Aviation High School Parent Questionnaire Essay

Since Daniel was very young, he has always had an interest in how and why things work. Throughout his life, he has had some great opportunities to not only build on this curiosity, but also to gain other skills. Daniels recent excitement in Aviation High School is the latest example and hopefully opportunity to build on his interests. Daniel has been very active in Boy Scouts. He currently holds the leadership position of Patrol leader where he is in charge of a group of about 8 other scouts. This has built a strong leadership trait in Daniel and provided him many opportunities to grow as an individual. He has been able to camp, hike, canoe, and enjoy the outdoors while experiencing a strong team environment. We also have had many great adventures as a family which have influenced Daniel. I travel for work quite frequently and have to pleasure of sharing it with my family occasionally. This has allowed Daniel to visit many different areas and experience living and exploring those areas. Along with Daniels general interest in things, these trips have sparked new curiosities and allowed him to investigate his current ones. Though not intentional, Daniel has also moved schools during elementary twice. This has forced Daniel to start fresh with no friends and in a new environment. Daniel has excelled in this, and has developed great skills for meeting new friends and taking advantage of new opportunities. Now, Daniel does not hesitate going into a situation where he doesn’t know anyone. As a parent I am very proud of the person my son has developed into, and am extremely excited to watch as he continues his grows. I want to provide him with the best experiences and atmosphere to do this. Daniels interest in attending Aviation High School matches my goal to provide this to him.

George and Martha’s Essay

The very title of Edward Albee’s ‘Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf? ‘ has immediate connotations as to the relationship between the two main characters of the play, George and Martha. The well known nursery rhyme in fact goes, ‘Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? ‘ As we find out in further reading of the play, the ‘big bad wolf’ is obviously supposed to be seen as Martha, and the victim is George, her long suffering husband. However, in hindsight, both characters suffer just as much as each other. The title of Act one is ‘Fun and Games. ‘ This proves to be slightly ironic as the games Martha and George play, mind and verbal matches, do not seem at all fun, but appear as more of a power struggle. Apparent simple requests from Martha become games for both her and Martha to play. Martha says, ‘Why don’t you want to kiss me? ‘ whereupon George replies, ‘Well, dear, if I kissed you I’d get all excited†¦ ‘ As one critic of the play wrote, ‘They (George and Martha) club each other on the head with gleeful scorn and leave huge patches of scorched earth. ‘ Emotions from both George and Martha become integrated into an ongoing power struggle, and Martha dwells in George’s anger as she likes to see the stirred up effect she has on him. As the night wears on, more alcohol is consumed and the clearer it becomes that it is not blood running through Martha and Georges’ veins, but booze, spite, nicotine and fear. When Martha first rants about a Bette Davis film that she quotes from, ‘Hey, where’s that from? ‘What a dump,† it seems that George almost ignores her. Marthat ahs already appeared as the stronger character in the play, but in retrospect, she relies an George for a great many things, such as the name of the film that Bette Davis was in, and the name of the professor coming to have drinks. Both characters appear to totally confront one another. Martha, according to George, ‘brays,’ and George shows a passive display of apathy. However, this is not merely strength versus weakness due to Martha’s obvious reliance on George. In Martha and George’s relationship, Martha firstly behaves like a mother towards George, saying, ‘ C’mon over here and give Mommy a big sloppy kiss. ‘ She then acts more childlike, with (imitating a child), ‘I’m firsty. ‘ It is as though Martha cannot decide as to whether she is the controlling mother or the child who needs protecting in their relationship. The action of this Act takes place in George and Martha’s cosy yet cluttered home. In an outline, Martha is furious that George, an academic, hasn’t advanced at the college where her father is President, that is, George hasn’t become President himself. The fact that George didn’t even fight during the War, but stayed in the History Department at the college, makes George and Martha doubt his manhood all the more. In a sense, George almost feels below Martha’s father. Understandably so, as Martha calls him a ‘flop’ and continues to praise her father. George and Nicks (the slightly self contained younger guest) chosen departments in the college are again an example of total contrast in the play. George appears to be bogged down in his department and not going anywhere academically or in his career. He is almost a relic of the past himself. Nick, however, is at the forefront of new discoveries and is also young, handsome and extremely successful. This is the type of man whom Martha initially wanted to marry, yet the type of man to whom George could not fit the bill. George is therefore understandable threatened by Nick and his young, ‘liberal’ way of thinking. George pretends to shoot Martha in another of their ‘games’, but this is almost the opposite to the restrained George we are used to seeing. Laughter and arguments between the characters of Martha and George demonstrate to us the dialectic of love and hate in Act one. When Martha demands a kiss from George, a display of affection to his own wife, George knocks it back and rejects her. The fluctuation in their relationship demonstrates that hating each other hasn’t precluded form simultaneously loving and needing one another. Illusion appears to be a very important part of the play. George and Martha both had an illusion of what life would be like when they got married; they saw George becoming president of the college and living a happy married life under its roof. Clearly this did not happen, and both feel somewhat bitter for it. Honey and Nick also appear almost as an illusion of a happy marriage, so it seems. They seem to slip into the background in that they both pretend not to notice George and Martha’s arguments and laugh at things that they don’t particularly find funny. Another example of an illusion is that of Martha’s and George’s apparent son. Martha is always very keen to talk of him whereas George is not so, almost closing down the subject. We never actually see the son in Act One and there is even confusion between the two as to when his birthday is. The supposed perfection of the boy, blonde hair and blue eyes, and the fact that George refers states, ‘Don’t bring up the bit about the boy,’ depersonalises and deludes his actual existence. This is obviously a particularly sore point of conversation between George and Martha, as it results in a number of heated arguments. Martha and George constantly hurl abusive and hurtful words at each other, as though throwing knives. In striking out at those closest to them, that is each other, they represent the typical dysfunctional couple. However, in doing so the romantic notion of love keeps their relationship almost together. Both saw each other as the way to a new, ‘perfect’ way of life yet the fantasy was not fulfilled, and in verbally abusing each other, they take the blame from themselves and place it on each other. Albee has captured perfectly the way two completely different people can come together and the dramatic consequences it can have on each other, not always in bringing out the negative.

American Prohibition Essay Example for Free

American Prohibition Essay : Also known as the Volstead Act, named after Republican Senator Andrew J. Volstead, the National Prohibition Act was designed to improve the morality of the nation. However, prohibition, the â€Å"Noble Experiment,† failed miserably in this respect. Focus/Argument: Prohibition in fact failed to bolster morals as hoped, but instead led to an increase in violent crime and caused morals to slip due to reactionary protest from the people. Paper should focus on the major cities of the twenties such as Chicago, New York, and St. Special attention should be focused on the mafia, gangland violence, and bootlegging, as well as the spread of speakeasies and the resulting Jazz culture (flappers, corruption, etc). Introduction: â€Å"The so-called Temperance movement, which in fact opposed temperate and responsible enjoyment of alcohol beverages, proposed that to defeat the disease of alcohol dependency among the few allegedly required abstinence from the many. †1 This was the rationale which enabled the 18th amendment to the U. S. Constitution to be passed. Also known as the Volstead Act, named after its author the Republican senator Andrew J. Volstead, the National Prohibition Act was designed to improve the morality of the nation. However, prohibition, the â€Å"Noble Experiment,† failed miserably in this respect. 2 In fact, it caused an increase in crime and gave impetus to violence on a scale not seen since the days of the old west. Morality also became increasingly lax as speakeasies, Jazz, sexual promiscuity, and flappers mushroomed across the nation, giving full meaning to the term, â€Å"The Roaring Twenties. † Coupled with post-war prosperity with people having more money and time off than ever before, they looked for things to spend their earnings on as well as for ways to blow off steam. 3 The rise of popular legend stemming from the Prohibition years in the form of movies, books, and people such as mobster Al Capone and Treasury agent Elliott Ness, have had a lasting impact on popular culture through modern times. The Prohibition decade was more than a prohibition on alcohol consumption; it was a prohibition on morals which never has been repealed. American Prohibition: Moral Decay and Corruption in the Roaring Twenties The 1920s went by various monikers such as the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties. It was a time of prosperity for most Americans. Scientific and technological improvements increased industrial production. The automobile, electric appliances, chemical and construction industries expanded tremendously during the 1920s. People were generally able to afford luxuries. The 1920s was also an era of wild gaiety for part of the population. Novels of the period stressed the rebellion of the youth against the traditional values of their parents. These groups from the urban areas came to seem typical of the 1920s though actually many more people were leading conservative lives. Women had been given the right to vote in 1920 when the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. For the first time, women wore their dresses short and bobbed their hair; many wore make-up and smoked cigarette’s. They became regulars in the dance scenes in clubs and cabarets where jazz was played. They were called flappers. Some imitated the movie stars they saw in silent files like the glamorous Gloria Swanson and Norma Talmadge and swooned over Rudolf Valentino. Talking pictures were first introduced in 1927 featuring the Jazz Singer. Jazz music was played everywhere and was most popular in the urban area of New York as it seemed to embody the vitality of the city. Speakeasies sprouted everywhere. Its name bespoke secrecy as these private clubs admonish its customers to speak easy or softly or the police might herar. Charles A. Lindbergh was a completely different type of national hero. In May 27, this young man from the Midwest became the first person to fly alone, nonstop, across the Atlantic Ocean. 4 Prohibition was partly responsible for the daring, reckless spirit of the twenties. An amendment to the Constitution was submitted to the states on December 18, 1917 and on January 29, 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment was declared ratified, to wit: Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article, the manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited. 5 On January 16, 1920, the National Prohibition Act or, otherwise known as the Volstead Act, went into effect. The conservatives had long been calling for temperance arguing that alcohol is the source of all ills. Science was used to give evidence that alcohol was linked to vices, diseases, suicide and leads to early death. The employers encouraged total abstinence so as to minimize industrial accidents and at the same time increase productivity. The religious community associated alcohol with evil. The women’s group proclaimed it detrimental to family relations. 6 With the entry of the United States in World War I, they quickly gained supporters due to the growing resentment against anything German which included beer. Moreover, patriotism called for self-sacrifice and anyone who did not remain sober and defend the country were met with hostility. During the war, the manufacture of beer and liquor had been prohibited to conserve grain and by July 1919, the sale of liquor had been stopped. With such public sentiment, the prohibitionists gained ground and the amendment was passed. 7 The day before the Volstead Act was to take effect, the Anti-Saloon League of New York made an optimistic prediction by stating that, â€Å"Tonight, John Barleycorn makes his last will and testament. Now for an era of clean thinking and clean living! † 8 Instead, the opposite took place. Almost immediately, violations across the country were being reported. Police were carrying out raids of establishments who persisted in selling liquor. The law was observed mostly in the Midwest where the â€Å"dry† movement had begun, but in the large eastern cities the laws were flagrantly broken. As well, there were not enough Federal and state agents to enforce prohibition. In fact, now that is was illegal, more people began to drink more than ever. Such circumstances made Al Capone self-righteous enough to proclaim that: I make my money by supplying a public need. If I break the law, my customers, who number hundreds of the best people in Chicago, are as guilty as I am. The only difference between us is that I sell and they buy. 9 Fortunes were made in bootlegging or the manufacture and sale of liquor illegally. Criminals organized â€Å"mobs† or â€Å"syndicates† to operate in certain areas. Al Capone was one of these of bosses. He held sway in Chicago and Cicero, Illinois, with an estimated 750 paid gunmen. Crime became big business in other large cities, too. There were many kidnappings for ransom. Among them was Charles Lindbergh’s son who in 1932, was not only kidnapped but was also murdered. When prohibition ended in February 16, 1933 with the passing of the Twenty-first Amendment to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment, the mobs turned to protection rackets, slot machines and other gambling and the distribution of narcotics. 10 To be fair, the prohibition did manifest benefits though only for a short period. This could probably be because liquor was still relatively hard to find and when one did find it, the price of violation was high. This does not refer to the penalties to be imposed when caught but that the cost of liquor had become so prohibitive that the average American earner could not afford a glass of cocktail. The prohibition had no effect on the rich, however, as they continued to drink well while the poor drank badly. This led to further divisiveness as it was becoming classifies as a class legislation. 11 In 1920, the year the law came into effect, there was a significant drop in the arrests for drunkenness which was even lower than 1918 and 1919 when Americans were voluntary abstaining from liquor due to wartime restrictions and patriotism. By 1921, however, arrests for drunkenness had once again risen with no indications of declining. This data can be seen in a 1926 survey of 384 municipalities that was prepared by Stanley Shirk, the research director of The Moderation League, Inc. The results as it was presented to the Senate Committee Hearing were as follows: 12 Year Number of Arrests for Intoxication in 384 Communities Year Number of Arrests for Intoxication in 384 Communities 1914 523,049 1920 233,837 1915 528,347 1921 317,492 1916 557,634 1922 425,353 1917 542,039 1923 499,322 1918 423,048 1924 515,199 1919 309,760 1925 533,483 The World League against Alcoholism likewise presented its own survey results in the same Senate Committee Hearing which compiled the records of 514 cities and towns. 13 Year Arrests for Drunkenness per 10,000 Population Year Arrests for Drunkenness per 10,000 Population 1914 169 1920 60 1915 165 1921 84 1916 176 1922 111 1917 169 1923 126 1918 124 1924 127 1919 97 These figures also showed an increase in arrests after 1920, the bone-dry year, but it was contended that this was more due to increased police activity. The anti-Alcoholism League, at that time, can merely give a forecast that arrests will go down in 1925 and beyond. They pointed out that compared with the figures from 1914 to 1917 of the pre-prohibition years, recorded arrests after 1920 were still much lower. Regardless, whether we look at it from the â€Å"wet† or â€Å"dry† statistics, the data showed that the number of arrests for drunkenness was not receding. This gave evidence that for the primary objective of the National Prohibition Act was not met and could not be met. The numbers from 1918 to 1921 are also quite notable as it implied a change in the attitudes of the general population towards alcohol. By the time prohibition was put in effect, the wartime fervor seems to have already waned, abstinence had overstayed its welcome, drinking was no longer met with social disapproval and people were clamoring for a drink notwithstanding the law. Institutions and agencies were likewise fairly tolerant of transgressions of the law and would accept any loophole around it. In courtrooms of Wyoming and San Francisco, judges and jury gave much leeway to the defense to the point of allowing the evidence to be drunk which led to the technicality of lack of evidence against the bootlegger defendant and the cases were thrown out. Doctors could and did prescribe up to three pints of vitamin-enhanced whiskey which was in accordance with a Supreme Court ruling. Government beer was prescribed by the gallons for medicinal purposes. 14 As a result, it had soon become a law that nobody wanted to obey thus making it harder to enforce. Thereupon, a general perception followed that crime was prevalent. Foremost among these are convictions for crime which did not used to be treated as criminal before the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment. This perception of lawlessness was compounded by the sensational publicity given to prohibition violations which had become daily news stories in the papers. In an age where cinema was most influential, many movies were produced that depicted a lot of drinking not by the villains but by the heroes and heroines. 15 Prominent people have likewise testified before the Senate to express their opinion against the Volstead Act and argue for revision. They aimed to prove that lawlessness had in fact increase since it was passed. One of these opponents of prohibition was Michigan politician Charles S. Wood who contended that the statistics for the arrests on drunkenness would actually have been much greater except that people were doing their drinking inside homes and hotels rather than in saloons hence there is little chance for them to be caught drunk in the streets. 16 This can be corroborated by the increasing number of deaths recorded for cirrhosis of the liver. Alcoholic admissions in one New York hospital as recorded in the 1930s were over 1000 a year. Apparently, they became alcoholics during prohibition. 17 American Prohibition. (2016, Aug 10).

Contract law problem question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contract law problem question - Essay Example esented we find that, subject to certain reservations, there are areas and actions taken before and within the original arrangement, which could enable Jack to defeat the banks proposed action. Is it possible for a person who offers his property, as securities to a bank against funds lent to a third party, escape the consequences of that contract should the repayments not be met? And under what circumstances it is possible that a joint and several liability clauses not be enforceable? These questions have been the subject of a number of court cases over the past few years and the judgment in some cases conclude that if certain conditions and actions were not taken prior to the signature of the contract, it is possible to successfully defend any breach. The task of this document is to ascertain which of these circumstances could be relevant to Jack in defending himself against a claim by the bank for repossession of his property so that they can reclaim some of the monies owed to them. The facts of the case are that Karen’s import-export business had been experiencing cash flow difficulties and financial problems for some time, at least fifteen months with no improvement. Her bank had refused to assist her with an increased overdraft facility had been informed by her bank that they would not extend her business’s overdraft unless extra security is provided. Karen explained the situation to her employee of five years, Jack, who had also become a friend of the family and suggested that he find another job. Under the impression that the problem was temporary, Jack suggested that she use his flat, an inheritance from his aunt, as security against further borrowings. The flat at that time was worth  £250,000. After consideration Karen took Jack up on his offer and informed him that it would also secure his job and that it was only a temporary situation that would soon be corrected. They went to the bank. The bank advised Jack to seek independent advice and

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 11

Marketing - Essay Example Most importantly, it is important to understand that these 7P’s also reflect upon the overall performance of the firm and must be aligned with the overall strategy of the firm. As such it is important that different aspects of marketing shall be designed in such a manner that they allow firms to develop their strengths in the market. Uniqlo is one of retail stores in UK offering women’s and Men’s clothing over internet as well as through its stores. It is important to note that Uniqlo is a Japan based firm offering the products to many countries of the world including UK. The unique business model of the firm allows it to involve itself in every process of manufacturing and marketing of the product and its subsequent sales. This report will therefore attempt to provide a comprehensive analysis of the 7P’s of the marketing process undertaken at the firm besides comprehensively covering PESTLE analysis and assessing its impact on the firm. UNIQLO is an international brand offering men’s and women’s clothing since 1984. Traditionally, it is a Japanese casual wear store with international presence in many countries including UK, US, Korea, Japan etc. Uniqlo originally is a part of Fast Retailing Co, it is now a fully owned subsidiary of the firm with listings on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The early history of the company suggest that it focused on selling men’s wear only and it entered into the second segment of the market at later stage. Since late 1990’s firm has developed a unique business model based the model adapted by â€Å"The Gap†- an American casual wear giant.(Wilson & Barbaro, 2006). Accordingly, the firm was able to sell its own branded cloths outsourced through other manufacturers. This SPA or Specialty retailer of Private Label Apparel- provided UNIQLO a very different strategy to follow and it has implemented this strategy across the board in almost every country where it is

Financial Reporting on Enron Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Financial Reporting on Enron - Case Study Example But as the time passed by the firm's business mix shifted from the regulated transportation of natural gas to unregulated energy trading markets. Since in the energy trading more money could be made in buying and selling financial contracts linked to the value of energy assets than in actual ownership of physical assets. Because of its business nature Enron's reported annual revenues grew from under $10 billion in the early 1990s to $101 billion in 2000, ranking it seventh on the Fortune 500 (Benston 2002). First, briefly it is important to know what happened which led to the ultimate bankruptcy and collapse. Enron was in the business of energy trading and distribution. It all started with Jeffery Skilling who replaced Kenneth Lay as CEO quitted from his position and Kenneth Lay became the CEO again. Another event of importance was the role of Enron's Chief Financial Officer, Andrew S. Fastow; he was responsible for handling all the off shore partnerships for the company; his actions led to hiding of around a billion dollar debt through these off shore drilling partnership businesses. This was one of the bases which led to the collapse of Enron when it was disclosed. And the admission was made regarding overstatement of profitability of Enron by hiding some of the debt; when the matter was disclosed Enron's share price came slashing down and the company lost its credibility in the financial markets. No one was ready to forward any loan so that the company can come out of the ditch of b ankruptcy. The collapse of Enron badly effected the retirement savings of the employees as these were linked to the stock prices which plummeted badly hence, effecting the employees' savings. An important thing to point out is that the accountants, Arthur Anderson did not indicate at any moment the worsening financial situation of the company. Thus, in the end the accountants, Anderson and the Enron shredded the company documents that reflected the audit reports and employees that were against this were fired (Beams 2002). What do we identify after Enron's implosion that we did not identify before it The conventional perception is that the Enron debacle exposes basic flaw in our current system of corporate governance. Conceivably, this is so, but where is the flaw located Beneath what conditions will critical systems fall short Chief debacles of historical dimensions (and Enron is certainly that) tend to produce a surplus of explanations. In Enron's case, the firm's strange breakdown is becoming an effective Rorschach test in which every commentator can observe evidence verifying that what he or she previously believed. However, the problem with viewing Enron as a sign of any methodical governance collapse is that its nucleus facts are maddeningly only one of its kinds. Most obviously, Enron's governance structure was sui generis. Other public corporations just have not certified their chief financial officer to run a self-governing entity that enters into billions of dollars of risky and unpredictable trading transactions with them; nor have they permitted their senior officials to profit from such self-dealing transactions with no wide direction or even understanding of the profits involved. Neither have

Reading response of the reading Living in a Globalizing World Essay

Reading response of the reading Living in a Globalizing World - Essay Example The people living in United States, gets affected by the affect of globalization on the economy. The positive aspect of the US economy is to generate profit through expansion of industrialization but the adverse aspect is that it leads to the increase in the number of the outsourcing by declining the number local jobs (Crawford and Fogart 1-137). The inequality in sexism, racial prejudice is creating a big chaos in the society and also affecting globalization. With the advent of globalization, few negative aspects such as number of sex trafficking and discrimination of the people on the basis of the race has increased worldwide. s. The institutional racism also gets influenced through globalization due to the integration of the diverse culture. Conversely, many people have adopted orphan children, who belong to different racism for providing them better life (Crawford and Fogart 1-137). The term wealth means the property of an individual, which is earned by the person throughout the life. However, wealth not only provides materialistic happiness but also non-materialistic aspect. Wealth is also the satisfaction, which comes out from the mental peace and happiness. In present scenario, people feel that the people who spend time with their family are happier than any other financially rich person (Crawford and Fogart 1-137). To be an ethical consumer the person needs to adopt the fair trade, which is paid to the worker as workable wages. The role of ethical consumer is to provide support to poor farmer by purchasing food products from them. The customers need to be aware about the money and investment procedures (Crawford and Fogart 1-137). There are some countries are still lacking in its economic nature. The main reason behind this poor situation is inequality in the British colonials. The people who belong to elite class lead different life from that of the poor people. These may lead to

United States Department of Lapor ( organazation theory) Essay - 1

United States Department of Lapor ( organazation theory) - Essay Example Primarily, helping the community is a virtue that cannot be overlooked but it involves a number of external stakeholders. For example, the construction of buildings such as hospitals and schools requires the approval of the government. It is in such an environment that the foundation operates in its daily activities. Belinda gates have three major trustees who are in charge of controlling, planning, organizing and coordinating activities. The media comprise the external environment, and it plays a vital role in informing the public of the foundation’s progress. In addition, it creates an avenue for criticism which is significant for the foundation. Financial registrations, legal issues are challenges that affect the foundation, thus hindering its progress(Fernando, 2011). The Belinda gates foundation operates under the open system where it interacts freely with its environment. This is achieved by delivering services that are community driven and directly influence people’s lives. This system facilitates sustained growth as the organization easily adapts to new environments. In addition, its survival is guaranteed through serving its environment from which it gains support(Wise,

King of Shaves Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

King of Shaves Case Study - Essay Example When a company is in operation, there are many risks eminent in the field. In this paper, King of Shaves Company is discussed in reference to Porter’s five forces model. It then takes a closer look at the shareholders, and maps them in reference to their value to the organization. Introduction Porters’ five forces model is a model framework proposed by Michael Porter which portrays the industry as being influenced by five forces. For any strategic manager and his team planning to develop an edge over the rival firms, they can effectively make use of this model to understand the industry context in which the firm operates. The following is the Porter’s five forces model Porter’s Five Forces Model and Its Purpose and Benefits to Business Intensity of rivalry determines the level of competition in the industry. Different industries have different levels of competition, which is of great importance to business strategic analysts. Economists use competition inherent in the industry in order to measure the level of competition rivalry. If the rivalry among firms in the industry is low, that industry is considered to be disciplined. Such discipline could result in the industry’s competition history, the role of the leading firm or essentially the general understanding of the code of conduct buys the industry players. Rivalry intensifies when a rival firm in an industry acts in a way eliciting a counter response by other firms, for example cutting costs of goods. There are a number of ways in which a firm can exploit to gain a competitive advantage over other its rivals, for example changing prices by the firm gives a firm a temporary advantage, improving products differentiation is yet another way of gaining advant age, using the channels of distribution in a creative way and exploiting relationships with suppliers. All these, if used in a proper way, are likely to improve the firms’ competitive advantage over its rival firms (Roy 2009, p. 28). Threat of substitutes refers to the risk a firm would likely face if customers decided to substitute goods with goods from other industries (Roy 2009, p. 29). Threat of substitute comes into effect when the demand for a particular product is affected by changes in the price for a substitute product. Increase in the availability of substitute goods increases the elasticity of demand due to increased alternatives to the consumers. A close substitute of a product makes it hard for the manufacturers to raise the price of the product. Threat of substitution comes from players outside the industry. According to Roy (2009, p. 26), buyer power is the overall impact of consumers on a producing industry. Strong power of buyers implies increased production levels and there by increased suppliers, thus creating a situation where there are a many suppliers supplying to a single customer. The advantage of such a market to the buyers is that they are the price determiners. However in reality, hardl y do such markets exist in the current business world, with only there being an existence of an asymmetry between the producers and buyers. Strong buyers are characterized by concentrated buyers who purchase a significant portion of the output and

Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing - Case Study Example Price – Despite the presence of various beer brands in the international market, Budweiser has maintained its respectable share in the global market due to its distinct product identity and deep satisfaction of customers towards its product. Hence no matter what the price of the product, Budweiser has been able to maintain its loyal customers. The so called Budweiser trademark dispute where three companies stake claim to the name â€Å"Budweiser.† Not only does it add confusion to the general public, it also varies the product taste and packaging. Despite the aforementioned weaknesses and threats, Budweiser continues to have a competitive advantage over other brands due to its stand out product name, label, and packaging. Furthermore, â€Å"sin† products such as alcoholic beverages maintains a competitive edge over other beverages despite outrageous ad campaigns and continuous government warnings. It may or may not have an agreeable marketing strategy. Nevertheless, the product name says it all. The name Budweiser has given another denotative meaning to beer, or to make it concrete – Budweiser has made itself synonymously identified to

Tell Me About Blood Essay Example for Free

Tell Me About Blood Essay In this paper I will answer some questions about blood and related issues. Some of the questions I will answer are: what is the significance of a lower than normal haematocrit? what is erythropoiesis?why would the level of leukocytes be higher in an individual who has been infected with a parasitic disease. In regions where malaria is endemic, some people build up immune resistance to the malaria pathogen. Which WBCs are responsible for the immune response against pathogens? How do they function? A 13 year old is studying blood in school, and has asked some questions that havent been answered in class. I will answer these questions In a way that a young teenager would be able to understand. What is the significance of a lower than normal hematocrit ? What is the effect of a bacterial infection on the haematocrit? A test called haematocrit is the testing of the proportion of red blood cells compared to all blood cells in a certain volume. A lower than normal finding on a hemotocrit could mean anemia, a large number of white blood cells due to illness infection Leukemia, Lymphoma or other white blood cell disorders, vitamin or mineral deficiency or recent blood loss. The effect of a bacterial infection on the hemotocrit would cause a decrease of the haematocrit. Compare the development of lymphocytes with the development of other formed elements. There are two kinds of lymphocytes, B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes. Lymphocytes begin in the bone marrow, if they stay there then they are B lymphocytes, if they move to the thymus they are called T lymphocytes. The other formed elements of blood start with a mixture of  plasma that develop through erythrocytes and the platelets are formed by megakaryocytes exploding. What is erythropoesis? Which factors speed up and slow down erythropoesis? Erythropoesis is the process of making new red blood cells. This begins in red bone marrow. Proerythroblasts divide several times until it reaches the end of its development, then rejects the nucleus and becomes an reticulocyte. After being released from the red bone marrow a few days later they turn into erythrocytes. Erythropoiesis speeds up when there is a lack of oxygen to body tissues and slows down when there is sufficient oxygenation throughout the bod y. Explain what would happen if a person with type B blood were given a transfusion of type O blood. If a person with type B blood was given a transfusion of Type O there will be no negative affects. Type O blood is the universal donor as there is no antigen on them that would be attacked by the anti-A antibody on the B type blood cells. During an anatomy and physiology exam your asked to view white blood cells in prepared slides of standard human blood smears. Based on the observations below what is the name and function of each WBC? A.WBC has a round nucleus surrounded by a blue halo of cytoplasm with no visible granules. This WBC is a lymphocyte. The function of a lymphocyte is an immediate response of the immune system to defend against known pathogens ASAP. B.WBC contains dense blue purple granules that hides the nucleus. This WBC is a basophil. Their function is to store histamine and are involved in a response to inflammation. C. WBC has a u-shaped nucleus and a bluish cytoplasm with no visible granules. This WBC is called a monocyte. The function of a monocyte is much the same as the neutrophil, they eat invading pathogens to help protect the body. Monocytes also eat dead and damaged cells to keep the body healthy. D.WBC contain small, pale lilac granules and a four lobed nucleus. This WBC is a neutrophil. The function of neutrophils are to eat bacteria and some other foreign material. The membrane of the neutrophil surrounds the invading bacteria and then destroy it. E.WBC contains red orange green any two lobes nucleus. This WBC is an eosinophil. Eosinophils have a few functions, they are part of the inflammatory process, the trap substances, kill cells, and have anti-parasitic and bactericidal activity. Why would the level of leukocytes be higher in an individual who has been infected with a parasitic disease? Leukocytes help defend the body from infections, as someone is getting sick from a disease leukocytes target the threat to keep the body healthy and to destroy the threat. When a doctor looks at the results from a complete blood count of CBC and see that there is an elevation of white blood cells he knows that there is an infection or immune issue. In regions where malaria is endemic, some people build up immune resistance to the malaria pathogen. Which WBC is responsible for the immune response against pathogens? How do they function? Lymphocytes are responsible for the response against pathogens. First you must be exposed to the pathogen, after that the lymphocytes know what to look for. When you are re exposed to the disease your body is prepared for it and keeps you from getting sick or at the very least from getting the full blown sickness. What is the function of prothrombinase and thrombin in clotting? Explain how the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of blood clotting differ. The function of prothombinase is to turn into prothrombin in to thrombin to make blood clot, which then stops blood loss. The difference between extrinsic and intrinsic is where the chemical connections comes from. The extrinsic bond happens outside of the damaged blood vessel when blood seeps into other tissue. The intrinsic bond happens inside of the damaged blood vessel. With both pathways after the chemical bond is triggered a blood clot begins to form and stop the bleeding. This paper explains a few questions about blood in a language that a young teenager should be able to understand. The questions answered explain about the different white blood cells, what they look like and their functions. This paper also explains about blood transfusions and clotting. References basophil (blood cell) Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2014, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/55316/basophil Blood Types Chart | Blood Group Information | American Red Cross. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2014, from http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/blood-types The clotting process World Federation of Hemophilia. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2014, from http://www.wfh.org/en/page.aspx?pid=635 Complete Blood Count (CBC): Healthwise Medical Information on eMedicineHealth. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2014, from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/complete_blood_count_cbc-health/article_em.htm erythropoiesis definition of erythropoiesis in the Medical dictionary by the Free Online Medical Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2014, from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/erythropoiesis Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and other methods to enhance oxygen transport. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2439521/ Hematocrit test Why its done Tests and Procedures Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hematocrit/basics/why-its-done/prc-20015009 Lymphocytes and the Cellular Basis of Adaptive Immunity Molecular Biology of the Cell NCBI Bookshelf. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26921/ What is an Eosinophil? | Definition Function | CCED. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2014, from http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/c/eosinophilic-disorders/conditions/eosinophil/ What Is the Function of Monocytes? (with picture). (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2014, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-function-of-monocytes.htm White blood cells Google Search. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2014, from https://www.google.com/search?es_sm=93biw=1366bih=667tbm=ischsa=1q=White+blood+cellsoq=White+blood+cellsgs_l=img.33414.9913.0.10016.20.11.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0.01c.1.47.img..20.0.0.xIhwmJNe2D8 White Blood Cells. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2014, from http://peer.tamu.edu/curriculum_modules/OrganSystems/module_1/whatweknow 5.htm

Psychology of Human and Criminal Behaviour

Psychology of Human and Criminal Behaviour Sandy Hook Elementary School had 456 children enrolled into Kindergarten through to fourth grade. Newtown is located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, about 60 miles outside New York City. In the town crime was rare with just 28,000 residents. Just one homicide had happened in the town in the ten years prior to the school shootings. 20 year old Adam Lanza was carrying a stash of hundreds of rounds of ammo. When he heard police approaching the classroom where he gunned down helpless children he shot himself in the head. 20 children aged 6 or 7 and 6 adults were shot on the day with a high power rifle. The Gunman, Adam was said to be bright but awkward student with no close friends. In high school he was involved with a technology group, where the club leader said he had some disabilities and seemed not to feel pain like the other members. He required special supervision when using tools for things like soldering and occasionally had episodes in which he seemed to withdraw completely f rom his surroundings. Lanza had never been involved with or had a criminal history before. Psychological Theories focus on how characteristics of the individual lead to criminal behaviour. Sigmund Freud who fathered psychoanalytic theory is discussed in some detailed because many key concepts in this theory are utilized by current sociological and psychological theories of criminal offending. Freud believed that one can understand human behaviour best by examining early childhood experiences. These experiences, traumatic or not can intensely affect behaviour without the individual being consciously aware of their impact. Additionally, all humans have criminal trends. Theses tendencies are restrained, however, through the process of socialisation. A child that is unsuitably socialised could then develop a personality disturbance that causes him or her to direct antisocial desires either inwards or outward. Those who direct them inward become neurotic while those that direct them outwards become criminal. An application could be where is a mother is forced to work during her childs younger years the emotional bond could be broken, leading to stunted social development, which could then lead to crime. It is the psychoanalytic belief that we are all narcissists at an early stage of our lives. As infants and toddlers we all feel that we are the centre of the universe, the most important, omnipotent and wise beings. At that phase of our development, our parents are perceived by us to be mythical figures, immortal and awesomely powerful, there solely to cater to our needs, to protect and nourish us. A second major theory of criminal behaviour is Social Learning Theory is based on the principles of which hypothesizes that a persons behaviour is learned and maintained by its concerns or rewards. Individuals then learn deviant and criminal behaviour but observing other people and witnessing the rewards or consequences that their behaviour receives. According to this theory, if this is how different behaviour is established, then taking away the reward value of the behaviour can eliminate deviant behaviour. Social learning theory stemmed out of work by N.E. Miller and J. Dollard in 1941. Their plan suggests that if humans were inspired to study a particular behaviour that particular behaviour would be learned through clear observations. By copying these observed actions the individual observer would set that learned action and would be rewarded with positive reinforcement. The plan of social learning was expanded upon and theorized by Albert Bandura from 1962 to the present. The adv antages of this theory are it deals with the learning of complex forms of behaviour holistically rather than as a process of slow condition and furthermore stresses the processes in the acquisition of behaviour. On the other hand it has a weak ability to explain under circumstances criminal behaviour will or will not be learnt mean that it has limited explanatory power. For example, an individual who observes a friend shoplifting an item and not getting caught sees that the friend is not being punished for their actions and they are rewarded by getting to keep the item he or she stole. That individual might be more likely to shoplift, then, if they believe he or she will be rewarded with the same outcome. Although it may be suggested by some within the social order that social learning theory can be used as a tool to blame television, movies or video games on the violent acts that are committed by youth, those applying the theory fail to see the complete cycle of events that lead to school shootings. Furthermore, it must be understood that this cycle of events that are discussed in social learning theory occur over an extended period of time, building to the moment of action. Therefore, social learning theory has the ability of not only identifying children that have been negatively impacted by their environment, but also using the information known regarding what affects children negatively to change their lives before violence occurs. Some say a casual aspect of crime could be Genes, and genetic factor that can influence people to commit crime. In the case of murder if the existence of a violent gene can be proved, and there are members of society who if provoked will be unable to control their successive actions, even if those actions amount to murder, then genetics absolutely must be considered in the law courts. The existence of such a gene appears to suggest that there exist people who inherently bad. However if we are allow people justifying circumstances due to their genetic makeup, then we are creating yet another excuse. There may be genes that make us more vulnerable to such traits, but we are ultimately responsible for our own actions. Also the association between unemployment and crime is still unsettled combined crime rates and collective unemployment rate seen weakly related. In other words, crime rates sometimes rise during periods of economic wealth and fall during periods of economic decline. Unemp loyment threatens households, and unstable families are the ones most likely to produce children who put a premium on violence and aggression as a means of dealing with limited opportunity. This lack of opportunity perpetuates higher crime rates, especially when large groups or partners of people of the same age compete for relatively limited resources. The shooter Adam even though unemployment didnt have a major influence still had no independent job or schooling. History has shown that there is a link between poverty and crime; however that nature of the relationship can be difficult to define. In addition to higher crime rates, higher unemployment and lower wages, higher poverty neighbourhoods have weaker access to health care and education, increased stress levels and rates of mental illness. Many of these factors also appear to contribute to a higher crime rate. One of the reasons people find themselves in poverty is how little education they have which then leads them to an inability to secure a decent paying job. It has also been said that people with higher incomes are less likely to commit a crime due to the economic cost of going to prison. For example someone earning  £50,000 a year will suffer more loss by going to prison than an individual who has little to no income. The study done on Inequality and Violent Crime published by journal of law and economics in 2002 found a great correlation between inequality and crime. This shows that to be especially strong at times of poor economic growth. If jobs are available and the economic situation of individual is improving, even if they are still poor, there does not appear to be as much crime as there would be in a situation where the economy is in decline, jobs are being lost and the economic situation of the poor worsening. Criminal behaviour in youths is often the result of on-going physical and emotional changes that occur in the course of gaining independence from parents and developing an identity within the peer group. People are just as likely to commit violent behaviour because of verbal coercion from friends as they are due to their own private desire to gain acceptance from within a peer group. In higher crime neighbourhoods the chances of a child escaping the peer pressure that leads to crime and violence is a rarity. The main reason people will commit crime despite knowing that it is wrong is due in part to distortions often overvalue the reward aspec t of peer acceptance. Many people have long debates whether poverty itself is a cause of crime or whether poverty and crime are both caused by other factors such as low education, bad work habits, substance abuse, family breakdowns and fatherlessness and other social pathologies. Even though the struggle to answer why these things happen fairly. Early reports do indicate that Lanzas mental health deteriorated rapidly following the departure of his father which may have then put this mother into a hard position. In conclusion the impact of this crime had a major impact to the victims and to society. The major debate that has been set off because of the Newtown shootings is gun laws in America. The percentage of Americans favouring though gun regulations rose significantly. A poll found that 50% of those surveyed after the shootings agreed that gun ownership should have stronger regulation. The massacre has led to President Barack Obama and come congressional leaders to reconsider what has been a largely hands off approach to gun control in recent years and sometime much change to prevent such tragedies happening again. The victims and their families would want to enforce stricter rules and safety procedure; each classroom teachers should have emergency plans. Appendix On Dec. 14, 2012, a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 children between the ages of 6 and 7, at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., about 65 miles northeast of New York City. The gunman, Adam Lanza, 20, killed himself inside the Sandy Hook Elementary School. The day after the shootings, officials said that Mr. Lanza forced his way into the school, apparently defeating an intercom system that was meant to keep people out. The killing spree had begun earlier at the house where Mr. Lanza had lived with his mother, Nancy Lanza, who was a gun enthusiast. There, he shot her in the face, making her his first victim. One of her guns was apparently used to take her life, authorities said. Then, leaving her dead after taking three guns that belonged to her, he climbed into her car for the short drive to the school. Two of the guns were semiautomatic pistols; the other was a semiautomatic rifle. Once Mr. Lanza had forced his way in, wearing combat gear, the massacre unfolded with chillin g speed, as he opened fire in one classroom and then another. This Massacre is the second deadliest school shooting in US history and one of the deadliest mass shootings around the world. A gunman a Virginia Tech University killed 33, including himself in 2007. Only Virginia tech and the mass killings of 77 in Norway last year had greater death tolls across the world over the past 20 years.

Competition in the global markets

Competition in the global markets Executive Summary This report provides a critical evaluation of the Innovative Strategies of the organizations, which they are adopting in order to compete in Global Environment. Starting with the definition, including innovation as part of an organisation, the report moves on to discuss key methods and applications which ekes the process of innovation in an organisation. Further, the report highlights the key managerial qualities and parameters like leadership and decision making systems of the organisation which support the successful process of innovation. The report also contains a brief analysis of British Airways investigating the innovative strategies practiced in the organization that determine the level of competition, and consequently, the level of profit in an industry. Introduction: The organizations worldwide face a number of challenges due to the increasing intensity of competition in the global markets. However what best they can do is to find out and research the new ways of step ahead of their competitors hence upon getting the much-needed knowledge, base their theories and strategies in a much more effective and efficient manner. The internal and external environment of the organisations has undergone rapid and extensive change in last three decades. This change adaptation or innovation has been a moot issue, as the researchers want to explore all the dimensions of the phenomenon. Innovation is the most exciting technique one must adapt in a business because it gives the chance to put all new skills to work. Exposure to innovation alters the way one looks at businesses. Innovative thinking involves a comprehensive analysis of a business in relation to its industry, its competitors, and the business environment in both the short- and the long-term. Ultimately, innovative strategy is a companys plan to achieve its goals (Kandampully, 2002; pp. 18-26) Innovative organization is defined by Baraà ±ano as â€Å"the integrated set of managerial and organisational elements which work together to create and reinforce the kind of milieu stimulating successful technological innovation.† (Baraà ±ano) Organisational innovation is the process of introducing substantial changes in the structure and processes of organization. Organisation plays an important role in the successful process of Innovation and its implementation, as explained by the OECD [O]ne key element of innovation is organisation. †¦ Organisation is essentially a process for the gathering, management and use of information, and for the implementation of decisions based on such information. Such processes have a strong intangible dimension, but taken together they make up the learning capacity of the firm and as such are a central element in innovation capability. These are specific institutional rules of the game which regulate possible modes of organisation on a broad level. (OECD, 1997: 43) In order to undertake successful innovation process it is important to keep the organistaion in tact with the change process. The culture and business values of the organization should also be changed. It is important because in many organizations the technological innovations could not fulfill the expectations of the management because the organizational practices failed to eke the successful adaptation of change. An innovative organization must have a clear mission and predetermined performance objectives in order to save the employees from pursuing their own ends and justifying their actions by claiming of being innovative. In order to undertake the process of innovation in controlled and effective way it is important for each and every member of the organisation to have clear understanding of organisational goals. The employees can be included in the process by providing them with the independence to create and implement different techniques to achieve organisational goals. To make the most of the innovation process it is essential that the organisation must provide an explicit statement of goals. The mission statement of an organisation provides the broader perspective of what the organisation is aiming to achieve in future on the other hand the operational goals define the ways the organisation will undertake to achieve these objectives. The operational goals set performance targets in shape of time for the organisation which can also be used as the performance evaluation technique for the organisation. Mission and goals of an organisation sets the direction of innovation. Innovation in isolation has no value. Its the success of innovation in achieving he organisational goals which makes it valuable. In the same context the success of innovative organisations can only be judged by the evaluation of the success of innovation in achieving the organisational goals. Creating an innovative organization requires a clear understanding of mission and goals so that individual innovations can be examined to see whether and how much they actually contribute to achieving the organizations purposes. Innovative organizations are not trying to be innovative. Rather, they are trying to achieve purposes. Successful innovations involves a number a people rather than relying on an individual. It is impossible for an individual to convert an innovative idea into a functioning innovation without the support of all the people from all the organisational hierarchies. The participation from all levels of organisation makes the innovation possible by fitting the initial idea into the operational realities and organizational environment. As mentioned by Tidd et al. (1997) that No single element in isolation is likely to be effective, and no single tool or technique however fashionable, will create and sustain an innovative environment. (Tidd et al., 1997: 332) He basic unit Hence it can be said that innovation is a team effort and it should be regarded as a basic unit of performance for most organizations (Katzenbach and Smith , 1993; 27). Teams of mechanics, not individual mechanics, repair and maintain airplanes and sanitation trucks. Teams of social workers, not individual social workers, find jobs for welfare recipients. Teams of people, not individual employees, actually produce the organizations results. Among the findings of the innovators advantage are several that highlight the ways innovative companies differ from less-innovative companies in dealing with their customers. In creation of compatibility towards the difficult economy innovative companies have managed it by the by rethinking process. In reaction to the economic and market conditions in the past years, Fifty Four percent of very innovative companies, compared with just 29 percent of non-innovative or less innovative companies, have significantly re-evaluated and altered their marketing and sales strategies. Innovative organizations depend, by definition, upon the ideas of everyone from chief executive to frontline worker. Yet if the frontline workers believe that the differences in hierarchical status reflect not only differences in responsibilities but also differences in how their ideas are judged, they will keep these ideas to themselves. No one wants to be told that an idea is silly or to have an idea ignored. So rather than risk embarrassment, frontline workers will simply keep their mouths shut. If the leaders of an organization silence their frontline workers mouths, they also turn off these workers minds. The Organisations has an informal hierarchy. The operational issue is how much these hierarchies affect the behavior of the individuals, particularly those on the lower rungs in the organization. Does the hierarchy intimidate people from offering suggestions? Does it prevent people from recommending solutions? If a team is to work together to solve a problem, everyone must feel free to contribute; every member of the team must feel that his or her contribution will be valued. The members of the team also need a shared sense of accountability (Katzenbach and Smith 1993, 32). They will never feel that they are sharing accountability if they perceive major differences in status. To be innovative is to take responsibility for improving performance. Hierarchical organizations create not only differentials in status but also differentials in responsibility. To create an innovative organization requires making these hierarchical differences as unimportant as possible (Lawler 1988). Innovative companies are more eager to use technology to help in improving their customer relationship management. There is 3:1 ratio between the very innovative companies and non-innovative companies who have implemented a customer relationship management system (54 percent versus 15 percent), and the more innovative companies have also used the facilities of sales system which is more than twice as likely as non-innovative companies. These systems are very valuable to the innovative companies as they undoubtedly got the true benefits by its use. Procurement becomes even more complicated for a global leader like British Airways (BA) with 337 aircraft in service and operations in 165 cities in 96 different countries. BAs procurement process had become increasingly complex with global expenditures of approximately US$6.5 billion going to more than 30,000 suppliers globally. BA thought that it might be possible to better control this complex process, reduce costs and achieve greater efficiency in their purchasing processes. BA also recognized that eCommerce and electronic procurement (eProcurement) could offer the company significant benefits. BA turned to Accenture to evaluate the situation and help them improve their processes and leverage eProcurement opportunities. Accenture and BA initially identified a potential purchase cost reduction of approximately US$260 million or 5% of their annual expenditures that could be realized through the smarter procurement of goods and services across the BA network within two years. Customer relationship management innovations have greatly improved business performance. The following illustrates how the use of technology in customer relationship management can result in improvising business performance. Accenture has identified three major techniques in the customer relationship management are that many leading organizations are using in improvising their financial performance, produce competitive benefits, and increase the demand for their products and services vigorously. As the customers grow in number, their demands are also a never ending fiasco. In this regard every company should understand the customer behaviour very well. Their likings, behaviour, buying capacity, preferred delivery channels, all this should be recorded and each customer should be treated accordingly. This all has become possible with the support of Information Technology as it has become simple to accumulate the data containing these insights, but unfortunately the data has never been used to its full potential. In fact even today many organizations are lacking the integrated view of their customers. In most of the companies, all the customers are not created equally, some are more profit generating than others and some may cause losses to the company. Leading companies are emphasizing on aligning the sales and service resources according to customers statistical data that how much contribution he has provided to the company in the essence of value and profit. Many of the marketing executives have clearly understood that todays customers have a great recognition to varieties and have more challenging behaviour than ever before. Still today many marketing departments are following old practices of to approach and convince their targeted public. In fact, the major typical marketing companies are still lacking the advantages of technology changes that are enhancing other business tasks, such as production, sales, supply chain, inventory, accounts, education, human resource etc (Alison David, 2005). The use of Technology in planning is imperative as it is a strategic tool and has to be powerfully incorporated with the overall business plan. There are various key business challenges faced by the company such as increase in production, reduce costing, enhance business opportunities, regularizing the processes, streamlining collaboration between workers and wherever required, a technology or Internet-based solution these challenges should be provided (Linda Hughes). Furthermore, if a company has an ideal technology plan it will have a strong base for growth through the internet. This includes e-commerce, a new and modern way of doing business that will provide another innovative way of business activities such as sales, distribution and marketing (Butler, 1993). Thus the requirement of a technology plan is immense. In todays world where internet economy is booming, the internet economy is making technology planning a critical business tool. For all the obvious benefits of technology plans, few small and growing businesses have them. However, today numerous emerging business drivers are forcing companies of all sizes, in all industries, to prepare for integrating the Internet into nearly every aspect of their daily operations due to the growing competition, increasing cost pressures and collaboration of businesses with partners. Finding and keeping good employees is becoming a strategic advantage. In a tight labour market, a strong technology foundation provides tools for finding and keeping the best employees, a key competitive advantage. And, growing through technology can be more cost efficient than increasing staff. Increasing customer expectations is another factor as he wants to get all the facilities such as shopping, buying, banking, entertainment, news, sports etc., any time, day or night, on demand. The business should have a well equipped setup to accommodate this new standard for continuous accessibility and instant response. The improvement in productivity has been very effective and most economists attribute this largely to technological advances. Though to enable the employees to communicate and collaborate more efficiently and to streamline all the processes the technology must be deployed very intelligently. New business models are allowing the customers to take charge as they are able to decide what information they receive, when and where to travel, even how much to pay. Technology planning can position the business to leverage this development to develop lasting customer relationships. We may conclude that technology innovation and implementation is such an advantage and choosing an appropriate hardware and software that can impeccably insert users or sustain new technologies and further applications should be a major part of the companys long term planning. Innovative organization creation is a task of innovation itself which has been successfully undertaken by the management of British Airways Creating an innovative public agency is, itself, a task of innovation. Each innovative organization will be different. It will be pursuing different purposes. Or it will be pursuing them in a different organizational context, within a different political environment, or within different legal constraints. There is no recipe for replicating an innovation. Similarly, there is no recipe for replicating the innovative organizations mentioned here. Moreover, there may be many different ways to convert a moribund organization into an innovative one. There may well be another set of hints (that includes the hint about creating mission and goals) that may, in some contexts, prove equally effective. Leadership is not like physics. In physics, the acceleration of an object is always equal to the force on it divided by its mass. You cannot get different answers in physics; you always get precisely the same one. References Ahuja K. (2005) Strategic Management. Kalyani Publishers. Calcutta.Pp 425-775 Johnson, G, Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2008), Exploring Corporate Strategy Enhanced media edition, Harlow: Prentice Hall Barr, Pamela S. (2000). When Firms Change Direction. Oxford University Press Baraà ±ano, Anna, M., (The Non-Technological Side Of Technological Innovation: State-Of-The-Art And Further Empirical Research Buhalis, D., (2004).eAirlines: strategic and tactical use of ICTs in the airline industry Information Management, Volume 41, Issue 7, September 2004, Pages 805-825 Foss, Nicolai J. (2005). Strategy, Economic Organization, and the Knowledge Economy: The Coordination of Firms and Resources. Oxford University Press Case Study:Accenture And British Airways, Global Reach, Global Challenges, retrieved as on 3/11/2009 from http://www.accenture.com/NR/rdonlyres/A527609A-0C78-460B-A447-6D97DCCCCD51/0/british_airways.pdf Gary D. Kissler, (2001). E-leadership, Organizational Dynamics, Volume 30, Issue 2, November 2001, pp. 121-133 GovLeaders.org, (1997). Creating an Innovative Organization: Ten Hints for Involving Frontline Workers, retrieved as on 3/12/2009 from http://govleaders.org/behn_innovation3.htm Dimitrios Buhalis and Maria Cristina Licata, (2002). The future eTourism intermediaries, Tourism Management, Volume 23, Issue 3, June 2002, Pages 207-220 Kandampully, J., (2002). Innovation as the core competency of a service organisation: the role of technology, knowledge and networks, European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol. 5, (1), pp. 18-26 Tidd, J.; Bessant, J. Pavitt, K. (1997) Managing innovation: Integrating technological, market and organisational change. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons

Marc Forster’s Monster’s Ball Essay -- Marc Forster Monsters Ball Ess

Marc Forster’s Monster’s Ball Marc Forster’s Monster’s Ball is a depiction of one man’s journey to overcome his lifelong ignorance, but this seems to be the film’s only accomplishment. The grisly drama attempts to address pressing racial issues, but instead it creates a monstrous web of unanswered questions and unfulfilled plotlines cleverly masked by brilliant acting and cinematic beauty. The first half of Monster’s Ball revolves around a family of executioners responsible for the last days of a black death-row inmate. Billy Bob Thornton is striking as Hank Grotowski, a native Georgian who has spent his life following in his father’s footsteps both as a corrections officer in the state penitentiary and as a racist. Peter Boyle plays Thornton’s retired father and delivers a gritty performance that is a welcome change from his role as the wise-cracking Frank Barone on CBS’s Everybody Loves Raymond. Heath Ledger is Sonny Grotowski, Thornton’s son, a third-generation corrections officer who never lives up to the family’s tough-guy standards and dares to have black friends. Hank and Sonny are part of an execution team assigned to Lawrence Musgrove, a cop-killer skillfully portrayed by Sean Combs, whose impressive performance suggests that his acting career may have as much earning potential as P. Diddy’s current line of work . Thornton’s portrayal of Grotowski is flawless—his best since 1996’s Sling Blade—and helps one forget such disappointments as 1998’s A Simple Plan. He becomes Hank and leaves no trace of Billy Bob on the screen. Grotowski’s dialogue is limited and purposely lacks profundity, forcing Thornton to convey meaning through action. When Hank descends his front porch to meet his son’s two black friends with a s... ...m—when the â€Å"monster† himself, Lawrence Musgrove, is awaiting death. Chesse creates depth and parallelism between Lawrence and Leticia, bouncing back and forth between the activities on death row and in Leticia’s home. The scene is reminiscent of Dead Man Walking, but Combs’ Musgrove is a welcome departure from Sean Penn’s Matthew Poncelet in that Musgrove accepts his fate and doesn’t fight death. This allows him to be fully effective in conveying what is the film’s best line of dialogue as well as its main theme: â€Å"It truly takes a human being to really see a human being.† Monster’s Ball had the potential to be a gripping tale of love lost and love found, but that potential is lost in a sea of subplots that drowns the main narrative. Forster is left with a film that is little more than a star vehicle for Berry’s and Thornton’s most compelling performances to date.

Dreams of Millennium :: essays research papers fc

In his 1996 report, Dreams of millennium: a report from a culture on the brink, Mark Kingwell discusses a spectrum of topics some of which touch on the then imminent millennium and some which seem to have very little to do with the subject. He switches from topic to topic seemingly without organization or connection. The book, although relatively lengthy, does not seem to come to any conclusions. Kingwell discusses several issues that he believes will become more problematic in the future and he discusses the millennium, as these problems will shape it. He talks about the fates that different religious group’s fear, and how maybe those without faith will be further mistrustful and disbelieving. Kingwells discussions of Armageddon reveal his own lack of fear; he does not seem to fear the future as a millennium, but as something else. Kingwell seems to reject all the predictions of others that he talks about and concentrates on his own view that essentially nothing will really change because of the millennium. He talks about all kinds of people in groups and how they will react as the new age approaches. He cannot predict their fate, but he does a good job of clarifying how they have prepared. Mr. Kingwell talks of how in hundreds of years past, people believed in superstition, spirits, and psychic abilities. The author new watches as society turns back down that road. Unfortunately, Kingwell seems to talk at length about everything for an end result of nothing. His arguments and facts are well thought out and researched, but they do not clarify any explanations about the preparation for the millennium.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To capture Kingwells work in a small space is difficult. With his long and drawn out explanations of why millennium is, for many, the beginning of the end, Kingw3ell states that â€Å"almost every century since the 1100’s has†¦ brought increased anxiety†¦at its close.† Shortly after stating this, he goes on to describe many events in the past that support this statement. He talks of calendars and their significance in the past and relates them to those of today. For example Kingwell tells us that, â€Å"it wasn’t until the 1290’s†¦that the centuries began to take on the shape they have now for us.† He then adds that, â€Å"not until the 1690’s †¦people began to see themselves as products of a given century.† From these facts we could conclude that the millennium issue didn’t even occur to people until less than 500 years before it.

Computer Generated Evidence in Court :: Computers Technology Courtroom Essays

Computer Generated Evidence in Court Introduction We are living in what is usually described as an 'information society' and as the business community makes ever greater use of computers the courts are going to find that increasingly the disputes before them turn on evidence which has at some stage passed through or been processed by a computer. In order to keep in step with this practice it is vital that the courts are able to take account of such evidence. As the Criminal Law Revision Committee recognised, 'the increasing use of computers by the Post Office, local authorities, banks and business firms to store information will make it more difficult to prove certain matters such as cheque card frauds, unless it is possible for this to be done from computers' (CLRC 1972, para 259). Admissibility The law of evidence is concerned with the means of proving the facts which are in issue and this necessarily involves the adduction of evidence which is then presented to the court. The law admits evidence only if it complies with the rules governing admissibility. Computer output is only admissible in evidence where special conditions are satisfied. These conditions are set out in detail in section 69 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 (see further Nyssens 1993, Reed 1993 and Tapper 1993). In general the principles of admissibility are that the evidence must be relevant to the proof of a fact in issue, to the credibility of a witness or to the reliability of other evidence, and the evidence must not be inadmissible by virtue of some particular rule of law (Keane 1994, pp 15-20; Tapper 1990, pp 51- 61). Real evidence usually takes the form of some material object (including computer output) produced for inspection in order that the court may draw an inference from its own observation as to the existence, condition or value of the object in question. Although real evidence may be extremely valuable as a means of proof, little if any weight attaches to it unless accompanied by testimony which identifies the object in question and explains its connection with, or significance in relation to, the facts in issue or relevant to the issue. This is illustrated in the case of R v Wood (1982) 76 Cr App R 23 where the appellant was convicted of handling stolen metals. In order to prove that metal found in his possession and metal retained from the stolen consignment had the same chemical composition cross-checking was undertaken and the figures produced were subjected to a laborious mathematical process in order that the percentage

Sociology Katelyn Hofstetter

Women’s Rights The social position of Muslim women differs tthroughout time periods and countries, such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. The consequences of breaking the laws in these nations differ as well. In addition, different social factors affect the way Muslim women are treated. These social positions are perceived differently amongst men and women in Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. In Afghanistan, the leaders of the past Resistance turned Muslim Afghanistan into a strict theocratic state by incorporating religion into the state laws.This theocratic state, also known as the Islamic state of Afghanistan, along with the mujahideen, limited women’s rights in 1992 (Goodwin, 2003:78). Specifically, women are required to follow a strict dress code of wearing proper veils and are banned from watching television or listening to the radio. When a Muslim woman gets married, she becomes her in-law’s property. Women are also prohibited from working, wearing perfum e, receiving an education, participating in political elections and showing any body part that can be considered erotically enticing.In addition, a Muslim woman cannot talk to men that are not related to her (Goodwin, 2003:78-79). One reason women’s rights are restricted is the lack of education and illiteracy of Afghan women. Being illiterate prevents a woman from studying Islam. Therefore, when someone tells her something is Islamic, she automatically believes him because she has no way of knowing otherwise. Not only does illiteracy prevent Muslim women from studying Islam, but it also prevents them from studying their legal rights and the Qur’an. Studying the Qur’an and legal rights would cause women to understand what really is Islamic. https://donemyessay.com/sociology-exam-3-chapters-6-8/Women may lack knowledge of how women live in other nations. Therefore, these women do not resist their lack of rights because they are uninformed of alternative lifestyles of women. In 1921, women’s rights drastically changed. The veil was banned and the first school for girls opened (Goodwin, 2003:88 and 90). In 1964, the constitution of Afghanistan granted equal status to men and women and coeducation (Goodwin, 2003:89). Communism did take over Afghanistan after that event and Aghanistan’s laws for women became much more conservative.Hamida, a college-educated Afghan woman had to stay home with other women and wear the traditional veil due to the drastic change in women’s rights. She greatly suffered and experienced many physical problems due to the drastic change in rights. Her level of education may have been a factor to her sthrong reaction (Goodwin, 2003:91). Hamida’s reaction demonstrates how ed ucated women have a sthronger negative reaction than uneducated women in terms of restrictions. In Iran, women must wear their hijab properly and remain entirely covered in public as soon as they are mature enough to be married.Women are considered mature enough to marry by the age of 9 (Goodwin, 2003:107). According to Zahra Qasim, a store clerk in Iran, dress restrictions are not always formally written down, so rules are somewhat unclear, which leads to women being punished due to laws they are unaware of (Goodwin, 2003:108). Banning the veil could be perceived just as oppressive if not more, than requiring women to wear a veil. Due to banning the veil, some women feel uncomfortable going in public without a veil, causing women to avoid going out in public whenever possible (Hoodfar, 1993).Therefore, wearing the veil in Iran is part of culture and society in Iran. Another reason behind the dress restrictions is husbands feel in control when their wives wear a veil (Goodwin, 2003: 109). Rahnavard has a different perspective on the veil. She believes â€Å"women in the west have been enslaved by fashion, makeup, and turned into objects of sexual attention. â€Å"The veil frees women from the shackles of fashion and enables them to become human beings in their own right,’ she claimed. Once people cease to be distracted by women’s physical appearance, they can begin to hear their views and recognize the inner person’† (Goodwin, 2003: 112-113). Therefore, Rahnavard believes Western women are more oppressed than Muslim women. The veil protects women from being judged and discriminated based on physical appearance, something western women are not protected from. Despite the positive perspectives of the veil in Iran, there are discrepancies between the rights of men and women. Despite the positive perspectives of the veil in Iran, there are discrepancies between the rights of men and women.Maryam Rajavi ran the mujahideen with her husban d and mobilized Iranian women against suppressive regimes, which was the cause of many supporters of Shah to attempt to assassinate Rajavi. Although they did not assassinate Rajavie, they were successful in executing two of her sisters (Goodwin, 2003: 122). Such aassassinations demonstrate how many Iranians sthrongly appose a change in women’s rights. When women fail to follow the rules Iran reinforces, the common punishment involves whipping the woman. Jan Goodwin explains the experience of being whipped as â€Å"The lack of power, being robbed of all dignity.It was a disgusting experience, so degrading, and as violating in its way as rape† (Goodwin, 2003: 112). Within Iran, there are inequalities amongst men and women. For instance, laws in terms of execution differ among genders. Girls have to be at least 9 years old to be executed while boys have to be at least 16 years old (Goodwin, 2003:115). Women can not divorce without the husband’s consent. When a divo rce does occur, the husband typically gets custody of the children (Goodwin, 2003:114). In addition, women must remain virgins before mmarriage. Within the Islamic religion, it is believed virgins automatically go to Paradise following death.This is not necessarily the case for women that lose their virginity before mmarriage. If it is discovered that an unmarried woman is not a virgin, they may be forced to get married (Goodwin, 2003:115). Ssimilarly to Iranian laws, Pakistan also prohibits sex before mmarriage, which is termed as Zina laws. A large ppercentage of the women in Pakistan experience punishment for committing Zina. When a woman commits Zina, despite whether or not she had sex voluntarily, the woman is punished and the man is not. Men often report that a woman committed Zina as a form of revenge of the woman’s close male relative, despite if she really committed Zina.One can only attest that an assault occurred if there are at least four male witnesses that were present during the act and agree that it happened (Goodwin, 2003:51-53). 75% of women in jail are charged with Zina (Goodwin, 2003:52). Such a high ppercentage demonstrates the commonality of charging someone with Zina. The value of a woman’s life is considered half that of a man’s in Pakistan (Goodwin, 2003:55). Women’s lives are so restrictive they are sometimes only allowed outside their home three times in their lifetime, when they are born, when they get married, and when they die.In addition, the windows are frosted so no outsiders can see the woman in her house (Goodwin, 2003:56-57). The cause of the lack of women’s rights is due to education; Pakistani women lack knowledge about their rights (Goodwin, 2003:71). Socioeconomic class plays a factor in women’s rights in Pakistan. The elite rich live in a westernized lifestyle. For instance, the elite have a lifestyle full of materialism. Women often have boyfriends in private, participate in se xual aactivity prior to mmarriage, drink alcohol at parties, and watch movies that have been banned in Pakistan.Unlike the lower socioeconomic classes, the elite women are not considered property to her husband and do not have to live a domesticated lifestyle because they frequently hire people to perform the chores wives are expected to do in a lower class. In this elite class, the parent's of sons arrange their mmarriage with a well-educated woman. The parent's of daughters look for a husband that is professional with an American green card (Goodwin, 2003:68-69). The film, A Matter of Honor, informs the viewer that in Pakistan, Honor Killings are when a woman is killed due to acts that are prohibited through the religious laws the country follows.Family members commit Honor Killings for the sole purpose of preserving the honor of the family. Honor Killings are more common among rural and uneducated people because they do not know how to read the Qur’an to build perceptions from the accurate meanings of the verses. Honor Killings are technically illegal in Pakistan, but they are rarely enforced. Muslim women’s rights are different among different countries and there are many opposing perspectives on Muslim women’s rights. In addition, the reasons why women’s rights continue to be restrictive differ as well.One commonality among Afghanistan and Iran is the wearing of the veil. There are several different perspectives as to why the veil is worn. There are other laws regarding what women can and can not do in which Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan enforce. Not only are there different laws that are enforced, but they way they are enforced differ amongst different factors as well. Despite the trends in the way women are treated in these countries, it is important that people do not generalize these practices among all Muslim women, as this habit leads to false assumptions.

The Narrative

Jacques EpangueEnglish 101, 9M2 Professor Rolando JorifSpring 2013 The Narrative In â€Å"About Men†, by Gretel Ehrlich, the author describes cowboys like men who seem to have trouble communicating with and relating to women, yet cling to an â€Å"adolescent dependency† on women to take care of them. This trouble of communication with women can be perceived by others as a sign of weakness even a lack of virility. However, according to Ehrlich it may be because of historical and geographical factors.Cowboys who are mostly from the South kept that â€Å"chivalrousness and strict codes of honor† when the came to the Wyoming. This is why men would show a stand-offish and respectful attitude vis-a-vis the women. Also, due to the geographical vastness of the North, cowboys often work where there is no human beings or women. He is physically and socially isolated which â€Å"make emotional evolution seem impossible†. Therefore, if it happened that he feels someth ing for a woman, he would have trouble communicating because he is not use to the code of seduction that average people know.And yet, â€Å"dancing wildly all night becomes a metaphor for the explosive emotions pent up inside, and when these are, on occasion, released, they're so battery-charged and potent that one caress of the face of one â€Å"I love you† will peal for a long while. † The attempt of the author to explain why the American cowboy tends to be rather reserved when it comes to seduce a woman squares well with her painting of his personality.Keep in mind that the purpose of her writing is to â€Å"reveal the complex nature of the American cowboy†, so she tries to show how the stereotype of the cowboy does not reflect the reality. This man who is â€Å"usually thought of as a rugged and tough† individual, is not only full of manliness, but has his own kind of femininity reflected in his altruism, but also in his relationship with women, chara cterized by what the author names â€Å"Those contradictions of the heart between respectability, logic and convention on the one hand, and impulse, passion, and intuition on the other†.In fact the author stands that cowboys are vulnerable too, and according to her and Ted Hoagland â€Å"No one is as fragile as a woman but no one is as fragile as a man. † The stereotype of the manly and macho cowboy is subject of uncertainly since we read Gretel Ehrlich. According to her, the image of American cowboy paints by media does not match the reality.Base on her own experience in the Wyoming she describes the American cowboy as a man with a complex nature, a combination of masculinity and femininity. The American cowboy is certainly â€Å"strong and silent†, or a â€Å"rugged individualist†, but not in the perverted way the media tend to show us. And if he looks evasive with women it is not because he is tough, but because he is missing the code of seduction, â⠂¬Å"the vocabulary to express the complexity of what they feel. â€Å"

Describing of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

1. In two to three paragraphs, describe the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and why it is important to the accounting profession. (15 points) Sarbanes-Oxley Act was created in order to ensure that controls were implemented and monitored by the regulating authority. Congress wanted to make sure that there was a specific standard and guideline for companies to follow in order to prevent fraud at such a large scale. When followed correctly there are controls set in place that are internal which are governed by the managers and checked upon by the Federal regulatory authorities.This act was passed in 2002, prior to then the rules were more relaxed and when the crisis occurred with Enron that was a breaking point for the American people, especially those who lost a lot of money. Needless to say this just made it harder for fraud to occur. There were and still are several grey areas that the players involved exploit.2. Name and briefly describe the five components of COSO’s internal control fram ework. (10 points) The five components of COSO are as follows: a. Control Environment: Basically means that the leaders of the organization set the tone for ethics and enforce them with a code of conduct followed by consequences when not abided by. b. Risk assessment: this just means they check there controls for weaknesses regularly and fix any discrepancies with stronger controls. c. Control activities: These are segregation of duties, account reconciliations, and info processing controls. They are considered internal controls as well that protect the processes in place. d. Information and communication: The internal and external reporting process. The text book stated that it includes technology assessments as well.3. Describe the relationship between the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and COSO. (10 points) COSO is used to check in on the organizations and offer guidelines for them to follow when setting upo their controls. If all five elements are followed then they will not have much to wo rry about when auditing occurs and fraud would be less likely.4. Tom Jackson is a CPA who really likes to go to Las Vegas, play poker, and bet on football games. Tom knows that the accounting profession disapproves of gambling, but because he spends a lot of time studying sports facts and how to win at poker, he feels that he is simply making educated decisions based on facts. He says that this is no different from using accounting information to buy stocks. Use the fraud triangle as a basis to comment on Tom’s gambling activities. (15 points) In this case Tom has all of the elements in place to commit fraud. He has the opportunity because of the nature of his business.He has already decided that gambling excessively is ok because it is a calculated risk. Not realizing he is putting himself in a position where the pressure will come into place when he does lose. Debt is always looked at when being evaluated for sensitive positions that deal with national security or money inv olvement. Even if it is just a public trust clearance that the person is seeking on order to get the position they still will review your credit history at a minimum.

School Counselors and Child Abuse

The objective of this research paper is to determine how well school counselors, who are human service providers and mandated reporters of child abuse, know how to detect abuse and whether or not this skill has an effect on them actually making a report. As mandated reporters, school counselors are not prepared to detect signs of child abuse and their lack of preparedness is a directly correlated with their low levels of reporting.Unfortunately, it is a cold fact that child abuse exists all over the world, but fortunately educators and individuals in human services are beginning to open the eyes of many individuals about the power they have in prevention, intervening and changing the lives of those affected by the horrid effect of child abuse. A group of individuals that can have a superb effect in empowering those affected by abuse are school counselors. Because of their interactions with children and their families, they can be influential in recognizing and reporting child abuse. With the right training and tools they can make a world of difference.There is very little research on school counselors and their abilities in recognizing and reporting child abuse. The research that does exist shows a need in extensive training in recognition child abuse and what to do thereafter. School counselors reported knowledge that they are mandated by law to report suspicion of child abuse, but lacked confidence in their ability to detect and report child abuse. Training is necessary in undergraduate/graduate schooling and as a professional in order for a school counselor to be fully effective as a mandated reporters.According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, (NCANDS), which collects and analysis data from child protective services, 3. 3 million child abuse reports were made in 2009 of which three fifths of the reports were made by Running Head: SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND CHILD ABUSE 3 mandated reports such as doctors, teachers, daycare providers, counselor, etc. who because of the nature of their job have contact with these children. 3. 3 million reports were made in United States in the year 2009 and it is unfortunate to say that perhaps millions more abuses occurred but went on unreported.To report or not to report, that is the question that many individuals ask themselves when in a possession were they might hold vital information. There are times when individuals who have vital information right in front of them but see right thought it because of the lack of knowledge and experience. An often happy and extrovert child might begin to show sudden signs of melancholy and introversion due to being sexually abused by a family member, but a professional who works with the child on a day to day basis, for example, a teacher or a school counselor may not be able to detect these changes in character and as a result make no reports.The duration of time that children interact with school officials and administrators often times equal and ev en exceed the amount of time that they spend with family members. At times children and certain school officials form bonds that are fused together by trust and respect and due to the trust that has been formed, often times these officials gain insight about these children’s lives. One school official that needs to build rapport with a child in order to best service that child, is a school counselor.Since rapport is usually built between child and counselor, one would assume that the counselor would be able to detect child abuse right away, but it is evident through my readings that school councilors are in desperate need of guidance themselves. Though they are there to guide others, school counselors lack the confidence and knowledge when it comes to detecting and reporting child abuse cases; weather it be neglect, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or physical abuse physical Running Head: SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND CHILD ABUSE 4 abuse. According to Bryant (2009), 86. % of the 193 par ticipants in his study reported that they gained knowledge about child abuse reporting through experience at work and not necessarily through training. Goldman and Padayachi (2005) study looked at school counselors and their reporting behavior and whether or not they needed any further training. Just as Bryant (2009) study concluded that further education and training was necessary, Goldman and Padayachi (2005) study also reported that 95% of the participants in the study suggested that they needed more training in how to handle and deal with children and sexual abuse.The latter researchers did their study in Australia, where child abuse laws differ from one state to another. For example in New South Wales, it is mandatory by law for school officials to report any suspicion of child abuse. It was not always the case in New South Wales though because reports by school personnel of child abuse greatly increased from 11. 4% to 24% once the new law took into action. In Queensland were t he research study was conducted, school personnel were not mandated by law to report suspicion of child abuse.According to Goldman and Padayachi (2005) school personnel in New South Wales were being trained more intensively about neglect and child abuse because of the mandatory reporting laws. So, could it be possible that school personnel are not trained as intensively and excessively because there is no law indicating that suspicion of child abuse be reported? Would it be fair to say that people are reporting because it is mandated by law? Or are people reporting more because they have more training in dealing with child abuse? Is it an issue of law, ethics or knowledge?In order to determine whether or not school counselors consider certain situations as abuse or not, Goldman and Padayachi (2005) created four hypothetical Running Head: SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND CHILD ABUSE 5 situations where a child is interacting with a counselor and in all four situations the degree of detail the ch ild reveals is different, for example, in one situation a child â€Å"draws a picture of a man and makes vague statements about a bad man, but does not make any specific statements about being sexually abused† (Goodman and Padayachi, 2005), and in another situation, a girl tells her school counselor and her grandmother that she is being sexually abused. School personnel are suppose to rate the degree of suspicion from â€Å"substantial† to â€Å"no reason.According to the results, the degree of suspicion was from substantial to moderate, which indicates that the 122 participants were well aware of what signs to look for in sexual abuse. Majority of participants were able to detect child abuse, but were unlikely to report their suspicions when asked if they would report it if the child denied of being sexually abused. This can indicates that suspecting and reporting do not necessarily go hand in hand, especially in a state were reporting is not mandated by law. Accordi ng to Bryant (2009), the number one reason the participants in his study indicated that they would report suspicion of child abuse was because of law; which goes back to, are people reporting because of law, knowledge, ethics?It seems to me, to be more in favor of the law; but either way, if children’s lives are being saved; would it matter if it’s because of law or ethics? Probably the answer would be no, until people’s perceptions are changed. Being able to recognize signs of abuse in a hypothetical situation can vary greatly with the degree of confidence that a person has of his or her skills in recognizing signs of abuse. In Bryans (2009) study, participants were confident in their ability to recognize signs of physical abuse but were not as certain in their abilities to recognize emotional abuse; perhaps because physical abuse if much more Running Head: SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND CHILD ABUSE 6 observable, which indicates that much more training is needed in reco gnizing the more discrete signs of abuse.In Goodman and Padayachi (2005) study, the participants were asked about their confidence level of their knowledge of sexual abuse, and only â€Å"less than 10 per cent of the school counselors in Queensland were completely confident in their knowledge of symptoms to identify sexual abuse, while a considerable portion of them, 47 per cent, had little confidence, and 37 per cent had no confidence† (Goodman and Padayachi, 2005). The literature that was used in this research project proves that school counselors are not prepared to identify signs of child abuse; especially emotional abuse because signs of emotional abuse are a lot more discrete than physical abuse.Some research shows that school counselors are able to detect signs of child abuse but are less likely to report child abuse if a child denies being abused. In order to facilitate better understanding of child abuse in terms of detecting signs of abuse whether it is emotional or physical, colleges need to better prepare students before they start working as school counselors. School districts also need to have mandated training for incoming and ongoing school counselors. In order to help school counselor with becoming more assertive reporters of child abuse, school districts need to have mandatory training and colleges need to have courses that prepare students in how to report and the importance of reporting child abuse.