Financial Statement Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Statement Analysis - Essay Example Burberry on the other hand experienced fluctuating growth in sales. In 2011 it has a growth rate of 17.30%, which increased to 23.71 in 2012. However, it reduced to 7.62% in 2013. In 2014, it increased to 16.57%. Generally, Burberry had a positive growth in sales even though it fluctuates. During each year, it had a higher growth in sales than the industry average, implying that it has a higher performance than other firms in the industry. Burberry had a relatively stable growth in sales. Mulberry had a sharp reduction in sales. For instance from 68.84% in 2011 to 38.47% in 2012 and to -1.97% in 2013. In 2014, Mulberry experienced a slight increase in growth in sales while Burberry had a higher increase in sales growth. Mulberry had a higher growth in sales in 2011 and 2012 than both the industry and Burberry. In the last two years it had the lowest growth. Burberry had the highest growth in sales in 2013 and 2014 than industry average and Mulberry. Operating activities are the main activities of an entity because they reflect the underlying health of the company. Operating assets helps the ordinary activities of the company. Net operating assets are the difference between operating current assets and operating current liabilities. Burberry’s growth in NOA increased in 2012 from 19.12% in 2011 to 54.94%. In 2013 it decreased to 34.14%. It further decreased to 28.12% in 2014. In general, growth in NOA showed a downward trend for the company. In the case of Mulberry, it increased tremendously from 25.84% in 2011 to 151.68% in 2012. In 2013 it decreased to 101.51% while in 2014 it reduced to 44.53%. Although it had a reduction in growth in NOA, Mulberry had a higher growth in NOA than both industry average and Burberry. This implies that the company’s operating activities are more efficient than Burberry’s and other firms in the industry. Burberry, on the other hand, had a higher growth in NOA than

Questions 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Questions 2 - Essay Example Isaac Newtown (1642-1727) advanced the existent theories on astronomy and formulated a comprehensive model on the workings of the universe based on gravitational law (Hatch, Para 6). He is also accredited to have developed calculus through his theories. Newton advanced Copernicus’ hypothesis of the earth being a planet, and that the interplanetary space is empty. Johannes Keppler (1571-1630) developed the cosmographic mystery accounting for the planetary orbits. Keplerarian astronomy was also a credited with the heliocentric Copernican with uniform circular motion (Barrow, 56). Keppler defined the orbital characteristics of planets, and he thought he had exhausted the structural reality of the cosmos that he sought new celestial physics. He also had various contributions to mathematics (Hatch, Para 3). The scientific revolution had profound impacts on both religious and education beliefs. One of its consequences was the rise of skepticism such that a figure like Descartes even doubted its own existence. He later realized that his thinking proved his own existence. Another consequence of the scientific revolution was the challenge to religion where science proposed that the universe worked within mechanical laws, thus without God’s intervention. The friction between science and religion led to suffering of some of the pioneers of this revolution such as Galileo in the hands of the catholic church. The new science also led to decline in the belief of natural and demonic magic. Since there had been an established religious culture, science brought about the divide between the learned and the popular culture (Brian et. al. Chapter

Modern Audience Essay Example for Free

Modern Audience Essay â€Å"It is impossible for a modern audience to feel comfortable with the Taming of The Shrew† with close reference to Shakespeare’s presentation of Katharina, comic conventions and having the above question in mind, write about your response to the ending of the play In my opinion, The Taming of The Shrew tells the story of an abusive marriage and I would agree with the view that it is impossible for a modern audience to feel comfortable with the play, especially the conclusion of the story. Shakespeare’s presentation of Katharina at the end of the play seems to me to be one of a broken person; she is almost robotic in her obedience and without spirit, except for when singing the praises of wifely submission. â€Å"Thy husband is thy Lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign† is a prime example of the disturbing brainwashing Petruchio has carried out on her. This humbled ‘Kate’ is a far cry from the feisty Katharina we are first greeted by in Act 2, where she exchanges a vicious battle of words with Petruchio; â€Å"Asses are made to bear and so are you†. This phrase in itself shows that she is fearless, and defies her society’s conventions, cursing at strangers; a sad contrast to the plays ending, where she has totally conformed to what’s expected of her. The ending of the play also contains very little comedy, with the exception of the argument as to who is the real Vincentio, and the fight between Kate and the Widow. This is because the Taming of the shrew defies most Shakespearian comedy conventions, as the marriage takes place midway the play, rather than at then end as was traditional. I believe that this adds to the discomfort of the modern audience, as after the supposed ‘happy ending’ we are faced with the harsh reality of Petruchio’s treatment of Kate. Shakespeare presents Katharina as completely changed by the end of the play. At first she is wild and seemingly untameable; we see her tie up her sister and argue violently with both Petruchio and her father. â€Å"So may you lose you arms, if you strike me, you are no gentleman, and if no gentleman, why then no arms† Here, Shakespeare presents Katharina as highly skilled with word manipulation, generating humour with her insulting play on words with â€Å"arms† as she brands Petruchio simply a commoner if he would strike her. This is in stark contrast to the ending of the play where she seems to have no free will. She is practically enslaved to Petruchio, agreeing with his every thought and whim. An example of this is Act 4, Scene 5, Petruchio and Kate see Vincentio and Petruchio refers to him as a â€Å"fair and lovely maid†, instructing Kate to â€Å"embrace her for her beauty’s sake†. Shakespeare’s use of a command word clearly shows Petruchio’s power and utter control in their relationship. Vincentio is obviously a man, but despite this, and despite a warning from Hortensio that this pretence will anger Vincentio, â€Å"a will make the man mad, to make a woman of him†, Kate does indeed embrace him for his beauty’s sake; â€Å"Young budding virgin, fair fresh and sweet†. This elaborate language with its piling up of adjectives is an example of hyperbole used for comic effect. It is perhaps also, on a less humorous note, an instance of what many feminists would see as the darker side of The Taming of the Shrew, and the destruction of Katherina’s personality; this is a strong interpretation as she could be seen to be using this elaborate language due to her desperation to please Petruchio or her fear of punishment. Petruchio further exerts his power over Kate by then changing his mind and accusing Kate of madness. â€Å"I hope thou art not mad, this is a man† she readily agrees, ignoring the fact that Petruchio has undermined and humiliated her, and begs for his pardon over her stupidity. This scene is a prime example of the change Petruchio has caused from Katharina to Kate. She is not the character we met in Act 2, and this transformation could be said to be uncomfortable for a modern audience to watch. It is unpleasant to see one human being so completely at the hands of another, and whether this total obedience is due to love, fear or desperation is down to the audience to decide. I think this adds a more disquieting edge to the play as Shakespeare seems to condone Petruchio’s taming, or what most modern audiences would see as abuse. However, some critics, for instance Lucy Bailey, director for the RSC, have stated that the play is a curiously misunderstood love story, not the abusive tale of misogyny some modern audiences would see it as; Bailey says that Petruchio and Kate’s attraction is instant, and that what follows after their first meeting is simply fore-play. Nonetheless, this interpretation is hard to digest in the face of the cruelty Petruchio inflicts on Kate, why would a man in love treat the object of his affections like one of his farm animals? This treatment is particularly shown during Act 4 where Petruchio begins his ‘taming’, he attempts to train Kate as one would train a dog. EXAMPLE. Evaluate language. Other critics have explained this treatment by saying that Petruchio is driven mad by grief after the death of his father he â€Å"takes out his disaffection and anger on other people almost as an experiment. (Director David Farr) The best example of Shakespeare’s changing presentation of Katharina to Kate can be seen in the final scene, in her speech. She has not spoken for several pages, but then, on Petruchio’s command, launches into the longest speech in the entire play, expelling the virtues of being a good wife. The first reason that most modern audiences would find this scene uncomfortable to watch is the way that Petruchio instructs Kate to â€Å"Tell these headstrong women what duty they do owe to their Lords and husbands†. This phrase itself could be seen to be problematic for modern audiences to digest. In the 21st century, men and women are equal, so the way that Petruchio refers to men as â€Å"Lords†, implies a power and control over women that is uncomfortable for most modern audiences to hear. Shakespeare cleverly prioritises the word Lord over Husband in this line emphasising the debt Petruchio feels women owe their husbands, like peasants owe their Lords. In this statement, Petruchio also uses headstrong as an insult, whereas in modern Britain, although it can have negative connotations, headstrong is often a positive personality attribute, implying one knows ones own mind. The ending of The Taming of the Shrew contains very little comic elements, making it all the more uncomfortable. There is the scene in which Vincentio encounters the pedant impersonating himself . The audience has not seen Kate as impassioned during her speech since she was Katharina; we see some of her old spark when she refers to Bianca and The Widow as â€Å"froward and unable worms†. However, this insult could be seen as a sad reflection of how Petruchio has twisted her feisty nature to suit his own needs. Most modern spectators would see the entire speech as incredibly anti-feminist, and I believe that due to this it is impossible for most modern audiences to feel comfortable with The Taming of The Shrew. Kate suggests women should â€Å"kneel for peace† and â€Å"place your hands below your husband’s foot†. These phrases evoke feelings of servitude and to most modern audiences are difficult to hear. Kate’s ‘realisation’ that women are weak, their â€Å"lances nothing but straws† contrasts to her physical violence at the start of the play where she attacks Petruchio. â€Å"That I’ll try (she strikes him)†. Shakespeare uses regal imagery in this speech to show the total infatuation and obedience Kate feels towards Petruchio. She refers to husbands and ‘Lords’, ‘Sovereigns’, ‘Heads’ and ‘Princes’, and these words show the power Petruchio has over Kate and the power she believes all husbands should have over their wives: one of absolute control, akin to the monarch. Shakespeare’s effective listing of these nouns emphasises Kate’s uncanny passion towards Petruchio and wifely obedience. Similes are also widely used in Kate’s final speech; for example, â€Å"to dart a scornful glance† at ones husband â€Å"blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads†. Kate now believes that obedience is beauty, and for most modern audiences who live in a society where independence is valued and celebrated, it is impossible to feel comfortable with these ideas.

The Role Of Zara As A Brand Commerce Essay

The Role Of Zara As A Brand Commerce Essay Zara is a fashion brand from the house of Inditex SA, of Spain, which is one of the leading fashion retailers of the world. Zara started its retail operations for the in 1975, with its first store opened at La Coruna in Galicia, Spain. Presently this is the head office of Zara. Zaras retail operation now extends to about 650 stores operating in 50 different countries. Over the last five years Zaras sales has increased at a steady rate of 25% and Zara as a brand contributes to about 80% of the companys total profits. There are questions that pull forward the need for this research to be undertaken. Some of these questions would be that when most fashion retailers reported negative annual profits due to the global economic recession, how has Zara been able to continuously increase its profitability? What are the strategies employed by Zara? What are the quality control checks employed by Zara? How scalable is Zaras business model and finally what does Zara follow to maintain its high market share and at the same time compete with other fashion retailers? Zara focuses on the apparel business more as a consumption market rather than being a commodity market. Hence Zara focuses on speed and thus looks at continuous reduction of response time. Hence to achieve this Zara has an effective vertically integrated supply chain which is very closely integrated with the customers. It is from here that the latest trends in fashion are identified and the garments are produced accordingly and delivered to stores within a period of 2 weeks. . 1.3 Competitive Priorities of Zara: The identifiable competitive priorities on which Zara has built up its successful business model are as follows: 1.3.1 Fast speed of production: Zara has the ability to transform a fashion concept and place finish products in the stores within a period of 2 weeks. Zara has dedicated teams at stores which allow the retailer to get designer influenced products at a very rapid pace within the stores. 1.3.2 Variation of Production: Zaras value chain comprises of members who dedicated work closely with customers in spotting new trends of demand in fashion. They have the ability to launch new trends, designs and variation of products. 1.3.3 Cost Leadership: Zara produces fashionable range of products at an affordable pricing. When compared to other competitors in the same strategic group, Zaras products are priced lower than GAP and Benetton. The main reasons due to which Zara can achieve cost leadership is because they keep a very low level of inventory in stores. Their efficient distribution system allows them to get products in the store just in time. As a result of which Zara has a high annual inventory turnover. 1.4 Applying Porters Generic Strategy: On application of Porters generic strategy it has been observed that Zara looks at the broad scope of the market. Zara uses a combination of differentiation and overall cost leadership. The ability to produce different range of fashion at a fast pace is the differentiating factor of Zara that gives them a high sustainable competitive advantage. Overall cost leadership is achieved through the vertically integrated supply chain that Zara possesses. Due to the efficient supply chain, Zara can achieve a high stock turnover and at the same time maintain a low level of inventory in stores. 1.5 The practice of Total Quality management and its implementation in Zaras vertical supply chain: 1975-1995: Since its inception in 1975 till 1995 Zara has followed the method of inspection in order to keep a check on the quality of its products. Zaras designing team has worked closely with customers and have spend their time in spotting the latest trends in demand. An instant sketch of the design has been analysed and the accordingly produced. The quality control teams at Zara inspected the designs before placing them in stores. 1995 till date: After 1995 Zara has implemented the practice of Total Quality management. In this practice Zaras vertically integrated supply chain tries to achieve Continuous Improvement of their processes, which includes spotting of the fashion trends, designing, and procurement of their materials, the CAD technology they use for designing, their improved inventory management and finally their centralised logistics and distribution system. Each of the components of the supply chain process has been explained below. From the aspect of employees, Zara invests a lot on the motivation of employees. They mainly hire young people who are creative and can understand the latest trends of fashion. Collectively these two aspects are used to achieve high level of customer satisfaction. 1.6 Supply Chain View of Zara: According to McMillan and Mullen (Operations Management Volume 2: 2002), the purpose of SCM is to integrate all tasks associated with the bi-directional flow of materials, information and finance into organized, coherent, managed processes in order to provide end-to-end management and control. One of the pivotal examples that support this view is the Supply Chain Management in Zara. 1.6.1 Design and Production: Zara uses concurrent designing process which integrates members from the entire organisation structure in creating its designs for fashion. This includes members from the procurement team, designers, market specialists and finally feedbacks obtained from sales executives and store manager. The average age of the designing team is 26 years. These designers spot the latest trends from different sources such as fashion shows, magazines and trade fairs. Then they make a sketch of the design and these designs are consulted upon by different members from the procurement and production departments. Only 25% of the total number of concepts are accepted and actually executed. Zaras business processes are integrated and cross functional teams work across all processes. Due to this there is a rapid flow of information which reduces the decision making time and in turn the lead time. 1.6.2 Procurement: 60% of the products produced by Zara are by their own factories. Zara has about 25 factories across the world and most of the plants run on a single shift basis. Thus Zara has unutilised capacity which they use for quick response to increase in seasonal demand. As a result of this Zara can transform their products quickly to the stores even when the demand is high. Although the design and automated manufacturing is done by Zara in house, most of the labour intensive activities are outsourced to reduce overall cost. 1.6.3 Information Systems: Most of the designs developed are done using CAD. This is a major reason for making the manufacturing process rapid. Apart from this ZARA invests considerably on technology in order to aid in the flow of information. Zara store managers posses hand held PDA which they use to send information such as sales figures, order placing and customer feedback to the head office in La Coruna. Based on this designing team confirms the design and sends them across to manufacturing units wherein CAD is used to manufacture the products. 1.6.4 Inventory Management: Zara replenishes its inventory from one of its 650 stores at least twice a week. However the stock quantities are limited so that they ensure not to carry excess inventory. On record Inditex has the least inventory as a percentage of annual sales as compared to Gap, which is its closest competitor. 1.6.5 Centralised Logistics and Distribution: Zara has a centralised distribution unit that operates from its head office in La Coruna. Zara uses all modes transportation for shipment namely trucks, trains and even planes in some cases. Trucks are loaded as per the specific order in the evening and they are dispatched at night at a specific time. 1.7 Employees at Zara: Employees at Zara is one of the main reasons for the effective quick response system of Zara. The HR policies revolve around high level of employee motivation. Zara believes in hiring young and creative people. Employees are Zara are given holistic training across all skill sets and they are also given high incentives. These practices motivates employees to market the brand Zara effectively. 1.8 Value Chain framework of Zara: Based on the above research a value chain frame work of Zara is given below: 2. A comparative study of Zara with Benetton: 2.1 Introduction to Benetton: The Benetton brand was established in the year 1966 by Luciano Benetton as an Italian fashion brand that produces wide array of coloured clothes. The Benetton group has 150 million garments rolling out of their stores and they have a mammoth number of 6000 contemporary stores worldwide. 2.2 Operational Control: Since its inception, until 2004 Benetton had a centralised production and distribution system. It also did inspection of its products and rapid quality checks from 1980 to the mid 2004. However in 2005 the control has become decentralized and Benetton now follows the Total Quality Management practices in its entire value chain. 2.2.1 Continuous Improvement in the Production Process: Benettons production system had undergone a major transformation in the year 2005. It evolved from an organisation based on divisions such as wool and cotton, to a structure based on service units such as planning and quality control. The new production system is flexible, and it integrates all the stake holders in the value chain. Thus it helps in reducing product delivery time and it also optimizes the quality and service levels. In this process there are three teams that work in tandem to deliver greater value to customers. These are the Logistics unit, the quality checking unit and the customer service unit. The customer service unit plays a major role in analyzing customer demands and level of satisfaction. This team has departments which keep a close track on the sales staffs and the store managers, whose inputs are taken into consideration during the production process. The quality checking unit keeps a track of the level of confirmation of specification of each design. Tagging and labeling of the units of garments are also taken care by them. The Logistics team is by far the most important team in the organisation. There is now a new Hong Kong hub that has become fully operational along with the European hub and the U.S hub. Benettons logistic system has now transformed from a centralised system to being a satellite control system. This facilitates the individual hubs to concentrate on their particular regions of distribution and supply the appropriate number of units and the appropriate design at the right time. Since 2005 till date the stores have thus reported low levels of inventory and high stock turnover rate. 2.2.2 Customer Satisfaction perspective: Since 2005, Benetton has also rejuvenated the concept of shopping experience by providing a new range of concept stores. Some of them are the Pentagram concept for glamorous clothes and the Cool concept for producing casual lines of clothing. Aspects of visual merchandising are taken better care of in order to strengthen the shopping experience of customers and developing stronger relationships with them. 2.2.3 Employees: With the implementation of TQM in 2005 the organizational functioning and structure has also been majorly transformed. Benetton now looks at hiring young individuals who takes the challenge of a fast paced environment. In 2005 a new project called the Wanna Sell? was introduced as a part of the training and development programme. In this project young and enthusiastic individuals were chosen and put into teams to attend sales workshops. During the 2008 economic meltdown Benetton continued to provide their staffs with incentives and thereby encouraging then to work with greater passion. 3.1 The Comparative Quality timeline: 4 SWOT Analysis of Zara: 4.1 Strengths: Vertically Integrated Supply Chain Quick Response System Integration of IT in the Information System Efficient Distribution Facilities Presence of Brand Globally 4.2 Weakness: Overdependence of Inditex over Zara as only one brand Lesser efficient supply chain management in U.S than Europe. (A negative effect of centralization) Location of Shops: It is often seen that Zara has too many shops in the same geographic area, thus causing canibalisation of its own sales. 4.3 Opportunity: Moving out to emerging markets such as Brazil and India where people are now more conscious of fashion. 4.4 Threats: Competitors such as HM who are also rapid innovators of fashion. In certain countries such as India, China and some of the Middle East nations there are companies that produce fashion at a high price but keeping a low cost. 5 Recommendations: 5.1 Decentralisation: Looking at the fact that Zara faces certain challenges logistically in markets such as United States and certain parts of Asia, Zara should now go for a decentralised structure in their distribution channel. As we have seen in the case of Benetton, due to the decentralised structure Benetton can efficiently manage their operation on such a large scale. For a company like Zara which is looking to penetrate the emerging markets, it should bring about a decentralised structure in the following ways: Zara should build controlling units of Distribution and Production in every geographic region where it has its operations. In this way it would help Zara to concentrate on each and every region rather than controlling the entire business from their headquarters in La Coruna. Zara should not bring about any change in the overall Supply Chain View which it now follows. 5.2 Six Sigma Practices: Being a high innovator of fashion, Zara should consider Six Sigma practice in order to mitigate the risks of innovation. It has been a proven track record that through Six Sigma companies have been able to reduce a high amount of their process costs, according to Six Sigma Academy companies save $230,000 per project by applying six sigma practices. Six Sigma practices help in improving ongoing processes of an organisation very effectively. For an organisation like Zara, at the present situation the application of Six Sigma will complement their high level of innovation that they do in order to bring in new fashion to the market continuously. Six Sigma practices can be implemented through in Zara through the application of DMAIC model. The DMAIC model can be elaborated as Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control of the processes in Zara. Define: The new fashion that has to be developed should be defined properly according to the specifications, the technology to be used to manufacture and the budget required for carrying out the designing process. Also the defining process must include the tasks that individuals within the supply chain must undertake. Measure: Measure the time taken to complete the entire manufacturing process for every product line (i.e. the new fashion that has been conceptualised). It is also important to measure the extent to which the measurements of the finished garments match with that of the defined plan. Analyse: Analysis is to be made from the perspective of the product movement. The time taken to complete the entire process of shipment is to be monitored, and a continuous effort should be made in reducing the shipment time. Improve: Areas of improvement in Zara comprises of confirmation of specification of measurement, reduction in production time, reduce in transportation or shipment time, improve the quality of service at stores, improve facilities at store and the store ambience and reduce the time taken for checkouts at stores. Control: Control in the organisations processes are to be brought about through a balanced score card that is customised for Zara balancing the four stake holders perspective. These four stake holders include the learning and innovation perspective comprising of Zaras ability to innovate new lines of fashion; the level of customer satisfaction; the financial performance of the company and the operational effectiveness of the supply chain system of Zara.

Buddhism: The 4 noble truths Essay -- Buddhist Buddha essays research

Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths Siddharta Gautama was twenty-nine years old when he abandoned his family to search for a means to bring to an end his and other’s suffering after studying meditation for many years. At age thirty-five, Siddharta Gautama sat down under the shade of a fig tree to meditate and he determined to meditate until he reached enlightenment. After seven weeks he received the Great Enlightenment which he referred to as the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path. Henceforth he became known as the Buddha. In The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, Thich Nhat Hanh provides a citation from the Buddha, which gives insight into the cure of our distress. â€Å"I teach only suffering and the transformation of suffering† (Thich Nhat Hanh 3). When we recognize and acknowledge our own suffering, the Buddha, which is present in everyone, will look at it, discover what has brought it about, and prescribe a course of action that can transform it into peace, joy, and liberation. Suffering is the means the Buddha used to liberate himself, and it is also the means by which we can become free. The teachings of the Buddha revolve around this central tenant known as the "Four Noble Truths". The Four Noble Truths represent the basis of the Buddha's teaching and form the central foundation of Buddhism. Historically, Lord Buddha preached on these topics during his first public commentary following his enlightenment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The First Noble Truth states that "Life is Dukkha." Dukkha, in English â€Å"suffering", exists, even that this is the natural and universal state of beings. To live, one must suffer because it is an inevitable part of life, which one cannot avoid. All beings must endure physical suffering as well as enduring psychological suffering the form of many human emotions. Human beings are subject to impermanence and uncertainty which very often, causes us to associate with things that are unpleasant and disassociate with things that are pleasant. This may seem a bit cynical and may suggest to many individuals that Buddhism is a dismal, fatalistic religion yet it just implies we must accept the good with the bad. Buddha’s first noble truth is a statement that can obviously not be denied. In The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, the author provides insight into the truth of suffering. â€Å"To succeed in the practice, we must stop trying to prove that everything i... ...aintain ourselves clearly on all planes of existence. 8. Right Concentration, samyak samahdi, by establishing and maintaining our focus of appearance, manifestation and being through appropriate concentration, usually named as meditation, dhyana, we are grounded in our unfolding actuality. This is the threshold of Nirvana, to develop the eye of wisdom. Anyone and everyone can achieve the highest goal in Buddhism. All one need to do is to make an honest effort to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. It is said that those who have reached enlightenment, like Buddha Shakyamuni and his disciples took much work to attain that state of mind; it was not accidental. The Buddha and his disciples were once ordinary people, afflicted by the impurities of the mind, desire, ill-will and ignorance. It was through contacting the Dharma and purifying their words, thoughts and deeds. These individuals developed their minds and acquired wisdom so they became exalted beings able to teach and help others to realize the truth. If one applies themselves to the teachings of the Buddha, attainment of the ultimate goal of Buddhism, the goal of liberation, the everlasting bliss of Nirvana can be achieved.

Representation of a Great Ruler :: Queen Elizabeth Ruler Essays

Representation of a Great Ruler In such a tumultuous time of England’s history, a ruler that could protect his people and also give them intellectual stimulation was no easy task. However, this is what the people expected from their ruler. This emblem is a basic representation of what the English people valued from the people that ruled them. The title says it all. â€Å"A Princes most ennobling Parts,/ Are Skill in Armes and Love to Arts.† If someone took this emblem and changed all the words from â€Å"he† to â€Å"she,† and then replaced the words â€Å"prince† to â€Å"queen,† we would have a perfect description of Queen Elizabeth I and what made her so great. Before we go into the text, it is worth analyzing the picture of the emblem. Though the huge discrepancy is that it is a man in the picture, there are still many parallels we can draw between him and Elizabeth. Appearance wise, the man in this picture seems to have a regal robe on, but pants that look like tattered rags. Making the comparison with Elizabeth, one can point out the time that she spent in prison. She had to don rags for a while, and then when she was released, she was made queen and she got to wear royal, exquisite dresses. In the picture, the man has a sword in his right hand and a book in his left. Obviously, the sword represents the military might and physical strength. The book represents wisdom and knowledge. Though it is at an angle, it still seems that the man is holding the book higher than the sword, showing that they value a wise ruler more than a mighty one. A great ruler however, must contain both of these qualities to be successful. After the emblem, we get a poem about qualities the people desire in their ruler. As stated earlier, from what we know of Elizabeth, this poem describes her qualities well. Before Elizabeth, England was in constant war with Protestants and Catholics fighting each other for power. In this time of constant conflict, the people looked for a ruler that would bring them tranquility.

Member of Parliament Essay

Delegation is to give another person authority and responsibility of a certain task that you would normally do yourself but you still take accountability for the outcome. In order to delegate effectively you need to first decide what tasks to delegate. You need to track what you can delegate by making a list of tasks that you do and from this the things that you can give to others. It is a more cost effective way of giving others responsibility rather than hiring someone else to do the work. Planning is essential when you are delegating. You need to identify the individual’s knowledge on the task, the skills they have to do it efficiently. Give them control of the task completely but follow it up regularly by meetings and asking them how it is going, what is going good and what they need help on. Communication between the other person and you has to be very clear and precise. You should have their full attention. They need to have a clear understanding of what needs to be done and by when. SMART objectives need to be set for them and discuss the standard that you expect from them. Ask them how they will do it and what help you can give them in the task. Give them reassurance, confidence, offer them your support and appreciate them. Believe in them. When delegating tasks there are several levels of delegation to consider. Everyone is different, not everyone can handle or respond well to certain styles. A good manager knows which level to use with each member of staff when assigning a task. Level 1- this is when the manager asks the staff member to look into the situation, get all the facts needed and come back to him/her. The decision of what to do is made by the manager. This type of delegation is usually used for new employees who have no experience in the business. It is also used when you cannot physically do it yourself as you are handling quite a few other things at the same time. For example, at SS during a busy patch at lunch time, if there is a customer who comes in who has problems with his glasses. You cannot see him as you are already dealing with two other customers. You ask a member of staff to check the glasses thoroughly, find out what problem they are having by getting all the facts from the customer. You have delegated this task out to that member of staff but you make the final decision on what should be done. You control the delegation. Level 2- this is when the manager asks the member of staff to look into the situation but also come up with possible solutions to the problem. For example, in the above example, the manager  would have asked the member of staff to come up with reasons why the customer is having problems and ways to fix the problem. However, the final decision is still made by the manager. The manager still controls the delegation. This level offers opportunities for more instruction, coaching, and development of the employees. It is often used for employees who may be changing companies but staying in the same career, so they are familiar with the task but not with the new employer’s working style and requirements. Level 3 –this is when the manager asks the member of staff to look into the situation and come up with possible solutions. The staff member picks the best solution for the customer but gets the manager to approve before going ahead with it. For example the above mentioned member of staff would have the measurements rechecked by the manager before he remakes the customer’s glasses. The manager still controls the delegation but it conveys more trust and faith in the chosen employee, it also facilitates training, improves the overall experience and increases educational opportunities for the employee. This is a good happy medium for both new and experienced employees and works well in large workplaces where the tasks must be managed properly for structural purposes. Level 4 – this is when the manager asks the member of staff to look into the situation and carry on and finish it till the end of the solution unless he says not to. For example, in the above example, the member of staff would be able to finish it off unless the manager said not to. The staff member controls this type of delegation. It shows a lot of faith and pays a compliment to the staff as to their manager’s level of confidence in their ability to complete the task successfully. It is often left for experienced employees, particularly those who have performed the repeated task successfully in circumstances prior. One problem to this approach is it can also be a source of frustration for an employee who is told they have the expertise and capability to do what is requested the way their manager wants it done, but then if they lack the confidence in their manager to follow through or if something goes wrong, then it makes this person almost entirely accountable. This Level requires trust, rapport, confidence and understanding. Level 5 – this stage is when the managers asks the staff member to complete the task and to report back to him when it is done and what was done. For example in the above situation, the manager will want to know when the problem is sorted and what the member of staff  did to solve it. The manager doesn’t even require a heads-up or check-back before the staff member starts work on the task. Many companies who have experienced staff members use this type of delegation to accomplish more. It can also be beneficial for smaller companies who trust in their employees to help them perform at maximum potential. They control the delegation. Level 6 – this is when the manager tells the staff member to take action and follow it up if needed. For example in the above example, the manager gives full authority for that staff member to deal with the customer. He does not get involved at all. This is not only complete freedom, but also the ultimate compliment in terms of a manager’s confidence in the staff member’s ability to complete a task to the manager’s complete satisfaction. When it comes to effective delegation, you cannot just order people around. Each individual is different and responds differently to different styles of delegation, criticism and praise. This means in order to be most effective, and get the best results from staff chosen to have tasks and projects delegated to them, employers must be both creative and knowledgeable when it comes to picking the right person for the right kind of delegated assignment.