The idea of a guideline can refer to a direction to follow.
A lineament is a tendency , a direction or a characteristic feature of something. For example, a president can make a decision and affirm that he respects his “political line,” that is, that he is in line with his ideology or his political party.
The term can also be used as a set of orders or directives that a leader makes to his followers or subordinates. Continuing with the political example, a president can ask the resignation of a minister who acts contrary to his guidelines.
Therefore, a guideline is also an explanation or a statement of principles . When a political group presents its guidelines, it is making its position on certain issues known. Your members will then be in a position to decide if they agree with these ideas or, if not, if they prefer to stay outside the guidelines.
The guideline as a plan
On the other hand, a guideline is the program or action plan that governs any institution. According to this acceptance, it is a set of measures, standards and objectives that must be respected within an organization . If someone does not respect these guidelines, they will be at fault and may even be sanctioned, depending on the severity of their action.
In the case of a company, for example, during the planning stage for its opening it is necessary to carry out a well-defined series of procedures and comply with certain legal provisions , which are known as the legal guidelines . This is a certain number of aspects that every nascent company must face to start its business in accordance with current regulations. Below we will take Mexican laws as a reference.
A set of orders and an action plan can be referred to as guidelines.
Example of opening a company in Mexico
Firstly, there are the corporate aspects , that is, the part of the guidelines that refers to the constitution of the commercial company, choosing a modality that is directly related to the needs of the future company; In this case, a variable capital stock is usually chosen, for example, because it allows shareholders to have a degree of responsibility limited to the amount of money they contribute.
For the emergence of this Company to take place, there must be two or more shareholders, whether legal or natural persons, of national or foreign origin. The minimum capital is set by current regulations , which is why it must be consulted at the time of carrying out the procedure. The minimum amount that must be paid in advance is also stipulated by law.
With respect to administrative aspects , these are those permits that are required to open and operate a Company. In this case, the guidelines vary depending on the local authority and the type of business and operations of the future company. The most common, however, are the following: the land use notice, the opening declaration and, less frequently, the health notice and the operating license.
Guidelines regarding labor rights and safety standards
Compliance with the guidelines regarding labor aspects is also essential, respecting the legal provisions of the various organizations related to the laws and workers' rights.
On the other hand, there are certain provisions that meet the demands of hygiene and safety, not only for people but for the environment . In addition to the material conditions, there are contractual conditions, which affect the group and each individual.
The difference with the notion of lineament
As for the word lineament (which comes from the Latin term lineamentum ), it refers to the delineation or drawing of a body , by which its figure is distinguished and known.
In any case, guideline and guideline are often used interchangeably and talk about the same topic.