Saturday, August 31, 2019
Mearl Oil Company Case
Mearl oil company case review The case is about a manager environmental support system of Mearl Oil Company named Leslie Milne which noticed that there are serious potential environmental and health hazard problems in areas which industrial facilities were discharging wastewater into open ditches. According to this discovery, company made a memorandum of wastewater discharge, environment and health standard to all Mearl subsidiaries which were then called by Environmental Impact Targets (EITs).The EITs provide very detailed and specific manufacturing standards down to the process and controls that facility had to apply to its operation related to health and environment. Then the protest came from MearlCan, Mearl Canada subsidiaries. Maya Stevenson, Mearl Canada senior environmental manager said that EITs just added a level unnecessary bureaucracy with little positive improvement to MearlCan performance. She stated that in developing country like Canada, the local regulation is alread y high so then EITs would be redundant and often be ignored in reality.The objection of EITs implementation by MearlCan is also because the swelling of expenses which will reached $ 2 million will occur as a result of Secondary treatment plant for sanitary waste system that required by EITs. Based on the above reasons, Maya Stevenson was going to request deviation from the EITs requirements that could be covered under MearlCan Memoranda and also consideration of possibility EITs equalization with MearlCan Memoranda which is regulation that already applied in Canada.In this case, there are conflict between Milne and Stevenson. Milne embraced absolutism understanding in EITs implementation which that policy needs to be implemented without exception in all Mearl subsidiaries. While Stevenson embrace relativism and teleological understanding that related to local custom, belief, necessities and consideration to the outcome and result of EITs implementation impacts in MearlCan. And also and ethical problem in this case is ââ¬Å"Would it be ethical, when ompany good willingness of environmental enforcement by policies initiation compromised by the interest of financial issues and local situations? â⬠The intention of EITs requirements compromise came from MearlCan. MearlCan see that EITs implementation will costly, and unnecessary due to existed standard which already high. In my point of view, we can take utilitarian action to address different perception among Milne and Stevenson.Both perceptions have logical different perspective that needs to be accommodated. The compromise of EITs implementation to be applicable and suitable by local situation is still acceptable, as long as not reducing standard level and deviate the initial goal of EITs as the realization of Mearlââ¬â¢s company environmental awareness. The principle of environmental enforcement should be placed at the top and should not be compromised by other thing such as money. Mearl Oil Company Case Mearl oil company case review The case is about a manager environmental support system of Mearl Oil Company named Leslie Milne which noticed that there are serious potential environmental and health hazard problems in areas which industrial facilities were discharging wastewater into open ditches. According to this discovery, company made a memorandum of wastewater discharge, environment and health standard to all Mearl subsidiaries which were then called by Environmental Impact Targets (EITs).The EITs provide very detailed and specific manufacturing standards down to the process and controls that facility had to apply to its operation related to health and environment. Then the protest came from MearlCan, Mearl Canada subsidiaries. Maya Stevenson, Mearl Canada senior environmental manager said that EITs just added a level unnecessary bureaucracy with little positive improvement to MearlCan performance. She stated that in developing country like Canada, the local regulation is alread y high so then EITs would be redundant and often be ignored in reality.The objection of EITs implementation by MearlCan is also because the swelling of expenses which will reached $ 2 million will occur as a result of Secondary treatment plant for sanitary waste system that required by EITs. Based on the above reasons, Maya Stevenson was going to request deviation from the EITs requirements that could be covered under MearlCan Memoranda and also consideration of possibility EITs equalization with MearlCan Memoranda which is regulation that already applied in Canada.In this case, there are conflict between Milne and Stevenson. Milne embraced absolutism understanding in EITs implementation which that policy needs to be implemented without exception in all Mearl subsidiaries. While Stevenson embrace relativism and teleological understanding that related to local custom, belief, necessities and consideration to the outcome and result of EITs implementation impacts in MearlCan. And also and ethical problem in this case is ââ¬Å"Would it be ethical, when ompany good willingness of environmental enforcement by policies initiation compromised by the interest of financial issues and local situations? â⬠The intention of EITs requirements compromise came from MearlCan. MearlCan see that EITs implementation will costly, and unnecessary due to existed standard which already high. In my point of view, we can take utilitarian action to address different perception among Milne and Stevenson.Both perceptions have logical different perspective that needs to be accommodated. The compromise of EITs implementation to be applicable and suitable by local situation is still acceptable, as long as not reducing standard level and deviate the initial goal of EITs as the realization of Mearlââ¬â¢s company environmental awareness. The principle of environmental enforcement should be placed at the top and should not be compromised by other thing such as money.
Algebra in Daily Life Essay
1. Algebra is a method of calculating using simple equations to represent quantity and to show relation between them. Algebra is also a part of our life, we use it on measuring the length of our table,notebooks,doors and other more. Another concept of mine is measuring capacity,In school we always measure the right amount of ingredients that we cook. Because to an culinary student like me we are showing how to measure the exact amount of ingredients that we gonna use.Scientific notation can be used in Chemistry,Chemistry uses equations of algebra. Like adding,subtracting,multiplying and dividing scientific notation. In mixture problems, we are using it to know how many water are on the gallons.We always buy water , in that case we need mixture problems. 2. ââ¬Å"Mathematics is one of the first things you learn in life. Even as a baby you learn to count. Starting from that tiny age you will start to learn how to use building blocks how to count and then move on to drawing objects and figures. All of these things are important preparation to doing algebra.â⬠3. When writing any assignments the use of graphs, data and math will validate your statements and make it appear more professional. Professionalism is of the essence if you want to move ahead and be taken seriously. Can you see the importance of algebra? Your day can be made a lot easier with planning. In financial decisions this can save you a lot of finances or maybe get you the best price available. It all comes down to planning and using the knowledge and algebraic skills you have to benefit your own life. Use the key you have and make your life a lot smoother. 4. Algebra is one of the most important subjects someone can learn. It is a subject that transfers into daily life, often without anyone even realizing it. Unlike English or History classes, Algebra can be put straight to use once learned. It is one of the most versatile subjects there is. Algebra can be anything from calculating the amount of money youââ¬â¢ve spent on your grocery shopping, keeping track of the calories you have in your diet, and designing structural plans for a building. Going shopping and frequenting stores can often get out of hand and confusing as to how much things cost or to how much you saved on an item. Algebra can help you to configure all of these things and also save you from making any costly mistakes. Many items in grocery stores are often on sale at some point or another whether it be 10% percent to 50% and a lot of times people donââ¬â¢t know how much they are saving on any particular item. Algebra simply allows a person to calculate all of these things. Algebra is also a convenient skill to possess when it comes to dieting and recipes. Counting the number of carbohydrates or calories and keeping track of them can get overwhelming at times and a person can get confused. Algebra can help you to see how many calories you have had and also it can help you calculate how many you are able to have in the future. Cooking is also another skill that is associated with algebra. Adding and subtracting ingredients, figuring out the amount of time something has to cook, and also how to serve a food evenly all have to do with algebra. Architecture is a skill that has a lot to do with numbers as well. It is very important to know exactly how long everything is, how much weight something can take, and the dimensions of every minute detail. If an architect doesnââ¬â¢t know the answers to these, not only will the structure be wrong but the building could also be a safety hazard.
Friday, August 30, 2019
American Welfare System
American welfare system is a supervision agenda that offers funds, health care, food, shelter, and other things that citizens want so as to stay alive. People who can receive help from these welfare programs are kids, elders, the disabled, and others who are not capable to sustain their family unit on their contemporary earnings. The welfare system of America has set off from a well-meaning program intended to sustain inhabitants who are incapable to work and afford for their children, to a program that has grow to be prolific to abolishing the continuous dependence of the beneficiaries.The American wellbeing structure will: ? help more welfare heirs accomplish self-rule through labor ? look after children and fortify families ? allow states to inquire about new and original solutions to help welfare recipients get independence Collapse of the System It must be understand that the American welfare system, as we discern it, ought to be unchanging over an extended period of time; but r egrettably this system was ineffective to do so. American welfare system was failed to achieve its objectives and in providing relieve to ordinary people.Yet those who are ââ¬Å"pro-welfareâ⬠are disgruntled with the mechanism in isolation. Several problems that contribute their part in the collapse of the U. S. welfare system: Administrative Overheads: The administrative expenses of all the different welfare programs are certainly soaring. It is costly to appraise cases, manage civil services, allocate benefits, watch recipients, arraign fraud, sue disagreements, and examine performance. Incomplete Coverage: Numerous people who are eligible for benefits fail to obtain them because they either do not apply or are shockingly rejected.Even now more people are really deprived, but do not suitable because they do not fall into an apposite class. Complexity: The management of welfare is very convoluted. There are a great many initiatives. The key programs diverge by state; local li beration varies by province. There are accurately thousands of special welfare programs in the United States, covering the land like a frayed collage coverlet. The technical regulations of the crucial programs are discouraging. AFDC is so multifaceted that officials turn to review sheets to determine donations.The parameters are too intricate to comprehend (Bernstein and Greenberg, pp. 11-13). Despite of the aforesaid dilemmas, there are further matters which were foundations for the breakdowns of the American welfare system are: ? Ineffective to keep people beyond the poverty line ? Discrepancy state regulation ? Unavailability of occupations for welfare recipients in the private zone ? Recipients have requirements that widen beyond income upholding ? Too little advantages Proposals for Improving the SystemIt is time for welfare system to implement policies that will construct swift and noticeable development. Programs should be formulated to cope with people cut off or on wellbein g. The trouble of a great number of brood being born into poverty must be condensed to lessen the number of people needing welfare. States powerless to locate jobs for welfare recipients in the private region must be compelled to produce community service jobs and the like to support the unwaged (Bernstein and Greenberg, p. 14).The American welfare system will get better if it executes the following proposals: Create universal access to health care, establish a universal maternal and child health program, update the conditions for eligibility, make plans for sub-populations, enlarge economic efficiency support the family, support the society, provide greater social alternative and alleviate greater idleness insurance. Work Cited Bernstein, J. and Greenberg, M. (2001), Reforming Welfare Reform, American Prospect, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 11-14.
Market research 4Ps Essay
In todayââ¬â¢s multi-faceted business environment, it is generally agreed that a strong customer-driven marketing strategy can give one an edge over his competition. Designing it, however, did not prove to be so straightforward. It is therefore this reflection paperââ¬â¢s aim to ponder over the various aspects that I have found intriguing and glean insights from them. Firstly is the ââ¬Å"Marketing Mixâ⬠aspect, specifically the 4 Pââ¬â¢s framework ââ¬â Product, Pricing, Placing & Promotion. The 4 Pââ¬â¢s is one of the best known frameworks for a marketing plan, of which the aim is ultimately to fulfil a basic marketing purpose ââ¬â Putting the right product in the right place, at the right price, and at the right time. Getting all aspects of this framework is of paramount importance. Miscalculating one could result in disastrous consequences, for example you could be promoting a revolutionary diet plan in a country hit by famine or publishing a textbook after school term has started. In the process of brainstorming for a product, some innovative ideas were eliminated due to the fact that they were deemed unsuitable for the Singapore market. One such example is the ostrich pillow1, a nifty headgear for people to catch a comfy nap anytime, anywhere. Due to its odd shape and Singaporeââ¬â¢s conservative culture, we decided that the market might not open up to the idea. The Product itself was good, but the Promotional strategy would encounter difficulties. One of the other teams did their project on space-saving furniture. The end result was that one convertible table/couch would cost upwards of $2000. This is a potential mismatch between Product and Pricing strategies, as the average consumer who could afford such prices would unlikely be living in a house that requires space-saving technology. The Pricing aspect by itself also proved to be extremely interesting, as everyoneââ¬â¢s project seemed to unanimously adopt a value-based pricing strategy. So then, what of cost-based pricing? Is it not an effective strategy? With this in mind, I began my research to find out more about it. The classic example cited in this debate is that of Steve Jobs vs Sam Walton, two of the greatest business leaders in history. An interview conducted by Fortune Magazine2 best highlighted the difference between these two extraordinary men and their methods. It is noted that Steve Jobs epitomized value-based pricing by focusing mainly on the productà instead of margins. He said, ââ¬Å"If you keep your eye on the profit, youââ¬â¢re going to skimp on the product. But if you focus on making really great products, then the profits will follow.â⬠Sam Walton, on the other hand, built Walmart around the concept of low margins and high volume, i.e. cost-based pricing. If the margins got above anything that was infinitesimal, he would get angry. Both have built extremely successful companies using entirely different pricing strategies. So why does a value-based pricing strategy seem so much more popular than a cost-based one? Perhaps it all boils down to prestige. Being the boss of a premium brand certainly holds more distinction than say, opening a dollar store. Or perhaps the road to building a company large enough for cost-based pricing to be effective is an arduous task that faces more obstacles in the form of existing industry giants. In any case, it is worth noting that cost-based pricing is in no way obsolete, but simply overshadowed by the recent successes of premium brands3. Another strategy that the class unanimously adopted is Promotional strategy, specifically in social media terms. Facebook appeared to be the prime choice of social media strategy for everyone, and rightly so. A survey conducted in 2011 showed that Singaporeans are the global leaders for the longest time spent on Facebook, clocking 38mins 46secs per session, putting us ahead of countries like US, UK, and Australia . Add that in to the capital limitations of start-up companies, Facebook becomes the logical choice for our promotional channels. A case study on Scootââ¬â¢s4 wildly popular Facebook marketing campaign gave us further affirmation that this was the right way to go . As for the Placing aspect, the dilemma existed whereby in order to position ourselves as a high street fashion brand, a retail store had to be open at a prime location such as Ion. The rental for such locations, however, would strain our budget even further. To put it in perspective, the rental costs for an Ion level 1 space is $29 per square feet whereas the rental costs for Ang Mo Kio Hub is a mere $19 per square feet. That adds up to almost $40k difference per year for a store of 330 square feet, which is an extremely large sum for a start-up company. We eventually decided that it was worth the risk, but had to make careful budget adjustments to manage our finances. Next issue of interest is the importance of an action plan. Why is an action plan so important? Without an action plan, all we have is a broad strategic plan. Think of ità like making a resolution for a new year ââ¬â you may state that you plan on losing weight, however you do not add in specific details as to how you are going to do it . A concrete action plan ensures that one stays focused and has a clear idea of what to do and when to do it by. The group that did the project ââ¬Å"Fitting Realityâ⬠had an impressive action plan which was both detailed and tailored to account for contingencies. That way, should anything go wrong, there would still be plans to fall back onto instead of the whole project being thrown into disarray. Another particularly noteworthy issue is that seemingly all groups focused on customer acquisition, but few bothered to put effort into customer retention. This is puzzling for one main reason ââ¬â It is a widely held belief that acquiring a new customer costs on average 5 times more than retaining an existing one. It is therefore wise to invest equally in customer retention alongside customer acquisition, or else it would be tantamount to taking one step forward and two steps back. Some recommended strategies of customer retention include loyalty discounts and membership privileges, as well as constant updates and active engagement with the customers . An area that I found intriguing was the fact that no other groups seemed to conduct a market survey in their marketing plans. To me, a market survey is extremely useful as it helps gauge the future demand of the product. A poor response would allow to us to pull the plug on the project before anything concrete is launched, thereby cutting our potential losses massively. Furthermore, based on the results of our market survey, we were able to effectively segment our consumers as it showed distinctly which group of customers were most interested in our product. Of course, a counter argument could be made that a well-crafted marketing strategy would amp up the hype over the product and turn initial consumer skepticism into enthusiasm. Both arguments are certainly valid, but it seems that market surveys are still very much recommended as an important requirement for initiating any successful business . One of the difficulties encountered by our group in the process of designing our marketing plan is the aspect of controls. We all know the importance of controls. It monitors the progress of our plan and makes adjustments when it deviates off course. So how then do we determine the key performance indicators (KPI) and at what level do we set it? Should we operate on the economistââ¬â¢s definition of bottom-line or the accountantââ¬â¢sà definition? These were all daunting questions that had to be answered. Ultimately, we chose to follow sales projections quoted in our financial plan as the main control. In hindsight, we could have adopted a market share analysis instead as sales figures may not give a wholly accurate representation. For example, if the footwear market faces a sharp downturn, we could be facing lower than expected sales figures but still capturing a large market share vis-à -vis our competitors. A qualitative control method in the form of customer attitude tracking can also reveal to us what customers feel about our organisation, products and services, thus allowing us to make pre-emptive changes and preserve the brand reputation . The final topic of interest again lies with the marketing mix, but this time with respect to B2B commerce. Two of the groups came up with products that were targeted solely at businesses and within their marketing plan included the conventional 4 Pââ¬â¢s. The 4 Pââ¬â¢s has been a great framework that has served marketers well for over half a century. But the nature and evolution of B2B commerce as compared to B2C means that it might be time to rethink and reassess the framework for todayââ¬â¢s B2B reality. According to a comprehensive study done by Harvard Business Review , the conventional 4 Pââ¬â¢s model has been found to undercut B2B marketers in 3 major ways: 1 ââ¬â It leads the marketing team to stress product technology and quality even though these are no longer differentiators but simply the cost of entry. 2 ââ¬â It underemphasizes the need to build a robust case for their productsââ¬â¢ superior value. 3 ââ¬â It distracts companies from leveraging on their competitive advantages as a trusted source of expertise. Of course, it is also worth noting that this in no way renders the 4 Pââ¬â¢s obsolete. Rather, they just require some tweaking to better suit the B2B industry, such as Motorolaââ¬â¢s SAVE framework: moving the emphasis from Product to Solution, Placing to Access, Pricing to Value, and Promotion to Education . As the study so aptly cites, ââ¬Å"B2B marketers who continue to embrace the 4 Pââ¬â¢s mind-set risk getting locked into a repetitive and increasingly unproductive technological arms race.â⬠And indeed, as trends change and industry evolves, so too must marketers and our strategies. Bibliography AsiaOne. (2011, September 27). AsiaOne News. Retrieved April 17, 2013, from Science and Tech: http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Science%2Band%2BTech/Story/A1Story20110927-301776.html Ettenson, R., Conrado, E., & Knowles, J. (2013, January). Rethinking the 4 Pââ¬â¢s. Retrieved April 18, 2013, from Harvard Business Review: http://hbr.org/2013/01/rethinking-the-4-ps/ar/1 FAO, UN. (2012, Feburary 5). FAO Corporate Document Repository. Retrieved April 17, 2013, from Marketing Strategy, Planning and Control: http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/w3240e/W3240E03.htm Gandhi, R. (2012, July 2). Pitney Bowes. Retrieved April 17, 2013, from Keeping Your Customers with Email Marketing: http://www.pbsmartessentials.com/customer-satisfaction/keeping-your-customers-with-email-marketing/ Mind Tools Ltd. (2011, Dec 12). The Marketing Mix and 4 Ps. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from Mind Tools Website: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_94.htm Senic, N. (2013, Feburary 2). EFFECTIVE CONTENT STRATEGY GUIDED BY THE SAVE FRAMEWORK. Retrieved April 18, 2013, from Zemanta: http://www.zemanta.com/blog/content-strategy-guided-save-framework/ Serwer, A. (2012, December 3). Steve Jobs vs. Sam Walton : Tale of the Tape. Fortune, pp. 59-64. Tan, R. (2012, October 9). Flamingo Singapore. Retrieved April 17, 2013, from Facebook marketing: A case study on Scoot: http://flamingosingapore.com/2012/10/09/facebook-marketing-a-case-study-on-scoot/ UNESCO. (2011, March 10). UNESCO Bangkok. Retrieved April 17, 2013, from e-library publications: http://www2.unescobkk.org/elib/publications/clcneo/06market.pdf Woodward, R. (2011, October 1). Bright Hub PM. Retrieved April 17, 2013, from Project Planning: http://www.brighthubpm.com/project-planning/102438-why-are-action-plans-important-in-business/ Appendix A 1.1 Ostrich Pillow
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Managing Financial Resources and Decisions Essay - 3
Managing Financial Resources and Decisions - Essay Example These sources can be broadly classified into short term and long term sources of finance. Long term sources of finance, as the name indicates, are required over longer periods of time (any duration that is above 1 year) whereas short term source of finance that are required within a period of one year. There are three main long term sources of finance for JS and co, namely, share capital, debentures and long term loans. An equity share represents a share of the companyââ¬â¢s assets and a share of earnings after the claims are met. Equity shareholders are the owners of the business and have a right in the company for the percentage of shares owned by them (Samuels et al, 2000). Also, the risk is borne by the shareholders who invest in the company. JS and co can issue new shares in order to raise some surplus finance. Debentures are bonds issued to the investors in exchange for finance lent to the company. JS and co can borrow money in the form of debentures from the public, by agreeing to repay the sum by some future date. Also, Js and co has to pay an interest to the creditors (debenture bond holders) before paying out dividends to the shareholders. Hence, in this case, debentures have a little risk attached to them compared to the shareholders, from the companyââ¬â¢s perspective (Samuels et al, 2000). Long term loans from banks and other sources are the easiest ways to raise a large amount of capital. Obtaining higher amounts of long term loans will be easier for JS and co, as the business is well established and is making profits. However, the interest payable might be high (as it is spread over a long period of time). Hence a high interest cover should be available for the company, in order to ensure interest payments in times of a financial crisis. Increasing the long term liabilities will increase the gearing ratio (Burke and Wilks, 2007). This coupled with sustaining a high interest cover
Synthesizing two books regarding business Essay
Synthesizing two books regarding business - Essay Example I prove not be a very good team member, may be because I am an introvert. Hence, my introversion is the basic reason why I cannot work in teams, and hence, my practical projects suffer. 2. As I already said, introversion and inability communicate well are the basic factors that make me unable to work in teams and groups. I am shy, get nervous at times, and lack leadership qualities. Collaborating with other team members and making them understand my viewpoint becomes difficult for me. When I do not convey my messages properly, they do not understand, and hence, my queries remain unsolved, due to which I do not understand a part of or many parts of the project at hand. This is how all of these factors interrelate to make me lag behind in practical work. 4. Holistic tradition persuades students to work in groups and engage in vigorous group activities to discuss and experiment with their topic while focusing on the practical illustrations. The team leader serves as a facilitator rather than an instructing boss, and this aids other team members in better communicating with the leader and with other members of the group, and in getting an improved understanding of complicated problems related to the project. To narrow down the performance gap I identified earlier, I need to learn to better communicate with peers and get to know them better along with achieving a clearer concept about the topic in hand. I need to feel empowered and make others feel the same when we are given the chance to have the classroom all by ourselves, where we can sit in whichever manner we want and engage in healthy discussions full of enthusiasm. I need to take training classes to overcome my introversion and shyness. I need to attend seminars and training ses sions regarding communication. Hence, I plan to overcome my personal flaws through sessions and classes. I also plan to do research on the internet regarding brain exercises that can help
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
GUN CONTROL LAWS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
GUN CONTROL LAWS - Research Paper Example Evolution of gun control laws in the United States Although gun battles and issues related to it are getting higher in various parts of America, gun control in general is encouraged by a few Americans. They support handgun control in particular. The gun laws in United States are mentioned in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. The gun control in the United States may be Federal, State or even local gun control. Congress in 1934 commenced the first major gun control in 1934 which emphasized on the regulation of the firearms like machine guns. This was followed by a new federal law in 1938 which imposed license on the gun sellers. This also put restriction on aggressive individuals from purchasing guns. An additional ââ¬ËGun Control Actââ¬â¢ passed in 1968 stressed on the regulation of imported guns and expanded the regulations passed in the previous law. An obligatory penalty for the utilization of gun was established by the federal legislation in 1986 follow ed by prohibiting the manufacturing and importation of semi-automatic assault weapons. The gun control law passed by congress in 1994 has proved out to be the most prominent attempt at the national gun control. Ban on certain assault weapons also accompanied the 1aw passed in 1994 which expire in 2004. Along with the federal gun control, state and local legislation play their role in gun control. Leaving a loaded weapon with easy access of a minor has been regarded as a crime by the legislation passed by the state. As part of gun control, some states forbid concealed weapons while some others highlight on putting forward the requirement former to the obtaining of license to bear the concealed weapons. ââ¬Å"States also regulate private sales to minors and all secondary market sales.â⬠(Gun control policy issues, n.d.). California imposed ban on certain automatic weapons in 1989 followed by its extension by some other states. Most of the states have ââ¬Ëpreemptionââ¬â¢ la ws forbidding the gun control ordinances from local authorities. Few states use additional state data for background study before the issue of handgun authority (Gun control policy issues). Multiple responses to regulations Gun control laws in the United States are believed to have brought significant reduction in the access of guns by immoral and illegal individuals. There exist controversies in the implementation efficiency of the federal laws. Some advocates claim that federal laws have indeed proved to be a milestone in the gun control efforts. They assert that state laws cannot be as effective as federal laws in restricting the states with few state laws from being the sources of guns for the immoral flow of guns to the restrictive states. The proponents of the federal laws have suggested for slight variations in the federal law components which would add to the effectiveness of laws and ensure the public safety. At the same time, there is equal denial on this claim from the op ponents. ââ¬Å"They argue that controls often create burdens for law-abiding citizens and infringe upon constitutional rights provided by the Second Amendmentâ⬠(Gun Control). The opponents show little satisfaction on the
Realationship at work 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Realationship at work 2 - Essay Example In the role play, I am the junior colleague who is talking with my Boss, who is also the EDMââ¬â¢s boss. My strategy had been to be assertive since I expected that my boss would be aggressive and would not understand what I had to say. I also wanted to be assertive so as to convince my boss to meet with the EDM. However, during the role play, she was quite accommodating. She let me explain everything that I needed to say and she asked the right questions. She was also confident and this helped me to remember all through the role play that I was addressing the boss. My boss was very considerate and she helped me get my point across every now and then (Scarnatti, 1998). Although she asked a lot of questions, she was not aggressive while asking them. This is the main reason that made me change my communication strategy to being less assertive. At the start of the role play, I was quite nervous since I did not know how my boss would react. This affected my confidence and my voice was low at the beginning. However, when I realized that the boss was not as aggressive as I had thought she would be, I grew more confident. I even managed to maintain good eye contact throughout the role play. Since my strategy was to use assertiveness from the beginning, I used my hands for emphasis (Armstrong, 1999). Sometimes the hands were open, sometimes closed. I felt under pressure, especially when my boss started asking me some questions and I had to give satisfactory answers. In my strategy, I had planned to control the conversation, but my boss is the one who controlled it instead. I did not ask my boss any questions, but she listened to what I had to say very actively. She even asked me for more information to solve the problem (Knapp and Vangelisti, 1992). Towards the end, I thought that my strategy was almost not working because for a few moments my boss sided with the EDM. At the end of the role play, I decided to use my strategy which involved convincing her of the
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Western European music Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Western European music - Assignment Example The compositions made during this time normally consisted of three or four movements, and all of them had their own particular features. Corelli took over the art of San Petronio directly whilst he was staying in Bologna for four years. The sonatas he wrote were for violin. Besides, he also wrote sonatas called sonate a tre (trio sonatas) which had two violins as well as organ for the church. There was also a violone, called a double bass in contemporary terms, or a harpsichord from the chamber. After the sonatas took place the development of concertos.Corelli himself wrote the first concerti grossitogether with Torelli. Vivaldi wrote the concertos later, one being The Four Seasons, composed in 1723. This is termed as Vivaldiââ¬â¢s best work and lies among the most famous Baroque music.The Four Seasonsis made up of four violin concertos and every concerto has a different texture, corresponding to the respective season.When Vivaldi wrote The Four Seasons there had not been the development of modern solo form of concerto. And thus, this composition had basically solo violin, string quartet and basso continuo which together defined it. Orchestral Suites were composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and are made up ofseveral compositions. These suites are also called overtures which are opening movementswherein there is a part of slow dotted note rhythm after which comes a fugue. The instruments used for thesecompositions were oboe, bassoon, violin, viola, and basso continuo. Through his orchestral suites Bach provided amazing pieces and these are great examples of the composerââ¬â¢s innovative mastery of the several types of dances which had been extremely famous in the European courts during the 18th century. Suite No. 1 is inC major. After the previous sequence ends and before this one begins there takes place kind of a quiet pause in the action. Pifa is known as the pastoral symphony and it allows for a quiet
Case Study 2 HRD 425 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
2 HRD 425 - Case Study Example Soon, the company won important contracts like that of A&P supermarket chain. As the number of customers grew, the company found it difficult to retain the same levels of customer satisfaction. Despite increased number of supervisors and employees, it became difficult to smoothen or streamline the operations. As there was increased number of employees, the place became overcrowded. As more employees crowded the aisles to fill orders, there was total disorder. In addition, the forklift operators did not have the opportunity to replenish stock. As a result of the crowded aisles, the number of accidents increased. Thus, there was a general fall in employee satisfaction, morale and retention. As a result of this increased disorder, the employees had no time to attend the new people who came. In addition, if an item is found missing in a particular order, it was totally impossible to identify who made the mistake. Currently, there are nearly 500 selectors, loaders, and shippers; around 100 forklift operators, 40 backhaul unloaders, 20 receivers and clerks, and 30 supervisors and managers. The normal way of meeting an order starts from selecting five selectors in random. These selectors are paid on the basis of the quantity they select. Once the selection is completed, a clerk would complete the necessary paper work and then, the loader would load the same onto truck. Presently, the situation at C & S is that despite the large number of employees and supervisors, the company finds it hard to streamline its operations at the warehouses. There is high staff turnover, increased workload, increased number of accidents, and reduced customer satisfaction. As a result, the company is finding it difficult to exploit its manpower in a successful manner. While loaders and selectors are paid on the basis of the quantity they handle, clerks and supervisors are salaried. Though responsibilities were non-ov erlapping, selecting people at random made it difficult to identify people
Monday, August 26, 2019
Action Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Action Research Proposal - Essay Example The ELP program will be executed once a week for three hours for one semester in collaboration with teachers who are trained to provide a family atmosphere to the students. The trained ELP staff will take every opportunity in and out of classrooms to follow up on the students and to coordinate with their classroom teachers as to student behavior and to guide them accordingly in the formation of their character and developing good school habits. ELP teachers shall be in regular communication with parents, counselors, administrators and non-ELP teachers to monitor each studentââ¬â¢s progress. Results will indicate if the ELP program is effective in motivating the students to stay in school and prevent dropping out. Adolescence is a very trying time in a personââ¬â¢s life. It is when an individual struggles to establish his own identity in the face of changes and challenges that come his way. High school freshmen are vulnerable to a lot of adjustments. Not only are they adjusting to physical changes, but also emotional and social changes as well. For some, there is more to it than the usual adjustment to change, as some factors gravely affect their school performance. Research has unearthed information that school drop out rates are mostly coming from the population of high school freshmen. A large suburban school district in the United States was the community selected for study. This school district has more than 100 schools and serves close to 90,000 students annually (Zvoch, 2006). School enrollment is composed of large numbers of White and Latino students. The usual composition of the student population is approximately 46% Latino, 44% White, 4% American Indian, 3% African American, 2% Asian and 1% other (Zvoch, 2006). This district also serves many economically disadvantaged and language minority students (Zvoch, 2006). 15% of the students are
Freedom of Speech and Internet Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Freedom of Speech and Internet Privacy - Essay Example Given that each human being has a democratic right to free speech, Internet Privacy is an important consideration. This becomes especially important since cyberspace is an area that one does not have tangible control of, and one cannot ascertain whether s/he is being spied on. However, in view of the terror threats in this day and age, intelligence agencies have been given considerable authority to invade various areas of cyberspace. Therefore, though people may have the right to free speech, and rights to Internet Privacy, there is a border that needs to be defined. While Internet Privacy refers to one's personal information being transferred, stored or exchanged to carryout business or personal activities, and are not meant for disclosing to the public, Freedom of speech is one's right to speak out publicly, but responsibly. People tend to forget what freedom of speech is; they sometimes mistake it for speaking out irresponsibly. It is important for one to take his or her right to free speech seriously and responsibly in order to use it for what it is worth. In today's world, one needs to give this right more consideration. This is because there are many people who fear terrorist attacks; if they just get a hint of hate speech that another person might utter as an expression of frustration, they could inform concerned authorities. On the Internet, there are many people who express their views on open forums as well as in private ones. Community groups like Myspace.com, Msn My space, Facebook, etc. are ones where different kinds of people converge to vent their dismay at many conditions, such as the war in Iraq, and other severe issues. Most individuals are harmless and only express their views. However, intelligence agencies take these threats seriously and try to trace them out (Markoff, 2006). This is where many Internet users get offended, and feel their right to free speech is being smothered or interfered with. Debate over the extent that intelligence agencies go through to obtain information from different forums is ongoing. This is expected to continue for a longer period with the prevailing global political and military conditions. Privacy with Online Activity: It is obvious that privacy needs to be protected as much as possible, as one's civil liberties should not be disrupted. If one's privacy is not protected in the manner it should be, there can be no guarantee about anything online. It would also mean that privacy and security is only limited to the physical space that people live in and cannot be extended to cyber space. Cyberspace needs to be treated as an extension of the very space we live and trade within (Speed & Ellis, 2001, 238-240). The differences between existence in one's physical space and cyber space have been disputed for a while; many are skeptical about the extent of control that authorities have in cyber space, as they feel that their privacy is being undermined. This is legitimate to a great extent because of the fact that there is control over programs that are not visible and sometimes not even detectible (Speed & Ellis, 2001, 238-240). However, when one makes vital transfers of information, signing them digitally enables a receiver of such information at another point to have confidence in what a user has sent. The receiver automatically
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Historical Fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Historical Fiction - Essay Example Critical Analysis: The novel has material of historical significance in which the view point of an eleven year old girl is the main narrative of the story. The scenes are complete with dialogues and thoughts reflecting the social condition to a great extent. Characters are well designed and presented to reflect the complex nature of every human being. A flight from New York to Oakland, Calif., to spend the summer of 1968 with the mother who abandoned Delphine and her two sisters was the easy part. Once there, the negative things their grandmother had said about their mother, Cecile, seem true: She is uninterested in her daughters and secretive about her work and the mysterious men in black berets who visit. The sisters are sent off to a Black Panther day camp, where Delphine finds herself skeptical of the worldview of the militants while making the best of their situation. Delphine is the pitch-perfect older sister, wise beyond her years, an expert at handling her siblings: ââ¬Å"Just like I know how to lift my sisters up, I also knew how to needle them just right.â⬠Each girl has a distinct response to her motherless state, and Williams-Garcia provides details that make each characterization crystal clear. The depiction of the time is well done, and while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilie nce is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page.à (Historical fiction. 9-12) Connection: The presentation of each of the three sisters is well thought out. The reader might question why in Ritaââ¬â¢s narration was Vonetta so designed to be a show-off? Why was Fern someone who never asked about Patty Cake after it was hid? Reflections of the black communityââ¬â¢s struggle was something crucial to the movie, but the depiction of a poetess as a selfish person takes readers to a different level of experiencing humanity. The story of Nory Ryanââ¬â¢s Song is set in the mid 1840s, when the Great Hunger hit Irish
There is a real danger of a house price bubble in London. Discuss Essay - 2
There is a real danger of a house price bubble in London. Discuss - Essay Example ms to be a danger in the house price bubble, which results from a combination of different factors and there are several signs that the property market in London may be headed to an adjustment. The house prices in London seem to be changing each and every day and barely does a week go without the good news that the prices will supposedly rise. This is as a result of the investment circle spreading through the major towns of London. There have been other optimistic predictions that the prices in London to go up by about 40% according to Knight Frank. There are several factors and evidence that shows that show prospect for a real danger in the housing industry. Buyers from outside London are limited but are an important part of the housing market. The urge from these clients for new homes has catalyzed the current building of the luxury apartments (Barkham, 2012). Despite all these, changing the world economic conditions together with tough government controls on some important things like the visas threatens London housing industry. (Balling, 2006) If there will be a halt in the buying of houses by foreigners in London, it may result in a significant drop in demand and supply will increase reducing the price of the houses. The erection of new houses contributes for majority of the upcoming house stock, but they have a limited life on the market shelves and will appreciate slowly than the existing counterparts. More so, newly constructed buildings tend to a little bit expensive compared homes per Unit Square. London is expected to experience an increase in the number of new homes in the recent years, which threatens the house supply and demand in the country. The new homes will help in the elevation of Londons property prices near the future but may lead to long- term effects on the market prices (Barkham, 2012). There is a gradual appreciation in the house prices in areas where there have been new buildings, but this, in the long run, comes down, and foreign
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 119
Assignment Example Malachai started the business when he was in college and now he owns and manages the small service-oriented business by providing price quotes, hiring student painters, purchasing supplies, and advertising their services. He currently employs 22 painters and pays them $10.50 per hour for painting and ââ¬Å"prep-workâ⬠(scraping old paint, caulking, cleaning and removing bugs from the areas that are to be painted). In order to be profitable, Malachai has learned to provide superior service to his customers, including free price quotes. He builds in his profit-margin of 25% to all quotes by first computing his total costs, then adding 25% of that number to determine how much to charge the customer. Using his knowledge of the expenses for labor, supplies, and equipment, he has developed the following information: b. (5 points) The Marks family needs to get the outside of their house painted, including the siding as well as the white trim. Malachai estimates that area of the exterior of the house is about 8,000 square feet. Based on the condition of the Marksââ¬â¢ house he also estimates that he will need 2 workers for 8 hours to do the prep-work. How much should Malachai quote for the cost of this job, including labor, supplies, and profit? c. (5 points) Write a formula reflecting the price estimate for a house based on the number of square feet that need to be painted. Assume that Malachai can accurately estimate the painted area (in square feet) and the amount of time it takes to complete the prep-work on a job. d. (10 points) What do you think? Using the evidence from above, explain in a well-structured essay the importance of accurate cost estimates in a service-oriented business such as this. Research at least one other service-oriented business such as a restaurant, dry-cleaners, house-cleaning service and describe how they set
Pay as Motivator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Pay as Motivator - Essay Example Skinner's reinforcement theory (1953) is perhaps the foundation for every study on the matter. By stating that behaviour can be shaped, changed, or maintained through positive and negative reinforcement, he implied that people can be made to behave in certain ways using levers of motivation. Later studies merely attempted to find what those levers were. Maslow (1954) proposed five levers he called human needs, with the lowest being physiological, and self-actualisation the highest; in between are the safety, social, and esteem needs. He said meeting these needs is the motivational key, which leads others to ask: if pay helps meet each of these needs, why is it that even highly-paid CEOs continue to milk their corporate cow, sometimes fatally Pay does not seem to give the complete answer. Perhaps Herzberg (1959) had an answer in his hygiene and motivational factors. He argued that a worker would be satisfied if the motivation factors are met, but not if hygiene factors are unmet. However, hygiene factors do not necessarily lead to job satisfaction. And like these other content theories, MacGregor's (1960) simplistic categorisation of employees does not fully explain the behaviour of greedy managers who used to be honest. An interesting trilogy of process theories (Adams, 1963; Vroom, 1964; Porter and Lawler, 1968) goes beyond the tangible and crosses the line into the realm of the mystical. Balance (Adams's Equity Theory), values and beliefs (the expectancy and instrumentality of Vroom), and intrinsic/extrinsic motivation (Porter and Lawler) point out that money is important, but there are others of greater value that managers need to know about workers so they can trigger the right behaviour. Fifteen years (1953-1968) of research concluded that to motivate others, one has to find out why people do the things they do. And now, some four decades later, as researchers continue investigating the human psyche in search of answers, the list of motivational levers just keeps on getting longer. Pay has never been near the top of the list, superseded by more important ones like job security, the loftiness of goals, and the meaningfulness of work (Ambrose and Kulik, 1999; Gagne and Deci, 2005). Are these findings supported by empirical evidence in the real world of the workplace We find out by looking at two well-known U.K. companies: The Royal Mail Holdings plc, a government-owned firm, and J. Sainsbury plc, the publicly listed owner of the third largest supermarket chain in the U.K. Both companies, just getting out of a serious business crisis, offer us a good look at the "pay as motivator" issue by considering the behaviour of managers and workers. We may find some evidence of how our motivation beast really looks like, discover whether the theories are right and, if not, gain some practical lessons from this exercise. The Reality: Hard Facts The Royal Mail Experience The Royal Mail is a 370-year old organisation that began when King Charles I introduced the postal services in Britain (Steven-Jones, 2004, p. 8-9). It was a government monopoly until the passage of the Postal Services Act of 2000 that liberalised the U.K. postal services market. The law was the culmination of several factors, but what triggered it was an event that took place three decades earlier, when in 1971 postal workers staged a six-week strike that threatened to cripple the
Identify the primary theories that guide your intergrated theoretical Essay
Identify the primary theories that guide your intergrated theoretical perspective of social work practice - Essay Example A boundary line such as a line, a plane or a point, implies or secures a limit, a periphery, a range, or a barrier. To span ââ¬Å"is to form an arch over, to extend over acrossâ⬠(Kerson, 2002, 1); thus, a boundary-exceeding framework to health-related social work broadens over already penciled in barriers so as to provide social workers a greater range of perceptiveness, greater autonomy in interventions, and greater access to organizations and structures. This paper then will discuss the importance of boundary-exceeding in all areas of social work so that social workers can learn to assist their patients, clients and consumers to achieve their aspirations (ibid). Throughout its years of experience, social work practice in mental health has revised itself by or has been described by several boundaries. Occasionally, the borders have been created for the participants; some times, the restrictions have been designed by the participants themselves. Such limitations have occasionally got in the way of social workersââ¬â¢ capability to comprehend or resolve in the most practical means. Throughout time, even if social workers have drawn the parameters themselves, they have discovered the boundaries too limiting (Meyer, 1988). In response, social workers have had to locate ways to batter down the hindrances, to do the practice tantamount to finding tougher or wider scopes, opening entryways, breaking down walls, or insisting for greater autonomy. This ecological reinterpretation caters to and redefines various existing parameters or boundaries, and this reinterpretation claims that parameters have to be spanned in manners that are less preventing (ibid). The first parameter that should be spanned is the thing that detaches health care from mental health care. Fresh knowledge on the symptomatology, etiology and handling of an array of
Weekly Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Weekly Journal - Essay Example My moral voice acts as my inner voice that judges my behavior and motivation that is based on ideas that are either right or even wrong. There is time I encountered a moral disagreement regarding the issue of diversity in the country. Considering the diversity in ethnicities currently seen in America, I once encountered an individual from another ethnicity in a mall. Considering that this individual was from a dominant ethnicity, he started looking down on me considering that I am from a totally different ethnic from his. Initially, I felt like punching him so hard that he could never make such irritating comments to any individuals ever again. However, my moral voice made me hesitate. This inner voice made me realize that I could get myself into so much trouble by not restraining myself and containing my anger. Thus, this conflict was a good one because I was able to restrain myself and avoided getting into trouble with the law. Instead, I engaged the individual into a mature communication and made him understand that every individual is equal before God. I made him realize that the labels that human beings give are the only ones that worsen the racial situation in the country (Gilligan, 2009). At the end of it all, we shook hands and he even offered to pay for the items that I had picked in the
Friday, August 23, 2019
Justification By Faith, The Book of Romans Research Paper
Justification By Faith, The Book of Romans - Research Paper Example The just shall live by faith. The Dominican Monk in charge of the Wittenberg Cathedral, Tetzel, had introduced a shameful doctrine of paying for the forgiveness of sins. He saw this as a powerful strategy towards the construction of a church building. After reading Romans, Luther saw this doctrine, amongst others which he came to reject later, as falsified1. His act ignited a fire in Europe that saw the birth of the Protestant church, which up to today is in constant doctrinal conflict with the Catholics. One of the subjects which draw a lot of argument is the subject of Justification by Faith. Both theologians, philosophers, clergy men and average Christians alike have engaged in this centuryââ¬â¢s old debate about the nature of justification. Inasmuch as both agree that there is an immortal justification of the mortal soul, the means to this justification seems to draw a significant difference between Catholics and Protestants. Some hold that believes that are justified by faith alone while the rest strongly believe that justification happens due to faith and good works alone. ... g made right with God; the initial step towards Christian living, whereas the other group sees justification as a continuing process, a day by day activity until we reach our final destiny. This paper will attempt to shade some light on the topic of justification by faith as handled by the Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans. This Book is the longest Pauline epistle, besides being referred to as the most important theological legacy in history of Christianity. Most scholars have described the Book as Paulââ¬â¢s masterpiece. Wright, N (â⬠¦) calls it ââ¬Å"neither a systematic theology nor summary of Paulsââ¬â¢ lifework, but his master piece, which dwarfs most of his other works, an Alpine peak towering over hills and villages.â⬠The epistle is believed to have been authored by Paul himself when he was in Corinth, probably when he was about to live the city to Jerusalem. There are few objections to this, stating that the letter was authored by his secretary, Terti us, under his direct instruction. Most scholars have agreed that the Books written between 55-56 A.D or 56-57 A.D., a time when Paul was about to leave Corinth for Jerusalem2. However, some scholars have disputed these dates, giving 58 or 55 as possible dates. Ludemann (â⬠¦) argues that the epistle was written in early 51 or 52. Paul was addressing the church in Rome, which was made up of both Jews and Gentiles. The larger Roman population was Jewish; hence they were able to influence a substantial number of Gentile converts. While scholars are in most cases able to determine the style of most New Testament Books, the Book of Romans has proved a challenge to most. They have been unable to agree on whether the Book is a just a letter or an epistle. Deismann (1927) states that a letter is more non-literary, being
Process vs. Non-Process Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Process vs. Non-Process - Research Paper Example Taking a hint from this real life example, the concept of process innovation needs to be analyzed in a broader context. There is no need to say much about the fact that HTML5 is the latest technology that offers much new in the area of extending mobile platform choices to the companies and consumers (Lee, 2012). Yet, the biggest problem in adapting to this new technology is the need to customize and adapt their operations and research initiatives to benefit from the competitive advantage that a shift to HTML5 mobile platforms offers. In that context the HTML5 debate has exposed a hitherto much ignored fact. When it comes to process versus non-process industries, it is a fact that ideally speaking there exists nothing like a non-process industry (Skinner, 1992). The only difference between a process and non-process industry is that in a non-process industry, the operations consist of multiple unwieldy and least synchronized processes, which are least capable of extending a strategic a dvantage to a company against its competitors (Skinner, 1992). However, the other thing that needs to be taken into consideration is that new advances in technology may push a company from being process driven to being a non-process company, in a relative if not an absolute sense. The biggest revolution that the web based products and services have come across is the concept of computing going mobile. This created a dire need for the research in technologies that are compatible with and support mobile computing. In the last 10 years the world of mobile platforms has moved from a domination of the few like Windows Mobile and RIM Blackberry, to an invasion of many new platforms. In that context, there is no doubt that HTML5 stands to be the lowest common denominator, when it comes to developing mobile browsers. Still, many companies are raising a noise about shifting to HTML5 based mobile platforms, because it necessitates the requisite innovations in the processes underlying their pr oducts and services. There are varied reasons why the companies pushed from the status of being process companies to non-process companies owing to a failure to incorporate and adapt to HTML5 in the processes underlying their businesses tend to be hesitant. One important factor is that there exists a schism between the managers and technology personnel governing these companies (Skinner, 1992). While the management driven executives are still sticking to the old paradigms justifying augmentation of sales by resorting to marketing and financial gimmicks, considering the high risk involved in opting for HTML5 oriented process innovations, the technology experts tend to be averse to suggest such changes, fearing possible fallout on their careers. Besides, the requisite process innovations necessitate a long term financial and planning related commitment on the part of the companies, which is difficult to contrive, as evinced by the Facebook experience (Skinner, 1992). Then there are co mpanies which are waiting for their competitors to innovate, while mulling over immense financial savings by adapting to these innovations at a later stage
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Tool for Orientation for Four Generations Essay Example for Free
Tool for Orientation for Four Generations Essay In the current clinical setting, it is often common to find that evidence-based practice (EBP) is not being implemented. There are a number of causative factors that can be attributed to this observation. Some analysts have suggested that personal differences may be hindering implementation of EBP. It is therefore important to look into the validity of this factor with special emphasis given to age differences in the clinical setting. The question to be considered is whether or not there is an evidence-based tool available to meet the needs of all four generations of learners. The EBT tool needs to implement clinical references and other reviews as well as a case by case analysis over past and present generations to help form a small basis for future generational use of the EBT tool. In forming continually controlled studies one would be able to obtain current and ongoing evidentiary guideliens in which to more accurately determine the generational differences to determine if there is in fact any influences of with utilizing the use of EBT. Population of Interest In order to foster a productive and feasible atmosphere in clinical practice, it is imperative for members of the organization to appreciate and respect differences among the generations. This means that gender, racial and ethnic backgrounds need to be understood and accepted. The latter categories of diversity have been discussed at length in nursing practice and most people understand them well. On the other hand, the issue of intergenerational differences also can be problematic if nurses do not understand it properly. In order to place this matter in context, it is essential to review the historical background of these different generations. The population of interest includes four distinct generations (Cordinez, 2002). There are basically four generations that may be found within the clinical situation; these are Veterans (born between 1922 and 1945), Baby Boomers (born between 1945 ââ¬â 1960), Generation X (born between 1960 ââ¬â 1980), and lastly the Millennial Generation (Born after 1980). All these generations underwent different experiences that subsequently shaped their respective professional and personal values. The performance value of each of these generations differ. For example, it is well known that the Baby Boomers generation was much ado about peace and the different associated behaviors related to drug and alcohol use, thus inhibiting their generation compared to the more productive performance of the later generations. The first generation under consideration is the Veteran generation born during the Great Depression and the Second World War. This generation grew up under tough times but during their adulthood, the countryââ¬â¢s economy began flourishing. Because of these matters, The Veteran Generation realized that hard work can be rewarded and that authority ought to be respected. Therefore, it can be said that the values most revered by this generation are authority, loyalty, and respect. The second generation of nurses in the field today is the Baby Boom generation. Members of this group were born during a time of economic prosperity that was still characterized by some traditional values. This generation grew up around two-parent households in which one parent was the breadwinner. However, there were still a number of issues confronting them. They began challenging status quo and did not respect authority. According to Baby Boomers, real heroes are those ones with the courage to change the system. This generation had a lot room for growth within the nursing profession owing to the fact that economic times were relatively good. This generation is not typically conversant with technology. Intervention EBP implementation in most health institutions is a recent development. Since the population of interest is multigenerational, it is imperative to find out whether their generational background could have led to learning differences within the EBT tool. In order to attribute the lack of implementation of EBP to this issue, it is essential to eliminate other causative factors. Problems causing the potential failure to learn may be unique to each generation. It is important to design a nursing orientation program that empowers all generations of learners to implement evidence-based practice. Comparison of interest After examination of the historical backgrounds of these groups, one can now understand the differences between the groups may be influenced by their past. Two of the four generations of nurses have different perspectives on authority, workplace structures, technology, and evidence based practice (Spitzer, 2001). This can be a problem because organizations have changed dramatically over the past few years. Most health institutions now respect team-based approaches requiring individuals from different organizational levels to work together. This challenges traditional organizational structures in which the older generation was highly respected. The current view is to utilize evidence-based practice. Further contradicting the education of the older generation, the advent of technology has flipped organizational relationships. Baby boomers who had grown up with a deep respect for authority now highly depend on younger nurses to explain to them the essentials of computer technology. This has created renewed tensions between the generations. Despite the dramatic change in organizational structures, nurseââ¬â¢s mental attitudes still remain relatively stagnant and this has hampered implementation of evidence-based practice. Some nurses have failed to recognize where behavior patterns originate from and thus misunderstand colleagues from other generations. For instance, Baby Boomers usually think of Generation Xers as being highly unreliable or disloyal. On the other hand, the latter generation regards Baby Boomers tendency to remain with one employer as a failure to cease new opportunities. There are different work relations approaches between the generations. Outcomes Evidence-based practice in most health institutions may not be properly implemented because a substantial number of clinics fail to prepare their nurses through practical training. This means that nurses may be aware of the concept through the literature but do not have the ability to implement it in practice. Implementing this as a required teaching throughout all the health profession will enable nurses to be able to have additional tools available so that they may have more information in which to perform their duties better. In other health institutions, nurses lack infrastructural support from hospital administrations accustomed to conventional methods. Such administrations fail to shift their clinical practice making it difficult for particular nurses to do the same. EBP is failing due to lack of proper orientation in these health institutions. Nurses lack a straight-forward way in which they can carry it out within a certain clinical setting. Consequently, the methods may end up failing. There is little literature to link EBP with diversity issues let alone generational differences (Hicks Hicks, 1999). Conclusion In order for health organizations to flourish, there is a need to acknowledge differences between various generations of nurses. However, when it comes to evidence-based practice, other issues take greater precedence over generation differences. Instead, clinics need to look for ways in which they can boost administrative support, offer proper orientation and training to nurses. Personally, as nurse liaison for new employees, I am empowered to make changes by collecting and making available comprehensive, ongoing, and readily accessible EBP information needed to provide optimal care. At the very least, I can assist in providing staff with an orientation tool which incorporates the EBP process to insure and promote positive outcomes. References Cordinez, J. (2002). Recruitment, retention and management of generation X. Health Care Management Journal, 47, 4, 237-249. Hicks, R. Hicks, K. (1999). Boomers, Xers and other strangers Location: New York: Harper Collins. Raines, C. (2003). Connecting generations. CA: Crisp Publishers. Spitzer, R. (2001). A new world and new generation to come: Seminars for Nurse Managers, 9. 1367. The problem of interest in PICO question format. (5 points) 4/5 Presented a question, but did not identify PICO components. I DONââ¬â¢T KNOW WHAT THESE COMPONENTS ARE AND ALSO DID NOT ADDRESS THE OTHER TWO GENERATIONS COMMENTED ON BY YOUR INSTRUCTOR AS I DID NOT KNOW WHERE YOU WANTED TO GO WITH THAT. 1. A brief description of the patient population/disease, intervention, comparison, and outcome. (10 points) 9/10 Presented thorough description of two generations. What about the remaining two generations? If they are being excluded, tell the reader the rationale for this decision. Also, the outcome you intend to achieve is increased use of EBP. That was not clearly articulated in the outcomes section.
Different forms of child abuse Essay Example for Free
Different forms of child abuse Essay Child abuse is a common term for four types of child maltreatment: sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, and neglect. Children are usually victims of more than one type of abuse. They could be both sexually and emotionally abused or they could also be physically abused and neglected. In some severe cases, children may suffer from more than two forms of abuse. Child abuse was once viewed as a minor social problem that only affected a handful of U. S. children. In recent years the media and law enforcement has paid close attention to the issue. More than 1,000 children died from abuse in 1996, in the U.S. (1). Approximately 231 children are abused each day. That is 10 children every hour, and one child every six minutes. Each day in the United States, more than three children die as a result of child abuse, in the home. More children, age four and younger, die from child abuse and neglect than any other single, leading cause of death for infants and young children (1). The abusers can be family members, parents, caretakers such as babysitters and teachers, and strangers. Abuse occurs among all ethnic, social, and income groups. Most parents dont hurt or neglect their children intentionally. Many were themselves abused or neglected. Usually the cases that are reported involve poor families with little education. Also common in reports are young mothers, single-parent families, and parental drug or alcohol abuse. The frequency of child abuse is difficult to estimate, due to so many cases going unreported. There are signs, symptoms, and causes to all four types of child abuse. When you have a concern for a childs well-being, the signs or symptoms may help guide you in the process of reporting. Although, these signs, mentioned later, dont necessarily indicate that a child is being abused. A professional, who would be able to determine the abuse, should investigate the possibility. Determining the exact cause of child abuse is almost impossible. In general,à the factors that influence whether abuse will happen is grouped into two categories- internal and external. Lack of social support, economic hardship, and chemical dependency are a few external factors. Some internal factors are: biological, emotional, and psychological. Some factors are as common as low intelligence and range to, as rare as, a severe personality disorder such as Schizophrenia. Isolation is a factor contributing to abuse. When families have difficulties, perhaps from unemployment or other social problems, they may respond in a number of ways. The families that respond by isolating themselves, by withdrawing themselves from neighbors and friends, are the most likely to be abusive. Charles F. Johnson defines sexual abuse as any activity with a child, before the age of legal consent, that is for the sexual gratification of an adult or a significantly older child. Sexual abuse involves fondling, penetration, persuading a child to expose his or her sexual organs, and allowing a child to view pornography. In most of the reported cases the child knew the abuser, and one in five of the abusers were under age themselves. 12% of the confirmed cases reported in 1996 involved sexual abuse. An estimated 10-15% of males and 20-25% of females reported they were sexually abused by age 18 (2). Most sexually abused children never come to the attention of the authorities. There may be no physical signs of harm, but there is always the intense shame, and secrecy is often maintained, even by the adults who know of the abuse, for fear of destroying a family. There is evidence emerging that as many as one in three incidents of child sexual abuse are not remembered by adults who experience them, and that the younger the child was at the time of the abuse, and the closer the relationship to the abuser, the more likely one is not to remember, claims Linda Williams. Convicted rape and sexual assault offenders serving time in State prisonsà report that two-thirds of their victims were under the age 18, and 58% of those (nearly 4 in 10 imprisoned violent sex offenders) said their victims were aged 12 or younger. In 90% of the rapes of children less than 12 years old, the child knew the offender. Sixty percent took place in the victims home or at the home of a friend, neighbor, or relative. Two-thirds of sex offenders in state prisons victimized a child. For offenders imprisoned for violent crimes against victims younger than 18 (1994), 15% were convicted of forcible rape, 57% were convicted of other types of sexual assault (lewd acts of forcible sodomy, statutory rape, etc.), about thirty percent reported attacks on more than one child, and more than half the victims were younger than 12. Out of 277 inmate interviews of all prisoners convicted of rape or sexual assault, two-thirds victimized children. Three out of four child victims were female, prisoners convicted of attacking children were mostly male, 97%, and about 22% of the child sex offenders reported having been sexually abused themselves during childhood. Half of the women raped were younger than 18 and 20% were victimized by their father (3). Children often fail to report because of the fear that disclosure will bring consequences even worse than being victimized again. The victim may fear consequences from the family or feel guilty for consequences to the perpetrator. Victims may also have a feeling that something is wrong with me, and that the abused is their fault. The impact of child sexual abuse is tremendous. It is estimated that there are 60 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse in America, today. Approximately 31% of women in prison state they have been abused as children and about 95% of teenage prostitutes have been sexually abused. Young girls who are forced to have sex are three times more likely to develop psychiatric disorders or abuse alcohol and drugs in adulthood, than girls who are not sexually abused (4). There are two different types of indicators of sexual abuse, physical indicators and behavioral indicators. Some of the physical indicators are: 1)Torn, stained or bloody underclothes. 2)Frequent, unexplained sore throats, yeast or urinary infections. 3) Bruises or bleeding from external genitalia, vagina, or anal region. 4) Sexual transmitted disease. 5) Pregnancy. Some of the behavioral indicators are: 1)The victims disclosure of sexual abuse. 2)Disturbed sleeping pattern. 3)Difficulty in walking or sitting. 4)Avoidance of undressing or wearing extra layers of clothes. 5)Sudden decline in school performance. The two prerequisites for this form of maltreatment include sexual arousal to children and the willingness to act on this arousal. Factors that may contribute to the willingness include alcohol or drug abuse, poor impulse control, and a belief that the sexual behaviors are acceptable and not harmful to the child. The chances of abuse are higher if the child is developmentally handicapped or vulnerable in some other way. Often there is no physical evidence of sexual abuse for a doctor to find. In fact, physical examinations of children in cases suspected sexual abuse supply grounds for further suspicion only 15-20% of the time (4). Physical abuse is the nonaccidental infliction of physical injury to a child, such as cut, bruises, welts, and broken bones. The abuser is usually a family member or other caretaker, and is more likely to be male. In 1996,à 24% of the confirmed cases of U.S. child abuse involved physical abuse (4). A rare form of physical abuse is Munchausen syndrome by proxy, in which a caretaker, most often the mother, seeks attention by making the child sick or appear to be sick. Skulls and other bone fractures are often seen in young abused children, and in fact head injuries are the leading cause of death in abused children. A few physical indicators of physical abuse are: 1)Unexplained welts or bruises on the face, upper arms, throat, thighs or lower back in unusual patterns or shapes which suggest use of an instrument (electric cord, belt buckle) on an infant in various stages of healing that are seen after absences, weekends, or vacations. 2)Rope burns. 3)Bald patches. 4)Refusal to undress for gym. Some of the behavioral indicators of physical abuse are: 1)Behavioral extremes- withdrawal, aggression, depression. 2)Unbelievable or inconsistent explanation for the injury. 3)Fear of physical contact-shrinking back if touched. 4)Fear of medical help or examination. The usual physical abuse scenario involves a parent who loses control and lashes out at a child. The trigger could be a dirty diaper or crying. Unlike nonabusive parent, who may become upset or angry with their children fromà time to time but are genuinely loving, abusive parents tend to harbor deep-rooted negative feelings toward their children. Emotional abuse, also known as psychological abuse, according to Richard D. Krugman, has been defined as the rejection, ignoring, criticizing, isolation, or terrorizing or children, all of which have the effect of eroding their self-esteem. Emotional abuse usually expresses itself in verbal attacks involving rejection, belittlement, humiliation, and so forth. Emotional abuse also includes bizarre forms of punishment, such as confinement of a child in a dark closet. Often psychological abuse accompanies other types of abuse and is difficult to prove. It is rarely reported and accounted for only 6% of the confirmed 1996 cases (3). A few physical indicators of emotional abuse are: 1)Eating disorders- obesity or anorexia. 2)Nervous disorders- rashes, facial tics, hives, etc. 3)Speech disorders- stuttering, stammering, etc. 4)Flat or bald spots on head (infants). A few behavioral indicators of psychological abuse are: 1)Age inappropriate behaviors- bedwetting, soiling, etc. 2)Habit disorders- biting, rocking, etc. 3)Cruel behavior- seeming to get pleasure from hurting another child, adult, or animal. 4)Overreaction to mistakes. Emotional abuse can happen in many different settings: at school, at home, on sports teams, and so on. The forth and final forms of child abuse is neglect. Neglect is the failure to satisfy a childs basic needs and can assume many forms. Emotional neglect is the failure to satisfy a childs normal emotional needs or behavior that damages a childs normal psychological and emotional development, physical neglect is the failure to provide adequate food, shelter, clothing, or supervision, and educational neglect includes the allowance of chronic truancy, failure to enroll a child of mandatory school age in school, and failure to attend to a special educational need. Failing to see that a child receives proper schooling or medical care is also considered neglect. In 1996, neglect was confirmed in over half of the abuse cases (3). Some physical indicators of neglect include: 1)Poor hygiene- lice, diaper rash, body odor, etc. 2)Lack of immunizations. 3)Untreated injury or illness. 4)Poor state of clothing. A few behavioral indicators of neglect include: 1)Chronic hunger or tiredness. 2)Assuming adult responsibilities. 3)Unusual school attendance. 4)No social relationships. Many cases of neglect occur because the parent experiences strong negative feelings toward the child. At other times, the parent may truly care for the child, but lack the ability to adequately provide for the childs needs due to being handicapped by drug abuse, depression, mental retardation, or other problems. As a result, their physical, emotional, social, and mental development is hindered. Young children remain at high risk for loss of life. Between 1995 and 1997, 78% of these children were less than five years of age at the time of their death, while 38% were under one year of age. As for cause of death, 44% of deaths resulted from neglect, 51% from physical abuse, and 5% from a combination of neglectful and physically abusive parenting. Approximately 41% of these deaths occurred to children known to child protective service agencies as current or prior clients (5). Abuse investigators are often a group effort involving medical personnel, police officers, social workers, and others. Careful questioning of the parents is crucial, as is interviewing the child. The investigators must ensure, however, that their questioning does not further traumatize the child. A physical examination for signs of abuse or neglect is, always necessary, and may also include blood tests, x-rays, and other procedures. If the child has sisters or brothers, the authorities must determine whether they have been abused as well. Signs of physical abuse are discovered in about 20% of the sisters and brothers of abused children (4). Child abuse can have lifelong consequences. Research shows that abused children and adolescents are more likely, for instance, suffer emotional problems, do poorly in school, abuse drugs and alcohol, and attempt suicide. As adults they have often have trouble establishing intimate relationships. Notification of the appropriate authorities, treatment of the childsà injuries, and protecting the child from further harm are the immediate priorities in child abuse! Sources All Figures Based Upon The Following: 1.A Nations Shame: Fatal Child Abuse and Neglect in the United States. 2.Child Maltreatment 1998: Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. 3.http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com/stats.htm 4.http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com/stats2.htm 5.Wang, C.T. Daro, D. (1998). Current Trends in Child Abuse Reporting and Fatalities: The results of the 1997 Annual Fifty State Survey.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Pros And Cons Of Offshore Outsourcing Commerce Essay
Pros And Cons Of Offshore Outsourcing Commerce Essay In the new era offshore outsourcing has emerged as a very important and extensively adapted business strategy. Organisations across the globe consider outsourcing as a pathway to avail benefits of cost and effective resources of the country to which work is outsourced. Many organisation s in western markets offshore outsource their activities extensively to emerging market countries where there are location, cost and resource advantages to gain a competitive edge in the global market. The distinctive feature of offshore outsourcing is to provide uninterrupted service in order to meet the different time zones and gain customer satisfaction. Off shoring refers to the relocation of outsourced activities across countries. In the process of outsourcing, initially a particular activity is generalized across firms, then the shift of the location of the vendor can cause off shoring. Chandrasekhar Ghosh, 2006, p.92 The main reason for any organisation to offshore outsource their activities is to gain extended benefits and increase net profits. It is also adapted to achieve various cost, product, and differentiation advantages. It is a known fact that companies outsource various activities depending upon the country in which it is good at and this comes from the educational system and standards followed by that country. India, for example is most preferred destinations for the service and IT industries owing to the advantages like cheap labour, effective skills, language consistency and courtesy. Outsourcing is successful and effective cost saving strategy when applied in a legitimate way. For any buy decision, taken by the companies in west the most attractive solution would be to offshore outsource to destinations across the globe. WESTERN COMPANIES ADVANTAGES:- The major advantages for western companies by offshore outsourcing their activities would be tax benefits, cheap labour and increased productivity. It enables the firm to lower supply cost by relocating production to countries where inputs and labour costs are lower. Thomson, the French consumer electronics group, transferred the production of some of its video cassette models from Germany to Singapore to take the advantage of the latters lower cost base. Outsourcing services to India is continuously rising because of its various advantages like advanced technology, cheap talented labour, infrastructure and other facilities. Western companies will improve their brand name by customer satisfaction and substantial profits by offshore outsourcing. Microsoft, software giant in USA offshore outsource their customer service and technical support activities to destinations such as India which has no language barriers, good quality infrastructure, stable government policies, supporting labour laws and other favourable factors. The market for home country products is extended; for example: IT firms in India working for US companies will buy US computers and related equipment. 40% of the fortune 500 companies are strongly interested in the software outsourcing model because the average cost savings by adopting this is in the range of 40% to 70%. The companies can escape from various laws and restrictions imposed by the home country and hence reduce production costs by outsourcing production channels. It is adapted by majority of the car manufacturing companies. Ford Motors, USA based car manufacturing company has shifted 70% of their production units to Mexico owing to stringent environmental and emission laws imposed by USA. Free trade across European Union has also favoured many motor companies to shift their production units to Eastern European countries to exploit cheap labour and resources. DISADVANTAGES:- The direct relationship between employees and companies are lost due to distance and communication gap. Risk in transferring technology and know-how, this can be copied by its market competitors in the host country. The company faces a potential threat from the employees and competitors as their technical information can be leaked anywhere and spreads like a rapid fire. This has a direct impact on the companys brand name and sales. Dell for example, is basically a US based company but its activities such as manufacturing, customer and technical support are outsourced on a global scale. Many competitors took advantage of unmotivated employees, gained access to technical information and manufactured similar kind of products with same features and services. The same is the case with Chinese firms. It is a common sight to find any duplicate of consumer goods of western brands appearing to be exactly same for 80% cheaper price in the Shanghai local black market. Offshore outsourcing carries the risk of lower quality products and lower standards because of lack of training and effective controls by home company. EMERGING MARKET COMPANIES ADVANTAGES:- People always look forward for something new every day! Emerging market companies can grow and create new brand name by satisfying this similar need of flock across different markets in the world. For example, Hyundai motor company is in the process of growing into brand appreciation by its customer as it is determined to achieve the goal of making better quality product. It also builds its image as a top global automobile company by handling every task transparency from the perspective of business ethics. Foreign direct investment plays an important role by focusing on emerging economies than developed economies. By increase in inflow of FDI by the global company into emerging market the revenue and sales increases thus increase in standard of living. By establishment of Microsoft, IBM and Oracle in metropolitan cities of India, it has enormously resulted in increase in income and spending capacity of people. Technology and skills are transferred from western companies to the emerging market. This creates waves and builds up competitive spirit in emerging companies thus improved productivity by the emerging market companies is achieved. DISADVANTAGES:- Small and medium companies in emerging markets suffer from low revenues and profit margins by presence of highly competitive brands. By establishment of several clothing western brands in India, several yarn farmers to the cloth sellers in the supply chain have shut their doors for business. It is observed that some companies which emerged has not succeeded due to lack of co-ordination and good relationship with their service provider. WORKFORCE OF WESTERN COUNTRIES ADVANTAGES:- Workforce in western countries builds group and individual learning techniques to promote self awareness and professional development. Employees are trained with World class design and delivery designs and finally from their experience they are improved in learning intervention. Employees are motivated by providing benefits and incentives for a better performance of the company. McDonalds, for example provides potential benefits to its employees and thus retains its employees to work better for more benefits. Highly talented and multi skilled employees are given more benefits like increase in salary and bonus facility. The first preference is given to employees who work inside the home other than outside the country. The companies who initially invested in fringe countries of south-east Asia such as Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia are now investing in China due to their highly technical and knowledge skilled labour. DISADVANTAGES:- Decline in operation and manufacturing process in home country, which leads to loss of jobs and thus create unemployment in ones own country. Inefficiency shown in the progress of work and lack of knowledge for which employees expect training for each and every task, thus increases the expenses. Dell computers returned its business help desk from India to North America because of an increase in complaints from its customers about Indian employees as they were lacking in solving complex computer problems. The workforce of western companies faces a tough competition on a global scale. They are less motivated because of job insecurity and pay cuts. WORKFORCE OF EMERGING MARKET COMPANIES ADVANTAGES:- Employees desire to work in such emerging companies as their payrolls will be high when compared to local companies. These are large companies in which employees professional life grow faster with attractive salary package. If one wants to visit the world and have the capabilities to communicate with different kind of people they have an opportunity to work in such field and thus changes their lifestyle. TESCO, for example a U.K. based company which outsources all its payroll, service and supply chain control operations to India. Employees who work offshore for this company are given an opportunity to switch their jobs if promoted to a higher level and get a chance to work in U.K. This is regarded as a dream come true for any typical middle class Indian employee. It creates motivation and lifts the spirits of workforce, hence job satisfaction is achieved. DISADVANTAGES:- Expatriate assignments can be very expensive, maintenance cost of expatriates in a host country range from three to ten times the cost of domestic employees with similar responsibilities. Sometimes employees are not motivated properly which results in failure to achieve the assignment goals and thus reported at disturbing levels. Employees are made to work overtime and not paid properly. The employees of the western market dependant companies are seriously affected if there is any financial crisis or economy imbalance in that country. For example, Indian software employees are directly hit by the recession in the USA or UK. If there is no business for the firm the dependant workforces in the outsourced countries suffer from losing out their jobs.
Representation of War in the Media
Representation of War in the Media CHAPTER III : CASE STUDIES ââ¬Å"War is fought with the will of the government, competence of the armed forces and the support of the nationâ⬠Carl Von Clausewitz There is no doubt that the global reach and immediacy of the new media communications technologies and the ability to shape both national and international public opinion has made media a major player in limited conflicts. Such developments could be expected to significantly impact the way conflict is reported and debated by international community. Given the rapid progress and far reaching advances in communications over recent years, correct engagement with the media acts as a force multiplier for the commander on ground to achieve a more comprehensive success. On the other hand, the incorrect media engagement leads to loss of operational security and makes the task of the military commander much more difficult. The media representation of wars has significantly changed over last years. Previously being just an instrument of coverage and propaganda, now media are considered a competent weapon. The war of real objects is partially being replaced by the war of pictures and sounds, information war[1]. Now we shall examine few significant national and international conflicts, where the media extensively covered these operations by the Armed Forces. Some were a success story while others left much to be desired form the way the Armed Forces engage the media. The Gulf War Control of the media during the Gulf war followed the pattern that was established in the Falklands and refined in Grenada and Panama[2]. The pattern included secrecy in planning, demonisation of the enemy, exploitation of the media to enlist national and international support, and the exclusion of the media during the initial phases of the operation[3]. The resultant news vacuum was filled by officialà coverage favourable to the military. Later criticisms were stonewalled. In the Gulf, the media were excluded from the planning stages of the initial deployment and the deliberations leading to the change of war aims from that of the defence of Saudi Arabia to offensive action in Kuwait. The demonisation of Saddam Hussein was used to rally national as well as international support and the media was immediately co-opted into these tasks[4]. The Gulf also demonstrated the familiar pattern of exclusion of the media from the early action, when both the military and the administration were most vulnerable[5]. Before the commencement of the hostilities, USA set up the Joint Information Bureau to handle the media from a base in Dhahran. Journalists were formed into pools or Media Reporting Teams (MRTs).Guidelines were instituted, concurrent with the arrival of the first pool of reporters[6]. Subsequent guidelines gave detailed instructions how the information could be gathered. All interviews could be conducted only in the presence of a military escort, all reports, photos and videos had to be cleared by a security review system before transmission. Beyond these measures, however, the Gulf campaign lent itself to complete media management through absolute control over the means of communication, transport and access. So powerful was this weaponry that there was no need for actual censorship[7]. Censorship was achieved primarily through denial of access and delay in transmission, backed a blanket decision not to allow media access to any event that was a strictly controlled. This was offset by a flow of favourable military sourced information to fill the vacuum created by media restriction. Material ranged from information provided at carefully controlled briefings which bypassed journalists on the spot. The combination of credibility afforded by the briefings and novelty of the new weaponry was enough to satisfy audiences[8]. The realities of war and any real analysis were foregone in favour of a politicallyà acceptable, sanitised war which showed nothing but success. It was evident too thatà the military used the media not only to present its own policies in the best possible light, but to deceive and misinform the Iraqis. Both the administration and the military clearly benefited from this control. CNNs coverage of the 1991 Gulf War, when it became the worlds only instant chronicler of a major conflict, seemed only to confirm the formidable role played by Western news agencies in covering and framing international events. The impact of this kind of media coverage has been dubbed ââ¬Å"the CNN effect,â⬠referring to the widely available round-the-clock broadcasts of the Cable News Network[9]. Indeed, by the mid 1990s, some scholars and certain policymakers had come to the conclusion that CNN in particular was having a measurable impact on the way governments conduct world politics. This proactive engagement of media by the Pentagon ensured that the military remains immune from scrutiny but also garners the voter benefits for the politicians. The only caution is that this form of media containment or partial exclusion can only work for a limited period. If, as in Vietnam; and as may well have happened in the Gulf, such a limited conflict becomes protracted and involves high levels of casualties, then the ascendancy of the military may be challenged and broken as the global media brings to bear the full weight of its capacity for independent news gathering and communications. The 1991 Gulf war was the first televised war of the century wherein pictures of the night sky lit up with firing of weapons. Operation Desert Storm was the most widely and most swiftly reported war in history. In addition to being called the first ââ¬Å"CNN Warâ⬠this war also marked a turning point for the Americanââ¬â¢s view of that relationship. US demonstrated will and military potential to influence developing world in consonance of her policies.[10] The world saw the live footage of the 1991 Gulf war. CNN activities during the war were a classic example of the role that civil broadcasts and journalists can play in any future war. Media can be allowed selective access with a view to influencing the international opinion. The media enjoys the support of high technology equipment and access to credible media outlets. The CNN broadcasts provided useful inputs to put into operation diplomatic damage limitation operations to counter the fallout of adverse reports. The examp le at hand is the demonstration of her will and the military potential by the USA in influencing the world opinion, including engaging the media[11]. The first Iraqi war was totally covered by the media and the general opinion was that the media was focussing all their attention on the wars victory and retreating troops. Very few journalists looked after the Arabian people; in fact the Iraqi refugee problem was simply overlooked. In general, the media was very supportive of the American troops in the Persian Gulf. Though the reporting was positive, the coverage did not tell the absolute truth on the battle field. Journalists were more or less welcomed by the battalion commanders. The army was silent to ââ¬Å"embeddingâ⬠the media, while the Marine Corps was proactive and welcomed media attention. Public satisfaction with press coverage can be largely attributed to the increasing media savvy of the military leadership, who were able to successfully use news coverage to enhance the militaryââ¬â¢s image and win public support for its operations. General Schwarzkopf was a master at these press briefings. He analyzed the impor tance of the briefings and prepared himself mentally. He decided not to repeat the mistake made in Grenada, where the relations between media and the military had been eroded to an appalling state[12]. Kargil A Water Shed for Indian Media The Kargil conflict was Indiaââ¬â¢s first real war of the information age and it was significant for the impact and the influence of the mass media on the public opinion of both the nation states[13]. During this operation, both the military and the media were interacting for the very first time in the backdrop of the technological advances made in the last two three decades or so. The Kargil news stories and war footage were often telecast live on the TV, while many websites provided in-depth analysis of the war. This conflict became the first live war in South Asia[14]. The Indian Army tried to implement the ââ¬Å"poolâ⬠methodology of the Gulf war after consulting some reputed and esteemed media persons. There were daily briefings in Delhi through the operational staff and journalists were allowed to enter the war zone[15]. The site tours were discontinued after some time and media persons got total freedom to move around on their own except where their lives could be in danger. But unlike the Gulf war, there was to be no censoring of media reports and there was to be no deviation from the truth[16]. The military and the media did not indulge in any deliberate disinformation drive. But they effectively exposed Pakistanââ¬â¢s lies and disinformation tactics. The media for once highlighted defence requirements of weaponry and ammunition which otherwise do not get any significance for reporting in the normal sequence of events.[17]. The ââ¬ËKargil Warââ¬â¢, also brought into focus the significance of both the print and the electronic media[18]. The nation made a very clever use of the Internet and dedicated an exclusive Website www.vijayinkargil.com to show case the heroics of the Indian Army. Trained PR officers manned chat sites on the web to establish a real time inter face with the youths of the country for possibly the very first time. Television was able to invade the living rooms of the people to shape public opinion. The war received a human face because of the wide scale coverage of the war by the news channels like Aaj Tak, Zee News and NDTV Network. The media both Indian and overseas was predominantly compassionate to the Indian cause, with editorials in newspapers based in the west and other neutral countries observing that our western adversary was in principal answerable for the conflict[19]. Some analysts believe that Indian media, which was both larger in number and more credible, may have acted as a force multiplier for the Indian military operation in Kargil[20] and served as a morale booster. As the fighting intensified, the Pakistani version of events found little backing on the world stage. This helped India gain valuable diplomatic recognition for its position. Media reportage on Kargil converged around a single dramatic image of a nation at war. In the initial phase, news coverage was restrained on the logic of operational security. The Army permitted first media coverage on 15 May 1999. In Jun 1999, travel permits of press personnel were cancelled again quoting compromise of security. The failure of understanding was due to incorrect handling of media by army as well as character and content of reportage. There was a tendency to trivialise and sensationalise news by many sections of media. The semantics of reportage of certain events like return of six tortured bodies, led to a proliferation of exaggerated stories. However, media did not act as the force multiplier throughout. At crucial junctures, the over ecstatic media reported the crucial attack plans of the Indian army on the news in advance. This gave the all important operational intelligence to the adversary. The glaring example of this was the attack on Tiger Hill, where in after capture of Tiger Hill, the captured Pakistani troops revealed that they received the inputs about the Indian Armyââ¬â¢s plans through the news channels. Also the telecast at times showed the location of the artillery gun bases, deployment areas and the logistic installations which was then suitably interpreted by the enemy to bring out effective fire on these locations. Mumbai Terrorist Attacks of 26/11 Medias reporting of terrorist activities is fast becoming critical in todayââ¬â¢s scenario when no country is left untouched by terrorism. War on terrorism is a test for the Indian media. How much should be broadcast, whether broadcast of terrorist actions amounts to glorifying terrorism and violence and whether it incites people, creates new recruits and gives publicity to terrorists who seek to grab world attention are topics of debate across nations in the post 9/11 world. Similar debates have begun in India, more so after 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The well coordinated terror attack on Mumbai brings about essential lessons, both for the media as well as the Armed forces. The news media with a lack of understanding of where the medium can reach in such a situation, reported the move of National Security Guard (NSG) from Delhi to Mumbai being declared by the Home Minister[21]. There is increasing questioning of the medias conduct in the face of such attacks and more so after the live telecast of the 60 hour long Mumbai attacks. Concerned over the way many aspects of its operations got ââ¬Å"jeopardizedâ⬠due to live images being broadcast by TV during the 6- hour siege, the National Security Guard (NSG) pressed for restrictions on media coverage wherever its commandos are engaged to combat[22]. The case in point is the way NSGs operations at Nariman House were broadcast live. Questions were raised over the way Havaldar Gajender Singh fell to a terrorists bullet at Nariman House. As per the narration of incidents by an NSG commando ââ¬Å"TV broadcasted our commandoes landing from a helicopter on the roof over Nariman House. By the time our men landed and started taking positions, the terrorists were already waiting for us and opened fire[23]â⬠. In contrast the operations at Oberoi could be conducted more smoothly since TV channels were kept beyond a one-kilometer radius[24]. This zone was put under virtual curfew with no access allowed to television crews. The operations there took the least time, just under 30 hours, as compared to the other two places. As per NSG officials while terrorists holed up inside probably did not have access to live TV images on the second and third day of operations, they still had phones and were probably getting ââ¬Å"instructionsâ⬠from people watching those live images on TV. The media in turn can question the NSG that was there any spokesman of NSG to guide the media? The media showed what they saw. Can you blame them for showing what was happening? [1] Gulf War Was A Perfect Television War http://www.ukessays.com/essays/media/gulf-war-was-a-perfect-television-war-media-essay.php> [2] Young and Jesser, Loc cit, pp 280-281 [3] Ibid, pp 176 [4] Ibid [5] Ibid, pp189 [6] Ibid [7] Ibid [8] Aradhana Sharma, Journalism in Democracies during times of war: Examining the Role of Indian and US Media, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi 2010 [9]The CNN Effect: Strategic Enabler or Operational Risk? Margaret H. Belknap http://strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/parameters/Articles/02autumn/belknap.htm [10] Brig VK Nair,VSM,Retd. War in the Gulf: Lessons For The Third World, Lancer Papers, pp 106. [11] Ibid [12] Vice Admiral J Metcalfe, The Press and the Grenada 1983, Franc Cass Co. Ltd, London pp 168 [13] Operation Vijay 1999 Victory Over Pak Treachery Col J P Singh, Retd News Bharti English 25 Jul 2014 [14] Kargil War ââ¬âWikipedia, online http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/kargil_war. [15] Kargil War ââ¬âWikipedia, online http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/kargil_war [16] Ibid. [17] Ibid. [18] Aradhana Sharma, Journalism in Democracies during times of war: Examining the Role of Indian and US Media, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi 2010 [19]Article titled The Significance of the Kargil Crisis pp18-19, RAND Publications http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1450/MR1450.ch2.pdf [20] Ibid [21] Rahul K Bhonsle, Mumbai 26/11- Security Imperatives for the Future, New Delhi Vij Books (India) Pvt Ltd pp 50-51 [22] Media has Blood of NSG Commandoes http://nomadmolouges.blogspot.in/2008/12/media-has-blood-of-nsg-commando.html> [23] Ibid [24] Indian Media And War Maturity Essay http://www.ukessays.com/essays/media/indian-media-and-war-maturity-media-essay.php>
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)