Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement and Political Awareness in the Youth of America Change is inevitable and the popular one hit wonder, Video Killed the Radio Star, echoes a nostalgic desire to appreciate the past. The simple, yet meaningful verse, â€Å"we can’t rewind we’ve gone too far,† drives home the notion that the past is in the past, and one can only move forward. The song directly relates to technological changes in music at that time period.The lyrics give the impression radio will be replaced by visually stimulating music videos; however, the future has proved that radio has not been replaced; music has merely been enhanced by the continuous change of technological advancements. Political scientist and professor, Robert Putnam illustrates in his book, Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital, how one of the primary culprits in the decline of political awareness and civic engagement is the new media, for example, the Internet. Further studies suggest thi s is not necessarily the case.Video Killed the Radio Star mirrors the relentless argument of whether the mass media has hindered or assisted in political awareness and civic activity in adolescents and young adults. The radio made people famous, and even after music videos became popular, music was still streamed through a radio and continues to be used to this day. Studies have shown that civic engagement and political awareness has declined, at all age levels, and yet there is evidence that the mass media can have a positive effect on cultivating social capital, especially in the interest of young voters in America.The issue at hand is not mass media, but how mass media can be used as a means to stay informed on community issues and how it can create a sense of community. In the article, America’s Youth and Community Engagement: How Use of Mass Media is Related to Civic Activity and Political Awareness in 14- to 22-Year-Olds, the authors begin by providing troubling evidenc e, â€Å"Voter turnout in congressional and presidential elections has dropped since 1960†¦ Americans are less involved in political activities ranging from signing petitions to attending rallies† (Pasek, Kenski, Romer, and Jamieson 115).Putnam compares the decline in civic engagement to the massive decline of bowling leagues; however, as bowling memberships are declining, the number of people bowling has increased. He explains the concept of a bonding capital and a bridging capital within the social capital as a whole. The theory of bonding and bridging can also be described in terms of strong ties and weak ties of networking.Professors Homero Gil de Zuniga and Sebastian Valenzuela explored Putnam’s research further in their article, The Mediating Path to a Stronger Citizenship: Online and Offline Networks, Weak Ties and Civic Engagement, finding it inclusive that bridging, or associating with weak ties provide one with a greater networking base, and therefore mo re information and resources. Bridging and weak ties are when an individual socializes with people who are different from themselves. Bonding and strong ties are individuals who are linked to each other on varying levels of intimacy; for example, one’s inner circle of friends and family.Putnam additionally points out that bonding and bridging strengthen each other. Because of the decline of bonding, there is a decline in bridging, which he links to the drop of organizational forms of capital due to the mass media. Like Putnam, authors Zuniga and Valenzuela agree that â€Å"larger networks foster civic participation so long as they provide access to weak ties,† yet they take into consideration that the internet is vast with diversity and is not â€Å"geographically bounded,† and therefore â€Å"argue that the online context should be more strongly associated with weak-tie communication than the offline context† (405).According to Zuniga and Valenzuela, thi s connection shows that internet based networks and weak ties will be more effective than the relationship between personal, offline networking and weak ties. The authors mentioned earlier, Josh Pasek, Kate Kenski, Daniel Romer, and Kathleen Hall Jamieson conducted a telephone survey to assess â€Å"12 different uses of mass media as well as awareness of current national politics and time spent in civic activities† in respect to the youth and how mass media is related to political awareness and civic activity (115).If the conclusion made by Zuniga and Valenzuela is accurate, then the new media will have a positive effect on the younger population’s role in developing social capital. Historically, when print media flourished, it served as a way to stay in touch with the community of readers with no face-to-face interaction and â€Å"made possible the development of the modern nation state† (117). Internet is just another mechanism to build social networks, in whi ch interpersonal communication is absent, like the newspaper.However, unlike the newspaper, internet provides individuals with an extensive opportunity to network with people who are not in their inner circle, thus weak ties are created. Furthermore, Pasek, Kenski, Romer, and Jamieson examine how some forms of media are more effective than others, and explain how media that solely exists to entertain adolescents and young adults can aid in promoting group activities with individuals that can share their experiences and develop a sense of community.They are still experiencing social participation, even if the activity is not directly associated with civic activities. The authors evaluated the 12 different uses of mass media and assessed each media variable based on if it improved political awareness or civic engagement, or both. The researchers also included demographic predictors that would correspond with the study: age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status. It is apparent that a dults would have a higher amount of political knowledge. â€Å"The average education level in our sample was 10. years of schooling†¦ Of respondents, 78. 9 percent were currently students,† which would give them the edge since there are more opportunities to become involved in community service activities and clubs the schools have to offer. Some schools require community service to graduate. Socioeconomic status also plays a role in political awareness and civic engagement. This correlates directly to the fact that individuals who are wealthier have the resources and means to educate their children and are probably highly educated as well.Race and gender is yet another factor in evaluating political knowledge and civic engagement, whereas â€Å"whites appear more politically aware than Blacks, Hispanics, and other non-Whites†¦ however, race has not been as strongly related in one direction or the other [in regards to civic engagement, and]†¦ women, on average , belong to more associations and organizations than men but tend to exhibit less political knowledge† (123).The results of How Use of Mass Media is Related to Civic Activity and Political Awareness in 14- to 22- Year-Olds, revealed that if media usage increased in frequency, it had a negative impact on political awareness and civic engagement, which is to be expected. Although reading remained positive, the results showed individuals took longer to develop a well-rounded political knowledge base if their reading increased. This is the cause of a decrease in active engagement with others. The authors could not predict if newspapers increased civic activity, however, it was evident that it increased political awareness.Civic activity was strongly related to political awareness, and the findings also concluded that the Internet increased civic engagement, along with listening to news on the radio, following shows on television, and reading magazines. Not only were civic activiti es found to be directly related to political awareness, but the media had an overall positive effect on civic engagement and political knowledge. In his research, Putnam fails to assess new ways to approach civic engagement and political awareness, and instead looks to the old.Relating civic engagement to the decline of bowling leagues seems futile to the reader, especially to a young adult. As society changes, activities change; people change. The youth of today are more interested in modern technology, which is why more candidates should reevaluate how they approach the younger generation in regards to the elections and make use of the Internet during elections. Because young voters are growing up in a time when technology is usually readily available to them, they look mostly to the web for political information.Youth turnout for the 2004 elections showed â€Å"marked increases. † Most likely prompted by the war in Iraq, intense efforts were made to ensure younger generati ons were actively engaged throughout the campaigns. New media tools were also used, with websites put up that focused on attracting the younger population to politics; â€Å"an estimated 28 percent of 18- 29-year-olds received most of their information about the campaigns via the Internet in 2004, making them the age group most reliant on new media for political information about the election† (Xenos and Bennett 444).However, in the article The Disconnection in Online Politics, Michael Xenos and W. Lance Bennett stress the fact that although younger voters are participating online, they are less likely to visit a site that is sponsored by a specific party or electoral candidate. Unfortunately, politicians are very slow when adapting to the modern world of technology, and do not make use of the web to attract young voters. On sites like Rock the Vote, they give young voters access to interactive features, and yet links to websites with related political information and resourc es are not easily accessible.Young voters only attain a morsel of information from youth engagement websites. Between 2002 and 2004, Xenos and Bennett conducted an extensive analysis of political sites that focused on youth involvement, as well as electoral sites, and they found the â€Å"overall pattern is one of overlap† (456). The candidates’ websites were not designed to attract young voters. They merely addressed the same issues on their sites as seen on the youth sites; however, on the electoral sites they clearly were not reaching out to the younger population of voters.Professional consultants correlate politicians’ indifference to youth voters because senior citizens have a higher voting rate. Xenos and Bennett express their disappointment, â€Å"younger voters who ignore politicians largely do so because politicians largely ignore them† (457). It is ironic because voters are less involved in politics due to politicians’ lack of interest i n their appeals, and politicians show disregard for the youth because of their low voting turnout and vice versa.If politicians, our leaders, are putting the youth aside, who is going to devote the time to inform the younger generation of the importance on civic activities and political awareness? In correlation with the decline of adult involvement in social participation and volunteering, people simply do not have the time or energy to devote to their own needs, let alone join a civic organization. In today’s society, both parents work to make ends meet.There are usually a higher percentage of female volunteers to male volunteers, but now that women are taking on raising children, housework, and working an additional 15 hours per week than men, the idea of becoming involved in community activities is overwhelming. The economy is in a stale state, and since the 1970s, the percentage of single mothers has increased dramatically (Freedman 246). Children are being isolated more often than not, which can also result in the disregard for community and civic engagement.Mentoring programs are unreliable, and many adolescents and young adults are left in the dark without an adult role model: â€Å"In his essay â€Å"Building Community, John Gardner [Miriam and Peter Haas Centennial Professor at Stanford Business School] offers both consolation and wisdom about the historical process of community erosion and renewal†¦ â€Å"disintegration of human communities is as old as human history†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"We can’t know all the forms community will take, but we know the values and the kinds of supporting structures we want to preserve. We are a community building species.We might become remarkably ingenious at creating new forms of community for a swiftly changing world. †Ã¢â‚¬  (Freedman 248) Robert Putnam insists on looking to the old, and if he must, he should look at the potential of civic renewal in the volunteering of senior citizens . Over the past thirty years, the population of Americans over the age of 65 has doubled and will continue to increase. Marc Freedman, the author of the article, Towards Civic Renewal, Journal of Gerontological Social Work, expresses his faith in the nation’s retirees to change the deterioration of volunteerism in the U.S. , where children are in need of the most help. If children at an earlier age gained better insight into what it means to have a sense of community and belonging, they would have a better awareness of civic engagement and a broader knowledge base of politics on the state, local, and national level. Senior citizens also have the time, and there is evidence that implies older adults are looking to stay active in their communities; â€Å"As one recent U. S Administration on Aging-sponsored survey reveals, a full 37. percent of older Americans say they would volunteer if asked, while an additional 25. 6 percent already volunteering indicate that they would like to devote more time to service,† and they prefer to work with the younger generation (Freedman 249). Not only will it help the children, but it will also help the senior citizens. 55 percent of seniors feel a sense of uselessness when they retire†¦ a 25-yr National Institute of Mental Health study finds, for example, that â€Å"highly organized activity is the single strongest predictor, other than not smoking, of longevity and vitality† (Freedman 250).The local and federal government is known for lost proposals. Perhaps some of them would have been successfully planned out and put into action if accepted, and Freedman makes the idea of senior involvement seem feasible. Freedman provides the reader with examples of effective programs in community involvement created by the older population; one example is a â€Å"union-sponsored initiative that helps nonviolent juvenile offenders find and keep blue-collar jobs. Freedman goes onto explain to doubtful readers that are thinking, where is this money going to come from? America’s budget is steadily falling into a rabbit hole, and yet the author is confident in the â€Å"†talent, experience and commitment† of older adults,† and their ability to organize well and get tasks completed quickly and effectively (252). Civic engagement and political awareness is declining because of the absence of an inspiring role model in the youth of today, and this program shows romise of creating a healthier sense of community for the older and the younger generations. Reiterating authors’, Homero Gil de Zuniga and SebastianValenzuela’s earlier consensus, the decline in civic engagement is not the consequence of the mass media and modern age of technology. The importance of weak ties through the Internet is actually seen through the web of networking that people from all over the world create, which ignites a stronger relationship in civic participation than networking face-t o-face with weak ties.This finding was reinforced by the study on various media uses in the article; How Use of Mass Media is Related to Civic Activity and Political Awareness in 14- to 22- Year-Olds, where the end result is conclusive with Zuniga and Valenzuela’s evidence. The media can enhance civic engagement and political awareness if used sparingly and in the right context. â€Å"The mind is a double edged sword. It has immense power and it is capable of accomplishing both useful and destructive feats. † (Atharva Veda http://thinkexist. com/quotes/atharva_veda/). It is not the media that is destructive.The minds of the populace are ignoring the real issue at hand. The mind could be used more effectively in developing new ideas to encourage civic engagement and political awareness in the younger population. The media actually promotes civic participation and therefore is directly related to political awareness; overall the media has a positive effect on social capi tal. It is the communities’ job to instill these values on the children so they can grow into informed adults and have their own opinions and ideas, passing those values onto their children and so on.Bibliography Freedom, Mark. â€Å"Towards Civic Renewal. † Journal of Gerontological Social Work 28. 3 (1997): 243-63. EBSCOhost. The Haworth Press, Inc. , 11 Oct. 2008. Web. 1 Oct. 2011. . Pasek, Josh, Kate Kenski, Daniel Romer, and Kathleen H. Jamieson. â€Å"America's Youth andCommunity Engagement: How Use of Mass Media Is Related to Civic Activity andPolitical Awareness in 14- to 22-Year-Olds | DeepDyve. † DeepDyve – Millions ofArticles At Your Fingertips. Sage, 27

Ideologies in legally blonde Essay

Legally blonde is a film about Elle Woods a blonde sorority queen who is dumped by her boyfriend, she decides to follow him to law school to get him back and, once there, learns she has more legal savvy than she ever imagined and is thrown into solving a case in which she will make lots of friends and maybe even some enemies. The first thing I notice is that a common ideology used throughout the film is stereotypical ideology the main way this is used is through Elle’s character who is the stereotypical dumb blonde who only cares about fashion, boys and money. This is used to show how much the character can change by exaggerating all the things that are stereotypical about her for example she loves pink but to the point where everything about her life is pink like her clothes, her room even what she dresses her dog in. Furthermore she is shown to live in Malibu which is believed to be where all the rich famous people live so people will just assume that this is her life style. Another stereotypical ideology in the film is the way they represent lawyers and the law school they show them as being boring people who just wear suits and all come from wealthy backgrounds. Another ideology used throughout the film is patriarchal ideology which is the principal that the male is more superior. This is used when they talk about law school being mainly men or that when you watch different scenes the majority of the people are men. Furthermore they use this ideology in the scene when she first talks to Warner after they have both been excepted into Harvard, it is shown that he makes out to be more superior then Elle and doesn’t understand how a woman of her nature was able to get in. Even though this film is based around a female who takes on a role to achieve what she sets out to achieve it is still based around the idea that she is doing it all for the male and to impress a male so that she can become the typical wife figure and tries to show that the woman’s role of a house wife is just natural. A very important ideology represented in this film is feminist ideology obviously for the reason that this films soul point is to show that a girl can do anything a boy can do. The beginning of the film gives into the idea that women need men to complete them and thos e men have women completely in control shown being able to manipulate them any way they want. However as the film goes on she is seen becoming more independent and less reliant on the man as she takes the case into her own hands and uses her own knowledge  to crack the case. The end of the film sends a message that women can be successful without a man and are fully able to achieve whatever they want, even in the least likely circumstances. Furthermore the character of Paulette show that she is a strong independent woman when taking on her ex-husband to get her dog back, however say this she is then seen trying to impress a man throughout the film. The last ideology is hegemony this is focused on in 2 different ways in the film. Firstly when Elle is talking to her father about going to law school he describes them as being â€Å"boring, ugly people who are serious† this shows that he believes himself to be better than them as he has lots of money and doesn’t need to work hard for it. However the other way of showing hegemony is when Vivian is talking to Elle as if she was stupid and is very patronizing towards Elle because she believes that Elle is less smart than her and is not capable enough to be in law school and treats her like she is inferior. This is obviously proven wrong when Elle is able to succeed in class and even win a case for her university showing that she is just as important and capable as the other people at Harvard. In conclusion this film is showing both how a woman does not need a man to achieve tasks and that she can be independent but also that a lot of things women do are to impress guys so that they can live the life they deem as socially acceptable. Although this film is incredibly unrealistic it does show how different groups of people may not be that different at all that that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover or stereotype people because they may surprise you in the end.

A Brazilian Fashion Model’s Death Due to Eating Disorder

For Ana Carolina Reston Marcan was from kleinsaf been her dream to be supermodel, this dream became reality. At 21, in 2006, she made the headlines around the world. Not for her modeling career, but for her painful death, attributed to â€Å"complications due to anorexia. Jundiai town, Sao Paulo, Brazil. A brown-haired teenage girl walks on to the stage at the local beauty contest. Below, her parents, wedged at the front of a cheering audience, clap enthusiastically as a judge slips a green and white sash over their daughter's head and pronounces her the Queen of Jundiai, 1999.Her mother wasn't surprised: ‘The other girls were podgy and had bottoms,' she said later. ‘She won because she was slim and elegant. ‘ It doesn't seem an earth-shattering achievement. But for 13-year-old Ana Carolina Reston Marcan it was one step nearer her dream of becoming a supermodel. It would take Reston (who dropped Marcan from her professional name) seven years to ‘arrive', by w hich time she would be working as far afield as Hong Kong and Japan, for designers as well known as Giorgio Armani and Dior.But it was on 14 November last year that she finally crossed over from being a successful catwalk model to appearing on the cover of every magazine and newspaper in Brazil, and making headlines around the globe. Not for her modelling, but for her agonising death, attributed to ‘complications arising from anorexia'. In a year in which both ‘skinny chic' (wearing oversized clothes on tiny body frames) and the American size 00 (an emaciated UK size two, or a waist the same as a typical seven-year-old's) was the height of fashion in celebrity-land, Reston's demise seems all the more poignant.She was also the second model to die from an eating disorder during 2006. In August, at a fashion show in Uruguay, 22-year-old Luisel Ramos suffered a heart attack thought to be the result of anorexia. Although anorexia isn't the preserve of the fashion industry, it 's hardly surprising that Reston's death has shone a spotlight on the way the business treats its models, and more significantly, on how destructive our current perception of female beauty can be. Reston's short life began in Pitangueiras private hospital in Jundiai on 29 May 1985.She was born into a comfortable, middle-class family; her father, Narciso Marcan, worked for a German multinational while her mother, Miriam Reston, sold jewellery. They were neither desperately poor nor offensively rich and lived in a small but elegant bungalow on the outskirts of town. From an early age Reston wanted to be a model, partly in order to provide her family with a better life. It's not clear why she felt such responsibility, but in the early Nineties her father was diagnosed with both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and was later made redundant.Even before then, though, her mother remembers the young Reston spiriting bras and high heels from her closet and pirouetting around the house in them, asking people to take her photograph. Then one day in 1999, on the school bus home, she spotted a sign announcing a beauty contest for the Queen of Jundiai. She leapt off and signed herself up. A few weeks later she took her mother on an all expenses-paid luxury trip to Rio – her prize for winning the competition. When they returned, a fashion agent offered to introduce her to Ford, one of Brazil's top modelling agencies, for a fee of ? 100. The family accepted.Reston's career took off almost immediately and it soon became apparent that she had her eye on the big prize – becoming a supermodel, like fellow Brazilian Gisele. Reston's friends thought that for the more glamorous catwalk and editorial modelling she was, at just over 5ft 6in, too short. But she wouldn't be put off; she altered her height on her publicity shots and claimed she was just over 5ft 7in. And she seemed to get away with it. In July 2003, after four successful years at Ford, she signed to Elit e, one of the biggest agencies in Brazil, a move which catapulted her from teenage wannabe to serious model.Still Reston wanted to work abroad, and in January 2004 she finally made her first trip overseas. She was sent to Guangzhou, a Chinese city not far from Hong Kong, for three months. But although no one can pin an exact date on when she began to suffer from anorexia, one former booker, who refuses to be named, believes that it was here things started to unravel for the then 18-year-old. Reston, like so many other teenage models, travelled unaccompanied by either a personal friend or family member, someone who could help her negotiate a way through the lonely castings, where personal criticism came as standard. She arrived in China,' explains a booker, ‘and the guys looked at her and said, â€Å"You're fat. † She took this very personally. ‘ Her unhappiness was evident in the letters she sent home. In one to her mother, Reston describes arriving in ‘that big place'. She goes on: ‘I [felt] so small, the city so big. I didn't understand anything†¦ It didn't go right. I failed. ‘ Her confidence was being destroyed. Back in Brazil, Reston's descent into anorexia (which ultimately resulted in her shrinking from 8st to 6st) became all too obvious.When Laura Ancona, a journalist at the Brazilian fashion magazine Quem, befriended Reston towards the end of 2004, she sensed immediately that something was wrong. Reston, she says, only ever drank fruit juice, and after her death was found to have survived on a diet of apples and tomatoes. As Ancona recalls: ‘She said, â€Å"I can't eat any more. † She told me she tried to eat but felt like vomiting. She knew she had a problem, but didn't know what she was suffering from. I think I was the first person to explain it to her – I knew she was anorexic, because someone in my family had suffered in the same way. According to Ancona, Reston's condition was common knowledge. ‘Everyone knew she was ill,' she says. ‘The other girls, the agencies, everyone. Don't believe it when they say they didn't. ‘ Reston's aunt, Mirtes Reston, who plans to present a petition to the government demanding steps to monitor the modelling industry, is more direct. ‘These girls are white slaves,' she says. ‘We want models to have rights. At the moment they are given no pension, no support†¦ They just take the person away from their family and abandon them far away. ‘In his private clinic in Jardins, a leafy, upmarket neighbourhood of Sao Paulo, psychologist Dr Marco Antonio De Tommaso, who voluntarily runs a fortnightly drop-in clinic at two of the city's largest modelling agencies, Elite and L'Equipe, is preparing some notes on eating disorders. Tommaso has spent 11 years working with models and given consultations to nearly 2,000 of them, including some of the country's most famous faces. He also treated Reston. Tommaso's take on the fashion industry, and what he calls the ‘dictatorship of beauty', is bleak.He regards Reston's experience as typical, citing in particular the way in which ‘new faces' are parachuted into the most demanding and adult of worlds when they are unable to cope. ‘They experience lots of changes all at the same time,' says Tommaso. ‘They move city, they move state, they start living alone, and the work is very demanding. Everything happens very quickly, and it is all so unpredictable. ‘ There are no official studies to prove the link between the fashion industry and eating disorders, but many experts point to a clear correlation between the two.In a letter from 40 doctors at the Eating Disorders Service and Research Unit at King's College London to the British Fashion Council last October, Professor Janet Treasure wrote: ‘There is no doubt there is cause and effect here. The fashion industry showcases models with extreme body shapes, and thi s is undoubtedly one of the factors leading to young girls developing disorders. ‘ This is borne out by Tommaso's experience. ‘If someone is just a tiny bit bigger than the industry demands,' he says, ‘they are treated as if they were morbidly obese.This encourages a pattern of beauty that is absolutely unreal. ‘ Such pressures, he continues, lead many such women to build up what he calls ‘an arsenal of anorexia': special diets, prescription and illegal drugs, starving themselves. He remembers one young model even using pills for fighting intestinal worms in order to lose weight. Journalist Laura Ancona is not surprised: ‘I've lost count of how many times I've seen models vomiting in the toilets [at fashion events], or sniffing cocaine, or 13-year-old girls fainting because they're not eating properly. Anorexia is obviously not an illness exclusive to the fashion industry, or Brazil. According to the Norwich-based Eating Disorders Association, bet ween one and two per cent of young adult women worldwide suffer from the eating disorder and most, like Reston, are 15-25 years old. It kills somewhere between 13 and 20 per cent of its victims. It's not known exactly what causes anorexia, but Tommaso asserts that, for young models at least, professional demands can be a ‘very strong factor'. There are other pressures, too.As Tommaso points out: ‘Often, low-income families begin to see their offspring as the chicken that lays gold eggs and expect them to support the entire household. The models, in turn, begin to push themselves harder and harder, placing greater demands on their bodies in the hope they will earn more money. ‘ Certainly Reston faced problems at home. The family's life savings had been stolen in 2002 and because they only had her sick father's pension of around ? 250 a month to live on, Miriam Reston looked increasingly to her daughter's income. She was my crutch,' she explains, sitting in the break fast room of her sister's pousada, or guesthouse. By 2004, the 18-year-old Reston was supporting her entire family. And despite her experiences in China, she continued to dream of travelling the world modelling, in order to earn more money to help her mother build a new house. In August 2005 Reston called her employers at the Elite fashion agency and told them she was leaving – she had received an offer from an agent to work in Mexico.They urged her to stay, arguing that the Mexican modelling market required voluptuous girls, whereas Reston was now an increasingly skinny model. ‘She wasn't listening to anyone any more,' says her former booker. In Mexico things went from bad to worse. On her second day there Reston emailed home that she was sharing an apartment with 17 other models and was very unhappy. Other Brazilian models who bumped into an increasingly miserable-looking Reston at castings began to worry about her emotional state. One of them, Cynthia, left a note fo r her: ‘Girlie, we're very worried about you.Please come out with us or stay at home and eat something – eat whatever you want, OK? ‘ Eventually, Reston became so unhappy that Lica Kohlrausch, the owner of L'Equipe, was persuaded by some of Reston's concerned friends and colleagues to pay for her to fly back to Brazil. ‘We brought Ana back after she did some work for Giorgio Armani and a representative rang me to say she was too thin,' Kohlrausch told the press after Reston's death. ‘It worried me and I acted immediately, but I didn't see any physical signs of anorexia when she came back. On her return, Reston went to work in Japan for three months. When she came home again, in late 2005, she was barely recognisable – gaunt and colourless. As Miriam Reston recalls, ‘I looked at her and said, â€Å"My daughter, what have they done to you? † I wish these people could see what they have done to her. She didn't deserve this. ‘ Now seriously worried about her health, Reston's family sent her to stay with an uncle on the Sao Paulo coast. He, too, knew that something was very wrong. On a note dated 19 January 2006, he set out a daily routine for Reston to follow as part of her recuperation.It read: 1 Wake up, pray. 2 Strong, positive thoughts. 3 Pray. 4 Always feed yourself. 5 Pray. Despite the family's intervention, Reston continued eating less and less, and work opportunities began to ebb away. By the middle of last year, her career as a model had virtually ground to a halt. Instead, to try and make ends meet, she was handing out fliers advertising nightclubs in Sao Paulo, earning just over ? 10 a night. But there was some comfort – she fell in love with a 19-year-old model from Sao Paulo, called Bruno Setti. I didn't know what love was until you kissed me,' she wrote to him, just over a month before her death. ‘Thank you for giving me the hugs that make me secure and the conversations that comfo rt me. ‘ On Friday 29 September, Dr Tommaso sat waiting in a room at L'Equipe, with a list of six models he was due to see that afternoon. Reston was booked in for her second appointment. But as the minutes ticked by, Tommaso got the feeling it would be another no-show. ‘I thought it was a shame,' he sighs. ‘The agency contacted her and she said she'd forgotten.Maybe it was true, maybe it was the anorexia. We can't be sure. ‘ In Jundiai, meanwhile, Reston complained to her mother that members of the agency were pestering her to see a doctor. ‘She told me they were going mad [saying she was ill],' recalls her mother. ‘Everyone was telling her she was ill†¦ But, like all these girls, she denied it was a problem. ‘ But her mother was pretty sure by then that Reston's health problems needed to be addressed sooner rather than later. And then suddenly, it was too late. At home on Sunday 22 October, Reston began to complain of a pain in her ki dneys.Miriam Reston didn't know it, but for the last couple of months her daughter had been taking a cocktail of potent prescription drugs, for pain relief and slimming. Reston was admitted to the Samaritano Hospital in Sao Paulo and two days later, on 25 October, she was moved to the Hospital Municipal dos Servidores Publicos, where almost immediately she was admitted to the intensive care unit, where she spent her last 21 days. Her demise was agonising, a plastic tube inserted down her throat, unable to tell anyone how she felt, although the tears in her eyes must have made that pretty obvious.Patches of her once long brown hair had fallen out, too. Her death certificate, for which relatives paid around 50p, cites her time of death as 7. 10am and lists the cause of death as ‘multiple organ failure, septicaemia, urinary infection'. Coldly it adds: ‘Leaves no children. Leaves no property. Leaves no will. ‘ Within hours of her death Ana Carolina Reston Marcan was fa mous across the world. Her death made her a martyr in Brazil – her image was splashed across the front pages of virtually every newspaper and magazine, and across the international media.Jundiai's teenage beauty queen had become the emaciated model who had starved herself to death. Debate raged. There was an outpouring of emotion from other anorexic girls who saw in Reston a piece of themselves; and, simultaneously, a bitter rebuke from pro-anorexia communities, whose members see anorexia as a lifestyle choice. Reston's boyfriend requested her page on the popular Brazilian blog site Orkut be deleted after her death because it was targeted by anorexia supporters posting offensive comments.Critics of the fashion industry, on the other hand, held her up as an example of how it was destroying the lives of young, would-be models, and in the weeks that followed, the deaths of two further Brazilian girls in similar circumstances, one a fashion student, brought further calls for the regulation of this notoriously mysterious business. Already, changes seem to be taking place. Following Uruguayan model Luisel Ramos's death, models with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18 – classified as underweight by the World Health Organisation (between 18. and 25 is considered healthy) – were banned in September from Madrid Fashion Week. In the wake of Reston's death, Brazilian models now require medical certificates in order to take part in catwalk events. The Italian fashion organisation Camera Della Moda Italiana is also considering introducing measures to prevent any catwalk models at risk appearing at Milan Fashion Week in February. More recently, the British Fashion Council, which organises London Fashion Week, has prepared similar guidelines that it will eventually send to all designers and modelling agencies.It is late afternoon and in the cobbled centre of Pirapora do Bom Jesus, Miriam Reston Marcan pulls up the shutters of her new jewellery shop â €“ recently named ‘Ana Carolina Metals' – and goes inside. Weeping, she picks up a letter written by her daughter shortly before her death, but which was never sent. ‘†If I could, I'd like to go back to being four, clinging on to you as if I were still in your womb, so that nobody could harm me,†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ it reads, in curly, teenage handwriting. â€Å"But God wanted my life to change. â€Å"‘ Reston sighs. ‘I didn't know what my daughter had could kill, but I knew it had to be treated. But my daughter rejected me, she said she was OK. ‘ She stares up at a portrait of Ana hung at the back of the shop – part of an advertising campaign which has now become a sort of shrine to her deceased daughter. ‘Do you know what I think at night time? ‘ she asks. ‘I think that she's in the ground and the ants are eating her. I don't know how I'm

Strategic Management Analysis - Based on case study Essay

Strategic Management Analysis - Based on case study - Essay Example Better Place opened its first car demonstration center in Israel back in February 2010. The opening of the demonstration center helped the company in showcasing its ambitious plan in challenging the status quo in the rigid and complex industry. The performance of the company has since been outstanding with the formation of partnerships and increased capital funding. Strategic purpose: Mission, Values and mission The mission of the company was to reduce and eventually eliminate oil dependence of the automobile industry. The company aims at reducing the associated health, political and environmental issues that arise from the dominance and ubiquity of internal combustion engine (ICE). The increasing number of vehicles around the globe that have high emission of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from the use of oil is responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions. With the growing ratio in the world populations as well as the demand for personal transportation, the environment and economi c sustainability of an ICE dominated transportation sector is highly likely to increase The company aims at attaining a widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) by the creation of links between battery companies, car companies, utilities and consumers. The strategic objective of the company is to take over the market on product performance and delivery of quality and emission free cars to the consumers. This involves having a broader and deeper use of technological capabilities and they believe that the solution to electric cars does not lie in re-engineering the battery but in the re-engineering of the car. Stakeholder analysis Shareholders all those groups of individuals or individuals who depend on a given organization in order to fulfill their goals where the organization ends up benefiting. The main stakeholders of Better Place are the consumers, political groups, suppliers and competitors (Johnson, Whittington & Scholes 2011). Stakeholder management is very high in Bette r Place as they have been factored into the development of Electric Vehicles. For example, Shai Agassi the founder of Better Place believes that overcoming the problem of limited mobility is the only way that consumers would be enabled to adopt the Electric Vehicles (EVs) on a massive scale. The different stakeholders for Better Place influence each other in a positive way. The electric vehicle solution has made provisions and considerations of all the stakeholders. The political stakeholders include the state. For example, the State of Hawaii has launched a Clean Energy Initiative that is aimed at the development of clean energy alternatives by 2030. Adoption of EVs in the State would be the best clean energy alternative for people. This has had positive impacts on the consumers, suppliers and competitors. For the consumers, the move by the state will lead to the reduction of risks which results from carbon monoxide emissions and to enhance adaptability and flexibility. Maintenance costs of electric vehicles are much lower than the ICE vehicles for consumers. It is a social, economic and ethical responsibility for companies to produce and manufacture those cars that will not cause any environmental harm. Better Place owes this to its stakeholders hence the reason for the EVs. External environment analysis The macro-environment (Porter’s 5 forces analysis) Supplier power- There is few suppliers in the supply of electric vehicles around the globe. Better Place is a powerful supplier due to the

PRINCE and PRINCE2 Frameworks in Management and Business Strategy Essay

PRINCE and PRINCE2 Frameworks in Management and Business Strategy - Essay Example This management method was initially developed for use in IT projects (PRINCE) but has since been expanded in scope to deal with project management in any type of organization (PRINCE2). This report will focus mainly on PRINCE2 since this method is more extensive and applicable to all kinds of organizations. PRINCE2 is owned by the United Kingdom Office of Government Commerce or OGC, and it is in the public domain, which means it is free and available for use by anyone (Office of Government Commerce, 2005). The only potential cost incurred when utilizing PRINCE2 is the cost of training and certification (see the "APM Certification in PRINCE2" section below). When a client addresses a problem and contracts a company to remedy their problem, the PRINCE2 method can be used to set the framework for how the resulting project is to proceed. The objective of PRINCE2 is to allow newly minted businesses to start off successfully, by learning from their predecessor's mistakes, rather than to reinvent the wheel, per se, of project management. In effect, PRINCE2 is available to facilitate the most efficient and directed project management possible. ... The top problems were, "unclear direction, over- or under-worked staff, people and equipment not available when needed, rework or wasted effort, final tasks were rushed, poor quality work, problems late and overspent, small problems had a big impact (Bentley, 2003)." This is rooted in a number of sources, including "customer involvement, coordination, communication, planning control, progress, and quality control (Bentley, 2003)." Although it may seem that businesses should easily overcome these problems out of common sense, the reality is that many businesses do not know the proper way to consistently apply their past mistakes to problematic issues that regularly arise. The PRINCE2 framework can be used as a robust, adaptable system that project managers can consult throughout each stage of a project. There are eight steps, or phases, in the PRINCE2 method. These phases, which constitute the Business Case (i.e. the justification for the project) must be carried out fully to ensure that the end product is high-quality, generated in the allotted amount of time, and utilizes only the funds that are allocated for it (Office of Government Commerce, 2005; Getronics, 2003). The first step is called the start-up phase, during which project managers decide whether or not to accept the project desired by the customer, based on their own resources and capacity. Essentially, the managers address the question, "Is this project worth doing, and, if yes, are we fully equipped to complete it" This is an important phase during which the feasibility of the project is assessed and the company decides whether they can aptly handle the requests of the customer in the time allotted.

Flying Buttresses and Their Significance in the Structural System Essay

Flying Buttresses and Their Significance in the Structural System Utilized at the Notre Dame Cathedral - Essay Example Even though scholars mention the flying buttress in the late Gothic period, it was until the mid 19th century (1858) that Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Du, a French theorist and architect discussed in details its significance in buildings. Georg Ungerwitter later used graphic statistics towards the late 19th century devoting his effort to the role of flying buttress to the Gothic buildings. Notre Dame Cathedral located on eastern part of Ile de la Cite, Paris France, is the most notable and among the first Gothic buildings in the world to employ the flying buttress, according to Toker (31). This paper seeks to explore the structural significance of flying buttress in Notre Dame Cathedral. Flying Buttress Flying buttress, according to Dietsch, is a masonry structure consisting of a bar that inclines and carried a half arch extending from upper section of a wall to piers (7). Flying buttress mainly carries the vault or the roof and is mainly associated with the Gothic architecture. Flying buttress plays a crucial role in a building in the sense that it provides resistance to the lateral forces thrusting a wall outwards. In this case, flying buttress provides strong resistance by redirecting the lateral forces to the ground, notes Dietsch (8). ... The centering plays a crucial role of proving support to the weight of the building materials used on the walls such as stones, as well as maintain the arch’s shape until that time that the mortar dries up. Carpenters first construct the centering on the ground after which it is hoisted into position and tightened to the piers at both end of buttress. According to Dietsch, the centering is used as temporary flying buttress until the completion of the actual stone arch (9). Analysis of the use of flying buttress in the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris Kleiner claims that the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris is one of the most famous and among the first ever buildings of the Gothic era to use the flying buttress (468). Used as the Catholic diocese of Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral signifies the greatest example of the French Gothic architecture in the world. Kleiner reveals that the building was saved from the verge of collapse during the French Revolution by the French theorist and architect Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Du (468). The construction of the Notre Dame Cathedral spans the Gothic period. The structure of the building shows the great influence of naturalism seen in the manner its stained classes and sculptures are built. As earlier stated, Notre Dame Cathedral Paris was among the first buildings to employ flying buttress. According to Toker, the building was not originally designed to have flying buttress around the naves and choir (32). However, after the beginning of its construction, its thinner walls began growing higher. This created a lot of stress resulting in the development of fractures on the walls. To strengthen the walls and the entire structure, architects introduced flying buttress around the outside walls to provide support to the building structure

Job Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Job Design - Essay Example Organisation is the core of business in 21st century organisations. Modern organisations are extremely efficient and organized, making the organisations function effectively and increase their productivity. This involves breaking down tasks linked with different components in an organisation, resulting in the concept of job design. Job design developed with speedy technological advancements of the 20th century, particularly when assembly line operations and mass production became the mainstay in organisations. In the 21st century, jobs are continually becoming specialized and sophisticated, hence the need for highly educated and motivated employees within the workforce. The primary purpose of job design is to enhance both employee productivity and motivation. Increased productivity manifests itself through a number of forms, for instance, focus can centre on the improvement of quantity and quality of products and services, the reduction of training costs, turnover and overall operati on costs. On the other hand, enhancing employee motivation is attainable through increased job satisfaction. In light of this, Herzberg’s Two-Hygiene Theory describes two groups of factors, dissatisfying and satisfying, which impact employees’ self-esteems, as well as opportunities for self-actualisation within the work environment. This involves hygiene factors and motivators. Herzberg poises that hygiene factors do not necessarily motivate employees when they are present, but their absence results in dissatisfaction (Latham & Pinder 2005, p. 503). Hygiene

Unit 6, Chapter 13 &14 part 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 6, Chapter 13  part 2 - Coursework Example Polarized attitudes of â€Å"We vs. They† have established because they have developed their own focus rather than building a company focus. They are solely concerned with the profitability of their own units rather than looking on the bigger picture. Communication and cooperation had slacken-off and they are not sharing the vital information with each other, which can strongly affect the organizational productivity. Manufacturing and Marketing are the core functions of an organization so harmonious relationship between these two interfaces are crucial antecedents to business success. As the case has portrayed conflict between these two functions, we must manage the conflict between these units properly in order to run successful business operations. We first need to understand the issues these departments face, their strategies and the structure under which they operate. As specified in the case that the company is growing under a functional structure, this seems to be the ultimate root cause of the problem. The functional structure has its inherent disadvantages. Under such structures, the functions are detached from each other and they develop a â€Å"WE† attitude. Problems are analyzed from one perspective and the individuals within each function are isolated from each other and they have a little understanding of each other. Thus the conflict can be best managed by making structural changes in it. The most viable solution to the above problem is to move from a functional structure to a process-oriented or product team structure. The product team structure forms teams comprising of individuals from different organizational departments such as manufacturing, marketing, engineering and finance and these teams share common goals and objectives. Such teams assure that issues related with marketing and manufacturing departments will receive proper attention early on and provides a cross-sectional,

Ceramics Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ceramics Art - Essay Example The colours move into each other in delicate swirls from greens, browns, blues and turquoise to blacks, whites, beige and mustard. A small spout with brown and pale turquoise glaze is placed on one side of the pot, and a dome shaped lid in shades of brown fits in snugly. A tiny turquoise handle with a minuscule black button is at an angle to the spout, and extrudes out of the surface. The entire egg shape tapers down to a very tiny black foot. The irreducible essence of a teapot is its function, in terms of cultural and human ritual terms. By taking away from this teapot its utility, Swindell does not add a conceptual dimension, or vestigial elements to suggest a different meaning, in the manner of poststructural art, where the lack of function becomes a metaphor for something else in the artist's dictionary. The teapot is still just a teapot, quaint, not functional, but definitely a teapot. This teapot is indeed an example of organic art, in a class of its own. Far removed from post-modern jargon and innuendoes, its expressive criteria are not in tune with the deconstructive and discursive atmosphere of contemporary arts practice. As Bernard Kerr says, " By overly conceptualising our work we run the risk of losing the special somatic and sensual qualities that make the ceramic arts unique and special."(Kerr, 2005). When viewing Swindell's work the correct questions to ask would be whether it is a beautiful, nostalgic piece of evanescence made tangible. Swindell seems to capture the volatile charm of nature in this piece, which emerges with new, subtle meanings every time you look at it. Though out time potters have sought to create man made ceramic forms, which echo the sensibilities of nature, sometimes by mimicking nature or through stylisation and abstraction. The history of ceramics is filled with organic masterpieces. (Thames & Hudson, 2001) It does not have enforced explicit and implicit narratives, and it exists not to faithfully portray the tragedies of existence but seeks to alleviate them through beauty in art. As he himself puts it, "Although political and cultural statements have become fashionable with visual artists I do not make work with a conscious message, preferring to deal with the "abstract" qualities of Art."(Swindell, 2005) To me it is a piece that seems to shift under the eye, to ripple and move if I look at it long enough, and I want to pick it up to trace its contours to assure myself it is real. Its structure is engineered and precise, but the surface and colours bring back memories of sandy beaches, worm casts, patterns seen on sand, and lulling waves. This marriage of the man-made and natural has evolved over time, as some of his earlier exhibits have also exuded similar qualities: His vision is much broader than the size of the work initially suggests. He brings together shapes, motifs and surface qualities that simultaneously manage to be evocative of both the natural and man made worlds. (Jeffery Jones, 2003) Tea and teapots have been a comforting part of our culture ever since they were introduced in England. A teapot evokes warmth, security and reassurance, and the diminutive size reinforces this feeling of intimacy: Teapots traditionally belong in a familiar domestic environment, where potters have always had a significant role in reflecting social fashion and culture by providing ware for

Cultural Post-Modernism and the Machine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cultural Post-Modernism and the Machine - Essay Example The essay "Cultural Post-Modernism and the Machine" discovers Michael Bay’s "Transformers". The film ties its themes to heroism, the sub plots involving U.S. Marines as well as covert divisions of the government. The film Transformers is a post-modern study of culture as it explores the nature of good and evil as well as the consumer culture as it is oriented towards the encoded objects for the male gender. The film Transformers has within it the construction those things that are most often associated with the male cultural dream of perfection: oversized machines that are heroic, sentient, and vehicular. Cars are gender coded, the appeal of the car traditionally a high priority for men with women not having the same kind of relationship with their vehicles . Where cars are concerned, men have wished to personify them since they were invented, naming them after women, giving them personalities, and creating a sense of identity through the formulation of the body as combined wi th the ‘heart’ or engine. In a variety of film projects such as the Disney film The Love Bug, the television show Knight Rider, the film Christine, and even to an extent, the television film Duel directed by Stephen Spielberg, the idea of giving a vehicle sentience and a personality has been used to give life to the post-modern symbol of male virility. The film gives reverence to this concept through everything from the emotional musical score to the intensity and wisdom filled authority of the voice of Optimus Prime. The vehicle is a cultural symbol of virility for the male. The post-modern world is one of consumerism and is about the shift from the domestic world to the public world where displays of consumer power has replaced other forms of displays of virility. The power to control the machine, to own it and to have dominion over it has become the center of mating practices, conflicts for domination within the male gender, and for expressing male gendered control o ver the environment. Men no longer pick up a sword and go into combat style displays of strength. Post-modern expressions of male domination can involve the economic power to hold and control the strongest, most dangerous looking car on the block (Griffens & Carnes, 1990). While the explicit male domination of the automobile has ended as women now equally own cars, the idea of the car as the male extension of virility still exists. This can be seen as little boys play with cars and are more often attracted to play that involves trucks and cars. One of the more interesting scenes in the film involves a cultural connection to past films, all relating to a specific look as it is associated with heroism. The car is chastised by Megan Fox’s character for choosing to wear the exterior of a crappy old Chevy Camero, which appears to have insulted the ‘Autobot’ (the name for the transforming alien). The car then throws her and her co-star, Shia Lebouf out of the car so th at it can drive a bit away to the rising sound of music that is reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’

Effects of Christianity on Behaviour, Attitude and Lifestyle Essay Example for Free

Effects of Christianity on Behaviour, Attitude and Lifestyle Essay There could be no such things as prison in a truly Christian society. I think a truly Christian society is based on the life and teaching of Jesus, this means we must follow the 10 commandments and the gospel values. At the heart of Christian society there should be existence of love, forgiveness, mercy, justice to criminals. Jesus command was to Love your God, Love your neighbour and Love yourself. By obeying these commandments we are being Christ-like which is what the Christian society is all about. Forgiveness does not mean letting people walk all over you! But it is important. Christianity follows Jesus teaching in stressing that forgiveness is vital. It may be very hard, particularly for the victim of a crime. The Prodigal Son was a parable that showed forgiveness. The prison is the means to deliver the punishment, the denial of freedom. The convicted are imprisoned as a punishment, not for punishment. Her Majestys Prison Service serves the public by keeping in custody those committed by the courts. Our duty is to look after them with humanity and help them lead law abiding and useful lives in custody and after release. HM Prisons Services Mission Statement 1988. Three principles in prison craft: Security- to hold securely those sent to prison. Humanity- to treat prisoners with humanity, prisoners lose their liberty they should not lose their humanity. They are still human beings with the rights that their nature awards them. Assistance- to help make prisoners law abiding and give them useful lives. Prison can exist in a truly Christian society but not always, poor prison conditions do not lead to reform, they only serve to make prisoners worse. To become better people they need first and foremost their dignity, remember Jesus command to love self, this means having a good self-esteem. Prisoners have a right to feel safe, the opposite happened in Fletham Young Offenders Institution. March 2000, 19 year old Zahid Mubarek was beaten to death by his cellmate, Robert Stewart had a history of racist and violent behaviour. This evidence does not allow for fostering self-esteem or provide opportunities to rehabilitate. For prison to uphold Christian principles the reform of the offender is of paramount importance. Practical measures such as education, drink and drug therapy and counseling are required. There is evidence that education effects personal change in prisoners, not only through the acquisition of practical skills and knowledge, but also through fostering self-esteem and skills in communication. Mike Hart, Category A prisoner, killed a 20 year olds woman in an armed robbery. Whole in prison he become a born again Christian, and has worked on projects while inside to help young people be aware of what prison is really like in an attempt to turn young people away from the life of crime or potential crime. One such project, Better Out than In was a drama presentation re. The image of prisoners and prisons, depicting the harsh reality. How effective his work been, very difficult to assess but anecdotal evidence suggests that it is. There could and couldnt be such things as prison in a truly Christian society, it depends on the type of prison and what happens in the prison as to whether prison has a place in a truly Christian society. For prisons to co-exist in a truly Christian society they need to have therapeutic regime employed to rehabilitate the offender rather than punitive one. Not many people can uphold the mission statement, so it needs to be looked at and improved in order to fit into a Christian society. If we look ahead Christians today can also help reform prisoners like the Howard Penal League, where prisoners where able to reform by their help. During the 19th Century Elizabeth Fry Quaker who was a Christian went to prison to help rehabilitate criminals.

How business works Essay Example for Free

How business works Essay Introduction In this assignment I will be producing a case study on large/medium sided businesses, showing of how business works. My chosen company is McDonalds. The following will be including in my case study: * A description of what the business does, its aims and objectives. * A description of the purposes and activities of human resources and any other three functional areas. * A description of how effectively different areas of the business communicate. * A description of how the structure of the business is different from another organisations structure. * A record of my sources information. McDonalds Restaurant OverView McDonalds is a large fast food chain of restaurants operating world wide, started in America and has outlets in other places such as, India, Cyprus. In many countries McDonald s sells variations of its food to cater for local tastes. They are also known for being multicultural because of the different cultural foods in their restaurants. Because of their huge volume of sales McDonalds has strong purchasing power with its suppliers and is therefore able to sell food very competitively. By the end of 2001 their was 1,184 restaurants in the UK alone. They had a target to get over 80 new restaurants opened by 2002, and that was achieved. By opening over 80 new restaurants they employed 4,800 new employees. ACTIVITY, AIMS OBJECTIVES (P1, D2) Main Activity The main activity of McDonalds is selling fast food. They aim to provide a customer service, there are 1.5 million employees working for McDonald restaurants in the 119 countries, which all have the same daily activities which involves the staff in greeting, serving and helping customers with any enquiries or problems. They are the largest food service company in the world, so its important that all employees work together to succeed their aim. Main Aim McDonalds main aim is to provide customers with a fast food service in order to obtain a profit for its shareholders. McDonalds are committed to conducting their business with the environment in mind. McDonalds mission statement is To be the worlds best quick service restaurant. This is being achieved through five strategies such as; * Development: Lead the quick service restaurant market by a programme of site development profitable restaurant openings. * Our People: Achieve a competitive advantage through people who are high calibre, effective, well motivated and feel part of the McDonalds team in delivering the companys goals. * Restaurant Excellence: Focus on consistent delivery of quality, service and cleanliness through excellence in our restaurants. * Operating Structure: Optimise restaurant performance through the selection of the most appropriate operating, management and ownership structures. * The Brand: Continue to build the relationship between McDonalds and our customers in order to be a genuine part of the fabric of British society. Objectives McDonalds objective is to be the bests quick service restaurant and believes and believes that this involves avoiding damage to the environment at a local and global level. The company aims to ensure that its operations today do not have an effect on the lives of future consumers. McDonalds is involved in an ongoing programme with the aim to improve the environment, they do this by reusable packaging and recycling. Functional Areas within McDonalds (P2, M1, D2) HUMAN RESOURCES The Human Resources department concentrates on employees who work for the McDonald restaurants. Human Resources department include managing staff and their welfare, so the safety of their staff is taking very seriously, this all comes under Health and Safety. Staff have to be careful not to use computers/tills for long periods of time because they can suffer from eyestrain, tiredness or stress. McDonalds is improving communication systems by installing panic buttons for the safety against violent customers. McDonalds employees have to work together to ensure a hazard free zone, by adhering to the health and safety regulations. McDonalds puts new employees on to a training system, to make sure if an accident happens which involves either a member of staff or a customer getting hurt, then the employee will be able to handle the situation effectively. McDonalds restaurants work to high standards, which meets and mostly exceeds the rules and regulations. The company always aims for the highest standards given in guidelines because of health and safety regulations and to expand the business. If McDonalds didnt meet the requirements than they would be closed down by the health and safety executives. The Human Resources department contributes to McDonalds activity by making sure: * They employ the right staff * Making sure the store is a hazard free zone These things contribute to the activity of McDonalds because without them they wouldnt be able to achieve their aim, so its important that all the different departments work together to succeed it. Recruitment, Training and Development When recruiting staff McDonalds look for people who have a positive attitude towards customers, themselves and other employees, and who are capable of delivering the highest standards of quality, service and cleanliness to our customers. Then potential employees are trained, promoted and treated on the basis of their relevant skills, talents and performance and without reference to race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, age and disability. McDonalds management development curriculum takes new recruits form trainee manager to restaurant manger. They have on-the-job training and open learning development modules, backed up with courses and seminars at the companys national and regional training centres. Hourly paid staff receive continuous on-the-job training by computer based training and other training materials. When employees complete their initial training staff members are awarded a basic certificate in food hygiene. Employees Below are the figures of the staffs gender and age status. By the end of 2000 McDonalds employed 49,726 members of staff: * 46, 207 restaurant crew * 2, 974 restaurant management crew * 545 office staff Health and Safety McDonalds always aims for the highest standards (and mostly exceeds), so they can achieve its aim and be the best quick service restaurant. If McDonalds didnt meet the requirements of the health and safety act 1974 than they would be closed down by the health and safety executives. The most common hazards which occur in a work place are: 1. Leaving the work place untidy and dirty 2. Leaving floors wet and stairs 3. Leaving wires to trial across passageways 4. Frayed carpet or loose tiles 5. Equipment just left all over work surfaces 6. Too many plugs inserted into only one electric socket The human resources department has to make sure that all health and safety regulations are met. If they are not met then it can be closed down, also if the restaurant is unclean then it could loose customers and wouldnt keep up their activity to be the best selling fast food restaurant. Customers wouldnt want to go to a dirty restaurant, where there are a lot of hazards going on such as; wet shop floor, bins over filled, dirty tables and a unclean kitchen area. If any of these hazards occurred in any McDonalds restaurants customers could become ill or hurt, which would result in McDonalds going to court or having to closed the McDonalds restaurant down. Management training includes coping with emergency situations that could arise in a restaurant. This is because it decreases the risk of people being injured or the buildings being damaged in the McDonald restaurants. When an accident has occurred the manager then has to write out what happened and then investigate on the matter. Training is the main priority to ensure the consistency of the restaurant operation, and the highest levels of customer service and care. Every McDonalds franchisee must successfully complete a training programme which takes on average nine months to complete. Trade Union The workers are represented by union of shop, distributed and allied worker. Job Roles In Human Resources Job Roles In the Human Resources function Carmel Flatley, Human Resources Director I am the human resources director of McDonalds and I have the overall decision of anything that happens in this department. I also have to make sure that the human resources department dont go over their budget. Paul Smith, Human Resources Manager I look after the whole HR department and staff, involved with industrial relations and trade unions negotiations, implementing the organisations HR policies. Gemma Wilson, Recruitment officer I deal with recruiting people, thats sending out application forms, making interviews for potential employees. Potential employees dont need to be experience in any way, because McDonalds is committed to training their staff and improving the skills of staff. Matthew Lawrence, Health and Safety Officer I deal with all health and safety matters, accident monitoring and staff welfare. That involves making sure that the shop floor is a hazard free zone for customers and clean and tidy, making sure the kitchen is clean enough to work in. I am well trained in first aid so that if any accidents happen, I will be their to help. I also have to deal with complaints and try to solve them. FINANCE The finance is one of the most important functions as they record all the money going in and out of the business, they give a budget for each other department to spend to make sure they keep their level of income and expenditure. They would regularly check the amount of money each department has spend and made to see if they are on target or not. If a department has gone over their budget then the finance dept would check to see if there is enough money to lend those more. So the purpose of the financial function therefore is to: * Keep all the financial records required by the organisation, detailing all the receipts and payments that have been made * Prepare final accounts from these records as required by law * Monitor the income and expenditure of different departments against their budgets * Provide continuous, up to date financial information for managers about business performance * Pay salaries and wages to the staff * Pay amounts owing to suppliers * Control the levels of debts owed to the company * Obtain additional finance when required, from the most appropriate source * Advise senior managers on the financial implications of major decisions These contribute to the McDonalds activity by being apart of providing a good customer service by, paying the employees their salaries/wages, if they werent paid they wouldnt be no staff or it could result in the staff withdrawing their labour. Production will cease and the employer will lose revenue. By McDonalds receiving more capital they can improve the quality of the store or products so customers would be more pleased of the in store environment or pleased of what they have purchase. It would result in consumers returning to the store because of the good service and also bringing more money to the business which will also achieve their aim which is to be the best selling fast food restaurant. Job Roles in Finance Department JOB ROLES George Mackay, Finance Director I am the finance director and I am in charge of the whole finance department. It involves information services, new product development, quality assurance and supply chain. I have to make sure a product which is purchased has the right quality that is expected from consumers, and then have to put a price to it. The most important part of the finance department is the cash flow which is the movement of cash going in and out a business. As a finance director I have to gives advice to senior managers on the overall decision on financial matters. And also as a director I have the last say with what happens within the finance department. Christopher Bateman, Financial Manager I looks after the finance function and the staff. Advising on financial resources. As a manager I have to make sure that all work as been done well. E.g. they have to monitor the income and expenditure of all departments to make sure they havent gone over their budget. So after the staff have checked their cash flow I then have to then go threw it to make sure nothing has been missed out. Derek, Daniels, Ledger Clerk I have to assist the chief accountant in the recording of all financial transactions. So where the money goes or comes in I have to make sure the chief accountant has recorded it all effectively. If any mistakes have been made I then have to correct the errors. Nita Negi, Credit Control Clerk As a credit control clerk, I have to assist the credit controller in checking the credit status of new customers and existing accounts, and also Reminding customers or overdue payment. PRODUCTION Production is all about the process of making something. Product life style shows the stages of a product or a range of products. If it isnt successful it goes to decline stage. The activities of the production department are listed below: * Obtaining the resources required to produce goods or provide a service * Organising the resources to produce the goods or provide the service in the most appropriate way For the activities to be achieve they must consider the aim of the business which is to be the best selling fast food restaurant, so they have to find the best quality of food that suits them and then order it but first having to keep on target and not going over their budget by ordering expensive items or ordering to much that it all cant be produced/sold. Another thing they must consider is if the resources can be organised to achieve the aims, doing this they have to think about selling it cheaper then their competitors or having an offer like buy on get on free. They do this so it sells more because people wouldnt to spend more they would go to the most cheapest place or giving the product an offer can be appealing to the customers. The production department contributes to McDonalds activity by finding the right products at the right prices. When good quality products are sold at low prices it pleases customers and make them want to return, it also brings in more people as when a customer is pleased with the type of service they have receive the consumer then tells several other people, which makes then want to try it out. Job roles in Production Job Roles in Production Steven Cornway, Production Manager Responsible for the entire production function and its operations. What ever goes on has to be checked and authorised by me. Kim Karenga, Production Planners Plan all production to maximise machine use and staffing, taking account of customer requirements. Chris Walker, Production Controllers To check all production is going to schedule. Ted Osborne, Designers I am responsible for the actual design of the finished product. So if I dont like the way a product has been designed I can make remendments. MARKETING The object of marketing is to make sure that the right product is made and potential customers are persuaded to buy it. Market Research can be carried out through either primary or secondary research. Primary research means asking someone on their views or opinions. A way of asking potential customers of their views or opinions is to make sure a survey, having questions about a certain item. After the survey has been completed they will then need to send out the surveys to potential customers, by either online, over the phone, by post or giving out surveys (in stores. Postal surveys dont have much of a response as the others do as it takes more time e.g. sending it back, so when postal surveys are concerned their will usually have to be some kind of incentive offered for completing the survey, so customers would be tempted to fill it out. Secondary research is known as desk research. It consists to looking up facts or figures in books, magazines, computer databases, company files. So secondary research is looking at information that already exists instead of creating your own. McDonalds keeps a large amount of information on their databases about their customers and their buying patterns, also companies buy information from government statistics. Product The amount of products the customer wants, the quality wanted, the features and the styling that are preferred, whether packaging is important, whether a guarantee or after sales service is required. Strategies Is a long term plan for future success or development. Place McDonalds are located on high streets or town centres. Marketing contributes to the McDonalds activity by market research (finding out what potential customers wants/needs), and improving existing products. Both of these improve the customer service, marketing contribute a lot to their activity to make McDonalds achieve their activity. All the functions work together to achieve it. The job roles of Marketing Job Roles in Marketing Matthew Howe, Marketing Director I am responsible for the overall marketing function and its aims and objectives. So if any ideas have been thought of they have to been checked with me before anyone goes ahead and makes a change. Ethan Farah, Sales Manager As a sales manager I am responsible for overseas agents and the achievement of sales targets overseas. David Frank, Market Researchers Market researchers have to find out consumer opinions on current and proposed goods and services, if this is not done than they could bring out a product which isnt doesnt sell a lot and a loose the money they put in to produce the products. Advertising Manager An advertising manager is in charge of advertising and liaising with agency staff over publicity campaigns. Advertising is one of the most important things in marketing as without advertising a product will not be known so their would sell as well as products being advertised. EQUAL OPPORTUNTIES (P3, M2, D2) In a work placement an employee has rights and responsibilities. Below are the rights and responsibilities of an employee. Rights as an employee Employees rights How to carry it out Having safe working conditions Making sure that the area your working is a hazard free zone, if not consult your manager or the human resources area. It is also your job to take care with anything you do to prevent any hazards happening. Getting paid the fair salary/wage Depending on your age, experience and contract, employees get paid differently. You have to make sure that your getting a fair paid if not consult your manager. You should first read your contract because you might have signed for getting paid the amount youre getting. Provided information concerning your rights Before starting your job you will be provided with information about the rights an employee has. (mainly in your contract) If youre not provided with this information you are able to ask for it. Not to be discriminated on grounds of race, sex or disability If you feel that your getting treated unfairly according to your race, sex or disability your able to take up action like consulting your trade union. To be consulted over matters which will significantly affect your terms and conditions of employment If you employer decides to change something, which affects the terms and conditions on you employment and does not consult you first, you can take action upon this. Responsibilities for an employee Employees responsibilities How to carry it out To be ready and willing to work Its always good to be full with enthusiasm in your work because it looks good for the company and make you happier in your work To give a personal service Your contract will contain you main job roles, but its always good to provide your own service like putting your ideas into your work, smiling and just any other little thing. To treat others how you would like to be treated If youre rude and dishonest than fellow staff would treat you the same. Its important to work as a team and communicating well with other people, this can only be done if you treat people well. To work towards the objectives of the business Working towards the objectives of a business could look good on you and on the business, if the employer see s you are working hard than it could result in the employee being promoted. To work in good faith Working in good faith consists of being honest, if youre honest it again can see that youre trustworthy and could get promoted. But yet if your seen lying than you could loose your job. COMUNNICATION (P4, M3, D1, D2) Most organisations have different ways of communicating, communicating is one of the most important things in a business, because without communicating you cannot run a business effectively. They are all types of communicating, below is a list of ways of communicating within a business. * Meetings * Group discussions * Tele phone * Memos * Emails * Draft letters * Reports * Faxes There are two main methods of communication which are oral and written communication. Oral communication could be either face to face or the over the phone. If you cant get threw to the person you are calling then you can leave a message which is still oral communication. Written communication could be sent by mail or transmitted electronically. This can include letters which is the most common one, text messages on mobile phones or notices on notice boards. Below are the advantages and disadvantages about oral and written communication. Oral Written Advantages 1. Its a fast way of communicating because you dont have to write things down. 2. Its cheap, as if you phone someone you would have to pay for the phone call. 3. Immediate feedback, you dont have to wait ages for someone to reply back to you as you would in a letter. 1. Writing a message can be retained for future reference. 2. Writing a message can also be copied for other peoples uses. 3. Creates a distance between sender and recipient useful for difficult communication, e.g. bad news. Disadvantages 1. Clear Speech, you must speak very clearly so that other people can understand you, but yet when you write a letter people can just read it in their own pace. 2. Long or complex messages can be forgotten. 3. You can be easily distracted while someone talks to you, and then you could forget the whole message they just told you. 1. When writing a letter it can take time to write, while if your talking to someone its faster.] 2. Keyed in documents need to be skilled and produced quickly and accurately. 3. Delivery can take time, or could be delayed. McDonalds functional areas communicate with each other by a system called Intranet which was launched in 2000. The McDonalds intranet provides a fast and up to the minute source of information for the McDonalds restaurant management and office staff. McDonalds external communication is dont by a system called McNews which was launched in 2000. McNews is a award wining magazine which was published monthly for all restaurant staff, then in 2002 McNews was re launched as MDUK and is now a lively focused magazine. MDUK has activities and events from restaurants around the country. MDUK is a showcase for best practice, recognising individuals outstanding practices and achievements, as well as highlighting internal and external awards. Apart from the Intranet and MDUK, McDonalds also has other ways of communicating within the business, they are listed below. 1. An email system operates in all offices and company owned restaurants 2. Regular staff communication sessions are held in the offices 3. Employee satisfaction surveys for both office and restaurant staff are held annually. 4. Meetings are held monthly. 5. Memos send daily An email system is to contact anyone within the business or outside the business, the email system is a fast and easier way to contact people. The email system is used by most companies and general people all over the world. Staff communication sessions are held to improve of employees communication skills. This is important because communicating with customers is one of the main things to do. Employee satisfaction surveys are handed out every year, so employees can write how they feel working in the McDonalds restaurants. This is a good thing to do because its important to keep the staff happy as it motivates the staff to work harder. Meetings are held every month to discuss the McDonalds performance. They also talk about how much they are making and see what can be improved with the money. McDonalds talks about new ideas and try to change or promote things that is not doing so well. This is a good way of communicating as you get to talk face to face to see the expressions on each other faces and its faster as you dont have to way for a reply if you do if you was writing an email. Memos are used daily in all of the departments. Sales manager might send a memo to human resources manager and ask if he has found a sales person. Memos are used daily because they are important little messages, and its also a fast way of sending.

The Expansion Of London Heathrow Airport

The Expansion Of London Heathrow Airport Introduction The Labour Party and many business leaders have been arguing for expanding airport capacity in the South East and the quickest option is to expand Heathrow by adding a third runway. They are arguing the expansion would maintain Heathrows competitiveness, create quality jobs, boost businesses and help the UKs shaky economy. However, the green groups and local residents are concerned and arguing that expanding Heathrow airport is unnecessary and would increase noise and air pollution significantly. The conservative and Liberal Democrats were arguing against expansion. In 2010 the Conservative Party formed the Government with Liberals and according to their manifesto pledge the plan was cancelled. The Conservative leadership now believes the expansion is necessary and good for UKs economy, but there are concerns and opposition within the party against expansion (Pettinger, 2012). [4] Due to opposition to expansion in the Conservative Party and its manifesto pledge in 2010 general electi on, the Prime Minister has postponed Heathrow expansion decision until 2015 (Out-Law.com, 2012). [6] Background In 2003 the Department for Transport published its White Paper The Future of Air Transport in the United Kingdom. The White Paper stated for an urgent need of additional runway capacity and plans to be completed within 12 years in order to deal with future air travel demand. Socio-economic consequences of building additional airport capacity and the question of potential benefits and the need for Heathrow expansion caused concern for Greater London Authority. Greater London Authority undertook a brief review regarding White paper arrangements, especially the potential benefits of Heathrow airport expansion (GLA, 2006, p. ii). [1] Issues Expanding Heathrow will cause destruction of a community to make way for a third runway. If the plan goes ahead the entire village of Sipson could disappear of the map, according to the consultation document no more than seven hundred houses would need to be demolished in order to make way for the third runway. Campaigners say around four thousand households could lose their house and forcing ten thousand people to find new places to live (Beattie, 2007). [2] Environmental campaigners are concerned that the additional flights will increase CO2 emissions thus it would contribute to the global warming. They argue that the CO2 emissions will outweigh the economic benefits of the expansion, so the expansion could seriously weaken the UKs role to play its part in tacking climate change (Greenpeace, 2013). [3] (Millward, 2012) [13] Aims and Objectives Due to Heathrow Airports congestion issues (operating at 99% capacity) and the rise of international competitors like Paris, Frankfurt and China, the third runway is considered a solution to the capacity issues and also boosts UKs economy by making direct connections to countries around the world like Chile, Philippines and Peru (Valentine, 2012). [5] At the moment Heathrow Airport faces a considerable number of flight delays which is considered one of the worst in Europe due to operating at almost full capacity, which means that delayed flights affect other flights, and that means that there is no space to avoid that unless a new runway is made. Economically, the owners of Heathrow Airport claim that the lack of capacity is costing the economy 14 billion pounds every year (Sky News, 2012). [14] Stakeholders At the moment there are great numbers of entities that are interested in building the third runway and there are also entities that are concerned about it. These entities are the stakeholders of this project and primarily they are the following: BAA Government Airlines Environmental Associations Passengers Local Community Local Government Airport suppliers Organizations in the Region Parking Operators Since there is much at stake with the expansion project, these stakeholders are divided in way that some are very interested in the project like the BAA and the Airlines that are aiming to make money with this and against this project we have got stakeholders like the Environmental Associations and the Local Community because they claim that the runway will cause environmental issues and also there are people that will lose their place to live (Schaar et al., 2013 p. 109). [16] Decision Makers This is a large infrastructure project and it is difficult for a Government to decide and deliver. Any Government after 2015 general election first and for most will need to bring all the parties together and make a decision about airport capacity and to look at the issue carefully and bring about the changes, which will address Heathrows capacity problem that will have in future and UKs hub status. Now the decision making process lies with an independent inquiry into the UKs airport capacity and it will be carried out by a commission, chaired by former head of the Financial Services Authority Sir Howard Davies. The commission will look at all the evidence and publish an interim report this year that will include recommendations to the Government. The final report and the decision on action are expected after the next general election (Out-Law.com, 2012). [7] Case Justification Expansion of Heathrow Airport has become an important issue that both government and local people have an idea and overview about it. Labour Government thinks that third runway will cause a growth in UKs economy. If the capacity of the Heathrow airport stays the same, it will cause a decrease in tourism and competitiveness. Also building a new airport (Thames Estuary) will take long time which means there will be a lot of time wasted. Most of the local people dont want this expansion as they dont want to move away from their houses. Local people are also concerned from noise and pollution. Also Environmental campaigners think that third runway will increase co2 emissions and they say that this is plan will cause global warming. In this case study we will have a look at these advantages and issues, so we can evaluate this plan in detail. By Researching the opinions and we can come to a point that if this expansion needed or not. Expansion of Heathrow is currently a potential problem for the local people so they have already started to protest the plan by putting up posters on to the local shops indicating that they dont want this expansion. This plan is a major topic that being discussed in the area at the moment. So we thought that this case would be an ideal case to study in order to find out the benefits and problems of the expansion of Heathrow Airport. Since this case is quite complex and there are different aspects that may influence the final decision, the most predominant sides of the spectrum are the economical and ethical sides. The key driver of this project is without a doubt economical and we chose to provide economic information to the decision makers (Moore, 2012). [12] Critical Decision Making Information How much Heathrow is losing by not implementing the project? Lack of capacity at Heathrow airport costs the UK economy billions a year in lost trade, published in report commissioned by British Chamber of Commerce. British Chamber of Commerce calls for urgent and clear aviation strategy, which implement measures to keep Heathrow as a global hub. Also reading this information we have established lack of enough capacity at Heathrow would deter business leaders in other emerging economies like Brazil, India and China to do business with countries that have better air connection with their countries rather than the UK (British Chamber of Commerce, 2012). [9] Research shows that business leaders in emerging economies as mentioned above see direct air link as important to maintain the UKs prospect in global market. This information could be accessed in British Chamber of Commerce and readily available by surfing the internet for free and the information could easily be accessed in other forms such as interviews and surveys, which were carried out by World Travel Market (WTM) (Woodman, 2012). [10] There are lots of good and up to date information is available as well as some opposing information, which explains it sufficiently accurate in details that would be beneficial to the decision makers. The information we have been looking at comes from respected organization such as British Chamber of Commerce and has been published in many news sites such as BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and other news group, so the reliability of information comes from these organization could be trusted to support decision making. As we have carefully examined all the information we have been reading and also checked the provider of source of information, so we have identified some propaganda in opposing the economic side of expansion that could be dismissed and disregarded as propaganda. We will store this information as data in a secure database and will be displayed as a table in the system to be accessed by all decision makers (Osborn, 2009). [8] How much Heathrow will earn by making the project? There are currently two runways and five terminals operating at the Heathrow Airport. More than 69 million passengers a year visit Heathrow airport. This number will increase around to 82 million passengers a year. Heathrow airport is operating at 99% capacity, which means any unforeseen situation would cause lots of disruptions. As the capacity is stretch to its limit British Astronomical Association (BAA) cant sign new contracts with airlines for more flights. By building the third runway, BAA would sign new contracts with airlines for more flights so BAA will earn more money from landing fees and staying fees (Osborn, 2009). [17] According to British Chambers of Commerce expansion of Heathrow airport will produce  £30bn of economic benefits. The research shows that in order to stay in the completion with global competitors like France and Germany Heathrow Airport should be expanded. This report was published in the media and in many websites like BBC. This shows that we can trust the information on this report, which British Chambers of Commerce published. This information could be accessed in the report that British Chamber of Commerce produced about Heathrow Airport. This is a study funded by Future Heathrow (a lobby group for the third runway). This information is available on internet and can be accessed by any internet user (British Chamber of Commerce, 2012). [18] By expanding Heathrow airport, capacity will increase, more passengers will travel and this will put Heathrow airport ahead from their continental competitors. Increasing flights means more tourists, more landing and more staying fees. More shops will be opened after the expansion of Heathrow airport, which will be located in the new terminal (Terminal 6). This means BAA will earn more money from the rents of the shops. How much will it cost? How Heathrow may have an edge over its competitors? Knowing how the competitors may affect this project is an important factor to consider when making the decision on actually going through with the project or not. The reason for this is that the growth of competitors will definitely hinder the purpose of Heathrow as a hub airport and therefore have a negative impact in the UKs economy. However there may be key aspects of Heathrow Airport that can make it more desirable than its competitors and we can find that out. This information can be found in the International Air Connectivity for Business briefing which includes information on how connected the UK airports to the worlds main business destinations. This briefing is available in the internet and can be accessed by anyone. This briefing includes quality information since it takes data from Heathrows main competitors (Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt) and compares the connectivity between them with the rest of the world. The data was obtained during the busiest month of the year in the airports and we can assume that the data provided is quite accurate although it is a bit outdated (2011). Moreover, the briefing is reliable since it was produced by AirportWatch and WWF. In our system, this information can be used to estimate the potential of building the third runway by storing the information in a spread sheet and making a graph containing the possible new connections and contrast those connections with its main competitors. The purpose of doing this is to determine if Heathrow can actually compete with the other airports and to support the decision maker by stating if going through with this project will be worthwhile or not (LeftFutures, 2013). [15] Simulation Modelling We are suggesting Stella model, a decision support tool that would help the decision makers to decide in a complex situation as expansion of Heathrow. By using Stella modelling, a model could be created to visualize by linking components together that represents the related mathematical expressions. Stella provides a practical way to stimulate and dynamically visualize how a complex idea works (iseesystems, 2013). [11] Potential Monetary Loss The time that the third runway planned to be built, will affect the success of this project. Decision makers will have to be sure that its the right time to implement this project. Before implementing the third runway, decision makers have to calculate how much money they are going to lose every year that this project is delayed. Potential money loss due to a delay would be reasons like; lack of capacity for new flights or during the time that this project is delayed, other competitors may make new deals with the airlines, so that this can cause a loss in future flights. A model is needed to show the stats to decision makers and by having a clear knowledge about the potential monetary loss every year, the decision makers can make better decisions. This model will be a graph that will calculate the potential money loss for every year that the third runway will not be implemented. The variable of this model will be the time spent to decide to do this project and the time of the construction process. Capacity over demand The current capacity and the current demand for additional capacity will no doubt affect the mind-set of most decision makers that are involved in the third runway e.g. the more demand there is the more capability there is so handle varying flows of customers. Having said that it is of the utmost importance to fully understand the information that is being handled and the implication of any decision that are given the go ahead. One applicable way to allow for the full comprehension of any information is to model it. There are varying methods of data modelling that are applicable to this situation. With data modelling the user is able to alter variables and can see the effect that these altered variables will have to a given situation. One way in which the variable can be displayed is in a graph, the user will be able to alter the demand to show the effects of increased demand on the airport, also the user will then be able to view the required capacity to allow the airport to run efficiently. Long Term Effect of Heathrows Competitors Predicting how the competitors will grow in the future, it is possible to estimate how much they can influence the success of the third runway. The reason for this is that they will take away potential business opportunities and therefore impact negatively the success of the project. To measure this we decided to build a model to allow the decision makers to see how the competitors may affect this project and it will allow them to calculate how risky this project may be. This model will be a graph that will allow comparison between Heathrow and its competitors. The variables of this model will include the growth in flight connections of each competitor and it will have a negative correlation with Heathrows flight connections. Therefore it will also show the amount of business opportunities the airport will lose. For example, if the decision maker decides to set Frankfurt airports growth high, it will show how much it will impact Heathrow airport.