Tax and Share Holders Essay Example for Free

Tax and Share Holders Essay †¢LIABILITY-You are liable for payment of any debts incurred that cannot be paid for by the profits from the company. Also if you have personal debts that have gone to collections a creditor can be awarded business profits and or business assets to offset these debts. You are also liable for any injuries that may occur due to your company. †¢INCOME TAXES-The business is not taxed separately. All business income must be reported on the owners personal income tax return. †¢LONGEVITY/CONTINUITY-Sole proprietorships are dissolved when the owner dies. †¢CONTROL-The owner of a sole proprietorship is in complete control over every aspect of the business †¢PROFIT RETENTION-All income is the owners who may do with it as he pleases. †¢LOCATION-Sole proprietors are able to conduct business from home, office, or internet. There isnt really any regulations that limit the location. †¢CONVENIENCE/BURDEN-Sole proprietorships are extremely simple and cheap to start. Depending on your city or county you may need to register for a business license or tax registration certificate. If have employees you may also need an employer identification number from the IRS, a zoning permit, or a sellers license from your state. General Partnership-A company that is jointly formed by two or more individuals †¢LIABILITY-Each partner is liable for all debts of the company to include any contracts entered into by other partners. †¢INCOME TAXES-General partnerships do not pay income taxes directly to the IRS. Partners include any revenue and expenses on their personal income tax returns. †¢LONGEVITY/CONTINUITY-Since all funding comes from the owners assets they have a limited longevity and a harder time expanding. †¢CONTROL-Normally each partner has an equal amount of control. †¢PROFIT RETENTION-Profits are split between partners. †¢LOCATION-General Partnerships are able to conduct business from home, office, or internet. There isnt really any regulations that limit the location. Some counties or states may require a Doing Business As certificate †¢CONVENIENCE/BURDEN-All partners are held liable for any actions  of other partners and can be held accountable. Funding is easier to come by do to the fact that one person isnt solely responsible. Limited Partnership-A company that is formed by two or more individuals where certain individuals play a more managerial role †¢LIABILITY-There is no personal liability protection for the general partners but limited partners are protected. †¢INCOME TAXES-Profits are reported on the personal income taxes of the partners †¢LONGEVITY/CONTINUITY-Normlly funding comes from the limited partner and longevity depends on the terms of the limited partnership agreement. †¢CONTROL-Majority of the control is given to the general partners with the limited partners having little or no control. †¢PROFIT RETENTION-Nornally based on the amount of the money the limited partner invests and the level of control the general partners have, this would be detailed in the limited partnership agreement †¢LOCATION-Limited Partnerships are able to conduct business from home, office, or internet. There isnt really any regulations that limit the location. Depending on the county or state ordinances certain documents may be required to be filed with the relevant registration offices. †¢CONVENIENCE/BURDEN-This is a good model for the individual that is just wanting to invest but have the day to day activities handled by others. The major burden falls on the general partners, they are liable for anything that occurs. C-Corporation-Is an independent entity that is owned by share holders who elect a board of directors to oversee policies and make business decisions. †¢LIABILITY-Share holders have a limited liability towards business debts. †¢INCOME TAXES-Profits are taxed separately under subchapter C of the IRS Code from the share holders. Then the share holders are also taxed on their profits. †¢LONGEVITY/CONTINUITY-They have a longer life span than other models do to the fact that funding is easily acquire through the sale of its shares and or outside investments. The corporation does not dissolve upon the loss of an owner. †¢CONTROL-Control is left to the board of directors who are elected by the share holders. †¢PROFIT RETENTION-All profits are retained by the company. †¢LOCATION-A C-corporation must be registered with the secretary of state in the state it is operating out of.  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢CONVENIENCE/BURDEN-It is easy for a C-corporation to raise money with the issuance of stocks. Double taxation is a major burden and takes a significant amount of profit from the shareholders. The business and the owners are two separate entities. The shareholders have no personal obligations for any debt incurred by the company. Business losses are not deductible by the corporation. S-Corporation-Profits and losses are shared with the share holders and has the benefits of limited liability †¢LIABILITY-They offer limited liability where income and expenses are given to the share holders tax returns. Only the actual investment by the shareholders is at risk. †¢INCOME TAXES-Shareholders report profits and losses on their personal tax returns and pay at their individual income tax rates. †¢LONGEVITY/CONTINUITY-Same as a C-corporation, the sale of shares gives the S-corporation a longer life span. †¢CONTROL-Control is left to a board of directors that is elected by the share holders. †¢PROFIT RETENTION-All profits and losses are passed through to the shareholders who are then taxed at their individual tax rates. †¢LOCATION-An S-corporation must be registered with the secretary of state in the state it is operating out of. †¢CONVENIENCE/BURDEN-There are many regulations that an S-corporation needs to meet which is a disadvantage. Limited Liability(LLC)-This is similar to an S-corporation in that it offers limited liability but has the tax advantages of a partnership †¢LIABILITY-The only thing at risk is the money the member invests, personal assets are protected. †¢INCOME TAXES-Income is passed on to the share holders who then have to pay taxes at their individual tax rate. †¢LONGEVITY/CONTINUITY-Shares can be transferred by members without any restrictions giving a LLC an indefinite life span. †¢CONTROL-Also managed by a board of directors that is elected by the share holders. †¢PROFIT RETENTION- All profits and losses are passed through to its share holders who then must pay taxes at their individual tax rate. †¢LOCATION-A LLC must be registered with the secretary of state in the state it is operating out of. †¢CONVENIENCE/BURDEN-An LLC also has many regulations that it must meet, perhaps its greatest burden is meeting the varying requirements and restrictions from state to state. To: Owner of the Wood Manufacturing Company From: Ben Woltering Re: Business Organization Recommendation Date: January 4, 2013 There are many different options to look at when considering a change in organizational structure. Currently you are setup as a Sole Proprietorship which leaves you exposed to any and all debts or injuries, plus leaves you open for lawsuits. If you brought in a partner and formed either a General or Limited partnership you would still be liable as stated above to any debts, injuries or lawsuits, but you would have the added capital of your partners for expansion and all profits belong to the owners. A C-Corporation would give you personal limited liability and is generally easy to obtain business capital through the sale of stocks you do run into the issue of double taxation where the company pays taxes on profits as do the owners on their dividends. There is also an accumulated earnings tax on profits in excess of $250,000. An S- Corporation offers the same limited liability as the C-Corporation but does not pay Federal taxes. All earnings and losses are passed through to the share holders. The company will not dissolve if you were to leave or die. An LLC has both the tax advantages of a partnership and the limited liability of a corporation. There is no continuity of life as in a regular corporation, the LLC will dissolve if the owner leaves, but some formal agreement can overcome this. Legal assistance is recomended to make sure all of the correct paper work is completed for your state and any you are  planning to expand to. Due to its ease off setup, limited liability protection, no federal taxed and all earnings and losses are passed through to the share holders I recommend that you structure your company as an S-Corporation. Before moving forward I recommend that you contact your attorney and accountant to find out what the local requirements are for starting an S-Corporation. Thank you for your time and please let me know if you have any more questions.

Development Of Strategic Project Management Management Essay

Development Of Strategic Project Management Management Essay In the past project management was considered tactical to facilitate the running of individual projects such as constration of new plant, installation of new software/hardware but it did not enavble organizations to grow over time by achieving strategic objectives such as entering into new markete, new product increasing markete/shareholder share etc. Grundy and Brown mention that it is reasonable for the organizations to combine project management and strategic management into a process that they call strategic project management. Link from strategy to project management -it is a process influence by internal external change -orginasation vision give rise ideas of strategic breatkthroughs -this lead to the establishment of strategic progrrame , then strategic projects. the Standish Groups Research Report, Resolution of Projects, 20 May 2005, www.standishgroup.com/sample_research/PDFpages/q3-spotlight.pd ACCORDING to the report Roughly 70% of projects were failed 40% end users complained problems 50% projects were rolled back and discontinued 40% projects were reworked as a result wastage of financial resources The rout cause of the failure of these projects was 1-business requirement was not understand properly in strategic point of view 2-There was no connection between strategy and projects. Organizations must -Explain where they want to be [future] -identify problems and define which project/program requires to correct them such as cost reduction, staff reduction, getting to market faster. -Identify its internal/externial resources both human and financial -Manage change management initiative effectively by motivating employess to move into goal congrance along with organisation -Perform project portfolio management in order to identify which project will add value in strategy -Monitoring and managing investments in projects in terms of strategy, ROI,and NPV Project Portfolio Management (PPM) According to Callahan Brooks (2004) PPM is the use of the appropriate management knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to maximize the alignment of the companys project portfolio Principles of PPM So PPM is a technique for selecting those projects that are well align and contribute to strategy Select those projects that support business strategy Optimize projects and resources to make sure maximum return to company -use accouting tecquotes in order to quantify benefits such as ROI, NPV Perform risk management Portfolio managers must monitor planned and actual performance in terms of time, budged/scope and quality and then report to portfolio management. in order to align with strategy portfoloio management keep itself inform/update of any strategic change and those components which no longer support of company strategy might be discontinued. Today PPM is becoming popular in modern business and the markete for project portfolio management software is growing fastally and offering these tools =Support whole project life cycle Resourceallocation,wbs,charts Detail project planning Gartner research The main reason of success is that portfolio managers combine strategy and it,s project rather than traditional tactically focused projects. Environmental change forces and strategic project 1-PESTEL 2-PORTER 5 FORCES Business environments usually change and organizations adopt the change into their strategies and this new development constitutes a project. Strategic planning: some strategis are developed in incremental way and project management is way of making ad hoc strategy more deliberate and as a result better considered. Strategic implementation: pm play important role in this stage of strategy so it must be able to handle complex, ambiguous and political issues and ensure it support overall strategy A wider strategic awareness is necessary in all members of pm[ manager] as what organization actually needs. Excellency in Project Management [ core competence ] (PMMM) Kerzner suggests that where PM is core competence, a continous improvement approach should be taken to developing and consolidating the methodology. Organizations has always been seeking ways to achieve excellency in PM and continusally adopted different methologies and supportive culture. Kerzner describes a five level project management maturity model (PMMM) of continuous organizational improvement which provide guidance to the organizations in order to achieve excellency in PM methology. Level 1 Common Knowledge The importance of PM to the organization is understood and basic training and technique is provided Level 2 Common Processes Successfully implemented process are standardized and PM principles are recognosed and can be used for future projects and support other methodology such as TQM Level 3 Singular Methodology Organization combine all coporate methologies into a singular metholodgy and recognize synergic effect and PM is placed at the centre of single corporate methology. Level 4 Benchmarking In order to achieve competitive advantage based on process improvement organizations continually undertake benchmarking Level 5 Continuous Improvement Information achieved through benchmarking can be use to make improvement of the singular methodology This model is particularly used in corporate training and career development routes for project managers Effect of Human Resource Management on Strategic Project Management HRM are strategic asset and core competence of the organizations The efficient HRM management of and integration with organisational goal is crucial for strategic success, as, for example, noted Gary Hamel , managing the various technologies and knowledge and learning became the foundation the core competence and competitive advantage of company for producing products or services. The objective of resource management to ensure the right people and the skills necessary to implement certain projects. Besides using different operating personnel requirements of the functional department of company, every organization also use its functional HR force for selected for projects as well .. Due to the increasing costs of human resources in todays economy, it is expected that this trend as multitasking will continue. According to the observation of Turner and Muller (2005) impact of HRM such as competency of project manager and leadership style was ignored in the past have direct impact on organizational capability to implement its strategy. SPM recognizes the leadership and management skills are rare, with an emphasis on business, and very valuable. Therefore, it is their expertise which leads to tacit knowledge which is the important factors for sustainable competitive advantage. PROJECT MANAGER It is likely that project manager will be appointed by and be responsible to a higher level of management who manage project. Skill required by PM -knowledge of company strategy -leadership and teambuilding -organisational ability -communication skills -technical knoledge of project -inter personnel skills Leadership style There is no single best leadership style due to different personality style of managers. However leadership style adopted will affect the way decisions relating to the project are made. Although an autocrative [ more consultative style ]may prove successful in some situations because members of project feel more a part of the project. Efficient skills of Project Leaders Long experience in managing projects and dealing with the problems it faces, allowing them to see through complexity and get to the heart of the matter. . A desire to get things done, to accomplish something and make a contribution. vi. Have Excellent political and diplomatic skills iii. The ability to see through the eyes of others and empathize with others, and that the contribution tolerate underperformance or bad team ix. Win loyalty of others, charisma courage, and empathy with people please . Gap Analysis Gap analysis is widely used in business strategy to target the gap between the expected future strategic performance and likely future performance. It may be in a similar way in project selection and definition as a way to create what both projects should be found out and what their scope should be. Research philosophy and approach the researcher focuses on gradually finding out his research conclusion by applying critical interpretations methods. The literature describes two different approaches that can be applied in this thesis deductive and inductive. A deductive approach to research is believed to scientific research, the researcher developed a hypothesis tested and examined to determine a suitable theory. the researcher will gradually formulate the theory [ strategic project management ] by applying Exploratory Research and critical evaluation of research variables and followed inductive research approach , which offer more flexibility and opportunity for the researchers to research topics Research Strategy Researcher adopted appropriate research strategy such as inductive and distcriptive research and used secondary research methods.The researcher used up-to-date historical research approach and get evidence through case study evidence and electronically research report of companies relate to Software and Construction /Engeerning industry for example Standish Groups Third Quarter Research Report 2005 states Roughly 70% of projects were failed and the rout cause of the failure of these projects was There was no connection between strategy and projects. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This section is divided into five categories ,which explain the research process of each category in detail. Research methods This research sought data collection using the multi-method, or combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Basically, the quantitative approach is used facts and continues where researchers wish to acquire the statistical truth. Information about the Topic/industry is gathered mainly by secondary sources and script analysis. Secondary sources which I used include Text books, websites [ such as Gartner research Standish Groups ], analysie the work done by some researchers on Institute of Project Management in Dublin [importance of HRM in SPM ] . online surveys, newspapers, journals/articles ,research reports , media and personal experiences. I did not use primary source because my chosen topic [ SPM] cover the many huge compines who operate in different sectors so this was difficult to get primary information of eatch company. Ethics will be taken in to consideration while gathering information and if any issues arise, they would be disclosed and resolved. Research out come In general, following findings have been obtained from research report. Some individual projects are considered tactical but organisational project management [ manage projects in alignment with strategic objectives ] are strategic advantage for the company. SPM and PPM provide great advantage to the organisation which help to identify those projects which add value. There are great advantages for an organization to review its PM function and upgrade and operate into SPM practices involved in the selection of projects. The concept of Organizational Project Management based on the sense that a relationship exists between the organizational skills in project management, program management and portfolio management and efficiency in implementing the strategy. Importance of the human factor in SPM as they help to achieve common strategic goal of organization such as project completion on time, within cost and to the quality laid down in the initial specification Industory backround I have chosen software and construction/engeerning industries for undertaking my research report such as gartner research and Standish Groups Research Report. According to these reports there shoud be a link between PM, PPM and Strategy for overall success. I analysed the wordk done by some researchers on Institute of Project Management in Dublin who found , how organisations transfers their project management capabilities into a strategic asset? LIMITATIONS Research shows there are many Organizations that ignored the important fact or alignment projects with corporate strategy. Primary source was ignored so not all research report is reliable Due to short time period I couldnt prepare a perfect research report at high quality I didnt choose one specific industry and my research methods also limited to some companies. Conclusion In fact, senior leadership management should participate in defining the selection and prioritization of projects and all projects should have measurable targets development of guidelines for organizations to ensure alignment with the strategic vision of the organization. REFEREBCES Callahan Brooks (2004) Standard for Portfolio Management

The Breaking Point: Woolf’s Views on Stael Essay -- women writers

No person is capable of perfectly articulating Virginia Woolf’s opinions on certain matters. However, through the observation of her works one might be able to gather her thoughts and form a more accurate description of her ideals. A Room of One’s Own contains Woolf’s ideals dealing with women in the arts, especially those associated with liberal arts. In this piece Woolf always describes a lack of strong women writers for her research but does name a few she deems worthy. It seems odd that Woolf would overlook Germaine de Stael while researching women with literary talent. The reasons for why Stael was disregarded could range from a language barrier at the time, Stael’s ideals on how a woman should behave within society, political propaganda, or Stael’s works might have simply gone unnoticed at the time. If Woolf had read Stael’s, On Women Writers, surely she would have mentioned it somewhere in her novel. Why would it be required tha t Woolf write about Stael? To simply answer this question, Stael was an intelligent woman in her time and many of Woolf’s main arguments coincide with Stael’s. Gender Inequality is one of these major themes where Stael shares similar views. They would both agree that this inequality feeds the other motifs described in their own works, such as: the individuality of truth, the importance of monetary means, or the hatred and ridicule that society directs at women writers. Woolf might not have agreed with all of Stael’s beliefs, but she would find Stael’s views on gender inequality and the causes of these inequalities to contain the essential oil of truth she was desperately searching for. Gender Inequality was what Woolf emphasized as the major downfall of women writers and Stael shared thos... ... Both Woolf and Stael were extraordinary authors of their times, especially when one considers the hardships they faced. Woolf would indeed find much of her arguments written within Stael’s work. In her reading she would be pleased to find agreement with many of the arguments brought up by Stael, but of course she would not agree to them all. The pity Stael says women should be shown would not consist in Woolf’s vocabulary. She would insist that women be treated as equals instead of looked down upon and pitied. â€Æ' Works Cited Stael, Germaine de. On Literature Considered in Its relationship to Social Institutions: â€Å"On Women Writers.† Trans. Vivian Folkenflit. Eds. Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007: 55-60. Print. Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. Ed. Mark Hussey. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005. Print.

An Inspector Calls :: English Literature

An Inspector Calls Productions seen: Â · BBC Television Production (1981) Â · Film Production (1954) Part I J.B.Priestly's play is set in the spring of 1912 in the household of an upper-middle class family in the north of England. The plot of this dramatic play is based around the Birling family's involvement in a young girl's suicide. The Birling family consists of the two parents, Arthur and Sybil Birling and their two children Eric and Sheila. Gerald Croft is soon to become a member of the family as he has recently announced his engagement to Sheila. As the story unfolds we find that each of the family members is partly to blame. Which member however carries the most blame? It is important to realise that J.B.Priestly has made it deliberately difficult to place the blame solely on one person. Having read the play and seen two productions of it, I have come to the conclusion that Mrs Birling is the most to blame. This conclusion was founded for many reasons. One such reason was due to the process of elimination. Each Character, although guilty, has different responsibilities and different degrees of blame due to their involvement with the girl, their reaction to the news of her death, how they compare to the other characters and how the audience would or should perceive them. If we first take Mr Birling, who is questioned by the Inspector first. Mr Birling is described by Priestly as 'heavy looking, rather portentous...in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners....rather provincial in his speech." Birling is fairly successful in his line of work and is always striving to become better. He is self-important and slightly pompous. He could even be described as old fashioned. However he is a warm character and the audience should perceive him as such. Examples of this self importance can be found a lot in the text. For example, on page seven of the text, Mr Birling rambles on about such nonsense like " The unsinkable Titanic", "very little chance of a World War" and of "Russia being technically and socially behind" Mr Birling first became acquainted with Eva Smith when she came to work in his factory two years previously. Mr Birling started off the chain of events which lead to Eva's death by firing her from her job for asking for a pay-rise and ( when the rise was refused) for organising a strike. Although Mr Birling shows relatively little guilt or remorse for Eva's death, I do not feel that he is entirely responsible as at the end of the play he does in fact feel very guilty when the Inspector delivers

Wedding Speech Delivered by the Brother of the Bride -- Wedding Toasts

Wedding Speech Delivered by the Brother of the Bride Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I'm Neal, the bride's brother. On behalf of my mother, Mrs. Lian White, I wish to thank you all for coming to celebrate this special occasion with us. We are so happy that so many of our friends and relatives are able to come here to enjoy this splendid occasion with us. Today seems like a magical dream. This morning, I proudly walked my sister down the aisle to marry Paul, the man whom she loves so much. It was so beautiful to watch them exchanging their vows in that beautiful stained glass church. Its marvelous seeing these two good people come together. The Bride and Groom Susie is a gem in our family, a blessing to both her parents and me. She's been a good and faithful daughter to my ...

Different Types of Business Information and Their Sources Essay

Merseytravel uses a lot of different communications to communicate with people, which includes; verbal, written, on-screen, multimedia and web-based communication. Using these five different types of communications, Merseytravel can communicate with other people using different ways to communicate which includes technology and face-to-face. Verbal Communication in Merseytravel Verbal communication in Merseytravel can be used several ways, like advisory panels, telephone or face-to-face to verbal communicate. Verbal communication is very important for the reason being that you are dealing with a variety of people through out the day. In some cases you may deal with people who have different culture, ages and with different levels of experience. An important verbal communication that Merseytravel use frequently is; Advisory panels. Advisory panels are used by Merseytravel which acts as meetings where each of the five district councils come together and have a verbal meeting which includes; Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral. Meetings of the advisory panels are held on a quarterly basis, which in the meeting include verbal communication about how Merseytravel can improve. The main objective of the advisory panels is when verbal communicating to each other they can update each others knowledge, like how their markets are developing, what the eco nomy is doing and what new laws are being passed that might affect the way they operate. The source of the verbal communication is Merseytravels meeting room where the advisory panels take place. The reason why advisory panels take place is so Merseytravel can get together and discuss on how to improve them-selves. Advantages of verbal communication: It’s easier to communicate verbally than any other way because you get to understand every detail that is being spoken by the other person. In Merseytravel customers communicate with the staff members this is an advantage because they get to ask questions if they don’t understand the instructions clearly. Disadvantages of verbal communication A disadvantage for this type if communication in Merseytravel is when a language barrier occurs, if one person does not understand the other due to the fact that he or she does not speak English or does not cope with the accent so that will cause a poor communication between the staff member and the customer like on the ferry service etc. Overall, verbal communication is important in Merseytravel as they can get together like in their advisory panels and discuss to each other about Merseytravel and how they can improve etc, which using verbal communication, it easy to get information across to each other than using of communications like web-based. Verbal communication in Merseytravel is internal as the advisory panels are just to do with Merseytravel but other verbal communication in Merseytravel is external when a customer wants to be a stakeholder. Web-based communication in Merseytravel Web-based communication is communication over the web. Web-based communication includes E-mail, Train alerts and bus alerts etc. Web-based applications are used on Merseytravels website which includes the train alerts etc. Web-based communication is good because people can access the web from wherever they are now days because people have mobile broadband. Train alerts are an important web-based communication in Merseytravel. For people travelling around all the time, web-based communication can be important to them. For example, if the person is out travelling and wants to see that the trains are running fine, then they can access web-based communication by going on Merseytravels website and clicking on the hyperlink on the side leading to the train alerts and can find out the information they wanted to know all using web-based communication. The source of web-based communication is a hyperlink from the side of Merseytravels website, called: ‘Train alerts’. The reason why Merseytravel have a hyperlink to ‘Train alerts’ is because people can check the train alerts if they are outdoors and need to get a train somewhere and so can easily access train alerts and check to see if the train they need is running fine and on time. Advantages of web-based communication The public can access Merseytravels web-based information wherever they are to find out on Merseytravels latest information like, get up to date on the latest train and bus alerts etc. Disadvantages of web-based communication: Not everyone can access the web because they may not have broadband, therefore cannot get the latest news on Merseytravel etc. Overall, Web-based communication is a good way to communicate to the public as a lot of people can access the web wherever they are and can get update on Merseytravel’s latest information wherever they are which is very mobile, although people who don’t have the access to the web cannot access this information which is a disadvantage to Merseytravel. Written communication in Merseytravel Written communication in Merseytravel can be used several ways like giving out surveys and leaflets to the customers. Written communication can be just as important as verbal or non-verbal communication. You can’t take back what you say, but you also can’t take back what you write. People ten thousand miles away from me right now may also be reading this very thing I’m reading about the Merseytravel leaflet, so written communication in Merseytravel is very mobile and people far away can read it. Merseytravel uses written communication when researching community views. Merseytravel wants new passengers and wants to promote their services to the public and so frequent passenger surveys are provided to the customers which are written communication and the customer filling out the survey can put their feedback on it in written communication so Merseytravel can improve. The source of these surveys may be given out to passengers on the train to get the customers feedbacks on how Merseytravels train are operating to see if they need improving etc. The reason why the surveys are giving out on the trains is because Merseytravel want the customer’s feedback on what they feel about their trains and since they are on the train they are more likely to get better feedback than if Merseytravel was to ask people to fill in a survey about their trains who where just walking in the town centre. Advantages of written communication †¢ Written communication helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for running of an organization. †¢ It is a permanent means of communication. Thus, it is useful where record maintenance is required. †¢ It assists in proper delegation of responsibilities. While in case of oral communication, it is impossible to fix and delegate responsibilities on the grounds of speech as it can be taken back by the speaker or he may refuse to acknowledge. †¢ Written communication is more precise and explicit. Disadvantages of written communication †¢ Written communication does not save upon the costs. It costs huge in terms of stationery and the manpower employed in writing/typing and delivering letters. †¢ Written communication is time-consuming as the feedback is not immediate. The encoding and sending of message takes time. †¢ Effective written communication requires great skills and competencies in language and vocabulary use. Poor writing skills and quality have a negative impact on organization’s reputation. Multimedia communication in Merseytravel Multimedia communication in Merseytravel is used on their website a lot. On promotions and attractions on Merseytravels website they have are attractions around Merseyside, and if you click on one like the ‘u-boat story’ it shows a multimedia context. When you click on the ‘u-boat story’ a presentation slide comes up and flicks through all pictures of the ‘u-boat story’. This presentation slide communicates to the public through pictures which is a multimedia way of communication and can give the public a good insight to what the’ u-boat story’ is about by just viewing the pictures. The source of this information is on Merseytravels website there is a link to promotions and attractions and then a link to the ‘u-boat story’. The reason why the u-boat story is on merseytravels website is because people who tend to use their website will be tourist wanting to find out how they can travel somewhere and so having promotions and attractions on their website, will encourage them to click on it and find out about local attractions and by merseytravel allowing the u-boat story to be a multimedia communication, people on the website viewing it can get a good feel of what it is like which will encourage them to go see it more than if it was just written communication as it would seem boring and you would not know what it would be like. Advantages of multimedia communication in Merseytravel †¢ Enhancement of Text Only Messages: Multimedia enhances text only presentations by adding interesting sounds and compelling visuals. †¢ Improves over Traditional Audio-Video Presentations: Audiences are more attentive to multimedia messages than traditional presentations done with slides or overhead transparencies. †¢ Gains and Holds Attention: People are more interested in multimedia messages which combine the elements of text, audio, graphics and video. Disadvantages of multimedia communication †¢ Expensive †¢ Not always easy to configure †¢ Requires special hardware †¢ Not always compatible Overall Multimedia communication in my opinion is a very good way to communicate, because people like to watch presentations and videos as it is a lot more interesting than verbal communication where you just listen to someone speak or written communication where you just read as it is very boring and so multimedia communication will make people watch it as it’s more interesting. On-screen communication in Merseytravel On-screen communication involves communicating from a screen, like a TV, computer screen etc. In Merseytravel there are several ways they communicate using on-screen communication. When standing on the platform at the train station, there is a screen on the platform which is on-screen communication as on the screen it tells you the train times, therefore it is communicating to you through on-screen information because your are getting the train times from the screen. The source of this on-screen information will be on the train station platform where the public can see what the train times are when waiting for the train. The reason why there are train times on the platform is so the public can see when waiting for the train how long they have until the train comes. The train times are on-screen because they can easily be updated electronically for the wait time of the train. Advantages of on-screen communication †¢ A large number of people can watch the presentation for example, and receive information from it. †¢ Can easily be updated †¢ The text can be easily understood because it’s electronic Disadvantages of on-screen communication †¢ May not work if there is a power-cut etc. †¢ You will have to keep referring back to the source to find out the information rather than a beneficial paper based copy for you personal viewing. Going back to the screen may prove time consuming. Overall on-screen information is a good way to communicate in my opinion because it can easily be updated and easily understood and will be more reliable than a piece of paper with the times on as the on-screen information can easily be updates if the train times get delayed etc.

Social Exclusion and Discrimination

Do we, as citizens, have the ability to be included, to function and to participate fully in the varied aspects of today’s society? This essay will look at defining the terms described in the title by exploring research and theories that measure these problems. The essay will identify a group of people who experience one of these struggles, citing evidence to confirm this. The essay will also look at what can be done to prevent people being excluded, oppressed and co.uk/our-changing-society/">discriminated against.Sociology is the study of human social behaviour, especially the study of the backgrounds, groups, establishments, and development of human society, and some theories help to decide why and how to choose between alternative distinctions (Payne 2005). Theories are statements of ideas, and Fook (2002) states that putting names to things help provide explanations and understanding of practice. Payne (2005, p6) stated that â€Å" Because social work is a practical actio n in a complex world, a theory must offer a model of explicit guidance. † There are different sociological theories on social influences, and these are interesting in their comparisons. Emile Durkheim was a structural functionalist. He was also a positivist, believing that society conforms to unwavering laws and that there is an objective reality(Giddens 2001). He operated within a framework that sees society as a complex structure or system in which the parts work together to promote cohesion and stability (Dubois & Prade 1990). Structure in this context refers to any stable pattern of social behaviour; the function aspect is the examination of the consequences of individual actions for the operation of society as a whole. This perspective basically perceives all different parts of a society come together and work as one whole part, in which power is underplayed. This could mean that if an individual or group does not work with the rest of society then they may be excluded. Howe (2002) explains that sociology would be the backbone of the structural perspective within social work and would look at the political, economic and material environment in which people find themselves. He goes on to say that this theory encompasses an anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory perspective and that poverty, inequality and lack of social justice can seriously disadvantage some people and that these disadvantages can contribute to poor social functioning. Structural theorists maintain that these people are not a problem to society but that society has become a problem for them. However, functionalism is often criticized for not adequately explaining change, and placing too much order on order and stability. (Haralambos et al 2004) The conflict theorists view the society from an objective and hierarchical point of view. In this perspective some individuals are inferior to society. The basis of social order is power or intimidation and the only way to change within the society is through a power struggle in which there is a lot of competition. Social class is extremely important in this perspective for it defines an individual’s place in the pyramid of power. Karl Marx was the originator of the conflict theory and described societies like Britain as capitalist systems whereby rich employers and business owners with capital set up businesses which exploit working classes to generate maximum profits (Macionis & Plummer 2008). Therefore, according to this theory, the working classes could be discriminated against. Social exclusion is a multidimensional, dynamic concept which emphasises the processes of change through which individuals or groups are excluded from the mainstream of society and their life chances reduced. (Philip & Shucksmith 1999. ) There is no agreed definition of social exclusion, but there are considered to be conditions that many agree are contributing factors. Shaw et al (2006) described social exclusion as affecting individuals or areas that suffer from linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low income, poor housing, bad health, high crime and family breakdowns. So it has been found that living in a deprived area can drive a person into extreme poverty and/or social exclusion. (Haan et al. 1987, p 989). Therefore, we can conclude that social exclusion is mainly associated with the above circumstances but it is also linked to a lack of social support, social position and empowerment. White (1998) describes the processes leading to social exclusion – including economic change, demographic change, changes to welfare systems and processes of segregation and separation of certain minority groups. Social exclusion is not just about individuals, it can refer to whole communities within which everyone can be affected. For example, areas with high levels of unemployment and deprivation. Sooman & Macintyre (1995) reported that studies in Glasgow showed differences in self-reported health between local areas, with more advantaged areas showing fewer health problems. In the mid 1990’s, this country was distinguished by high levels of social exclusion, with the highest rates in Europe of jobless households and teenage pregnancies (www. socialexclusionunit. gov. uk). Many of these figures worsened during the 1990’s and crime, poverty, exclusion from school and drug/alcohol dependency became significant problems. Nowadays, the concept of social exclusion is taking over from poverty. It does not just mean poor income, it suggests something more than social inequality and so it carries the risk of a multi-tier society or the relegation to the status of the welfare dependent. Robbins, cited in Alcock, 1997). We could, of course, ask the question why is social exclusion a problem? Why should we care about someone who does not participate in key activities of the society in which he or she lives? (Burchardt et al, 2002). After all, not everybody chooses to conform to social norms. So, what if an individual has used their personal autonomy to deliberately exclude themselves from society? A recluse who prefers solitude to company, a youth who chooses to join a criminal gang rather than pursue a career, or the rich people who lock themselves away at the other end of the social scale? Do all these people constitute a social problem, and if so, is it the same kind of problem as those who are socially excluded for reasons beyond their control? (British Journal of Psychiatry 2007. 191). There is, in society, an expectation that people conform to social norms, and if someone behaves or looks differently from what is expected then they could be subject to discrimination, whether their lifestyle is their own choice or has been forced upon them. To discriminate, briefly defined, means to victimize or favour a group or individual because of social, economic, race, gender or religious reasons. The law in Britain recognises two kinds of discrimination; direct and indirect. Direct discrimination occurs when, as defined above, a group or individual is targeted for specific reasons. Indirect discrimination can happen when there are rules or regulations set in place which could exclude certain people. For instance, an employer may state that no hats or headwear are to be worn in the workplace. This could indirectly discriminate against people of certain ethnicity whose religion states that they cover their heads. Discrimination and social exclusion have certain similarities and can be compared by drawing attention to the different types of social discrimination experienced by people. Discriminatory behaviours take many forms but they all involve some sort of exclusion or rejection. These behaviours can be looked at in different ways – for example, anthropologically. Anthropology as a discipline gives powerful insight to personal views and asks the fundamental question, how and why do human beings behave the way they do (Bronowski 1952) and compares the historical development of human society. This can be used in social work by enabling workers to understand different human behaviours and why they may be a product of society. As stated above, discrimination and social exclusion can have similar aspects but a key difference between them are the consequences that can come from discrimination, such as the policies put in place to ensure fair practice for those people who could be discriminated against by illness, age or gender. The core examples of these are the Disability, Age and Sex Discrimination policies now in place. These policies ensure that, legally, people can no longer be discriminated against for having a disability, being too old or too young or because of their gender. The social composition of a population affects the ways in which social discrimination is exercised. In a society with people of multiple identities, for example ethnicity and religion, individuals or groups are likely to face discriminatory problems in multiple ways. The extent and types of discrimination will depend on peoples’ status in the population. Similarly, oppression is also multifaceted and can be caused by fear of someone different, or someone who does not conform to what is thought to be the norm in social standing. It is important to recognise the common themes across the areas of exclusion, discrimination and oppression. Thompson (2006, p40) stated that: â€Å"Oppression can be defined as inhuman or degrading treatment of individuals or groups; hardship and injustice brought about by the dominance of one group over another. There are many parallels between the experiences of people with disabilities, gender issues, homosexuals and ethnic minorities but oppression and discrimination cannot be explained merely by peoples’ personal prejudices. Oppression does not derive simply from individual actions, it can be built into structural and institutional patterns and organisational policies. (Thompson 2001) The fact that we live in a highly stratified society means that inequalities are part of the social order and there are inevitably winners and losers. (Thompson 2001) Rooney (1987) gives an example of this. He describes how a local authority used a word of mouth process to recruit home-help staff. When there were vacancies for these jobs, the existing predominantly white employees would be asked to pass on information of the vacancies to friends and/or family. This meant that knowledge of the posts would only be passed on to a predominantly white group of people, some of whom would be interviewed and consequently employed. Because of this, black and ethnic minorities were systematically excluded, even though it may have been unintentional. There are many authorities and organisations that can be seen as being guilty of this kind of institutional oppression, with the ideas of powerful groups becoming dominant over the minority as quoted by Marx in 1845 â€Å"The ideas of the ruling class are, in every age, the ruling ideas. † Whilst anyone can experience social exclusion, discrimination or oppression, it has been found that certain groups are more vulnerable to them and that they are all linked to a certain degree. It is usually a combination of factors that contribute to social exclusion, thus making it a multidimensional process and not caused by a single unique factor. Madanipour et al 1998, cited in Byrne 2005). One group in particular that experience social exclusion are people that suffer from mental illness. It could be that the majority of negative attitudes towards mental illness are simply a reflection of the lack of understanding of various mental health conditions, and this could have a bearing on any initiative to combat such prejudice in the future. Link et al (1999) reported that though there has been some improvement of general understanding, the public, largely, does wish to maintain social distance from the mentally ill. Hocking (2003) found that people with schizophrenia, specifically, were subject to discrimination in housing, education and employment. Although the public perception of mental illness has been studied vastly, there are few studies to date that concentrate on how the public perceive mental illness within the workplace. Williams and Wilkins (1998) reported that when human resources officers were given vignettes of job applications where the applicants had very similar skills and qualifications, applicants who described themselves as having depression significantly reduced their chance of employment compared to that of applicants with diabetes. Baldwin and Johnson (2004) stated that workers with mental health problems were subject to a greater discrimination and suffered a lower employability ranking than workers suffering from a physical illness. Research also acknowledges that mental illness receives a greater amount of negativity than that of a physical illness. Britt (2000) reported that among military service members there was a strong belief that admitting to psychological or mental health problems at work would make them more discriminated against than admitting to physical problems. Over half of the participants of the report believed that a military service member’s career would be negatively affected by admitting a psychological problem and just under half actually admitted that they would maintain a distance from a co-worker has he or she disclosed a psychological problem. Rush et al (2005) identified 3 known misconceptions linked to people with mental illness: i)They are homicidal maniacs that should be avoided ii) They are rebellious free spirits iii) They have childlike perceptions of the world The most measurable of these is the first one – which could explain some of the exclusion, discrimination and oppression suffered by people with mental health problems. The government has encouraged action in the employment of people with mental illness through its action plan on social exclusion (Social Exclusion Task Force 2006), but levels of unemployment are still significantly high for sufferers even though most of them want to, and are able to work. They usually end up on long term benefit and suffer social exclusion in the form of deprivation, isolation and physical, as well as mental, ill health. Social support is of crucial importance to individuals and groups with mental health problems, and, maybe if there was more trust between people, along with more community cohesion and empowerment, there might be a greater understanding of the difficulties encountered by people with mental health problems and society would discriminate less. In conclusion then, it would seem that there are many similarities between social exclusion, discrimination and oppression. All of these subjects evoke a strong, emotive response from those affected by them. In the UK alone, there are still thousands of people who are in poverty, homeless or have mental health problems and who are consequently excluded from aspects of society or discriminated against. This is despite interventions from health and social care workers from all sectors, the government and educational facilities. PCTs and providers are working hard and making significant progress in improving the accessibility and quality of primary health care in order to keep people healthier for longer and reduce health inequalities (www. wdc. org. uk). Community social work, which was used at the introduction of the welfare state, is going through a regeneration period and the introduction of Sure Start and Family Centres on what the government describes as ‘Sink Estates’ enables the socially excluded to access services and skills to enable them to feel part of society. As with all government initiatives, people regard services with suspicion but social workers are in a position to build trusting and therapeutic relationships within the community. Therefore, although progress is slow, it is not unattainable. There is now evidence, however, which demonstrates that we need to go further to improve the way we meet the primary health care needs of the most socially excluded people within our society, as socially excluded clients often do not show up on needs assessments. The ‘Inclusion Health study (www. swdc. org. uk) has also produced an excellent supporting evidence pack which commissioners can use to help build the case for improvement. There is a clear need for people who work with socially excluded people to stay within a framework of guidelines. For example, social workers need to develop an understanding of the problems that can occur within people’s lives and employ anti-oppressive practice in all aspects of care. It is possible that socially excluded groups feel disempowered and unable to do anything to help themselves and it is the duty of the social worker to hand back power to the service user whilst recognising the personal, cultural and social factors affecting the individual or family in question. There needs to be adequate assessments linked to helping people to solve problems and a sound knowledge of what can cause exclusion or discrimination by using research based evidence. Howe (1993) emphasized the importance of process in evaluation and there are several ways to implement this; for example through personal perceptions, evidence from service users, colleagues and supervisors and advice from other professionals or individuals involved. In short however, the only way to eliminate exclusion of any sort is to raise awareness in the shortfalls of society and eradicate prejudice, bigotry and ignorance.