The Strategic Analysis of Google, Inc.

Running Head: THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 1 The Strategic Analysis of Google, Inc. Laura P. Fann Mount Olive College Tillman School of Business BUS 370, International Business Management Dr. Khalid Dubas, Professor of Marketing March 16, 2012 THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 2 Introduction Company History Google made it’s beginning in 1996 as a search engine that used links to determine the importance of individual web pages. In 1998 its founders, Stanford University graduate students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin formalized their work, creating the company we know today as Google.The company that started from two computer science students in a university dorm room, now employs thousands and holds offices around the world. (Google, Inc. ) Company Milestones Sept. 15, 1997 The google. com domain was registered Sept. 4, 1998Google became incorporated 1999Secured $25 million in funding for its operations. 2000Yahoo is using Google search engine—Ad Sense prog ram is launched 2001Company went global; setting up its first international office in Tokyo-added a new chairman of the board, Eric Schmidt, who soon became CEO 2004Google's search index reached eight billion 006Google bought YouTube 2008Launched mobile phone operating system 2010Company was collecting information from open wireless networks and joining Verizon in a net neutrality pact 2011Entered into an agreement to acquire the mobile phone maker Motorola Mobility for about $12. 5 billion. Google agreed to pay $500 million to settle a case involving the importation of illegal prescription drugs into the United States (John P. Mello, 2011) 2012Billionaire George Soros’ firm added shares in Google in fourth quarter(Burton, 2012) THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 3 Company PhilosophyDescribed as â€Å"The perfect search engine†, Google has become successful at being better and faster at finding the right answers to search queries. Google continues to push the limit s of existing technology to provide a fast, accurate and easy-to-use service that anyone seeking information can access, whether by computer or mobile device. Google, Inc. operates by ten core principles that guide their actions. 1. Focus on the user and all else will follow. Google has always focused on providing the best user experience possible. 2. It’s best to do on the thing really, really well.Google is in the search business and their goal is to bring the power of search to previously unexplored areas, and to help people access and use even more information in their lives. 3. Fast is better than slow. . 4. Democracy on the web works. Google searches rely on millions of individual posting links on websites to which other sites offer content of value. 5. You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer. Google is developing new technologies and offering new solutions to the ever increasing mobile market. 6. You can make money without doing evil.The revenue gene rated by Google is derived from offering search technology to companies and from the sale of advertising displayed on their site. 7. There’s always more information out there. Researchers continue to look into ways to bring information to people seeing answers. 8. The need for information crosses all borders. The company mission is to facilitate access to information for the entire world, and in every language. 9. You can be serious without a suit. The company culture is casual and with a diverse background of employees with creative approaches to work and life. THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 10. Great just isn’t good enough. Through innovation and iteration, Google aims to take things that work well and improve upon them in unexpected ways. (Google, Inc. ) Direct Competitors More than 17. 8 billion explicit core searches were conducted in January. This is down 2 percent from December. Google led the way with 11. 8 billion of the total searches (down 2 percent from December); Bing ended up with 2. 7 billion (down 2 percent), followed close by Yahoo with 2. 5 billion (down 5 percent). Ask Network had 527 million searches (down 1 percent), followed by AOL with 277 million (down 3 percent). Goodwin, 2012) Strengths Google is renowned for its search engine technology and is second to none in the search engine marketplace as it stands. Among its competitors (Yahoo, AOL, msn, infoseek, ask jeeves, etc. ), Google quickly became a household name as searchers discovered that it was not your average search engine. Google set itself apart from its competition by providing more unique information in its searches than the other available search engines. (Alex Harrison, 2011) Google has developed a strong brand equity which tops the list of the world’s most powerful brands averaging about 30% growth this year. Manjoo, NOV2011, Issue 160) Google occupies a place at the top of the minds of online consumers. The word â€Å"Google† and  "search† are used synonymously. A Google search has become the most recognized method to find information on the internet. (Alex Harrison, 2011) THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 5 Website owners are drawn to using Google because of the company’s ability to help these site owners create useful information. Google Ad words are an advertising platform that places relevant text ads to the right of Google search results.This tool is used by businesses to determine where a website visitor came from, how long they stayed, and how well the information conformed to the user’s needs. (Alex Harrison, 2011) Google’s advertising business just keeps growing and is anticipated to bring in more than $30 billion this year. (Manjoo, NOV2011, Issue 160) Google has consistent revenue streams from their advertising business. Google is the most visited website on the internet, and for this reason, they have no shortage of customers looking to advertise using their platfor m.Many technology companies must issue debt and equity to pay for research and design, which can be costly; however, Google has been able to accumulate a significant cash reserve, which allows them to expand and invent at a lower cost than smaller competitors. (Alex Harrison, 2011) Google’s success despite the completion is based on its persistent focus on satisfying consumers by getting them the answers the want quickly and accurately. Google consistently refines its search algorithms, which now considers over 200 factors in assessing site quality and relevance. Judiciary, 2011) Google makes hundreds of changes to their algorithms each year to improve consumers search experience. THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 6 Weaknesses Although Google is a company that has grown to be the number one search engine in the United States, a few problems have occurred. Other countries are not open to the amount of information Google needs for certain applications. International reputa tion is a weakness for the company at this time. As of right now Google is not in a position to satisfy foreign countries cultures. Alex Harrison, 2011) Google survives and prospers on its advertising which can also be seen as strength for the company at this time, but could be a negative factor in the future. Google’s revenue comes almost entirely from advertising and when advertising trends change, Google will need to adapt or else lose revenue. Security is a concern for Google due to its having experienced faulty applications and unreliable system designs. This was witnessed when hackers intruded the 2. 3. 3 and earlier versions of the android tablet allowing disclosure to user’s personal information via open wireless access. Alex Harrison, 2011) THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 7 Financial Analysis Exhibit 1 (yahoo finance, 2012) In Millions of USD (except for per share items) | 12 months ending 2011-12-31 | 12 months ending 2010-12-31 | 12 months ending 2009 -12-31 | 12 months ending 2008-12-31 | Revenue | 37,905. 00| 29,321. 00| 23,650. 56| 21,795. 55| Other Revenue, Total | -| -| -| -| Total Revenue | 37,905. 00| 29,321. 00| 23,650. 56| 21,795. 55| Cost of Revenue, Total | 13,188. 00| 10,417. 00| 8,844. 11| 8,621. 51| Gross Profit | 24,717. 00| 18,904. 00| 14,806. 45| 13,174. 04| Selling/General/Admin. Expenses, Total | 7,313. 0| 4,761. 00| 3,651. 24| 3,748. 88| Research ; Development | 5,162. 00| 3,762. 00| 2,843. 03| 2,793. 19| Depreciation/Amortization | -| -| -| -| Interest Expense(Income) – Net Operating | -| -| -| -| Unusual Expense (Income) | 610. 00| 0. 00| 0. 00| 1,094. 76| Other Operating Expenses, Total | -| -| -| -| Total Operating Expense | 26,273. 00| 18,940. 00| 15,338. 38| 16,258. 34| Operating Income | 11,632. 00| 10,381. 00| 8,312. 19| 5,537. 21| Interest Income(Expense), Net Non-Operating | -| -| -| -| Gain (Loss) on Sale of Assets | -| -| -| -| Other, Net | 65. 00| 11. 00| 2. 37| 4. 52|Income Before Tax | 12 ,326. 00| 10,796. 00| 8,381. 19| 5,853. 60| Income After Tax | 9,737. 00| 8,505. 00| 6,520. 45| 4,226. 86| Minority Interest | -| -| -| -| Equity In Affiliates | -| -| -| -| Net Income Before Extra. Items | 9,737. 00| 8,505. 00| 6,520. 45| 4,226. 86| Accounting Change | -| -| -| -| Discontinued Operations | -| -| -| -| Extraordinary Item | -| -| -| -| Net Income | 9,737. 00| 8,505. 00| 6,520. 45| 4,226. 86| THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 8 Google is growing at an alarming rate. As shown in Exhibit 1, Google’s net income has grown from $4. 2 billion in 2008, to $ 9. 7 billion in 2011.Google’s revenues and profits are growing over time and are moving in a smooth and consistent fashion as shown in Exhibit 1. Google’s revenue has grown from $21. 7 billion in 2008, to $37. 9 billion in 2011. Gross profits in 2008 were $13. 1 billion and have increased to $24. 7 billion for 2011. The profit margin is currently around 25%, which is a slight decrease from previo us years, 2009 and 2010. (Google Finance, 2012) Exhibit 2 (yahoo finance, 2012) THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 9 Exhibit 2, shows that Google is close to its’ competitors, Microsoft and Apple when it comes to profit margin for 2011.This is pretty amazing considering how much younger Google is compared to the competition. Environmental Threats The dominant market position of Google's services has led to criticism of the company over issues including privacy, copyright, and censorship. Google CEO Larry Page recently admitted that the greatest threat to Google –was â€Å"Google† itself. Security Breach Liabilities Security is Google’s â€Å"Achilles Heel† because security clashes with Google’s values, mission, philosophy and culture as Google favors speed and accessibility over privacy and property rights.Given that Chinese hackers breached Google’s security and stole their entire password system, and that Google could not meet t he contracted security requirements of the City of Los Angeles. [ (Cleland, 2011) ] Security remains a huge corporate weakness for Google. This weakness could open up the door to cybercriminals including possible terrorist groups. Cybercriminals are becoming a threat that rivals terrorist groups like al Qaeda, according to the nation’s top law enforcement official. In the not too-distant-future it is anticipated that the cyber threat will pose the greatest threat to the U.S. states FBI Director Robert Mueller. [ (Cowley, 2012) ] Sovereignty Backlash from Foreign Governments With 55% of revenues Google receives coming from overseas; Google’s growth is at a risk from a growing backlash of foreign governments over Google’s unique sovereignty intrusiveness. THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 10 Since it became public that Google worked with U. S. intelligence services, Google’s legendary intrusiveness has increased suspicion of Google overseas. [ (Cleland , 2011) ] Antitrust Franchise RiskCurrently, Google’s business practices are under antitrust investigation by the FTC and DOJ. Google is vulnerable to the FTC’s Sherman Act monopolization investigation because unlike the DOJ, The FTC has Section 5 authority which prohibits â€Å"deceptive and unfair† practices. Given Google’s many undisclosed conflicts of interest, it will be relatively easy for the FTC to establish consumer harm. (Cleland, 2011) Growth Opportunities Cloud Technologies Google is focusing on three areas of growth for the upcoming year. The focus will be on cloud, mobile and social technologies.According to Google Vice President Amit Singh, cloud adoption will accelerate in 2012, especially in small businesses, among which only 10 percent or so have deployed cloud technologies. Google capitalized on the cloud by adding more than 175 new features to Google Apps and offering an SLA (Service Level Agreement) of 99. 99 percent for Gmail. [ (Hic key, 2011) ] Google has cut the price of its Cloud Storage, a hosted service designed for enterprise developers who want to store their applications’ data in the cloud, as opposed to in their own servers. (Perez, 2012) THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 11 Mobile TechnologiesGoogle will also continue to enhance its mobile offerings. Forrester Research data predicts more than 77 percent of organizations will support Google Android and iOS devices in 2012. According to Google Vice President, Singh, more than 90 percent of Google Apps for business users have already deployed or are interested in deploying Android devices and Android advancements, such as on-device encryption. VPN and Global Address List (GAL) support in the Android version 4. 0. (Hickey, 2011) Google’s goal is to have their apps working first and best across different mobile platforms and allow anyone to be productive from anywhere.Google will continue to invest heavily in mobile and soon the products people use on their smart phones and tablets will work even better. Google is definitely on the right path when it comes to its focus on efforts to carve out a position in the mobile networking market. According to research findings from Pew Internet & American Life Project from February 2012, 88 percent of US adults are cell phone owners and nearly half (46 percent) are Smartphone owners. (Project, 2012) It is expected for the volume of global mobile data to rise tenfold from 2011 to 2016, according to Ericsson, the leading maker of mobile network equipment.The rate is likely to accelerate as more consumers integrate the mobile Web into their daily lives. (O'Brien, 2012) Social Technologies Google+ the company’s recently-launched social network, has 90 million users now (January 20, 2012), from 40 million three months ago. (Sharma, 2012) THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 12 Google is making multiple improvements to Google+ every week, while also wrapping Google+ with t he controls needed for broader use in larger enterprises with the goal of bringing Google+ to the rest of their products.This will include incorporating features that make it easier to connect, share, and integrate with the wider world. (Hickey, 2011) Assessment, Prospects, and Suggested Future Direction Google Inc, which revolutionized Internet searches with an easy-to-use website, has itself become an increasingly tricky business to grasp. Analysts say Google is simply putting its fingers in too many pies. Google’s market entries into television, Android mobile phones, and music sales in the past two to three years have left the investment community straining to recognize the company.Investors are still uneasy about Google's acquisition of Smartphone maker Motorola; this is a challenge facing Chief Executive Larry Page as he positions the company for new growth opportunities. Some are wondering if Google has a clear strategy for generating revenue and growth out of an abund ance of initiatives, from Android, Google+, especially since Page and management refuse to offer guidance. [ (Oreskovic, 2012) ] The limited insight Google provides on the details of its non-search businesses has not helped matters, as investors struggle to connect the company's ambitious strategic vision with its income statement. Google is very much in the midst of a transformation,† said BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis. Since replacing Eric Schmidt last April as CEO, the Google co-founder has aggressively tossed out underperforming and non-essential projects and products. The idea is to put â€Å"more wood† behind the company's most important arrows, he has said. [ (Oreskovic, 2012) ] THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE, INC. 13 For Google to keep growing, it needs access to a wider range of content on which it can place ads and make money, particularly as the tech landscape shifts and consumers' Internet habits evolve. Any walled-off content is the enemy of Google, s o they're trying to pry it open. They did it well with Android, they're trying it with social media and they're trying it with television,† said MIT Sloan School of Management Professor Michael Cusumano. [ (Oreskovic, 2012) ] The strategy is not cheap, requiring significant investments for Google to build or buy platforms to reach new content — adding pressure on the bottom line. And many of the new markets may not be as profitable as the search ad business where Google rules the roost, said Cusumano.Google+, which does not currently feature ads, is still in its infancy and the company has yet to outline its monetization plans for the service. But Macquarie Research analyst Ben Schachter said the benefits of some of Google's other non-search initiatives, such as the vast amount of online video it now streams across the Web on YouTube, are coming into focus. â€Å"The goal at the end of the rainbow is TV advertising,† he said. â€Å"For years Google has been eati ng the lunch of print and radio, but TV has held up incredibly well. That will start to change by the second half of this year and into 2013, when Schachter expects that TV advertising dollars will flow to online video providers like Google. [ (Oreskovic, 2012) ] Works Cited Alex Harrison, R. H. (2011, November 9). googlenewsonline. com. Retrieved February 24, 2012, from Google News Online: http://www. googlenewsonline. com/google-swot-analysis. html Burton, K. (2012, February 15). www. bloomberg. com. Retrieved February 15, 2012, from Bloomberg: http://www. bloomberg. com/news/pringt/2012-02-15/soros-buys-google-comverse-while Cleland, S. (2011, November 15). The Top Ten Threats to Google.Retrieved March 2, 2012, from forbes. com: http://www. forbes. com/sites/scottcleland/2011/11/15/the-top-ten-threats-to-google/ Cowley, S. (2012, March 2). FBI Director: Cybercrime will eclipse terrorism. Retrieved March 2, 2012, from CNN Money: http://money. cnn. com/2012/03/02/technology/fbi_cyb ersecurity/index. htm Goodwin, D. (2012, February 10). Search Engine Watch. Retrieved February 15, 2012, from www. searchenginewatch: http://searchenginewatch. com/article/2151761/Yahoo-Search-Engine-Market-Share-Slips-in-January-2012 Google Finance. (2012, March 16). Retrieved March 16, 2012, from www. google. om/finance: http://www. google. com/finance? q=NASDAQ:GOOG&fstype=ii# google inside. (2012, February 15). Retrieved February 15, 2012, from www. ginside. com. Google, Inc. (n. d. ). Retrieved February 13, 2012, from www. google. com: http://www. google. com/about/company/ Hickey, A. (2011, December 21). Google: Cloud, Mobile, Social Will Define 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from CRN: http://www. crn. com/232300927/printablearticle. htm John P. Mello, J. (2011, September 27). Doodle Celebrates Google's 13th Birthday: Here are 13 Milestones. Retrieved February 15, 2012, from www. pcworld. com:

Indian Dairy Industry- Swot

Indian Dairy Sector- Overview & SWOT Posted by  admin  on Tuesday, July 31, 2012  ·Ã‚  Leave a Comment   inShare | Import of key items on the increase to meet shortage| Import of dairy items during April 2009-February 2010 surged by a massive 275. 5 per cent to Rs 284. 88 crore. | | In April 2008-February 2009, import of milk and other dairy products was only Rs 75. 86 crore. | The dairy products imports mainly comprise skimmed milk powder and butter oil brought in by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)  to meet shortfall  in milk procurement of its subsidiary, Mother Dairy, and other co-operatives.With their procurement lagging behind, liquid milk supplies have been affected in many States. B L 180510| SWOT ANALYSIS OF INDIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY| Strengths:| * Demand profile: Absolutely optimistic. | * Margins: Quite reasonable, even on packed liquid milk. | * Flexibility of product mix: Tremendous. With balancing equipment, you can keep on adding to your product line . | * Availability of raw material: Abundant. Presently, more than 80 per cent of milk produced is flowing into the unorganized sector, which requires proper channelization. * Technical manpower: Professionally-trained, technical human resource pool, built over last 30 years. | Weaknesses:| * Perishability: Pasteurization has overcome this weakness partially. UHT gives milk long life. Surely, many new processes will follow to improve milk quality and extend its shelf life. | Lack of control over yield: Theoretically, there is little control over milk yield. However, increased awareness of developments like embryo transplant, artificial insemination and properly managed animal husbandry practices, coupled with higher income to rural milk producers should automatically lead to improvement in milk yields. Logistics of procurement: Woes of bad roads and inadequate transportation facility make milk procurement problematic. But with the overall economic improvement in India, these problem s would also get solved. | Problematic distribution: Yes, all is not well with distribution. But then if ice creams can be sold virtually at every nook and corner, why can’t we sell other dairy products too? Moreover, it is only a matter of time before we see the emergence of a cold chain linking the producer to the refrigerator at the consumer’s home! Competition: With so many newcomers entering this industry, competition is becoming tougher day by day. But then competition has to be faced as a ground reality. The market is large enough for many to carve out their niche. | Opportunities:| â€Å"Failure is never final, and success never ending†. Dr Kurien bears out this statement perfectly. He entered the industry when there were only threats. He met failure head-on, and now he clearly is an example of ‘never ending success’!If dairy  entrepreneurs  are looking for opportunities in India, the following areas must be tapped:| * Value addition: Th ere is a phenomenal scope for innovations in product development, packaging and presentation. Given below are potential areas of value addition:| * Steps should be taken to introduce value-added products like shrikhand, ice creams, paneer, khoa, flavored milk, dairy sweets, etc. This will lead to a greater presence and flexibility in the market place along with opportunities in the field of brand building. * Addition of cultured products like yoghurt and cheese lend further strength – both in terms of utilization of resources and presence in the market place. | A lateral view opens up opportunities in milk proteins through casein, caseinates and other dietary proteins, further opening up export opportunities. | Yet another aspect can be the addition of infant foods, geriatric foods and nutritionals. | Export potential: Efforts to exploit export potential are already on. Amul is exporting to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and the Middle East.Following the new GATT treaty, opp ortunities will increase tremendously for the export of agri-products in general and dairy products in particular. | Threats:| Milk vendors, the un-organized sector: Today milk vendors are occupying the pride of place in the industry. Organized dissemination of information about the harm that they are doing to producers and consumers should see a steady decline in their importance. | The study of this SWOT analysis shows that the ‘strengths’ and ‘opportunities’ far outweigh ‘weaknesses’ and ‘threats’.Strengths and opportunities are fundamental and weaknesses and threats are transitory. Any investment idea can do well only when you have three essential ingredients: entrepreneurship (the ability to take risks), innovative approach (in product lines and marketing) and values (of quality/ethics). | The Indian dairy industry, following its delicensing, has been attracting a large number of entrepreneurs. Their success in dairying depend s on factors such as an efficient yet economical procurement network, hygienic and cost-effective processing facilities and innovativeness in the market place. |

Modern soil stabilization methods in condition of a dense urban Research Paper

Modern soil stabilization methods in condition of a dense urban environment - Research Paper Example The present study is focused on the methods of soil stabilization, the modern day techniques and materials that are available, and the need and understanding of the methods such that soil stabilization in the urban dense areas can be successfully achieved improving the conditions of the soil, increasing their strength and making them more capable of bearing loads. Introduction: Stabilization of soil refers to the process of soil treatment through the use of chemicals or mechanically. This is primarily done to improve the engineering properties of the soil. The chemical materials that are in common used for the purpose include lime, fly ash, and cement. Mechanical substances include geotextiles and geogrids. The use of cement treated bases generally assists in upgradation of the quality of the soil. There are several reasons for the need of soil stabilization. These essentially include the strengthening of the soil since stabilization of soil increases the strength of the soil that is already in existence thereby improving its capacity to bear loads. Also, soil stabilization enables control of dust and allows waterproofing of the soil. With control in dust, the dust that is generated as a result of use of different tools and instruments may be eradicated. Waterproofing enables preservation of the natural strength of soil by preventing the entry of water travelling from the surface (Ana, 2011). Mechanical or additive methods are the two most significant methods that can be used for soil stabilization. The blending of the materials used is highly essential in this regard since it determines the effectiveness of the stabilization. A stationary or travelling plant is usually considered to be preferable for the mixing whereas other methods like scarifies, plows, disks, graders, and rotary mixers are also used. The amount of stabilization required as well as the environment and prevailing conditions of the site determine the method that may be used for stabilization. Mechanical stabilization mixes soils of two different gradations that result in the desired soil specificity. In the additive method, the use of an additive which when added into particular amounts leads to improvement of the soil. Apart from mechanical and additive measures, soil stabilization might also be achieved through cementing or by modification. The cementing process makes use of chemicals for hardening the soils. In the process of modification, the compacting, mechanical blending, addition of cementing materials in small amounts, or addition of chemical modifiers are done to achieve the stabilization of the soil (Ana, 2011). With understanding the needs of stabilization of soils, and the different methods available for the process of soil stabilization, the present study focuses on the modern methods of soil stabilization that may be applied in the dense urban environments. Literature Review: Day et al (2010, pp.193-195) in their studies reflected on the association of the root and soil in the urban environment which they considered to be critical not only for the lives of trees but also for the functions of the ecosystem in the urban areas as well. The importance of trees and hence the significance of soil stabilization has been considered in these studies. Hence conditions in a particular urban environment that includes the compactness of the soil, and other factors associated with underground infrastructure, contamination, etc are essential for the development of the

Swear Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Swear - Essay Example I did notice though that so many people employ profane words as part of their basic English. I find the practice in general to be offensive and also to be a sure sign of ignorance. One can walk a city street anywhere and hear phrases peppered with the "F-bomb" and what not. For example "I need cash but I can't find a F------ ATM machine". I go about my daily business without having to caution myself in cursing thus this assignment was not one that I found to be challenging. I did note however, that I was intensely alert to those cursing around me. I wonder what would happen if people actually listened to themselves speak. We have a moment, and only a fleeting one after that first impression, to alter it. After one looks at us, they hear us speak. We usually use our voices to deliver a message to others. That message can be taken as true or false. That message can be delivered by one who is deemed intelligent or intellectually challenged. Cursing by no means conveys an intelligent thought. Some think that by adding a curse word they are delivering the word to follow it with an emphasized delivery, but it is not so. People like myself do not find ourselves amused or threatened by one who curses. Curse words are nothing more than wasted air and their effect can only be described as revolting. I don't have to refrain from cursing because I find the practice to be disgusting and a sign of stupidity.

The Millennium Dome Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

The Millennium Dome Project - Research Paper Example Blair was trying to rescue the Millennium Dome, which, far from being the built representation of his reforming, forward-looking, government – â€Å"Cool Britannia† replacing â€Å"Rule Britannia† (that looked back to the time of the British Empire) – was rapidly becoming a political and financial scandal. That very evening was a disaster: thousands of guests were still stuck in lines at security checkpoints at Stratford Tube Station when the midnight hour struck and for those who made it to the Dome the champagne ran out!† It was built on a 300-acre land overlooking the River Thames. The Dome measures 320 meters in diameter, and reaches a height of 50 meters at its center; it was created to lure tourists to London. The costs for the Dome reached 758 million pounds (or more than $1.2 billion). The Dome was destined to be a failure. It carried the slogan â€Å"Time to make a difference†, which was heavily criticized by the press, and the citizens of London were asking, â€Å"What difference will it make?† Many however were looking forward to its opening for it certainly was making history. It was designed to attract tourists to London, help regenerate the depressed Greenwich borough provide a showcase for UK designs and companies and reinforce London’s image as a dynamic international city. (Swarbrooke, 2002, p. 345) At the time of the Dome project, there were many other similar projects envisioned and already started by the Government as an outcome of the global economic and cultural changes. In the post-industrial city, economic survival depends upon growth in the service sector. (Thornley, 2000, p. 689) The Millennium Commission was set up to decide the allocation and announced on 28 July 1996 that the Dome would take place on the Greenwich peninsula in London. The big bulk of the money came from the National Lottery when Prime Minister John Major and his Conservative Party decided to open it for a year’s exhibition, after which it had to be sold to  any interested private bidder.

Project Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Project Environment - Essay Example Project management is usually designed to fit into the scope of the project in question. Some projects are bigger than others and actually may comprise of a series of projects. In this case such projects are commonly referred to as programmes. For instance a project including some construction of an airport, roads leading to the airport, community facilities such as schools as well as a series of other related projects comprises of a really big project and there is a programme. Wembley stadium project is one of the biggest projects in the UK in the recent history (Nicholas, 2004). The Wembley National Stadium Project stretched over a period of 6 years and cost in excess of over ten billion pounds. Lessons learnt from management of the Wembley project as well as other projects serve as great case studies for organisational management especially in regard to how to address the challenges which happen in the process of organisational in change management, conflict resolution, stakeholder management as well as aligning an organisational strategy to the organisational mission. One of the major reasons why projects are conceived is the fact that there are needs in the community, in the organisation or in the society, which needs to be addressed. Project management identifies a pressing need or pressing needs, which it sets out to address by offering the necessary correctional measures. Once the needs have been identified by using the right needs assessment tools, the next step is to prioritise the needs identified in order of priority. Once the deserving cases have been isolated, the project is conceived probably by the change initiators who may include the government, community leaders, the management of the organisation or individuals who have an interest in the project. One of the greatest considerations before initiating a change in form of a project is to analyse the resources required in the project completion. The greatest threat which faces any project prior to initiation or even during the implementation process is the fact that no matter the status of affairs in an organisation or in a given setting there are some people who benefit from the given status. It is such people who pose the greatest threat to the change initiators for project conception in that they offer stiff resistance to the change initiation. Such opponents to change are usually people who benefit from the current state of affairs and see the change as a threat to the status quo, which they benefit from. Therefore there is a need for project managers to identify such people who fail to welcome the change and mange them properly. In some cases those who offer the greatest resistance in case of projects are key stakeholders in the project and therefore their continued resistance to the project may lead to the failure of the project. For example a project like the Wembley National Stadium came under opposition from the local community. Until the standoff between the project management and the local community was resolved it was impossible to move on with the project. In some projects the government may be reluctant to offer the necessary support especially in terms of is suing the right kind of licences. This

Individual Rights and the Law - Scots Law Essay

Individual Rights and the Law - Scots Law - Essay Example It has therefore its core topic human rights. It necessitates us therefore to define as well human rights. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines human rightsï‚ ¸ as international moral and legal norms that aspire to protect all people everywhere from severe political, legal, and social abuses. They are inherently universal and therefore they transcend citizenships or nationalities. Famous of these rights are the right to life, liberty and happiness and their deprivation could not be permitted without due process of law. Unlike other laws human right focuses on the rights rather than on duties of the individuals. Other laws like criminal statutes or civil law legislations do also enumerate certain rights but the tenor of these obligations normally discusses duties, responsibilities and obligation and the consequences of their violations. Human right laws therefore focuses on the individuals as the subject of major consideration in deciding issues. In terms of criminal prosecution, for example, the law seems to treat more favourably the accused rather than the prosecution because it recognizes the rights of the accused to presumption of innocence while not mentioning more emphatically the right of the state to implement its laws. Politicisation of the judiciary seems to imply a judiciary that does not perform its function according to original design. It would give the connotation that judges will not interpret the law on the basis on what is the law but rather on what is popular or how they want it. It could also mean judges acting not as judges but politicians. It could further mean judges lacking judicial independence and holding some unholy alliance with the other branch of government which could be either the executive or the legislative. We could therefore restate the proposition into some like this: The nature of deliberating cases involving rights of the individuals for purposes of