Monday, September 30, 2019

Policing and Crime Reduction Essay

As the logic would imply, policing and crime rates have been thought to be related in certain ways. The public generally view that police powers depend on the quantitative aspect than on its qualitative characteristics. Comparably to the perspectives of far that perceives quantity reigns victor in the end, the public indeed view that the quality of security depends mainly on the number of police squad patrolling the area. There has been a lot of research that discusses the possible effects of quantity of police powers in reducing the crime rates. Various contributing factors have been considered in these studies in order to justify the rationale of this belief. However, the results still vary according to methodologies used, geographical area and socio-cultural atmosphere. In the course of our discussion, the primary topic shall center on this issue of increasing police officer count that induces reduction of crime rate. Analysis and interpretation of various data obtained through review of literature and records analysis shall be employed in order to validate the said claims. The following queries shall be answered throughout the discussion: a. What are the pros and cons of increasing the quantity of police officers for policing purposes? b. Identify various theories and concepts related to the subject of policing, particularly community policing, hotspot theory & deterrence theory. c. How are the conditions of San Diego, NYPD and Kansas City PD in terms of crime reductions way back in 1990s? d. Discuss and elaborate the study on foot patrol and New Jersey problem-oriented policing The discussion of the over-essay shall focus on the above queries; hence, these statements shall be the functional scopes of the entire study. The increase of police officers in the streets only leads to of the two consequent effects: either decrease of crime rates or even more increase of crime casualties. Essentially speaking, one reason patrol activity may be less effective than desired is the lack of adequate resources to facilitate the proper service. Does adding more police help bring down the crime rate? Discussion: Pros and Cons of Increased Policing In general view the evidences and the studies that pertains to this subject is mixed. According to some reviews, the number of law reinforcement officers in a jurisdiction seems to have probable little effect on area crimes. Comparisons of police expenditures in U.S. cities indicate that cities with the highest crime rates also spend the most on police services. While these results are disappointing, a number of recent studies, using various methodologies, have found that police presence may reduce crime levels and that adding police may bring crime levels down. In addition, increasing the size of the local police force may have other benefits for the overall effectiveness of the justice system (Siegel & Senna, p.182). Whether adding more officers to an already large police force causes crime to decrease; however, is somewhat less clear. Studies of the marginal effect of police and crime suffer from a number of difficulties. First, not only might additional police cause decline in crime, one might expect additional crime to result in the hiring of more police. This simultaneity effect makes it very complicated to sort out what causes what. The second problem is temporal order wherein cities with higher and lower levels of policing possesses indefinite data in terms of the addition of the police in cities with presently huge number of policing system, especially if the data gathered preceded or followed their current crime levels. Lastly, there is a great deal of measurement error in the counts of police officers and in the crime rates (Sherman, 2002 p.303). Pros of Increase Police Powers Evidence shows that cities with larger police departments, which have more officers per capita than the norm, also experience lower levels of violent crimes. Police departments that use a proactive, aggressive law enforcement style may help reduce crime rates. The methodologies of various local or federal policing firms greatly contribute the results of this reduction. As for this research that resulted in possible effects of quantitative policing, the proactive policing and aggressive policing are used, which may have affected the diminished results of violent crimes (Siegel & Senna, 2004 p.181). According to the recent studies, it is possible that the added police will make more arrests, which is another factor that helps lower the crime rate. Traditionally about 20% of all crimes reported to the police is cleared by arrest. Research indicates that if police could make an arrest in at least 30% of all reported crimes, the crime rate would decline significantly. If there were greater police resources, police departments would have the luxury of engaging in aggressive, focused crime fighting initiatives with the result being more arrests and a greater deterrent effect (Siegel, 2004 p.83-84). For example, UCR data show that index crimes are the ones most often cleared by arrest. Due to the visibility of homicide in the media and the importance police agencies place on homicides clearances, homicide detectives work aggressively to clear all homicides regardless of where they occur or the personal characteristics of homicide victims. It is possible that this aggressive approach to solving crime, spurred on by media attention to high-profile cases, has helped lower the homicide rate (Siegel, 2004 p.84). Public pressure for more police contributes to the formation of extremely necessary reforms. Collectively, these reforms provide more resources of labor for public security and focus public attention on real problems. They increase the capacity of the police to respond to crime in timely, fast, appropriate and accurate manner. Increasingly the numbers of police on the street or those deployed to specialized directed units can also have an impact on crime. In the case of open-air drug or gun markets, when police patrol a targeted area around the clock, there is an immediate deterrent effect (Wiatrowski & Pino, p.200). Cons of Increase Police Powers There is no definite evidence that suggests larger police forces reduce crime rates. There is also little evidence that a policy of adding more police will actually reduce crime. In 1968, the Crime Commission found that no direct correlation existed between the number of police per thousand citizens and the crime rate. It has been labeled as â€Å"doubtful† that any police agency can bring about an extend, significant decrease in crime rate (Marion, 1994 p.226). Moreover, it is unlikely that the bottom will fall out of public safety if we reduce the number of police, even quite substantially, and it is equally unlikely that crime will be reduced if we try to spend our way to safety by adding police officers. Changes in the number of police within any practicable range will have no effect on crime (Bayley, 1994 p.5). Summing up all the evidence, the authoritative Audit Commission in Britain wrote: The terms of public debate need to move off the assumption that more police officers and more police expenditures lead to a commensurate increase in the quantity and quality of police outputs (Bayley, 1994 p.5). The number of patrols in an area may be doubled, halved, or even removed altogether without changing crime levels. A review of 36 correlational studies, most of them weak in research design found little evidence that more police reduce crime rates. A recent review; however, of 27 studies of the effect of police numbers on violent crime came to similar conclusions. Criminologists have tried to address this question for over a quarter of a century, with no consistent and evident results (Sherman, 2002 p.303). On the contrary, other researches testify that increasing the police powers of certain areas may even increase the occurrence of crime since the number of arrest is also assumed to increase as this situation occurs. In addition, military or police control may overly occur in the area and may even induce anxiety over the civilians in the area. If the number of arrested individuals increases in an area, chances are the perception of security in the given place is also affected heavily; thus, criminal fear among the civilians is therefore increased (Skogan etal, p.224). According to the studies made, the increase of police powers is not even evident or justified to decrease the criminal rate; hence, such intervention possesses higher risk of possible ineffectiveness. Theories and Concepts Community Oriented Policing Problem solving and community partnership have become valued aspects of police service since the time of the reform era. True police professionalism must therefore incorporate the duty of servicing the community. Community policing can bridge the gap between police and citizens by uniting them in a common effort to prevent and control crime. Community policing is the collaboration between the police and the community that identifies and solves community problems. Ideally, such collaboration helps develop better relatio9nships and mutual understanding between police officers and community members, which in turn help in solving community problems (Glenn, 2003 p.93). It is not military-style policing with a central bureaucracy obedient to directive legislation, which minimizes discretion. It is not policing that is autonomous of policing consent and accountability. It is not policing that is committed primarily to reactive crime-fighting strategies or measured by output in terms of professional efficiency. Community policing is also essential because it is a key component of an export drive from the West in the development of new policing structures in transitional societies. In the United States, community oriented policing represents the dominant ideology of policing as reflected in a myriad of urban schemes, in funding practices, and in research publications (Brognen & Nijhar, 2005 p.1-2). Community policing works only if an area is flooded with police that would require hiring tremendous numbers of officers and huge amounts of spending for salaries other expenses. Critics also argue that community policing simply displaces crime to another area in which there are fewer police. However, community policing makes good political sense on a bipartisan basis and could help end the ideological battles over crime policies (Marion, 1994 p.226). Deterrence Theory Deterrence theorists portray humans as rational, pleasure-seeking, pain-avoiding creatures. This assumption leads to a relatively simple theory of crime: people will engage in criminal behavior when it brings them pleasure and carries little risk of pain. Deterrence theorists point out that punishment is most effective when it is swift, certain, and severe enough to outweigh the potential rewards of criminal behavior. The basis of deterrence theory-that formal punishment reduces criminal behavior-is very straightforward. Testing deterrence theory, however, is more complex. General deterrence is the proposition that increases in the certainty, severity, or swiftness of punishment produce decreases in criminal behavior for the population at large. The severity of punishment is relatively easy to measure. One could look, for example, at the average prison sentence for crimes in different jurisdictions. Studies on capital punishment, though, are by far the most common tests of this aspec t of deterrence theory (Vito etal, 2007 p.57). In some point of view, punishment based on deterrence or incapacitation is wrong because it involves an offender’s future actions, which cannot be accurately predicted. Punishment should be the same for all people who commit the same crime. Criminal sentences based on individual needs or characteristics are inherently unfair because all people are equally blameworthy of their misdeeds. Deterrence theory holds that if criminals are indeed rational, an inverse relationship should exist between punishment and crime. The certainty of punishment seems to deter crime. If people do not believe they will be caught, even harsh punishment may not deter crime. Deterrence theory has been criticized on the grounds that it wrongfully assumes that criminals make a rational choice before committing crimes, that it ignores the intricacies of the criminal justice system, and that it does not take into account the social and psychological factors that may influence criminality. The most evident disappointment for deterrence theory is the fact that the death penalty does not seem to reduce murders. There is little evidence that harsh punishment actually reduces the crime rate (Siegel, 2004 p.84). Hot Spot Theory Hot spot theory argues that predatory crime is associated with certain types of geographical areas, such that relatively few locations or hotspots are associated with a high percentage of crimes. Many of these hotspots exist in urban areas. Crimes against tourists are likely to cluster in these areas involving the concentration of tourism amenities and attractions, and therefore by implication, are likely to be higher in areas hosting special events. A transient population comprising local, domestic and international visitors increases the potential targets for crime and the individual anonymity for offenders. This is combined tendency for some tourists to decrease their safety consciousness on holiday, indulge in risk taking behavior and enter unfamiliar environment, which increases their exposure to criminal activity (Wilks & Page, 2003 p.198). Hot spot theory looks at locations, which provide convergent opportunities in which predatory crimes can possibly happen. These areas are described as crimogenic places where there are lots of bars, nightclubs and strip joints catering to tourists and providing ancillary services such as prostitution and drugs. Some of the crime these areas generate is of course victimless crime since tourists themselves often engage in deviant actions, such as drugs that have criminal consequences (Albuquerque & McElroy, n.d p.3).

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Cider with Rosie presentation

Cider with Rosie is a memoir of a childhood by Laurie Lee. He shares with us what it was like to grow up without a father, his relationships with his mother, sisters, friends, turning into a man, sexual awakening with Rosie, innocence and naivety and what it was like when he finally lost these characteristic that made him the sweet boy. In the first chapter Lee gives a three year olds perception and misconceptions: small in relation to objects around him, for example when he got lost in the grass, on the families' arrival to their new home, â€Å"I had never been so close to grass before. It towered above me and all around me, each blade tattooed with tiger-skins of sunlight†. The sense of adventure is communicated through Lee's use of metaphors and similes. Lee is showing childhood as quite a scary daunting time as well as a time when you have an extremely vivid and active imagination. Lee also portrays this time of his life as scary and daunting due to the fact it was also a daunting time for Great Britain during the war. One of Lee's major influences was that of his mother, a whole chapter is devoted to her. He had a warm and loving relationship with his mother. Lee trusted and admired her, when the stranger appeared in the kitchen Lee writes â€Å"but he was no tramp or he wouldn't be in the kitchen† and â€Å"he was a soldier, because mother said so†. This tells us how much influence his mother had over him. The security he felt from his mother was shown by her sharing a bed with him, as a young child making him feel special from the others and so secure. His mother was silent while his sisters told him he had to move into his brother's bed â€Å"for a bit† when he got older, he was promised that he would return later to her bed. He never did return to her bed, and he described this as the â€Å"first betrayal†. In return he says â€Å"I grew a little tougher, a little colder, and turned my attention more to the outside world, which was now emerging visibly through the mist†. When Lee says he grew a little tougher, to me, it sounds as if he thought that this betrayal of not been allowed to sleep in his mother's bed was the end of the world. I also get the impression by his statement that he is growing up and that he has realised that there are other things in life for him to explore. As the innocence and naivety wore off, Lee began to take an interest in the opposite sex, namely Jo, who was a classmate. She used to strip off her clothes and allow Lee to examine her body. The way Lee uses metaphors and described her body is in great detail; â€Å"Her body was pale and milk green on the grass, like a birch-leaf lying in the water, slightly curved like a leaf, smoother than candle skins†. I think this was just innocent curiosity on his behalf because in Lee's school days, sex education was not heard of and he had to understand how girls were different to boys. The chapter's title â€Å"First bite of the apple† is both a cheerful reference to Lee's first draught of Rosie's hard apple cider and his subsequent fall from innocence. I think his first sexual encounter was with Rosie who enticed him with Cider, his first taste and a new experience. He drank and became drunk. Afterwards he says â€Å"I felt like a giant; I swung from the trees and plunged my arms into nettles to show her†. This is the moment in Lee's life that he changes from a boy into a man. This encounter with Rosie was obviously a key theme in his childhood as why would he put this memory as the title. Was it because at this time in his life he finally became a man, signifying the end of his childhood? This is arguable. Laurie Lee has written about his childhood as he saw it because it is an autobiographical novel that describes his childhood and growing up of the nation. The book has a detailed account of a childhood that seemed filled full with fun, adventure and typical childhood mischief. I enjoyed this book because Lee's childhood was similar and different to mine in so many ways. Similar by the way of innocence, and being loved by my family unconditionally, having fun with friends (getting up to mischief) and different by the way of family structure, having two parents, a monthly income, order and tidiness in the house.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Research Proposal Example Worth noting is the fact that performance management systems help organizations with the predictions of performance expectations (Rashidi 2015, p. 213). Researchers have expressed their interests in understanding whether performance management systems have the capacity to boost employee performance. The study will seek to determine whether performance management systems have the potential to register improved performance of employees. Notably, all organizations seek to promote employee performance in an effort to maximize profitability. With the current emphasis on the need for all organizations to embrace performance management systems, it is important to determine whether a performance management system can really have a positive outcome of the performance of employees (Seiden & Sowa 2011, 250). As highlighted above, organizations need to ensure that employees register exemplary performance. Notably, the profitability and financial performance of an organization is directly related to employee performance and productivity. The introduction of Employee Performance Management Systems was in a bid to ensure that organizations have systems in place to plan, monitor, and review the performance of employees. Many researchers have linked performance management systems with the increased performance of employees as well as high levels of job satisfaction. Therefore, this study seeks to analyze the perception of supervisors and managers as well as the perception of the employees on the role of performance management systems in improving performance in an identified organization. According to Rashidi (2015, p. 211), implementing performance management systems has the potential to register positive outcomes on the performance of employees. Rashidi highlights that performance management systems help organizations to identify the specific roles that each employee should play towards the achievement of organizational

Friday, September 27, 2019

Human Resource Managment in Business Context Essay

Human Resource Managment in Business Context - Essay Example However, as companies design strategies, it has been found out that competitive advantages of companies are difficult to sustain and on average period, there is an observable decrease (Ruffigins & Ruefli 2005). In this regard, firms have to come up with strong strategies that will enable it to respond to the demands and challenges of the global business environment, while at the same time, keeping the company’s niche for longer period. In this situation, human resource management (HRM) plays a crucial role, since, HRM is â€Å"strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued assets – the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives† (Armstrong 2006, p. 3). This view offer the notion that HRM is no longer just concern with the traditional functions that are normally associated with HRM such as payroll, recruitment, pensions, benefits and other administrative concerns (Werbel & DeMarie 2005). Instead, it offers the framework wherein HRM activities and undertakings become strategic as it aligns its functions with the goals and endeavours of the organisation. From this framework, it becomes essential that HRM develop strategies that will not only align its activities with the goals and objectives of the company, but will also help the company develop programmes and policies responsive to the demands and challenges of the business environment and not reactive to crisis as it happens (Kew & Stredwick 2010). This is significant because, in this way, HRM becomes strategic and proactive. In effect, this approach of HRM undertakes a holistic view of HR in such a way that the business environment, organisation, theories and best practices become the fundamental elements in the determination of the appropriate activities, policies, procedures and programmes for the company. In this study, The Condition Understanding the condition involves looking at two i mportant factors – external environment and internal environment. This is necessary as organisations do not operate in a vacuum, but are integrated in the society and carrying out social interactions (Tencati & Zolsnai 2009). As such, the external environment of the company is essential in understanding the business environment or climate where the company is thriving. At the same time, the internal environment of the organisation is necessary, as it will help in understanding the context of the firm. Briefly, on the external environment, globalisation has transformed the manner in which countries conduct business transactions with one another. Through globalisation, trade barriers in the forms of taxes and trade tariffs have been removed or substantially reduced. This economic policy allow for a freer movement of goods, services, products, capital and people across nations and between physical boundaries (Coatsworth 2004; Suarez-Orozco & Qin-Hillard 2004; Stiglitz 2009; Bala krishnan 2008). Moreover, another factor, which has changed the manner of doing business, is the rapid development in information and computer technology (ICT). This change has created the platform wherein knowledge and information have become an integral part of doing business, aside from the fact, that faster and newer forms of conducting business have been established in view of this development (Chi 2011). Finally, the last important factor

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Describe Joe leap horn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Describe Joe leap horn - Essay Example Thatcher came to Joe’s aid by seeking his help in investigating a heinous crime. Joe agrees to live the house and accompany Thatcher for the investigation. The chapter presents Joe Leaphorn as a complex character who accommodates the Navajo traditions and the western thinking. Joe studied at assimilationist schools where he specialized in cultural anthropology though he did not like it (Hillerman 68). He dropped his academic pursuit and joined Navajo Tribal Police to be close to his wife, Emma. He lacked a deep connection with Anasazi culture and adopted the western way of thinking. However, he respected the Navajo rituals and the society had immense respect for him. Apparently, the balance between respect for traditions and modernity depicts Joe as a fascinating character. The chapter presents Joe as an intuitive and dedicated cop who knew the terrain very well thus becoming significant in criminal investigations. Indeed, the chapter ends by showing how Joe Leap Horn succeede d in unearthing the mystery behind the Houk

Marketing channels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing channels - Essay Example As a result the retailers no longer have to pay the transportation price to the suppliers and the retailers get the products in a much lesser rate. Due to the irregularity in the distribution networks and the better inventory and transport coordination mechanisms in FGP, it is likely to result in high savings both for retailers and ultimately the consumer. FGP is about improving transport efficiencies by understanding the true costs. For example, suppliers who are highly skilled and cost efficient at providing transport solutions will continue to provide this service to the retailer. Whereas suppliers who do not see transport as their core competency, or do not have highly efficient operations, have an opportunity, through FGP, to transfer the responsibility to the retailer or logistics provider. Improved Availability: FGP has increased retailer/supplier collaboration which has a positive affect on the whole supply chain. The major aim of FGP is to ensure that more products are available on shelf for consumers. The promising future of FGP has already been demonstrated in the UK where leading retailers such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s have implemented FGP for a part of their product range. Other British retailers such as Asda, Somerfield, Safeway, and Waitrose have announced plans for FGP (IGD website, Finegan 2002). Potter et al. (2003) report significant potential kilometer reductions due to FGP for the case of Tesco. Interviews with Dutch retailers indicate that they have high expectations for FGP as well (Blanc, et al., 2004). Environmental pollution due to vehicles is a major cause of concern around the world. FGP has resulted in limiting the transportation activities in an organized manner. Higher vehicle load fills leads to fewer journeys which, coupled with increasingly sophisticated route planning systems, results in lower overall emissions (IGD, 2004). CPFR is a business practice wherein trading partners use

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Second Life Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Second Life - Research Paper Example On the other hand this application cannot be separated from the lives of individuals because it has proved to play an essential part in people’s lives. Any person who is not aware or is not using the application should reconsider his or her or her priorities in social life. Many companies are using this application to conduct a variety of activities ranging from internal communication, conducting meetings, product testing, corporate communication among others. It presents the companies with an added advantage as they are able to conduct various activities using this application in a cost effective manner. Meetings are easily conducted with people in various regions; products are easily tested before they are released to the mass market to assess the impact they will have on the target consumers. An organization is also able to publicize its activities not only to the people in the region where it exists but also to many other people from different parts of the world. Individua ls using second life live a very different and interesting life as compared to others who are not using it. They learn entrepreneurial skills through the various business activities that are available on second life. Secondly people are able to socialize and get to know each other in the virtual world. Instead of having friends within the same regions individuals can extend their network of friends and enjoy themselves in the various islands that are available on second life. Another important thing about this application is its use is therapy especially treating people with certain disorders or those who have been abused. It is evident from the above points that second life is an important application that has changed the way people and organizations conduct their activities, ranging from communications, product testing, meetings and PR activities to socializing and entrepreneurial activities. This is done without incurring any costs for any of the parties involved. They can use th e application to conduct their activities whenever they are whether for organizational or personal benefit. It can thus be concluded that second life actually plays an integral part in organizations and in peoples’ lives. It is an application that is essential for everyday activities and helps people and organizations in doing a variety of things that would actually not have been possible in the real world. 1. SECOND LIFE Second life as popularly known is the largest 3D online virtual world that was developed by Phillip linden of the Linden Laboratories in San Francisco in the United States of America1. It has tens of millions of Square meters of land considered virtual and more than thirteen million numbers of registered members or users also called residents and a very active economy2. It was launched in 2003 by the Linden Laboratories and has changed many aspects of the virtual world industry. Since it was launched way back in 2003 its developers have continued to improve on many aspects of its functionality adding features such as the VoIP that allows various users to speak to one another in the virtual world3. They have also improved on features such as environmental features that imitate the real environment for example the flowing water, wind and tree movements. Figure 1. Number of user hours from 2009- 2011 on second life Year 2009 2010 2010 2010 2010 2011 Months (Quarterly) Oct- Dec Jan- March April-June July-Sept Oct-Dec Jan-March User hours In millions 113 116 109 105 105 104 Source: http://www.metaversejournal.com/2011/05/12/first-quarter-2011-results-for-second-life-steady-sailing/

Monday, September 23, 2019

The Mental and Physical Effects on Incarcerated Children and Their Research Proposal

The Mental and Physical Effects on Incarcerated Children and Their Parents - Research Proposal Example The researcher intends to carry out a qualitative research on the mental and physical effects on incarcerated children and their parents. In this regard, the proposal includes specific aims and objectives of the proposed research that focus on the recognition of different effects of incarceration on children, as well as their parents globally, specifically in context of the United States. The proposal includes brief literature review relating different existing perspectives on the impact of child incarceration. The researcher will be utilizing secondary research methodology as basis of the proposed research while benefiting from primary research method to validate analysis of secondary method. It is anticipation of the researcher to complete the study in a period of nineteen weeks. Introduction The number of youth offenders in the United States has risen greatly in the last few decades, which in turn has been extremely detrimental to the lives of these youth’s families. There is no doubt that a person who breaks the law deserves punishment, as the only fair solution. However, research shows that child imprisonment is not an effective punishment for these juvenile delinquents, and does not decrease the incidence of youth crime. Instead, historical data indicates that this youth crime rate has actually risen as the rate of youth imprisonment increased. Thus, the proposed research aims to analyze several dimensions of youth incarceration, focusing on how it affects both the children and their parents.... While authorities work tirelessly on finding an alternative and effective ways of preventing these youths from this dangerous downfall, it seems that only the strategy of youth imprisonment is actually applicable in real life, despite its negative effects. Research Statement In this manner, the researcher will focus on the following research statement to acquire the aims and objectives of the proposed research: â€Å"To identify and analyze the mental and physical effects on incarcerated children and their parents† Objectives This research has several objectives, which the researcher finds essential to the purpose of this topic. First, the researcher aims to delve into the numerous mental and physical effects that youth imprisonment has on children, and the effect of the same on the parents of these children. The propose research also aims to conduct further analysis on the long term impacts this incarceration will have on the lives of these children in the parents in the futu re. Finally, the study also plans to study whether the mental and physical effects of youth imprisonment yields an overall positive outcome or not. Significance This topic holds major significance across the globe, as one can come across thousands of families that would have affected by this problem. The findings of this study will also be successful in directing the government to designing more effective and beneficial strategies to deal with youth crime, in the US as well as the rest of the world. Literature Review Brief analysis of the literature (Pattillo, 2006) has indicated that incarcerated children and their parents confront huge number of difficulties. Many have undergone the shock of unexpected separation from their only caregiver, and

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Using appropriate theories, discuss the concept and practice of Essay

Using appropriate theories, discuss the concept and practice of ethical, social and environmental accounting and reporting - Essay Example When the business organization makes commitment to business ethics and complies with the business accounting policies, it is said that the organization is following the concepts of ethical accounting concepts and policies (Keen, n.d.). The ethical accounting is done by an â€Å"ethicist†. An ethicist has earned a doctorate degree in the field of scientific discipline or philosophy. They know the intricacies of business through studies in business ethics. The ethicist provides a non accounting perspective while an accountant provides financial perspective (Keen, n.d.). They help in ascertaining whether the business organization is complying with the ethics and business standards of the company. Most companies have established mission statement but not ethical standards. An ethicist helps in drafting and implementation of ethical codes. The management has to make sure that the employees follow the ethical standard and codes. Majority of the companies are enforcing their own ethical standards. Violation of these ethical standards leads to serious consequences for the employees (Keen, n.d.). In the United States of America, the Ministry of Finance makes strong attempts to help investors receive full disclosure of information with respect to the security issues (The International Accounting Standards Board, 2008). Restrictions have been imposed by the Japanese Ministry of Finance (securities markets are regulated by the Japanese Government) to prohibit insider trading in banks. The Japanese firms are allowed to register for public bonds (The International Accounting Standards Board, 2008). Germany has less stringent laws related to disclosure of information. Weak accounting regulations have weakened the policies related to the disclosure of information. Earlier, the laws did not even prohibit insider trading but now they are thinking of incorporating strict regulations related to insider trading (The International Accounting Standards Board,

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Todays Technology Essay Example for Free

Todays Technology Essay Innovation and creativity, these are the benchmarks that pave the way in producing new ideas in technology. The common notion with regard to technology always goes both ways; it is either beneficial or it is detrimental. As time moves on, technology has been constantly evolving towards the future but despite these, technology has harmed our very society. Although the modern day technology has far exceeded the expectations of humanity, it still does not discount the fact that technology has produced more harm than good in society. Most people often talk about the wonders and advantages of the internet. Some even state that the internet is a place of solitude where one can escape the hazards of reality. Moreover, the internet brings about tons of romance. It is actually now common for couples to meet in the internet. The internet lets people nourish their relationships through chat rooms, email, news groups and web pages. However, news of abuses, blackmails and money-making schemes have been rampant is such places. As romantic as these places can be, they are also quite dangerous. On an average, increases in depression are about one percent for every hour spent on line per week. Furthermore, online activity resulted in increased loneliness as well (Stoll 270). The internet is a social technology used for communication, yet it results in the declining social involvement and psychological well-being of a person. In a modern home, it is sad to say that working parents spend a total of six to eight minutes a day talking with their children. Some of these parents have high tech jobs and they are willing to be on call the entire twenty-fours of the day. Thus, what is left in their homes is usually   an empty house and of course, the television. Children normally watch television in their bedrooms. In most cases, parents have no idea what their children are watching or doing. Truth be told, some children fail elementary school because parents use televisions as babysitters. People use the internet as a means to keep in touch through email. Aside from this, new friendships blossom in online interest groups. The downside of this is that we lose our real friends to online friends. Online friends cannot help us with neighborly favors such as small loans, babysitting, help with shopping, or advice about jobs and careers. Moreover, the internet has contributed to the significant declines in social involvement within the family. Email, telephones, and faxes all prevent or lessen our basic skills of interacting with people face to face. Those that deal with the computer everyday do not have the slightest idea on the basic social rules of conversation. They will not learn how to properly barge into conversations or how to express one’s self to another. It will be frightening for them to speak to in front of a live audience. Nor will they understand when or why to be silent. Children usually come home from school and their parents let them play video games daily. Usually these children develop a low self-esteem. They become shy and awkward around people. Usually they are actually uncomfortable around other children and they feel that they even do not belong to school. But the most concerning thing about the video games is the violent influence it gives to the children. Technology has developed robots that have taken over jobs in most modern day factories and industries. There are even robot vacuum cleaners that take the exercise out of people doing daily chores. It is even quite hilarious to see in some schools where they have computers teaching in classes rather than a teacher himself or herself. Even the simple joy of shopping with the entire family is robbed from every home because of Ebay and other online producers. Today’s techology possesses and presents an unwanted negative side to the world.   The time that a person may have spent talking with another or playing tennis is wasted sitting behind the monitor of a computer. Take the time to visit your family and spend quality time with your children. As what has been said earlier, although today’s technology is now far more advanced, it has done more harm than good to society.

Friday, September 20, 2019

How Apple Incs Strategy Is Affected After Globalization Economics Essay

How Apple Incs Strategy Is Affected After Globalization Economics Essay In this twenty first century, globalisation has an impact in every economy. World of today is considered to be united as a bunch countries with no boundaries. Raw materials from different countries are being processed in another country to manufacture goods products are being marketed in another country. It is the modern concept of the globalisation. A company goes international for so many reasons like, small domestic market, adverse government policy in home country, high demand of the product in foreign market etc. FDI across the globe had a fixed upswing with a sharp growth in the second quarter of 2008. Even it was not affected so much by financial crisis during recession in 2008. FDI is mainly originated from the advanced economy like USA.[ Peter Dicken] In this essay we have chosen famous electronic gadget manufacturer APPLE as our company, which is mainly based in USA, has expanded its production unit in EUROPE and ASIA. It is manly famous for introduction of a new age in mobile phone industry by brining iPHONE MACBOOK in pc section. Recently they have launched iPAD in the market which turn to be a great success. How their strategy has been affected when they go global by the main three factors (1.Technology.2.geography.3.goverment policies ) has been described below. TECHNOLOGY: For a product to become more acceptable by quality, implied technology of production plays an important role. Foreign direct investment prospects can be propelled to a new level if the quality of production can be retained in a cost effective manner. Hence, investment opportunity of a country is significantly influenced by its internal development, technology and growth. These intrinsic developments are always in the lamplight of MNCs and are effectively made use by them. Apple has met its investment prospects in China as this country maintains the unique work quality in assembling the inputs for final production. As a part of corporate global strategy, company has given outsourcing more importance at the same time imparting mandate high control over product integrity. When apple produce iPods in China, it is not produced in a factory owned by Apple. It is been contracted with third party to produce IPods with the specifications Apple provides. Moreover from outsourcing, Apple is sourcing quality products for assemblage from foreign countries and some even from China itself by fragmenting its supply chain very effectively. The standard of factors of production is set to meet the requirements set by Apple Inc. If the company is not successful in monitoring the strategy which is being implemented in a country, it will eventually destroy companys reputation. The subtle implementation of internationalisation strategy is been spawned in such a way that Apple products are leveraged to its maximum utility. For leveraging the products to its maximum levels, sophisticated research and development is being carried out through international investments and intrinsic ground-breaking technologies. Trade theory gives light by how much proportions the various factors of inputs needed at each stage of a production process, together with various inputs at comparative costs, influencing the investment proposal. As technology is one of the important input of production, while framing up an international strategy it has to be dealt well while investing in a foreign country. The comparative cost of the technology brought forth for production is very significant as it contributes to the international pricing strategy. The quality technology which is been generated in China holds cost advantage when it is compared to the same technology implemented in US. Advanced technology is pioneer to production of any innovative products but this technology has to be accessed in a cost effective manner to produce competitively priced product. Skilled labour is another requisite which should be considered in quality production. High cost of labour in United States of America can be a down beating fa ctor in home country which can be eliminated through foreign direct investment. Hence, advantage is been derived in the host country in terms of technology implementation through skilled labour force at low cost. Apple Incs business establishment in China is a subtle example for their tactical part in internationalisation strategy. GEOGRAPHY: The geographical dispersion means that companys activities are not concentrated to a single country rather it is dispersed between different countries. The production in foreign country can be commenced in two ways namely Merges acquisition and Greenfield investment. Greenfield investment means setting up a new plant and physical assets in the foreign country whereas Merges acquisition means merging with a foreign firm or buying existing assets in a foreign country. The cost of geographical dispersion can be of three types which is firm level, plant level and the economies of integration foregone. Almost 54% companys geographical market place is situated in United States. Final assembly of companys product is mainly done in Ireland by external vendors in California, Texas, China, Korea, etc. Manufacturing supply of many critical components is executed by sole sourced third party vendors from Taiwan, Germany, US, Germany, Korea, Netherlands etc. But main assembly part is done in China by sole sourced third party vendors. That means its production input has been divided into sub category situated in different countries. So it is an example of centralized vertical Foreign Direct investment by apple where its headquartering is situated in US. The benefit of geographical dispersion for the company is that, it is able to reduce the cost of primary input as the price for inputs varies in different locations. It also helps the company to lower operating cost and reduces the companys direct control over the production and distribution. This also helps in lowering the trade cost and enables it to capture the markets. For example, the investment decision to manufacture the products from China helps the company to have a better control over the Asian markets. Also the cost incurred in exporting the products from United States to Asian market is much lower when it is from China. The firm also enjoys economies of scale as the cost of production is less due the dispersion and the company is able to employ skilled and cheap labor. In spite of its benefits, its uncertain what negative effects will this have on the company. The diminished operational control may have an effect on the quality of the products or services or its flexibility to respond to changes. This may adversely affect the reputation of the company. Another problem is that, if the manufacturing or providing logistical services in the other country is disturbed for any causes like natural disaster, war, political issues, public health, failure in information technology system, financial crises may materially affect the companys financial condition and operation. GOVERNMENT POLICIES: The vertical foreign direct investment strategy of Apple is advantageously and manifestly framed up by the influence of political environment or trade policies that operate within the country. The supply chain is fragmented and for assemblage, the Apples input commodities are sourced from special enterprise zones of China where much of import duties and taxes are waived. The government trade policy influences the intricate supply chain management and outsourcing of the company. Apple being an American multinational propels a strategy that insulates itself from foreign exchange risks. The price the company has to pay for a specific input item in a specific country is influenced by the exchange rates of currencies at the time. The company exhibits a pattern of a good net receiver of currencies except the American dollar. As the US dollars gains strength, it will negatively affect the Apples net sales and gross margin articulated in American dollars. Financial innovations are spawned by the international financial flows. The financial innovations are greatly influenced by the monetary and fiscal policy of a government. This level of influence determines the stability of economic performance. As US government tends to maintain very low interest rates to support the demand for housing and promoting the revival of building industry, international capital flows are possible. It may result in more capital outflows and a weaker dollar. An immediate effect can be not iced in the US output as a result of more US exports. Thus for Apple, weaker dollar gives more euro earning and allows it to state an elevated profit rate to it stakeholders. [Linden 2008] Many financial innovations are spawned out from the introduction of capital flows. There is an economic significance of international financial instruments like forwards or options when Apple deals with it. July 2008 Company reports stated that the Apple inc was willing to enter into forward and option dealings of foreign currencies. This also included some strategically committed transactions, the investment company possessed in foreign subsidiaries, forecasted future cash flows etc. Evidently, practice of the company was to hedge a large number of its material foreign exchange exposures for some months. [Apple inc, 2008] The progression of this model imparts light into the strategy framed up by Apple in tackling the effect of rising prices too. A developing country like China has remarkable success in controlling the inflation. Apple has a peculiar stake in China where country exhibits success in managing its economy from extreme pressures and creating higher inflation rates. Chinese central bank put forward a straight policy in framing up the exchange rates. Till July 2005, the policy upheld was to fix the rate it levied to exchange Chinese currencies for American dollars. In this context, Apple could assertively forecast the exchange rates weeks in advance. [Apple inc, 2005] Apple endeavours to do outsourcing in the country where there is minimal legal regulations as they can maximise their profits. As the operations are mainly concentrated in China, Apple Company has got relaxation from heavy tax burdens. Vertical specialisation with internalisation keeps the production cost low at the same time company benefits from low trade cost. The company is getting more and more innovative by research and development. Proper caution is taken as the economy breeds the risk of a global financial downturn that could have disastrous effect in their business. At last , after analysing the all the factors that affects companys internationalisation foreign direct investment we can conclude Apple is truly globalised . That means it has stretched its corporate arms in such a way that we can say that for Apple the difference across countries does not matter. They have fragmented their production parts across countries sell its products all most around the world just to take the benefit of the internationalisation globalised concept. Their main strategy is to take advantage from different counties favourable condition that helps their business to gain more revenue using economics of scale. As we have discussed the main reason of their expansion of business in China are cheap labour costs, higher productivity of Chinese labour output huge demand of Asian market. They also want to take benefit from the exchange rate investment friendly government policy. It is proved from their establishment of unit in China Ireland. Their well organized gl obalised business strategy has helped them to spread their products world wide almost in every country, which is much more appreciated from the point of view of internationalisation of a company. In every of their business strategy the concept of true globalised company can be visualised.[ Peter Dicken]

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Celtic Culture and the Arts Essay -- Celtic Traditions Cultural Artist

Celtic Culture and the Arts The legacy the Celts and their culture have bestowed upon the face of civilization is powerful and enduring. With their rich and intriguing history, and their complex and beautiful beliefs, they have been a great influence in many aspects of present day life, from their art and innovations, to deeply rooted traditions modern humanity still continues to preserve. It is through the examination of the Celtic culture as a whole, from their origins, tool usage and inventions, social systems, judicial systems, to their intricate spiritual beliefs that one is able to draw a strong sense of unity and connection to these mysterious people from whom most every Indo-European descendant draws their ancestry. The Celts were a people unsurpassed in their skill and endurance as a culture, and even now, at the dawning of the new millennia, their influence and inspiration continues to be felt. The Celts are thought to have originated in the area of what is now Central Europe, primarily east of the Rhine River, such as southern Germany, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, or even so far as the Volga Steppes in western Russia at about 2000 BC (Pennick, 1997). These inhabitants were called the Beaker People, named for their tradition of burying pottery and various artifacts with their dead (Blundell, 1996). By the twelve century BC, they had expanded across the continent until they dominated most of central, western and northwestern Europe. There their culture flourished as they began to settle into an increasing agricultural lifestyle, gradually becoming less nomadic, and dependent of hunting and gathering as a primary means of survival. This is what is widely regarded as the Urnfield culture. The Urnfielders, with their name derived from their practice of cremating their dead, are now thought to be the immediate ancestors of the Celts as they had similar social and societal structures. It has even been suggested that the Urnfielders spoke an early form of Celtic language. The Celts emerged from this lineage at some point between 1200 to 700 BC. The traditional Celts were a result of a mixture of many bloodlines from cultures during that period, ultimately arising from the interbreeding and mingling of of a variety of existing cultures and spiritual practices, eventually developing into the Celtic culture a... ...int, or to ward off the mischievous â€Å"faery folk† or the little people. There still remains an order of Druids, a select group of neo-pagan priests who are dedicated to the preservation of the ancient belief system of their ancestors, the Celts. With more pagan traditions emerging today from former Celtic traditions, such as that of Wicca and Druidry, the world, or so it seems, has never been more fascinated with the Celts. But, like anything else that has the power of endurance, the Celts as a people have changed in every aspect of their lives to adapt with the pressures facing them, and thus, despite the resurgence of Celtic spiritualists, the original beliefs as the Celts once held them are now essentially lost, and will for the most part, remain forever unknown. Bibliography Blundell, Nigel 1999 Ancient England. Prospero Books, London. Eddy, Steve 1999 Timeless Wisdom of the Celts. Hodder and Stoughton Publishing, London. Lavin, Patrick 1999 The Celtic World. Hippocrene Books Inc., New York. Pennick, Nigel 1997 The Sacred World of the Celts. Inner Traditions International, Rochester. Piggot, Stuart 1996 The Druids. Thames and Hudson, London.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Preventing Alcoholism Essay -- Public Health

Introduction Alcoholism affects all elements of health. Overuse of alcohol affects physical health as it affects the functioning of the liver; mental health as it affects the ability to think clearly and coherently; emotional health as it affects the ability to recognise and express emotions correctly. Social health is affected as alcohol may affect a person’s ability to create and maintain relationships, finally and most importantly it affects societal health as the individual's actions can have an adverse affect on everyone around them. Alcohol related injuries and diseases are the cause of 207, 800 National Health Service (NHS) admissions in 2006 compared to 93, 500 in 1996. ¹ This increase of more than 100% justifies my health promotion topic. Health promotion to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed by the general public could lead to less people admitted to hospital because of falls due to drunkenness, increased liver health, decreases in the number of cases of coronary heart disease, liver disease, hypertension, STIs and unplanned pregnancy. ²,  ³ The locations chosen were the Accident and Emergency Unit in Bradford Royal Infirmary and a local GP. I chose these locations as I felt they were relevant to the promotion of reducing alcohol consumption. If a person fell or was involved in violence while intoxicated, presumably the friends and relatives of potential patients would be in the accident and emergency unit while waiting for their loved one to be treated. They may pick the leaflet up and recognise the quiz involved relates to their loved one and urge them to get help or at least enquire with one of the local help groups. The other leaflet was taken from the local health centre, people who are attending would pr... ...hold a health fair with stalls providing people with information on the adverse affects of drinking, for example a stall taking pictures of people's faces and then showing the ageing effects binge drinking has on their appearance. Works Cited 1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7414322.stm Accessed on 04/12/2010 2. http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassetts/documents/digitalasset/dh_104854.pdf Accessed on 06/12/2010 3. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/Effectsofalcohol.aspx Accessed on 01/12/2010 4. http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/new_strategic_direction_for_alcohol_and_drugs_(2006-2011).pdf Accessed on 07/12/2010 5. http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_079327.pdf Accessed on 07/12/2010 6. http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/112896/E93197.pdf Accessed on 07/12/2010

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Sensual Meditation in the world today. :: essays research papers

Happiness is our natural state Humans were designed to be happy, creative and in harmony with the universe at all times. Just like a flower which automatically thrives and blossoms given the right conditions, so does human happiness and consciousness. If the conditions are right, everyone would be in a permanent state of natural ecstasy, living in the here-and-now. Fear switches off higher consciousness and turns us into obedient malleable citizens But we are not quite in such a paradise yet, unfortunately the world is only just emerging from millennia's of bigotry, state brutality, religious and paramilitary intolerance, famine, disease and pain, where our fragile existence could at any moment be destroyed by the ravages of invading hoards, or the sadistic whims of greedy landlords, ignoble dictators and corrupt governments. All this pain numbs our senses, generation after generation, and forces our mind and body to remain in a sort of biological emergency mode just for survival. In order to escape from possible danger, the brain has to mobilise all its forces to fight or flee, which for the sake of energy management, switches off the higher centers of consciousness, and leaves us in a state of anxious numbness. If the state of fear is prolonged, this turns to despair or frustration, which lead to increased aggression, be it directed towards oneself as in suicide, or towards others as in public violence. This does not justify terrorism, but it does illustrate that the solution for such desperate acts of violence is not to respond with knee-jerk declarations of war and bully people into submission through organised brutality, but rather to remove the root causes of suffering by providing love and hope. Don't be fooled by the jingoistic calls to fight by anyone, not only because fighting is part of the problem, but also because this call to arms is always a cynical means for a corrupt authority to maintain its dominance. By carefully cultivating an atmosphere of fear, they are maintaining your brain in a constant state of mental emergency, which very conveniently switches off your higher brain centers and makes you more malleable to their suggestions. Wake up! Don't let yourself be taken in. Governments and religious institutions don't have your interest at heart, they are just fronts to make money and maintain power, the puppets of economic giants acting behind the scenes. They lie behind their smiles and benedictions before the elections but behind your back they are laughing all the way to the bank.

New grading policy

In the present paper, I would like to provide my arguments against the new grading policy, whose nature is random selection of grades. In fact, there are two points of its fallibility: the fact that it actually measures students’ luck rather than their true achievements and that it destroys the entire purpose of education as the process of gaining knowledge and skills. First of all, it is necessary to define the term â€Å"grading†. According to the Educational Policies Committee, grading is â€Å"the main symbolic method of recording the evaluation of a student’s academic performance† (Educational Policies Committee, 1991). Evaluation, in turn, can be defined as assessment of the value of individual achievements, according to the existing educational standards. Education, according to Fuhrmann and Grasha (1983), is â€Å"the development of knowledge, skills and character of students through continuous motivation† (Fuhrmann and Grasha, 1983, p.156). As one can understand, the new grading policy does not set up the interrelation between the student’s academic attainments and performance and the symbolic mark, letter or figure. Those learners whose achievements are poorer have an opportunity to receive higher grades through random selection method, whereas more successful and hard-working students might fail in terms of grade. Consequently, one can sum up that the new policy actually measures the person’s luck, as the grade does not depend upon their efforts, skills or abilities. Furthermore, given the definition of education, it is possible to assume that the new grading policy contradicts to the purpose of college or university studies. This principle of grading does not motivate students to develop the necessary knowledge and skills, as their performance is not appropriately evaluated, i.e. the truth about the value of achievement is distorted. Therefore, students, being aware of the fact that the true information about their attainment will not be provided, are unlikely to work on their academic performance and lose the willingness to succeed. To sum up, a positive appraisal of one’s achievements is amongst the major incentives in the education system. The learners thus are unlikely to become true professionals after this motivator is eliminated with the introduction of the new grading policy. Works cited Educational Policies Committee. Responsibility for Grading and Grading Policy. 4 Apr 1991, < http://www.usu.edu/policies/pdf/Grading-Responsibility.pdf> Fuhrmann, B. and Grasha, A. A Practical Handbook for College Teachers. Boston: Little Brown, 1993.      

Monday, September 16, 2019

How parents most influence behavior Essay

How did your parents most influence your behavior growing up? Was it through classical conditioning? What about operant conditioning and social learning theory? Which theory had the biggest impact? Why? Give an example and state how it has impacted the person you are today. Make sure to briefly define what the type of conditioning is and cite the text (unless you invented: Classical, Operant or Social Learning theory). Try to use the terms the textbook authors use. If someone does not use a term or uses it incorrectly, feel free to tactfully correct them (they will need to know these terms for the upcoming Online Quizzes) (1st post) Classical conditioning is learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus becomes paired with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response (Carpenter &Huffman, 2010, p. 144). Operant conditioning is learning in which voluntary responses are controlled by their consequences (Carpenter & Huffman, 2010, p. 49). My parents influenced me best by operant conditioning. When I did well and work hard on something they used reinforcement; a consequence that strengthens a response and makes it more likely to recur (Carpenter & Huffman, 2010, p. 149) to encourage me to keep doing well. When I did something I wasn’t supposed to do or just straight out misbehaved they used punishment; a consequence that weakens a response and makes it less likely to recur (Carpenter & Huffman, 2010, p. 49) to get me to act right and do what I was supposed to do. (2nd Q) Give the text definition of what â€Å"negative reinforcement† is in Operant conditioning (cite the textbook APA style). Differentiate it from punishment. If you can, give an example of negative reinforcement in your own life. (Hint: most people don’t have a clue of what negative reinforcement is). Feel free to correct students who make cognitive errors in a response post where you correct them and cite the correct text passage to back you up). I will be lurking in the background to keep everyone on track (2nd post) Negative reinforcement takes away (–) and strengthens behavior (Carpenter & Huffman, 2010, p. 150). Negative punishment is the taking away (–) of a reinforcing stimulus, which decreases (or weakens) the likelihood of the response occurring again behavior (Carpenter & Huffman, 2010, p. 153). The two concepts are actually completely opposite. Reinforcement (either positive or negative) strengthens a behavior, where as punishment weakens a behavior (Carpenter & Huffman, 2010, p. 152). The best example I can think of how my parents used negative reinforcement on me was if I made all A’s on my report card I didn’t have to do my chores for a week. (3rd post) This video explains difference between operant conditioning & observational learning. This video give a good definition in the difference of the two and better understand them.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Music; the Savior of Life

Jacob Cheslock Ms. Smith World Literature, Hour 6 30 November 2012 Music: The Savior of Life One good thing about music, when it hits you, you have no pain—â€Å"Bob Marley. † No matter what kind of music you listen to, there seems to be something about it that soothes, calms, or sparks the creative side of the mind. Ishmael Beah, a victim child of war, is very connected to music, using it to lose himself in it, forget about the war, and focus again on life just as many of us, including myself, do when life gets tough.Beah, like many of the children in his generation, is very connected to the rap genre of music but for reasons other than because it is what is popular around him. Beah and his friends are first influenced by rap music when they see it on television at a neighboring village of Mobimbi. They are amazed at how good the black people could speak English so fast and to the beat of the music. This ends up becoming a way of life for the boys as they form their ow n dance team and end up carrying notebooks and cassettes with the music of their favorite artists to always work on music together.They use this to express themselves and who they really are. After the war Beah ends up in a rehabilitation center called the Benin Home. The rehab process is a very long, hard, and painful process for not only Beah, but as well as all of the boys affected by this war. Beah however ends up finding his true self through the use of his music. It helps him to focus his mind and heal up from the damages of war. Thinking about the lyrics helps him to avoid the flashbacks and bad memories of the war, while opening up to the possibilities of life again.Beah has had a super touch life, especially being a child and music for him seems to be not only a tool to help him, but something that he needs. He explains what it feels like to be one of the victims of war, which is what the music was used to cure, in this quote by him in his book â€Å"A Long Way Gone† , â€Å"One of the unsettling thing about my journey, mentally, physically, and emotionally was that I wasn’t sure when or where it was going to end. I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life. I felt that I was starting over and over again† (Beah 69).This is the main reason why music becomes such an important aspect in Ismael Beah’s life just as it has become in my own. Music for me has always been something that I loved. It has helped me through many times where I felt alone or when something was making life tough. I also music because by writing my own songs and lyrics it is a good way for me to express myself and who I really am. Whether I am listening to, playing, or writing music it seems like it flows through me like the blood in my veins. It can determine my mood or influence the mood I am in.Music always makes me feel like I have a place in this world even when nothing else can and sometimes when no one else will†¦it is my best friend . Music lives within me, around me, and is what I can always fall back on. Being a child victim of war, Ishmael Beah connects himself to music to help cure himself to the damages of war and to help him focus on returning to a normal life, as I have even done a few times. Music is an aspect of life that anyone can use to get through life†¦no matter what has happened in your life, even if you have been to end and back. â€Å"Music IS the ultimate savior and friend of life. †Ã¢â‚¬â€Jake â€Å"ChEz†

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Listen to the Music

18. Listen to the music, partner: Delivering an ultimatum to a business associate. You’re a marketing manager for Stanton, one of the premier suppliers of DJ equipment (turntables, amplifiers, speakers, mixers, and related accessories). Your company’s latest creation, the FinalScratch system, has been flying off retailers’ shelves. Both professional and amateur DJs love the way that FinalScratch gives them the feel of working with vinyl records by letting them control digital music files from any analog turntable or CD player while giving them access to the endless possibilities of digital music technology. For more information about the product, go to www. stantondj. com. ) Sales are strong everywhere except in Music99 stores, a retail chain in the Mid-Atlantic region. You suspect the cause: The owners of this chain refused to let their salespeople attend the free product training you offered when FinalScratch was introduced, claiming their people were smart eno ugh to train themselves. To explore the situation, you head out from Stanton headquarters in Hollywood, Florida, on an undercover shopping mission. After visiting a few Music99 locations, you’re appalled by what you see.The salespeople in these stores clearly don’t understand the FinalScratch concept, so they either give potential customers bad information about it or steer them to products from your competitors. No wonder sales are so bad at this chain. Your task: You’re tempted to pull your products out of this chain immediately, but you know how difficult and expensive it is to recruit new retailers in this market. However, this situation can’t go on; you’re losing thousands of dollars of potential business every week.Write a letter to Jackson Fletcher, the CEO of Music99 (14014 Preston Pike, Dover, DE 19901), expressing your disappointment in what you observed and explaining that the Music99 sales staff will need to agree to attend product trai ning or else your company’s management team will consider terminating the business relationship. You’ve met Mr. Fletcher in person once and talked to him on the phone several times, and you know him well enough to know that he will not be pleased by this ultimatum. Music99 does a good job selling other Stanton products—and he’ll probably be furious to learn that you were â€Å"spying† on his sales staff. 43

Friday, September 13, 2019

Religious Aspects of Social Location Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Religious Aspects of Social Location - Essay Example From very small things like always telling the truth to huge societal obligations like respecting women, learning, rules of living in society, and treating even my enemies well, my religious learning has shaped every aspect of my life. Offering my prayers five times a day made me humble, disciplined, and made me believe in my blessings. It has strengthened my belief in a superior power and made me a positive thinker at even the oddest hour. I abstain from bad habits, such as illegal relationship, liquor, fights, backbiting, conspiring just because Islam taught me so. I am interested in getting myself educated and travelled to America because my religion asked every one including women, children, and men to get educated even if we have to travel for longer periods. I offer prayer five times a day in any mosque with other Muslims and Imam. If there is no mosque nearby, I offer it alone on a clean surface. Every year, in the month of Ramadan, I observe fast for a month which is followed by Eid-ul-fitar. It is followed by another religious practice called sacrifice of animals on Eid-ul-adha; I practice this tradition with my family. My family gives alms to poor; it is a certain amount on our money which is given as charity. I have also performed Hajj and Umrah.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Platos Aristocracy and Tyranny Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Platos Aristocracy and Tyranny - Term Paper Example Aristocracy generally refers to a form of government that belongs to combined nobility, hereditary ruling, landed gentry, and a superior group which often thought to be ruled by the best. 1 In the context of The Republic, the ideal state itself Plato called is "aristocracy" (aristos, "best," and krateà ®n, "to rule"), ruled by the best and the guiding principle of this state is the reason of the philosophers (Ross, 2005). It embodies the wisdom of philosopher-kings [Aristocracy†¦] Plato’s affinity for aristocracy may be initially traced from Plato’s family background.   Plato is known to be a son of a wealthy influential Athenian couple who were highly prominent in the aristocratic circle. His articulation on the details of his ideal Aristocracy is definitely influenced not only by the status of his parents but also of himself who was raised and grew in the aristocratic environment. Another factor that may have contributed to Plato’s affinity towards aris tocracy is following the execution of Socrates which took place while a democratic form of government was in place at Athens.   Kreis cited that:Socrates was charged for impiety. Although Socrates was neither a heretic nor an agnostic, there was prejudice against him. Socrates managed to provoke hostility among Athenians and eventually, they executed him.   Socrates execution has devastated Plato, his prime student. Further added, Socrates wrote nothing himself. It was through the writings of his closest friends, Xenophon and Plato that people learned about him.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Fredric Edwin Church, 1826-1900, United States of America, Aurora Essay

Fredric Edwin Church, 1826-1900, United States of America, Aurora Borealis-1865 - Essay Example Later on, after returning from the expedition he embarked on the painting, carefully finishing one of the supreme paintings, the Aurora Borealis. The Aurora Borealis painting is a pictorial representation of the northern lights of America. Currently, the famous painting is located in â€Å"Smithsonian American Art Museum, in Washington DC† (Avery). In the mid-nineteenth century, and on return of Church with his friend Hayes, they found America in the middle of a Civil war. Hayes being part of the Union swore in a loud voice that he would carry the flag of America without any star erasing, to the extreme northern limits of the earth. He was referring to the northern lights, well depicted on canvas by Fredric Edwin Church (Avery). Because of Hayes’ vow, people viewed Church’s painting as the Union’s symbol of its cause, hence giving the painting its unique importance and fame. Primarily, the piece, Aurora Borealis-1865, provides ordinary people with an opportunity to witness a rather rare natural phenomenon probably they would have never seen. Church made the painting on a canvas basing it on a landscape that he had viewed; hence, it is an ideal way of providing people with a site like never before. The Aurora Borealis, 1865, has always made a monumental impact on people who view it. First, it is a way of appreciating nature, as Church was keen to note how beautiful the wilderness landscape was, hence putting it on canvas. Moreover as per now nature is a paramount concern of the world as people aim at salvaging the remaining part of it. Hence, the oil on canvas painting of Aurora Borealis, 1865, acts as an inspiration for people to achieve this goal (Avery). From an artist view of the piece, it posses stupendous  features, which give the painting an impressive look to the viewer. Within the painting, he added details such as giving the water a reflective effect, subsequently forming a burnished surface. As a way of giving it more visual impression,

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Contested globalisation and governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contested globalisation and governance - Essay Example The main person responsible for coining the term globalization is considered to be Theodore Levitt. With the passage of time, the phenomenon has grown at a steady rate whereby the setting under which it is held is one that focuses on the global patterns related with the sociological findings. Globalization, for that matter, is also remarked as Internationalization since the nature of the two terms is on a worldwide scale more than anything else. However, on the part of the two terms, the one thing common however is the fact that these have identified themselves well with the changing (and growing) trends, where most of these are credited on the shoulders of the World War II, after which there has been a resurgent rat race nonetheless. The movement of commodities, people, information, money, technological developments, organizational infrastructures, legal frameworks and so on and so forth have only proved to all and sundry that globalization is a phenomenon and it is one that is here to stay for long. The world has become a global village due to globalization and it is a good omen if seen in the proper perspectives. Globalization entails within it the changing technological innovations, the improvement in structures and different infrastructures, the advancements in basic thinking mindset of man, his ability to break loose from the ordinary and reach out towards the unknown and in all essence do something which can bring about an ultimate change, for the better. (Kantor, 2001) Having said that, we need to understand that globalization is not just a phenomenon, it is the science of human evolution and since man has for long held fast to this belief, there can be no reason as to why he should not comprehend the basis of the phenomenon of globalization. It is a paradigm shift or a movement as we might call it, one that brings more stability within the ranks (where it is applied) and unison in the efforts and activities of all concerned. More

Monday, September 9, 2019

Asian Indians Community of US Personal Statement

Asian Indians Community of US - Personal Statement Example Then, there are other Hindu important festivals Holi, Durga Pooja, Ganesh Chathuri which I celebrate with the rest of Hindu community while Christmas, Id, Easter, Hanukkah etc with the global community that resides in United States. But it is difficult at times, when we face discrimination at work place or called with funny names for our complexion, accent etc. However, these discriminatory acts were rare before 9/11 and even after the terrorist attacks on Twin Towers; we haven't been victim of any serious racism or prejudice compared to what our fore parents encountered when they moved first to the United States in early 1900s. The history of my community, Asian Indians, goes back to early 20th century when the first group of Indians from the province of Punjab arrived in America and worked as millers and farmers in California and Washington. They were mainly "Sikhs"-followers of Sikhism, a religion originated by Guru Nanak. They faced much difficulties and racist attacks because of their illiteracy and poor English-speaking skills. Associations such as Asiatic Exclusion League made serious efforts to prevent further immigration and property ownership of Indians.( Vinay Lal, 1999) The Sikhs were followed by large number of Indian students who demanded Indian independence overtly. They even formed their own political party to promote and forward their political ideas and demand for Independence. However, America who was strong and old ally of British, saw it as conspiracy of the Germany to overrule the British power in India-a colony within the British Empire. Thus organized attacks were made on these Indian students and successful prosecution of Indians took place. To add to the woes of Indian community, in 1923 the Supreme Court of United States ruled that Indians were ineligible for citizenship of the United States and that citizenship was only reserved for "whites" with European origins. They were also subjected to the Alien Land Law which prevented them from owning and leasing land and forced them to transfer their lands to the white Americans. As a result, the number of Indians sharply dropped from 10,000 in 1914 to 1,476 in 1940 in California alone.(Vinay Lal, 1999) But different Indian organization in America continued to fight for their rights to immigration and naturalization. By 1946, President Truman returned the right to immigrate and naturalize through Luce-Celler Act 1946. ("Indian American") After that, Indians actively participated in politics fighting for the end of British power in India. The most prominent among these politicians was Dalip Singh Saund who was also elected for US House of Representatives from California in 1956 and was also reelected for a 2nd and 3rd term. ("Indian American") Soon the number of Asian Indians grew well above 175000 (1975) and they demanded for minority status within American population. The Census Bureau declared them as a new category of minority group known as "Asian Indians". However, the conditions and performance of the existing Indian community wasn't impressive, to say the least. Unemployment and poverty was prevalent with most Indian employed for odd jobs as taxi drivers, gas-stations workers

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Advanced Corporate Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Advanced Corporate Reporting - Essay Example This is in particular for the companies that issue public bonds on a regulated European market. These accounting standards have shown a significant impact on the potential influence on the behaviour of economic agents. Accounting standards caused the financial institutions to behave in a certain way that enhances the financial stability in the long run.1.2 Arguments of European Commission/ Union on IFRS: It was opined by analysts that the core of the financial mismanagement lies within the commission and due to the fact that structure is opaque. The problems of financial mismanagement are the basic enforcements weaknesses. The court of auditors of European union admitted that the 80 percent of taxpayers money was never accounted properly. The responsibility for combating fraud has been considered by European commission. It was observed that the EU's financial regulation 2342/2002, article 87(4) claims that there I no need to attempt the recovery of any sum less than million euros and this has been ruthlessly exploited. By eliminating the loop hole, the European commission resulted in shared responsibility instead of separation of the responsibilities. As the improvement is not possible if each EU institution or department works with different standards and criteria, the common standards for the accounting were considered. Due to the erroneous accounting the debtors of European commission simply disappeared in 2002-03. ... Another problem with the old system is potential mismanagement of cash due to lack of principles in cash flow analysis. The maintenance of huge cash suggests the deliberate retention of member states and companies surpluses against EU rules, the establishment of own resources by the tax payers money. These huge funds are used to maximize the public funds. This should be avoided as the cash in hand by any company should be reported and the use of it can be restricted. To avoid these issues, the credit rating of the companies should be true and fair and must be based on accounting statements. This should be regulated by EU. The implementation of IFRS auditing on EU and the companies in the EU states resulted in overcoming the problems regarding the financial mismanagement and misuse of cash. The action on fundamentals and injection of commercial reality was made possible by the introduction of IFRS. The commercial organizations will ask themselves the questions regarding their performa nce and they should be reflected in the financial statements. The IFRS made it possible and the transparency has been resulted in the use of the money of the investors. This needs a creation of financial infrastructure and that was taken by the lesson from New Zealand that will audit fully singed annual accounts within three months. The auditors were made independent in assessing and auditing the company's financial statements and strict guidelines have been imposed according to IFRS. This made possible good financial management in the company's possible and gave the required security for investor's money in the company. This gave chance to investor to estimate the

Prepare a report for the board of directors of Summer Bodysuit Ltd Coursework

Prepare a report for the board of directors of Summer Bodysuit Ltd that analyses the problems faced by the company and that sets - Coursework Example 2. To study whether bank’s request for a significant reduction in the overdraft facility granted to Summer Bodysuit Limited is reasonable. Structure of the organization The financial problems in a company arise mainly due to weakness in the structure of the organization. Jill Dempsey and Mike Greaves have good experience in the company’s business. The business model, designing and manufacturing of casual and leisure clothes aiming particularly at the younger and higher-income market, is in line with their experience. However, the weakness in the organization structure lies in lack of proper system for financial management. Financial management is a specialized area which needs expertise for efficiency in business operations. Keeble brothers’ involvement in the day to day business activities has been very limited. The business has grown well over the period of time and the order recently received from Arena, a chain of casual and sportswear stores is seen particul arly important. The draft accounts from the Auditors confirm the company’s success. But, lack of suitable system for working capital management and planning in capital investment has landed the company in the current financial difficulties. Relationship with the bank and planning for the future The bank wants the company to reduce the overdraft by half over the next six months. The company had breached its overdraft limit on several occasions over the past few years. The management is aware of the fact that the patience of the bank has been wearing thin. The largest shareholder of the business is Keeble Estates Ltd, owned by David and John Keeble. Neither they are in a position to make further investments nor willing to accept investments from new investors, fearing loss of influence over the company. It is in this backdrop the analysis is done to make suitable recommendations for taking necessary actions to overcome the current financial difficulties. Business operations Dec how et al (2010) state, â€Å"the quality of a ?rm’s earnings depends on both the ?rm’s ?nancial performance and on the accounting system that measures it.† Prima facie the company has not accorded the deserved attention to accounting in the organization. The management has embarked on investment spree without making necessary arrangements for the additional working capital needed for its operations. David et al (2007) states that â€Å"overcon?dent managers underestimate risk and therefore take actions with excessive risk†. Evaluation of the business prospects involves analysis of several factors relating to the business. Schrand and Zechman (2009) state that â€Å"the overconfident managers make optimistic forecasts and in order to meet these forecasts, exhibit higher levels of fraud and earnings management.† Though the results do not in any way suggest fraud its management of finance calls for critical analysis. Gross profit margin during the la st two years has been at 14.99% and 20.61% respectively which reflects the soundness of the business proposals of Jill Dempsey and Mike Greaves. The increase in capital investment and consequently working capital required additional investments which are met primarily through bank overdraft. â€Å"An overdraft facility enables businesses to obtain short-term funding - although in theory the amount loaned is repayable on demand by the bank† (Riley, 2012). The bankers are now asking the company to reduce the

Saturday, September 7, 2019

African American Experience Essay Example for Free

African American Experience Essay After the civil war many African Americans thought things would be different, that it would be a new beginning for them. They did gain freedom because many amendments were past so they could gain freedom. Whites didn’t like this though so they passed their own laws to prohibit these amendments and restrict their freedom. The African American experience did not get better after the civil war it actually got worse. The African American experience did not get better because the KKK was still harassing African Americans like they were before the civil war. Then black codes were passed that restricted the freedom of African Americans and then they passed poll tax because they didn’t want African Americans to vote. Another event that happened was the Tulsa race riots that destroyed the town of Greenwood and killed many African Americans. Many people believe that the African American experience got better; however, I have a different opinion. They like to argue that African Americans can vote now, but they passed the grandfather clause and poll tax. That basically made it impossible for African Americans to vote. Or they said that slavery is over so it has improved, but when they passed the black codes they were basically making them slaves again. Overall the African American experience did not improve only worsened after the civil war. The African American experience did not get better because the KKK was still harassing African Americans like they were before the civil war. Then black codes were passed that restricted the freedom of African Americans and then they passed poll tax because they didn’t want African Americans to vote. Another event that happened was the Tulsa race riots that destroyed the town of Greenwood and killed many African Americans. Many people believe that the African American experience got better; however, I have a different opinion. They like to argue that African Americans can vote now, but they passed the grandfather clause and poll tax. That basically made it impossible for African Americans to vote. Or they said that slavery is over so it has improved, but when they passed the black codes they were basically making them slaves again. Overall the African American experience did not improve only worsened after the civil war.

Friday, September 6, 2019

Man and the Machine Essay Example for Free

Man and the Machine Essay From the aeon of the history, we have perceived that man has been developing at jet speed in the fields of science and technology. Man, who once lived in the forest, in the natural state, is now on the cliff of mechanical advancement. The question arises today is, â€Å"who made whom? Did machine make man or man made the machine? The question might seem obscure or absurd but it intrigues us to ruminate over. The life leaning upon the Nature has taken a hue turn towards machines. Hence it’s difficult to operate man away from machines and visa versa. With the embrace of machines man has become systematic and machine perspective towards living. Man in history invented machines but became dependent too. Once man had cure in the nature, joy in the lap of nature and lived a satiated life in the bosom of Nature. Machines have denatured man. Machines that assumed â€Å"Nano† forms became part of man. Today one can’t but has to lean on them to survive. At present the machine is helping a small minority to live on at the exploitation of the masses. The motive force of this minority is not humanity and love of their kind, but greed and avarice. The craze of cell-phones is the best example today. We find no men without mobile. It’s a small machine that operates man in all his advancements. It’s not wrong to have such machines but the attachment and dependency of living on them has curtailed human freedom, energy and the strength. Ostensibly, it has become inseparable part of human living. Advances in technology have resulted in man feeling more isolated, alienated and lonesome as computers and i-pods have replaced human interaction. No man is sensitive to their feelings like machines when they are engaged by them. Should machines dominate us –rational, free human beings or should they be used for the development of our skills, talents and relationship? The question is applicable to all. Let us make the best of it to make the world a beautiful place to live in.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Travel industry in Pakistan tourism

Travel industry in Pakistan tourism Introduction and Background of the Research The Travel Industry in Pakistan is undergoing a period of drastic changes. Customer demands and loyalty levels are changing every season with competitive packages being offered by the travel management companies to stay in the business. Also to compete with the International travel industry, local companies have to be at par and offer excellent services and rates. The industry is all about enabling customers to build mutual relationships with their clients and to give them the means with which they can maximize the benefit of every idea or initiative effortlessly across their clients. The travel sector has been categorized as Inbound and Outbound Travel. Inbound travel refers to the people who wish to travel to Pakistan where as Outbound travel refers to the people wishing to travel abroad. If a person travels to some foreign land it is included in Outbound Travel and if the same person returns to Pakistan, it will be characterized as Inbound Travel. Considering the economic and political conditions of Pakistan, there has always been disparity between outbound and inbound travel. This is also because of the Non Returning Pakistanis who wish to pursue their careers outside Pakistan and after certain time, call their families abroad. The Travel Sector has always been focusing on outbound travel because of the adequate infrastructure provided by other destinations such as Far East, Middle East and Europe. The sector in Pakistan has also been a victim of lack of support by the government despite the growing number of travel management companies in Pakistan. An independent report by World Economic forums Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008 (TTCR) suggested that tourism facilities remained unsatisfactory in Pakistan. Due to the absence of world class tourism facilities, Pakistan is constantly being put on the back foot when it comes to tourism promotion. In addition to a poor tourism infrastructure, the country also lacks standard and competitive hotel rooms at popular tourism sites. The TTCR ranked Pakistan at number 110 out of 124 countries, when it came to provision of standard and competitive hotel rooms. (Euro Monitor, 2009) According to the Members List posted on the TAAP (Travel agents association of Pakistan) currently there are over 700 travel agents working across the country that have been categorized as: Figure 1.1: Distribution of Travel Management Companies in Pakistan (TAAP, 2009) Travel may be broadly classified in three different categories worldwide and the same classification applies to Pakistan as well. Travelling for business purposes, these include personnel from companies travelling for varying needs including training and development, Business development etc. Travelling for leisure activities, these would include either travelling to meet relatives aboard or travelling to different countries for the sake of entertainment. The third and the most popular segment in Pakistan at the moment is the religious segment, this would include people travelling for the purpose of religious pilgrimages (Hajj, Umrah, Ziarat etc) There are several travel management companies working in Karachi and most of them provide services to all the three segments, but there are certain others who specialize in single segment only with their major focus being towards providing services to the corporate sector. In this era travel agencies are not only providing its customers with tickets for their travel, but they are working towards creating an overall experience for their clients and these include it from the other. These leaders in the travel business have been serving customers with a variety of travel products and services and catering to their daily, seasonal and corporate needs. The industry has diversified from normal ticketing to packages (domestic and international), Visa facilitation, Cars and Campers vans, Cruise packages across Pacific and Atlantic oceans, Meetings-Incentives-Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE), Rail packages and even Call Centres. Because of their extensive approach to serve the travel industry, leaders or the so called travel-pundits have now been able to serve in multiple cities in Pakistan and even abroad. Some of them have also started 24 hours office with day and night shifts to cater to their customers 24/7. Travel market has expanded globally and even these travel pundits in Pakistan and specially Karachi are able to cater to corporate accounts globally with the ease of online ticketing and payment settlement done online. Another aspect which the local market i s catering is handling accounts of international travel agencies through local call centers in Karachi due to availability of cheap labor and savings they can make. Travel industry in Pakistan still has a long way to grow which has been slow due to political and economic instability in the country, however, the travel gurus have been making day night efforts to explore more opportunities and line up a growing pace for the industry. Objectives and scope of the Research The Corporate, Leisure and Religious travel segments are the three main areas of operations in the Travel segment. Since our Pakistani consumers are still not comfortable with the concept of e-ticketing and are still in the phase of adapting to paper less tickets, the operations of Travel Management Companies are still preferred by the masses. Our consumers still rely on Travel Management Companies to map out their itineraries and have loyalty levels associated with certain agencies. Several packages are offered by Travel Management Companies in Karachi for the corporate, leisure and religious travel segments. There are companies that specialize in a certain segment as well. The growing competition and influx of Travel Management Companies in Karachi necessitates their analysis in terms of their marketing mix and current practices in order to differentiate the services offered by them, retain old customers and attract new ones. Travelers who prefer to leave the job of ticketing and travel mapping to the specialists in the field lay emphasis on the company that would give them the best possible rates with the most services. In order to decipher consumers preferences and criteria behind selecting a travel management company, we intend to incorporate this in our thesis as one of the areas of research and will try to gather reasons accruing to this selection. The success factors behind leading players in the industry will be sought and a comparative analysis of their practices and packages offered will also be conducted. The scope of the research is specifically based in Karachi, Pakistan. Due to time constraints and traveling issues, all the interviews and surveys of consumers and the travel management companies will be conducted in Karachi only. Problem Definition and Research Questions Worldwide travel management companies have been doing well for over two decades. The growth of travel agency bookings has outperformed the growth in airline traffic in the first half of 2010. Although in 2009; there was a rise in internet bookings as cost savings topped the priority list for travelers. (Jones, 2010) In Pakistan, the prevailing trend depicts a rise in the advent of travel management companies. The reasons normally accrued to this rise is the preference of travelers to rely on travel management companies to set their itineraries in the most cost effective and convenient way. In todays environment, travel management companies need every advantage to compete with pressure from mega-agencies, online travel companies and regional players, especially as competition intensifies and economic conditions continue to falter. With the web breaking distance barriers between countries and making information available to all via just a click, travel services for business, leisure and religious travel have pressed travel management companies for the best possible options. Overall business travel transactions processed by members of the UKs Guild of Travel Management Companies grew by 12 percent year-over-year in the six months through June 2010. (GTMC, 2010) Leisure travel has also witnesses a rise following the post recession stage and leisure travel is expected to be more profitable than corporate travel. (World Travel Market, 2010) Till date very little research has been done on the travel industry in Pakistan. In our thesis we would explore the various factors that have lead to the success of few out of the so many established in the country in the light of the different segments of travel services that are provided. We would also be examining the services offered by these companies in order to have a comprehensive picture of the industrys success factor. Hence our research problem is: To explore the success factors of leading travel management companies in Karachi. Some of the research questions that we would try to explore are: What are the variables driving success for the travel industry? What are the 7Ps of the travel management companies? What attributes do consumers consider while opting for a travel management company? Who are the major players in the leisure, religious and corporate travel categories? What can travel management agencies do to further improve the travel management practices? Research Methodology The research methodology that will be used is divided into two phases, primary and secondary. The research would include both, Qualitative and Quantitative Research, based mostly on primary data collection. In the first phase we will determine the top travel management companies based on their number of customers and other International key success factors. Once the top 5 players are identified, the second phase will begin in which we will be finding out customer perception of travel agents and their packages through questionnaires. Secondary Research will be conducted to find out the various packages and services being offered by the travel management agencies. Comparative analysis will be done for various travel management companies on the basis of their offerings. Sampling will be done on the basis of quota sampling. 20 travel agencies will be approached and the top 5 travel management agencies will be selected based on the number of customers they cater for. Limitations of the Research The limitation of the study can be firstly accrued to its scope being confined to Karachi and hence may not be reflective of the services being offered by travel management companies across the country. The scenarios witnessed by the 5 key travel agents from Karachi might not be reflective of the market. As travel sector is not a listed in any of the stock exchange, it will be difficult to extract authentic details from travel management companies and information given by the agencies will have to be relied upon. In order to keep the research free from any sort of biasness, use of reliable research studies and data provided by the authorities with relevant facts and experts opinions will be provided to defend our reasoning. CHAPTER TWO An Introduction to Travel Management Companies Heathrow International Travel defines a travel management, as means to meeting the demands and expectations of travelers, be it individuals or part of a group. Further elaboration by the travel industry dictionary states that travel agent is any person who sells travel products on a commission basis or who meets certain minimum qualifications, which can vary widely according to those who uses the term or sets the standards. (Travel Industry Glossary, 2007) Laurie Lico Ablanese, teacher and author at Vagner College, U.S, defines the job of a travel agent as a person who can perform one or more of the following functions that can be characterized as that of a travel consultant, tour organizer, small business executive, or travel guide. (Albanese, 2010) Travel agents may choose to become certified by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) for which they require a minimum of 18 months of experience as an agent, along with a complete 12 course program. There are various other certifications that travel agents acquire in order to gain more expertise, the most famous certification being that from IATA. These certifications are a key criteria for travel management companies operating worldwide as they assist travelers in selecting an authentic company for their travel requirements. For corporate, religious and leisure travel management agencies, certification from International Air Travel Association (IATA) is mandatory as it certifies your identity throughout the world. Each agent is given a distinguished code which enables the agent to be tracked anywhere in the world. The various other certifications include the following: United Federation of Travel Agents Association (UFTAA): UFTAA represents national travel agents associations in a significant number of countries. It remains the most prominent body representing the interests of travel agents worldwide and enjoys consultative status with the United Nattions. Its membership also includes a large group of Travel Partners, including major airlines, hotels, tourism boards, shipping companies, car rental companies and many other operators allied to the tourist industry. UFTAA is essential for corporate travel segment. World Tourism Organization (WTO ): WTO, not to be confused with the World Trade Organization, serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues. Based in Madrid, WTO is entrusted by the United Nations to help countries maximize the positive impacts of tourism, such as job creation, infrastructure development and foreign exchange earnings, while at the same time minimizing negative environmental or social impacts. Representatives covering Africa, the Americas, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and South Asia are responsible for overseeing specific projects and working. Their key emphasis is on leisure travel. World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC): Founded in 1990 with support from American Express, WTTC is a high-level private sector-only lobbying group whose membership comprises Chief Executives of multinational accommodation, catering, cruises, entertainment, recreation, transportation, and other travel-related companies. WTTCs mission is to raise the awareness of the full economic impact of the Travel and Tourism industry. International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IH RA): Officially recognized by the United Nations, IH RA represents the interests of the worlds hotels and restaurants. Members include hotel and restaurants operators, corporate hotel executives national hospitality association, hotel schools, and suppliers to the hospitality industry. The association is responsible for lobbying international policy, making bodies to resist regulations that could damage their business, estimated to comprise 300,000 hotels and 8 million restaurants. Pacific Asia Travels Association (PATA): Founded in 1951, PATA is the dominant industry association in one of the worlds most popular Travel and Tourism region. Based in Bangkok, its membership includes nearly 100 government, states, and city tourism bodies, 76 airlines and cruise lines, some 2000 companies and organization, and 17,000 individuals in 78 Chapters worldwide. Its programmers and designed to help members enhance their competitive edge through research and marketing services, product development and educational seminars and workshops. International Airline Passenger Association (IAPA): With over 400,000 members around the world, IAPAs main goal is to represent the views of travelers who fly often, by speaking out on safety and health issues related to flying. One area in which IAPA has made efforts is the improvement of aircraft cabin air quality. It also offers members discounts on hotels worldwide, savings on car rental, comprehensive travel insurance, and other benefits. (Insight, 2009) All travel agencies in Pakistan are subject to the local rules and regulations filed under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture at Federal Level and Department and Tourist Services at provincial level. A travel agency cannot operate without a valid license issued by the Department of Tourist Services (DTS). A license issued is subject to many requirements such as competent staff, financially sound management and location suitable for public dealing. A Bank guarantee is furnished to Department of Tourist Services after final inspection and then a license is issued to operate the travel agency. The license is valid for one year from the date of issue and has to be renewed after the expiry date. These are separate from the certifications they need to register for International traveling. Specialization of Travel Management Companies Travel agencies have been regarded as critical information, planning and booking providers for a large number of travelers (Duke Persia 1993; Mihalik, Uysal Pan 1995). Travel products provided by travel management companies include air ticketing, visa facilitation, worldwide hotel reservations, worldwide car rental reservations, travel insurance, airport meet and assist service, rail, bus tickets and MICE (Meeting, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions). (Oasis Travels, 2010) These products vary from one travel Management Company to another depending on their expertise and the market they operate in; these are further classified according to the sectors in which they specialize. Travel management agencies have opted for specialization in various fields including corporate, personal, event, leisure or school travel. Corporate Travel Business travel is a highly valuable part of the travel and tourism industry. Not only does it continue to grow, but also average spending by business travel customers is higher than in the retail sector. Travel agencies are inclined towards the corporate sector because of various reasons, major ones being the following High quality, high yield (earns more revenue) part of travel and tourism Year-round sector means more full-time jobs More shock-proofed against downturns or disasters Investment can regenerate urban areas. (Business Travel Operation, 2008) Companies usually arrange the corporate travel on various occasions major ones being conferences and meeting, exhibition, and trade fairs, incentive travel, corporate events and outdoor events. The revenue from each of these occasions is different but according to a tourism department of UK the major contributor of revenue in the corporate sector is when company personnel travel for meetings and conferences and as per an estimate for the year 2003 meeting and conference, related travel has amounted for around  £7 billion. (Weaver, Han, 2008) Conferences and meetings are worth over  £7 billion in 2003. This part of the sector includes sales conferences, management meetings, annual general meetings, training courses, business presentations and product launches. The market for exhibitions and trade fairs is worth over  £2 billion per year, trade exhibitions are for buyers and sellers in specific trade sectors. Incentive travel is used by organisations to motivate their staff. They are usually offered in industries with high profit margins such as cars and financial services. Incentive travel is used by organisations to motivate their staff. Corporate events include staff and client entertainment. Sporting occasions are the most popular for corporate events. Close links exist between corporate events segment and the contract catering industry. Its market worth between  £700 million and  £1 billion per year. (Bized, 2008) Religious Travel Religious travel now a day is a very comprehensive and expansive terms, previously it was only used to account for the travel that is done for the purpose of religious pilgrimages but today the concept of religious travel has primarily centered on the notion of pilgrimage. Although this type of journey remains at the heart of religious travel in many ways, it is no longer the sole form or reference point The growing religious tourism sector is currently valued at US$18 billion per year with Hajj pilgrimage, Palestine, Jordan, Iran and other Middle Eastern destinations identified as top draws for religious travel. With more than 300 million global travelers annually, the faith-based travel and hospitality market provides destination management organizations, wholesalers, suppliers, and travel agents unprecedented opportunities for new business avenues and clientele. Today, religious travel and hospitality is defined by, Travel to a religious destination, (Travelling to a religious destination is the most common and traditional meaning of the phrase religious travel. It may be right to attribute the success of this form of travel to all the major religions of the world. The word that has been associated with religious travel is pilgrimage.) Travel to a religious gathering (. People of various faith and disciplines have been travelling and gathering for religious purpose and celebrations.), Travel with a missionary and/or humanitarian intent and Travel with a fellowship intent. (Most short-term mission trips typically last from seven to 14 days. Volunteer vacations are a related form of missionary travel) (World Religious Travel Association, 2010) According toaccording to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. .. Click the link for more information.  Kevin J Wright, president of the World Religious Travel Association (WRTA WRTA Worcester Regional Transit Authority (Massachusetts) WRTA World Religious Travel Association WRTA Western Regional Transmission Association WRTA Western Reserve Transit Authority (Northeast Ohio)  ), specialist travel providers need to develop the best possible travel experiences to leverage income from the three billion people around the world who trace their religious roots and faiths to the Middle East. Religious tourism is recognized as one of the most resilient markets in the travel industry, said Wright, who will be conducting a seminar entitled `The New Era of Religious Tourism` at Arabian Travel Market the Middle East`s premier travel and tourism event to be held in May in Dubai. Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia  (sà ¤`dÄâ€Å" Éâ„ ¢rÄ `bÄâ€Å"Éâ„ ¢, sou`-, sà ´-), officially Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, kingdom (2005 est. pop. .. Click the link for more information.  is the market`s primary driver, with the Islamic Hajj hajj  (hà ¤j), the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, one of the five basic requirements (arkan or pillars) of Islam. Its annual observance corresponds to the major holy day id al-adha,   and Umrah   The Umrah or (Arabic: Ø ¹Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±ÃƒËœÃ‚ © ) is a pilgrimage to Mecca performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year.   pilgrimages seeing the Kingdom receive over six million worshipers annually. The religious tourism industry in Saudi Arabia alone generates an estimated $7 billion annually and with the market expecting 20 percent growth in the coming years, tour operators, hotels and airlines are already tailoring products to tap into the religious market. Pilgrimages are not the sole driver of the religious market anymore and people of faith are increasingly seeking greater quality travel experiences across the full spectrum of sub-sectors whic h drive the industry, Wright said. Mark Walsh For details of the dart player, Mark Walsh, please see Mark Walsh (Dart player) Mark Walsh is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist. .. Click the link for more information., Group Exhibition Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions organizer of Arabian Travel Market, which takes place from May 5 8, 2009, at the Dubai International Convention Exhibition Centre said the need to examine robust tourism revenue streams would be critical in ensuring the industry weathers the current economic downturn. Our industry is changing and tour operators and travel companies need to examine alternative business avenues to increase profits during these challenging times. The religious tourism market is one such possibility and remains extremely relevant to Middle East based operations. Through these informed discussion sessions, exhibitors and visitors alike can better understand the business potential available to them. According to Wright, Jordan and Palestine are huge growth markets. Ninety-five percent of tourism in Palestine is religion-based, while Jordan is targeting tourism revenues of up to $2.4 billion, per year, by 2010 over 60 percent higher than income generated in 2007, he said. Iraq is also emerging as a serious player in the sector. Areas of religious significance, such as Najaf home of the sacred shrine of the son-in-law of Prophet Mohammad already welcomes eight million pilgrims a year, but a new airport will increase inbound in ·bound  1  Ã‚   adj. Bound inward; incoming: inbound commuter traffic. Adj. 1. inbound   capacity to over 20 million. Citing Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi  (à ¤`b thà ¤`bÄâ€Å", zà ¤-, dà ¤-), Arab. Abu Zabi, sheikhdom (1995 pop. 928,360), c.   as an example of how feeder destinations can benefit from mass pilgrimages to Saudi, Iraq and other holy sites, Wright added: Abu Dhabi International AirportAbu Dhabi International Airport (Arabic: Ù†¦ÃƒËœÃ‚ ·ÃƒËœÃƒËœÃ‚ ± Ø £ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¨Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€  Ø ¸ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¨Ãƒâ„¢Ã…   Øلؠ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  ) (IATA: AUH,  ICAO: OMAA .. Click the link for more information.  handled nearly 15,000 Hajjes last year, which increased its passenger traffic rates to Saudi Arabia by 34.5 percent the potential for everyone in the region to benefit is astoundinga ·stound  Ã‚   tr.v. a ·stound ·ed, a ·stound ·ing, a ·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, .. Click the link for more information.. (Mojnews Agency, 2009) Leisure Travel Leisure travel may be defined as travel that is undertaken for pleasure and personal purposes. The  World Tourism Organization  reports top ten countries as the most visited from 2006 to 2009 by the number of international travelers. When compared to 2006,  Ukraine  entered the top ten lists, surpassing  Russia,  Austria  and  Mexico,  and in 2008, surpassed  Germany.  In 2008, the  U.S.  displaced  Spain  from the second place. Most of the top visited countries continue to be on the  European continent, followed by a growing number of  Asian  countries. In 2009,  Malaysia  made it into the top 10 most visited countries list.  Malaysia  secured the ninth position, just below  Turkey  and  Germany. In 2008, Malaysia was in the eleventh position. Both  Turkey  and  Germany  climbed one rank in arrivals, occupying seventh and eighth positions respectively, while  France  continued to lead the ranks in terms of tourist arrivals. (UNWTO, 2009). USA earns the most revenue from leisure travel amounting to around $ 94.2 billion in the year 2009, followed by Spain with $53.2 billion, France and Italy with annual revenue of around $48.2 billion and $40.1 billion respectively. The other destinations that made it to the top ten lists include Chine, Germany UK, Australia, Turkey and Austria. It may be noticed in that the major income to the travel management companies in the leisure sector is through travelers traveling to the European Continent, as out of the 10 most visited countries seven are from the European Continent (WTO, 2009) Key Performance Indicators for the Travel Industry Key Performance Indicators an Overview According to the KPI Library, Key Performance Indicators are measures of business performance; also known as business or performance metrics, measures, ratios or simply performance indicators. These performance indicators can vary from company to company and from industry to industry. The key performance indicators for the Travel Management Companies can be ascertained by exploring the issues like price wars, safety and security issues, passenger demands and availability of information. These may also include supply chain information, inventory information, package tracking, flight/travel activities, and passenger details with preferences. Integration of key information and emphasis on customer loyalty also plays an important role in the success of transportation and travel industry. (Gala, 2009) Given the high number of variables in the travel booking process, each travel agent has their own preferred way of doing things. A few KPIs, which you can be useful as a starting point and to trigger further thought as per MAIA Intelligence India, are: Specifications for service delivery requirements: Response times to enquiries Ticket delivery arrangements Hours of service and out of hours arrangements Payment methodology Variety of packages provided Financial Perspective: Quantification of Financial aspect can be measured using the parameters like operating profit, % increase in planned sales, actual sales step-up ratio and % increase in travel and entertainment cost. Customer Services and Satisfaction Perspective: Customer Services and satisfaction can be taken care of by employing metrics number of ancillary facilities, favorable review index, % increase in customer base and look/book index. Internal Operations Perspective: Internal Operations can be known with number of booking channels, abroad to local bookings ratio and packaged to independent bookings ratio. Business Planning and Growth Perspective: Business planning and growth perspective can be gathered by assigning values to ticked delivery standards, disaster recovery planning effectiveness, % increase in number of tour packages sold and number of staff retention initiatives taken. (MAIA,2009) Based on the key performance indicators and analysis of success accruing to travel management companies worldwide, the success factors for the travel management companies in Karachi can be evaluated. Consumer Preference of Travel Management Companies Abroad According to a report by the Hong Kong Consumer Council (1998), Travel agents in Hong Kong have faced difficult times because of increasing customer demands and internal competition in the industry. Complaints against travel agencies had increased by 12.4% for the year 1996/97, as compared with the previous year. The purpose of the study was to assess customers expectations and perceptions of service provided by travel agents, and to explore how the service factors derived from the factor analysis were related to overall customer satisfaction. The results of the study as verified by an article published by Vincent C.S. Heung, Department of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, showed that customers perceptions of service quality revolved around the availability of All Inclusive Package Tours. Out of a total of 183 Hong Kong consumers who were surveyed and asked to rate 29 attributes that might affect their choice of travel agency for all-inclusive package tours, the results showed that of the 29 attributes, agency reputation was rated as the most important attribute in travel agency selection, followed by word-of-mouth communication and staff attitude. (Heung, 2000). In Karachi, since the total number of travel management companies operating are 245, heavy competition exists and agency reputation might b