So I re-evaluated my list and discovered that my goals could actually be divided into three predictable categories: immediate goals, short-term goals, and long-term goals. I decided then to choose one from each category to focus on for this report. My immediate goals were fairly general, but all related to my success as a student, so my main goal as student is to get an A in all of my online subjects, and this is a goal that I will go reaching slowly, day by day over the course of this course and in my following online courses. I feel a little intimidated when taking these online courses because my native language is Spanish and having to study in English is an extra challenge for me but I know that with effort and dedication I will get the A that I’m hoping for.

A detailed case study on the Rolls-Royce company

A detailed case study on the Rolls-Royce company Evolution of Rolls-Royce The glorious inception of car manufacturing business was pioneered by F.H. Royce and C.S. Rolls when they met in 1904 and in 1906 the company ROLLS-ROYCE Ltd was formed to unveil the six-cylinder Silver Ghost which, within a year, was acclaimed as the best car in the world. In 1914 the First World War necessitates aero engine the Eagle, designed by Royce was used in the air war by the allies. Later the company underwent diverse advancement towards improved aero-engine, gas turbine. Subsequently after acquisitions and mergers of other companies Rolls-Royce emerged as the only company in Britain proficient in delivering power for use in the air, at sea and on land. (See appendix for details) Rolls-Royce (2010) 1.2 Rolls -Royce at the present ROLLS-ROYCE GROUP PLC is a public limited company incorporated on 21st march 2003 and is registered in England under the UK companies Act 1985 having registered office in 65, Buckingham Gate, London in United Kingdom. The registration number of the company is 04706930. (Companieshouse 2010). ROLLS-ROYCE GROUP PLC is listed on LSE. It is a global conglomerate and world-leading provider of power solutions for consumer in aerospace, marine and energy markets. Today it is the worlds second largest civil aero engine company, the worlds second largest defence aero engine company, a global leader in marine propulsion and a leading supplier of energy solutions. 1.3 Stakeholders and Rolls-Royce Stakeholders are the person or group or organization that has direct or indirect stake in organization because it can affect or be affected by the organisations actions, objectives, decisions and policies. (Freeman,1984, pp.25) Stakeholders are Shareholders, customers, suppliers and distributors, employees, local communities. Management holds fiduciary relationship with its stakeholders and work for retaining interest of stakeholders at large. (Friedman Miles, 2006, p.1) The board of directors manages work of the company on behalf of the company. In Rolls-Royce the board is accountable to companys stakeholders regarding performance of company, the approval of certain matters which affect the shape and risk profile of the Company like the annual budget and performance targets, the financial statements, payments to shareholders, major capital investments and any substantial change to balance sheet management policy etc. Shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees constitute essential part of stakeholders in Rolls-Royce. Suppliers are valuable to the Rolls Royce Group and it follows the Supply Chain Relationships in Aerospace (SCRIA) to protect the interest of the suppliers as it provides the best possible terms from suppliers and when entering into binding purchasing contracts, gives consideration to quality, delivery, price and the terms of payment. As the Company is a holding company and does not itself trade, it owed no amounts to trade creditors at December 31, 2009 and therefore the number of creditor days required to be shown in Annual report to comply with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 is nil. (Rolls-Royce, Annual Report, 2009, pp.78) Financial statements are prepared by Rolls Royce in accordance with IFRSs, GAAP as adopted by the EU and UK respectively and as per requirements of the Companies Act 2006; and, as regards the Group financial statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation. Rolls-Royce maintains an effective corporate governance framework that protects investors and aspires to deliver long-term value to shareholders. (Rolls-Royce, Annual Report, 2009, pp.70-71) Rolls-Royce in AGM highlighted key business developments during the year and discussed about crucial matters like declaration of dividend, appointment of directors and auditors, consider accounts, giving shareholders opportunity to ask questions regarding the company they are holding. (Rolls-Royce, Annual Report, 2009, pp.75-76) COMPANY AND INTERACTION WITH STAKEHOLDERS 2.1 Legal Form As a whole trading entity can be branched out as Sole traders, Partnerships, Limited partnerships, Limited liability partnerships, Limited by Guarantee companies, unlimited companies, Public companies. As per UK Companies Act four types of companies exist. Formation of company helps the owner to limit the liability as company differs from the person as far as concept of corporate personality (separate legal entity which is distinct from the owner) is concerned. But when it is necessary to protect the stakeholders interest from fraud and deception of management the corporate veil of company is lifted. In limited liability companies the owner or partners are not personally answerable and liable for potential losses of the company. Unlike these companies, sole traders and partnership firm cannot exercise the scope of funds for expansion (Black, 2004, p.67). RR is public limited company with option of raising fund from public and preferred to be group of companies. When a company holds the shares of another company, former company is holding company that owns shares in subsidiary company, the later one. In group of company under one holding company various subsidiary companies inhabit. Sometimes group of companies appear as a result of the merger and acquisition of a new company. When a company merges with or acquires numerous companies E+W+S+N.I. it is quite unmanageable to keep accounting books and records, prepare annual accounts and to hold an Annual General Meeting of shareholders for those companies under one company head. Establishment of group companies reduces hazards of risky business through a subsidiary to limit the groups exposure to the risk. (The National Archives, 2010) Options/Help RR is the holding company and does not trade on its own account. The groups chief operating subsidiary is RR. Entire business actions of the group are performed by RR and its subsidiaries. RR shares its registered office with RR group PLC but with different company registration number 1003142 under the UK companies Act 1985. Other companies which are indirectly held by the group incorporated within the UK and outside UK can be segregated under different heads like civil aerospace, marine, energy, corporate. There are also a variety of companies which can be held as Joint venture and associates. (See Appendix 2) (Rolls-Royce, 2010) 2.2 Corporate Governance in Rolls Royce Recent corporate scams and fraudulent activities of large company like Enron in US, Polly Peck plc and Mirror Group plc in UK became noticeable and consequently Sarbanes-Oxley Act appeared in July 2002. To prevent the deception and misleading activities of companys strong presence of corporate governance with constituent like participation of BOD and committees are essentials. RR prioritises corporate governance at highest level for the reason that stakeholders interest is controlled, managed and directed by the company. The Company is exposed to the Combined Code on Corporate Governance published in June 2008 by the Financial Reporting Council (the Combined Code). (Rolls-Royce, Annual Report, 2009, pp.66) It is the board which is responsible for managing company and day to day operation of business and accountable to stakeholders. The BOD of Rolls-Royce comprises of fourteen directors with the non-executive Chairman, the Chief Executive, eight non-executive directors and four other executive directors thereby complying the regulation regarding corporate governance. Board Effectiveness The board takes special care to retain independence of non executive directors to strengthens corporate governance and protect stakeholders because the non-executive directors represent stakeholders interests. One of the most important facts is that the non-executive directors are not employees and do not participate in the daily business management of the Group. (Rolls-Royce, Annual Report, 2009, pp.70) The non executives are highly considerable as they are independent in character and judgment with relevant expert knowledge and determination of good governance and high standard of investor relation. (Dunne Morris pp7-10) Different committees have been set up to determine effective and successful governance practice with corporate responsibility towards stakeholders. These Committees play a critical role reviewing, formulating and recommending governance principles concerning business. COMMITTEES These committees support the company for improved business maneuver. Along with this company has properly identified various risks which are properly mitigated through measure for better governance. (Details in section 4) In Annual report of Rolls-Royce disclosures are made fulfilling the factors as depicted by the Companys Act 2006 (applied to the Plc which is listed in LSE) such as Business review must contain information on future development, performance and position of the business environmental issues, employees and social issues contractual and other arrangement (Rolls-Royce, Annual Report, 2009, pp.1-65) and in addition to this the company website contains annual report and accounts, results of the polled votes at AGM and result of the fact that the company gives certain minority shareholders the right to require independent scrutiny of any polled vote to abide by the regulation.(Rolls-Royce 2010) Abovementioned administration of corporate governance not only helps the shareholder to identify the companys risk profile, structure, culture, vision and course of action to invest further but also helps other stakeholders to meet their needs and obligations. 3. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS RR uses pre tax discount rate for the present value calculation of future cash flows and inventory, work in progress is calculated in first in first out basis. RR has considered net realisable value is selling price minus costs incurred by marketing, selling and distribution. Cash flow projection in goodwill calculation is under assumptions of defined discount rates, growth rates, foreign exchange rates and WACC at 12.75. In order book calculation RR has excluded the future order option on top of the placed orders. These best practices are common for going concern and conforming Section 418 of the Companies Act 2006. (Annual report, 2009) 3.1 Financial Statements In this report financial analysis is done through ratio analysis of provided financial statements. Financial statements have been prepared based on IFRS, which is issued by IASB. This preparation is common for EU and onset of UK GAAP. (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, 2003) 3.2 Ratio analysis Ratio analysis is a tool for financial analysis to evaluate firms, industries. Ratio analysis helps to find the trend as well as to compare among the competitors using the financial statements. Mainly five types of ratios are helpful to judge different financial aspects. These ratios are liquidity, asset management, debt management, profitability and market value. All the ratios are important but value and importance differ with the company and industry. Like debt management ratio will be important for higher borrowed firm to judge the bankruptcy risk. (Brigham Houston, 2009) Revenue, Gross Profit and Operating Profit have increased from 2008 to 2009. In 2009 RR has turnaround from loss to huge profit. Even company earning changed from negative to positive. This change in profit is mainly due to the huge decrease of financing costs from 3186 million  £ to 491 million  £. In 2009 RR has managed to get big amount of financing income. There is a no significant change in balance sheet item except the considerable amount of reduction of other financial liabilities. Net asset of RR has changed significantly due to the noticeable decrease in liabilities. (Historical Prices, 2010) RR has outperformed both LSE and BOE return for last 12 months period. From our previous financial analysis we found RRs good performance and growth in revenue which is mainly based on accounting figures but ultimately reflected in market also. RR is the market leader and main competitors are Dassault Aviation, Saab AB and MTU Aero Engines. RRs aero engine business serves two distinct market segments like new engine sales to Boeing and Airbus Industries engine parts sales to maintenance companies. So RR caters both primary and secondary markets. In this market the competition is distributed in commercial and technical side, which is also catered by General Electric and Pratt Whitney. Company has increased market share from10% in 1970 by investing in RD for new engine development and also for better services. Overall the market is oligopolistic and capital intensive. The key determinants for sustainable competitiveness are technology, RD outcome. (Annual report, 2009) 3.4 Strategy Recommendation RR has five key strategies like four market segments, better technology, competitive portfolio, increasing market share and value added services. RR has strong brand, domain knowledge, integrated system and operational excellence to implement these strategies. (Our strategy, 2010) SWOT (Porter, 2008) RR is in such industry where the numbers of buyers are very less so this is quite price makers type market or more easily can be said that the price of products of RR is set by buyers. But recently with increase in global carriers the demand is uptrend but here life long guarantee in engines are desirable. In supplier side RR follows the dual sourcing strategy so the power of suppliers reduced and high precision can be reached. Very high entry barrier is there to this industry, where brand reputation and domain knowledge is very key determinants of success. There is no substitute of engines and aerospace. (Data source from Annual report, based on own analysis and see exhibit 5 for details) Recommendation From above strategic and financial analysis, it is recommended that RR is strong in operation but few segments are not performing well, so few strategies are to be taken to increase the key indicators. 4. INTERNAL PROCESS AND STRUCTURES Some companies operate better in competitive environment than other due to implementation of their strategy on organization. Organisational structure does not mean only having best team with best skills to execute particular achievement but organistional effectiveness can be attained by closely interacting and interlinking them through finding creative solutions to execute business operation. Organisational Effectiveness is the result of effective interplay of a companys vision and strategic goals with the chosen structural design, processes, assigned responsibilities, available skills, knowledge and capabilities, and reliable performance measure. (Dressler pp.43) Combination of strategic perspective and core categories of Organisational Effectiveness creates strategic framework. Strategic management process is completed by carry out strategic direction setting, strategic alignment and strategic control. 4.1 Internal control and risk management Internal control and risk management procedure of Rolls Royce is very neatly framed to detect, monitor, manage and mitigate risks arising both from financial and operational viewpoint. The internal control system manages and thrives to eliminate failure of attainment of business goal. The risk committee is observant to the system of risk management and is responsible for reporting the principal risks , for implementing the Boards policies on risk and internal control and reviews the results of the risk management process to diminish them. The audit committee reviews credit, market or liquidity risks. The ethics committee reviews those risks which significantly affects ethical part happens to be threats to reputation to esteemed company. The day-to-day management activity involves risks and risks which operates at all levels in the Group flows from upper section of management towards subordinate It is every managers responsibility is to be attentive to indulge in risk mitigating activ ities whatever business decision they takes. (Rolls-Royce Annual Report 2009, pp74) 4.2 Procedure of Risk management Risks are recognized and identified to update in framework of risk register so that management can review to assess them for subsequent reduction of risk. The company has followed a consistent strategy for twenty years and investment in technology for future growth in a good way. As a result of this strategy, Rolls-Royce today has a broad customer base comprising more than 600 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces, more than 2,000 marine customers, including 70 navies, and energy customers in nearly 120 countries, with an installed base of 54,000 gas turbines. Rolls-Royce having 38,000 skilled employees in offices, manufacturing and service facilities with presence in 50 countries the group is thriving for developing employee skills. (Rolls-Royce) The company is continuing in sustaining development of the Companys strategy to bring long term value for investor within an acceptable risk profile. It also keeps eye on the monitoring of the strategy implementation along with retaining safeguard of the values of the Company, including its brand and corporate reputation and the safety of its products. 4.3 Implementation in Rolls-Royce Aforementioned diagram shows the strategy for entire business process as a whole highlighting on technology, infrastructure, and development of competitive portfolio of products and services, closeness to customer, brand, organic growth, partnership and acquisition through last twenty years. 4.4 Balance score Card Balance score card is a set of measures that gives top managers a fast but comprehensive view of business, a tool for measurement of business performance. (Kaplan and Norton, 1992) the model has four perspectives Financial perspective, Customer perspective, internal business perspective, Innovation and learning perspective. The customer perspective detects goals for time, quality, performance and service which has effect on the customer. (Harvard Business Review, 992, p.73). Internal business perspective recognizes the processes and competences are identified arising from the most important issues for customers. (Harvard Business Review, 1992, pp.74-75). Innovation and learning perspective is referring to the ability of a company to innovate, improve and learn ties directly to the companys value (Harvard Business Review, 1992, p. 76). From the financial perspective, financial performance indicating companys strategy, implementation and execution are measured to measure profit improvement (Harvard Business Review, 1992, pp.77). All perspectives categorise goals and measures to be made available. Through the Balanced Scorecard, the strategy of a business can be communicated clearly and ensured that all employees follow the same goals (California Management Review, 1996, p.57). Training in RR improved employee skills, which helps to maintain the core competencies of RR in tradition. This Internal quality along with higher productivity and online delivery gives limited customers of RR to maintain long term relation. ROCE of last three years is on an average consistent, which is maintained due to this cascading effect. (California Management Review, 1996, p.66) CONCLUSION Rolls-Royce emphasizes transparency and high standard of governance, ethics and integrity. The brand of Rolls-Royce symbolizes reliability, integrity and innovation and is most valuable asset of the company than their engineering excellence. Fabricating grand product and delivering services is not enough in current competitive market but it is the trust which is established through years by virtue of response of Rolls-Royce to the needs of customers building enduring relationships with customers, partners and other stakeholders consequently made them worlds leading-edge, international power system company. Financial position is improving from last year but key indicators and from strategic point of view Rolls-Royce should think of market portfolio. Product line and services are as per leaders approach but except civil aerospace, other segments are with lesser growth and prospect. ANNEXURE 6.1 References Books Brigham, E.F Houston, J.F. (2009) Fundamentals of Financial Management. Florence, KY: Cengage Learning. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.in/books?id=zepGuo84-8ACpg=PA121dq=financial+ratio+analysishl=enei=bJvXTPvrBo20vgPspYHnCQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=8ved=0CFMQ6AEwBw#v=onepageq=financial%20ratio%20analysisf=false Bull, R. (2008) Financial Ratios. Burlington, CIMA Publishing. BLACK, G.(2004) Applied Financial Accounting and Reporting. Oxford University Press. Dressler,S. (2004) Strategy, Organizational Effectiveness and performance management. Boca Raton, Universal-Publishers. Dunne, P. Morris ,G.D. (2008) Non-Executive Directors Handbook. US, Butterworth-Heinemann FREEMAN,R.E.(1984) Strategic Management: A stakeholder Approach., Boston, Pitman. FRIEDMAN,A.L Miles, S.(2006) Stakeholders: theory and practice. Oxford University Press, Journals KAPLAN, N. NORTON, D., (1992) The Balanced Scorecard Measure That Drive Performance. Harvard Business Review, January-February pp.71-79. KAPLAN, N. NORTON, D., (1996) Linking the Balanced Scorecard to Strategy. California Management Review, 39 (1) pp.53- 79. Online Sources Annual Report. (2009) Delivering today, investing for the future. [online] Available from: http://www.rolls-royce.com/reports/2009/index.shtml [[Accessed 5th December 2010]. Companies House (2010). Select and access company information [online]Available from:www.companieshouse.gov.uk [Accessed 05/12/2010] Historical Prices. (2010) Rolls-Royce Group PLC (RR.L). [Online] Available from: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/hp?s=RR.L+Historical+Prices [Accessed 5th December 2010]. Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. (2003) Accounting Standards. Available from: www.ifac.org/ComplianceAssessment/attachments/ICAEW_Attachment.pdf [Accessed 5th December 2010]. Porter, M.E. (2008) The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. [Online] Available from: http://hbr.org/2008/01/the-five-competitive-forces-that-shape-strategy/ar/1 [Accessed 5th December 2010]. Rolls Royce. (2010) Our strategy. [Online] Available from: http://www.rolls-royce.com/about/what_do/strategy/index.jsp [Accessed 5th December 2010]. Rolls-Royce. (2010).History Timeline[online] Available from: http://www.rolls-royce.com/about/heritage/timeline/graphical_timeline.jsp [Accessed 05/12/2010]. The National Archives (2010).The Company Act 2006 [online] Available from: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46 Rolls-Royce.( 2010). Business Overview [online] Available from: http://www.rolls-royce.com/about/what_do/business_overview/index.jsp Rills-Royce.( 2010). History Timeline[online] Available from: http://www.rolls-royce.com/Images/final_poll_figures_2010_tcm92-19721.pdf The times 100. (2000) Competing within a changing world. [Online] Available from: http://www.rolls-royce.com/Images/competition_tcm92-11184.pdf [Accessed 5th December 2010]. 6.2 GLOSSARY Financial statements are Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement and statement of changes of equity. Turnover = Revenue from continuing operations, the figure is available from profit loss account. Operating profit= Profit on operations OR Profit from continuing operations Operating profit margin =( Operating profit / Turnover) x 100 Return on capital employed (ROCE) = (Operating profit/TALCL) x 100 TALCL= Total assets less current liabilities Asset turnover = Turnover/ TALCL Current ratio = Current assets/ Current liabilities Gearing = Long term borrowing/ TALCL x 100 Interest Cover = Profit before interest/ Interest payable Dividend Yield = Dividend per share/ Share price Earnings per Share (EPS) = Profit before dividends/ Number of ordinary shares Price/Earnings Ratio = Share price/ EPS Dividend Cover = Profit after tax / Dividends Stock Turnover = Sales/ Stock Debtors Turnover = Sales/ Debtors Creditors Turnover =Sales/ Creditors Working Capital Turnover =Sales/ Working Capital Quick or Acid Test Ratio = Current assets stock/ Current liabilities Debtors Collection Period = 365/ Debtors Turnover Creditors Payment Period = 365 / Creditors Turnover Du-Pont analysis = Financial leverage * Net profit margin * Total asset turnover Financial leverage = Total asset / Common stock equity Net profit margin = (Net profit / Turnover) x 100 Total asset turnover = Total revenue/ Total assets SOX is US Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 Order book EU= European Union IFRS= International Financial Reporting Standards IASB= International Accounting Standards Board GAAP= Generally Accepted Accounting Practices Group= Company and its subsidiaries together referred to as the Group WACC= weighted average cost of capital 6.4 APPENDICES Appendix 1 Profitability of Rolls-Royce is measured through Return on capital employed, Operating profit can be found from Profit and Loss account but total assets less current liabilities is available at Balance sheet. Efficiency of Rolls-Royce is measured through Asset turnover, Stock Turnover, Debtors Turnover and Creditors Turnover and Working Capital Turnover. Liquidity of Rolls-Royce is measured through Current ratio. Current assets and Current liabilities figure are available at Balance Sheet. Liquidity can measure through Debtors Collection Period, Creditors Payment Period. Structure of Rolls-Royce is measured through Gearing or using Dividend Cover, Earnings per Share (EPS), Price/Earnings Ratio, Dividend Yield and Interest Cover. Higher value of acid test ratio, creditors payment period, EPS, Dividend cover, interest cover ratio, price earning ratio is better but lower value debtors collection period is good for business.

Do Correctional Officers Abuse Their Authority?

Do Correctional Officers Abuse Their Authority? Correction officers hold considerable power and authority within the corrections system. They are in charge of maintaining discipline and order within the facility at which they work. Many people view correction officers as the cause of violence within the prisons and jail. Others view correction officers as those who are professional, ethical, and hold good moral standards. I purpose a questionnaire consisting of yes, no, and no reply answer choices will help in determining the cause of violence, part of the dark figure of crime, and what percentage of correction officers actually follow by the rules and regulations. Correctional Officers: Do They Abuse Their Authority or Provide Equal Treatment Are correctional officers abusing their powers and authority by mistreating inmates or could they be justice providers and treat the inmates ethically and fair? Many people are lead to believe that inmates are being treated inhumanely by force or coercion into negative living environment and are being treated unethically by the officers who judge them according to the crime they have committed, or by their associations within the facility. Others view correctional officers as the cause of an offender to relapse or to become repeat offenders. The objective of this research is to determine if the treatment correction officers give inmates affect the crime rate in the facility, to determine if inmates are mistreated, to determine if officers allow one another to mistreat inmates, abuse their authority, and to show that this study can contribute to the general understanding of crime or policy responses to crime. The purpose of this research is to determine if correctional officers violate inmates in any way. The purpose is also to determine why violence is still occurring in prisons after the prisoners have been convicted of a crime and given their sentences. This research study will also show how the correction officer job is turning into a multitasked profession. Not only is this research going to be used to show how correctional officers are treating the inmates, but it will also show whether or not more violence is occurring by the inmates towards other inmates or whether or not correctional officers have something to do with the violence occurring within the facility. Literature Review There have been previous studies on correctional officers concerning the abuse of authority. There have been experiments conducted such as the Stanford prison experiment which discovered that correctional officers do feel as if they have more power and can treat the inmates however they feel like. One point of view that one could perceive from the Stanford prison experiment is that ordinary people change once they are put into a situation where they think that they can dominate (Zimbardo, 1999-2009). The impact of social forces has an effect on the behavior and the way a person reacts to the situation (Clements, 1999). The results of that experiment strongly indicated that in certain situations, behavior applies itself which causes the person to act accordingly to the situation. In another study, by Wolff, Shi and Siegel (2009), research concluded that people within the prison system have above-average rates of victimization during both childhood and adulthood. The correctional settings are known for the violence between inmates and staff. The research found evidence showing the rates of victimization being higher in a prison setting then that in a community setting. In a study that examined the characteristics of an officer and the investigations of the use of force, there were conclusions made that there is excessive use of force going on in the correctional facilities. McElvain and Kposowa (2004) acknowledged that departmental experience was the strongest predictor of investigations for alleged use of force. While race had no effect, gender did. Males were more likely to be investigated for the use of force than females. Also, younger officers were more likely to be investigated than older officers. There has always been a history of prison violence and correctional officers abusing the authority. According to Gross (2008), history is replete with incidents of seemingly decent people committing horrendous acts of violence in what they believe to be the pursuit or defense of justice and right. Gross (2008) discussed experiments such as the Stanford Prison Experiment and the BBC Prison Study. Apart of his discussion concluded that both prison studies demonstrated that under some circumstances, some individuals resist going-with-the-flow of group-associated brutality. Gross (2008) also went on to say that if a person with authority over a group of individuals varies in their zero-tolerance stance towards brutality, then brutality may emerge anywhere. There have been numerous studies on correctional officers and brutality including experiments and questionnaires. Butterfield (2004) talks about physical and sexual abuse of prisoners, similar to what has been uncovered in Iraq, takes place in American prisons with little public knowledge or concern, according to corrections officials, inmates and human rights advocates. Discussion The Profession Under the job description for a correction officer, one might find that their duties include being able to guard the prisons in accordance with the set forth policies, procedures, codes, and regulations. The officers responsibilities include watching and protecting the inmates from harm, escape, and contraband, as well as fights that break out amongst the inmates. Officers are allowed to search any inmate that they feel is a threat, as well as directing the inmates to where or what they need to go and do in order to maintain discipline. Correction officers career can get challenging due to the verbal and psychological abuse that they experience. Within the line of their duties, there are several situations that officers can be put in that can have an influence on the officers judgments and actions. Correctional officers have no law enforcement rights outside of the prison. Not being able to enforce the law outside of the prison could lead to correctional officers to want to be more harsh within the area that they are allowed to enforce the law and have authority(McElvain Kposowa, 2004). History The history of corrections, guards, and officer dates back to the 12th Century under King Henry II when he began a structured court system for handling all criminal charges. During the Ancient and Medieval Era, correctional objectives were more about retribution and retaliation rather then incarceration and proportionate sentences. By the mid 1700s, practices were becoming violent and bloody being completely out of proportion with the seriousness of the offense. John Howard, a well known prison reformer began the era of establishing efficient means of penal treatment and crime prevention. (Henry II of England, 2008) According to Villanueva (2007), many of the early 1600s correctional methods were based upon the English law and practices. The roots of this system began during the colonial times in the original thirteen colonies. The jails were used for the people who were awaiting trial or who could not pay their fees and fines. Corporal punishment was designed to be viewed by the public as a form of deterrence. During the late 1700s to the early-mid 1800s, the penitentiary was designed and developed. The Pennsylvania System and the New York Auburn System were two of the most influential penitentiaries to the corrections system. These two systems were designed during a time of land and population growth. Near the beginning of the 1900s, probation and parole became a broad aspect of corrections. Juvenile courts were established and the court system took an individual case approach. Throughout the rest of the 1900s until todays present time, corrections took on the perspectives of providing medical services, community service, and crime prevention and control (Villanueva, 2007). Corruption in Corrections Corruption in the corrections system can and has lead to the dark figure of crime. There are instances where correction officers allow things to go on that they know is against policy, rules, and regulations. Correction officers know that no matter what goes on within the prisons when dealing with the inmates, they have the upper hand. The officers can force the inmates or other faculty members into doing something or letting something go by without saying anything, even though it is illegal from different perspectives. Younger officers should feel the need to follow the rules more closely than the officers that are older with more experience. The young officers characteristics should be more ethical than those of older officers who knows how the operation of the system, however all correctional officers should hold high ethical and moral standards. The work environment for correction officers is a very challenging and hazardous place. Correction Officers have one of the highest rates of non-fatal on-the-job injuries. Many of these injuries occur during confrontations with the inmates. The newer facilities are well ventilated, temperature controlled, and well lighted while other facilities are older with little to no ventilation, no temperature controls, and the lighting is poor. In environments like these, working under stress and pressure would be increased because the nature of the job (Bureau of Labor, 2009). Correctional facilities are known to have an affect on the inmates as well as the staff physically and psychologically. Past experiences of victimization could be relevant causes for adult criminal activity. It would be prevalent to recognize and identify this phenomenon. Suggested Quality Research In todays society, many people believe that inmates are treated poorly once they are incarcerated, while on the other hand, other people believe that the inmates are getting the treatment that they deserve. I have designed a research study that would help in determining whether or not correction officers violate the inmates in any way. The strategy would consist of a questionnaire that contained twenty questions with YES, NO, and NO REPLY answer choices. A copy of the suggested questionnaire may be obtained by contacting the author through the affiliated university. This study could contribute to general understanding of crime or policy responses to crime and I feel that it would be just as beneficial as other similar research if not more significant. The answer choices will help in guaranteeing that the honest answers received will help improve the operational chain of command and the flow procedures within corrections system. The correctional officers can sometimes have an affect on why inmates act a certain way or why they do certain things to themselves and or others. I want this research to show officials that correctional officers allow one another to mistreat inmates without saying a word to anyone. This research will also allow correctional officers to speak anonymously about what is going on in the facility and how they are treating the offenders, whether it is positive or negative by other officers and or staff. A predicted outcome of this research would be that correctional officers do abuse their authority, and that there are crimes going on inside the prison directly resulting from officers actions or directly from the officers. Fellner (2004) discusses that in recent years, U.S. prison inmates have been beaten with fists and batons, stomped on, kicked, shot, stunned with electronic devices, doused with chemical sprays, choked, and slammed face first onto concrete floors by the officers whose job it is to guard them. Inmates have ended up with broken jaws, smashed ribs, perforated eardrums, missing teeth, burn scars not to mention psychological scars and emotional pain. Some have even died as the end result. Both men and women prisoners could face staff rape and multiple forms of sexual abuse and then the officers will bribe, coerce, or violently force the inmates for certain favors. Men and women inmates can experience correctional officers mistreatment and exploitation for many different reasons. Parsons-Pollard (2006) believe that the study of ethics in criminal justice has proliferated over the past 25 years as the public demands a higher level of ethical accountability for those in professional positions. The ethics of criminal justice professionals should be very precise allowing no room for anyone to become corrupt within the system. The ethical values of a corrections officer should be recognized in respect to the expected actions of correctional officers. If the officers are not going to abide by their rules and regulations within their workplace, then the correction officer profession may not be suitable for them. The conclusion and analysis of the result from this study will help to determine whether or not correctional officers are abusing the inmates and how they will address the problem. Sometimes, correctional officers abuse the inmates and take away what rights the inmates do have, making it very noticeable within the prison facilities that there is violence occurring that could be prevented. The best way to conquer this problem is to provide staff with adequate training on controlling their frustrations and anger issues, and to establish a well communicated staff. Even though the inmates are incarcerated for a reason, that doesnt mean that inmates should get poor treatment from the officers while they are incarcerated. The correctional officers are there to provide safety amongst the prison populations and officers should not judge the inmates according to their crime, the judge has already done it. Correction officers need to have current training and development in regards to their positions at the facility. They need to have a common knowledge of the application of law and how it is applied to those incarcerated. They should know the Constitutional Rights as well as the federal and jail standards for their state and province. Each correction officer should be able to conduct searches of both inmates and the areas that they are permitted access such as their cell. It would be relevant to have substance abuse prevention training to have a working knowledge of what substances are being used and abused and how. There are several aspects of corrections. The inmates may all hold different point of views in regards to how they view incarceration. One may view incarceration as a way to do something illegal, get caught and incarcerated, and still be able to receive all the free benefits of being incarcerated such as free food, water, sleeping corridors, television, computer/internet, and legal services. Those incarcerated have a lot more benefits and opportunities then a lot of people that are barely keeping up in life. Another might view prison as the most devastating experience that they have ever encountered. There are physical, emotional, and psychological issues that arise with those that are incarcerated and the officer must be able to understand their changes in behavior in order to maintain discipline. There are situations that may arise within the facilities where the correction officer would have to report to court. An important area that they should be trained in would be courtroom testimony. Other important areas that they should be trained in would be report writing, and how to take fingerprints, pictures, and identification of the offenders being processed. Conclusion Apart of any profession, the employee should be able to provide their employer with professionalism, ethics and morals, and proficient communication skills. These three elements are an important part of the correction officers profession. As apart of the training that they receive, the Correction officers should be well trained in how to respond to a situation where an inmate has taken another person within the facility as a hostage. A correction officer should also be able to respond adequately to a situation where there is a barricaded area. If any emergency were to break out, the correction officers should be able to respond as sufficiently as possible. Offenders all have different reasons as to why they are incarcerated and they are all going to deal with those reasons the best way they know how. Some may not be able to deal with those issues turning them into problems. Psychological issues, abnormal behavior, and thoughts and threats of suicide are all going to be prevalent when dealing with a group of criminals in a somewhat small area. When riots, fights, and or disorder starts to unfold in the prisons and jails, the correction officers are people responsible for being able to respond to the situations. There are situations that a correction officer may face daily that could result in prisoner abuse allegations. Prisoners are incarcerated for a particular reason and they are there because they committed a crime and have been sentenced. The judge is responsible for giving the inmates the sentence that they deserve therefore no official except the judge should be responsible for giving the inmates the treatment as well as the sentence that they get. Correction officers tend to want to give the inmates the treatment they deserve and that leads to the abuse of inmates. This abuse is apart of the dark figure of crime which is crime that goes unnoticed, unaccounted for, and unpunished. Inmates that are serving their sentences accordingly are being punished by the law and they dont need any additional appalling treatment, unless they are acting out or causing more trouble within the system. Officers may believe that because they have the authority to keep the prison under control then they have the authority to treat the inmates however they desire. If they think that they can not get into trouble or will not get into trouble then they will be more prone to doing and completing the actions. There has been a long history of corrections in the United States from retribution to rehabilitation and there has been a history of abuse of inmates from the correction officers. Payment And Delay Issues | Construction Industry Payment And Delay Issues | Construction Industry The construction industry plays an important role in any countrys development process. The industry establishes buildings and infrastructure works required for social economic development which contribute to the overall economic growth. The success of economic development will further lead to an increase in disposal incomes, generating demand for additional construction activities. Therefore, it is important to make sure the economy growth of construction industry is moving smoothly. Payment is considered as the lifeblood of the construction industry because constructions often involve very large capital outlay and take a considerable time to complete (Naseem, 2005). In the construction industry, payment is the sum of money paid to contractors, consultants and suppliers after their works, service or materials has been successfully realized or accepted. Payments are so important to these parties that it is a constant headache for them as problems in construction would always be revolving around the poor payment practices. In cases like this, contractors would be directly affected as they are the one who receive and spend the most amounts of monetary sources in a project done. A regular disbursement of interim payment is a critical point for a contractor to help them survive in the construction field. Whether it is late payment or not being paid in the amounts certified, it all literally means big problems to the contractors as cash flow will be effected. Some small construction companies such as Class F contractors would even close business due to late payments. Cash flow is critical to the construction industry. Even Lord Denning famously said that cash flow is the life-blood of the construction industry. The ease of cash flow is an essential element in delivering a successful project. Many actions have been taken by government to curb the payment problems among contractors. Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu in 2008 for instance has proposed to make direct payments to sub-contractors handling government projects with immediate effect to ensure that they receive the money on time Government officers that delayed the distribution of payments to contractors will be given surcharge. But that does not stop there. Recently, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi shows his concerns over complaints from contractors and suppliers about late payments. He had instructed that all payments must be made within three weeks of the date of receipts of the bills. Government is very particular about this matter because it was giving a negative perception of the current implementation of the 10th Malaysia Plan that is moving at a slow pace. The 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) that runs from 2011-2015 besides reinforcing the New Economic Model (NEM) also reinforced the theme of Towards Higher Income with more measures to transform the nation into a high-income economy. Nonetheless, there are still cases of delayed payment and non-payment in arbitration if not in the court. Contractors are still facing problems in receiving their payments. Arbitration and judicature process not only consumed much time and money but could kill the business as well. As a contractor, what is the most appropriate action should be taken in securing their payments without effecting their business and cash flow? Statement of Problem The construction industry plays a very important role in generating wealth and improving the quality of life of the people through the provision of social and economic infrastructure like infrastructure like schools, hospital, houses, roads, airports, ports etc. It is linked to the whole spectrum of the economy and has a multiplier effect that enables other industries to prosper alongside. Hence, it is vital to ensure that construction projects are effectively and efficiently implemented. Problems of cash flow due to issues on late, under and non-payment can severely affect the implementation of construction projects and thus the provision of the nations infrastructure and built environment. In construction, delay could be defined as the time overrun either beyond completion date specified in a contract, or beyond the date that the parties agreed upon for delivery of a project.ÂÂ  Delays in payment means there is a delays in progress compared to the baseline schedule. While, problems of delay in payment has continued to worsen in the construction industry (Pitcher, 2010) According to Davenport 2010, the Constructon Industry Development Boards Construction Industry Indicators (CII) had conducted a survey in Cape Town 2009. The survey indicates that only 42% of contractors were paid on time and 58% of payments to contractor were made 30days or more after invoicing. Payments delays in 2009 show quite a significant deterioration compared with the payment delays in 2007 and 2008. CIDBs CEO, Ronnie Khoza states that the issue of payment delays is a very serious matter. The delays could be the result of a poor quality of invoices or corruption within government departments. Contractor Calculator reveals from a latest contractor survey that a whopping 88% of contractors have been receiving their payment late from their agency or client. According to Dave Chaplin, CEO of Contractor Calculator, this is a sad reflection of the times, particularly as 37% of respondents suffering delayed payment have a contract with the public sector. Construction works involve huge amounts of money and most of the contractors find it very difficult to bear the heavy daily construction expenses when the payments are delayed. Work progress can be delayed due to the latepayments from the clients because there is inadequate cash flow to support construction expenses especially for those contractors who are not financially sound. (Murali Sambasivan, 2006) Purposes of Study The construction industry which affected by the cash flow of such projects is getting serious year by year. One of factors causing the problem of cash flow is late payment. In response to the predicted possible concern for this problem, this research is conducted to investigate this issue further in both private and public construction project. Objectives of Study The objective of the study is to compare the factors that contribute to delay in progress payments for construction projects between the private and public sector. Research Questions Delay in construction interim payment consequently affects the progress of the construction project. Either in private or public construction project, payment is the life blood for a project in order to complete in the certain period. Hence, it is important to solve out this problem. To find the solution, we must know the causes influence the late payment. Therefore, this research will enable us to provide the answers for the following questions: What are the factors that contribute to delay in progress payments for construction projects? Is it private sector and public sector influence by the same factors? Significance of Study This research should increase the awareness of both contractors and employers in relation to the payment issues. The contractors should take attention with late payment issue, because it will bring a big impact to their financial ability. The developers or government should also take attention with this issue in order to minimize the impact to the work in site. By that, making improvement either on their own party or employers is important to solve the problems. Besides that, the research is also expected to grab the attention of the employers or developers in making their payments promptly and timeliness. This research help to find out the most common reasons cause the delay in progress payment for construction project in private and public sector. Compare the reason which most frequently happens to see whether these two different fields face the same problems in getting payment. Public projects usually involve more parties in preparing the payment certificate, while private projects which are normally involved weak financial backgrounds employers. After identify the factors causes delay in these two fields, the next step is to find the solution to solve the problems. Through the research, the findings may assist the relevant parties such as developers or government and the contractors in addressing problems associated to late payment in an effective and timely manner to create a win-win situation for all parties in the Malaysian construction industry. It is hoped that the relevant parties will adopt and implement the necessary plan of action in order to minimise disputes on payment in any construction project, so as to create a friendly and enjoyable working environment for all parties and to improve the payment flows in the Malaysian construction industry. Scope of Study This research will be focusing on late payments in the Malaysias construction industry in both private and public project in Johor Bahru. This study will focus on the building works in construction projects. This research will be focusing on the main party in the Malaysias construction industry, which is a contractor. Contractors, whose are carry out the works on site and receiver of payment to make sure the construction works in the progress. Hence, they are the important party in getting the right information in this research. Research Methodology The research for this study was conducted using the following approaches: a) Literature Review This includes the secondary data and information collected from different sources which can be used to conduct the research. The sources include books, journals, magazines, newspaper, dissertations, conference papers, periodicals, information from the internet, etc. These materials were used as background information in order to fully understand the information needed for discussion and analysis in the research. The information can be any issues related to the delay in payment in global construction industries. b) Questionnaire Survey The principal method used to collect primary data from contractors was the use of a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was designated according to the problems in delay of payment in both sectors, private and public in order to achieve the objective of the study. Further details and analysis of the data will be discussed in Chapter 3. c) Interview Besides questionnaire survey, interview sessions will be conducted to collect the primary data. In order to get more exact and detail data, experienced contractor will be the target respondents to be interview. (Placeholder1) (Sub-contractors to be paid directly by Works Ministry) (n.d.). References Chaplin, D. (Director). Contractors suffering late-payment abuse by agencies clients, reveals latest survey [Motion Picture]. Davenport, J. (9 April, 2010). Contruction survey reveals worrying payment-delay trend. Construction Industry Development Board . Cape town: Engineering News. Murali Sambasivan, Y. W. (2006). Causes and effects of delays in Malaysian construction industry. International Journal of Project Management , 524. Naseem, N. A. (2005). International Forum Construction Industry Payment Act and Adjudication. Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act . Kuala Lumpur: CIDB and ISM. Pitcher, G. (2010, April 26). Construction late payment worsens. Construction News. Sub-contractors to be paid directly by Works Ministry. (2008, Feb 1). New Straits Times Online.