Strategic Management Resit Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Management Resit Report - Essay Example Since every organization wants to acquire competitive advantage therefore it was difficult to make strategies based on the external business environment due to homogeneity. However, resources such as reputation, credibility of employees, training and development methods etc. may vary from organization to organization and they are significantly hard to replicate (Gupta et. al., 2007). In the contemporary business environment resources based view of strategic management holds a remarkable position. Ever since it has emerged different critics have argued upon its importance in strategic management while some have defended its importance in attaining business superiority. Whatever the case may be one thing is obvious that resource based view in strategic management has actually strengthened the organization’s core values and integrity while improving the overall ethical conduct (Priem and Butler, 2001). This paper aims to investigate Resource Based View and its relevance with Stra tegic Management. Moreover its role in achieving competitive advantage particularly in an educational institution would be discussed with a case example. Discussion The theory of growth of a firm has actually laid down the foundation of resource based view in strategic management. An individual firm has a number of valuable internal resources which are mostly unique in terms of quality and quantity. For instance, the financial resources including all the monetary reserves, credits, accounts receivables etc., plant resources such as land and equipment, human resource which represents the nature of employees’ intellect, skills and credibility. Moreover the knowledge and expertise of an organization in industry and the overall management structure including planning and reporting are the important internal resources (Harrison, 2012). All of these are then combined with the strategic policies of an organization. The distinguishing nature of resources constitutes an organizationâ €™s core values which play a vital role in its overall success or failure. The accurate utilization of all these resources actually represents profitable long term strategic management which is a significant element of competitive advantage. The relevance of resource based view to strategic management can be substantiated on the basis of the fact that organizational strategies largely focus on increasing revenues while occupying unparalleled market share in the industry. On the other hand the sole purpose of resource based view is to achieve competitive advantage which makes it internally linked with the strategic management (Akio, 2005). Competitive Advantage Resource based view in strategic management plays a significant role in acquiring competitive advantage. For instance, if the Corporate Planning Department of a university requires maintaining distinctiveness in its management policies and customer services then it would need to implement resource based view in the followi ng pattern (Knott, 2009): Initially the organization would have to analyze its fundamental possessions including financial resources, plant resources and human resources. These are then divided on the basis of distinctiveness in the industry and overall participation in carrying out different business

Five Forces Analysis of the Hospitality Industry Research Paper

Five Forces Analysis of the Hospitality Industry - Research Paper Example In the hospitality industry, there is a moderately low threat from suppliers. Many of the players in the industry contribute to the percentage of suppliers since they need to have access to quality supplies (Pizam, 2010). Mama’s can benefit from identifying reliable suppliers who provide quality goods since it intends to continue serving delicious meals to customers. Threat of BuyersIn the hospitality industry, buyers have a strong bargaining power because there is a very low switching cost between one restaurant and the other. Customers are well aware of the prices as well as the expected quality of products (Enz, 2010). For this reason, Mama's on Washington Square needs to develop strategies for addressing the threat of buyers in the industry.Threat of SubstitutesIn the hospitality industry, there is an increasing threat of substitutes. Many players are likely to provide customers with substitute products that are of similar quality to Mama’s and within the same price range. Therefore, customers would register a limited switching cost. There is a salient need for Mama’s to develop strategies for surviving in the highly competitive Industry.Ethnic Cuisine in the United StatesThere is an increasing demand for ethnic cuisine in the United States. Specifically, Asian cuisines are gaining popularity and slowly becoming part of the mainstream food. Therefore, the hospitality industry has to specialize in providing customers with a diverse range of ethnic cuisines.

Industrial Analysis About Burger King Commerce Essay

Industrial Analysis About Burger King Commerce Essay In this assignment we are required to research about the new cafeteria on Burger King out to the market. This research will include the Legal, Ethical, Cultural and Industrial analysis about burger King and also the Porters Five Forces. It also includes some strategies about SWOT and PESTEL that are all being written in the report as a part of this assignment. Also in this report it show the weakness of Burger as a business to others and other business take advantages this because Burger King is one of the main competitors in the fast food industry and also the market. The opportunity it has and can take on and the threats it has. Also includes the introduction and history of Burger King and its position in market throughout till present. To conduct the research and to gather the relevant information, various sources have been referred. INTRODUCTION In this individual assignment we have been assigned to carry out a report on Burger Kings. And on this assignment we are required to carry out reports about Burger Kings on evaluating research as follows: Legal Ethical such Cultural Industry SWOT PESTEL Burger King is planning to launch a cafeteria in competition with McCafe of McDonalds. For that Burger King must carry out the Market Research for the purpose of their marketing strategies to launch their new cafe. Burger King needs to evaluate legal, ethical, cultural, and industry issues which are relevant to Burger King towards conducting marketing research and launching of their cafe. MAIN BODY BACKGROUND C:Documents and SettingsOEMDesktopBurger-King-Logo1-295300.jpg The Burger King is also said/ called in another name which is BK in short. Burger King is one of the fast food restaurant and food that are consumed by the people of New Zealand in the 21st century. According to the Wikipedia page that it was founded in 1953 in Jacksonville, as the Insta-Burger King. Keith j. Kramer and his wifes uncle were the founders and owners of this company. Insta-meat was the equipment around which the first store was opened. After this they started making hamburgers. (Wikipedia, 17 July, 2012 last modified). In launching a new cafà © in competition against McDonald, Burger King will have to research or gather information about the introducing the product. Bibliography Wikipedia. (2012, july 17). Wikipedia (burger king). Retrieved 07 24, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burger_King LEGAL ISSUES Burger king as one of the fast and busy restaurants locally and international has to make sure that it has all its resources to succeed in what it can do best and thats to serve good quality food to customers and make profit. In this Burger King has to make sure that everything is in order to ensure health and safety of people all over in New Zealand who consumes the Burger King products, every country has its own system to ensure that health and safety standards are met and followed by food industry. In this issues Burger King has its own way like rules to make sure that everyone is safe and secure from the product that are been consumes by the people. From below sentences and paragraphs are some criteria that Burger King is registered on: Food Act Law 1981 Burger King as a fast food restaurant (business) that sells food to the people will fall under this act. This will concern that all product that has been sold by Burger King are safe and can be consume like: Foods are not contaminated. Make sure that food are consumable by consumers in New Zealand The Food Regulations Act 2002 Under this act Burger King has the rights to sure that no one else are selling their products at any cost. This can either if its like an articles that has been in the: Storage Cooking The way its been prepared. HR Safety The HR safety ac t commits on the jobs and workers safety under the act of Safety and Health Act of 1970 on which it looks for work safety and health protection for labours by looking at the safest and healthful working conditions throughout New Zealand as a nation. So Burger King will to follow this Act they want to continue running the business. Fair Trading Act 1986 Under this act it can be said that it protects the consumers against or to avoid us from misleading or treated in a bad manner towards the business on selling goods and services to the consumers. It also applies to every business from the government so that consumers have some information about the product. Consumers Guarantee Act In this act it is all about the goods and services quality. It prevents consumers from buying poor or less quality on goods and services that do not reach its original standard (quality) so that consumers are not just wasting their money on bad quality of goods and services. Labour Laws Under this laws it will show that all workers are treated fairly, work on the right hours (not overworking and getting paid less) and also that labour do get help and support from the business. Industry Act This act gives and provides rules and regulations towards the employees and employers relations and also to prevent any dispute between the two parties. Copyright Act 1994 On 1994 copyright act, it protects the workers and it automatically applies as soon as possible as the business is put in design on which is been decided like logos that has been print and stored. It is also said that it is not right to copy any piece of work without a licence Trade Practice Act 1974 The increasingly competitive nature of todays business environment has meant that business practices involving misleading and deceptive conduct, price fixing, boycotting and market sharing are not only associated with large corporations. In todays highly competitive business environment, more and more small businesses are engaging in business practice, both intentionally and unwittingly, that contravene the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cwlth) (TPA). ETHICAL ISSUES Health Burger as fast food restaurants will have to make sure that it provides good quality products to it every customer by providing a healthy food to its customers in any way good way. This will be one of the main aims of any business (fast food) in New Zealand. So if Burger Kings Is trying to launch a new McCafe they will have to make sure that there are going to provide a healthy product to its customers. Social Responsibilities A social responsibility is also an ethic thing to do by Burger Kings if it tends to launch a new MaCafe. This can make work easy if the business like if the business provide some service to its society like Billboards or Notice Boards that will be usable like putting up Notice from people like Garage sales and many more things or even providing parking and toilets for disable people. Cultural Diversity It is very important that Burger Kings know its people (consumers) culture as a whole. This is because people are not offended by any source like advertisement through media that can hurt the people feeling. It (business) will have to show loyalty and respect to its consumers in a polite manner in order to succeed as a business. Employment Opportunities (Disable) Providing employment to disable people is a great way to promote the business. This is because they will feel that they are not alone. Helping in workplace and not much workload to them. Green Helping the environment is a good way to show responsibilities to the community and towards the people. Like recycling the old oil into the red bin for renewal instead of dumping it on the ground or drain and also separating rubbish which can be recycled like bottles, papers and plastic. . CULTURAL ISSUES Community, Organisation, Gender and Religion Burger King will have to work with its community (helping in a way) to be safe from or to grow with its community. They will also have to accept the different people, ages and culture that will be surrounding the business. This will make sure that they can help/ secure or serve any customers that will consume their products where if its a female or male or no matter what nationality they are from in showing of respect to themselves and also towards the business. Food (Halal, Vegetarian or Others) Burger King has many different types of menu that are available towards the customers to choose from. For example: the burgers sold can either have meat on it like chicken or beefs due to the customers wants or it can also provide vegetarian burgers to those whom does not eat meat like Hindus and even some Muslim that does not consumes bacon and also provide drinks fries and desserts to customers. So selling some Halal food is not a bad idea to attract customers into the business because some people like Halal food. Coming up with many menus for the business to different kinds of people is a good way to promote business sales also to satisfy the customers and to make profit and it will also be a good way to introduce the launching of the new MaCafe. Support Local Community Supporting local communities like a game that brings the people together to know each other. Putting boards to people to use or notice to other people on what is happening in the society. Helping in providing disable car parks and also the toilets. INDUSRIAL ISSUES New Zealand is one of the countries that people consume or eat a lot from Fast Food restaurants like K.F.C, McDonalds, Dominos, Pizza Hut and Burger King. This is because it is very fast to get the food and sometimes cheap for customers to buy due to some sales in the business or promotion that the business have in a period of time. The Fast Food industry in New Zealand helps a lot in the economic so it is a great opportunity to open or launch a new Cafeteria not only for making profit or for the economy but it also will provide employment. Burger King is not only a local but it s an International Business with franchises making it a great competitors in the market with on the help to other industry like Farming on which the meat, vegetables or other product that can bought to (supplier: Tegel) from that its put into a product and selling it to customers, (it a win-win situation) SWOT Strength Burger King as one of the busiest Fast food restaurants in New Zealand by selling lots of burgers is one of the advantages it has from any other restaurants. It serves as many of its customers just on burgers like patty burger or Mushroom burgers which are not available on any other restaurants. Apart from this , it also has dishes like side dishes like Apple pie, Sunday and others which are most bought by customers. All this, is also due to its location of headquarters and also the location of its 11,500 fast food restaurants in just 70-72 countries all over the world in which it include America, Brazil, Asian countries, Canada and also in New Zealand and many more other countries. Weakness One of the weaknesses that Burger King has is the Advertisement it has compare to other fast food restaurants advertisement (competitors) do. One of the main reason is due to some Religion like Muslims people are really not a big or huge fan of Burger King due to the knowledge that they have like they are not really confident to try the Burgers because they are not sure if it Halal or sometimes they get the wrong order in which bacon are presented it which is against the Religion and culture they had. And also the sales are not really that high compared to some fast food restaurants like K.F.C, McDonalds due to lack of Marketing that would be one of the disadvantages they had. Opportunities Due to the weakness of advertisement that Burger King has, one of the opportunities that Burger King do is to increase/ improve the sales of producing sales through advertisement in order to increase sales. And also that they can open new Branches in any part of New Zealand like in Cities, towns or somewhere where populations are high and where people are busy at all times like West Auckland. This is because when people are busy like running late to work, they can just order from Burger King or in the morning Breakfast. Also one of the opportunities it also had is that Burger King can launch or develop new products in the business to increase its sales. Threats One of the main threats that Burger King faces a lot is its competitors from other fast food restaurants like Wendys, McDonalds and also K.F.C since these organisation also are known as fast food restaurants thats deals with the selling of Burgers also. If there will be a inflation in the New Zealand economy it can make the sales to decrease due to people not willing to buy from fast food restaurants which will put them on a tough spot due to taxation also while other business can take advantages of this in advertisement on which is one of the weaknesses that Burger King has already. Also one the of the threats that they faces is the changing of customers behaviour to eat/ consume healthier food nowadays. PESTEL Political This includes the laws and regulations from its policies that is usually used in a effective way that will or has to be related to the business. New Zealand as a country that has a lot of fast food restaurants will have its own policy that will be different from some other countries. So Burger King will have to follow this even if it includes the launching of the new cafeteria. This is done to everyone/ business to followed on which is made by its Government. Before launching the new cafeteria to the market Burger King will have to know all these rules and regulations made by the government (KEEP-UP-TO-DATED). Economic Burger King as a business will always have a good that will last in a long given period of time (long time goal). So they are also contributing to the Country economy as a fast food industry. One of the main goals that Burger King will have is the increase of sales or to make as much profit as possible. But this will depend on the stability of the country economy as a whole. If it is poor, it can be said that some business will be affected because the amount of tax levied to the. Before launching the new cafeteria Burger King will have a research first to see if its good or bad depending on the economy. Social Burger King is one of the world recommended Fast Food restaurants around the world. So this means that it serves different people and also has different people working on the business across the globe. Burger King will make sure that it has a very good background on it towards the government, tourisms, people or other business and even it community. As in food Burger King will have to take considerations about the culture of different people and also the background they have. Technology Technology is one the main advantages that most business used nowadays to run the business in order to make profit. There are always new technology in advance used in a period of time before another technology is made which has a good feature and quality that will replacing the old ones in todays world. Burger King as fast food restaurants will have technology not only to only make work fast, light or easy but also in a way to compete with others in the market but also in another way it can be a disadvantages to other like through employment will not be an increase. Environmental A one of a large organisation in the world it will have to take responsibility of its surrounding. This is because they use a lot of materials to make it menus in the business like papers, rollers, packaging. They have to all this so it does not affect the environment and what can be done to prevent it if occurs. For this not only it is helping the environment but also to other business to do the same with their own business so the natural environment of the country can be still conserve. Legal Burger King deals with the fast customer service as it a fast food restaurant. But also at the same time it has to make sure that everyone working are safe and also the product are safe and healthy to customers to consume. New Zealand government has a set of departments that requires the legal act of any type of business in the country to follow. So before launching the new cafeteria the business will make sure that has the legal act in the new cafeteria. Porters Five Forces C:UsersimmanuelDocumentsimages.jpg Source: http://www.12manage.com/methods_porter_five_force Threats for new entrants When there is a new business entering the market it will be a threat to other business in the market already. There will be more competitors it will have to face in the market so Burger King will also face the same thing. Because it a low barriers of entry which is easy to enter when starting a business in New Zealand. Threats of Substitute products Every fast food restaurants will also have a substitute product it the market for its suppliers or buyers. This can be due to the customers taste. So Burger King will to have the ability to change if these does happen or develop of new products in the business to meets it customers needs Bargaining of power Suppliers. The business will make sure that it has a good relationship with its suppliers at all times. The supplies will make sure that it can substitute a product fast if required but it has to be similar to the products. The business will make sure that the suppliers are a large company to it is able to change if required. Bargaining of power Buyers It mostly deals with the customers whom have the power on want to purchase in the business according to the needs that they want and not the business. Burger King will make sure that it is able to change to substitute the products if customers has change its habits. They will also make sure that the price is affordable to the buyers to buy or spent their money. Competitive Rivalry Burger King is a large business in the fast food industry. It serves lots of customers in a day or at night. So it will face some large competitors in the make like McDonalds in sales. It has a low cost of changing its product in the market if needed and a high customers loyalty. CONCLUSION In conclusion or to sum up. Launching a new cafeteria into the market is a very good move to the contribution to the New Zealand economy and also for the business itself. This is also good for the business to compete with or against its competitors in the market and it can be one of its main strength in the future. But before launching a new cafeteria, burger King as fast food restaurants will have to do some researches on this. Like the country economy or the rules and regulations that been laid by the government. Or what are some ways that will affect the business and the problem solving.

Progressive Discipline Essay -- essays research papers

Independent Contributor Each Independent Contributor is accountable for reaching established performance objectives, and will be evaluated and reviewed on an ongoing basis. When an Independent Contributor’s performance falls short of his/her expected objectives, behaviors, or skills, a Performance Improvement Plan will be initiated immediately. During the implementation of the performance improvement plan, written documentation of discussions, counseling, and termination warnings will be maintained by the department manager and Human Resources; with copies given to the Independent Contributor. However, termination, if warranted, may occur at any time even if an employee has not been subject to or completed the Performance Improvement Plan. A review period will be specified in the Performance Improvement Plan. The length of this period depends on the type and nature of the performance deficiencies involved. If the Independent Contributor fails to meet minimum performance standards or shows unsatisfactory progress during the review period, or subsequently, disciplinary action including termination will take place. When an Independent Contributor does not successfully complete a review period within the Performance Improvement Plan, termination will result. Termination may still occur at any time during the review period. In addition, immediate termination may result for flagrant conduct such as, but not limited to, insubordination, poor performance, misconduct, or unethical behavior. If circumstances warrant, an Independent Contributor may be terminated without notice. IT Technician - Union Employee The union is committed to fair and effective policy through collective bargaining to maintain the safety and good health of our membership. Therefore this progressive disciple policy which was established by the company and the union; is being put into place to establish rules pertaining to IT technician conduct and performance so that all IT technician personnel can conduct themselves accordingly. These rules are not intended to restrict the IT technician’s legal rights; however they are being established to help IT technicians’ work together according to established company standards. The IT technician’s supervisor will keep him/her informed of all company rules and any changes that may occur. It is company policy that IT technician s will be given sufficien... ...eriod is up the employee will be terminated. Sales reps must comply with the standards of behavior set forth by the company in all aspects of their job. The use of company resources, including computer systems, telephones, electronic mail and internet services for personal use may occasionally take place, provided that such use is within the company’s Policy. However excessive use will result in disciplinary actions as appropriate. Conclusion These polices are all similar as they in force company policy, performance and ethical behavior. All policies are written and identify the variety of disciplinary actions that may be imposed in a progressive manner. The progressive discipline polices above are written with the intent of promoting a productive work environment. They are different in that the independent contributor focuses on accountably of established performance goals. Where as the IT technician focuses on improving job performance, and the overseas sales rep deals with meeting sales figures and corrupt activities. Bohlander, G., and Snell, S., (2004). Managing Human Resources. South-Western College Publishing / Thomson Learning. http://pmareintranet/intranet/empman.stm

Ichabod Crane and Abraham Van Brunt Essay

In the short story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow you will find two very different men, Ichabod Crane and Abraham Van Brunt, competing against each other for but one woman’s hand in marriage, Katrina Van Tassel. Katrina Van Tassel was a ravishing young lady of only eighteen and the only child of a very wealthy farmer named Baltus Van Tassel. Her father paid little attention to her other than to be proud of her good doings when they were praised by others. Because of her beauty, along with the wealth of her father, Katrina had the interest of many men. Although these men were driven away in defeat by a man named Abraham Van Brunt, whom also had a strong interest in Katrina. Abraham Van Brunt, also known as Brom Brunt, was tall and extremely hansom with dark curly hair. He was described as muscular and strong, thus he was given the nick name Brom Bones by the townspeople. Brom was known for his rambunctious personality, his love for pranks, and his admirable great skills on horseback. He was known as the â€Å"village hero.† He wanted Katrina’s hand in marriage, not because he loved her, but because he was determined to inherit the wealth of her father Baltus. Brom managed to scare off all the other suitors of Katrina with violence and physical confrontation. He had no competition! That is until Ichabod Crane came along. Ichabod Crane was a shy school teacher who had traveled from his home state of Connecticut to Sleepy Hollow, New York. He came to teach the children about the area. He was known to be a strict teacher, but not cruel. Ichabod was described as a lanky man; tall and thin with big hands and feet and also a rather large nose. He was said to be an awkward n clumsy man. Although he was a rather thin man, he was capable of eating plenty and was often looking forward to do so. He was an extremely superstitious man, so much that he believed in every myth, legend, and tall tale to be truth. This resulted in him easily being scared of anything that reminded him of ghost, goblins, witches, demons, etc. Despite his awkwardness, Crane was a very sociable man. I guess he had to be considering the fact that he would live at the homes of the townspeople, a different one every week. He was said to be a kind man. He would sometimes walk his students home from school, he would play with some of the bigger kids, and he would even help farmers with all of their farming duties. Many women took a liking to Ichabod because he was known to be kind and gentlemanlike. Also, he loved to sing and he had a beautiful voice and the ladies loved it! In fact, his voice was so beautiful that he also taught the townspeople to sing and also led the choir at the village’s church. Katrina was a student of Ichabod. When he had first met her, like many others, he was mesmerized by her beauty. Although it wasn’t until he had met her father and seen her farmhouse that he felt he was in love with her. To me it seemed as if he had just fallen in love with the idea of inheriting her father’s wealth, but the story says he was in love with her and wanted her heart, not just her wealth. Of course, this didn’t sit well with Brom Brunt at all, and he would try to chase Ichabod off. But Brom couldn’t do it in his usual way of violence, because Ichabod had a way of avoiding physical confrontation with him. So instead, Brom would use his second best skill, pranks! Knowing that Crane was a superstitious man who was easily scared, Brom would begin to taunt and tease him with scary stories, including the town’s most famous one, the legend of the headless horseman. This would eventually mark the end of Ichabod Crane. The story tells that one night after attending a party held at the Van Tassel home, when Ichabod was walking home, he had an encounter with what seemed to be the headless horseman. He was never to be seen again. Some believed that it was actually the headless horseman himself who had taken the life of Ichabod, but others believed that is was just Brom Bones in costume out to get what he wanted, Crane gone! As you can see, in comparison, these two men were very different from each other. Quite the opposite I’d say. The only thing that they shared a common ground with each other would be their desire for the Katrina Van Tassel and her inheritance. Even then, they would attempt to woo her in very different ways, Crane with his songs and his stories of superstitions, and Brom with his violence and strength. Besides the way these men look, their personalities and even their interests and talents were very different. I’d say Brom Bones was a man of good looks and brawn but rather rowdy, rude, and perhaps cruel. While Ichabod was a sensitive man with a kind heart and although he was lanky and awkward looking he was a gentleman with good social skills.

Declaration of the Rights of Men and of Citizens Essay

The Declaration of The Rights of Man and of Citizens begins with a clear stipulation of intrinsic freedom and equality in every man. Equality, therefore, seems to be an appropriate place to begin. The Declaration defines our equality in relation to our rights, such that we are all born with the same entitlements and among them the right to perpetuate such rights throughout our lives. Each and every one of us is entitled to the expression of the will of a community (which, according to Rousseau, is the collective will of the constituent individuals). In a similar light, the law is to regard each individual without bias; performing its duty of punishment or protection as justice sees fit. The sixth section of the declaration states that: â€Å"All being equal in its sight, are equally eligible to all honours, places and employments, according to their different abilities, without any other distinction than that created by their virtues and talents.† Effectually, this levels the metaphorical playing field, rightly empowers the skilful and the able while ensuring men are distinguished not by the colour of their skin, nor by their religion and neither by their wealth – but by their merits and abilities. Unfortunately that has never been so. There are a plethora of sordid historical examples that contravene section VI. The apartheid, holocaust and slave trade are amongst the many historical events that have grossly violated the former section. Nepotism, racism, sexism and segregation still ail society and contribute to its atrophic senescence. One audacious claim is that every man is innocent, until proven guilty by the law. The present Catholic Church disagrees, believing than everyone is born  with the burden of original sin. It is not the only body that believes in immediate guilt, many states (including China) adopt a judicial system, which operates on a contrary principle: that every man is guilty until proven innocent by the law. UNRESTRAINED COMMUNICATION Each individual is entitled to his own opinions, their expression and their communication (regardless of content and context). The Declaration explicitly iterates that this is a man’s most â€Å"precious right† and can only be annulled when it threatens the public order. The law establishes the threat. How exactly can you abuse the right of free speech? Who has the right to decide when freedom of speech is abused? A state may act unjustly towards the expression of politically or religiously sensitive opinions, as they may rouse widespread criticism and lead to an imbalance of governing power and authority. However, is it within the law’s rights to place the right to freedom of speech below its own interests? Such controversy is faced in places such as China and Russia. However, the uproar provoked by Julian Assange and Edward Snowden prove that the West cannot lay claims to an unmarred reputation of moral conduct. Individual intrinsic equality is never defined with autonomy, since it is always bordered by the canons of the law. The Declaration seems to state that the power of the law transcends the rights of man, as it may decide what is within and excluded from such rights. It is given the power to distinguish and determine. LAW The Declaration defines the primary duty of the law as an â€Å"expression of the will of the community† and that the law should only â€Å"[prohibit actions that are hurtful to society]†. It decrees, â€Å"what is not prohibited by the law, should not be hindered† and â€Å"the law ought to impose no other penalties but  such as are absolutely and evidently necessary†. The law is detailed as the decision-making faculty in society, it has the power to imprison, accuse, arrest, apprehend and (the two most important powers) to determine the extent at which one man may secure the liberal exercise of his own rights and to establish when public order is breached or threatened. So who deems what is â€Å"absolutely and evidently necessary†? Who holds the reins to the law? Shouldn’t the law be separate from the normal man, should it not occupy a different order of sovereignty? What gives another man the power to wield the scales of the law, is he superior to any other man that he may decide his counterpart’s fate? Who has the prerogative to empower another man with the sword and shield of the law? According to the declaration, â€Å"all citizens have a right†¦either personally, or by their representatives, in its formation†. So the populace, by right, has power over the law, which in turn, by right, has power over the populace. Ideally, this ascertains the equality of power. A cyclic system where the law changes with the people and adjusts itself accordingly as the essence of man itself changes; where any change in the attitudes of the people is reflected in a change in the law. Equilibrium is, therefore, maintained and this allows elasticity and exposes duality in the expression of power. This is by no means a moral system. By this definition, the law is as fickle as man and serves as an inadequate canon, an imitation canon to reassure us that we are a moral and just society. Though the Declaration implores the equal distribution of law, all being equal in its sight, it has managed to allow the atrocities committed in the past. The witch hunts, slave trade, oppression of women, exploitation of children and the inquisition are merely a few events where the latter section of the clause (â€Å"[the law] should be the same to all†) has been unpardonably violated. Is this the fault of the people? No, the fault lies with the educated  lawmakers, the â€Å"representatives†. REPRESENTATIVE The Declaration mentions lawmakers (or â€Å"representatives†) and their sole duty to express the will of the citizen. They are effectively the mouthpiece of the populace and are crucial for succinct communication between power and the people. In modern society, this role is prevalent in the majority of democratic states in the form of: Members of Parliament in the UK, Senators in the US and LegCo members in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the representative role can be held responsible for neglecting its duties and promulgating laws in favour of the upper echelons of society throughout history. The Church is one of the main perpetrators, abusing its influence and power to serve its own needs or requirements. It can be held directly responsible for the frenzied witch-hunts, the inquisition and the violent reformation, which are some of the darkest events in history. Wealthy plantation owners all over the world perpetuated the slave trade, since their operations were extremely labour intensive and extensively profit orientated. Plantations could not profit if workers were to be paid and treated fairly; therefore requiring underpaid and exploitable workers. Since the role of a representative is conventionally a caste specific role, it is nearly impossible for a member of the â€Å"people† to ascend to this position. Therefore the role of a lawmaker is somewhat disconnected from the people and is, perhaps, inadvertently stifling the voice of the people. The representative has, of course, the same (equal) rights of the people and therefore is entitled to ambition. Though their duty is to represent and express the will of the people, it is – rather understandably – second only to their personal desires and demands. Self-satisfaction is ingrained within every single complex organism on this planet, so it is only natural to pursue your own interests and seek your own ends. However, those with power (and above all representatives and lawmakers) have  the means to meet their ends. The mere possession of power is corruptive and addictive. Those in the upper classes of society will, at the very least, strive to remain in the rung they nestle in; fearing a relegation to a lower status. Many will desire to advance and climb further from the people and manipulate the resources available to them in order to do so. Yet, it is the privileged that possess such resources or have access to certain opportunities that allow them to advance and the unprivileged that don’t, thereby consolidating caste preservation and setting the cyclic nature of disparity in place. This is where the voice of the people is lost in transmission. This is evident in the American taxation scheme, where the wealthy benefit from certain policies that permits income to be classified otherwise and thereby avoiding the maximum rate of taxation. The Republican Party immortalizes these policies, as it contributes to their socio-economic preservation. What seems not to be apparent is that there is no need to abuse power. The correct expression of power and fair distribution can only bring about what the Declaration suggests: a level playing field. It would encourage a Darwinian model of progression, where the socio-economic advance and preservation of an individual is reliant on performance, ability, talent, skill and virtue. COMMON CONTRIBUTION It is necessary, according to the declaration, for a common contribution. This is for the â€Å"support of the public force, and for defraying the other expenses of government†. The declaration states that this common contribution ought to be â€Å"divided equally† amongst all â€Å"according to their abilities†. The former of the statements still rings true today and is the only thing reputed to be certain (apart from death). The latter stipulation, regrettably, has not. Internationally most citizens are taxed on their income, on the goods they  purchase and the money they inherit. Yet no system of taxation is truly fair, as the law affords disproportionate contribution and means of evading certain taxation. This is most evident in America, where many high net worth investors pay a smaller percentage of their income than their middle class, working counterparts. This is achieved through exploiting the capital gains tax and the carried interest tax. As a result of such exploitation, Warren Buffet only paid a combined tax rate of 17.4% in 2010, where less affluent Americans contributed up to 45% of their income to the government. The declaration stipulates that â€Å"common contribution† should be divided â€Å"equally among members of the community according to their abilities†. A merit and ability based taxation scheme is fair and just. So how should a population be taxed (if they are to be taxed on ability)? Taxing on the basis of income seems not to work. Perhaps the rate of tax should be varied by age or perhaps determined by occupation (seeing as occupation is decided by ability). A problem that arises is that this would discourage hard work and penalize success. Thus resulting in a population hesitant to use their abilities and work to their full capacity.