Land Securities Property Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Land Securities Property Group - Essay Example Investors often went for choosing commercial properties in place of bonds as investments because it offered very good return. Soon after 2007, this lucrative area of investment really became a nightmare zone for investors. The real estate industry faced setbacks due to globalisation, change in the economic scenario, recession, and sub-prime mortgage crisis. The property prices fell up to 50 percent. The commercial property industry revived by 2009 but the revival was not constant. There no stability in this industry anymore. The profits and losses in the real estate industry have become unpredictable. Moreover, the risk involved in investing in commercial property also pulled back the investors from such investments (Pickup & Derbyshire, 2010, p. 259-263). The economic downturn affected all the countries round the world. The intensity may be different but the dropping sales figures and decreasing revenue has been the scenario for most of the countries. The shops remained empty and th is further affected the property owners dealing in commercial property business. Many banks and companies declared themselves insolvent and filed for bankruptcy. In the backdrop of such economic scenario, we will analyse the position of the Commercial real-estate industry. Land Securities Group is one of the major players in the commercial property Industry in United Kingdom. Though the balance sheet of the company is showing positive results, but the market is not. The company is big and the capital base of the company is strong. The retail industry is facing huge losses And Retail giants such as Game, HMV or other super markets are have empty shops. In the study the analysis of the company Land Securities Group, is done keeping in mind the objectives behind the analysis: To study the competitive advantages and Strategies of Land Securities To analyse the complete external and internal environmental condition of the company. To see the status of its competitors To make projections regarding the future prospects of the commercial property Industry. Company Profile Land Securities Group is one of the largest commercial property companies in United Kingdom. It came into existence in the year 1944. Their main area of business is to develop shopping centres, retail shops and warehouses, offices and other commercial buildings. They are into maintenance, development, repairing of the property in both public and private sectors. Land Securities group is also into development of the urban community. For this purpose it has planned a multi-billion development program. Land Securities has a total of ? 4.9 billion of retail portfolio value. It owns more than 24 shopping centres and 19 retail parks. About ? 20.6 million sq. ft. of retail accommodation is developed by land securities group. The company is listed in London stock exchange. It has an operating income of ? 1244.1 million in 2011. Land Securities group also provides employment to more than 700 people. The compa ny has received several awards. It has received the Landlord of the year award, BCSC Gold Awards for retail Town Scheme and also National Property Company of the year award in 2011 (Landsecurities, 2012). Environmental Analysis PEST ANALYSIS PEST Analysis is mainly done to study the external environment for the company. Land Securities group is a company mainly situated in UK, which is going through its longest

Population resource environment - need in 12 hours Essay

Population resource environment - need in 12 hours - Essay Example Without the environment, humans and all other living things will find it hard to exist. Sustainable development is meeting the needs of the present generation and progressing economically without compromising the needs of the future generation (Reinhardt p.153). This makes sure that the resources, both humans and the natural environment alike, are used and developed in a way that will maintain both the present and future society. Without sustainability, natural resources will be depleted that it will compromise the future generations and endanger their very existence. This shows how important environmental protection is. Without economic progress, the nation will not be able to produce enough to maintain the growing population. But it is exactly because of the growing population that the carrying capacity of the land is jeopardized (Seitz pp.59-61). While maintaining economic progress, it is important to consider the different factors that it impacts, particularly the environment. Land and natural resources cannot be multiplied or created overnight. The growing population eats up land resources while the development and industrialization eats up the rest of the land and other natural resources in order to maintain the existence of the society. Environmental crisis exists because of the excessive use of the natural resources to the point of depletion. Other environmental costs of development are increase of harmful chemicals and toxic gases that pollutes the environment and affects humans gravely, global warming and more (Byrne and Rich pp.55-63). Though there are always new technologies and research es to find other resources that could provide the needs of the world, it continues to jeopardize the rest of the environment. Aside from that, industrialization continues to create technologies harmful not only for the natural environment but also for

What are some cause of the Renaissance How did the Renaissance differ Essay

What are some cause of the Renaissance How did the Renaissance differ from the prior Middle Ages - Essay Example Various factors caused the beginning of Renaissance. One of the principal causes, which contributed to the beginning of the Renaissance, is the crusades. These crusades included a series of wars organized by Western European Christians. The Christians fought with Muslims in order to recapture Holy Land, which the Muslims occupied (Gundersheimer 67). In addition, after the end of crusades, emerging crusaders brought ancient Greek and Latin texts back, which brought a revived concentration in classical works. Another factor contributing to the start of the Renaissance was the opening of the Mediterranean trade routes in the Italian city states. The opening of the Mediterranean route led to the development of a new merchant class that was remarkably influential. The most popular dynasty of the merchant class was the Medici family. The Medici family remained powerful throughout since they maintained the financial strength of Florence city (Hay 43). This influenced the transformation of i ndividual thinking and allowed Renaissance. New secular hunger for discovering texts caused Renaissance. Monasteries and courts in Europe had repositories of old texts and manuscripts. However, scholars desired a change in classical works; this stimulated massive appraisal of classical works. The desire by artists to discover new texts led to transformation in art work. One of the writers known as Petrarch triggered the Renaissance through writing about how his intention to discover texts had been ignored (Martin 87). Secular readers introduced and developed a taste and a hunger of reading and spreading classical writings. This happened with a renewed strength than the previous years, which led to a total transformation in classical works. Hence, the hunger for discovery of texts led to Renaissance. Reintroduction of classical works also caused Renaissance. Although there were classical

Source I suggests that attitudes to Elvis Presley Essay Example for Free

Source I suggests that attitudes to Elvis Presley Essay Q. 5. Source I suggests that attitudes to Elvis Presley were beginning to change by 1958. Use the source, and you own knowledge, to explain why this was happening. By 1958 Elvis Presleys popularity and acceptability with adults was still unchanged, and his manager, Colonel Parker, decided to revamp Elvis image to better suit the tastes of the older generations. In order to achieve this Elvis was persuaded to do what every other young American man was obliged to do at the time: spend time assigned to the US Army for National Service, wearing fatigues and earning a pittance. This gained him good publicity as can be seen from Source I, which is obviously keen on Elvis as it is using him to demonstrate the brilliance of Americas society and American democracy. The article is making use of his rise to fame (how he was a nobody who became a somebody so quickly) to prove how the American dream (how anybody can be famous and dreams can come true in America) is really possible. The article also states how Elvis did not simply use his riches and influence to buy his way out of this duty to his country. By serving his time in the Army alongside other, ordinary draftees and not asking for special favours, and because of the good publicity he got from it, Elvis gained great respect from the older, patriotic generation, making them feel less negative towards him. It would have seemed now to parents that Elvis was setting a good, nationalistic example to their children, showing them the right path, and they liked him and the impact he was having better for this reason. He was also seen as not rebelling against what society expected of him, again making him more acceptable by the old as a role model for the young. The source differs from sources B and C in that it is not being critical of Elvis, and it is showing how he might have a good influence rather than a wholly bad one. The opinions have changed so much at this point and continued to change after Elvis returned from the Army mainly because Elvis was no longer as shocking, and therefore not as dangerous an influence on the young, or the morality of American society through outrageous television performances (after the third Sullivan appearance, Elvis manager raised his television price from $50000 to $300000, and the networks refused the new proposal, so Elvis didnt do TV again until 1960). For example, Elvis shocking ducktail haircut was shorn, and Pageant magazine reported: Fans cried, parents sighed. On becoming a G. I. in the Army, Elvis said: Its a duty Ive got to fill, and Im gonna do it. I guess the only thing Ill hate about it is leaving my mama. Shes always been my best girl. This showed that Elvis had family values, and love for his mother, which would have made him seen more normal and down-to-earth (or less shocking and less rebellious). Again Elvis would have made parents think he would lead their children the right way, rather then corrupting their morals. By the time Elvis had returned from the Army in 1960, his TV appearances would have lost their initial shock. He was still popular, but the primal hysteria was gone, and shortly the fan magazines for teenagers would have had the Beatles to talk about. After joining the Army, Elvis also changed his musical style, performing some religious songs and doing a duet with Frank Sinatra, the grown-ups music star, making him a lot more acceptable, even likeable. It was around this time that Elvis started to star in his own films, but these films werent action packed or shocking. They were mainly romances and love stories, portraying the softer, tenderer side of Elvis that seemed less threatening to the adult generation. Generally, adults attitudes towards Elvis were beginning to improve by 1958 because of the change in his image. The youth however maintained their rebelliousness, and Elvis popularity among teenagers dropped slightly as they saw that adults found him more acceptable, or lost interest because he was no longer as downright shocking or rebellious as before.

Buying Favor: Why Congress Depends on Funding From Special Interests Es

There is a problem with Congress. The previous sentence summarizes the collective sentiment of the general public concerning the legislative branch of the federal government. A 2010 Gallop poll revealed that over eighty-nine percent of Americans have no confidence in Congress (Lessig 2). It is theorized that Congress is so far out of favor because it has been unable to resolve the nation’s most important issues, such as Medicare, Medicaid, immigration reform, and the growing budget deficit, due to seemingly trivial reasons. Some theorize this lack of significant legislative action is due to growing partisanship between the system’s dominate political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. According to Mark Brewer, â€Å"Politicians†¦are more likely to support their party and oppose the other party today than any other time since the 1950s (219).† Another hypothesis explaining the lack of legislative action by Congress is the special in terest theory. According to the theory’s advocates, the Congress has not accomplished much because of the institution’s dependency on large-scale campaign contributions; and these donors would rather there be little regulation or regulations supporting their specific industry. To support this hypothesis, Harvard University law professor Lawrence Lessig authored Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress–and a Plan to Stop It in 2011. The book details the effect of campaign funding by special interests and its effect on congressmembers and government policies. Within Republic, Lost, Lessig attempts to draw interest to the issue he believes is the reason for the federal government’s inactivity: dependence corruption. He argues congressmembers have become unresponsive to the will ... ...ed States Trade Representative. â€Å"Statement by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk on Congressional Passage of Trade Agreements, Trade Adjustment Assistance and Key Preference Programs.† Web. 4 May 2012. . â€Å"Public Support for Increased Trade, Except With South Korea and China.† 9 Nov. 2010. Pew Research Center. Web. 4 May 2012. Tea Party Platform. â€Å"Ten Core Beliefs of the Modern-Day Tea Party Movement.† 2011. Teapartyplatform.com. Web. 4 May 2012. . United States Bureau of the Census. â€Å"Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010.† By Thom File and Sarah Crissy. May 2010. Census Bureau. Web. 4 May 2012. .

Psy: Obedience Essay

Obedience is the act of practicing obeying; dutiful or submissive compliance. Humans have an instinct to obey because of the role authority plays. Milgram’s research proves my point in his case study that involved shocks of voltage. From birth, we learn that everything has a consequence or punishment after an action. Children learn simple philosophies in their youngest age such as obeying their parent’s requests. Something as simple as eating vegetables has a consequence. A reward gives the child satisfaction to emphasize the good behavior or, in the opposite case, bad behavior. As humans get older, this simple idea enlarges when it applies to different phases in life. Scientists like Milgrim and Marta Laupa study factors that play a role in obedience using variables like electrical shocks. In the psychology department, scientists like Milgrim, studied obedience to understand human behavior. He used cruel and unusual ways to study how humans will react to authority. The punishments included electrical shocks at different voltages. This is just one of way psychologists test authority versus obedience. His experiment involved 42 participants, some of them being the enforcer and some acting as the victim. The authority role would execute the victim with electrical shocks beginning from 15 to 450. Milgrim’s blind case study took place at Harvard University where the participants agreed to take part without any kind of explanation. The authoritative volunteer requested the number of voltages from the patient. No one objected the voltage until it reached a maximum of 450. As the voltage amount rose, the participants allegedly showed signs of stress and nervousness but never refused the electricity until the last and most fatal amount of voltage. Later, Milgrim altered the study by placing the authority figure outside of the electricity room. He or she used a loudspeaker to inform the victim of the situation. Participants were all of the sudden more reluctant to obey. This unethical experiment showed researchers and fellow observers how humans obey powerful authority to almost fatal conditions. Rather than disobeying, humans will instinctively continue even when conditions are close to death. Milgrim’s results differ from Laupa. Unlike Milgrim’s results, Laupa’s were less shocking, literally. The process involved students who were appointed as conflict managers or honor patrol. The chosen ones were taught to approach students to resolve arguments such as turn-taking. Laupa required 80 children from four classes: first grade, third grade, fifth grade, and seventh grade. Subjects were then put in situations where they must chose to listen to another person. For example, the scientist listed a few such as la dy versus former peer authority. This example is fundamental to the understanding of obedience. This illustration baffles children because they are put in a situation where the lady has adult status, which shows authority but no knowledge, but the former peer authority shows knowledge but no adult status like the previous lady. Laupa’s case proves that children are a biased subject to chose for the obedience in Milgrim’s case because children have a different way of thinking compared to adults who have prior experience to the social world. Children’s naive way of thinking benefits them since they are not interested in social system that adults are in everyday. Common sense would tell us that most people believe obedience is a critical aspect in social life and plays a great role in maintaining social order. On the contrary, every human being at different ages posses different aspirations that reflect their behavior. While some people respect authority by obeying, many do not, such as criminals or the students in detention. In Milgrim’s study, it is obvious that almost everyone respected authority possibly because they were under the impression that there were greater consequences or that they were in dire need to comply. In Laupa’s study, however, it showed that children were doubtful to peer authority and even adult authority. While some children are less timid than others, children have the instinct to question others because younger people are unaware of the social status adult figures hold. When comparing the two cases studies by Milgrim and Laupa, observers would agree that from childhood, people identify authority and obey them according to their figure in society or the status they hold.

Athletes Are Not Above the Law

Should any athlete be judged on what kind of person he or she is on or off the field, court, or swimming pool? The answer is yes, athletes should be punished for actions which occur in their own personal lives. In today’s world, sport stars and other athletes are looked up to by all ages. Everyone loves them. They look great in the eyes of the everyday public. They appear on television; they perform like rock stars, and do this with the entire world watching. But do athletes’ responsibilities affect only his or her performance on the field of play or does it also extend to his personal life as well? There are many who claim that it is wrong for a sophisticated society to force a set of behavior expectations on people who just happen to do extremely well in sports. â€Å"I am not a role model† (I’m Not a, par 1). That statement was said by former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Charles Barkeley. Some other players agree with him, in the fact, they do not and don’t expect to be considered role models (I’m Not a, par. 1). But the truth is, whether they like it or not, they are role models to many young fans who watch their every move on and off the field, and models their lives after how their favorite player does. Athletes should be judged on their actions off the field. First, they are role models to millions of young fans. Secondly, athletes are not above the law and should not be treated that way. Finally, they are representatives of their team, school, sport, and countries. First of all, athletes should be judge for their actions off the playing field because they are the role models of millions of young fans. Great athletes are always in the eye of the public and media, and their actions are seen both on and off the field, sometimes even when they think nobody is watching such as Olympic Gold Medalist and swimming phenomenon, Michael Phelps. Phelps is looked at as a national hero for is world record breaking efforts in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and a role model to millions of young kids all over the world. Recently, he was caught in a photograph smoking marijuana. In our exclusive photo Michael Phelps, who won a record EIGHT gold medals for swimming at the Beijing games last summer, draws from a bong†(Dickenson). Even though, Phelps thought he was in a trusted environment, and the photographer showed a severe lack of class in taking the photograph, just for a little cash. Phelps was seen by millions of people and the young fans who adore him and should be punished for is illegal actions not only by the law but in his sport, as well, because of his responsibility as a role model in the eyes of his young fans. Because of his of his great accomplishment and the affect it brought upon his young fans to model their lives after Phelps, what will his fans say when they are offered to smoke marijuana? â€Å"I saw Michael Phelps do it, so it cannot be that bad,† and make a wrong decision because of the actions of their hero. Athletes should be accounted for their actions of the playing fields because the negative influence they could put in the hands of their young fans. Secondly, athletes are not above the law, and should be monitored on and off the field. There are no double standard rules for athletes when they are in trouble with the law. They are regular human beings, such as you and I, and we should all be treated equally in the court of law: They are not above the law, and it's at least satisfying to see them pay the consequences as well (some of the time) like the regular folk. But, even if they are drunk or sober, should we at least expect some decent conduct in their spare time. These guys are doing what some of us hope or used to hope, happen to us. That is to get the opportunity to make a great salary doing something we love for a portion of the year! I’m Not a, par. 5) Athletes are not superior to the rest of us; they are just as prone to the consequences of the law as you or me. Athletes are not above the law, and should not be treated that way. They are just regular people like everyone else, they just have this lime light over their head twenty-four-seven. Finally, athletes represent their teams, schools, sports, and countries with every action they make on and off the field. When wearing the colors of their school or country while doing an unlawful act, it will give that rganization a bad reputation of leniency and not being a serious institution. â€Å"Two 20-year-old Duke University lacrosse players were arrested early Tuesday on charges of raping and kidnapping a stripper hired to dance at an off-campus party†(Duke Lacrosse Players, par. 1). Even though, the accusations were false and later dropped; the scandal forced the coach to resign, brought shame upon the university and the team’s season to an early end. Therefore, athletes are ambassadors of their teams, schools, sports and countries and they represent them on and off the field. Athletes are role models to millions of young fans. Secondly, athletes are not above the law and should not be treated that way. Finally, they are representatives of their teams, schools, sports, and countries. For those reasons, athletes should be judged for their actions off the field. Great competitors are always in the eye of the media, and decisions could affect the lives of their fans, team members, coaches, and clubs. So they should strive to not be only outstanding athletes on the field, but outstanding citizens off the field. Work Cited http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5348321