Beach Street Legal LLC

Adviser Changes of Control: An Elusive Definition

In some form or another, nearly every registered investment adviser will at some point be involved in a merger, acquisition, sale, or restructuring. Whether it’s a simple equity ownership stake by a new financier, the addition of a new partner, a union of two practices, the death of a major shareholder or the full-blown execution of a succession plan, RIAs will inevitably need to navigate SEC “change of control” rules and guidance.

Such rules and guidance are rooted in the requirement that investment advisory contracts may not be assigned without client consent. I discussed the interplay of positive and negative consent a few years back in this article , but left open the question of what actually constitutes an “assignment” that would necessitate client consent. Said another way, what types of mergers, acquisitions, sales, or restructurings are considered an assignment of an advisory contract and therefore require client consent?

For starters, the SEC attempts to define “assignment” in the very first definition of the Investment Advisers Act, Section 202(a)(1): “Assignment includes any direct or indirect transfer or hypothecation of an investment advisory contract by the assignor or of a controlling block of the assignor’s outstanding voting securities by a security holder of the assignor […]”.

There are a few more sentences specific to partnerships, but we’ll address that later. The general concept of the “assignment” definition is that there are essentially two situations in which an assignment is deemed to have occurred: (1) when advisory contracts are transferred to another RIA or pledged as collateral, or (2) The equity ownership structure of an RIA changes such that a “controlling block” of the RIA’s outstanding voting securities changes hands.

Both situations would trigger the need for client consent.

With respect to #2, the logical next question is: what constitutes a “controlling block?” What percentage of voting equity interest needs to change hands for the SEC to care? Unfortunately the SEC does not define “controlling block”, but we can cobble together an understanding from a few different guideposts.

The first is Section 202(a)(12) of the Advisers Act, which defines “control” as “the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company”. This is only moderately helpful since “controlling influence” is still left undefined, but at least we can discern that such control should be in relation to management of the RIA or its policies. And just because somebody employed by an RIA has a fancy title doesn’t mean he or she automatically has control over the RIA.

The second is the instructions to Form ADV Part 1, the glossary to which presumes that RIA equity owners with the right to vote 25% or more of the securities of that RIA “control” that RIA. Under this framework, the following persons would be deemed to control an RIA:

  • A corporate stockholder that owns 25% of its voting stock
  • A LLC member that owns 25% of its voting membership units, has contributed 25% of the capital, or has a right to receive 25% of the capital upon dissolution
  • A partner that has contributed 25% of the partnership’s capital, or has the right to receive 25% of the capital upon dissolution

The third is actually the section that defines “control” in the Investment Company Act (applicable to mutual funds), not the Advisers Act. In Section 2(a)(9), the SEC establishes a rebuttable presumption that “any person who owns beneficially, either directly or through one or more controlled companies, more than 25% of the voting securities of a company shall be presumed to control such company”. Though technically not applicable to RIA change of control scenarios, many have looked to this percentage as a helpful guidepost regardless.

The fourth is SEC Rule 202(a)(1)-1, which states that “a transaction which does not result in a change of actual control or management of an investment adviser is not an assignment for purposes of section 205(a)(2) of the [Investment Advisers] Act”. This mainly applies to reorganizations, and the SEC cites a scenario in which an RIA changes its state of incorporation as one example of a transaction that would not constitute a change of control.

The fifth and final guidepost is several no-action letters that, though fact-specific to the complex transactions described therein, generally stand for the proposition that the SEC is ultimately concerned with the “trafficking” in investment advisory contracts to the detriment of investors. So long as there is no actual change in control or management of an RIA, the trafficking concern is moot.

Side bar about RIAs organized as partnerships: minority partners that are admitted to the partnership, die, or otherwise withdraw from the partnership do not trigger an advisory contract assignment. That said, any change in the membership of the partnership triggers a client notification obligation within a reasonable time.

This is all a tortuous way of saying that determining whether or not an advisory contract assignment or change in control has occurred may not be as straightforward as it seems. Complete lift-outs or cash-for-stock transactions are likely a no-brainer, but private equity infusions, partial buyouts and certain mergers likely require a more nuanced analysis.

The 25% voting security threshold is by analogy only, and higher or lower thresholds may very well be justified given the right facts.

When in doubt, simply send clients a negative consent to borderline control changes (assuming your advisory contracts permit negative consent) and let them decide whether or not to continue the advisory relationship.

This article originally appeared on October 28, 2016 in ThinkAdvisor .

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

  • Knowledge Base

Methodology

  • Random Assignment in Experiments | Introduction & Examples

Random Assignment in Experiments | Introduction & Examples

Published on March 8, 2021 by Pritha Bhandari . Revised on June 22, 2023.

In experimental research, random assignment is a way of placing participants from your sample into different treatment groups using randomization.

With simple random assignment, every member of the sample has a known or equal chance of being placed in a control group or an experimental group. Studies that use simple random assignment are also called completely randomized designs .

Random assignment is a key part of experimental design . It helps you ensure that all groups are comparable at the start of a study: any differences between them are due to random factors, not research biases like sampling bias or selection bias .

Table of contents

Why does random assignment matter, random sampling vs random assignment, how do you use random assignment, when is random assignment not used, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about random assignment.

Random assignment is an important part of control in experimental research, because it helps strengthen the internal validity of an experiment and avoid biases.

In experiments, researchers manipulate an independent variable to assess its effect on a dependent variable, while controlling for other variables. To do so, they often use different levels of an independent variable for different groups of participants.

This is called a between-groups or independent measures design.

You use three groups of participants that are each given a different level of the independent variable:

  • a control group that’s given a placebo (no dosage, to control for a placebo effect ),
  • an experimental group that’s given a low dosage,
  • a second experimental group that’s given a high dosage.

Random assignment to helps you make sure that the treatment groups don’t differ in systematic ways at the start of the experiment, as this can seriously affect (and even invalidate) your work.

If you don’t use random assignment, you may not be able to rule out alternative explanations for your results.

  • participants recruited from cafes are placed in the control group ,
  • participants recruited from local community centers are placed in the low dosage experimental group,
  • participants recruited from gyms are placed in the high dosage group.

With this type of assignment, it’s hard to tell whether the participant characteristics are the same across all groups at the start of the study. Gym-users may tend to engage in more healthy behaviors than people who frequent cafes or community centers, and this would introduce a healthy user bias in your study.

Although random assignment helps even out baseline differences between groups, it doesn’t always make them completely equivalent. There may still be extraneous variables that differ between groups, and there will always be some group differences that arise from chance.

Most of the time, the random variation between groups is low, and, therefore, it’s acceptable for further analysis. This is especially true when you have a large sample. In general, you should always use random assignment in experiments when it is ethically possible and makes sense for your study topic.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Random sampling and random assignment are both important concepts in research, but it’s important to understand the difference between them.

Random sampling (also called probability sampling or random selection) is a way of selecting members of a population to be included in your study. In contrast, random assignment is a way of sorting the sample participants into control and experimental groups.

While random sampling is used in many types of studies, random assignment is only used in between-subjects experimental designs.

Some studies use both random sampling and random assignment, while others use only one or the other.

Random sample vs random assignment

Random sampling enhances the external validity or generalizability of your results, because it helps ensure that your sample is unbiased and representative of the whole population. This allows you to make stronger statistical inferences .

You use a simple random sample to collect data. Because you have access to the whole population (all employees), you can assign all 8000 employees a number and use a random number generator to select 300 employees. These 300 employees are your full sample.

Random assignment enhances the internal validity of the study, because it ensures that there are no systematic differences between the participants in each group. This helps you conclude that the outcomes can be attributed to the independent variable .

  • a control group that receives no intervention.
  • an experimental group that has a remote team-building intervention every week for a month.

You use random assignment to place participants into the control or experimental group. To do so, you take your list of participants and assign each participant a number. Again, you use a random number generator to place each participant in one of the two groups.

To use simple random assignment, you start by giving every member of the sample a unique number. Then, you can use computer programs or manual methods to randomly assign each participant to a group.

  • Random number generator: Use a computer program to generate random numbers from the list for each group.
  • Lottery method: Place all numbers individually in a hat or a bucket, and draw numbers at random for each group.
  • Flip a coin: When you only have two groups, for each number on the list, flip a coin to decide if they’ll be in the control or the experimental group.
  • Use a dice: When you have three groups, for each number on the list, roll a dice to decide which of the groups they will be in. For example, assume that rolling 1 or 2 lands them in a control group; 3 or 4 in an experimental group; and 5 or 6 in a second control or experimental group.

This type of random assignment is the most powerful method of placing participants in conditions, because each individual has an equal chance of being placed in any one of your treatment groups.

Random assignment in block designs

In more complicated experimental designs, random assignment is only used after participants are grouped into blocks based on some characteristic (e.g., test score or demographic variable). These groupings mean that you need a larger sample to achieve high statistical power .

For example, a randomized block design involves placing participants into blocks based on a shared characteristic (e.g., college students versus graduates), and then using random assignment within each block to assign participants to every treatment condition. This helps you assess whether the characteristic affects the outcomes of your treatment.

In an experimental matched design , you use blocking and then match up individual participants from each block based on specific characteristics. Within each matched pair or group, you randomly assign each participant to one of the conditions in the experiment and compare their outcomes.

Sometimes, it’s not relevant or ethical to use simple random assignment, so groups are assigned in a different way.

When comparing different groups

Sometimes, differences between participants are the main focus of a study, for example, when comparing men and women or people with and without health conditions. Participants are not randomly assigned to different groups, but instead assigned based on their characteristics.

In this type of study, the characteristic of interest (e.g., gender) is an independent variable, and the groups differ based on the different levels (e.g., men, women, etc.). All participants are tested the same way, and then their group-level outcomes are compared.

When it’s not ethically permissible

When studying unhealthy or dangerous behaviors, it’s not possible to use random assignment. For example, if you’re studying heavy drinkers and social drinkers, it’s unethical to randomly assign participants to one of the two groups and ask them to drink large amounts of alcohol for your experiment.

When you can’t assign participants to groups, you can also conduct a quasi-experimental study . In a quasi-experiment, you study the outcomes of pre-existing groups who receive treatments that you may not have any control over (e.g., heavy drinkers and social drinkers). These groups aren’t randomly assigned, but may be considered comparable when some other variables (e.g., age or socioeconomic status) are controlled for.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

  • Academic style
  • Vague sentences
  • Style consistency

See an example

definition assignment control

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

  • Student’s  t -distribution
  • Normal distribution
  • Null and Alternative Hypotheses
  • Chi square tests
  • Confidence interval
  • Quartiles & Quantiles
  • Cluster sampling
  • Stratified sampling
  • Data cleansing
  • Reproducibility vs Replicability
  • Peer review
  • Prospective cohort study

Research bias

  • Implicit bias
  • Cognitive bias
  • Placebo effect
  • Hawthorne effect
  • Hindsight bias
  • Affect heuristic
  • Social desirability bias

In experimental research, random assignment is a way of placing participants from your sample into different groups using randomization. With this method, every member of the sample has a known or equal chance of being placed in a control group or an experimental group.

Random selection, or random sampling , is a way of selecting members of a population for your study’s sample.

In contrast, random assignment is a way of sorting the sample into control and experimental groups.

Random sampling enhances the external validity or generalizability of your results, while random assignment improves the internal validity of your study.

Random assignment is used in experiments with a between-groups or independent measures design. In this research design, there’s usually a control group and one or more experimental groups. Random assignment helps ensure that the groups are comparable.

In general, you should always use random assignment in this type of experimental design when it is ethically possible and makes sense for your study topic.

To implement random assignment , assign a unique number to every member of your study’s sample .

Then, you can use a random number generator or a lottery method to randomly assign each number to a control or experimental group. You can also do so manually, by flipping a coin or rolling a dice to randomly assign participants to groups.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Bhandari, P. (2023, June 22). Random Assignment in Experiments | Introduction & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/random-assignment/

Is this article helpful?

Pritha Bhandari

Pritha Bhandari

Other students also liked, guide to experimental design | overview, steps, & examples, confounding variables | definition, examples & controls, control groups and treatment groups | uses & examples, what is your plagiarism score.

Random Assignment in Psychology: Definition & Examples

Julia Simkus

Editor at Simply Psychology

BA (Hons) Psychology, Princeton University

Julia Simkus is a graduate of Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She is currently studying for a Master's Degree in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness in September 2023. Julia's research has been published in peer reviewed journals.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, Ph.D., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years experience of working in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

In psychology, random assignment refers to the practice of allocating participants to different experimental groups in a study in a completely unbiased way, ensuring each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group.

In experimental research, random assignment, or random placement, organizes participants from your sample into different groups using randomization. 

Random assignment uses chance procedures to ensure that each participant has an equal opportunity of being assigned to either a control or experimental group.

The control group does not receive the treatment in question, whereas the experimental group does receive the treatment.

When using random assignment, neither the researcher nor the participant can choose the group to which the participant is assigned. This ensures that any differences between and within the groups are not systematic at the onset of the study. 

In a study to test the success of a weight-loss program, investigators randomly assigned a pool of participants to one of two groups.

Group A participants participated in the weight-loss program for 10 weeks and took a class where they learned about the benefits of healthy eating and exercise.

Group B participants read a 200-page book that explains the benefits of weight loss. The investigator randomly assigned participants to one of the two groups.

The researchers found that those who participated in the program and took the class were more likely to lose weight than those in the other group that received only the book.

Importance 

Random assignment ensures that each group in the experiment is identical before applying the independent variable.

In experiments , researchers will manipulate an independent variable to assess its effect on a dependent variable, while controlling for other variables. Random assignment increases the likelihood that the treatment groups are the same at the onset of a study.

Thus, any changes that result from the independent variable can be assumed to be a result of the treatment of interest. This is particularly important for eliminating sources of bias and strengthening the internal validity of an experiment.

Random assignment is the best method for inferring a causal relationship between a treatment and an outcome.

Random Selection vs. Random Assignment 

Random selection (also called probability sampling or random sampling) is a way of randomly selecting members of a population to be included in your study.

On the other hand, random assignment is a way of sorting the sample participants into control and treatment groups. 

Random selection ensures that everyone in the population has an equal chance of being selected for the study. Once the pool of participants has been chosen, experimenters use random assignment to assign participants into groups. 

Random assignment is only used in between-subjects experimental designs, while random selection can be used in a variety of study designs.

Random Assignment vs Random Sampling

Random sampling refers to selecting participants from a population so that each individual has an equal chance of being chosen. This method enhances the representativeness of the sample.

Random assignment, on the other hand, is used in experimental designs once participants are selected. It involves allocating these participants to different experimental groups or conditions randomly.

This helps ensure that any differences in results across groups are due to manipulating the independent variable, not preexisting differences among participants.

When to Use Random Assignment

Random assignment is used in experiments with a between-groups or independent measures design.

In these research designs, researchers will manipulate an independent variable to assess its effect on a dependent variable, while controlling for other variables.

There is usually a control group and one or more experimental groups. Random assignment helps ensure that the groups are comparable at the onset of the study.

How to Use Random Assignment

There are a variety of ways to assign participants into study groups randomly. Here are a handful of popular methods: 

  • Random Number Generator : Give each member of the sample a unique number; use a computer program to randomly generate a number from the list for each group.
  • Lottery : Give each member of the sample a unique number. Place all numbers in a hat or bucket and draw numbers at random for each group.
  • Flipping a Coin : Flip a coin for each participant to decide if they will be in the control group or experimental group (this method can only be used when you have just two groups) 
  • Roll a Die : For each number on the list, roll a dice to decide which of the groups they will be in. For example, assume that rolling 1, 2, or 3 places them in a control group and rolling 3, 4, 5 lands them in an experimental group.

When is Random Assignment not used?

  • When it is not ethically permissible: Randomization is only ethical if the researcher has no evidence that one treatment is superior to the other or that one treatment might have harmful side effects. 
  • When answering non-causal questions : If the researcher is just interested in predicting the probability of an event, the causal relationship between the variables is not important and observational designs would be more suitable than random assignment. 
  • When studying the effect of variables that cannot be manipulated: Some risk factors cannot be manipulated and so it would not make any sense to study them in a randomized trial. For example, we cannot randomly assign participants into categories based on age, gender, or genetic factors.

Drawbacks of Random Assignment

While randomization assures an unbiased assignment of participants to groups, it does not guarantee the equality of these groups. There could still be extraneous variables that differ between groups or group differences that arise from chance. Additionally, there is still an element of luck with random assignments.

Thus, researchers can not produce perfectly equal groups for each specific study. Differences between the treatment group and control group might still exist, and the results of a randomized trial may sometimes be wrong, but this is absolutely okay.

Scientific evidence is a long and continuous process, and the groups will tend to be equal in the long run when data is aggregated in a meta-analysis.

Additionally, external validity (i.e., the extent to which the researcher can use the results of the study to generalize to the larger population) is compromised with random assignment.

Random assignment is challenging to implement outside of controlled laboratory conditions and might not represent what would happen in the real world at the population level. 

Random assignment can also be more costly than simple observational studies, where an investigator is just observing events without intervening with the population.

Randomization also can be time-consuming and challenging, especially when participants refuse to receive the assigned treatment or do not adhere to recommendations. 

What is the difference between random sampling and random assignment?

Random sampling refers to randomly selecting a sample of participants from a population. Random assignment refers to randomly assigning participants to treatment groups from the selected sample.

Does random assignment increase internal validity?

Yes, random assignment ensures that there are no systematic differences between the participants in each group, enhancing the study’s internal validity .

Does random assignment reduce sampling error?

Yes, with random assignment, participants have an equal chance of being assigned to either a control group or an experimental group, resulting in a sample that is, in theory, representative of the population.

Random assignment does not completely eliminate sampling error because a sample only approximates the population from which it is drawn. However, random sampling is a way to minimize sampling errors. 

When is random assignment not possible?

Random assignment is not possible when the experimenters cannot control the treatment or independent variable.

For example, if you want to compare how men and women perform on a test, you cannot randomly assign subjects to these groups.

Participants are not randomly assigned to different groups in this study, but instead assigned based on their characteristics.

Does random assignment eliminate confounding variables?

Yes, random assignment eliminates the influence of any confounding variables on the treatment because it distributes them at random among the study groups. Randomization invalidates any relationship between a confounding variable and the treatment.

Why is random assignment of participants to treatment conditions in an experiment used?

Random assignment is used to ensure that all groups are comparable at the start of a study. This allows researchers to conclude that the outcomes of the study can be attributed to the intervention at hand and to rule out alternative explanations for study results.

Further Reading

  • Bogomolnaia, A., & Moulin, H. (2001). A new solution to the random assignment problem .  Journal of Economic theory ,  100 (2), 295-328.
  • Krause, M. S., & Howard, K. I. (2003). What random assignment does and does not do .  Journal of Clinical Psychology ,  59 (7), 751-766.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Therapy Center
  • When To See a Therapist
  • Types of Therapy
  • Best Online Therapy
  • Best Couples Therapy
  • Best Family Therapy
  • Managing Stress
  • Sleep and Dreaming
  • Understanding Emotions
  • Self-Improvement
  • Healthy Relationships
  • Student Resources
  • Personality Types
  • Verywell Mind Insights
  • 2023 Verywell Mind 25
  • Mental Health in the Classroom
  • Editorial Process
  • Meet Our Review Board
  • Crisis Support

The Definition of Random Assignment According to Psychology

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

definition assignment control

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

definition assignment control

Materio / Getty Images

Random assignment refers to the use of chance procedures in psychology experiments to ensure that each participant has the same opportunity to be assigned to any given group in a study to eliminate any potential bias in the experiment at the outset. Participants are randomly assigned to different groups, such as the treatment group versus the control group. In clinical research, randomized clinical trials are known as the gold standard for meaningful results.

Simple random assignment techniques might involve tactics such as flipping a coin, drawing names out of a hat, rolling dice, or assigning random numbers to a list of participants. It is important to note that random assignment differs from random selection .

While random selection refers to how participants are randomly chosen from a target population as representatives of that population, random assignment refers to how those chosen participants are then assigned to experimental groups.

Random Assignment In Research

To determine if changes in one variable will cause changes in another variable, psychologists must perform an experiment. Random assignment is a critical part of the experimental design that helps ensure the reliability of the study outcomes.

Researchers often begin by forming a testable hypothesis predicting that one variable of interest will have some predictable impact on another variable.

The variable that the experimenters will manipulate in the experiment is known as the independent variable , while the variable that they will then measure for different outcomes is known as the dependent variable. While there are different ways to look at relationships between variables, an experiment is the best way to get a clear idea if there is a cause-and-effect relationship between two or more variables.

Once researchers have formulated a hypothesis, conducted background research, and chosen an experimental design, it is time to find participants for their experiment. How exactly do researchers decide who will be part of an experiment? As mentioned previously, this is often accomplished through something known as random selection.

Random Selection

In order to generalize the results of an experiment to a larger group, it is important to choose a sample that is representative of the qualities found in that population. For example, if the total population is 60% female and 40% male, then the sample should reflect those same percentages.

Choosing a representative sample is often accomplished by randomly picking people from the population to be participants in a study. Random selection means that everyone in the group stands an equal chance of being chosen to minimize any bias. Once a pool of participants has been selected, it is time to assign them to groups.

By randomly assigning the participants into groups, the experimenters can be fairly sure that each group will have the same characteristics before the independent variable is applied.

Participants might be randomly assigned to the control group , which does not receive the treatment in question. The control group may receive a placebo or receive the standard treatment. Participants may also be randomly assigned to the experimental group , which receives the treatment of interest. In larger studies, there can be multiple treatment groups for comparison.

There are simple methods of random assignment, like rolling the die. However, there are more complex techniques that involve random number generators to remove any human error.

There can also be random assignment to groups with pre-established rules or parameters. For example, if you want to have an equal number of men and women in each of your study groups, you might separate your sample into two groups (by sex) before randomly assigning each of those groups into the treatment group and control group.

Random assignment is essential because it increases the likelihood that the groups are the same at the outset. With all characteristics being equal between groups, other than the application of the independent variable, any differences found between group outcomes can be more confidently attributed to the effect of the intervention.

Example of Random Assignment

Imagine that a researcher is interested in learning whether or not drinking caffeinated beverages prior to an exam will improve test performance. After randomly selecting a pool of participants, each person is randomly assigned to either the control group or the experimental group.

The participants in the control group consume a placebo drink prior to the exam that does not contain any caffeine. Those in the experimental group, on the other hand, consume a caffeinated beverage before taking the test.

Participants in both groups then take the test, and the researcher compares the results to determine if the caffeinated beverage had any impact on test performance.

A Word From Verywell

Random assignment plays an important role in the psychology research process. Not only does this process help eliminate possible sources of bias, but it also makes it easier to generalize the results of a tested sample of participants to a larger population.

Random assignment helps ensure that members of each group in the experiment are the same, which means that the groups are also likely more representative of what is present in the larger population of interest. Through the use of this technique, psychology researchers are able to study complex phenomena and contribute to our understanding of the human mind and behavior.

Lin Y, Zhu M, Su Z. The pursuit of balance: An overview of covariate-adaptive randomization techniques in clinical trials . Contemp Clin Trials. 2015;45(Pt A):21-25. doi:10.1016/j.cct.2015.07.011

Sullivan L. Random assignment versus random selection . In: The SAGE Glossary of the Social and Behavioral Sciences. SAGE Publications, Inc.; 2009. doi:10.4135/9781412972024.n2108

Alferes VR. Methods of Randomization in Experimental Design . SAGE Publications, Inc.; 2012. doi:10.4135/9781452270012

Nestor PG, Schutt RK. Research Methods in Psychology: Investigating Human Behavior. (2nd Ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.; 2015.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Difference Between Assignment, Novation and a Change of Control Clause

' decoding=

By Stephanie Mee Lawyer

Updated on October 14, 2022 Reading time: 5 minutes

This article meets our strict editorial principles. Our lawyers, experienced writers and legally trained editorial team put every effort into ensuring the information published on our website is accurate. We encourage you to seek independent legal advice. Learn more .

What is the Right of Assignment?

What is novation.

  • What is a “Change of Control”?

How Do They Differ?

Key takeaways, frequently asked questions.

Contractual rights, obligations and performance are all essential factors of any contract landscape. Identifying the parties and their responsibilities are the key building blocks of any commercial arrangement. As a result, the rights of assignment, novation and what to do in the case of a change of control all influence the architecture of your contract. 

As a business owner entering commercial contracts, knowing what these terms mean is vital. This article will explore the differences between e ach clause and their impact on your contract.

The right of assignment arises as a boilerplate clause in most contracts. This means that it is generally included as standard wording and is not usually subject to much rewording. 

Typically, the right of assignment will look like the following:

A Party must not assign or deal with the whole or any part of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other Party (such consent is not to be unreasonably withheld).

The effect is that you can assign certain rights under the contract to someone else with written consent. For example, the right to be paid a debt owed could be assigned to a third party, perhaps if that third party was wronged (such as in the case where the third party’s intellectual property rights were infringed). 

However, assignment is limited in that only rights can be assigned, not responsibilities . For example, you cannot assign another party the actual obligation to perform the contract. 

On the other hand, the right to novation allows for the transfer of responsibility or liability. That is, if you no longer wish to or are no longer able to perform the contract, you could novate it to a third party. 

Imagine that you are being replaced by a third party, cut out of the contract and a third party put in your place with access to your rights and burdens. Even though novation only needs to deal with the burdens of a contract, it will typically handle the whole arrangement.

As a result, novation does not occur only between two parties. A ll three parties subject to this change must be involved and sign off on the change. Typically, y ou will use a deed , and all three parties to the change must sign and acknowledge that one party is stepping out, allowing another to step in. 

What is a “Change of Control”?

A ‘change of control’ is another clause that affects who is a party to a contract and who has responsibilities for its rights and obligations. It is common to find this kind of clause in your contracts as a boilerplate or a general mention . 

A change of control refers to the make-up of a contracting party. It looks at the ownership structure of the other business contracting with you and states that if there is a significant change in the legal ownership and control of that party, you can legally exit the contract. 

It may look something like this: 

We shall have the right to terminate, without prejudice to our other rights and remedies, with 30 days written notice to you if there is a Change of Control. 

Your business might find this clause beneficial if you are seeking to:

  • preserve and recognise an existing close business relationship with the other party;
  • avoid the outcome where a competitor or potential competitor comes into ownership of the other party; 
  • avoid specific risks that may be posed by certain companies or groups. 

Notably, not just any change to a counterparty constitutes a change of control. In contracts, a change of control will often be defined with reference to the Corporations Act . In this legislation, a change of control has occurred when another entity has the capacity to determine the outcomes of decisions for the counterparty, particularly financial and operating decisions. Other contracts will specify that there has to be a change of 50% of the counterparty’s board or ownership. 

Both assignment and novation deal with how rights and obligations under a contract are transferred. A change of control addresses changes to the parties themselves, even as they remain linked to the rights and obligations. 

In broad terms: 

  • assignment deals with transferring a benefit or right to another party; 
  • novation deals with transferring a burden (and often everything else in the contract) to another party; and
  • change of control deals with who the counterparty is and whether you feel comfortable continuing your commercial relationship with them, even if their ownership or leadership changes. 

Front page of publication

Before sending electronic messages, learn how your business can comply with the Spam Act with our free Spam Consent Factsheet.

A contract is built on several key building blocks, including who the parties are and t heir responsib ilities . The rights of assignment, novation and a change of control aim to address changes to these key building blocks. They a im to give boundaries to who can be a party to the contract and t heir obligations.  

For more information about your commercial contract, our experienced contract lawyers can assist you as part of our LegalVision membership. For a low monthly fee, you will have unlimited access to lawyers to answer your questions and draft and review your documents. Call us today on 1300 544 755 or visit our membership page .

Before you assign or novate, you will want to consider whether the new party can properly benefit from whatever you assign to them, or perform the obligations you intend to novate. You may also want to consider the work that has already been completed and who will be liable for that prior work. Likewise, think about how you will manage other agreements attached to the contract.

Generally, this is interpreted broadly and given a common-sense meaning. It will very much depend on the particular arrangement, the nature of the contract and the benefit being assigned. A consideration of what is reasonable may also look to defaults in obligations or solvency issues of the assignee.

We appreciate your feedback – your submission has been successfully received.

Register for our free webinars

Navigating legal privilege: conflict strategies for in-house counsel, venture debt: is it the solution for your startup, preparing your business for legal and financial success in 2024, minimising legal risks in ndis staff hiring: ensuring proper contracts and payments, contact us now.

Fill out the form and we will contact you within one business day

Related articles

' decoding=

What Tenants Need to Know About Change in Control Provisions

' decoding=

Penalties for Unfair Contract Terms 

' decoding=

What is a Deed of Variation?

' decoding=

Can I Sign Contracts Electronically During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

We’re an award-winning law firm

Award

2023 Fast Firms - Australasian Lawyer

Award

2022 Law Firm of the Year - Australasian Law Awards

Award

2021 Law Firm of the Year - Australasian Law Awards

Award

2020 Excellence in Technology & Innovation Finalist - Australasian Law Awards

Award

2020 Employer of Choice Winner - Australasian Lawyer

Primary tabs

Assignment is a legal term whereby an individual, the “assignor,” transfers rights, property, or other benefits to another known as the “ assignee .”   This concept is used in both contract and property law.  The term can refer to either the act of transfer or the rights /property/benefits being transferred.

Contract Law   

Under contract law, assignment of a contract is both: (1) an assignment of rights; and (2) a delegation of duties , in the absence of evidence otherwise.  For example, if A contracts with B to teach B guitar for $50, A can assign this contract to C.  That is, this assignment is both: (1) an assignment of A’s rights under the contract to the $50; and (2) a delegation of A’s duty to teach guitar to C.  In this example, A is both the “assignor” and the “delegee” who d elegates the duties to another (C), C is known as the “ obligor ” who must perform the obligations to the assignee , and B is the “ assignee ” who is owed duties and is liable to the “ obligor ”.

(1) Assignment of Rights/Duties Under Contract Law

There are a few notable rules regarding assignments under contract law.  First, if an individual has not yet secured the contract to perform duties to another, he/she cannot assign his/her future right to an assignee .  That is, if A has not yet contracted with B to teach B guitar, A cannot assign his/her rights to C.  Second, rights cannot be assigned when they materially change the obligor ’s duty and rights.  Third, the obligor can sue the assignee directly if the assignee does not pay him/her.  Following the previous example, this means that C ( obligor ) can sue B ( assignee ) if C teaches guitar to B, but B does not pay C $50 in return.

            (2) Delegation of Duties

If the promised performance requires a rare genius or skill, then the delegee cannot delegate it to the obligor.  It can only be delegated if the promised performance is more commonplace.  Further, an obligee can sue if the assignee does not perform.  However, the delegee is secondarily liable unless there has been an express release of the delegee.  That is, if B does want C to teach guitar but C refuses to, then B can sue C.  If C still refuses to perform, then B can compel A to fulfill the duties under secondary liability.

Lastly, a related concept is novation , which is when a new obligor substitutes and releases an old obligor.  If novation occurs, then the original obligor’s duties are wiped out. However, novation requires an original obligee’s consent .  

Property Law

Under property law, assignment typically arises in landlord-tenant situations.  For example, A might be renting from landlord B but wants to another party (C) to take over the property.   In this scenario, A might be able to choose between assigning and subleasing the property to C.  If assigning , A would be giving C the entire balance of the term, with no reversion to anyone whereas if subleasing , A would be giving C for a limited period of the remaining term.  Significantly, under assignment C would have privity of estate with the landlord while under a sublease, C would not. 

[Last updated in May of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

  • business law
  • landlord & tenant
  • property & real estate law
  • trusts, inheritances & estates
  • wex definitions

This browser is no longer supported.

Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.

Understand Azure role definitions

  • 12 contributors

If you are trying to understand how an Azure role works or if you are creating your own Azure custom role , it's helpful to understand how roles are defined. This article describes the details of role definitions and provides some examples.

Role definition

A role definition is a collection of permissions. It's sometimes just called a role . A role definition lists the actions that can be performed, such as read, write, and delete. It can also list the actions that are excluded from allowed actions or actions related to underlying data.

The following shows an example of the properties in a role definition when displayed using Azure PowerShell :

The following shows an example of the properties in a role definition when displayed using the Azure CLI or REST API :

The following table describes what the role properties mean.

Actions format

Actions are specified with strings that have the following format:

  • {Company}.{ProviderName}/{resourceType}/{action}

The {action} portion of an action string specifies the type of actions you can perform on a resource type. For example, you will see the following substrings in {action} :

Role definition example

Here's the Contributor role definition as displayed in Azure PowerShell and Azure CLI. The wildcard ( * ) actions under Actions indicates that the principal assigned to this role can perform all actions, or in other words, it can manage everything. This includes actions defined in the future, as Azure adds new resource types. The actions under NotActions are subtracted from Actions . In the case of the Contributor role, NotActions removes this role's ability to manage access to resources and also manage Azure Blueprints assignments.

Contributor role as displayed in Azure PowerShell :

Contributor role as displayed in Azure CLI :

Control and data actions

Role-based access control for control plane actions is specified in the Actions and NotActions properties of a role definition. Here are some examples of control plane actions in Azure:

  • Manage access to a storage account
  • Create, update, or delete a blob container
  • Delete a resource group and all of its resources

Control plane access is not inherited to your data plane provided that the container authentication method is set to Azure AD User Account and not Access Key . This separation prevents roles with wildcards ( * ) from having unrestricted access to your data. For example, if a user has a Reader role on a subscription, then they can view the storage account, but by default they can't view the underlying data.

Previously, role-based access control was not used for data actions. Authorization for data actions varied across resource providers. The same role-based access control authorization model used for control plane actions has been extended to data plane actions.

To support data plane actions, new data properties have been added to the role definition. Data plane actions are specified in the DataActions and NotDataActions properties. By adding these data properties, the separation between control plane and data plane is maintained. This prevents current role assignments with wildcards ( * ) from suddenly having accessing to data. Here are some data plane actions that can be specified in DataActions and NotDataActions :

  • Read a list of blobs in a container
  • Write a storage blob in a container
  • Delete a message in a queue

Here's the Storage Blob Data Reader role definition, which includes actions in both the Actions and DataActions properties. This role allows you to read the blob container and also the underlying blob data.

Storage Blob Data Reader role as displayed in Azure PowerShell:

Storage Blob Data Reader role as displayed in Azure CLI:

Only data plane actions can be added to the DataActions and NotDataActions properties. Resource providers identify which actions are data actions, by setting the isDataAction property to true . To see a list of the actions where isDataAction is true , see Resource provider operations . Roles that do not have data actions are not required to have DataActions and NotDataActions properties within the role definition.

Authorization for all control plane API calls is handled by Azure Resource Manager. Authorization for data plane API calls is handled by either a resource provider or Azure Resource Manager.

Data actions example

To better understand how control plane and data plane actions work, let's consider a specific example. Alice has been assigned the Owner role at the subscription scope. Bob has been assigned the Storage Blob Data Contributor role at a storage account scope. The following diagram shows this example.

Role-based access control has been extended to support both control plane and data plane actions

The Owner role for Alice and the Storage Blob Data Contributor role for Bob have the following actions:

    Actions      *

Storage Blob Data Contributor

    Actions      Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/blobServices/containers/delete      Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/blobServices/containers/read      Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/blobServices/containers/write      Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/blobServices/generateUserDelegationKey/action     DataActions      Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/blobServices/containers/blobs/delete      Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/blobServices/containers/blobs/read      Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/blobServices/containers/blobs/write      Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/blobServices/containers/blobs/move/action      Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/blobServices/containers/blobs/add/action

Since Alice has a wildcard ( * ) action at a subscription scope, their permissions inherit down to enable them to perform all control plane actions. Alice can read, write, and delete containers. However, Alice cannot perform data plane actions without taking additional steps. For example, by default, Alice cannot read the blobs inside a container. To read the blobs, Alice would have to retrieve the storage access keys and use them to access the blobs.

Bob's permissions are restricted to just the Actions and DataActions specified in the Storage Blob Data Contributor role. Based on the role, Bob can perform both control plane and data plane actions. For example, Bob can read, write, and delete containers in the specified storage account and can also read, write, and delete the blobs.

For more information about control and data plane security for storage, see the Azure Storage security guide .

What tools support using Azure roles for data actions?

To view and work with data actions, you must have the correct versions of the tools or SDKs:

To view and use the data actions in the REST API, you must set the api-version parameter to the following version or later:

The Actions permission specifies the control plane actions that the role allows to be performed. It is a collection of strings that identify securable actions of Azure resource providers. Here are some examples of control plane actions that can be used in Actions .

The NotActions permission specifies the control plane actions that are subtracted or excluded from the allowed Actions that have a wildcard ( * ). Use the NotActions permission if the set of actions that you want to allow is more easily defined by subtracting from Actions that have a wildcard ( * ). The access granted by a role (effective permissions) is computed by subtracting the NotActions actions from the Actions actions.

Actions - NotActions = Effective control plane permissions

The following table shows two examples of the effective control plane permissions for a Microsoft.CostManagement wildcard action:

If a user is assigned a role that excludes an action in NotActions , and is assigned a second role that grants access to the same action, the user is allowed to perform that action. NotActions is not a deny rule – it is simply a convenient way to create a set of allowed actions when specific actions need to be excluded.

Differences between NotActions and deny assignments

NotActions and deny assignments are not the same and serve different purposes. NotActions are a convenient way to subtract specific actions from a wildcard ( * ) action.

Deny assignments block users from performing specific actions even if a role assignment grants them access. For more information, see Understand Azure deny assignments .

DataActions

The DataActions permission specifies the data plane actions that the role allows to be performed to your data within that object. For example, if a user has read blob data access to a storage account, then they can read the blobs within that storage account. Here are some examples of data actions that can be used in DataActions .

NotDataActions

The NotDataActions permission specifies the data plane actions that are subtracted or excluded from the allowed DataActions that have a wildcard ( * ). Use the NotDataActions permission if the set of actions that you want to allow is more easily defined by subtracting from DataActions that have a wildcard ( * ). The access granted by a role (effective permissions) is computed by subtracting the NotDataActions actions from the DataActions actions. Each resource provider provides its respective set of APIs to fulfill data actions.

DataActions - NotDataActions = Effective data plane permissions

The following table shows two examples of the effective date plane permissions for a Microsoft.Storage wildcard action:

If a user is assigned a role that excludes a data action in NotDataActions , and is assigned a second role that grants access to the same data action, the user is allowed to perform that data action. NotDataActions is not a deny rule – it is simply a convenient way to create a set of allowed data actions when specific data actions need to be excluded.

AssignableScopes

The AssignableScopes property specifies the scopes (root, management group, subscriptions, or resource groups) where a role definition can be assigned. You can make a custom role available for assignment in only the management group, subscriptions, or resource groups that require it. You must use at least one management group, subscription, or resource group.

For example, if AssignableScopes is set to a subscription, that means that the custom role is available for assignment at subscription scope for the specified subscription, resource group scope for any resource group in the subscription, or resource scope for any resource in the subscription.

Built-in roles have AssignableScopes set to the root scope ( "/" ). The root scope indicates that the role is available for assignment in all scopes.

Examples of valid assignable scopes include:

You can define only one management group in AssignableScopes of a custom role.

Although it's possible to create a custom role with a resource instance in AssignableScopes using the command line, it's not recommended. Each tenant supports a maximum of 5,000 custom roles. Using this strategy could potentially exhaust your available custom roles. Ultimately, the level of access is determined by the custom role assignment (scope + role permissions + security principal) and not the AssignableScopes listed in the custom role. So, create your custom roles with AssignableScopes of management group, subscription, or resource group, but assign the custom roles with narrow scope, such as resource or resource group.

For more information about AssignableScopes for custom roles, see Azure custom roles .

Privileged administrator role definition

Privileged administrator roles are roles that grant privileged administrator access, such as the ability to manage Azure resources or assign roles to other users. If a built-in or custom role includes any of the following actions, it is considered privileged. For more information, see List or manage privileged administrator role assignments .

  • Understand role assignments
  • Azure built-in roles
  • Azure custom roles
  • Azure resource provider operations

Coming soon: Throughout 2024 we will be phasing out GitHub Issues as the feedback mechanism for content and replacing it with a new feedback system. For more information see: https://aka.ms/ContentUserFeedback .

Submit and view feedback for

Additional resources

Banner

Business Principles of Management Assignment Guide

  • How to Use This LibGuide
  • Getting Started: Finding Business Information
  • Strategic Plans

Control and Other Definitions

  • How to Organize Your Research Sources
  • Major Company and Industry Information - Business: Insights and Nexis Uni Databases
  • Market Research: Reference Solutions and RAB Databases
  • Gale and EBSCO Databases
  • Evaluating Sources
  • Streaming Video Websites
  • Business Writing Style
  • MLA 9 for Citation Style for Business Classes
  • Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Writing Center Resources
  • Learning Commons and Library Support

Profile Photo

Control lies at the heart of organization theory . Organizations, such as Fortune 100 or Fortune 500 companies are generally very large and have many different departments each with their own specific function. They need  policies or systems to help them sustain themselves at both the department and company levels in order to grow for the future. Organizational control provides a framework for people to work together to achieve the goals of the company. Understanding the aspects of an effective control system help company staffs and employees create better policies for both department teams as well as companies as a whole.

Control Chart for a Company

  • Control (chart above)) Control is a complex and multi-dimensional phenomenon in organizations that can be studied at individual, group, organizational or field levels of analysis, and is highly context dependent. - From SAGE Key Concepts series: Key Concepts in Sport Management (Credo Reference)
  • Control (definition) Simple definitions from Resources and Personnel Management (Credo Reference): - To direct a business - The power or ability to direct a company
  • Control (article) Generally, the attention paid to control in organizations has focused firstly on control of the individual and has then moved on to focus on the control of organizations themselves (Birnberg, 1998).

Requires MyWestern log-in

Use this database to understand basic concepts taught in your courses. It's also a great database for the first step in your research process. It contains short articles from encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks and other reference sources on a wide range of subjects. Get started on your assignment or research project by learning about key people, places, dates, events, concepts, and ideas related to your topic.

  • << Previous: Strategic Plans
  • Next: How to Use Western Library's Business Databases >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 7, 2024 12:49 PM
  • URL: https://westerntc.libguides.com/businessprinciplesofmanagement

Western Technical College

Logo

  • Contract Management

Supplier Management

Savings Management

  • Data & Security

FAQ’s

oboloo Articles

What is a contract assignment definition.

A contract assignment is a document that assigns rights and obligations under a contract to another party.3 min read A contract assignment can be used for a variety of reasons, but most commonly it is used when one party to a contract wants to transfer its rights or obligations to another party. For example, if Company A enters into a contract with Company B to provide services , but Company A then wants Company C to provide the services instead, Company A would use a contract assignment to assign the contract rights and obligations to Company C. Contract assignments are also common in the real estate industry. For example, if someone buys a house with the intention of flipping it, they will often assign the purchase agreement (and therefore the underlying contract rights and obligations) to the company or person they are selling the house to.

What is a contract assignment?

A contract assignment is a legal agreement between two parties in which one party assigns (gives) its rights under a contract to another party. The term “assignment” is used in the law of contracts to refer to the transfer of rights or duties under a contract from one person or entity to another. An assignment can be made orally or in writing, but it is generally advisable to have any assignment agreement in writing so that there is no dispute about the terms of the agreement later on.

There are several reasons why someone might want to assign their rights under a contract. For example, if you are a small business owner and you have a contract with a big company that you cannot fulfill, you may want to assign your rights under the contract to another company that can fulfill the contract. Or, if you are an employee who has been assigned to work on a project for a specific period of time, you may want to assign your rights under the employment contract to another employee so that they can continue working on the project after you leave.

In order for an assignment to be valid, there must be mutual assent between the parties; that is, both parties must agree to the terms of the assignment. Furthermore, an assignment cannot conflict with the terms of the original contract; if it does, then it will be void and unenforceable.

If you are considering assigning your rights under a contract, it is important to seek legal advice first so that you can understand

What are the benefits of a contract assignment?

There are many benefits to taking on a contract assignment. For one, it can help to diversify your income and give you a steadier stream of work . Additionally, it can help build your portfolio and credibility as a freelancer, which can lead to more opportunities down the road.

Another benefit of contract assignments is that they often come with shorter deadlines than traditional projects , which can be helpful if you’re struggling to find time to fit freelancing into your schedule. Finally, working on a contract basis can help build relationships with clients and allow you to get a foot in the door with companies you may be interested in working with long-term.

What are the risks of a contract assignment?

When taking on a contract assignment, it is important to be aware of the risks involved . These can include:

-The client may not be happy with the work you produce and may try to cancel the contract . -You may not be able to complete the work within the specified time frame . -The scope of the work may change, which could lead to additional costs. -There may be unforeseen circumstances that make it difficult or impossible to complete the work.

How to assign a contract

If you’re thinking of assigning a contract, there are a few things you should know first. Here’s a quick guide on how to assign a contract:

1. Make sure the contract you’re assigning allows for assignment. Not all contracts do, so it’s important to check before moving forward.

2. Determine who will be assuming the contractual obligations . This person is known as the “assignee.”

3. Get the assignee to agree to assume the obligations in writing. This written agreement is called an “assignment agreement.

4. Notify the other party to the original contract (known as the “obligor”) of the assignment in writing. The notice should include: (a) the date of the assignment; (b) the names and addresses of both parties; and (c) a statement that indicates that all rights and obligations under the contract have been transferred to the assignee.

5. Make sure that any conditions precedent in the original contract have been satisfied before completing the assignment process. A condition precedent is something that must happen before an obligation under a contract becomes effective. For example, if a contract requires that certain repairs be made to a property before it can be sold, those repairs must be completed beforethe assignment can take place.

6. Check local laws and regulations regarding assignments, as there may be restrictions in place that you need to be aware of before proceeding.

A contract assignment is a legal agreement between two parties that assigns rights and responsibilities to one party. The assignee agrees to take on the duties of the contract , while the assignor transfers their rights under the contract to the assignee. This type of agreement is often used in business deals or when one party wants to transfer their interest in a property or asset to another party.

Want to find out more about contract management?

Access more blogs, articles and FAQ's and discover oboloo's contract management capabilities

Oboloo transparent

The smarter way to have full visibility & control of your suppliers

Contract Management 

Partnerships 

Charities/Non-Profits

Service Status

Release Notes

Feel free to contact us here. Our support team will get back to you as soon as possible

Sustainability

  • More from M-W
  • To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

Definition of assignment

task , duty , job , chore , stint , assignment mean a piece of work to be done.

task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

Examples of assignment in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assignment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

see assign entry 1

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing assignment

  • self - assignment

Dictionary Entries Near assignment

Cite this entry.

“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assignment. Accessed 20 Feb. 2024.

Legal Definition

Legal definition of assignment, more from merriam-webster on assignment.

Nglish: Translation of assignment for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of assignment for Arabic Speakers

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries.  Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the day.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

8 grammar terms you used to know, but forgot, homophones, homographs, and homonyms, commonly misspelled words, a guide to em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens, absent letters that are heard anyway, popular in wordplay, 12 more bird names that sound like insults (and sometimes are), the words of the week - feb. 16, 9 superb owl words, 'gaslighting,' 'woke,' 'democracy,' and other top lookups, 10 words for lesser-known games and sports, games & quizzes.

Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

definition assignment control

Texas Top Court Asked to Clarify LNG Emission Control Definition

By Shayna Greene

Shayna Greene

The Fifth Circuit withdrew an opinion that vacated a permit for a liquefied natural gas plant and export terminal in Port Arthur, Texas.

The Port Arthur Community Action Network sought review of a decision by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality not to impose certain emissions limitations on the new LNG facility—proposed by Port Arthur LNG—that it required of another one.

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in November said the commission went against its own precedent without providing adequate reasoning.

The panel withdrew that opinion and directed the issue to the Texas Supreme Court on Feb. ...

Learn more about Bloomberg Law or Log In to keep reading:

Learn about bloomberg law.

AI-powered legal analytics, workflow tools and premium legal & business news.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools.

IMAGES

  1. What Are The Basic Components Of An Assignment?

    definition assignment control

  2. What is the Definition of Assignment?

    definition assignment control

  3. Lesson 04.06 Assignment: Control Methods Explanation

    definition assignment control

  4. Learn How to Structure an Assignment: Tips and Explanations

    definition assignment control

  5. Assignment

    definition assignment control

  6. Control overview of an assignment.

    definition assignment control

VIDEO

  1. CONTROLLING DETAILED EXPLANATION PART 3

  2. Techniques of Strategic and Operational control

  3. ASSIGNMENT CONTROL 2 GROUP 4 QUESTION B

  4. Individual Assignment UL00602 Organisation Management

  5. Definition Of Stability (Digital Control Systems)

  6. AP Stats 4.2D Video

COMMENTS

  1. assignment," 'control, Definition

    assignment," 'control, interested person " and "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities " shall have the meanings set forth in the Investment Company Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, subject to any applicable orders of exemption issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission. 14. Based on 1 documents

  2. Don't Confuse Change of Control and Assignment Terms

    An assignment clause governs whether and when a party can transfer the contract to someone else. Often, it covers what happens in a change of control: whether a party can assign the contract to its buyer if it gets merged into a company or completely bought out. But that doesn't make it a change of control clause.

  3. assignment control in SAP

    A method in Controlling for displaying the relationship between the controlling area and the company codes. Assignment control is supported by the indicator CoCo->COAr, which takes either value 1 or 2: Value 1 - The company code is assigned to only one controlling area.

  4. Adviser Changes of Control: An Elusive Definition

    For starters, the SEC attempts to define "assignment" in the very first definition of the Investment Advisers Act, Section 202 (a) (1): "Assignment includes any direct or indirect transfer or hypothecation of an investment advisory contract by the assignor or of a controlling block of the assignor's outstanding voting securities by a security ho...

  5. Random Assignment in Experiments

    a control group that's given a placebo (no dosage, to control for a placebo effect ), an experimental group that's given a low dosage, a second experimental group that's given a high dosage.

  6. Overview of Azure Policy

    If control of an action is required based on user information, then Azure RBAC is the correct tool to use. Even if an individual has access to perform an action, if the result is a non-compliant resource, Azure Policy still blocks the create or update. ... An assignment is a policy definition or initiative that has been assigned to a specific ...

  7. PDF Assignability of Commercial Contracts (TX)

    anti-assignment and anti-delegation clauses, see Contractual Anti-Assignment and Anti-Delegation Clauses. Assignment Definition Assignment is the transfer by an obligee (assignor) of some or all of its rights to receive performance under the contract typically, but not always, to a non-party (assignee) (see Pain Control Institute, Inc. v.

  8. Random Assignment in Psychology

    The simplest random assignment definition is that every participant in the research study has an equal chance of being in either the experimental group or control group. Before random...

  9. What is Azure attribute-based access control (Azure ABAC)?

    A role assignment condition is an additional check that you can optionally add to your role assignment to provide more fine-grained access control. A condition filters down permissions granted as a part of the role definition and role assignment. For example, you can add a condition that requires an object to have a specific tag to read the object.

  10. What is Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC)?

    The way you control access to resources using Azure RBAC is to assign Azure roles. This is a key concept to understand - it's how permissions are enforced. A role assignment consists of three elements: security principal, role definition, and scope. Security principal

  11. Differences between the change of control clauses and assignment

    A change of control clause constitutes of two main elements: The definition of change in control; The operation of the clause after the occurrence of an event that meets the requirement under the definition. There exists no standard definition of change of control but it does include the following transactions: A transfer of shares of the company;

  12. Change of Control?

    a sale of all or substantially all of a target company's assets. any "merger" of the target company with another company. the transfer of a certain percentage of the target company's issued and outstanding shares from the target company to the acquirer. Other events may be included in change-of-control definitions such as ...

  13. Random Assignment in Psychology: Definition & Examples

    Random selection (also called probability sampling or random sampling) is a way of randomly selecting members of a population to be included in your study. On the other hand, random assignment is a way of sorting the sample participants into control and treatment groups.

  14. The Definition of Random Assignment In Psychology

    Random assignment refers to the use of chance procedures in psychology experiments to ensure that each participant has the same opportunity to be assigned to any given group in a study to eliminate any potential bias in the experiment at the outset.

  15. Assignment, Novation and Change of Control Clause

    A 'change of control' is another clause that affects who is a party to a contract and who has responsibilities for its rights and obligations. It is common to find this kind of clause in your contracts as a boilerplate or a general mention. A change of control refers to the make-up of a contracting party. It looks at the ownership structure ...

  16. Assignment Control

    patents-wipo I assigned Control key and Y to bring up the "About KDE" dialog box. Common crawl If approval to import is given, the explosives are assigned controls, which are drawn from the Hazardous Substances Regulations

  17. assignment

    Assignment is a legal term whereby an individual, the "assignor," transfers rights, property, or other benefits to another known as the " assignee .". This concept is used in both contract and property law. The term can refer to either the act of transfer or the rights /property/benefits being transferred.

  18. Assignment Bias: Definition, Avoidance

    Assignment bias happens when experimental groups have significantly different characteristics due to a faulty assignment process. For example, if you're performing a set of intelligence tests, one group might have more people who are significantly smarter. Although this type of bias is usually associated with non-random sampling and ...

  19. Understand Azure role definitions

    Control and data actions Actions NotActions Show 5 more If you are trying to understand how an Azure role works or if you are creating your own Azure custom role, it's helpful to understand how roles are defined. This article describes the details of role definitions and provides some examples. Role definition

  20. Control

    Control (definition) Simple definitions from Resources and Personnel Management (Credo Reference): ... handbooks and other reference sources on a wide range of subjects. Get started on your assignment or research project by learning about key people, places, dates, events, concepts, and ideas related to your topic. << Previous: Strategic Plans;

  21. What is a Contract Assignment? Definition

    A contract assignment is a legal agreement between two parties that assigns rights and responsibilities to one party. The assignee agrees to take on the duties of the contract, while the assignor transfers their rights under the contract to the assignee. This type of agreement is often used in business deals or when one party wants to transfer ...

  22. Assignment Definition & Meaning

    1 : the act of assigning something the assignment of a task 2 a : a position, post, or office to which one is assigned Her assignment was to the embassy in India. b : a specified task or amount of work assigned or undertaken as if assigned by authority a homework assignment 3 law : the transfer of property

  23. Texas Top Court Asked to Clarify LNG Emission Control Definition

    The Fifth Circuit withdrew an opinion that vacated a permit for a liquefied natural gas plant and export terminal in Port Arthur, Texas. The Port Arthur Community Action Network sought review of a decision by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality not to impose certain emissions limitations on the new LNG facility—proposed by Port Arthur LNG—that it required of another one.