Limited Liability Partnership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Limited Liability Partnership - Essay Example The members of a limited liability partnership have such liability to contribute to its assets in the event of its being wound up as is provided for by virtue of this Act. Accordingly, except as far as otherwise provided by this Act or any other enactment, the law relating to partnerships does not apply to a limited liability partnership. The Schedule (which makes provision about the names and registered offices of limited liability partnerships) has effect (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000). purpose of this is to introduce a new form of legal entity known as Limited Liability Partnership (LLP). This will help resolve the difficulties arising in the traditional partnerships for larger professional practices. The LLP is not limited to large companies. The professionals who are usually involved in this partnership are the law firms or accountancy that can have partners' world wide. LLP is an alternative business vehicle that gives the benefits of limited liability but the members can have the flexibility in forming the internal structure as a traditional partnership. It composes of both the corporate and partnership characteristics. The LLP has its own benefits that make the partnership more interesting. The limited liability is one of the enticing attribute of LLP that includes protecting the partners or members personal assets such as cars, homes, stocks and etc., This limited liability varies depending on the location of the partnership. It protects the partner in errors and negligence. Another advantage of LLP is the flexibility afforded to the entity through its management structure. Corporate formalities need no further observation as normally imposed by corporations. Pass-through tax treatment in LLP is passed through to its partners or members and taxed at the individual partner or member level. Flexible capital structure - owners are asked to provide flexibility in setting up a capital and compensation structure. Members or partners can distribute profit in any manner agreed by the corporation. (Suzuki, J., 1999). Limited Liability Partnership is not sometimes taken into consideration because of the following reasons ( Derrick G. 2003-2004 ): 1) Once become bind with LLP, the money and property contributed becomes owned by the partnership unless otherwise indicated in the agreement. The contributor is not entitled for a return unless otherwise agreed by the members. 2) LLP varies in legalities and liabilities by state. Some state does not recognized the LLP, do not have the easy of transfer and investment that a corporation structure provides and therefore are regarded as less preferable to other business forms. 3) All income allocated to the owners is subject to self-employment tax. Only a portion of salary allocated for dividends is exempted for SE tax. 4) Since the LLP owners are not employee they are not entitled for a deductions for Medical expenses such as health insurance and other medical expenses. 5) The LLP are needed to provide $500,000 of security against claims, either through insurance, escrowed deposits, letter of credit or security bonds. Potential loss of limited liability Aside from the above reasons why it is not yet taken up by other companies is because of its infancy. Since it is a new structure the topic about tax and legality are not yet polished.

Business and professional communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business and professional communication - Essay Example awareness, ritual interpretation, level of likelihood that key differences will be put aside and the employee will assimilate into the culture of the organization, as well as a host of others. As such, this brief analysis essay will seek to lay out this author’s view, supported by key course concepts, with relation to how incorporation of organizational culture/assimilation is achieved. Firstly, as a way to understand the extent to which cultural assimilation will take place, the reader should consider the attitudes and belief systems that one brings with them into the process. No one would be foolish enough to argue that having a distinct belief system is a hindrance with regards to being able to accept a company culture and work to assimilate oneself into the mores and norms of this culture as a way to differentiate oneself into a useful and valuable employee; however, the fact of the matter is that certain belief systems are rather incompatible with the assimilation process (Beamer 1997). Although it is beyond the scope of this short essay to enumerate upon which belief systems are a retardant with respect to the individual being both willing and able to incorporate/assimilate into the mold that has been set forward by the organization in question, the fact remains that a type of open minded liberalism is required to allow the individual to accept the constraint s that the organization may lay upon them and work to incorporate these as long as they do not violate any of the laws of universal ethics and/or morality. One of the premier determinants that should be discussed with relation to an employee seeking to assimilate himself/herself into the given company/organizational culture is the fact that there are key different between culture/rituals/and policies. Oftentimes, due to a liberal use of vocabulary terms, these three are coalesced into a singular idea; however, this could not be further from the truth. In fact, the company culture is merely a

Mcsa Networking Basics Essay Example for Free

Mcsa Networking Basics Essay Introduction What is a network? A network can be defined as two or more computers which are linked together to share resources. These resources can include internet access, printers, software and files. The ‘heart’ of a network is called the server, and its function is to contain all the software and services which the network and its users depend on. Figure 1: Example of a basic network The server is operated by personnel called Network or System Administrators, and it’s their responsibility to ensure the smooth running of the network so it is working as efficiently as possible. This is achieved through the use of a dedicated operating system called Windows Server 2003 – this gives the network administrator complete control over the network functions. Advantages for a network Cost Because networked computers can share the same resources, costs can be dramatically reduced. For example, if there are ten computers in a room each needing access to a printer – it is far cheaper to route all ten computers to a single, shared printer than it is to purchase ten printers; one for each computer. In this example, the saving would also include the cost of ink cartridges (you would only need to purchase one set of cartridges instead of ten). Software can be purchased and installed in a similar cost effective way. Most popular software is able to be bought and installed on a server, and anyone who requires to use it will only need to purchase a license (the legal rights to use it, usually in the form of a certificate). These licenses are far cheaper than buying the software for each user. This method also means that it isn’t necessary for an I.T Technician to install the software on every computer; only one install on the server is needed. Another benefit to this approach is when the software requires an update. If it is server based, only the software on the server would need to be updated. All the users would benefit from the update as soon as it has been installed. If each user had a copy on their computer, I.T Technicians would need to update each one. This could become time consuming, expensive and complicated. The software that this could apply to, includes most Microsoft software and Anti-virus software. Security Security is a vital element in any business. In a network, security is enhanced both internally (security within the network) and externally. Users are given a username and password to access their files and all the programs, hardware etc that they have been given access to. When a user saves a file, it is saved to the server and not the computer that he/she is working on. If that user wants to retrieve that file, it can be done on any computer on the network, and not just on the computer that was originally used. This data can be accessed, monitored and backed up by the Network Administrator at any time. Each department can have their own ‘identity’ on the server, which allows them to have access to files, applications and resources which would be relevant to their requirements. For example, the Accounts department may need to have access to invoicing software (e.g. Sage and Excel), whereas Sales may only require software to monitor and forecast sales over a period of time (e.g. Excel). Accounts may not want other departments accessing their software due to security or confidentiality reasons. Internet security is tighter for both users accessing the internet, and external threats when a network is set up. All the computers can share a single access point to the internet, which makes it easier to monitor internet usage, help reduce hacking and other external threats trying to access data on the network. Another feature which can be applied by the system administrator is Encryption. Data within a folder/subfolder can be encrypted to prevent unauthorized access to data if other security measures have been breached. Typically, only system administrators will be given the ‘recovery key’ to be able to decrypt data incase of system failure or other unforeseen situations. Disadvantages for a network Expensive to install The initial cost of setting up a network can be expensive, with hardware like the server, router, cabling, backup equipment, network printers and server software. Also, dedicated personnel must be hired to keep the server running efficiently and to resolve any server/network issues. Centralised Data Having all of the data in one place means that data could be lost in the event of a system failure. Regular backups of the server are highly recommended (daily, weekly and monthly) to help to keep data safe. But if the server goes down in between backups then all the recent data will be lost. Reduced Performance The server’s performance can become reduced as the network expands or as its workload increases through the working day. A server must have as much memory and processing power as possible to help minimise the reduction in performance. Task 2a Network Topology is the description of how a network is laid out, the devices (server, routers, printers etc) attached to it and the direction which data flows. A network can be described as either Logical Topology (the way data flows in a network) or as a Physical Topology (how a network is physically laid out) There are six main topologies, Bus, Ring, Star, Extended Star, Hierarchical, and Mesh. Bus Topology This can be both a Physical and Logical, in a local area network (LAN), each device is connected by a single cable. This single cable is also referred to as the ‘backbone’ of the network. A terminator must be on either side of the cable to prevent the data signal from bouncing back down it. The Bus Topology was widely used in early networks using standard Co-ax cables. It was an economical solution for networking as only one main cable was needed. The disadvantage to this was if this cable failed, the whole network would go down. Ring Topology In a Ring Topology (also known as IBM Ring Token), each computer (node) is connected to each other in a closed loop. Each computer has its own unique identity on the network. When data is transmitted from one node to the other, the data will include the destination’s identity and will pass through each node until it reaches the destination. This type of topology has two main disadvantages; only one computer can transmit data on the network at a time and if a computer fails the whole network will go down. There is a slight variation to this; the Duel Ring Topology The second ring within the network provides a backup connection, so if there is a failure within the network, the secondary connection will keep the network connected. This is expensive as more cabling is required. Star Topology The most common type is called a Star Topology. Each device is connected to a dedicated central hub. All the data on the network flows through the network via the central hub. These types of networks tend to be small, as data could be degraded or lost on a large network. The main advantages to this is that it is easy to setup and easy to add new devices to the network. But if the central hub fails, the whole network goes down. Extended Star Similar to the Star Topology, but instead computers are grouped together and connected to a local hub, which in turn is connected to a central hub. This is widely used in large networks where the network may be in a large building, and each group of computers may represent each department. There are more points of failure on this network, but if a local hub fails, then the rest of the network will not be affected. Hierarchical or Tree Topology This is very similar to a Ring Topology, but computers are attached to the central hub in layers. While the structure looks different, this still has the main disadvantage of network failure if the top device goes down. Mesh Topology All the above topologies suffer from the same problem. If one device fails on the network, the whole network goes down. The only solution is to connect each device with each other and remove the need for a server. This is the Mesh Topology and has two main advantages; If a device fails, the network will still work and the network doesn’t need to rely on the processing power, bandwidth etc from a server as it is supplied from each computer. The disadvantage to this is the high cost of connecting each device to each other, so this would not be suitable on a large network. This type of topology is also referred to as Peer-to-Peer whereas the other topologies are considered to be Client/Server based. A comprise between cost and connectivity would be the Partial Connected Topology. Devices are connected to more than one node on the network, so if one fails the network can still work. This is more cost effective than Mesh Topology as less cabling is required. Task 2b Recommendations As it stands, the structure of the current network is a Hierarchical or Tree Topology. The network uses two different switches to connect the Domain Controller to the 24 computers. These are from two manufacturers; CISCO and 3Com and this offers 100Mb and 10Mb speeds respectively. This is a disadvantage because one ‘group’ of computers has a quicker data transfer rate than the other. The network does not have a disaster recovery plan should the Domain Controller fail. This has the potential for putting the whole network at risk from permanent data loss. The network also shares a single printer which is attached to the Domain Controller, 10 of the computers are connected to it through the slower 3Com 10Mb switch. This means all 24 computers print via the Domain Controller (which is currently overloaded) and 10 computers send data at a slower rate than the rest of the network. My first recommendation would be to replace both switches with a single CISCO 100Mb 48 port switch ( £631.99 from MISCO website). This would provide a standard, quicker data transfer speed throughout the network and allow for the network to expand. There are a total of 24 computers, and this switch would enable a further 24 devices to be added to the network e.g. additional computers, printers etc. This would allow the network to expand whilst maintaining a fast data transfer speed. With the new switch in place, my next recommendation would be to replace the HP Laserjet III (USB connection only) with a newer, network-ready printer like the HP Laserjet 2055DN or P2030 which costs  £319 and  £160 from HP website. By replacing it with a newer model, printing could be completed quicker, quieter and more cost effectively e.g. more reliable printing, more energy efficient, lower consumable costs etc. Also, sharing the workload throughout a faster network is more efficient than channelling all the printing requirements of the network to an older single printer on a slow 10Mb switch via the Domain Controller. This will also help reduce the workload to the Domain Controller. While the Domain Controller’s workload can be reduced by the addition of a network-ready printer, other options could be to increase the specifications (e.g greater hard drive space, more memory etc). Ensuring the controller has the latest software updates will ensure both the running efficiency and increase the network security. This will help prevent unauthorised access (hacking) to the network. My final recommendation is add disaster recovery and remote working within the network, By regularly backing up data on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, this will ensure the network can be restored in case of total data loss. To assist learning or to prevent students from accidentally causing errors/problems within the network, remote working should be enabled. User accounts can be easy created in Active Directory though the use of a standard template. Templates could be set up for both students and tutors, so all of the common properties of the accounts are already established. When a new user account is required, the administrator will only need to complete the fields that require unique values (eg, name, address, telephone number, course details etc). Once the users have been created within the Active Directory, they can be placed into Organisational Units (OU’s). This will group together users, so in this situation students could be placed in OU’s which represent their course. When the OU’s are established, the users’ configuration settings can be applied through the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). It holds hundreds of user configuration settings, security options and user event logs, all which can be applied as required by the college administrators. Figure 2: Example of the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) By using Group Policies effectively, the administrator can control and manage exactly what users can and cannot do whilst logged onto the domain. Administrators are able to control how the desktop appears, the icons that are available and the ability to configure the task bar etc by applying the Desktop setting found within the ‘User Configuration’ in the GPMC. This could be useful if the college policy states that all users must have the Llandrillo College logo as their wallpaper, and various required icons are in place and users to have access to various programs via the ‘start’ menu. To improve password security, administrators are able to increase the effectiveness of the passwords that users apply to protect their identity on the network. The password options can be found within the ‘Password Policy’ within the ‘Computer Configuration section of the GPMC. These options include the ability to reuse old passwords, to apply complexed passwords (eg. more than 6 characters, using upper, lower case letters and digits 0-9). In the example, a programmer has created a random word generator to create passwords. Group policy could be configured so when they log on for the first time, users input the randomly generated password and then they must input their own password using a complexed password. If the user ever forgets the password at any time, administrators are able to reset it through the ‘Active Directory Users Computers’ tool. Figure 3: Example of Password Policy within GPMC To prevent users from using too much disk space on the network, administrators are able to allocate limited disk space to users and by applying prompts when this space is nearly used up. By putting this in place, administrators can calculate how many users will be on the system multiplied by how much hard disk space each user will be allocated. This total will be the minimum amount of disk space required for all users in each new academic year. Administrators will be able to ensure the server can physically hold all the users data without completely running out or running low of disk space. To achieve this, administrators will need to locate the allocated hard drive and apply a quota, limiting users on how much space they can use. Individual users can have separate entries in the quota, allowing them to have a lesser or a greater share of disk space. This would be useful for tutors who may need greater disk space to store course material etc. When the network is running, administrators may be required to monitor the networks resources to ensure it exceeds the users demands. The tool required is called the ‘Performance Console’ which is found under Administrative Tools. This tool appears in the form of a graph although it has three counters as a default (Memory:Pages/Second, PhysicalDisk: Average Disk Queue Length and Processor: % Processor Time), additional counters can be easily added or removed accordingly. A college administrator may add counters to monitor network bandwidth, server utilisation (memory, cpu performance, disk performance etc). To help administrators monitor the server, counter logs and alerts can be applied. This can enable administrators to proactively identify when system resources run too low or to identify possible hardware failures/malfunctions. Any one of these problems could result in a degraded performance or total server failure. Figure 5: Example of the Performance Console The college network may be required to support remote users, allowing them to access the college network whilst being in a different location eg working from home, from another campus etc. This can be achieved through the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN). The user will be able to access the college’s network through the use of the internet whilst achieving the required security and data encryption. The network’s firewall must have exceptions to allow authenticated users to access the network whilst preventing unauthorised access. Once the network is running effectively, the next challenge administrators will face is maintaining the security and the efficiency of the network. This can be achieved by deploying server updates and hotfixes as provided by Microsoft. The server can be updated with the use of ‘Automatic Updates’, which can be found within the ‘All Programs’ menu under the start button. Updates can be downloaded either straight away or scheduled to download at a certain day/time. This could be configured to download when the network is at its quietest time (eg 10pm). This would ensure that the update would not effect the overall performance during busy periods. Also, updates for the users computers may be required. Instead of administrators physically installing them on every computer on the network, this could be downloaded on the server as an *msi file and automatically installed via a group policy. So the next time users within the network log onto the network, they will automatically be downloaded installing the updates from the server with no intervention required.

History Of Public And Commercial Leisure Provision

History Of Public And Commercial Leisure Provision Leisure can be defined as the process whereby everyone gets freedom from lengthy duties and everyday jobs. Roberts describes leisure as the relatively freely chosen non-work area of life. This shows that leisure can be done anytime or when the body call for it. The demand of recreation is constantly increasing, therefore leisure providers try to do as much as possible to attract people and make all kinds of profit in all the ways they can. The leisure provision can be divided into two sectors: first one is public which is provided by the government. Torkildsen (2005, p.131) describes it as provided by a public authority or by legislation for the general use of public. The second one is commercial sector, presented by private industries that are willing to give luxury leisure in return for money. However, their aim is to gain financial profit and an adequate return of investment Tordkilsen (2005, p.193). As we have been asked to write about leisure providers in this essay we will be looking through the history of the two sectors that are involved in the topic, by discussing the different types of organizations within them and saying who benefits from it by trying to explain why these sectors run leisure facilities. History of public and commercial leisure provision Leisure existed during ancient period as part of everyday life. As soon as it attracted more people, different providers of amusement have emerged. First signs of this division are dated on 18th century. In this period aristocracy provided exclusive sport like fox-hunting, horse-racing, shooting, to those who were socially qualified Cunningham (1980, p.17). In other words, it was for wealthy people that often possessed a land. In these circumstances gentlemen (people from middle class) and also gentry (those who had independent income but no land) created their own clubs and often met in assembly rooms. Taverns and public houses provided leisure for labourers, small manufacturers and poor people. Among them the most favourite amusements were dog-fights, cock-fights or bull-beatings. The second half of 18th century to 19th has brought significant social and industrial changes, which also had an impact on leisure provision. During this time people were moving from villages and small towns to cities. It caused overcrowding, increase of crime, poverty and longer hours of work. People could not enjoy leisure and space as they used to do. The most common behaviours were drinking and gambling. That is why important reforms had to take place. The 19th century has changed peoples thinking about what the leisure really was. Reformers were deeply concerned about three different aspects which include welfare of children, urban life with no opportunity for healthy exercise and recreation and encouraging governments to act against social injustice and hardship of masses. As a result of that improvement, government has created Physical Training and Recreation Act 1937, which enabled people access to the leisure facilities. Employers recognized the importance of providing leisu re to their employees and they started to create social and sports clubs in order to fulfil their needs. In 20th century also people from working class started to demand leisure. Public baths, houses and music halls became available not only for wealthy people, but also for those poorer. Leisure gained more recognition after the introduction of cinema, spectator sports and television, which came ultimately as a result of two World Wars. Finally, in 1960 the actual picture of leisure was developed as we know it today. Different organizations within public and commercial sector In current times, we can see clear division of leisure providers. The sectors we will be discussing are public sector and commercial one as a part of the private sector. Both sectors provides leisure and recreation facilities in a wide range. Public sector organizations are those owned by the government. This can be national government or local government Tribe, J. (2005, p.26) Source: Adapted from Tribe J., (2005, p.25) Facilities which are provided by public sector are accessible to us in two different ways. First, is an access without any fee. Examples of them are urban parks, playgrounds, libraries, picnic areas, nature trails, beaches and country parks. They are supported with rates and taxes we pay to concerned authorities. The other way of getting those services is to pay in order to use them. These facilities include swimming pools, playing fields, golf courses, marinas, arts centres, theatres and sports centres. If the leisure is not provided by local authorities, it may include difficulties in affording those facilities. Young people would not have an access to their culture and usage of open land for other purposes like supermarkets and car parks etc. That is why central government provides leisure open for general use. This governing body is responsible for making decisions on major policy and establishes the way in which local government can act. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is a link between Local and Central governments. Therefore, it has significant influence on leisure itself. For instance, the ODPM is responsible for planning improvements such as increasing standards of leisure facilities. Another important department in central government is DCMS (Department of Culture, Media and Sport). This department has a responsibility of providing policy on: The Arts, sport, The National Lottery, libraries, museums and galleries, broadcasting, film, press freedom and regulation, The Historic Environment and tourism. Another sector, which is engaged in providing leisure, is private sector. Although it is divided for voluntary, which is non-profit making and commercial, our case of study will be only the commercial part of it. Private sector organizations are those which are non-government-owned. They can be further sub-divided into profit-making organizations and non-profit-making organizations Tribe, J. (2005, p.26) Source: Adapted from Tribe J., (2005, p.25) Commercial sector is a part of private sector which does not include voluntary organizations. Their activity is mainly directed to make financial profit from users of those services. They try to meet the demand of consumers but it is very hard to do it on current market. The main purpose of commercial sector is to achieve a financial profit or adequate return of investment. It does not exclude benefit in other sectors, but their predominant aims are different. Examples of commercial market are sport clubs, squash clubs, bowling, themed restaurants, amusement parks, holiday camps or cinemas. Commercial organizations do not have an intrinsic interest in leisure and recreation, in and of itself, but in leisure as a source of profit Torkildsen, G. (2004, p. 249) There is a correlation between both sectors mentioned above. When commercial sector creates new market, it tries to reach the highest level of productivity. After that, when they have to invest more money again, it is more beneficial for them to create a new market rather than invest outlay on the previous one. In these circumstances commercial sector puts strain on public sector, because the demand has been created already. If commercial sector do not want to work on it any longer, public sector is expected to do it. Commercial sector is often run by entrepreneurs. There are thousands of businesses involved in commercial sector, but they have been taken over by multinational companies. As a result of this the choices of products that are sold in the market are limited. In order to reduce risk factor in current economic recession period, business people have to sell the businesses in which they may not be good but concentrate on a vertical supply chain. Both sectors have to attract potential clients or lose profit. In the past both sectors dealt with different activities of their own range, but now they have been overlapped in most part of their business. Who benefits Leisure is something that people indulge in their everyday life; according to Doggett and OMahoney (1991, p.23) it is important because it enhances the quality of life in society. Leisure is an activity that can take place anywhere. Roberts (1978, p.125) says individuals can use their leisure for recreation. Alternatively, however, they can spend their time and money in their families, on their homes, in education and other mainstream institutions. Elaborating on this, it shows that people can choose whatever way they wanted to spend their leisure time without being disturbed. The two types of sectors we have, public and commercial, exist to give entertainment to local communities. But although they have the same assumption, they both offer various kinds of amusement (as mentioned above) and both give benefit in their own different ways. Commercial providers invest in and manage public sector facilities; the public sector offers high quality health and fitness opportunities, which have traditionally been offered by the commercial sector, while the voluntary and commercial sector are beginning to establish partnerships primarily for the benefit of customers of commercial facilities The Higher Education Academy (2005) [Online]. Still, it is mostly the people in the leisure industry that benefit the most, especially within the commercial sector, which is a dominant one in United Kingdom, as they provide leisure and service in return of money. Commercial sector is directed towards two groups of customers: those with disposable income and tourist. They as the wealthy people are able to make bigger profit for the company. This sector only give discounts or buy a package and get the other free or half price. It is a completely profit orientated part of leisure industry. However, most customers get refund, if they did not enjoy the leisure that was provided for them by the companies. On the other hand, it gives a lot of opportunities as far as employment is concerned, this sector delivers it. Moreover, it revenues income from abroad and drives development within the country. Practical advice for business [Online]. Public sector is provided by the government and local authorities in order to give equality to people, to make leisure accessible for those, who cannot afford it it raises the quality of life. Among leisure there are many sports facilities which help its users to stay healthy and fit, for example by tackling obesity. Public sector is also responsible for enabling the disabled access to these facilities. What is more, it supplies several kinds of discounts for various kinds of people. One of them is free theatre entry for people under 26 years, to encourage them to use that leisure facility and to make them more familiar to the culture. Also the elderly (over 75) have a cheaper access to many services. There are many local societies within this sector, like Woodhouse Road Family Life Centre for example, which is a group that brings together older people from the local community The Higher Education Academy (2005) [Online]. Older people can attend the meetings to have fun and remain a ctive and sociable The Higher Education Academy (2005) [Online]. So, in public sector it is not only about various facilities, sometimes just mutual support is enough. It is directed toward socially excluded people people are out of work, with low income and ethnic and disabled communities. Generally, this sector is responsible for providing leisure to everybody for free, so every participant is the one who receives a benefit. There is also a lot of support from European Union. Governments can get grants to make an improvement within their countries and local authorities are also able to develop leisure facilities within the cities. This makes citizens proud of the place they live; they have more places to go to and to entertain themselves. Such actions decrease hooliganism by reducing anti social behaviour and attract tourist and event co-ordinations. Specific reasons why public and commercial sector run leisure facilities Local authorities and societies play essential role in providing, supporting and developing leisure and sports opportunities. As local authority have different types of health services such as free consultancy and distribution of drugs (medicine) to the people in need. However local authority is the important part of a borough that keeps in touch with leisure and recreational activities. They are responsible for scheduling new improvement for protecting the environment and for improving the quality of life through local transport initiatives or better green spaces. In sort, local authorities have a significant direct impact on the success of communities. Public sectors really help to developed new supports to the people such as best athletic development and provide funding for developing new sport policies. Sports and recreational conveniences are offered by together private and public sectors. Mostly health centres and fitness clubs are organized by local authorities in the local areas. According to visitor survey by Tourism South East 2004/05 Leisure and Recreation [Online] in England about 13.5 million tourists visited The National Park. The National Park provides a most popular entertaining resource for the visitors living within and around the area, and also attracts several tourist from corner to corner of southern England and on a national scale as well. New developments within leisure also have positive impact of other ways; Leisure and recreation contributes can change the image of a city and lead to increased private savings. The main reason behind the existence of commercial sector is to make a profit. Commercial sector is responsible for delivering quality services for the people with disposable income. Also the particular facilities like swimming pools, which require a lot of maintenance, are only provided by commercial sector. The reason for the provision of swimming pools by commercial sector is that they have got sufficient amount of money for the maintenance work. As the competition is inevitable in this sector so they are concentrating more on the quality of services. These sectors run leisure services because off several reasons such as creating awareness and keeping society healthy. According to Miller the globalization of sport has also created hyper-competitive worldwide surroundings where many nations try to find their moment of fame on the world sport stage. Hoye et al, (2009, p.17). It is important that local communities have access to range of entertainment, arts, sports and recreational facilities for enjoyment. Local councils provide wide range of leisure and sports services including sports pitches, playing fields and playgrounds. Local authorities provide public parks and open spaces for older citizen and people in need. Arts centres venues and theatres, galleries and museums are also run by local communities. Local authorities also conduct various festivals, sporting and culture events. Providing leisure amenities from local establishment are very beneficial for native people. As local authorities have variety of entertainment and rel axation activities. People can find all facilities easily and cheaper then managing on themselves. Local authorities will motivate people towards healthy life style, by investing more money in sport and leisure facilities. Local authorities always have great emphasizes on promoting leisure and sports in the local areas. Conclusions After all of our considerations about the given topic, we came to the following conclusions. Leisure is not a new phenomenon; it has been existing as a part and parcel of our lives since ancient times. There is a wide range of different organizations dealing with the provision of leisure and recreation facilities. The services provided by local authorities are easily accessible to each class of community. On the other hand, leisure facilities provided by commercial sector are for those people, who have disposable income. The services provided by both sectors constitute to the high quality of life and nations health. It is beneficial to invest in both sectors as they are growing dramatically and the needs and demands of the people would be lasting in coming future. From the Travel and Tourism point of view, we can say that, tourists are able to use only a few services, provided by local authorities or voluntary sector, but they can use all the facilities provided by commercial sector as every facility is available to them after payment. As far as Events opinion is concerned, the situation here looks similar to the one above. People participating in events can enjoy those provided by both public and commercial sector equally, even if they are not citizens of given place.

Programming Under The Wizards Spell :: essays research papers

The computer is a tool that has become indispensable to the modern family and company. In flourishing so successfully the computer has passed from incredibly complex and unusable to anyone how was not well versed in its intricacies, to consumer oriented and user-friendly. In Ellen Ullman's essay, Programming Under The Wizard's Spell, she attempts to convince to reader that the computer has been over simplified to the point of no return. The simplification of the computer made it more user-friendly and there for more appealing to customers, this only blinded people into using the computer the way corporate America wanted them to, using without understanding. First, this essay is a hybrid, it is a mix of the expository and comparison and contrast essay. In the first part she attempts to examine the differences between various Microsoft operating systems and the Unix operating system. Then the author tries to answer the question ''What is it ?'' and ''What is it not ?'' in paragraphs 3, Ullman states : ''Unix always presumes that you know what you're doing.'' and in referring to Microsoft she states it as: "Consumer-oriented, idiot-proofed, covered by its pretty skin of icons and dialog boxes [...]". She has tactfully drawn the boundaries between the two products which start to take one the appearance of the good and the corporate induced bad. Ullman has now inferred her goal, she wishes to convince the reader of her convictions of the new computerised corporate America. Also, she uses simple wording, narration and a somewhat comic anecdote of her experiences, effectively leading the reader into drawing negative conclusions about the new consumer oriented computer. She does not truly attempt to be objective but gives that illusion by shortly stating in the first paragraph: ''a reasonable, professional choice in a world where Microsoft platforms are everywhere''. This was a reasonably good statement that inspires in the reader to believe that Ellen Ullman is waying the good and the bad. Further more, once finished, the reader can only conclude that there where so many more bad things than good things about Microsoft that it most likely a bad product hinged on reducing our computing freedom. This conclusion is of course the only one possible to anyone how reads the essay. she made it this way but without actually expressing this opinion herself, she is merle telling a story littered with an unfavourable tone that seeped out of the text by her choice of wording: "My computer.

Assisted Suicide :: essays research papers

Assisted Suicide In reaction to the law the Michigan Legislature recently passed outlawing assisted suicide, I found myself with many mixed feelings. I found myself often feeling bad for the patients Dr. Kevorkian dealt with but more often felt sorry for him that he should be responsible for so many deaths. It is a sad road to travel on when faced with a terminal disease. It includes many harsh realities and many are not prepared to deal with their illness. There are many aspects I chose to look at when preparing to write this paper. A person's self-worth is one and also the doctor's evaluation of a person's self-worth. I chose to take my own personal stand on the issue, which includes my own opinions, feelings, and thoughts on the many controversies surrounding Euthanasia. I also chose to write about the "Slippery Slope" for I find it to be a very relevant and useful tool in looking at the topic of Euthanasia. This is a very interesting subject to me for I look ahead at the next few years of many painful deaths for a family that is getting very old. When looking at someone's self-worth†¦what they feel they can offer, you have to put into perspective what they are dealing with. Of course, someone who is slowly dieing of a terminal disease is going to find their self-worth at virtually nothing. They are depressed and in pain and are not capable of doing things on their own any longer. What pride is there in that? Most people find none. On a more personal level, I would find pride in waking up each day, and in waking up each day trying to find something to smile about. I could find pride in knowing that even though I am dieing†¦and I am in pain†¦that I am still able to be strong for the people who love me. I find pride and dignity in that and that makes my self-worth†¦something worth saving. I have been brought up in a Catholic family. Therefore, many of my opinions on controversial issues such as this stem from my upbringing. However, I have been able to do the research and form my own opinions. And, even so, I still think assisted suicide is wrong. When one person is responsible for the stopping of another person's heart from beating, it should be considered murder. And, I equally agree that it shouldn't have taken a case where

Pay Structures and Internal Alignment Essay

Martin Straight Compressors employ 4600 people worldwide. MCS’s Chatham location is a small Canadian company that focuses on manufacturing compressors for heavy industries. Chatham employees approximately 70 salaried and 50 hourly employees. Beginning in 1999, Martin Straight Compressors Chatham had begun facing numerous compensation issues and conflicts. Some of the issues included: Having 7 authorized but unfilled middle-level management positions Manager-employee relationships broken Documentation not up-to-date with objectives, processes, progress, performance plans Hourly staff don’t respect the owners Increased workload with no compensation Loss of commitment, motivation, and job security among employees New management brought it while problems are still effecting the day-to-day functions of the organization Merit process isn’t liked Restrictions on merit raises by head office Union involvement Flawed gain-share plan Merit raises go to salaried, non-union staff Merit raises for one employee depend on other employees Executive incentive plan uses different formulas for different employees This consultation report will begin with identifying the two main problems MSC faces and how to resolve them. Next we will apply the Equity Theory and investigate why certain employees are unhappy about the current compensation system. We will look at the company’s standpoint from a competitor’s point of view, and what methods to use to ensure fast, accurate, and acceptable results to ensure MSC continues to grow and be profitable. The 2 Main Problems After analyzing the process and theories used by Martin Straight Compressors, two main issues become precedent: 1. MSC doesn’t have a fair or efficient compensation method. The processes and ideologies used in making decisions in regards to pay are flawed. There is a gap between pay levels due to different formulas that are used for different employees. Merit increases given to employees depend on other staff members within the organization. When companies adopt processes that are unfair, employees lose motivation. As well, inefficient practices puts production at a standstill and costs the organization a great deal of time and money. 2. Employees are not a part of the decision making process. They become uninterested in the events going on within the organization because dedication and commitment are lost. These employees may not fully understand the whole picture, like restrictions coming from head office. When employees feel they are not an important part of the organizations decision-making, they become alienated and their involvement decreases. They become unwilling to develop solutions to problems. Resolution of Problems Encourage employee involvement as much as possible. It is important for employees to have a passion for the work that they do and the organization they belong to. Encourage feedback by holding monthly meetings where everyone is invited to express any questions or concerns they have. Develop a team of cross-functional representatives that meet on a regular basis to discuss issues that are important to the staff. If the high-level managers empower employees to be involvement and provide feedback, the organization will be â€Å"more likely to achieve commitment, trust, and acceptance† (Milkovich, Newman, Gerhart, Cole & Yap , 2013) of a revised compensation structure. Developing a new compensation method is costly and timely. However it is essential to the functioning of an organization. MSC needs to begin with reviewing the compensation budget (Heathfield, 2001). This way management understands how much they are allowed to spend without putting the organization in debt. Analyzing the current job structure should be done on a regular basis to ensure the organization is able to adapt to internal churn, internal succession planning, and external market factors. When looking at a job structure, a few things should be in mind: reliability, validity, acceptability, currency, and usefulness (Milkovich, Newman, Gerhart, Cole & Yap , 2013). This will help the final structure satisfy both the employees and the employer. Equity Theory The Equity Theory explains that employees compare their job and pay to other positions within their internal environment, as well as jobs in their external environment. The more knowledgeable the employee is about their responsibilities, there position and pay, and the organizations structure, the more satisfied they will be. Martin Straight Compressors needs to establish this equity theory throughout the company because right now there is no equality felt among employees. My advice to MSC is to develop a Team Site where important information can be displayed for internal eyes only. Display organization charts to show the levels of progress within the company – and the corresponding pay levels – so employees feel motivated to move up the chain of command. Establishing these reporting relationships would benefit MSC because a positive communication flow would evolve. Keeping Employees Onside Martin Straight Compressors needs to focus on building employee-management relationships. Currently there is a lot of conflict occurring in the workplace and, according to employees, this has resulted form management breaking promises to their employees. This results in a loss of mutual respect. Below are 3 ways to mend professional relationships: Keep everyone informed and involved Develop 2-way communication Instill a sense of decentralization Change is a scary reality for employees because it makes them feel vulnerable and they lose their feeling of job security. While MSC slowly makes changes to their compensation system, the above 3 points will ensure employees adapt with the company. If employees continue to voluntarily resign, MSC will lose a great deal of knowledge and assets, which will make the change even more difficult. It’s important to keep valued employees so they are able to pass on their knowledge to new employees along the way. Competitive Advantage Martin Straight Compressors currently does not have a competitive advantage within the marketplace. Although salaries and wages are at par with external competitors, other factors hinder MSC: employees are expected to increase their responsibilities and workload due to the number of unfilled positions, without getting extrinsic compensation for it. Also, merit raises are mostly given to salaried, non-union staff. This discourages front-line workers because there is no incentive. Performance evaluations should be taken place on an annual basis to ensure employees are aware of their objectives and areas for improvement. A major problem I see with MSC is that employees either get merit raises, or they don’t. Every company should want their employees to succeed, so, in turn, the organization succeeds. I advise MSC to instill a mentoring/coaching program to guide their employees to achieve the best they can. By telling, teaching, and showing employees how to perform functions and tasks, the employee will become empowered. It will become easier to link performance and pay because benchmarks will be set and every employee will know what is expected of them, and how to achieve those expectations. Becoming Internally Aligned In 1999, performance management records did not identify key objectives for employees. Merit raises focused solely on the results from the employee, department, and company. Rather, MSC should be looking at the individuals’ skills and competencies, and how they are applying them to accomplish their tasks. Ensuring every employee understands what is expected of them is extremely important; it ensures that they are proactive within the company so they’re not just going through the daily motions. Annual performance evaluations and proper documentation is essential to becoming internally aligned because it ensures everyone is on the same page and employees know what is expected from them. It also allows the company to look back on the trend of the employees to see if improvements are being made, and if they aren’t, why. Recommendation Evidently, MSC is in need of a change. My recommendation is to have a short-term goal and a long-term goal. 1. Job Evaluation: Ranking Method (used during first 3 years) This will provide fast and accurate results. Using the paired comparison method would allow MSC to use a matrix to â€Å"compare two jobs in each cell and indicating which is of great value, then ranking jobs on the basis of the total number of times each is ranked as being of greater value (pg 87)†. The reason this is the first step is because MSC is in need of a quick fix to ensure no more positions are left voluntarily and that production continues. This method will serve as a â€Å"band-aid† until further down the road a permanent solution can be decided upon. 2. Job Evaluation: Point Method (developed by the end of third year) This method requires a lot of time and costs because it goes into the breadth and depth of each job. This is what MSC’s end goal should be. The point method provides accurate and acceptable results just like the ranking method but it takes a lot more time to investigate. The point method should be set as a long-term goal and would be beneficial for MSC to invest in. Once all positions are individually broken down to determine their compensable factors, they can be scaled and then weighted so points can be assigned and a plan can be made. This will become the foundation for MSC’s compensation structure for years to come; only reviews and evaluations would be needed after this to ensure employees are satisfied and methods are efficient. References (APA Format) Gondzio, J. , & Grothey, A. (2009, May). Exploiting structure in parallelimplementation of interior point methods for optimization. Retrievedrom http://link. springer. com/article/10. 1007/s10287-008-0090-3. Retrieved on October 6, 2013. Heathfield, S. (2001, June 05). Compensation strategies and structure. Retrieved from http://humanresources. about. com/od/compensationstructure/compensation-structure. htm. Retrieved on October 6, 2013. Milkovich, G. , Newman, J. , Gerhart, B. , Cole, N. , & Yap , M. (2013). Compensation. (4th ed. , p. 01). McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. Retrievedon October 6, 2013.