Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Kraft Foods Essay

Kraft Foods is an amazingly all around perceived brand that gives a huge swath of food and drink items with a definitive objective â€Å"to become North America’s best food and refreshment company† (Kraft, 2014). Basic examination of Kraft Foods crucial, and values explanations uncovered some fundamental changes to improve authoritative achievement. Kraft Foods will turn into the top in their industry by proceeding to create and sell items custom fitted to their purchasers needs/requests. Helping purchasers to settle on solid life decisions is a piece of their commitment to partners. Through motivators and prizes representatives will stay committed, propelled and have pride in Kraft Foods items along these lines expanding monetary development. Kraft Foods comprehends that adding to the network is fundamental for enduring achievement. Effectively securing regular assets will leave a gigantic impression and heritage for Kraft Foods. Kraft Foods statement of purpose is exceptionally nonexclusive and expansive in nature. By narrowing and centering this objective they will ensure their future achievement. The vision and qualities explanations are elegantly composed and conjure recollections and feelings from their partners in this manner attracting them to Kraft Foods. Presentation Since its foundation in 1903 Kraft Foods has become a very much regarded commonly recognized name (Kraft Foods, 2014). In the course of the only remaining century Kraft Foods has purchased out a large number of their rivals and extended their line of items, keeping them as one of the top food and drink organizations in the country (Kraft Foods). So as to stay effective and achieve their missionâ it is basic their business proclamations precisely mirror their vision and qualities. In this paper the creator will talk about the mission, vision and estimations of Kraft Foods and how these ground-breaking explanations add to their general accomplishment in the business. Statement of purpose Analysis Each association should introduce an incredible obviously verbalized proclamation regarding why their association exists (McNamara, 2009). This announcement ought to pass on to outside partners the advantages of leading business together to build odds of money related achievement. Kraft Food’s statement of purpose peruses â€Å"our point is to be North America’s best food and drink company† (Kraft Foods, 2014). Kraft Food’s statement of purpose is exceptionally straightforward, conventional and needs adequate profundity, particularly given the size of the Kraft Foods association. Statements of purpose should incorporate solid incredible words that lucid and articulate an association, bringing about a critical impression that remaining parts on the thinking ahead of the considerable number of partners (Ramjee, n.d.). A statement of purpose is momentary future objectives and it is consequently basic that associations readdress their statements of purpose now and again (Rector, 2010). With all the wellbeing marvel worries in North America it is urgent Kraft Foods keep on reexamining their crucial re-plan varying to stay on the highest point of their industry and attract new customer base to their association. The capacity to utilize distinctive promoting methodologies, take advantage of various open doors will attract new partners to Kraft Foods in this manner guaranteeing mission achievement and budgetary development. Vision Statement Analysis A productive and successful vision explanation is an integral asset that paints a striking picture while portraying how an association will achieve their strategic, (2009). This one articulation can pass on force, certainty and motivate partners (Change Factory, 2014). A dream proclamation mulls over an associations advertise, clients, qualities and shortcomings so as to upgrade themselves (Change Factory). Kraft Foods vision explanation peruses â€Å"we’ll arrive by proceeding to offer items shoppers love, making an exhibition based culture that motivatesâ and energizes workers and turns into the best interest in the industry† (Kraft Foods, 2014). With this straightforward sentence Kraft Foods rouses, inspires and summons recollections from their partners. Painting a clear picture for partners conjures feelings from past encounters. These paramount impressions remain with partners and they are along these lines bound to help Kraft Foods. This persuasive proclamation likewise depicts the most treasured qualities, administrations and vision of things to come along these lines permitting partners to decide whether their own qualities get together with that of Kraft Foods future and if interest in this association is valuable (Crea, n.d.). Another part of vision proclamations is the capacity to state practical results (Millard, 2010). Reasonable results are basic as they spur representatives and assist them with concentrating on an option that could be greater than themselves (Millard). Meeting these objectives, â€Å"offering items shoppers love† upgrades commitments, inspiration and pride, which will additionally improve Kraft Foods achievement (Kraft Foods, 2014). The vision proclamation for Kraft Foods is all around enunciated, makes a dream of things to come organization, summons feelings and attracts partners to the association. Qualities Statement Analysis Notwithstanding crucial vision explanations a qualities proclamation will upgrade an associations possibility of future achievement. A qualities explanation is the center of an association and what esteems they love (Edmunds, 2014). It characterizes how workers will carry on and how activities and practices will be assessed (Edmunds). A qualities articulation uncovers how an association esteems their clients, yet providers, investors and partners (Edmunds). At Kraft Foods their qualities articulation peruses to â€Å"make a distinction in networks, ensure most prominent assets †land, air, water, individuals, instruct and propel to settle on invigorating decisions, sanitation and quality, and working environment safety† (Kraft Foods, 2014). It is fundamental a qualities proclamation distinguish and address the hierarchical qualities in a reasonable brief way so every partner knows and comprehends what will be endured inside the association. The away from of Kraft Foods vision proclamation permits individuals to add to something greater then themselves. An additional advantage of a qualities articulation is prizes and acknowledgments are organized around thisâ statement and those representatives who grasp the authoritative qualities are recognized and remunerated (Edmunds). This announcement tells investors how the association employs and advances people and shows that Kraft Foods outer providers are in arrangement with the associations esteems, hence upgrading obligations of trust and regard. Arrangement of Goals/Needs with Stakeholders Interests The mission, vision and worth proclamations all work together to characterize an association. Also these announcements need to address the objectives and necessities of the investors and partners in this manner protecting future financial specialists. Through their business explanations Kraft Foods explicitly tended to four partner needs they would like to meet. Kraft Foods tends to customers by concentrating on â€Å"quality, safe food that shoppers love† in their vision and qualities articulations (Kraft Foods, 2014). Moreover Kraft Foods esteems proclamation talks about their commitment to helping North Americans â€Å"make solid food choices† (Kraft Foods). Their commitment is likewise obvious by the collection of sound name brands items, for example, Back to Nature granola (Kraft Foods). The qualities proclamation of Kraft Foods additionally addresses the associations devotion to â€Å"making a distinction in the community† (Kraft Foods, 2014). Kraft Foods is leaving a positive impression, enormous impressions and taking monstrous steps â€Å"to improve the world a spot with each activity they take† (Kraft Foods). This is obvious by their commitment to food drives planned for battling hunger, offering philanthropic help, building play areas, and planting gardens (Kraft Foods). Kraft Foods additionally addresses their workers, probably the greatest partner, in their business proclamations. Representatives at Kraft Foods are â€Å"treated with deference, gave a sheltered workplace, and urged to do extraordinary things† (Kraft Foods, 2014). This association comprehends that achievement is subject to propelled, driven and committed representatives that invest heavily in their work. Also, through their business explanations Kraft Foods is educating the outside world regarding their worker duty in this manner creating regard from the network, industry and different partners. Kraft Foods comprehends that so as to be effective a solid collaborate administration must be build up to help balance the requirements of investors and partners (Kraft Foods, 2014). â€Å"Kraft Foods Board of Directors accept viable corporate administration gives a solid system to help them in maintaining their trustee duties to investors and advance long haul achievement of the organization† (Kraft Foods). Enhancements of the Company Statements Kraft Foods is perhaps the biggest association in North America and it is fundamental their business proclamations precisely mirror their commitment and drive to succeed. Albeit commendable, Kraft Foods statement of purpose is exceptionally conventional and comes up short on the uncommon association with attract partners to the association. In looking at McNamara’s rundown of rules for an elegantly composed statement of purpose Kraft Foods misses the mark (2009). This announcement isn't ground-breaking, not vital, doesn't talk about development and benefit adequately and doesn't target explicit customer base (McNamara). Furthermore their objectives are incredibly expansive and out of reach. The statement of purpose should be increasingly engaged so as to keep partners spurred and driven for progress. The vision articulation is elegantly composed and summons feelings and recollections from partners while likewise being graphic by they way they will make progress. Millard states vision proclamations ought to be clear, vital, sensible and dis

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Business to business marketing Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business to business showcasing - Article Example The Coca-Cola Company is perhaps the biggest association on the planet. It has numerous branches and establishments over the world that do the creation for its benefit. When the creation is finished, the organization regularly conveys the completed items to the different wholesalers. The distributer associations ordinarily settle on their purchasing choices dependent on the zones they are found and their business turnover. For example, if the business turn over is low, the associations won't accepting a great part of the beverages. The space they have accessible for putting away the products will likewise impact their purchasing conduct. As a rule, the Coca-Cola Company does the greater part of the showcasing yet in a roundabout way for the wholesalers. The organization advertises legitimately to the clients. The clients will thusly purchase more from the wholesalers who will at that point have the option to settle on a purchasing choice from the makers and the different establishmen ts. In this way, the organization invigorates its business to business deals by straightforwardly promoting to the clients and the consequence of this is the wholesalers and retailers will be impacted to purchase the

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Stats In Honor of Book Riot Insiders First Anniversary

Stats In Honor of Book Riot Insiders First Anniversary Time flies when youre having fun, and that has held true for Book Riot Insiders. On April 11, 2017, we officially launched our exclusive content platform for subscribers,  and I cant believe its a year later. One of the biggest perks is the New Release Index, which highlights upcoming titles and is curated by our very own Liberty Hardy. Subscribers can build their own Watchlist to keep track of titles theyre particularly interested in, and I thought it might be fun to look at the data (because I always think its fun to look at data! Where my spreadsheet nerds at?). So in honor of Book Riot Insiders’ first anniversary, I present to you the books Insiders were most excited about over the course of the last year, plus some commentary from yours truly. And if you havent joined us at Insiders yet, go check it out! All told, 2,739 individual titles were added to Watchlists from April 11, 2017â€"April 1, 2018. Editors note: OMG SO MANY.   The top 20 most watchlisted titles of our first year were: …drumroll, please… 1. Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha) by Tomi Adeyemi 2. Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan 3. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland 4. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng 5. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay 6. Artemis: A Novel by Andy Weir 7. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert 8. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin 9. The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore by Kim Fu 10. Ask Me About My Uterus: A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women’s Pain by Abby Norman 11. Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao 12. Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith 13. Force of Nature by Jane Harper 14. Where the Line Bleeds: A Novel by Jesmyn Ward 15. Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern 16. The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror by (Daniel) Mallory Ortberg 17. We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates 18. This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black Female and Feminist in (White) America by Morgan Jerkins 19. Herding Cats: A Sarah’s Scribbles Collection by Sarah Andersen 20. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones I love the range of this! There are YA titles, literary fiction, nonfiction, science-fiction, fantasy, short stories, essays, you name it. The top 5 most watchlisted genres were, in order: 1. Fiction 2. Mystery/Thriller 3. Young Adult 4. Autobiography/Biography/Memoir 5. Fantasy This is perhaps not a surprise in total, but I confess to being surprised at the order. I would have guessed that YA would come second, and maybe Fantasy above Autobio; the more you know! And now, for the top 5 titles per top 5 genres! Fiction: 1. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng 2. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin 3. The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore by Kim Fu 4. Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao 5. Where the Line Bleeds: A Novel by Jesmyn Ward Mystery/Thriller: 1. Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan 2. Force of Nature by Jane Harper 3. Bonfire: A Novel by Krysten Ritter 4. Origin by Dan Brown 5. A Guide for Murdered Children by Sara  Sparrow Young Adult: 1. Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha) by Tomi Adeyemi 2. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland 3. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert 4. Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo 5. The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan Autobiography/Biography/Memoir: 1. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay 2. Ask Me About My Uterus: A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women’s Pain by Abby Norman 3. This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America by Morgan Jerkins 4. I Am I Am I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie OFarrell 5. When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele Fantasy: 1. Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha) by Tomi Adeyemi 2. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland 3. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert 4. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton 5. The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth) by NK Jemisin Note: as you can see, this includes both YA and adult fantasy titles. Some Final Thoughts Weve seen time and again that our readers tastes are eclectic, broad-ranging, and inclusive. But its still nice to see it spelled out with actual numbers. Theres some overlap because many of the books in the New Release Index have multiple genres, but its interesting to see where some books shake out. And Im personally delighted to see many of my favorites from the last year on here! The moral of the story? Stats are fun, and books are even better.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

The 12 Olympians of Greek Mythology

In Greek mythology, there were 12 Olympians, gods and goddesses, who lived and held thrones on Mount Olympus, although you may run across more than a dozen names. These major gods and goddesses are named Olympian for their place of residence. Greek Names The canonical list, based on the Parthenon sculptures includes: Olympian Gods ApolloAresDionysusHermesHephaestusPoseidonZeus Olympian Goddesses AphroditeAthenaArtemisDemeterHera You may sometimes see: AsclepiusHeraclesHestiaPersephoneHades listed as Olympian deities, but they are not all regulars. Roman Names The Roman versions of the Greek names are: Olympian Gods ApolloBacchusMarsMercuryNeptuneJupiterVulcan Olympian Goddesses VenusMinervaDianaCeresJuno The alternates among the Roman gods and goddesses are: Asculapius, Hercules, Vesta, Proserpine, and Pluto. Also Known As: Theoi Olympioi, Dodekatheon Alternate Spellings: Hephaestus name is sometimes spelled Hephaistos or Hephestus. Examples: Iuno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercurius, Iovis, Neptunus, Vulcanus, Apollo.Ennius Ann. 62-63 Vahl.From Plautus as a Source Book for Roman Religion, by John A. Hanson, TAPhA (1959), pp. 48-101. The 12 Olympians were the major gods and goddesses with prominent roles in Greek mythology. Although being an Olympian meant a throne on Mt. Olympus, some of the major Olympians spent most of their time elsewhere. Poseidon lived in the sea and Hades in the Underworld. Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Poseidon, and Zeus are the names of the Olympian gods on the Parthenon frieze, according to the Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World. However, Elizabeth G. Pemberton, in The Gods of the East Frieze of the Parthenon (American Journal of Archaeology Vol. 80, No. 2 [Spring, 1976] pp. 113-124), says that on the East frieze of the Parthenon, in addition to the 12 are Eros and Nike.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

The Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing - 3785 Words

The Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing A Tale of a Salesman that Convinced a CIO to Switch to Cloud Computing 1 – Introduction and Definition P.2 2 – Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing, from a CIO – Salesman Point of View P.4 3 – Conclusion P.8 4 – References P.9 1.1 Introduction â€Å"Cloud† computing is the fanciest buzzword in the computer industry, currently surpassing the last big term â€Å"web 2.0†. Every big player in the computer industry launched a cloud service last year. Notable examples are iCloud by Apple, (Apple 2012) or Microsoft Cloud Services (Microsoft 2011), copying various innovators like Google or Dropbox, who offer similar services since much longer. The latter is the most successful†¦show more content†¦Google App Engine, Microsoft Azure †¢ Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Servers DBs like Amazon S3 for enterprises. Furthermore, different deployment models exist, we are going to focus only on the two different poles, the private cloud and the public cloud. The former means that the cloud infrastructure is owned and operated by a single and usually the same organization, while the latter stands for a public infrastructure where basically everyone can use it under different conditions. And this is the â€Å"cloud† we will be referring to in this essay. Businesses can â€Å"outsource† the different services to other firms, by engaging into a business client relationship. This has three important implications from a hardware point of view: (Armbrust 2009). 1. â€Å"The illusion of infinite computing resources available on demand† - in contrast to the limited in-house servers, the businesses don’t need to plan on how much computer power they need beforehand. 2. â€Å"The elimination of an up-front commitment by Cloud users† - a business can start small, the resources are always perfectly adapted to their needs. Or in other words, the elasticity is very high. 3. â€Å"The ability to pay for use of computing resources on a short-term basis as needed† – which is much more cost-efficient than having servers running all time – using more storage room and electricity. Those three points are quite evident, so why do businesses still settle for private cloud infrastructure? There are manyShow MoreRelatedCloud Computing Pros and Cons1045 Words   |  5 PagesCloud computing is able to offer a distinct advantage to companies willing to move into this growing arena. This is not without its drawbacks. Even in the definition of Cloud Computing by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, (NIST) clear advantages exist. The definition includes the following terms: on demand self-service, ubiquitous network access, location independent resource pooling, rapid elasticity and measured service. 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There has been major issues storing and retrieving complex data and has recently seen some security breaches. There has been need for a search for an alternative way to handle and provide solutions for currentRead MoreCgs 2060 Assignment Example1293 Words   |  6 PagesPros and Cons of Cloud Computing Alexandra Hidalgo 2/15/13 Table of Contents Introduction: 3 Discussion: 3 Conclusion: 6 Bibliography 8 Introduction: With the unprecedented growth and spread of information, there is no wonder why large Information Technology companies have been investing in the â€Å"cloud†. To expand, when referring to Cloud Computing, this means to access and store information not stored with in your computer whether it be public, private, or hybrid cloudRead MoreBenefits Of Moving On Cloud Providers, Pros And Cons Essay723 Words   |  3 PagesFROM: Aaron Bennett, Chief Financial Officer DATE: September 9, 2015 SUBJECT: Possibility to move IT infrastructure to cloud providers, pros and cons The following contains the pros and cons of moving IT infrastructure to cloud providers. As well as how the company may benefit strategically from moving out current ERP system to cloud computing. Also, as requested certain cloud computing jargon will be defined. Definitions Software as a service (SAAS) – is a way to deliver applications via the internetRead MoreInterstantaneous Information Essay1221 Words   |  5 Pagesbusinesses together through an interconnected system of servers known as â€Å"the cloud†. As defined by IBM, cloud computing is the delivery of on-demand computing resources over the internet on a pay-for-use basis. This concept allows companies to harness incredible amounts of processing power, power that was inconceivable a mere decade ago. As more and more companies have adopted and integrated these systems of cloud computing into their business infrastructure, debates have arisen over whether it isRead MoreCapabilities and Potential for Cloud Storage in the Enterprise1352 Words   |  5 PagesAre cloud storage solutions irrelevant for a large organisation of 1,500 staff? - An evaluation of capabilities and potential for Cloud storage in the enterprise In this essay I will be evaluating the capabilities and potential for cloud storage in enterprise. I will be doing this by evaluating all of the features, abilities, drawbacks and limitations of cloud storage using the currently available standards, products and protocols to help validate my views. I will first explain what cloud computingRead MoreThe Definition And History Of Cloud Computing Essay1644 Words   |  7 PagesABSTRACT This paper explores the definition and history of cloud computing. Cloud computing began in the 1950’s with a theory known as time sharing. This allowed for the sharing of computers so that consumers could get the benefits without the costly expenses that came with it (Pullen, 2015). Over the years this concept has evolved into the current definition of cloud computing, which is basically using the Internet for computing resources and applications so that they do not need to do it in-houseRead MoreChapter 2 Review Essay763 Words   |  4 Pagesrecent operation system. - Windows Vista - Windows 7 - Windows 8 8. What is Software as a Service (SaaS)? What advantage does it provide for meeting an organization’s software needs? - This term primarily refers to the purchasing method for cloud services. Rather than paying traditional vendor license fees, the customer pays a subscription fee or a consumption fee for as long as the service is used. Ownership of the software remains in the hands of the provider. - Advantage: No InstallationRead MoreWhat Does The Acronym Stand For Each Of The Following Basic Types Of Cloud Services?840 Words   |  4 Pages INFO-1167 Cloud Lab Alexander Farquhar 1. What does the acronym stand for each of the following basic types of cloud services? In addition, write a definition for each type using information sourced from the Internet. a. SaaS – Software as a Service – Users on the service are given access to the application’s software and databases, cloud providers manage the infrastructure and platforms that run the application. â€Å"On demand†. b. PaaS – Platform as a Service – Cloud providers deliver a platform

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Electronic Patient Scheduling System Free Essays

All potential stakeholders and/or users will give input regarding which software they feel will best suit the clinic’s needs. Constraints: The scheduling system must update on all department computers after any new entry has been made. The system must be operational by December 20th, 013. We will write a custom essay sample on Electronic Patient Scheduling System or any similar topic only for you Order Now The system must know average appointment times for all types of visits to avoid over booking patients. The system must alert users of cancellations or changes so 3. Perform fact-finding: Analyze the organizational chart of the clinic to determine stakeholders and/or users. Interview receptionists, nurses, doctors and assistants. Review the current paper patient appointment scheduling method. Observe the clinics operations for a day. Survey receptionists, doctors, nurses and assistants on what expectations they may have for an electronic patient appointment scheduling system. Identify the costs of the new electronic system. . Study usability, cost, benefit and schedule data: Analyze the interview information. Analyze the user surveys. Analyze observation notes to highlight key facts. Compare cost data. 5. Evaluate feasibility Operational Feasibility: Will the clinic users be able to effectively use the new system? Will extra training be needed for computer and software use? The IT department will work with all users through hands on training to make sure that everyone understands the new system. Technical Feasibility: Does the clinic have the necessary software, hardware, equipment and networking resources available for the new system? Does the current system need to be upgraded to handle the change effectively? Heartfelt will upgrade their current computers. Networking resources are currently in place and new software will be purchased. Economic Feasibility: Can the clinic afford the new patient appointment scheduling software? Can the clinic afford training for the users? Can the clinic afford new equipment if needed? The clinic has been diligent in staying within the allotted budget. Training and software will be purchased once all measures have been set in place. Schedule Feasibility: Can the clinic stakeholders’ timeline of December 20th, 2013 be met? . Present recommendations to management: I will prepare a written preliminary investigation report and present all of my findings to the clinic stakeholders. Some items to be included: Introduction-overview of the report; Systems Request Summary-basis of the systems request; Findings-results of preliminary investigation and Time and Cost Estimates-cost of acquiring and installing the new system and total cost of ownership during the life of the system. Systems Review: The current patient appointment scheduling system at Heartfelt Clinic is paper based. The clinic started out as a small clinic, but it is centrally located nd has since grown tremendously. How to cite Electronic Patient Scheduling System, Papers

Monday, May 4, 2020

Property Development free essay sample

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report provides information and analysis for the letting and investment market sectors of commercial property in relevance to the wider economy, and details of the processes involved when undertaking property development. The emphasis is on the practical application of property development, with all of the stages involved in the process, thereby providing a complete overview. The definition adopted in this text is that property development is ‘a process that involves changing or intensifying the use of land to produce buildings’. The development process involves building activity for commercial use. Property development is an exciting and occasionally frustrating, increasingly complex activity involving the use of scarce resources. It is a high-risk activity that often involves large sums of money tied up in the production process, providing a product that is relatively indivisible and illiquid. Furthermore, the performance of the economy at national and at local levels directly influences the process. As the development process is frequently lengthy the assumptions made at the outset may have changed dramatically by completion. Property development is complex, often taking place over a considerable time frame. The end product is unique, either in terms of its physical characteristics and/or its location. Furthermore, no other process operates under such constant public attention. INTRODUCTION The core sectors of commercial property: retail shops, offices and industrial- account for about 80% of the market. Around half of this is investment property that is, rented to tenants by landlords. The rest is mostly owned by occupiers, mainly private companies, the public sector and non-profit organisations. A wide range of organisations and individuals invest in commercial property. Pension funds, insurance companies, property companies and property unit trusts account for most of the market. Fewer individuals invest directly in commercial real estate. Private investors’ interest in commercial property has sharpened. This is due to a combination of factors: it has performed well, while equities have been more volatile. When buying a property, many of the same rules apply whether it is to live in, let out or renovate and sell on. Property investors must choose their purchases carefully to ensure the best possible rental income. Time is money, and if buying a property to let, it should be ready for the tenants to move in as quickly as possible for the investment to start paying off. It is best to choose a property that does not require extensive building work or renovation, unless the asking price makes it an attractive proposition. Property development is different in that the fundamental principal is to buy low and sell high. It is more likely, therefore, that an investment property of this type will require more time and money spent on it. Nevertheless, buying well will limit the risks and the property chosen must have the potential value. In very simple terms, the returns from commercial property are driven by the level of rental income that a property will return, and the price (i. e. the capital price) investors are willing to pay for that rental income. The development process may be divided into the following main stages: 1. Initiation 2. Evaluation 3. Acquisition 4. Design and costing 5. Permissions 6. Commitment 7. Implementation 8. Let/manage/dispose However, property development is not an entirely sequential activity and the stages in the process often overlap or repeat. The sequence is typical of a speculative development where an occupier is not sought until the building has been completed. For example, if the development is pre-sold to an occupier, then stage 8 precedes stages 2–7. Initiation Development is initiated when either a parcel of land or site is considered suitable for a different or more intensive use, or if demand for a particular use leads to a search for a suitable site. Note many of the same principles also apply to residential developments including low or medium high-density housing in the form of a high-rise building. Often office and industrial uses are combined: buildings suitable for such uses are often defined as business space. The initiative may come from any of the actors or stakeholders in the development process seeking an appropriate site in anticipation of the demand or need for any of the above uses. Alternatively, the initiative may stem from stakeholders anticipating a potentially higher value use for an existing site due to changing demographic, economic, social, physical or other circumstances. In this case, in order to identify the most appropriate use, the initiator will seek to research the market and the potential to obtain the necessary statutory planning consent for the change of use. The initiator may not necessarily be involved in the rest of the development process, depending on their motive or objective. Evaluation One of the most important stages of the development process is evaluation as it influences the decision making of the developer throughout. Evaluation includes market research, both in general and specific terms, and the financial appraisal of the proposal (Reed, 2007). Historically, much less attention was given to detailed market research; however, with the application of the internet this has improved. The process of financial evaluation needs to ensure that the cost of the development is reasonable and viable. For private sector developments, the evaluation establishes the potential for profit in relation to the risks incurred. An additional objective of the financial appraisal is to establish the value of the site. This stage of the process should be undertaken prior to any commitment and while the developer retains flexibility. Though the evaluation involves the combined advice of the developer’s professional team, the decision to proceed and bear the risk rests ultimately with the developer. It is a continuous process with constant monitoring, relating directly to all the other stages. Acquisition Once the decision to proceed is taken, there are many other decisions to be made and steps to be taken before the site can be acquired and the development started. These should include the following listed below. Legal investigation Unless the developer is the existing site owner all legal issues concerning the site must be assessed: this includes ownership, existing planning permissions, and any rights of way, light or support. Careful preparation is required to establish who the existing owners of all the rights to the site actually are and what will be necessary to acquire them. Any error in establishing the extent of ownership and the cost or the time in acquiring the rights to the site can seriously affect the viability of the development. The public sector may become involved in the acquisition stage, to assemble a large site with many occupiers and landowners, since they can use their legal powers of compulsory purchase. However, the use of such powers can be both time-consuming and costly. The vast majority of development is undertaken through the co? operation of the original site owners, either by disposing of their interests through negotiation or by becoming partners in the development. Ground investigation A thorough physical assessment of the capabilities of the site to accommodate the proposed use should be undertaken. Ground investigations involve the assessment of the site’s load-bearing capacity, access and drainage. All existing services (e. g. electricity, water, gas and telephone) should be surveyed to ascertain their capacity to serve the proposed development. If the services are inadequate then the developer needs to assess the cost of their provision or expansion. The investigation should highlight the existence of underground problems such as geological faults and made-up ground, together with the presence of any archaeological remains, contamination, underground services and storage tanks. A site survey must be undertaken to establish the measurement and configuration of the site. Finance The developer, unless using internal resources, must also obtain appropriate finance for the development project on the most favourable terms over the entire length of the scheme, before committing to a scheme. The subject of finance will be dealt with in Chapter 4. The developer will normally be concerned with arranging two sorts of finance. Firstly, short-term finance is needed to cover costs during the development process. Secondly, long-term finance (sometimes called ‘funding’) will be sought to cover the cost of holding the completed development as an investment or, alternatively, to secure a buyer for the completed scheme. The level of detailed information that is required by the providers of the finance varies, but all will require convincing evidence of the ability of the developer, and the soundness of the preparation and appraisal of the scheme. Design and costing Design is an almost continuous process running in parallel with the various other stages, getting progressively more detailed as the development proposal increases in certainty. The developer may have detailed knowledge of what design is required if the likely occupier is known or has been secured. In the case of a speculative scheme, the developer may need to work on a number of initial ideas with the agents and the professional team before establishing a design brief for the project. The brief is particularly important for complex schemes as it sets the design parameters for the architect. Initially, design work will be kept to the minimum to keep costs down prior to developer commitment to the scheme. However, there should be enough detail to enable the quantity surveyor to prepare an initial cost estimate; this in turn is what the developer needs to prepare the financial evaluation. In most cases this means scaled layout plans showing the position of the proposed building(s) on the site, together with simple floor plans showing the internal arrangement of the building on each floor. Plans of the main elevations of the proposed building(s), together with an outline specification of the building materials and finishes, are often desirable. These plans along with the initial cost estimate should enable the developer to prepare the initial evaluation. By the time a decision has been made to submit a detailed planning application for the proposed scheme, the initial plans will be in much greater detail. There will be a full set of plans showing the layout, elevations and section of the building, together with a detailed specification. The developer requires increasing certainty over the cost estimates to improve the quality of the financial appraisal. The quantity surveyor should be able to make a detailed estimate of the building cost at this stage to enable negotiations to commence with building contractors. Care in this preliminary work can save precious time and avoid unnecessary expenses at later stages of the development process. The design and costing stages include all members of the professional team and continues throughout the construction of the scheme. The developer has to ensure that at each appropriate stage the design and cost estimates are complete to avoid delays to the process. In most cases the final product is very different to the initial design concept, and undergoes many design changes before the final drawings are completed. The developer has to ensure, where possible, significant, and potentially costly, design changes are minimised when the commitment stage is reached. Permissions Any development (with a few minor exceptions), which by statutory definition involves a change of use or a building operation, requires planning permission from the local planning authority prior to its commencement. In many instances the developer may, where a building operation is involved, apply for an outline application before full approval is obtained. An outline planning consent establishes the approved use of the site and the permitted size or density of the proposed scheme. The developer only needs to provide sufficient information to describe adequately the type, size and form of the scheme. However, an outline planning consent, on its own, does not allow the developer to proceed with the development scheme; a further detailed planning consent is still required. A detailed application typically involves the submission to the planning authority of detailed drawings and information on siting, means of access, design, external appearance and landscaping. It is not possible to apply for outline consent for a change of use. There may be a number of outline applications made on a particular site if circumstances change before a developer acquires the site. If the scheme changes, after detailed consent has been obtained, then further approval is required from the local planning authority. The developer needs to make realistic initial estimates of the likely time and cost of obtaining the appropriate permission during the evaluation stage. The acquisition of planning permission can become complex, requiring detailed knowledge of the appropriate legislation and policies, as well as local knowledge of how a particular planning authority operates. The employment of ‘in-house’ planners by a developer or the use of planning consultants may be necessary and cost-effective where planning problems are envisaged or encountered. Where permission is refused by the local planning authority the developer may appeal to the Secretary of State. In addition the developer may be required to enter into a contract with the local planning authority where a ‘planning agreement’ is negotiated as part of the planning approval. These agreements, which used to be referred to as ‘planning gains’, deal with matters that cannot be covered as conditions to the planning approval: the provision and maintenance of a public facilities as part of a scheme. For example, there may be improvements to adjacent roads to the site to provide safe access to the site after completion of the development. Planning agreements must be signed before approval is granted and often impose additional development costs, therefore affecting the overall evaluation of the scheme. In some circumstances there are a variety of other legal consents that may be required prior to commencement of a development. These include listed building consent (the right to alter or demolish a ‘protected’ or landmark building); the diversion or closure of a right of way; agreements to secure the provision of the necessary services and infrastructure; and, in all cases where building operations are involved, building regulation approval. The prudent developer must clear all legal permission hurdles before making a commitment to the development. Commitment A developer must be satisfied that all the necessary preliminary work has been undertaken before any substantial commitment is made in relation to the development. Ideally all the appropriate inputs of land, finance, labour and materials, and the acquisition of statutory permissions must be satisfactorily negotiated before any agreements are signed making the developer liable for any major outlay of money. When the preliminary work has been completed as far as possible, the project must be evaluated once again. This is because it may be that the preparation of the scheme has taken some time and the economic circumstances that determine the success of the development have changed. It is vital, therefore, that the developer pauses for thought until absolutely satisfied that the evaluation is based on the best possible information and the scheme is still viable. Until the land is acquired, the developer must keep costs to a minimum. The likely costs up to this stage are professional fees and staff time. Depending on individual circumstances some of the professional team may be willing to work on a speculative basis or at reduced fee in order to secure full appointment once the scheme commences. In some cases the developer may be acquiring the land without the benefit of planning permission and, therefore, the contract may be made subject to obtaining the necessary planning approval. In addition, conditional contracts to acquire a site are often entered into when either the developer has had insufficient time to carry out all the important preliminary investigations, or alternatively the developer is yet to secure the necessary finance. At some point in time all of the contracts to acquire the land, secure the finance and appoint the building contractor together with the professional team will be signed. These contracts may not necessarily be signed together; the developer must aim to achieve this as profits will be maximised. In the case of a non-profit development, ensuring that the commitment is held back until all the resources are in place will minimise cost and risk. Implementation The implementation stage can commence once all the raw materials of the development process are in place. At this point there is a commitment to a particular site and to particular buildings at a particular cost spread over a particular time. However, the flexibility, which was previously possible in the earlier phases, has gone. What needs to be emphasised is the importance of careful evaluation and of maintaining flexibility as long as possible. Throughout this stage the underlying goal, and this aspect is often challenging, is to make certain the development is completed within both the time and budget stated in the evaluation, without comprising quality. Depending on the experience of the developer and the complexity of the scheme, this may best be achieved by employing a project manager to coordinate the design and building process. The project manager and/or developer must anticipate problems and make prompt informed decisions to minimise delays and extra costs. Furthermore, the developer must take as much interest in the running of the project as in its promotion and the market must be monitored continuously to ensure that the product is right, which may result in amendments to the specification. Where a nonprofit development is concerned, the developer must aim to contain costs, while maximising the benefits of occupation. Let/manage/dispose Although this phase of development occurs often at the latter stages, it must be at the forefront of the developer’s thoughts from the initiation of the scheme. In some cases the occupier may have been secured at the start or during the development process. The development’s success will depend on the ability to secure a willing occupier at the estimated rent or price, as well as within the period originally forecast in the evaluation. The disposal may take the form of a letting or it may be the outright sale of the freehold interest. In the case of a major retail development there are many lettings, while in that of a single office building the property may be disposed of in one major letting. It is at the evaluation stage that the letting and/or sales strategy should be thought out, and then subsequently updated, where possible and appropriate, during the course of the development. As such any agent or a member of staff employed by the developer to secure lettings/sales should be included in the development from the beginning of the process. In addition a decision must be made at what point it would be sensible to let or sell the scheme. In many cases it is necessary to complete or virtually complete the development before seeking an occupier. This decision may not be the developer’s alone and may be heavily influenced by other actors in the process such as the financiers or the landowner (if they have remained a partner in the development). At the start of the process the developer has to decide whether the property investment created is to be held as such or sold to realise any profit, unless it has been pre-sold to the long-term financier of the scheme. Such a decision is dependent on the motivation of the developer as well as the prevailing property investment market conditions at the time. However, developers have to be flexible to accommodate any changes in the investment market prior to completion of the scheme. This means that careful thought needs to be given to the investment value at the initial evaluation and design stages. Therefore, if the decision is made to sell the investment to an investor, then the developer needs to fully research their requirements. The location, specification and financial strength of the tenant(s) will be critical in achieving the best price for the investment. The developer may employ an agent to secure a sale of the property to an investor. The agent should be employed as early as possible to advise on the optimal specification and design of the property development scheme. In accordance with best practice, the development process and the developer’s responsibility should not cease with the occupation of the building. There is still a need for the developer to maintain contact with the occupier, even though no direct landlord/tenant relationship may exist. This is because developers can learn more about occupiers’ requirements in general and, in particular, the shortcomings of the completed building from a management point of view. Therefore, management needs to be considered as part of the design process at an early stage if the final product is to benefit the occupier and earn the developer a good reputation. The financial success of the development cannot be assessed until the building is complete, let and, where appropriate, sold. Often it may not be until the first rent review under the terms of the letting (typically 5 years after occupation) that the overall picture will become clear. Main actors Within each stage, and across some or all of them, there are a variety of important actors who each contributes to the outcome of the property development process and who may have very different perspectives and expectations. Landowners Developers Developers operate primarily as either traders or investors. Most small companies have to trade, that is to sell the properties they develop, as they do not have the capital resources to be able to retain their completed schemes. Many larger public quoted development companies (often referred to as merchant developers) have preferred to trade developments to capitalize on rising rents and values. However, such a strategy can have flaws – for example, in the 1980s many borrowed money on the strength of their future profits and most went into receivership during the financial crash of the early 1990s, the reason being that their limited assets were insufficient to support them. Although some survived, they were effectively controlled by their bankers. Many trader–developers seek to evolve into investor–developers as success enables them to retain profits for investment purposes. At the other end of the scale, some of the largest companies – in terms of capital assets – engage in hardly any new development at all, being content to manage their property portfolio and undertake predominantly refurbishment and redevelopment work. Residential developers operate almost solely as traders as the market is heavily biased towards owner occupation, although many often become significant landowners during the development process. Property companies formulate their policy according to the interest and expertise of their directors and their perception of the prevailing market conditions. Public sector and government agencies As a result of central government policy the UK public sector currently undertakes relatively little direct development. Local authorities are primarily involved with developments for their own occupation or community use and the provision of infrastructure. Local authorities are both constrained by their financial resources and limited by their legal powers. Furthermore, local authorities have to be publicly accountable and are obliged to have regard to the overall needs of the community they serve. Local authority involvement in the development process will depend on whether they wish to encourage development or control development in order to maintain standards. Many local authorities undertake economic development activities, with the limited resources they have to promote development and investment in their area. Many active authorities act as a catalyst to the development process by supplying land, and where possible buildings, to achieve economic development of their area. Participation may be limited to the role of landowner in maintaining a long-term interest in a development. Local authorities will often retain the freehold of their development sites and grant a long leasehold interest to the developer, then share in rental growth through the ground rent. Previously UK government policy was promulgated on the basis of only intervening in the development process where private market forces failed to bring forward development, particularly in areas targeted for economic development. The government’s urban regeneration initiatives are administered through several government agencies including Urban Development Corporations (UDCs), English Partnerships, the Welsh Development Agency and Scottish Enterprise. Their role is seen as an enabling role, bringing forward development and attracting investment, in partnership with the private sector. They are able to assist developers with land assembly, site reclamation, the provision of infrastructure, financial grants and, more recently, rental guarantees, following the relaxation of Treasury rules. Other government initiatives aimed at attracting occupiers with financial incentives to specific areas of the country include Enterprise Zones and Regional Selective Assistance. Planners The UK planning system has existed in a comprehensive form since 1947 and is firmly established as the major regulator of property development. Planners can be divided into two broad categories: politicians and professionals. The politicians, usually on the advice of their professional employees, are responsible for approving the development plans drawn up by professionals in accordance with government policy. They are also responsible for determining whether applications for permission for development proposals should be approved or refused. The professionals are responsible for advising the politicians and administering the system. The main purpose of planning is to ‘encourage development’ and to prevent ‘undesirable development’. The basis for determining planning applications is laid down by statute and a variety of central government policy guidance notes. Local government must adhere to these and determine its own local policy through the main medium of development plans. Individual planning applications are determined in the light of these development plans, written government policy and advice, previous decisions and the particular nature of the application. Nevertheless often in practice there are many gaps and conflicts in the guidance, which means that developers often employ planning consultants to assist them in negotiations with planners. Developers need to know what use, what density and what design standards are required in order to obtain permission. A successful application is usually best achieved by prior negotiation with the authorities and this may involve agreement by the developer to provide infrastructure or community facilities in the case of a large development, known as a ‘planning agreement’. This type of agreement is endorsed by government guidance provided it reasonably relates to the development proposed. In the context of tight public spending controls, a planning agreement is seen by local authorities as a means of securing useful benefits for the community. However, the issue of planning agreements has been controversial and there is a limit as to how much a developer can afford and so a test of ‘reasonableness’ is usually applied to applications. Planning authorities differ widely in their policies towards development. Those in areas of low economic activity typically wish to encourage development activity, putting only minimal restrictions on proposals, particularly those that will provide employment. Authorities in areas of high economic activity mainly see their role as imposing higher standards, and even slowing down development in order to achieve a better balance of uses and improved design of buildings. In this situation there is an increased level of conflict between developers and planners, leading to increased use of the appeals system, especially in areas of high economic activity. In some instances the conflict is caused by the politicians ignoring the advice of the professionals. Financial institutions Unless a development is being financed entirely with a developer’s own capital or that of a partner, then financial institutions, as providers of finance, have a very important role in the development process. Financial institution is a term usually used to describe pension funds and insurance companies. However, there are many other financial intermediaries such as clearing and merchant banks (both UK and international), as well as building societies who also provide finance for property development. There are two main types of money required for development: short-term money, also known as ‘development finance’, to cover the costs during the development process; and the long-term money, or ‘funding’, to cover the cost of holding the completed development as an investment. Alternatively, the developer will in the long term seek a buyer for the completed scheme to repay the short-term loan and realise any profit. Financial institutions (pension funds and insurance companies) are motivated by direct financial gain. However, unlike developers, they take a long-term view, needing to achieve capital growth to meet their payment obligations in real terms to pensioners and policyholders. Note that pension, life and investment funds are usually judged on their short-term performance, both in relation to other forms of investment and to the returns they achieve against competing funds. They seek to minimise risk and maximise future yields. The yield on any investment is the annual income received from the asset expressed as a percentage of its capital cost or value. Property or real estate is only one of a number of investments the institutions invest in and may represent only 5–15 per cent of their entire portfolio of investments. In the case of property the financial institution will receive a lower initial income when compared to a fixed-interest investment, but this will be more than compensated by the long-term growth. Both short-term and long-term finance may be provided to a developer by what is called ‘forward-funding’ a development; in other words they agree to purchase the development on completion whilst providing all the finance in the interim. Almost all of the risk passes to the developer who will in most cases provide a financial guarantee. Alternatively, they may act as developer themselves to create an investment: all the risk is theirs but they do not have to provide a profit to the developer. Some only purchase completed and fully let developments since they perceive the overall development as being too risky. In order to be persuaded to take on the risks associated with development, rather than purchasing a completed and let scheme, they need a higher return or yield. Whether acting as developer, financier or investor they tend to adopt rigid and conservative policies, although they all differ in their individual criteria. However, they all tend to seek a balanced portfolio of property types rather than specialising in one particular use. Most try to spread their investments geographically. They will seek properties or developments that fit their specific criteria in terms of location, quality of building and tenant covenant (i. e. financial strength). As a result developers sometimes lean towards to developing schemes in accordance with the financial institutions’ specification rather than that of the occupiers. Financial institutions wish to purchase a building that has the widest tenant appeal, consequently their advisers may take a conservative view and recommend the highest specification, which can lead to less sustainable and over-specified buildings. The developer may approach the banking sector for funding if a development is either not ‘institutionally acceptable’ or if the developer is not prepared or is unable to provide the necessary guarantees. Alternatively, the developer may prefer to use debt finance in a period of rising rents and values to maximise the potential profit on completion. There are a great variety of methods of obtaining finance from the banks both for short- and medium-term finance. The banks also aim to make a financial profit from the business of lending money. Bank lending may take the form of ‘corporate’ lending to the development company or lending against a particular development project. The banks will use the property assets of the company or the property as security for the loan. Property is attractive as security Distinction between the letting and investment market sectors within the commercial property market Property market does not trade in alienable objects but in property rights. It is not land that is traded on the property market but rather the specific rights established through the legal title. Landed property’s main rights include ownership and occupation. These two rights can give rise to two distinct but related market sectors. Market Sectors Letting or occupier: Occupation Rights 1) Property is required for occupation, the usefulness of space and place as a necessary pre-condition for carrying out some form of business. 2) Not required for ownership. Investment or ownership: Ownership Rights 1) Ability to generate a stream of income and to preserve the investor’s capital. 2) Not required for occupation. The reasons for the changes of commercial letting market and investment market are due to :- 1) The economic context of the model remained virtually unchanged until the 1960s. The key issue explaining this was the absence of inflation and more importantly expectations of inflation (and therefore rental growth) until the late 1950s. 2) Property market indicators of UK shows that rental values grew by about 2. 5 times between 1910 and 1946 and that inflation was also almost exactly the same, growing by 2. 51 times in the same period. This represents an annual growth rate of 3. 65%. The average yield on government bonds was 3. 8%, giving a real return of virtually zero. At the same time property capitalization rates for retail properties, which were also growing in value at approximately the inflation rate, averaged 5. 8% (a 2% risk premium over gilts). An annual rent review structure would have enabled property investors to obtain returns of over 9%, a risk premium above gilts of 6. 5%. But this opportunity was spurned by property investors, whose fixation with security of income appeared to override their desire for return, as they attempted to tie tenants to very long leases without rent revision. Leases of 21, 42 and 63 years with no or very infrequent rent reviews were not uncommon for good-quality retail tenants in good locations, and this practice turned property into a fixed-income bond investment with a 2% risk premium over gilts. 3) Before 1960, the valuers could be excused for assuming that commercial property was fundamentally a bond investment offering security of income. Negotiations for new leases with tenants were focused on securing their occupation at the market rent for as long as possible with no reviews and tenants were even offered options to renew at the same rent. There appeared to be little concern that a fixed income would decline in real value in an inflationary environment. 4) Shortening of the period between rent reviews from 21 to 14 years, then to 7 years, and finally to 5 years in the early 1970s, where (despite being subjected to occasional pressure to move to 3 years) it has remained to the present day. Ways in which the commercial market sectors integrate the property market into the wider economy Economic and property research has established the nature of the link between the economic, or business, cycle and the property market. Useful early references on this complex topic include the report and papers on building cycles by Richard Barras (1994) and reports from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on property cycles, carried out by the University of Aberdeen and the Investment Property Databank (1994). Occupier demand is a reflection of the short-term and long-term changes in the economy. Availability of development finance is also linked to conditions in the wider economy. The economic context is important to developers in both a specific way (in so far as the local economic context helps to determine the market for an individual scheme) and in a more general way via the wider economy (as it affects general property market conditions and the confidence of occupiers, investors and developers). Three important cycles were identified, all of which exhibit different periodicity – The business cycle (which drives the occupier market) The credit cycle (which influences bank and institutional funding) The property development cycle itself. 1. Strengthening demand, rising rents and capital values trigger the start of the new development cycle upswing. 2. If credit expansion accompanies the business cycle upswing, it can lead to a full-blown economic boom. The banks may also fund a second wave of speculative development activity. 3. However, because of the long lead times in bringing forward new development, supply remains fairly tight and values continue to rise. 4. By the time the development cycle reaches its peak, the business cycle has already moved into a downswing, accompanied by a tightening of monetary policy to combat the inflationary effects of the economic boom. 5. As the economy subsides, the demand for property declines; rents and values fall as a result and the vacancy stock increases in supply. 6. As the economy moves into recession, the fall in rents and values continues, property companies are hit by the credit squeeze, bankruptcies increase and the development cycle is choked off. Barras (1994) noted the UK experience was such that a property boom was typically followed by a more muted development cycle. At this point lenders and investors struggled with debts incurred during a downturn or recession and were then unable or disinclined to fund speculative development. At the same time, oversupply of property built in the previous boom was sufficient to meet demand during the whole of the following business cycle. It is only when supply is exhausted, at the start of the next business cycle upswing that the speculative development cycle takes off once more. This is the reason that absorption and vacancy rates are so important to market analysts. Absorption rates are the speed at which vacant space is taken up by the market. Clearly, the likely success of development projects will be influenced by where in the cycle they are started and completed. However, recent experience over the last decade has been for a sustained period of growth in the global economy as well as national economies like the UK. The property development market is now undertaken on a global as well as national scale. For example, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) have been recently introduced into the UK (KPMG, 2007), although they have been available in other global markets, and are an increasingly important source of finance for property developers. Second, the trend towards adopting sustainability within development is affecting the type of property developments perceived as desirable in the marketplace. Finally, property development processes have been significantly affected by advances in technology such as the internet (Dixon et al. , 2005), which has speeded up the globalization of business and allowed best practice in sustainability and property development to be communicated rapidly around the world.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Role of Scholars in Different Societie an Example by

Role of Scholars in Different Societie The development of societies in different parts of the world resulted to the diversification of knowledge-bases (Cristi 69). This diversification process was the consequence of socio-politico-economic factors that were unique and specific to different societies. As such, deducting from the process itself, different societies developed different world views. This development resulted to the establishment of religious, economic, political, and social structures that maintained social order and harmony. Now, because the people in these societies viewed these structures as necessary and inevitable for a civilized life, there was a need to reinforce the knowledge-bases. This was done by establishing educational institutions which aimed to preserve the microcosmic relationship of man to man, man to nature, and man to society. These educational institutions were represented by the scholars; the forebears and preservers of knowledge. Need essay sample on "Role of Scholars in Different Societie" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Because societies had different knowledge-bases, the scholars representing it had differing roles. For example, a scholar in ancient China was not only expected to analyze and critique ancient texts, he (the scholar was always male) was expected to incorporate his own style to ancient texts. In this way, new knowledge was added to the knowledge of the ancients. This was both a show of respect to the ancestors as well as a sign of progress. The end of which was harmony. The scholar though could not question the reliability of ancient or existing texts since tradition forbid them from critiquing the personality of ancient authors. In India, most scholars dealt with religion (Hinduism an analysis of the ancient Vedic texts). After the death of Alexander the Great, Indian scholars focused on the relationship of man to nature (nature being the representation of the gods). Specifically, most Indian scholars during that time analyzed political and social crises and its relationship with the divine beings. They assumed that any social or political crisis was caused by the gods. Hence, during that time, Indian scholars served as warning tools of kings and nobles of upcoming crises. They were though not mere puppets, for their ability to know the thoughts of the gods put them in a much esteemed position and power (Cristi 47). In Arab nations, Arab scholars also focused on religion (Islam). For these scholars, Islam was tantamount to a way of life (which became the basis for the establishment of rigid, Islamic societies); assuming preeminence over man and society. Thus, the role of an Arab scholar was simple: to consolidate all knowledge relevant to the preservation and expansion of Islam. Some Arab scholars though deviated from this pattern of thought. They sought knowledge from different parts of the world to project the differences and note the deficiencies of current knowledge bases. This was important for them since they believe of the absolute value of knowledge (that knowledge ought not to be discriminating). In Europe, scholars enjoyed a certain degree of freedom in developing knowledge-bases. Hence, because of this flexibility, many scholars became authorities of specific sciences and arts, making progress possible. Hence, scholars in Europe (circa 1200 A.D.) were considered to be the motors of cultural development. Work Cited Cristi, Marcela. From Civil to Political Religion: The Intersection of Culture, Religion and Politics. New York: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2001.

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Object and Opt-out on Moral or Religious Grounds

Object and Opt-out on Moral or Religious Grounds Hashtag: #HDPyasambildirgesi (HDP Declaration of Life) Object and Opt-out on Moral or Religious Grounds Non-recognition of the right to conscientious objection is an enduring and highly controversial issue in Turkey and recently, HDP (Haklarm Demokratik Partisi), the country’s leading opposition party promised to legalize it if their candidates win the June 2015 parliamentary election. Conscientious objection or CO according to UN Commission on Human Rights is the right of every individual to object on grounds of conscience but a number of states such as Turkey are unwilling to recognize it as an important human right. Conscience or our sense of right or wrong is in effect the core features of a person’s moral and spiritual identity. Normally, people refused participation or involvement in something because it is against their moral and religious principles.  For example, some people refused to participate in war because of their deeply embedded moral, ethical, or religious belief that killing another human being is wrong. Note that personal code, political, sociological, philosophical, psychological, and other pragmatic reasons are not accepted the basis for a conscientious objection. Students at public or government-subsidized private schools are free to attend religion classes but they can also choose not to and exercise their right to conscientious objection on moral or religious grounds. The right to object is also applicable to a vast range of issues such as oath taking, compulsory patriotic exercises, school curricula, and others that may be easily granted due schools’ obligation to satisfy its neutrality obligation. For instance, a student’s objecting on a culturally impartial and race discriminating curriculum may be allowed to opt-out or exempt him from course requirements. However, similar to conscientious objection to military service, ritual practice, living arrangement, and others, the objection made on moral or religious grounds should pass the test of sincerity. Want to know more? Go here: Womens Right to Education Relieving Students School-Related Stress   Developing Students Creativity and Self-Expression Smoking in Public Places Should Be Banned The Misdemeanors of Well-Educated People in Public Office Testing the Sincerity of the Conscience Most educational institutions have formal policies permitting students at all levels to exercise their right to conscientious objection. In medical schools, for instance, students are allowed to use alternatives if testing of certain laboratory animals such as mice, dog, cats, rabbits, and others violates their conscience. In the United States, the right to conscientious objection to dissection in educational projects is guaranteed by law and school policies authorizing teachers to cooperate and develop an acceptable alternative with their students. The right to conscientious objection is potentially vulnerable to abuse such as avoiding the arduous training and danger associated with military service. It is, therefore, necessary to ascertain whether the objection is actually based on conscience rather than personal code or philosophy in life. A student exercising the right to conscientious objection and opting-out of a religious education class must clearly demonstrate that attending such class violates his or her conscience. For instance, the right may be granted if the student is a member of another religious group or verifiable evidence of a religious conviction that receiving religious teaching other than their own preacher or priest is a sin. Similarly, a student’s conscientious objection on racially discriminating and culturally impartial curriculum must be accompanied by strong conviction or proof of sincere and meaningful and enduring belief that is contradictory to that of the curriculum.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Compare and contrast California's 2011 Statewide Redistricting Process Essay

Compare and contrast California's 2011 Statewide Redistricting Process with the one done in 2001. Will the new process live up t - Essay Example Would 2011 redistricting when appropriately done help to ensure that every voter is equally represented unlike previous redistricting of 2001? This paper thus compares the 2011 and 2001 redistricting of California State. Introduction As compared to 2001 redistricting the 2011 redistricting disagreements appears to start again in California (Rosen). This has been sparked by the recently redistricting reform proposals that were offered by Governor of California state, Democratic legislators as well as lobby groups and ordinary citizens. Throughout their proposals, these legislatures and activists embrace that redistricting should be done by an independent commission. According to researches, this observations redistricting by 2011 would result to be one of the best ever experienced California. This would be because the opportunity the process would allow citizens to decide democratically the mapping of their administration through the independent commission elected by their leaders bas ed on the authority vested to them (Maviglio 38). These commissions are as established by the people and the federal government. For instance: Advisory Commission: establishes suggestions which are handed over to legislative. These suggestions can be adopted or rejected by the legislature. The advisory commission is practiced in Vermont as well as in Maine. Primary commissions: this team has the independent mandate to formulate and implement redistricting projections. States that practice this type of arrangement are New Jersey, Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Alaska, Arkansas, Washington, and California (Cressman 6). Backup Commissions: convenes only when the legislature has failed to enact redistricting program. In such events, this commission has the capacity of drawing new district boundaries. This type of commission is active in Connecticut Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas and Mississippi. Thomas of Brookings Institute observes that after every ten as stipulated by the governme nt of the United States, a census is conducted in the all States which is used to readjust population figures throughout the country (Statewide Database). These established population figures would then applied to determine redistricting which is the re-drawing of state legislative district and Congressional leadership. Evaluations indicate that immediately the census outcomes have been released, states would be commissioned to carry out the redistricting activities. In considerable number of states the activities of redistricting are led by the state governor and legislature. In California boundaries determine administrative lines of Board of Equalization districts and Assembly. Currently, the California State Legislature draws those lines themselves. However, due to politicization this has resulted to decreased number of persons turning out for census as well as redistricting (Bickerstaff 45). For instance, Thomas of Brookings Institute (Maviglio 43) intimated that some Congressio nal Districts are systematically crafted inkblots. In such districts, voters might be made to think that they choose elected officials, however it’s the elected leaders who choose them. However, the legislative redistricting, carried out by an independent commission comprising partisan appointees, would be less egregious. This arrangement has received consent from political scientists who agree that an independent co

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Language Investigation, Language Production, Commentary Coursework

Language Investigation, Language Production, Commentary - Coursework Example The first text by Thompson exhibits strong characteristics of grammatical as well as lexical cohesion. The grammatical cohesion is based on the structure of the text that is presented in prose form with well-developed paragraphs. The paragraphs build on each other with well-constructed thoughts completing the lexical cohesion of the text. The opening paragraph tackles the issue of texting amongst teenagers and the views of different people, which builds to the second paragraph describing the views of a scientist. This format develops throughout the article with one thought building to the next. The second article by Niemer offers an excellent base for linguistic scrutiny owing to the cohesion and general arrangement of the article. The article is aimed at expounding on the positive and negative features associated with social media and this is broken down into different subtitles covering different aspects of the topic. The subtitles are arranged systematically advancing the views of the author supported by previous research work. The author approaches different aspects of the topic through research questions that have determined answers. The points indicate different views on the positive and negative attribute of social media. The use of phonology is emphasized by the short and precise sentence structure adhered to in the text. McCann’s article has little structure visible from the general outlook as it is divided into large paragraphs divided to support differing aspects of the debate.

Monday, January 27, 2020

Womens Rights in Islam

Womens Rights in Islam Thesis Statement: Women’s rights in Islam is rather still seen to be much more liberated according to the Quran yet subjugated under Sharia Law since the enhancement of Islam. Introduction Since the beginning of time to today’s society, the epitome of the debatable discussions based about the status, position, and the role of a woman have been greatly indicated and reflected by culture, tradition, religion, feminism and misogyny. However, there is a high level of controversy when it comes to the issue of women in Islam that are basically caused from the many misrepresentations and misinterpretations with distortions due to having such a lack of understanding of the Quran and the teachings of Islam stating women in the Muslim societies being degraded or low and living under oppression and subjugation. This paper will discuss and focus on Women’s Rights in the Muslim world in regards to it being much more liberated according to the Quran but yet subjugated under the Sharia Law and to appropriately simplify an easy understanding to the allocated question – are women in Muslim societies really subjugated or are these misconceptions falsely fabricated f rom biased sources? To do this, it will begin with a brief discussion on the rights and status of Women in Islam according to the Quran and Prophetic traditions right from its enhancement through to the Muslim world today with additional information concerning its main violation of Women’s rights, followed by discussions and reasons on the many misconception of Women’s rights in Islam and distinguish the differences between the Quran and the Sharia law, and finally, this report will examine several Muslim countries that will identify the existence and sustainability of Women’s rights within some Muslim countries and distinguish any differences. Overall this paper will support and contend that Women’s rights in Islam is rather still seen to be much more liberated according to the Quran yet subjugated under Sharia Law since the enhancement of Islam. The woman’s question based on Quranic teachings depends very much on how we or the individual understands and interprets the Quranic text. The Quran itself states in 2:228 â€Å"(women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness, and men are a degree above them†. Afkhami (1995) simplifies this quote from the Quran indicating that in regards to their respective responsibilities, merits, and virtues women and men are equal and Islam does not accept for either of them anything but good treatment and fairness. The roles of a mother within Islam possess such important status over a father according also to verses from the Quran but especially within the Hadith which comes to show how valuable a woman is. According to Baveja (1985), in early Arab traditions, woman exercised great influence over the family and the tribes due to having such a supreme authority with opinions that counted as a great deal within inter-tribal warfare. Though however, due to contra dictory evidence available before the advent of Islam, women were treated worse off as men were given precedence over women, oppression was widespread, and women were degraded and considered shameful. Engineer (1940), El-Solh, Mabro (1994) and Beyer (2001) supports this position with examples such as â€Å"the killing of daughters† all agreeing to the fact that having a boy was much greater to the Arabs as they believed that females were considered as an embarrassment and regarded as a disgrace because they could not fight in wars and they were always captured by the enemy hence the custom of burying the daughters alive was practiced as a simplest way out to kill the daughters. To some extent, women were also kept as slaves; women were not given any share in inheritance and prostitution was rampant. Kurzman (1998), Sonbol (2005), Beyer (2001) and Quran itselfs points out the abolishment of such practices mentioned above due to the establishment and rise of Islam regarding wom en to be more valuable and treasurable and to not be mistreated or shamed. Anwar and Abdullah (2000) argue that despite the equality given towards women since the beginning of Islam, most abuse or mistreatment of women today is mainly due to cultural / traditional factors that are wrongly followed by many Muslim families within the middle-eastern countries which will be explained and looked into further in the last paragraph. Furthermore it is appropriate to also include the differences of Islamic law especially the Sharia Law applied in different Muslim societies across the world which is believed to have also caused such violation to women’s rights in Islam as a whole due to conservative societal norms and interpretations that has become one of the fundamental features to cause the lack of women’s freedom and outright abuse Middle East Quarterly (1997). Even though the role of women and men do differ in terms of responsibilities, virtues and merits, nevertheless, und er the Islamic law women’s rights are empowered and protected, and is certainly no different to rights of men in accordance to the Quran which therefore supports Women’s rights in Islam is rather still seen to be much more liberated according to the Quran since the enhancement of Islam. Ordinarily, the histories of women in general focus on western women and see their history as a way of life as models, against which the histories and lives of other women in the past and present are compared, Sonbol (2005) pg. 3-4. However, according to Kurzman (1998), Hirata (2005) and Abdul-Ghafur (2005), women in the west and their method of gaining rights has taken a long while to overcome which includes their first biggest achievement in winning the right to vote that took place in the post industrial revolution era. Yet nevertheless, Bajeva (1985), Engineer (1992) Muslim Women’s League (2003) and few other sources claim that women in Islam were given their rights 1400 years ago – these include rights pertained to inheritance, marriage, divorce, custody of children, property, evidence, rewards and punishments these rights given to the women in Islam were only recently enjoyed by the west. To examine common misconceptions and mistruths in regards to women’s rights in Islam, it’s important to observe the Quran as well as the Islamic teachings and authentic sources in order to understand the truth behind women’s rights in Islam. According to Bajeva (1985), rights given to women directly from the Quran were curtailed and if not, trampled on by Islamic jurists who formulated the Sharia law. Engineer (1992) supports this position by giving one of a few examples such as venturing out of home alone – the Quran places no restrictions on the movement of women nor did it require them to completely hide their faces while moving out of the house. But yet, leading jurists’ interpretations on relevant verses and traditions of the Prophet required women not to move out their house except in an emergency and even then to have their faces covered. El-Solh and Mabro (1994) expresses that the jurist has placed such restriction to women in the context of their situation which paints a clear picture of how rights given by the Q uran are taken away by the jurists in view of their situation and yet these sharia rules are enforced even when the context has changed. Furthermore, Afkhami (1994) and Kurzman (1998) points out the many sharia formulations are based on the human factor as well as such traditions and therefore many rules reflect cultural prejudice of the Persians and the Arabs rather than the just and liberal outlook from the greatness of the Quran. Therefore, based on the information provided above, it’s appropriate to contend and support that despite discovering that certain hadiths and the formulation of the sharia has been the reasons of taking rights away from women due to their own interpretation based on human factors and traditions Women’s rights in Islam is rather still seen to be much more liberated according to the Quran yet subjugated under Sharia Law since the enhancement of Islam. In the Muslim society or in fact the world, there are probably half a billion women who live in vastly different societies, lands, climates, cultures, economies and polities, Karaman (2010). Afkhami (1995) further suggests that contemporary Islamists regimes are most coherently recognized, and differentiated from other regimes by the positions that they allocate to women within the society as well as in the family. However Engineer (1992) and El Solh, Mabro (1994) points out information regarding Muslim fundamentalisms giving women negotiable solutions for domestic issues except rights for women and their position in society. Adding on, the Islam resurgence epitomized by movements as varied as the Islamic Republic in Iran, Jama’at-i Islami in Pakistan and Ikhwan al-Muslimin in Egypt , just a few to name, maintain to single out women’s relation to society according to the Islamic order. Bajeva (1995) and Papas (2009), supports this position by giving examples of differen t Muslim women in different countries that portray the religious fiat being often manifested alongside as discursive text and naked violence that depends on its legality on traditions that adopts based assumptions and capitalizes social structure and customs with an ethic code of womanhood suitable to Islam. These include men gaining control to an extent that include the power of life and crucial death to women within these Muslim societies. For example, men carry out honour killing (stoning, beating with chains til death, acid attacks) against women within their own family, due to disobedience, dishonour or suspected sexual transgression which were practiced in countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and India just to name a few. Papas (2009) however suggest that women in Turkey are known to be more liberated in the Muslim world through secularisation as the notion of Islamic reformation did not work. It is for this reason; it is most unfortunate that i n the so called Islamic states, women are seen only in their medieval image, not in the revolutionary Islamic image portrayed in the Quran. They are placed in purdah and relegated to a secondary role within the four walls of the house. Islamic jurists in these countries give more importance to certain doubtful traditions than to the clear statements of the Quran to see women in their own image Kurzman (1998), Engineer (1992) and Anwar, Abdullah (2000). El-Sohl and Mabro (1994) discuss approaches that have begun to surface in a number of Muslim countries that aim to set the issue of gender relations and the concomitant rights of women within the realm of human rights by combining social and political levels which affects women’s status in society. Yet however, the concept of human rights as laid down in the 1948 Universal declaration Of Human Rights is not easy to reconcile with interpretations of the Sharia which emphasises the hierarchical aspects of the Islamic social order , in which the free males Muslim possesses the most rights. Furthermore, given such rulings by male interpreters’ intent on maintaining the patriarchal system with women in a subordinate role, modernist Muslim feminists and human rights activists are arguing that this is not the real voice of Islam. Thus, despite discovering the use of sharia law that Muslim women are living under in certain strict Muslim societies – it is because of this, women are being oppressed and subjugated in these countries. Therefore it is important to understand and differentiate what the Quran says and the approach of the Sharia law however it is appropriate to support and contend that Women’s rights in Islam is rather still seen to be much more liberated according to the Quran yet subjugated under Sharia Law since the enhancement of Islam. Conclusion In summary, the Quran has emphasized many rights given to Muslim women, yet due to Islamic jurists who have formulated the Sharia Law is the cause that has led alot of women to be mistreated, oppressed and subjugated due to cultural and traditional factors that formulate such law. Yes they have gone through phases of allowing some freedoms, yet, they have not been successful for the reason that modernisation is strictly forbidden according to Islamic teachings. This report has examined the role of women and their status according to the Quran and Prophetic traditions, it has also discussed misconceptions based on women’s rights in Islam and distinguished the differences of what the Quran states on the rights of women and what the Sharia Law says about the rights of women, and, it has explored various Muslim societies or countries with women who live under the Sharia Law. Nevertheless, this paper has discussed and considered information for an understanding that appropriately supports and contends as well as responds to the issue based on Women’s rights in Islam. References Abdul-Ghafur S, 2005, Living Islam Out Loud – American Muslim Women Speak, Boston: Wilsted and Taylor Publishing Services Afkhami M, 1995, Faith and Freedom – Women’s Human Rights in the Muslim World, New York: Syracuse University Press Anwar Z, Abdullah R, (2000), Islam, Reproductive Health and Women’s Rights, Kuala Lampur: Sisters in Islam (SIS FORUM MALAYSIA) Bajeva R.M, 1985, Women in Islam, New York: Advent Books, Inc. Beyer L, 2001, The Women of Islam, [online], viewed from 4th -6th of April 2014 http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,185647,00.html> El-Solh C.F, Mabro J, 1994, Muslim Women’s Choices – Religious Belief and Social Reality, Oxford: Berg Publishers. Engineer A. A, 1992, The Rights of Women in Islam, London: C. Hurst Co Ltd. Falah G, Nagel C, 2005, Geographies of Muslim Women – Gender, Religion and Space, New York: The Guilford Press. Karaman H, 2010, Revelations in the source of Rights and Responsibilities, [online] viewed on 28th April 2014 http://www.lastprophet.info/revelation-is-the-source-of-rights-and-responsibilities> Kurzman C, 1998, Liberal Islam – A sourcebook, New York: Oxford University Press. Middle East Quarterly, 1997, The Rights of Muslim Women, [online] viewed from 7th -9th May 2014 http://www.meforum.org/378/the-rights-of-muslim-women> Muslim Women’s League, 2003, Women in Islam – Muslim Women, [online] 24th -25th April 2014 http://islam.uga.edu/Islamwomen.html> Papas V, 2009, Islam and Women’s Rights, [online] viewed from 26th – 28th of April 2014 http://atheistfoundation.org.au/article/islam-and-womens-rights/> Sonbol A.E, 2005, Beyond the Exotic – Women’s Histories in Islamic Societies, New York: Syracuse University Press.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Evaluating Business Communication

When communicating with different levels of a company it is important to chose the most effective and appropriate source of communication. In addition, ethics should be considered in how and what information is being presented. This report will review two documents from members of an accounting team advising the sales manager and marketing manager from Riordan Company about the results of the review of JJJ’s financials. By reviewing these two documents, the effectiveness of the sources and attention to ethics can be examined. Appropriateness and Effectiveness of the Documents Document 1 is a Memorandum to Dana, the Marketing Manager. This source is formal enough to present Dana with the review of JJJ Company’s financials. Although Document 1 is an appropriate source, the document is not effective in presenting Dana with all the information that matters to her. JJJ Company’s financial status is clear but the effect this has on marketing channels is not fully detailed. Instead, the paper focuses solely on profits; this focus is more appropriate for the Marketing Manager. Document 2 is an e-mail to Mark, the Sales Manager. E-mails can provide about the same level of formality as a memorandum so this source is also an appropriate choice to a Marketing Manager. An IM would have been too informal to provide this information to a manager and a report would have provided more information than needed by a marketing manager but appropriate for an ad hoc committee or CEO. Like Document 1, the financial status of JJJ Company is clearly defined but unlike Document 1, ethical boundaries are surpassed. Attention to Ethics Document 1 stays within the boundaries of not revealing too much information reserved to higher ups such as he CEO. It clearly states the financial instability of JJJ Company but it does not confirm that the acquisition is not going through. The writer understands that the confirmation should come from the CEO. Document 2 provides more information that should have been provided. The first paragraph in Document 2 states, â€Å"William CEO would like to get this acquisition, only if it means a profit to the company. William would like to see bigger dividends for the shareholders†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The writer should have omitted mentioning opinions that came from the CEO, if the CEO found this information to be important for the Marketing Manager to know he would need to be the person presenting this information. Conclusion It is significant to choose an appropriate source of communicating with different people of different levels within a company. Choosing the correct source will allow the presenter to communicate necessary information in an efficient manner. Regardless, of what sources is used, ethics need to be considered in how and what information is being presented. Deciding the level of formality and the extent of the depth and detail of the information are key factors in presenting an ethical bound business communication.