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Insider Theft of Intellectual Property

CSIA 303 Foundations of Information System Security

Introduction

Advances in technology and social media networking have provided even the smallest of businesses with the opportunity to extend their business boarders and create a more diverse customer base. While a great asset for the company, this increased visibility is accompanied by increased risk and vulnerabilities as it pertains to preserving the company’s mission, purpose, and goals. In enabling the ability to conduct business online by collecting personal information through a network, accepting online payments, and implementing a password protected portal, small businesses open themselves to previously unknown risks and can suffer great loss at the hands of a malicious individual. Such a breach causes loss not only in the realms of finances and privacy, but also in the sense of the company’s reputation and reliability. This loss is even greater when it happens because of someone on the inside. Fortunately, systems exist that can aid in the protection of confidentiality, integrity, and availability while protecting against risk.

Security Threats and Vulnerabilities

According to Egan (2004), the most common security threats and attacks that occur within a network come in the form of a worm, Trojan, or virus. Each presenting with its own set of dangers, these three entities have the ability to infiltrate an entire system and shut down a business in a relatively short period of time if they go undetected. Having an information security system in place that not only identifies the risk but eliminates it is key. In addition, the following elements must be addressed in order to provide the highest quality of service to customers:

Confidentiality – When collecting sensitive data, whether it be from customers or employees, it is the responsibility of the company to protect that information from being placed into the hands of a malicious individual. It is it the company’s responsibility to protect the consumer’s/employee’s privacy.

Integrity – Refers to maintaining the consistency, accuracy and trustworthiness of data over time (Fitzgerald, 2012). It is imperative that data be protected by an authorization code/password given only to a select few individuals.

Availability – Ensuring that the company’s network is running at all times, providing customers and employees with efficient service while protecting against malware.

Non-repudiation – An unique and personalized data signature that denies an individual the capability of saying that they did not perform a specific action (McCullagh & Caelli, 2000).

Authentication – Service that provides proof that a particular individual performed a specific action

Authorization – Determines who has access to what according to role, title, job responsibilities, etc.

Risk – The function of the likelihood that a threat will occur (Elky, 2006).

A well thought out and effectively implemented information security program can assist in addressing the key elements listed above while also protecting against malware.

Recommended Technologies

Insider theft of intellectual property is a loss many companies may experience at one point or another. One of the major reasons that this theft occurs is the lack of policy surrounding appropriate interactions on the company networks as well as poorly defined consequences that will result from engaging in particular actions (Fitzgerald, 2012). There are two very effective ways to combat this:

Issue-specific policies: The greatest way that companies can safeguard their assets against insider theft is to create issue-specific policies that address the ways in which employees communicate as well as access authorizations, sharing restrictions, and external storage devices that are allowed on the system.

Automated risk assessments: Another way in which companies can safeguard against insider theft is through software that identifies, assesses, monitors, and eliminates system attacks and threats. This type of software is available to small businesses at an affordable rate and provides vast protection.

In addition to the above, the NISTIR 7621 (NIST, 2009) suggests installing commercial spyware and virus scans onto network computers and having them run automatically on a consistent basis both to assess risk and search for updates. Additionally, employee home systems and laptops should be secured with firewalls in order to ensure security of information outside of the office.

Impact

By implementing issue specific policies and automated risk assessments, small business safeguard their ideas, customer base, and future inventions. Billions of dollars are lost and company information is compromised annually as a result of insider theft (Cappelli, Moore, & Trzeciak, 2012). By planning ahead and anticipating the risks involved with conducting business through technology, small business can save themselves from great loss and potential extinction.

References

Cappelli, D.M., Moore, A.P., & Trzeciak, R.F. (2012). The CERT guide to insider threats: Insider theft of intellectual property. Pearson Education, Inc.: Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Egan, M. (2004). Executive guide to information security: Threats, challenges, and solutions. Pearson Education, Inc. : Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Elky, S. (2006). An introduction to information system risk management. Retrieved from: https://learn.umuc.edu/d2l/le/content/27177/viewContent/1532342/View

Fitzgerald, Todd. (2012). Information security governance simplified: from the boardroom to the keyboard. [Books24x7 version] Available from http://common.books24x7.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/toc.aspx?bookid=47187.

McCullagh, A., Caelli, W. (2000). Non-repudiation in the digital environment. Risky Monday. 5(8). Retrieved from: http://pear.accc.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/778/687National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2009). Small business information security: The fundamentals (NISTIR 7621). Gaithersburg, MD: Department of Commerce.

Instances in which congressional statutes have applied in overseas situations

Congress is the legislative branch of the United States government consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It is responsible for making laws and balancing out the power of the executive and judicial arms of the government. The powers held by the congress include laying and collection of taxes, regulating commerce, borrowing loans, and declaring war. Under the U.S constitution, the congress is authorized to legislate only in the areas that are delegated to it. However, some congressional statutes do have extraterritorial application. Under the clause 17 Article 1 Section 8 of the constitution the congress has the power to exercise exclusive legislations in all cases whatsoever over the federal district and other territory relinquished to the federal government by the states. What is more, under the Article 4 of the United States constitution, the congress has the power to enact laws respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States(Amadeo, 2018). This paper will focus on the instances in which the congressional statutes have applied to overseas situations and how they have impacted on the United States foreign policy.

The 2012 Budget

The first instance is the 2012 budget that was passed in the late 2011 where the congress passed a cut into Obama’s foreign aid spending request by more than $8 billion. The 2011 budget cut off half a billion dollars from foreign aid spending. The foreign aid funds are especially targeted for cuts because the programs do not have a domestic constituency to cover them and the government could use the extra funds on fixing the problems back at home. The funding for Pakistan was withheld after the raid that led to the killing of Osama Bin Laden which caused a rift with Pakistan whereby Pakistan reacted by cutting off U.S. supply routes to Afghanistan. Since this occurrence, the congress has clearly increased lapses on the funding by the United States government into Pakistan (Jonhson, 2013)Almost similar to the Pakistan instance is the monetary aid to Egypt. Kay Granger in September 2012 prevented an impending USAID transfer of $450 million in emergency aid to Egypt. The decision was arrived on based on the religious activities in response to the rising influence of Muslim Brotherhood members in the politics of Egypt. Some U.S. lawmakers meant to make the aid conditional upon meeting certain standards thus the aid was held up in the congress.

The 1919 and 1920 Treaty of Versailles

The other instance is the 1919 and 1920 treaty of Versailles whereby the senate refused to approve the treaty as negotiated by Woodrow Wilson. The refusal was based on the concerns that the treaty would bind the united states to any decisions made by the League of Nations and could limit the congress from declaring war. In the United States government set up, treaties are negotiated by the executive arm of government but must be approved by two-thirds senate majority before its ratification. Therefore the senate can disapprove treaties, refuse to amend them or even attach reservations. The senate may also delay treaties just to coerce the white house into negotiating new terms or changes on the current treaties. In the case of Versailles, the treaty was disapproved by the senate.

The Law of the Sea Convention

Apart from the treaty of Versailles, during the Obama administration the Law of the Sea Convention, which codifies sovereign rights over marine resources and seeks to protect the oceans of the world, was disapproved by the senate in spite of the support from the military branches, major ocean corporations, and environmental groups.

The Jackson-Vanick Amendment

Another instance is the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which is attached to the Trade Act of 1974. The amendment was precise that the Soviet Union must discontinue the practice of forcing Jews to pay exit to emigrate if it desired favorable trading relations with the United States. The congress in December 2012 voted to revoke Jackson-Vanik and instead granted normal trade relations to Russia. However, certain restrictions were attached to grant, that is, restriction of the travel of Russian officials guilty of connection to the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer, and other human rights violations. This legislation was signed into law the same year by president Barrack Obama (Posner, 2014)The other instance is the World War II where the congress declared war. The congress authorized war in a number of other cases such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Vietnam wars, and the 1991 Gulf war. In 1973, the congress passed the War Powers Resolution which overrides the veto by President Richard Nixon (War Powers, 2017) It is therefore stipulated in the law that the president must; consult with the congress before expending the U.S. troops into wars, account commitment of U.S. forces within twenty-four hours, and end military action within sixty days if the congress does not declare war or authorize participation in the wars.

These actions by the congress though deemed to protect the United States in many instance is expected to create tension between the Whitehouse and the senate because of the foreign issues stimulated. The congress has been recorded to mess up the foreign policy for instance in the Pakistan affair whereby upon disapproval of foreign aid Pakistan closed the entry routes for the United States supplies to Afghanistan. Following the foreign policy disruption the U.S. stalled cyber security legislation in 2012 which has raised concerns on the inability of the congress to restore competing committee jurisdictions on important policies attached to national security (Trevor Corning, Reema Dodin, Kyle Nevins, 2017)To sum up, there is need for the Whitehouse and the congressmen to work on restoration of a good relationship on national security which is aimed at containing national unity in crises such as terror attacks.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY Amadeo, K. (2018, August 17). The Balance. Retrieved from The U.S. Congress and Its Powerful Impact on the Economy: https://www.thebalance.com

Jonhson, T. (2013). Congress and U.S. Foreign Policy. Council on Foreign Relations .

Posner, E. (2014). The case against human rights. The Guardian .

Trevor Corning, Reema Dodin, Kyle Nevins. (2017). Inside Congress: A guide for navigating the politics of the House and Senate floors. Washington D.C. : Brookings Institute Press.

War Powers. (2017, November 27). Retrieved from TheLlibrary of Congress: https://www.loc.gov

Impact of Technology on Families

University information

Impact of Technology on Families

Adoption of new technology has had a number of effects on families. Technology through social media, television, videogames and smartphones can develop families and can also break them. Benefits accrued with technology include using mobile apps to monitor and manage their budgets and also work on their family schedules, they also use mobile banking, online shopping and even settling of their bills like water, electricity and medical bills (Bailey et al. 2020). Families stay connected despite busy schedules and geographical distance with only a text or a call. Pictures and other important things can be shared over to the extended families at large thus keeping the family bonded.

Some parents whose kids are not open use social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram to get an insight onto the interest of their children such as people, activities and even places. They can also figure out what issues might be affecting their children (Anderson and Jiang 2018). Social media sites will allow interactions with people from many different races, cultures and backgrounds across the globe. The disabled can also use technology in engaging with their families especially those with vision, speech mobility and hearing difficulties.

Videogames increase an individual’s coordination between the eyes and the hands. Second languages are also taught through the enhancement of reading and phonics skills availed by given apps. Life-long reading cultures are also instilled in children through e-books and online libraries. Some apps and video games enable children to learn shapes, numbers and better their skills in advanced mathematics, children can also improve other skills like problem-solving, focusing, strategizing and critical thinking which are significant in their academic progress. Persistence, incitement and competitiveness are also developed in a child when playing videogames. Watching a movie or playing a game on television also facilitates bonding between the parents and the kids.

Besides the good it offers, technology has led to families spending more time in their houses; children prefer watching television than going out to play leading to obesity and other diseases (Swindle et al.2018). Children also perform poorly in schools due to spending more time on video games which reduces their abilities to focus on reading (Scheerder et al. 2019). Furthermore, both parents and children who spend a lot of time on their phones bring a feeling of jealousy on the opposite party, this feeling is about feeling important and attended to by either party. Children would prefer watching television than going out with their parents. The interaction with people is also affected, children cannot relate with people face to face. Technology has blurred boundaries across our lives, school, work and family times are all affected by interruptions.(McDaniel and Coyne, 2016).

With the above information in mind, it is therefore advisable that both parents and children balance their time and activities on social media, parents to limit the time children spend on television, help with their school work. Family time should also be allowed to have no disruptions. Children to go out with their parents, play with their peers so that in the end, we have an all-round generation.

References

Anderson, M., & Jiang, J. (2018). Teens, social media & technology 2018. Pew Research Center, 31, 2018.Bailey, A. A., Pentina, I., Mishra, A. S., & Ben Mimoun, M. S. (2020). Exploring factors influencing US millennial consumers’ use of tap-and-go payment technology. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 30(2), 143-163.

McDaniel, B. T., & Coyne, S. M. (2016). Technology interference in the parenting of young children: Implications for mothers’ perceptions of coparenting. The Social Science Journal, 53(4), 435-443.

Scheerder, A. J., van Deursen, A. J., & van Dijk, J. A. (2019). Negative outcomes of Internet use: A qualitative analysis in the homes of families with different educational backgrounds. The Information Society, 35(5), 286-298.

Swindle, T. M., Ward, W. L., & Whiteside-Mansell, L. (2018). Facebook: the use of social media to engage parents in a preschool obesity prevention curriculum. Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 50(1), 4-10.

The constitution is one of the highest symbols of unity

The Constitution

The constitution is one of the highest symbols of unity that acts to protect the citizens of a country. The constitution was set up to make the new government strong enough such that it could be able to promote commerce and as well protect the properties of the United States citizens. The constitution also is responsible for the prevention of the threats that gets imposed by the excessive democracy, thereby regulating the abuse of democracy and its meaning. In encouraging the popular consent of the constitution, the House of Representatives is designed such that it is directly responsible to the people while the Senate against the potential for the excessive in the house.

The United States Constitution provides a direct popular election of the representatives besides the protection of its citizens’ rights and liberties. The constitution grants the Congress important and influential powers while any power not enumerated in the texts is reserved for the States. The Constitution was designed to institute a presidency with energy capable of making timely and decisive actions in regards to the public interests. The framers of the constitution established the Supreme Court that would be responsible for the nationalizing the governmental powers as well as checking the radical democratic impulses while at the same time guiding against the potential interference with the liberty and the property of the new national government itself.

The framers’ concerns are addressed by the various provisions of the constitution of national unity and power including the clause for the promotion of reciprocity among the state. The amendment of the constitution is not an easy process as the procedures for the amendment found in Article V are so difficult and difficult. Among the first ten amendments to the constitution included the adoption of the bill of rights in the year 1791. The principle of separation of powers in the constitution guards against possible misuse of power basing it on Montesquieu’s theory that power must be used to balance power. The balancing of power is overseen through devising a system of two sovereigns to which include the states and the central government.

The rights of criminally accused

Just like every other individual is entitled to the rights and freedoms in the constitution, the same applies to the criminally accused individuals. The fourth, fifth, sixth as well as the eighth amendments are the essence of the due process of the law stipulating the rights of every citizen against arbitrary actions by the national as well as the states governments. The core purpose of the due process is the leveling of the playing field between the accused person and the all-powerful state and thereby defining the limits of the government’s action against the personal liberty of every citizen. According to the American traditions, it is far worse to convict an innocent person than setting a guilty person free, to which the judicial systems hold the values.

The fourth Amendment

The fourth amendment of the constitution protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, to which controversies have been raised against the issue regarding the drug-related searches, the DNA evidence as well as the government surveillance. The Fifth Amendment requires the grand of the jury for the majority of for the majority of the crimes, protecting against double jeopardy and provides for the section stipulating that one cannot testify by force against oneself. The other fundamental clause of the fifth regards the takings clause to which extends to each citizen protection against the taking of private property without just compensation. The purpose of the clause is to assert limits on the powers of the eminent domain through procedures that require the showing of a public purpose and the provision of the payments that are fair in the event of seizure of a person’s property. The sixth amendment requires a speedy trial to the accused as well as the right to witnesses and counsel. The eighth amendment prohibits on the cruel and the unusual punishment, with the possession of a significant challenge in the interpretation in that what is considered cruel and unusual varies from culture to culture as well as from generation to another.

The media, government and public opinion

There are important forces that contribute to the shaping of the opinions in the marketplace of ideas, and they include the government, the news media as well as the private groups. The effect on the public opinion can be limited despite the efforts of all the governments to try to influence, manipulate or even manage the citizens’ beliefs. Majority of the ideas that happen to become more prominent in the political life are mostly developed and even spread by the economic and the political groups to which search for issues responsible for the advancing their cause. The media is regarded as the opinion maker through their potential impact of interpretation of the events. The relationship between the public opinion and the government policy his dynamic as the policy responds to the opinion and the opinions tend to shift based on the new government policies. More affluent and educated citizens may have a disproportionate influence over politics and the public policies decision due to their tendency to vote at higher rates and therefore are more likely to contribute money to the political campaigns.

In measuring the public opinion, the politicians and the public officials make extensive use of the public opinion polls which aids them in making decisions. For a political survey to be an accurate representation of the people, appropriate sampling method, sufficient sample size and the avoidance of the selection bias should be emphasized. Big data and the social media offer new ways of measuring public opinions on a mass scale. The pollsters are capable of inferring the opinions based on the online trend, and both parties maintain massive databases that track the activities from voting behavior to consumer preferences.

The Role of American Cancer Society in Advocacy

One of the services offered by the American Cancer Society

The Role of American Cancer Society in Advocacy

One of the services offered by the American Cancer Society through its Relay for Life initiative is cancer advocacy. Among the targeted people include the cancer patients and those people who wish to get screened for cancer. Advocacy entails guiding the patients through all stages of the disease that include screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up on a medical condition to which on this case refers to cancer. People reaching the events are significantly sensitized to make sure that they are aware of their status through screening if they have not done it previously.

Apart from screening, the patients to whom have previously been diagnosed with cancer are treated in consideration of the different stages of cancer development. Follow up activities are also conducted to ensure that the patients’ health is prioritized through regular checking off the health conditions of the patients. Support groups are also instituted during these events to make sure that the people around have at least made an impact on the patients through showing them love and companion. The presence of these support groups makes the cancer patients attain and improve their self-confidence and self-worth. Also, the presence of the support groups and the regular follow-ups makes the patients feel as being part of the population and this minimizes the impact of the condition as they are not stressed.

The organization of these events reduces the stigma as the participants of the events are made aware of the dangers of stigmatization, and therefore they will learn to accept the cancer patients as part of the community. During these events, advocacy is also ensured in the nutrition sector whereby the participants and the patients are also advised of the kind of diets to rely on and to which they should avoid. Proper dieting reduces the risk of cancer, and therefore the role of advocacy is to create awareness regarding the epidemiology of cancer as well as the risk factors involved. By the end of each event, every participant benefits according to their status, whether health or a cancer patient.

American Cancer Society Relay for Life initiative

One of the services offered by the American Cancer Society

The basic principles and conventions that must be adhered to while preparing financial statements

This report includes some of the basic principles and conventions that must be adhered to while preparing the financial state

Financial Accounting

Table of Contents_______________________________________________________Page

1. Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………….2

2.1 Accrual Accounting……………………………………………………………………2

2.2 Going Concern…………………………………………………………………………3

3. Key Accounting Concepts and Conventions…………………………………………..4

4. Marks & Spencer’s treatment of PPE, Intangible assets and provisions……………5

5. Impact of Impairment on Marks & Spencer’s Finance Performance………………6

6. References………………………………………………………………………………..7

1. Executive Summary

This report includes some of the basic principles and conventions that must be adhered to while preparing the financial statements. It includes analysis and evaluation of some of the accounting practices and conventions. This report also analyses and evaluates some of the accounting practices in Marks & Spencer Plc.

2.1 Accrual Accounting

Accrual concept includes recognition of revenue when earned while expenses are only acknowledged when they are suffered or incurred. This accounting concept needs creation of an extra account that records the variance obtained from the difference between revenue and expenses recognized as well as reception or payments of cash. Accounts receivable is normally used in recording accrued incomes while deferred revenue account is used to record revenue not earned (Banerjee 2005, p. 4-5).

On the other hand, accrued expense account is used in recording expenses before payment of cash while deferred expense account is used in recording expenses after paying cash. This type of accounting concept is very expensive and that it is possible for the account to owe taxes on their income even before the cash is received. In marks & Spencer income is recognized when the products are sent to the customers and important risks and title incentives are shifted to the client. The deferred tax is accounted for after calculating it based on anticipated way of realization. The company also has trade receivables account and trade payables (Banerjee 2005, p. 4-5).

2.2 Going Concern

Going concern is regarded as one of the most important assumptions in accounting used in preparation of final accounts with an assumption that the business will continue to operate in the next foreseeable future. The company is expected to successfully settle their liabilities after realizing their assets. It is always upon the management of the company to check on the ability of the organization to continue doing business in the coming future. The accounts of Marks & Spencer are prepared in the basis of going concern and the directors are convinced that the company will be able to operate in the next future. The directors are very much concerned that there are no uncertainties that may interfere with the company’s operations in their future (Gibson 2012, p.11-12).

The company managed to make a profit of $458 as at March 2013 and positive cash and cash equivalents. The company’s current assets also exceed the current liabilities thus showing an element of going concern. The company is also in a position of paying out her dividends and financing The company will not likely to fail in its operations in the near future considering her statement of financial position and the consolidated income statement (Marks & Spencer 2013, p. 1-3). There are a number of indications of a going concern business which are not reflected in the financial statement of Marks & Spencer. Some of the dangerous signs indicating challenges of going concern are poor liquidity positions, high financial risk and delay in payments as well as serious litigations affecting the company. Marks & Spencer do not also have any indication of defaulting by one of their chief customers that may eventually affect her operations (Gibson 2012, p.11-12).

3. Key Accounting Concepts and Conventions

There are universal ways of presenting accounting information to the relevant parties. These conventions are very useful in doing away with inconsistency that may be experienced while recording accounting data. Relevance is one of the conventions that insist on disclosing only the information that is relevant as far as achievement of the business objective is concerned. Relevancy deals mostly with items whose nature and amount are significant in a way that they can influence the decision making process of the financial statement’s users. The convention may also be referred to as the materiality concept and is very important as it may greatly affect the accounting record and the nature of business (Weil, Schipper & Francis 2013, p. 24-25).

This accounting concept is very vital as it is based on anticipation of loss but not profit. It provides that income must not be overstated while preparing the books of accounts although any loss anticipated must be accounted for. It is important to include some anticipated losses such as discount on debtors, depreciation and creation for doubtful debt. The other convention is full disclosure concept which posits that all important substantial and pertinent facts regarding financial statements must be entirely revealed. Accounting information must be thorough, logical and appropriate. Financial statement should include detailed presentation of accounting information such as investors, accounts receivables, accounts payables and shareholders (Needles, Powers & Crosson 2011, p. 185-190).

Furthermore, there is objectivity concept that states accounting data ought to be measured and articulated by the principles that are globally suitable. Feasibility concept states that the period, labor and cost of investigating accounting data ought to be compared to the profit coming out of it. In addition, consistency convention is another form of accounting concept which implies that accounting standards should be applied while preparing financial statements yearly. This is very important when it comes to comparability of different accounting periods. Similar accounting processes and practices should always be applied constantly in every financial year to facilitate comparability process (Weil, Schipper & Francis 2013, p. 24-25).

4. Marks & Spencer’s treatment of PPE, Intangible assets and provisions

Property, plant and equipment in Marks & Spencer’s costs are recorded at a cost excluding depreciation as well as exclusion of impairment in accordance with conservatism theory. This concept is very important since it avoids overstatement of profit and also recognizes anticipated loss as required. The company does not revalue her property while doing their accounts although assets available as a result of construction are recorded at cost minus impairment cost. Marks & Spencer has a policy of depreciating her noncurrent assets after subtracting residual values Marks & Spencer 2013, p. 2-6). The organization do not depreciate her freehold land but the freehold and leasehold buildings whose remaining lease term is more than 50 years are depreciated by taking residual value and dividing by anticipated economic life of the property (Greuning 2009, p. 92-100).

However, the leasehold building with period below 50 years are normally depreciated as per the outstanding time of lease. Equipment, furniture and fitting with between 3 and 25 years. Marks & Spencer usually ensure that they review their policy of impairing property, plant and equipment if there are some instances that prove that the carrying amount cannot be recovered. This always prompts the management of the company comes up with an amount that ought to be recovered basing on conventions and estimations. The depreciation of the property, plant and equipment is normally done in this company in writing down the assets to the remaining value divided by the property plant and Equipment anticipated useful live (Oppermann 2008, p. 64-70).

5. Impact of Impairment on Marks & Spencer’s Finance Performance.

In the previous year Marks & Spencer impaired the carrying amount of Marinopolous B.V goodwill and other stores in Greek whose branches make do not make profit to show the value that can be recovered and the net book value. Impairment has several impacts on the financial position of various businesses and therefore should be taken seriously. Any loss for an asset due to impairment should be charged on the asset in question and further disclose the notes of impairment to the financial statements stating the assets and reasons for the action (Robinson 2012, p. 512-516).

Impairment loss and write offs of an asset is likely to reduce both the net income as well as the non-current asset’s value. The reduction of income statement through charging the impairment loss has an effect of reducing the shareholders’ equity and eventually lowering debt to equity as debt to asset goes high. It is also likely that Marks & Spencer’s expected net income may go high because the value of the asset must have been reduced through impairment loss. The total impairment for the year ended 31 March 2013 for the Marks & Spencer company was £m 44.9 (marks & Spencer 2013, p. 17-19). This means that the income was reduced by £m44.9 and the value of assets were also decreased by the same value. Eventually the effect of impairment would mean that income is not overstated but expenses are recognized as anticipated.

References

Banerjee, A 2005, Financial Accounting: A Mangerial Emphasis, [S.L.], Excel.

Gibson, Charles H 2012, Financial Reporting and Analysis + Thomsonone Printed Access Card South-Western Pub.

Greuning, V 2009, International Financial Reporting Standards: A Practical Guide, Washington (D.C.), World Bank.

Marks & Spencer, 2013, Notes to the financial statements, retrieved 27 August 2013, <http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/docs/MS_AR2013_p82-109_NotestoFS.pdf>.Needles, Powers, & Crosson, V 2011, Principles of Accounting, Mason, Ohio, Cengage Learning.Oppermann, B 2008, Accounting Standards in Brief, Lansdowne [South Africa], Juta.Robinson, R 2012, International financial statement analysis, Hoboken, N.J, John Wiley & Sons.

Weil, L., Schipper, K., & Francis, J 2013, Financial accounting: an introduction to concepts, methods, and uses, Mason, Ohio, South-Western.

Stakeholder Participation in Eco and Smart Cities Construction

Future Cities: Stakeholder Participation in Eco and Smart Cities Construction

Cities are built as a result of various interests and desires of stakeholders coming together. Some of the key stakeholders include planners, landowners, investors, the public, governments, transport engineers, and architects, amongst others (Arlati et al., 2021). There are a variety of stakeholders in each place, including government and industry, startups, people, and, of course, architects. Stakeholders are those who have an interest in something. They all have a role in the development of cities. Even while no one stakeholder is more vital than the others, success is impossible without all of them. Planned development in the cities and urban settings is in collaboration with all stakeholders (Wesley & Ainsworth, 2018). Stakeholder engagement is the most difficult aspect of enhancing urban planning while simultaneously incorporating individual interests. The development of a city involves a large number of individuals. So, in the development endeavors, it is important to remain open, transparent, and participative. Local working groups (comprised of all relevant stakeholders) are recommended as part of the urban design planning based on a method of finding ideas that benefit the community while also fitting with the city’s declared strategic aims (utilities, administrative departments, enterprises, civil society representatives, and scientific institutions) (Laspidou, 2014). The said development partnership in the running of cities not only promises to be inclusive but also to create a product (future city) that serves the interests of every stakeholder. The aim of this paper is to show that cities are built by an amalgamation of stakeholders including landowners, investors, government institutions, planners, architects, the public, and any other interest party. No one party has monopoly over the other in terms of what to create in city planning and design and each stakeholder has a role to play in the moderation of processes that include the physical, economic, ecological, and social city development.

Stakeholders in the Future of Cities

Cities are experiencing fast population growth, resulting in increased demands and financial obligations. In order to retain their competitiveness and achieve sustainable growth, cities must discover methods to increase their efficiency and save money while maintaining a high quality of living for their residents. By 2050, Bjørgen, Fossheim, and Macharis (2021) report that cities will be home to 70% of the world’s population, increasing the pressure on management to become more intelligent, while stakeholders acquire significance and interest as research topics, beginning to threaten the territories’ domination of the global economy. As a result, Martinez and Olander (2015) point to the need to include stakeholders who can provide valuable feedback (as well as an indication of how a subsequent planning application will be received). The term stakeholder refers to anyone who has a vested interest in the development or conclusion of the project (Guo & Kapucu, 2019). Persons participating in the design of a city in any capacity, including designers and investors, as well as subcontractors, as well as persons employed in any position by local governments and the legal system, are all considered possible stakeholders in a typical city design process. Nonetheless, their participation requires careful organization and a clearly defined mandate, as they may lack prior design experience and their actions may be beyond the control of internal and direct stakeholders including investors and land owners.

Government and the Public Sector

In response to the steps taken by the private sector toward sustainable businesses, cities are increasingly shifting their focus toward digital technology innovation. Curwell et al. (2005) mention that future cities will include a more interactive and responsive municipal government, safer public spaces, and addressing the needs of people of all ages. Cities are also becoming more environmentally friendly. In the field of city planning, the government and the public sector play an essential role. Thanks to new legislation and widespread popular backing, governments will be able to guide the development of futuristic city planning. Also included are initiatives to encourage positive stakeholder behavior and awareness, to encourage citizen-driven experimentation from the ground up, and to include an innovative lifestyle into all services provided to people.

Investors and Financial Partners

Investors include those who have financial investments and institutions that lend money to individuals in order to accomplish development projects in urban areas, among other things. They provide assistance to businesses and governments through the sponsorship and investment in initiatives. They safeguard the assets of both small and big depositors by investing in only the most profitable enterprises. The vast majority of investors feel that urban design has a key influence in increasing the value of real estate sales and rentals. In the decision-making process of city residents, environmental quality is regarded as a critical concern, among other criteria like as access, parking, security, service (particularly in the IT sector), and internal environmental management (Bridgman, 2004). When it comes to creating stronger returns and future growth possibilities from their investment, the investors understand that addressing the initial development’s lack of participation in urban planning is critical.

Research and Innovation sector

The research and innovation sector is a major stakeholder in city design and a notable contributor to future cities. University-based research is essential for the development of creative ideas that may result in a more sustainable and healthier urban environment in the long run. Due to the increasing urbanization, globalization, and climate change, scientists have been compelled to develop and test novel processes, as well as intelligent city solutions based on prototypes and models that bridge the technological as well as socioeconomic gap. Making city designers more aware and understanding of the future system, as well as the breadth of technology and solutions available, is crucial to ensuring the success of the transition (Anttiroiko, Valkama, & Bailey, 2014). In addition to assisting cities in their efforts to achieve overall sustainability, Laspidou (2014) notes that academic research and the knowledge it generates will help to increase the city systems’ short- and long-term flexibility. At present, Anthopoulos and Vakali (2012) point to the way consumer behavior is shifting in a positive direction as a result of the introduction of novel legal frameworks, business models, services, and technological solutions. Incorporating current research into real-world solutions allows for a greater grasp of the problem’s complexity while also proving practicability and economic feasibility for the solution. Demonstration projects carried out at clusters and research institutes produce useful knowledge on market applications and commercial arrangements that may be exploited in future city designs.

Constructors, Architects, Planners, and Designers

Regardless of their size, planning committees, real estate developers, competence centers, technology suppliers, and system integrators all play an important role in the transition process toward a future city. Smart meters, data displays, and energy management services for multi-fluid systems assist in disseminating future city projects in test users’ homes, new or existing residential dwellings, public buildings, and communal housing, among other places (Pereira et al., 2018). In order to continue progress and innovation in urban areas, a number of revolutions in design, engineering, and construction have taken place in the recent decade, bringing together different sector players with variant contributions matching up to a singular aim of having better city designs that are inclusive and sustainable. All of these developments may be ascribed to the present industrial and technological revolution, which is shifting the focus away from traditional construction systems and toward industrialized building systems that will eventually lead to future cities.

The Civil Society and Activists

While the involvement of the civil society and activists may not be on a technical capacity in city design, it must be provided careful consideration. Civil societies have the interests of the people and may shift narratives, bring a population for or against certain design projects. For example, civil societies have influenced the inclusion of transgender individuals in the design of urban toilets. Such subtle shows of power point to the importance of civil societies as stakeholders in dictating urban designs and the future of cities (Abusaada & Elshater, 2021). The needs and concerns of the community’s members serve as the starting point for its actions. The themes that are discussed and disputed are determined by the interests of the general population. Individuals are helped and mobilized throughout the process in order to bring their difficulties to the public’s attention and strive for a resolution.

Citizen participation is crucial to urban rejuvenation and should be completely integrated into smart government systems to achieve maximum results. A technique for reestablishing public trust in city design officials is to involve citizens in the decision-making process about the city’s future. Citizens are making the move from being end consumers to being prosumers, providing data and information, and taking on new duties in the smart and sustainable city of the future. Social innovators in future urban design attempt to inspire new modes of civic involvement (Lim, Kim, & Maglio, 2018), with an emphasis on inclusion and social protection (Abusaada & Elshater, 2021), that are capable of meeting social needs effectively and with up-to-date capabilities, and an emphasis on inclusion and social protection (Laspidou, 2014). All of these factors contribute to the development of emerging urban economies to include social entrepreneurs driven by certain community demands, community-based initiatives, and innovative corporate collaboration models.

Climate Change and Eco Cities: Copenhagen

A worldwide phenomenon, climate change has a profound impact on the way people live in urban areas, particularly in the developed nations such as Denmark. Because of this, sea levels are rising and more extreme weather events have been witnessed. Other effects include faster spread of tropical illnesses. All of these impacts have a substantial financial impact on cities, infrastructure, housing projects, jobs, and the general public. City dwellers are a substantial source of greenhouse gas emissions, and as a result, they make a considerable contribution to the global warming problem. The bulk of the CO2 emissions in the world today are attributed to cities, according to (Joss, 2011), with transportation and buildings accounting for the vast majority of these emissions.

Stakeholder involvement is very important in changing the way a city design regards the issues of climate change and the adoption of eco cities. In Copenhagen, the city’s climate plan has a path laid out for the city focusing on attaining carbon neutrality in the next 3 years (HagHigHatafSHar et al., 2014). The city focuses on every little sector that makes up the city’s overall carbon footprint. The City has a plan to attain significant reduction in emissions to have eco cities that are conscious of the climate change issue.

As Copenhagen has shown through its comprehensive city of the future plan, successful outcomes can only be achieved by a comprehensive global, regional, national, and local strategy and effort. The involvement of all stakeholders is very important in this process. There must be total cooperation from all direct and indirect stakeholders including planners, designers, land owners, governments, local authorities, legislation, investors, and any other interested group. City authorities must also play an important role in the fight against climate change by ensuring that all other players are involved. Copenhagen is already taking steps to minimize industrial emissions, including the use of renewable energy sources (Hallegatte et al., 2011), the improvement of production processes (Carter, Clegg, & Wåhlin, 2011), and the imposition of restrictions or the provision of financial incentives to reduce overall carbon footprints. In the next five decades, emissions reductions in Copenhagen will aid in the reduction of pollution from industry and transportation (Smiley, 2017), resulting in improved air quality and the health of city people as a result.

Smart Cities and Technology: Singapore

As the world’s population continues to grow, it becomes increasingly critical to have a framework in place for adopting and supporting sustainable development initiatives. The majority of it is made up of information and communication technology. The ICT design includes a digital city, which is a network of networked devices that connect via wireless technologies and the cloud (Yaqoob et al., 2017). Municipalities, organizations, and individuals may all benefit from analyzing real-time data and installing cloud-based IoT applications (Joo, 2021). Citizens can engage with smart city ecosystems through mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as through connected autos and homes. By integrating digital technology with a city’s physical infrastructure and services, it may be possible to save money while boosting its sustainability.

Historically, city management and authorities saw smart technology solely as a means of increasing operational efficiency. As seen in Singapore, technology is increasingly being integrated into daily life and influencing the design and management of entire cities. Millions of individuals may now use their cellphones to obtain real-time information about transportation, traffic, health services, safety alerts, and local news (Johnston, 2019). Cities are increasingly leveraging data and digital technology to deliver outcomes that are more relevant and meaningful to their residents, effectively advancing them past the experimental stage. Smart cities like Singapore are using data and digital technology to improve the lives of their citizens and the city as a whole (von Richthofen, Tomarchio, & Costa, 2019). More comprehensive, real-time data gives the capability to monitor events live, discover demand trends, and respond with faster, more cost-effective solutions.

By implementing smart city technologies, Singapore is able to enhance its infrastructure, public services, transportation, and other fundamentals. For example, connected traffic signals receive data from sensors and automobiles and adjust the cadence and timing of lights in real time to accommodate the current flow of traffic, hence reducing congestion (Woods, 2020). In the next 50 years, Singapore will have parking meters and electric vehicle charging stations that will enable communication with connected autos, guiding drivers to the next available space and other benefits. Rather than relying on a fixed collection schedule, smart trash cans communicate with waste management companies to arrange pick-ups as needed (Joo, 2021). A smartphone doubles as a mobile driver’s license and identification card, complete with digital credentials, providing an easy way for citizens to access city and local government services.

Conclusion

From the above analysis of the involvement of different players in Singapore and Copenhagen to create smart cities using technology and considering climate change needs through eco cities, the role of every stakeholder in influencing the design and construction of a city cannot be ignored. The discussion establishes that persons participating in the design of a city in any capacity, including designers and investors, as well as subcontractors, as well as persons employed in any position by local governments and the legal system, are all considered possible stakeholders in a typical city design process. Therefore, the report can confidently summarize that cities of the future will be built as a result of various interests and desires of stakeholders coming together. While some of the key stakeholders (including planners, landowners, investors, the public, governments, transport engineers, and architects) have more technical and physical involvement, this done not cancel out the crucial role of other stakeholders (such as civil societies, city legislation, activists, and other lesser involved parties) who also have a say in influencing how cities are built. The examples from Singapore and Copenhagen indicate that without the active and positive involvement of every stakeholder, city construction and design would be in chaos. Local working groups (comprised of all relevant stakeholders) are recommended as part of the urban design planning based on a method of finding ideas that benefit the community while also fitting with the city’s declared strategic aims (utilities, administrative departments, enterprises, civil society representatives, and scientific institutions). Overall, no stakeholder possesses monopoly over the other in terms of what to create in city design and each stakeholder has a role to play in the moderation of processes that include the physical, economic, ecological, and social city development.

References

Abusaada, H., & Elshater, A. (2021). Competitiveness, distinctiveness and singularity in urban design: A systematic review and framework for smart cities. Sustainable Cities and Society, 102782.

Anthopoulos, L. G., & Vakali, A. (2012, May). Urban planning and smart cities: Interrelations and reciprocities. In The Future Internet Assembly (pp. 178-189). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.

Anttiroiko, A. V., Valkama, P., & Bailey, S. J. (2014). Smart cities in the new service economy: building platforms for smart services. AI & society, 29(3), 323-334.

Arlati, A., Rödl, A., Kanjaria-Christian, S., & Knieling, J. (2021). Stakeholder Participation in the Planning and Design of Nature-Based Solutions. Insights from CLEVER Cities Project in Hamburg. Sustainability, 13(5), 2572.

Bjørgen, A., Fossheim, K., & Macharis, C. (2021). How to build stakeholder participation in collaborative urban freight planning. Cities, 112, 103149.

Bridgman, R. (2004). Criteria for best practices in building child-friendly cities: Involving young people in urban planning and design. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 337-346.

Carter, C., Clegg, S., & Wåhlin, N. (2011). When science meets strategic realpolitik: The case of the Copenhagen UN climate change summit. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 22(7), 682-697.

Curwell, S., Deakin, M., Cooper, I., Paskaleva-Shapira, K., Ravetz, J., & Babicki, D. (2005). Citizens’ expectations of information cities: implications for urban planning and design. Building Research & Information, 33(1), 55-66.

Guo, X., & Kapucu, N. (2019). Examining stakeholder participation in social stability risk assessment for mega projects using network analysis. International Journal of Disaster Risk Management, 1(1), 1-31.

HagHigHatafSHar, S., la Cour Jansen, J., Aspegren, H., Lidström, V., Mattsson, A., & Jönsson, K. (2014). Storm-water management in Malmö and Copenhagen with regard to climate change scenarios. J. Water Manag. Res, 70, 159-168.

Hallegatte, S., Ranger, N., Mestre, O., Dumas, P., Corfee-Morlot, J., Herweijer, C., & Wood, R. M. (2011). Assessing climate change impacts, sea level rise and storm surge risk in port cities: a case study on Copenhagen. Climatic change, 104(1), 113-137.

Johnston, K. (2019). A comparison of two smart cities: Singapore and Atlanta. JCULP, 3, 191.

Joo, Y. M. (2021). Developmentalist smart cities? the cases of Singapore and Seoul. International Journal of Urban Sciences, 1-19.

Joss, S. (2011). Eco-cities: The mainstreaming of urban sustainability–key characteristics and driving factors. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 6(3), 268-285.

Laspidou, C. (2014). ICT and stakeholder participation for improved urban water management in the cities of the future. Water Utility Journal, 8(1), 79-85.

Lim, C., Kim, K. J., & Maglio, P. P. (2018). Smart cities with big data: Reference models, challenges, and considerations. Cities, 82, 86-99.

Martinez, C., & Olander, S. (2015). Stakeholder participation for sustainable property development. Procedia Economics and Finance, 21, 57-63.

Pereira, G. V., Parycek, P., Falco, E., & Kleinhans, R. (2018). Smart governance in the context of smart cities: A literature review. Information Polity, 23(2), 143-162.

Smiley, K. T. (2017). Climate change denial, political beliefs, and cities: Evidence from Copenhagen and Houston. Environmental Sociology, 3(1), 76-86.

von Richthofen, A., Tomarchio, L., & Costa, A. (2019). Identifying communities within the smart-cultural city of Singapore: a network analysis approach. Smart Cities, 2(1), 66-81.

Wesley, J. M., & Ainsworth, E. L. (2018). Creating communities of choice: Stakeholder participation in community planning. Societies, 8(3), 73.

Woods, O. (2020). Subverting the logics of “smartness” in Singapore: Smart eldercare and parallel regimes of sustainability. Sustainable Cities and Society, 53, 101940.

Yaqoob, I., Hashem, I. A. T., Mehmood, Y., Gani, A., Mokhtar, S., & Guizani, S. (2017). Enabling communication technologies for smart cities. IEEE Communications Magazine, 55(1), 112-120.

Trends In Leadership

Executive summary

Leadership plays a key role in organization success as it enhances the cohesiveness and coherency of people within the organization. The basic types of leadership are Autocratic leadership, Laissez-Faire leadership, Participative leadership, Transactional leadership, and transformational leadership. Currently, the most commonly practices leadership style that has proven to bring positive result is the transformational leadership. The future leadership is believed to enhance collectivity and will depend on the web and internet to enhance interaction.

Trends in leadership

Leadership is defined as the process in which an individual also referred to as a leader influences the followers or supporters to undertake a specified task and complete it accordingly. Leadership plays a key role in organization success as it enhances the cohesiveness and coherency of people within the organization. Although leadership and management have several differences, the contemporary organization structures require management to show leadership skills. As such, there is intertwining function of management and leadership. The organizational leadership and other social leadership has been undergoing great changes resulting in contemporary state of art leadership skills.

Types of leadership styles

Basically, there are five types of leadership styles. The leadership styles have several advantages and disadvantages although there are those which are more preferable in contemporary organizations. The leadership styles are transformational leadership, autocratic or dictatorial leadership, Laissez-faire leadership, transactional leadership and participative leadership (Storey,2004,p.11).

Autocratic leadership

Autocratic leadership style is one in which the powers of decision making are concentrated or centralized in the leader. In this leadership style, the leader does not entertain any input or suggestion from the subordinates. This leadership style is imperative to motivate the management or top leadership of an organization. Further , it enables quick decision making processes as it does not involve many individual in discussion .However, this form of leadership is not the best in the contemporary business setting because it does not involve the input of the employees and might not motivate them, which is detrimental for organization success in the competitive environment(Rothwell, Prescott &Taylor,2008,p.92).

Laissez-Faire leadership

Laissez-Faire leadership style is one in which the subordinate have a free hand in developing and deciding their own methods and policies. In this leadership style, there is practice of democracy where each one is given a chance to choose what he or she wants thus giving thus motivating the subordinates to be innovative and creative. However, not all employees have the ability of supervising themselves and so this type of leadership may result in lack of control and poor or low production (Giuliani & Kurson,2002,p.84).

Participative leadership

Participative leadership, which is also referred to as the democratic leadership is one in which the top management or top organization leadership takes into consideration the input of the subordinates but the final decisions on organization matters remains with the leader. In this case, the leadership enhances the morale of the subordinates or employee’s morale by allowing them to make important and positive contributions to the processes of decision making. When an organization intends to make major restructuring or changes within the organization, the participative leader enables employees to provide their opinion and leads them to accept changes. As such, there is minimal resentment and employees seek motivation. This type of leadership is essential for the development of current organizations (Stippler,2011,p.49).

Transactional leadership

Transactional leadership is where a leader utilizes the punishments and rewards to gain respect, compliance and following of the subordinates. This form of leadership tends to be action oriented, follows strictly the culture of the organization, and is directive. This is not the type of the contemporary leadership style in an organization because the driving forces of employees to productivity are either to avoid punishment or receive rewards. Employees cannot make their own initiative out of the reward and punishment spheres (Rothwell, Prescott &Taylor,2008,p.12).

Transformational leadership and the current leadership trends

Although participative, Laissez-Faire and in some cases transactional leadership are utilized in the modern organizations, transformational leadership has been proven to be the ideal and practical leadership style that enhances motivation of the employees, guides them to make apt decision in productivity and promotes the general performance of the organization.

Transformational leadership, which is imperative and most favored in the contemporary environment, is a form of leadership where the management or leadership of the organization enhances the performance, motivation, aspirations and Morales of the subordinates by employing several mechanisms that include a leader being a self model, challenge the subordinates to be responsible for their work and lives within the organization, understanding the weaknesses of the subordinates and using the weakness to be their strength, can identify with the employees and make them part of the leadership and assist them to be interested in fulfilling the goals of the organization(Stippler,2011,p.39).

There are four elements that make transformational leadership an essential aspect of current leadership trend. The elements are intellectual simulation, individual consideration, idealized influence, and inspirational motivation.

Intellectual Simulation

In this case, the leaders do not only challenge the status quo, which was important and valued in past organizations, but they encourage creativity among the employees or subordinates and enables them to explore new opportunities and ways of doing things. Microsoft inc is an example of organizations that encourages workers to be creative and encourages them to come up with innovative ideas that have catapulted the business into a top global organization (Storey,2004,p.84).

Idealized influence

In this case, the leadership attends to the needs of each follower by acting as the role model, mentor and listener to the concerns of each follower. As such, the subordinates and employees build trust in their leadership, a factor that enables them to accept the new ideas and enable improved productivity (Storey,2004,p.84).

Individualized consideration

This is a case where a leader in the organization context or any other leadership position offers encouragement and support to individuals to the subordinates. The aim of this element is to enhance communication, foster supportive relationship and recognizes the creativity and distinct contribution exhibited by each individual within the organization (Storey,2004,p.84).

Inspirational motivation

This is a case in which the organization leadership articulates motivational visions that enables employees to experience a similar motivation and passion to fulfill the goals of leadership. The goal of achieving and fulfilling a specified vision is accompanies by ardent communication skills that is vital in building the employee’s trust, enhances performance and creates optimal satisfaction. The contemporary leadership style has been vital for the good leadership and employees’ motivation experiences at the moment. Since leadership style is an evolving factor, there is a high likelihood of emerging innovative leadership styles in the future (Storey,2004,p.84).

Future trends of leadership

The current modern leadership trend is transformational leadership. It is based on the fact that the development of leadership is learned, it is result oriented, motivates and creates satisfaction among employees and enhances respect in the relationship between leadership and the subordinates. With the current information age and advance in technology, there is high possibility that future trends of leadership will change tremendously. One of the main future trends is the use of virtual leadership to enhance communication, motivation, create brands and enhance team interaction. Another future trend is the development of collective leadership tactic other than the conventional individual based leadership tactic. As such, the web and technology will play an influential role in driving leadership style changes that embrace collectivity in leadership. Although currently, the leadership embraces horizontal development, there is high possibility that the future leadership will take both vertical and horizontal development. In this case, each individual within the organization will own leadership development and everyone will be included in the leadership strategies. The most essential leadership quality that are likely to be adopted in future are self awareness, new networking thinking, boundary spanning, adaptability, and collaboration (Storey,2004,p.94).

Conclusion

Leadership is an important aspect of any organization or political and social spheres. A leader motivates the subordinates to achieve a certain set direction. Leadership has been evolving and new and innovative strategies have been developed to enhance performance of the organization and promote the satisfaction of the employees. The current leadership style that is highly practices is the transformational leadership. However, in future, there are likely to be major changes in leadership styles which are controlled by the internet and web. The future skills that are likely to be adopted in leadership are self awareness, new networking thinking, boundary spanning, adaptability, and collaboration.

References

Storey, J. (2004). Leadership in organizations: Current issues and key trends. London: Routledge.

Stippler, M. (2011). Leadership: Approaches, developments, trends. Gütersloh, Germany: Verlag Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Rothwell, W. J., Prescott, R. K., & Taylor, M. W. (2008). Human resource transformation: Demonstrating strategic leadership in the face of future trends. Mountain View, Calif: Davies-Black Pub.

Giuliani, R. W., & Kurson, K. (2002). Leadership. New York: Hyperion.

Facility design enhancement plan

new_enhancement

Facility design enhancement plan

Amongst the myriad of sports venues across the world, these project chooses and explores on four sport venues, as well as studies on the venue that has the most potentiality for enhancement. The ambiance in the four stadiums are unique and have immerse historical significance comprising standards that cannot be concealed. With the new wave of architects, there has been dynamic sport environments such as Maracanã Stadium, Michigan Stadium, Murumbi stadium and Ohio stadium across the world. These four stadiums chosen in this projects are among the world notable stadiums that can hold large crowds of a spectators for football. To begin with, Maracana stadium is a football stadium in Brazil with an arena and was opened in 1950 for FIFA world cup.

The construction of Maracana Stadium was immense and received worldwide recognition for the massive capacity it could hold. It can hold a capacity of 78,838 and this is immense and since the world cup is a vast international event it is an incredible site to be hold. Recently some of the Olympic games were staged in the stadium making it a monument that will forever be remembered. The renovations made to prepare for the Rio 206 Olympic was intense as it had to be standardized. The most impressive renovation was the platform or the stadium roof which was replaced with a fiber tensioned membrane. The stadium is a significant tribute in Brazil, but in the past it had security issue concerns and with the constant renovations it was appropriate to understand why it was not an effective study to follow.

Michigan stadium is the largest sports venue in Nation of United States. It officially has a capacity of 107601 but has a history of overcrowding during the major events. The stadium is immense with the design and is a stadium that holds various events such as the NHL winter classic in 2014. Its diverse accommodation makes it a facility that incorporates any event due to its advanced enabled facility that has undergone various renovations which was previously opposed by the fans, and alumni due to its cultural significance. Due to its inability to cater for the disabled the stadium received a lawsuit and this made the stadium vulnerable. The expansion plan was made but had to cater for the disabled. Michigan is a remarkable structure with a good history but because it is not open to general public for exercising, drop in photo ops and walk in tours, it has an inability to get community support.

The capacity of Murumbi stadium 67,052 and this was minimal attendance as compared to 138,032 which was recorded in 1977.The stadium is located in Sao Paulo,Brazil, and is recognized for its concerts which are mainly held in the stadium for its large capacity threshold. Its design was developed according to regulations of track and field and does not adhere to stadium requirements. Its facility was recently renovated and were a sight to behold because of the 2016 Olympics but much needs to be done about the stadium.

The facility selected for the project is a stadium that is located in Ohio State University. It is known as the Ohio State stadium or better known as the horseshoe stadium built by Harley as it is commonly referred. Its striking resemblance to a horse shoe defined its architecture thus the name and its appearance is a sight to behold as a structure that will be recognized for ages to come. The structure itself is a sight to behold with a stadium acreage of 14.5 acres and can be expanded due to its massive landscape. Its intimidating and intimate structure has been a home venue to the Ohio state buckeyes football team and Ohio state university marching band (Ammon ,2004). The venue is unique as it has become a monument to college football and with various events taking place over the years it’s an ideal structure to study. It’s the fourth largest campus facility in the nation and is a National register of historical places as added by the National Park Service. (Meisel ,2015). It has been ranked among the best top 25 college stadiums with a renovation costing about 194million US dollars.

The structure in itself resembles what seems as a long history of greats who have graced the terrain and the field, and have facilitated in its various renovation plans through donations. Stadiums are typically known for all types of games, sporting events, cultural events and what might fill a capacity greater than 40,000 people (Lussier, Kimball). The Ohio stadium is one such monument that can hold a capacity of 104,944. The facility is important in most towns as it holds a large number of individuals who are willing to stand by a team and support it whole heartedly.

In sports management there are factors that affect both the internal and external environment. In the case of internal factors, we consider Human, Resource, Organizational structure, management and financial strength.

Human Resource

The Construction or renovation of Ohio stadium requires an efficient workforce to help it become a modern facility. This factor is essential as knowledge, experience and the capability of organization workforce determine the factor of success.

Organizational structure

The constitution of stadium renovations has to be implemented and passed through hierarchies. In our Case the positive attitude of staff will only make the management task easier and through this the clientele will appreciate the success. This indicates that in order for the facility to operate at its full capacity the board of directors in charge has to be swift and individual who are able to make good decisions.

Funding

The facility enhancement will be funded mainly through the sale of hospitality suites and club seats which will cover almost 20 percent of the costs. The 20% will also be covered by naming rights, gifts, and money from additional tickets availability plus concessions and merchandise revenues and bonds. The other 60% will be funded by the Department of Athletics which is self-supporting which can be proven by last year’s transfer of more than $35to the university. The funds can also be increased to cover other costs which will depend on the amount of donations received from well-wishers and supporters of the club and the university (Singla, 2009). Recently the Ohio stadium alcohol rules were changed for after a research was done on the impact of alcohol sale at football games. The sale has been implemented in 2016 to raise $50,000 fund that will enhance further research done by Ohio State University Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse and prevention recovery. The revenue raised from the sale of alcohol this football season shall fund two new full-time positions in the Ohio State police department, at a cost of $300,000. Any remaining revenue shall go to the athletic department’s general budget.

Enhancement plan

The facility will limit the use of some facilities especially in the 2016 season where some seats will not be available in the seasonal tickets (Thornton 2013). This will not affect the individuals willing to buy per game tickets as some of the seats will be affected thus will not be for sale. The construction process will begin on one side and will not affect the facility in general as ongoing games shall be viewed as the calendar suggest thus will not limit the lay. The only difference will be the capacity that the stadium holds will not be as great as previous years due to the unavailability of some resources or facilities (Lussier, Kimball).

Some exits such as SR-315 north and South and 1-71 north and south might be inaccessible while the construction is taking place but alternative exits will be given on the ticket passes. Certain sections of the parking lot can be redesigned and used as shelter with the assistance of the state of Ohio. This will be organized through the emergency program and code set about by the stadium management in case the need arises. Certain suites will be converted into shelters while the area adjacent will also be given extra equipment’s to assist where necessary.

Timeline

The design and building process will be completed in the fall which will mainly deal with the expansion of certain areas of the stadium (Thornton 2013). The implementation of the lighting, sound and Television system will be an ongoing process until the end of spring when the process will be completed. On the expansion of the seats and integration of the university suits will begin in 2018 season so as not to interfere with season. This will be completed in October 2018 so as to adhere with codes of conduct for architectural designs. The turf will be integrated as an ongoing process together with the design and building process.

External Factors include: Competition or market, technology, Climate change, Media and legal.

Market

The strength of a competition has in the past been changing drastically. In the case of Ohio Stadium, the above mentioned facilities are some of its competitors. The Michigan stadium has the largest capacity of any in the United States. It is regarded as a structure that has defined time and through its constant upgrades it is still the largest. Thus for Ohio to be regarded as a modern state facility it has to change marketing strategies, product lines and prices.

The enhancements according to (Ammon ,2004) underlined are as result from the structural significance it has observed over the years. The enhancements are as a result of improvements that will make it more acknowledge but still maintaining the traditional spirit of Ohio stadium that dates back in 1920s. According to statistics its visually the first stadium that was built on concrete as a double deck stadium.

Maintaining the solid structure is crucial and thus renovations have to be implemented to facilitate its growth over the next couple of centuries. That it is important to restore and re-coat the 94-year-old concrete on the C-deck which was an additional platform thus requires frequent restoration. The transitions spaces should be regularly being improved to accommodate entertainment plazas, sidewalks and parking lots such is the case with Ohio stadium. Ohio stadium should increase its concourses to become wider by 20% to allow for a larger area that can support an effective security check up.

Permanent lighting is essential in all the concourses to increase visibility to people who might not have a clear view of the stadium. The B-deck should upgrade its lighting system to facilitate help individuals who have seats get a clear view of the whole arena. This enhancement will be critical especially in the northeast and south east corners of the stadium (Thornton 2013). The visibility should be enough to allow such areas to see the matches or events being held in the stadium without straining and will assist in increasing the vantage point. In the past the press boxes have been reduced to increase the seating capacity of the stadium to a maximum.

It has been noted that most university suites are never full to capacity especially on matches that are regarded as low. This suite can be consolidated into one University suit and the remaining space can be used to increase about 18 luxury suites as well as few loge boxes. The remaining space can be used as a way of increasing the seating capacity of the deck to allow more people to have better seats and a better view

Technology

Technological change has been rapid and is a constant pressure enhancer in most modern day facilities. The delivery of service depends mainly on how advanced the facility has been over the last couple of years. The risk of loss of market share is affected by this external factor thus the need for change (Singla, 2009).

The board should incorporate a system that has a smaller screen underneath the larger screen to display score updates or advertisements. The feature was previously installed but as per games the advertisements should be minimal to create an environment of the game itself. It should not only be limited to the score board but television screen should be placed on the northeastern and south eastern side to create a room for participants who cannot view the field match clearly. An efficient turf surface should be put from wall to wall which should which should include panels that allow air structure, beam foundations and electrical connection boxes and air ducts to remain hidden from view of illusion of a natural turf surface.

The rise of the internet has been a shock wave and has undergone rapid and significant change. The social media has been a buzz if activity and organizational facilities are using these mediums to sell their services. The Ohio stadium Football team has been receiving recognition because of its famed social media platforms. The newspapers, Commercials and radio transition have significantly boosted its market share. This however does not have a significant impact compared to the likes of Michigan stadium.

This is good design but with revenue generation taking its toll, it would be advisable that they increase the press boxes to cater for demand of reporters. Marketing and advertising is necessary, increasing the number of press boxes increase the chances of wide area coverage and source full income (Meisel ,2015). The surround system should also be upgraded to enhance an intensify crowd enthusiasm during matches. The scoreboard should be upgraded to bring about a better dimension on the replays, graphics and animations projected as the match goes on.

Legal

Legislations are changing constantly and with stadium management regulations it is imperative to be always on the alert. Legal implications might be from lawsuits from clienteles who were not pleased from the service, fines implicated due to rowdiness of the crowd or certain laws that prohibit actions for constructions or buildings. To prevent such law suits the company has provided certain codes that should be adhered to strictly and incase of any offence the management is not liable (Singla, 2009).

The Stadium is easily accessible as the parking passes have directions guiding a guest to his/her required seat. There are traffic control officers who guide guests while entering the Ohio state area and this is efficient in preventing traffic in the streets (Meisel, 2015). The parking space is available on first come first serve basis which is appropriate in managing the north and south side of the system as no parking space will be left empty (Ammon ,2004). RV lets are booked on line and are enforced under some strict regulations that help monitor an individual who might try to occupy additional parking lots.

The stadium maintains a strict code of conduct in alcohol consumption with specific areas that sell alcohol and are not to be brought in the stadium itself. The follow guidelines of Ohio State and the Ohio State alcohol policy which limits the amount of alcohol intake and can be cut off if deemed a nuisance to other revelers. This is a general space reserved for the alcohol consuming fans and is not in any way destructing or adjacent to the seats of the stadium.

The luxury suites should be standard suites that should have a dedicated concourse and in order to improve cleanliness and odor control the restrooms should be removed and centralized to improve cleanliness.

What justification can you make to support these enhancements? Does the community need them and how do they benefit?

The enhancements will upgrade the facility into modern venue with the incorporation of technological advancements making it a monument to remember. This enhancement will protect from overcrowding as seats will be available all season long even when the prestigious games are playing. The enhancements will upgrade the facility and it will be recognized as one of the best stadiums in the nation. The Ohio stadium is a Historical place and with constant renovations it shall remain so, such enhancements help it to redefine its monumental structure. The enhancements will upgrade the stadium into a modern facility with the ability to incorporate major technological advancement. Increasing the capacity will limit overcrowding as this is the most crucial way to reduce unnecessary injuries and better coverage of the matches. The community will generally gain from such facility by advertising the Ohio state culture it’s surrounding and will act as a strategic marketing platform to generate more income for the state.

More programs will be funded and through such an expansion the Ohio state university will advance its curriculum and will increase the number of students being incorporated. (Lussier,, Kimball) Fans have also been requesting according to Ohio journals that upgrading seating options would be essential to provide a better platform for families, visitors and all individuals to have a clear vantage point as they enjoy the matches.

.References

Ammon, R., Et.al. (2004). Sport Facility Management: Organizing Events and Mitigating

Risks (2nd ed.). Michigan: The University of Michigan

Aswathappa, K. (2005). Human Resource and Personnel Management. USA: Tata McGraw-Hill

Education.P.675-700

Lussier, R., & Kimball, D. (n.d.). Applied Sport Management Skills 2nd Edition With Web

Study Guide (1st ed.). Human Kinetics.

Meisel, Z. (2015). The Ohio State Buckeyes Fans’ Bucket List (Vol. 1). Ohio: Triumph Books

Nelson, M. (2013). American Sports: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas [4 Volumes]: A

History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. ABC-CLIO.

Thornton, P. (2013). Sports Ethics for Sports Management Professionals (1st ed.). Jones &

Bartlett.98-275

SINGLA, R. K. (2009). Business Management (1st ed.). India: India Enterprises.p.3-12

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