Do Video Games Contribute to Violence Among the Youth - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 973 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/08/02 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Youth Violence Essay Did you like this example? There are quite a few contributing factors that are considered when looking at childhood aggression. The main factors surround media violence. Violent media depicts intentional attempts by individuals to inflict harm on others. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Do Video Games Contribute to Violence Among the Youth" essay for you Create order An individual can be a nonhuman cartoon character, a real person, or anything in between (EFFECTS ON VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES). Forms of violent media are video games. Violence in games has been an ongoing social issue in our time. Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, and other well-known games have been negatively impacting the youth. Studies have supported the effects being left on children and adolescents who interact with these games. It can change mind functioning which can lead to reckless behavior and contribute to aggression. American Psychological Association argues that video games cannot cause behavior problems and that there is insufficient evidence supporting the link that extends to criminal violence or delinquency (APA CITE).With supported evidence, it will be shown that video games does contribute to violence among the youth. As video games become more popular, society spends more time engaging in these games. Grand Theft Auto grants players the ability to kill, solicit, and steal. In the games, players are reward to carry out these actions. In Call of Duty, players are rewarded for killing others. These players also acquire extensive knowledge on guns and ammunition. Iowa State Universitys study on rewarding such behaviors believe that people who play video games that reward violence show higher levels of aggressive behavior and aggressive cognition. Reward game violence might also yield more positive attitudes toward and beliefs about using aggression to resolve real-world conflicts (REWARDING ARTICLE). Playing games in excess can encourage kids and teens to act out in a violent and aggressive manner. In games where the only objective is killing, they can be trained to handle situations aggressively. It alters their cognitive thinking and if done long enough, becomes embedded into their subconcious. Repeatedly playing these games also aid in their desensitization to real life situations, as well. A study defined video games as a reduction of emotion-related physiological reactivity to real violence (DESENSITIZATION ARTICLE). Games like those stated previously contain blood, explosives, screaming, and corpses. This type of exposure can cause this desensitization. This study helped support that video games desensitize its players which makes them more likely to commit a violent act. Playing too much might convince the audience that violence is enjoyable. Kids and teens could view this type of violence as a form of entertainment which can be displayed in their daily lives. Karen Sternheimers research study after the Columbine shooting was administered to see if school shooters were playing a game called Doom excessively. Her results showed that the students that carried out the fatal shooting were habitual players of violent video games (KAREN S. ARTICLE). This study helped strengthen the link between the video games and the desensitization to real-world issues that we carry over into our daily lives. The video game, Doom, was licensed by the United States military to have their own versions called Marine Doom and Americas Army as a recruitment tool to train soldiers (Reagan). The game is a first-person shooter that consists of a team of four soldiers that have to carry out a rescue mission and destroy enemies. This game is still used in our present day in some a reas to help soldiers train. Habitual playing of these games for an adolescent or child would have a negative outcome which is shown in Sternheimers study.   Playing in abundance can negatively affect social behaviors in three ways. First, children lack empathy. They are unable to comprehend and understand another persons feelings. Second, they lack the ability to interact. Video games can be viewed as protection from the outside world. It reduces their opportunities to go out and interact. With video games being highly addicting, it makes it difficult to practice developing good interpersonal skills. In these games where your importance is defined by ranking or leaderboard placement, it becomes hard to apply that to your real life which is why children sometimes struggle. Lastly, they struggle with dealing with conflict. Due to the fact that aggressive and violent behaviors are rewarded in video games, kids might find themselves exhibiting that behavior as their first form of conflict management. The study by effect on behavior_ shows us that childrens cognitive thinking is altered which causes them to lack in these areas. Children also suffer with health issues from excessive play. Sleep deprivation and addiction are common issues among kids that play video games. Psychology Today refers to this as wired and tired. Two main factors for the sleep deprivation when playing are unnatural brightness of the screen and electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The intense brightness disturbs circadian rhythms and also does damage to the eyes. The level of EMR in the electronic devices disrupt the bodys melatonin release (Dunckley, Wired and tired). Addiction is a common result of habitual play with children. Time and effort is constantly invested in these games which cause these kids to become addicted. Aggressive behavior, poor social skills, and many others are negative results of excessive video gaming. These games reward kids for carrying out violent acts which cause kids to be more aggressive in their lives. It also desensitizes children and increases their chances of creating violent acts. With these games as forms of entertainment, kids view violence as enjoyable. Such views pose as a problem when it is carried over into the real world. Video games have been viewed as a contributing factor to school shootings. It also contributes to social and health issues among the youth. Kids are not able to develop interpersonal relationships due to addiction to these games and lack of time with others in real-life. Evidence supports that video games do contribute to violence among the youth.

Business and Social Responsibility - 1140 Words

When a business gets incorporated regardless of the business size and the nature of profession requires an adequate execution methods for being successful and to achieve its goals. Some of these goals can be short-term or long-term, depends on the nature of business. Likewise, these execution methodologies can be vary time to time as the corporate needs to satisfy different groups of people such as : top hierarchy stakeholders, staffs ,shareholders, and even non-related business groups such as environmentalists . In 21st century people having a better understanding of incorporated businesses in their societies. Having said that, most medium to large size corporations are active in international markets which brings them more challenges and†¦show more content†¦Also, Bombardier’s sustainability policies as part of corporate social responsibility is publicly available and it is more clear to stakeholders. The corporate strategy that drives Bombardier successful is based on the concept of shared value: creating better ways to move the world meets a fundamental societal need. It is the necessary answer to urban congestion and sprawl, escalating oil and energy prices, environmental challenges, and the overwhelming need to connect people to opportunity and to each other (bombardier, 2014). Another important factor of success is having a solid CSR strategy. CSR can act as an advertisement component for bringing new investors and stakeholders to the company. Part of the strategy is to keep people in communities involved to the company’s project. Bombardier has been involved in research with universities which uses of new graduate students and intern .This also means create more jobs for the communities and one of the consequences is facilitate of communities growth (mediacentre.bombardier, 2013) . In conclusion, with the increased attention to CSR by all stakeholders, it is a must to integrate a CSR model to the corporate strategy as a key factor of success. CSR canShow MoreRelatedThe Social Responsibility Of Business932 Words   |  4 PagesA corporation does do business within a vacuum; rather exist as part of larger collective framework of society, stakeholders and a global business community. I believe that corporations which are profitable, and promote moral and ethical standards are the benchmark of success; additionally, corporations bear a great social responsibility to the society it exists within, an simply working within â€Å"the basic rules of society, both those embodied in law and those embodied in ethical custom† is not enoughRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business1422 Words   |  6 Pagesthe business be held accountable for these actions? In his essay â€Å"The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profit† Milton Friedman , powerful economist, discusses what a business should prioritize in the economic system. Friedman declares what a business is responsible for and the guidelines they must follow. Due to Friedman’s view, he would not have condoned the actions and decisions that the executives at Ford Motor Company took. Friedman argues that the only responsibility a businessRead MoreThe Social Responsibility of a Business647 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿The Social Responsibility of Business: The role of business in the society became a major aspect across business after Milton Freedman wrote the most provocative article in 1970. As an economist, Freedman stated that the main purpose of businesses is to generate profits for its shareholders. Furthermore, he argued that companies with responsible attitudes were likely to encounter increased binding constraints unlike those that lacked these attitudes, resulting in them becoming less competitiveRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business1042 Words   |  5 PagesCorporate Social Responsibility is defined as a business preparation that involves participating in creativities that help society. Friedman: The Social Responsibility of Business is to increase its profits. Milton Friedman argues that the only social responsibility a business has is to itself – mainly to its profits, and therefore, its stakeholders. The business management in charge of a company works for the organization and eventually for the stakehol ders. This person is responsible for carryingRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business787 Words   |  4 Pages The economist and Nobel laureate Milton Friedman’s article published in The New York Times Magazine in 1970 titled, â€Å"The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits.† (NYTimes, 1970) set tone for companies all across the country and all over the world. Companies start to turn in profits that shattered all charts and stock markets. Beginning in 1960s to 1990s, Capitalism had won the cold war with its arch rival the Soviet Union had withered away into the oblivion and the companiesRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business1437 Words   |  6 Pagesthe business be held accountable for these actions? In his essay â€Å"The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profit† Milton Friedman, powerful economist, discusses what a business should prioritize in the economic system. Friedman declares what a business is responsible for and the guidelines they must follow. Due to Friedman’s view, he would not have condoned the actio ns and decisions that the executives at Ford Motor Company took. Friedman argues that the only responsibility a businessRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business2053 Words   |  9 Pagesevolution-taking place; now the level of a business social responsibility has become increasingly integrated into modern business practices. This focus has seen both advantages and disadvantages to the business. However, to what extent has the use of the greater focus of a business social responsibility affected its competitive advantage in its marketplace. CSR is described as; â€Å"the principle that companies can and should make a positive contribution to society, of managing the social, environmental and economicRead MoreSocial Responsibility Of A Business1444 Words   |  6 Pagesareas of business and nonprofit management. However, Cohen’s article on social responsibility drew a lot attention from other scholars like Friedman. In view of this, this paper will discuss and define the concept of social responsibility of a business to its workers, stakeholders, and society; how the perspectives align with that of Drucker; comparing Cohen’s opinion with that of Friedman and finally determines which of the two individual’s opinion best aligns with the current business climate promotingRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business Essay1959 Words   |  8 Pagesagree or disagree with the following quotation: â€Å"There is one and only one social responsibility of business—to use its resources and engage i n activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say engages in free and open competition, without deception and fraud.† Milton Friedman, a Nobel Prize winning economist. In other words, the social responsibility of business is to make a profit. I do not agree with the following quote by Milton FriedmanRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business1463 Words   |  6 PagesIn his paper titled The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Its Profits†, Milton Friedman addresses the key issue of weighing social responsibility against profit maximization for shareholders. This conflict is the basis for Friedman’s whole paper, as he explores the two sides of the situation. In order to set up his argument, Friedman lays down a framework by explicitly stating a certain premise. This is that businessman view â€Å"social responsibility† and profit as not being mutually

Several Breaches of Duties Mentioned †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About the Corporation Several Breaches of Duties Mentioned? Answer: Introducation The facts of ASIC v Adler (2002) are quite complex and unique. In this case, it was alleged by the ASIC that several breaches of the duties mentioned in the Corporation Act, 2001 has taken place. As a result of very bad corporate governance, there was the collapse of HIH Casualty and General Insurance Ltd. The breach of duties alleged in this case included the breach of duty mentioned in section 180 (duty of care and diligence); duty mentioned in section 181 (to act in good faith); duty prescribed in section 182 (not to making proper use of position); the duty mentioned in section 183 (not to make improper use of information) and s 260A related financial assistance. The present issues were also related with the business judgment rule as provided in section 181(2). In this way, it can be said that the decision given by the court in ASIC v Adler serves as a clear reminder for the directors that it is necessary that the directors and the corporations should make sure that effective corporate governance frameworks have been installed in the company for the purpose of safeguarding the company from the improper actions of the directors. While implementing such a process, sufficient checks and balances should be introduced so that it can be ensured that it is not easy to bypass the system (CAMAC Report, 2006). In ASIC v Adler, the issue was related with the payment of $10 million by a subsidiary of HIH to a company in which Mr. Adler was the sole director. The below mentioned investments were made in this company by using a trust mechanism. Around $4 million were used for acquiring the shares of HIH; a purchase of venture capital unlisted investments was made from another company of Adler; and in the same way, loans were given to the entities that were related with Adler. All this took place without any approval from the board of directors. Similarly, there were no collective disclosures made to the board of the company or to the investment community of HIH. At the same time, these loans were it was without any proper documentation or taking any security. The payment was made in such a way so that the other directors of HIH may not know about it. In fact, in this case Santow J was of the opinion that the semi-covert by passing of the safeguards installed in the company revealed the consciousness of them property on part of Adler. Under these circumstances, the court arrived at the conclusion that Adler had made contraventions of the four sections mentioning the duties of directors in the Corporations Act. These included the duty of care and diligence (s180); duty of good faith (s181); duty not to use position improperly (s182) and duty which requires that the directors should not use the information improperly (s183). At the same time, the court also stated that the other two directors of the company, Williams and Fodera were also liable for the breach of their duties, although to a lesser extent. Therefore the decision given in this case has significant implications for the business judgment rule as well as for the arm's length provisions that are present in the Corporations Act. The purpose behind the introduction of the business judgment rule in the Corporations Act was to provide a safe harbor in case of the business segments that are made in good faith and by exercising due care (Ford, 2005). In the present case also, all the three directors of the company sought the protection provided by the business judgment rule. However Santow J, arrived at the conclusion that for the purpose of relying on the protection provided by the business judgment rule, first of all, it has to be established that a business judgment was made by the director (Black and Baldwin, 2010). Then, such a judgment has to satisfy the below mentioned requirements. It is necessary that the judgments should have been made in good faith and for proper purpose (Black, 2012). However, in the present case, San tow J was of the opinion that there was a material personal interest of Adler in this matter. Similarly, it cannot be established in this case that the business judgment was made in good faith and for proper purpose. As a result, the business judgment rule was not applicable in this case. The court also stated that the business judgment rule was also not applicable in case of the other two directors of the company. Regarding Williams, the court concluded that he had failed to make the business judgment. Or to the extent to which the business judgment was made by him, he could not establish that such statement was made by him in good faith and for proper purpose. Regarding the other director, Fodera the court had stated that there was no business judgment made at all by him. In fact, the lapse on his part was that he had failed to bring the attention of the other directors towards this transaction. Arm's length exception: According to s208, Corporations Act it is necessary that the approval should be taken from the shareholders of the company when a financial benefit is going to be given to a related party (Baldwin and Black, 2008). However, the exception that is present to this rule is known as the arms length exception. In the present case, the court discovered that the terms under which the payment of $10 million was made, it cannot be said that it was arm's length, and therefore a clear contravention of s208 was present in this case. The court also found in this case that it was not reasonable that the transaction should have involved the purchase of shares in the present company, that were going to be paid by the wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, without completing any documentation and security. Therefore the court stated that the terms of the trust deed were grossly inadequate for the purpose of protecting the company's interests. Once money was transferred to the trust, there was a complete lack of any mechanism, which could be used to dictate how the money was to be spent. Similarly in this case, no report from the any independent expert was taken and simply it was a clear case of the lack of proper safeguards. Although in this case, there was not much discussion regarding the legal concepts related with the arm's length terms, it was suggested by the court in context of this type of transaction that there is at least a need for sufficiently documents and prospects of providing security. The court also stated that any reasonably careful officer or director who was in a similar position as Adler would not have allowed the payment of $10 million to PEE to be applied in part for buying the shares of HIH. In this case there was failure on the part of Adler to follow the authorized practices concerning the investments made by HIH/HIHC. And also to make sure that sufficient safeguards have been stalled to protect HIH or HIHC. The objective of Adler was to support the share price of HIH (he was doing so for his own significant shareholding in the company), instead of allowing HIH to obtain, through its interests in AEUT, the advantage of good profit by reselling the HIH shares. Similarly regarding Ray Williams, the court stated that he knew very well that the amount of $10 million was going to be used in whole or partly for paying for the shares of HIH still he allowed that this amount should be paid in advance without any documentation and without prescribing any required safeguards to deal with the potential conflicts of interest of Adler as special vigilance was needed in these circumstances. Although the main responsibility was of the director who had proposed to enter into this transaction, but in such a case the other directors or officers cannot be excused when they came to know of the proposed transaction. Common sense required that any other reasonably care for director would have raised the issue of making a payment of $10 million to a director before the board of the company or at least with the investment committee of the HIH. In the same way, the court stated that Fodera was also liable for the breach of section 180. In this case, the former directors tried to rely on the protection provided by the business judgment rule.. Are they could not be successful. In this case, the code stated that there was no business judgment. In this case, Rodney Adler calls three unsecured loans, to be given to AEUT without sufficient documentation, to companies all funds that were associated with them or his Adler Corporation. It was held to be called the advantage of Adler and at the same time, to the disadvantage of AEUT. The court arrived at the conclusion that in this case, the payment of $10 million made by HIHC to PEE can be considered as "giving a financial benefit" to PEE, Adler Corporation and Adler, falling within the purview of s 229. In this way, HIH and HIHC were held responsible for contravening the provisions of section 208. At the same time, it was also stated that this transaction cannot be considered as an arms length transaction as mentioned in section 210. Similarly, when it entered into the trust deed later on, was also not considered as falling within the purview of arms length exception as provided in s. 210 due to the reason that there were no proper safeguards present in the trust deed under the circumstances in which there was a possibility of Adler. Having your conflicts of interest, and when it was considerably one-sided against HIHC. The court also held in this case that this transaction was performed at the requests made by Adler and with confidence and directions given by Williams. As a result, it can be said that both these persons were involved in giving a financial benefit as mentioned in section 79. Similarly, it was held that both of them had contravened the provisions of section 209(2) when they were found to be involved in the breach of section 208 by HIH and HIHC. Similarly, the court arrived at the conclusion that Fodera was also liable for breaching the provisions of s. 209(2). The reason was that it was discovered by the court that he had adequate knowledge concerning the essential elements of the contravention and the attempts made by him later on to distance himself from the transaction by referring these matters to the persons did not alter the situatio n. Duty of good faith (s181): In this case, Rodney Adler was the director who was held by the court to have breached the provisions of section 181. The reason was that Adler, other than the failure to make proper disclosure, was also held to be promoting his personal interest when a substantial possibility was present regarding a conflict between the interests of the company and his personal interests. As a result of the illegality under sections 208 and 260A, the interests of HIH and HIHC were put at stake and also due to the reason of concealing the fact from the market that the purchase of HIH shares was funded by HIHC and not Adler on his interests In this way, the judgment given in ASIC v Adler serves as a reminder that the statutory protection provided by the business judgment rule cannot be used as a shield against liability for the conduct of dishonest or reckless directors. Similarly, the Australian courts have not yet applied the business judgment rule provided in the Corporation Act in the favor of a director. Moreover, in view of the fact that the rule mentioned in the Corporations Act in Australia is closely based on its US equivalent, should provide comfort to the directors in Australia that the courts will not second-guess the good faith decisions of the directors who approved an acquisition on the basis of expert advice and by following the appropriate board process. References Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee (CAMAC) Report, 2006 The Social Responsibility of Corporations, CAMAC, at 82 Ford H A J. 2005, Fords Principles of Corporations Law, 12th ed, Butterwroths, Sydney, 2005 at 176. Julia Black and Robert Baldwin, 2010 'Really Responsive Risk-Based Regulation', University of Denver Law Policy, p. 184. Julia Black, (2012) 'Paradoxes and Failures: "New Governance" Techniques and the Financial Crisis', Modern Law Review 75:6, p. 1039 Robert Baldwin and Julia Black, 2008 'Really Responsive Regulation', Modern Law Review 71:1 pp. 59, 6667

The Medias Influence on Teenage Smoking free essay sample

A paper which questions the medias role in creating teenage smokers. The effects of media are often the scapegoat for a lot of societys problems and teen smoking is no exception. Many people believe that the media is solely to blame for the rise in teen smokers in the U.S. However, there are more determinant factors at work here. This paper explores the causes of teen smoking and provides arguments against the current media effects theories circulating at the moment. It shows that the media is only a vehicle for the tobacco companies to use in promoting their brands to the general public. It shows too that the major influences that determine whether an adolescent will start smoking involve the quality of their relationship with their parents, their peer group dynamic, and the state of their emotional health. The author surmises that only in addressing the problems that may exist in these areas can society properly address the problem of teen smoking. We will write a custom essay sample on The Medias Influence on Teenage Smoking or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As an example of the impact advertising has on the teenaged population, another research study discovered that 12- and 13-year-olds residing in Massachusetts who had seen an anti-smoking television commercial were half as likely to take up smoking compared to those who hadnt seen the anti-smoking ad. Interestingly enough, older teenagers did not appear to be affected by the same ads. This is probably due to the fact that older adolescents possess stronger opinions about certain subjects and so cannot be easily swayed or their addiction to tobacco is already entrenched which would nullify the effects of the anti-smoking campaign on them. While the impact of media on young impressionable minds cannot be ignored, it is not the only factor that compels some teenagers to start smoking. Various other factors, which are a bigger determinant, are also at work.

Understanding Object Pronoun Verb Order in French

Understanding Object Pronoun Verb Order in French Mistakes will always be made in French, and now you can learn from them. There are two kinds of object pronouns, direct and indirect. Beginning students of French tend to misplace them and the result can be nonsense to the French ear. The rule of thumb: Place object pronouns before  the verb, with the indirect going before the direct object pronoun. When the verb is in the passà © composà © or another compound verb that includes an auxiliary verb, the pronoun precedes the entire verb; in other words, before the auxiliary verb, which is  the conjugated avoir  or  Ãƒ ªtre. The Correct Format Its never correct to say  Jai lui dit. The pronoun lui goes before ai, which begins the compound verb, like this: Je lui ai dit (Im telling him). The major exception is the imperative mood (limperatif), when object pronouns follow the verb: Donne-le-lui (Give it to him/her). Here are some examples of the correct format: Tu las vu? Have you seen it?Je lui ai dit la và ©rità ©. I told him/her the truth.Il  leur  achà ¨te des livres.   He buys books  for them.  Elle  ma à ©crit.   She wrote  to me.  *Je te lavais bien dit! I told you so! *In this example, there is both an indirect (te) and direct (le) object. Remember, the indirect object always comes first. The verb is still compound, but now the tense is plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) with the auxiliary verb in the imparfait (imperfect). So the object pronouns precede avais, which is the auxiliary verb here. Indirect Object Pronouns For indirect objects, the verbs action occurs to or for a person or other animate noun. Im talking to  Pierre. Je parle   Pierre.To whom  am I talking?  To Pierre. Indirect object pronouns  are the words that  replace  the name of the indirect object. They include:   Ã‚  Ã‚  me  /  m  Ã‚  Ã‚  me  Ã‚  Ã‚  te  /  t  Ã‚  Ã‚  you  Ã‚  Ã‚  lui  Ã‚  Ã‚  him, her  Ã‚  Ã‚  nous  Ã‚  Ã‚  us  Ã‚  Ã‚  vous  Ã‚  Ã‚  you  Ã‚  Ã‚  leur  Ã‚  Ã‚  them Me  and  te  change to  m  and  t, respectively, in front of a vowel or  mute H. Direct Object Pronouns Direct objects are the people or things in a sentence that receive the action of the verb. To find the direct object in a sentence, ask who or what. I see  Pierre. Je vois  Pierre.Who  do I see?  Pierre. Direct object pronouns  are the words that  replace  the direct object, so that we can avoid endlessly repeating the name of the object. They include:   Ã‚  Ã‚  me  /  m  Ã‚  Ã‚  me  Ã‚  Ã‚  te  /  t  Ã‚  Ã‚  you  Ã‚  Ã‚  le  /  l  Ã‚  Ã‚  him, it  Ã‚  Ã‚  la  /  l  Ã‚  Ã‚  her, it  Ã‚  Ã‚  nous  Ã‚  Ã‚  us  Ã‚  Ã‚  vous  Ã‚  Ã‚  you  Ã‚  Ã‚  les  Ã‚  Ã‚  them Me  and  te  change to  m  and  t, respectively, in front of a vowel or  mute H.  Le  and  la  both change to  l. Remember that both indirect object  pronouns and  direct object  pronouns precede the verb, with the indirect object pronoun going first. When deciding between direct and indirect objects, the general rule is that if the object is preceded by the  preposition  Ã‚  or  pour, that object is an indirect object. If its not preceded by a preposition, its a direct object. If its preceded by any other preposition, it cant be replaced  by an object pronoun.   If you have an indirect object thats not a person or animal, it can only be replaced with the  adverbial pronouns  y and en.  Y stands in for    a  noun  and usually means there or to it.  En  replaces  de a noun and usually means some, any, one, or of it/them.

Ethics in Banking Essay Example

Ethics in Banking Essay Example Ethics in Banking Essay Example Ethics in Banking Essay Example Banks are financial institutions the main function of which can be generalized to the creation of wealth. The performance of any banking institution in the world is measured by their capacity to maximize the financial base. It means that banks are evaluated on how they set their monetary policies to maximize financial assets in the given periods of time. The banking industry is the most important industry in controlling every aspect of the world economy. The reason is that governments, non-governmental organizations, as well as the general population, entirely rely on banks for any financial operation. Banks simply control the world. Therefore, the question of ethics in the banking industry is essential to analyze their great responsibility. The essay seeks to examine ethics in banking in relation to the government. It is especially focused on the takeover of banking by the government. The paper also points out the consequences when banks do not follow the ethical code of conduct. Banking ethics simply refer to ethical or moral principles that a certain bank may choose to follow. These ethics guide a bank during its operations. In banking ethics, there is no one universal code of ethics that has been set. Thus, banks have the right to set up their own ethical conducts. It is then their task to try and appeal to customers, partners, as well as investors. Banks go through the verification of partners and investors to determine their ethical standing. Thus, investors venture into banks with ethics on mind. Ethical banking seeks to establish an ethical bank. Ethical bank is the one where investors should not run a business not taking bank’s ethics into account. It also means that a bank seeks not to compromise its ethical policies and standings. It does not accept any investment that is against ethics. Ethical banking promotes investment opportunities that encourage social and environmental enterprises. Ethical Banking and the Government The banking industry is faced with several ethical questions in its operations. There are also different consequences as far as these policies are concerned. There are a lot of economic, social, and environmental issues arising in this century. It means that the banking industry has to make a lot of ethical decisions, especially as far as government control is concerned. The financial crisis that occurred between 2008 and 2011 was caused by the banking sector. The reason is that it is a section of the economy that is responsible for controlling all financial investments in it. Governments all over the world were left collecting the pieces of a broken economic structure (Labaton Sucharow LLP, 2012). It raises great concern for ethical principles that governments should stick. Independence in the banking industry was responsible for this crisis because governments could lend and borrow money without any limitation from state banks. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the banking indu stry in detail as far as ethics are concerned. Much work has to be done to estimate ethics in banking for its effectiveness. Citizens of different countries have been left discussing on whether governments should apply monetary policies fully to control baking institutions across the globe after the financial crisis of 2008. However, there are many implications and factors to consider before one is to come to a proper conclusion. The survey that was carried out in the United States of America on whether governments should control their operations proves that employees have a different point of view on the problem. About 20 percent of employees in the banking industry feel that they would break the law if they can access insider trading that would make them millionaires. About 25 percent of all employees have experienced misconduct in the past and have not reported on it. The most astonishing statistics in the survey show that 40 percent of the interviewed employees said that to make it, the banking industry required illegal and unethical conduct. It specifically shows how those employed in the banking sect or feel about ethical banking. The statistics can still be applied today, but it was rather strong in the years prior to the financial crisis. Thus, the issue of ethical banking is critical (Wehinger, 2013). The scandals that have occurred in the banking sector in the past have further questioned the ability of the banking industry to stick to the ethical code. Such scandals include a serious scandal when several traders from banks across the world colluded to manipulate banking rates. These interbank lending rates determine what millions of people in different countries pay for their mortgages. They also determine profits that people receive from their savings in individual banks. Such a scandal plays a major role in creating a low level of confidence in the banking sector as unethical one. It also questions the role of the government in these matters. For such a scandal to happen, the supervision and regulation of an individual government must have been poor or even unavailable. The presence of scandals in these reputable financial organizations shows that the financial sector has performed cynical and even destructive actions. Too many of these actions actually threaten the lives of c itizens across the globe. The reason is that banks are responsible for the control of resources to individual citizens and even the government. It may lead to the misallocation of funds and resources, financial crises, as well as negative or low returns and interests of pension funds. The public has shown cynicism and anger towards the banking industry in the previous decades. Especially, it happens after the misappropriation of funds such as poor investment of pension funds to obtain negative returns. Different economic researchers have accused the banking industry of disregarding the clients’ interests and even denigrating them. Different clients have also noted that banks advised people to invest in products and stocks, of which other companies were trying to get rid. The reason is that the partners themselves and stakeholders undertake investment projects that have potential profits. Therefore, the code of ethics for banks in terms of putting their clients ahead of organizational gain is actually a hoax. It does not mean that banks should not be profit-making investments. However, they should not make money at the expense of their clients. The main objectives of banks are to assist clients in savings, investments, and lending. Therefore, they must make their profits from service charges and interest rates (Bryfonski, 2010). Rather than targeting the client’s savings, they should develop ways to assist the client in making financial decisions to invest savings in profitable ventures. Therefore, the concept of an ethical bank has not become a reality. Government intervention has taken place in the banking industry. In every economy, there are banks and other financial institutions that are privately owned as well as a central bank or a reserve bank is controlled by the government. The government bank or the reserve bank acts as a controller of interests and the flow of currency in the economy. For example, in the United States, the Federal Reserve Bank controls the lending rates of commercial banks. It determines the interest rates that commercial banks charge to their customers. Governments also control the flow of currency from commercial banks to the public. The aim of it is to control inflation as well as the value of currency. Government control is also available in specific banking institutions. The government sets specific laws for commercial banks, which they have to follow. The government is not engaged in the control of other banking operations. Thus, the banking industry is independent in terms of its dealing with clien ts. It is evident in the lack of uniformity in the industry. Different banks have different lending rates, mortgage interest rates, as well as the terms of service (Groarke, 1998). The lack of total control of the banking industry raises the question of public welfare. The public’s trust in the banking industry has been lost after the financial crisis. That is why banks have attempted to make several changes to gain it back. For example, several banks have tried to reduce their exposure to risks through deleveraging of assets, coming up with effective risk models, and reducing shadow banking activities. Banks are now focused on gaining back their home markets rather than competing with each other in the global market. In some countries, the government has intervened to create two separate banking entities, dividing into investment banking and retail banking. It has put retail banks away from the risks faced by investment banks. Thus, retail banks are now safely back, offering savings, credits, and other financial services. On the other hand, investment banks have focused only on offering investment advices instead of financial services. However, economis ts and bankers who support universal banking do not agree on this form of banking control (Reynolds Newell, 2011). They say that the fact that the government has separated these two activities does not necessarily mean better management in the banking sector. They believe that the solution lies not in government control but better risk modeling and financial signals. There are also different ways in which governments have decided to control banking operations. Several governments, especially in free trade areas, such as Europe, have joined to set new laws in banking. The main objective of these laws is to increase liquidity and capital requirements for commercial banks. Governments coordinate these requirements in an international setting. The laws are set to adopt more binding and tougher capital regulations in order to improve the risk management of these banks. Earlier on, before the financial crisis, the public saw the banking sector as a too big enterprise to fail. It was not the case of the financial crisis of 2008. Now, government efforts aim at reducing this threat. The laws are intended to make stakeholders in the banking industry realize that banking is an investment like no other and requires particular attention. The laws encourage individual banks to evaluate their ethical code of conduct to create a universal banking sector (Wehinge r, 2013). Other individuals in the banking industry have undertaken different programs to regulate banks. The main form of bank control is the limit of banks to home markets. It is done to prevent penetration from international markets. However, this form of control is not effective as banks are not free to invest in other regions. These regions could have scarce liquidity. Therefore, in this case, investment in other countries would be a flow of healthy capital. It is not an effective action in the banking industry that is struggling to recover after the financial crisis. The freedom of banks to invest in foreign markets has provided them a chance to stabilize due to the flow of healthy capital. Control weakens the banking system further. Government control in this case is safe, but it does not give the opportunity for investors to venture into new markets and take risks (Bryfonski, 2010). Total control of the banking industry is not quite effective. The government should not struggle to overtake private commercial banks and undertake banking operations itself. The main essence of private banking in the global market is to undertake investments. The meaning of investment is a venture that involves risks. Banks are enterprises that can venture into any investment freely because they have available capital to invest at the right time. The only reason why partners decide to start a bank is to get into investment activities at any time in any region. There are no investments without risks. Banks are themselves a risky investment. Most citizens feel that investment banks attempt to find enough capital and the right risk models for the global market. Banks give the public a chance to invest in the global market. The government is supposed to act as a welfare agent for its citizens. In banking, the government aims at ensuring that it protects the public from exploitation by b anks. Therefore, it means that the government cannot encourage risky investments. If a client were to lose his/her money in an investment, the government as a welfare agent and the bank should cover the risks. It simply implies that the government cannot protect the public and advise them to risk their funds at the same time. Instead of fully control banks, the government should engage in a healthy bank regulation. It means that governments have to set a universal ethical code of conduct to guide all banks. Afterwards, governments should observe banks more closely to ensure that they adhere to the code of conduct. After all, the public is involved in risky investments in banking of own free will. The role of the government is to ensure that banks are not responsible for causing another financial crisis (Bryfonski, 2010). The government should employ the best economic analysts to give advice to commercial banks and the whistleblowers of illegal and unethical conduct at the same time. Thus, the government must act only as a regulatory body to maintain control on standards in banks. It will prevent the notion too big to fall that exists in the banking industry. This notion holds that the financial sector, especially commercial banks, has too much control over the international economy. As a result, it cannot fail without adverse effects on the economy. Therefore, the government always supports commercial banks on the brink of their collapse. The government acts as a bailout for these banks to avoid bankruptcy. Analysts believe that it would prevent the failure of the system. The government should have different regulatory measures to control the banking industry in order to prevent a repeat of the financial crisis, as well as the protection of public exploitation by bankers. The first method of control that has failed in the past is the minimum requirement. It is a method of regulation when the government requires commercial banks to maintain a minimum capital ratio. It is done to ensure that banks do not over-borrow or lend more money than they can maintain. At the beginning of the global economic recession, commercial banks held little money in their reserves. Somehow, banks in the US found a leeway to determine the one responsible for their supervision and regulation. The main aim of the minimum requirements is to promote the objectives of the regulatory body. In this case, the federal government should control the minimum requirement in order to control the exposure of certain sectors of commercial banks to risks. It acts as a protective measure. It ensures that commercial banks can maintain their capital ratios even in times of economic downfall. In this case, the government should not intervene to bail out collapsing banks. This method of regulatio n has failed for commercial banks in the country. For this reason, the government had to control some of the smaller banks, which had not maintained their capital requirements during the financial crisis (Wehinger, 2013). Large banks were controlling most after giving loans to the smaller ones. The government had to get money from the public reserve to bail out the banks. In regulation, the government should make sure that it will not happen in the future. They should engage in better regulatory and supervisory methods to ensure that every bank maintains its capital ratio requirements. The government also acts as a supervisory body. This method of regulation has failed in the past. The government issues a bank license to commercial banks so that they could carry out banking operations. The government also goes ahead and supervises the activities of a bank. When applying for a bank license, applicants present their ethical guidelines. Moreover, there are other requirements that banks should fulfill before procuring the license. The government as a regulatory body ensures that the requirements are met in different ways. They include giving directions on the right action, obtaining undertakings from commercial banks, revoking the banking license, and imposing penalties. The government has failed to supervise commercial banks effectively. It has led to non-compliance with the requirements. Banks have also found a leeway in going against the supervisory body. It has resulted in activities against their ethical code of conduct. The government ends up assisting banks with problems that could be easily avoided. Thus, the government should not seek how to control banks but rather supervise their operations effectively. This way, banks will adhere to their requirements, thus operating effectively (Reynolds Newell, 2011). The Federal Reserve Bank requires that each bank reports and discloses its annual financial information. This information and other details should also be available from the bank any time the Federal Reserve Bank requires it. Before the financial crisis of 2008, the government did not audit commercial banks. It trusted that their financial information was correct. It gave banks a chance to doctor their books of accounting. Later, the Federal Reserve Bank found out that banks were in different financial positions that they actually reported. It was a great risk for depositors and creditors who assessed wrong information in determining the level of risks when making investment decisions (Groarke, 1998). It means that banks could have a chance to go against a key ethical requirement, market discipline. Market discipline ensures that there is control over prices as well as lending rates in the market. Without market discipline, market prices are distorted. The market also lacks financial health. Besides, the government cannot use information on market prices to indicate the real financial health of commercial banks. In the process of regulation, regulatory bodies have made amends to secure commercial banks. The persistence of major financial scandals clearly shows that commercial bank regulation has a long way to go. The government has to develop new approaches aimed at bringing back trust in the banking industry. Commercial banks should also apply general logic in their operations. Most commercial banks do not adhere to their ethical code as far as compensation and pay are concerned. The government has made interventions in the industry to improve the economic situation that favor commercial banks. However, compensation and pay for bankers does not help make banking a better industry. Most people feel that bankers are unfairly rewarded rather than punished. The banking industry does not impose the right penalties for those in the industry (Reynolds Newell, 2011). The perfect example is a manager receiving huge bonuses in good times as well as bad times. Managers can reap maximum rewards in times of credit crunches that is unfair for the financial sector. It shows that the banking industry is ready to absorb any economic gains easily. However, they run back to the government in times of economic downfall to bail them out. The government has bailed out banks from the financial crisis. Among these banks, there are managers and directors who reaped millions from the crisis. In this case, governments should leave banks to collapse rather than bail them out. The reason is that investors in banks have given their management the chance to take advantage of their investments. Commercial banks should also regulate their operations to avoid running back to the government after their collapse (Groarke, 1998). The fact that regulators have focused on making banks more efficient and transparent shows that the financial sector can improve. However, the government has paid little attention to the improvement of the sector for maximum benefits to the society in general. Banking has failed to fulfill its social function. The government has only focused on the financial part of banking with financial models and investment advices. Nevertheless, ethical banking involves the society and the bank’s environment. Banks should base their evaluation on real outcomes in the society. These include safety, access, performance, fairness, trust, and accountability. It will ensure financial health as well as social welfare. Every commercial bank will struggle to understand the market not only in terms of the economy but also as a society. Policymakers and regulators should realize that failure in the market at the level of institutions affects the society as a whole. The question is not whether the go vernment controls banks fully or not. Rather, it is what the government is doing to improve the market at the institutional level, which will translate down to ordinary financial users (Reynolds Newell, 2011). The notion that banks are too big financial sectors to fall is particularly selective. Only three decades ago, the global economy did not depend on banking. Banking played a minor role in it. Financial institutions were not in the list of major industries in different economies. However, it has changed drastically with changes in investments. Today, every economy in the world fully depends on the health of its banking sector. Overreliance on the financial markets poses the question of whether banks should be listed as basic utilities, such as electricity or water. The response to this question is in the trust that people are ready to give to financial markets. It is vital for the systems, which depend on trust, to work. The public heavily relies on banks to take care of financial savings. Their importance cannot be overestimated. Therefore, it is the role of the government to come up with regulatory measures to ensure that the banking sector is healthy. It does not imply that the gov ernment has to take over banking entirely. Rather, it means that the government should give banks freedom to invest and, at the same time, regulate their operations to avoid collapse (Groarke, 1998). Regulators should support collapsing banks only when banks really require it. It means that the carelessness of managers and investors is not a reason for bailing out. The government must also provide investment advice to the public. Economic experts have recently come up with principles to guarantee that the government can protect the public from commercial banks. It will ensure that commercial banks run as independent entities and fully assist the society. These principles will also improve disclosure, transparency, as well as responsibility, as far as ethical conduct is concerned with providing financial services. Moreover, they will make certain that the public is not a victim of misconduct of bankers. The principles aim to restore trust that is not achievable unless investors and customers feel secure about the banking sector. It is now the role of the government and banking authorities to adopt and follow the principles. This way, the global economy will stay ahead in matters of development to prevent any other crisis. The point that the government should completely absorb commercial banks will not assist in providing financial health. It will discourage risky investment and healthy competition in the marke t.

Employee Turnover and Retention Strategies Essay

Employee Turnover and Retention Strategies - Essay Example Every department, be it operations, finance, human resources, or sales and marketing, must invest in motivating, training, and retaining their best human resources to make a difference through their core competencies. As Susan Heathfield said: "Managers readily agree that retaining your best employees ensures customer satisfaction, product sales, satisfied co-workers and reporting staff, effective succession planning and deeply imbedded organizational knowledge and learning." Today organisations are willing to look upon their staff not so much as employees or workers but as 'knowledge workers'. As Peter Drucker observed, "while the more than fifty-fold increase in productivity of the manual worker was the greatest achievement of the 20th century manager, the most important work of the 21st century is to increase the productivity of the knowledge worker." (Pottruck and Pearce, 131). The more competent workers your company or organisation loses, the more will it set your clock back in finding and training suitable replacements at much greater costs. In the meantime your loss becomes your competitor's gain, which again has adverse implications on the success of your operations. Among the major causes that propelled employees to quit an organisation, the following conditions mostly relating to work culture have been identified as contributing to employee dissatisfaction and consequent exit: Lack of clarity in company policies, practices, and procedures Excessive controls and autocratic leadership Bureaucratic work environment with lack of trust Inadequate remuneration and unjustified cost cuts Poor quality of supervision Lack of opportunities for growth Absence of facilities for training and development Lack of scope for utilization of skills and talents Poor communication (with the employee not knowing what is expected of him daily) Lack of rewards, recognition and encouragement Unfair and inequitable treatment of employees Overbearing attitude and threatening by supervisors The Case of Solution's Solution's began operations on a small scale in 1967 as a recruitment agency for social care specialists. Headquartered in London, Solution's expanded in a big way in four decades to establish itself as the largest social care agency in the UK, with 160 employees spread over18 branches. The year 2004 proved to be a disappointment for the company in terms of financial performance, compelling it to slash commissions given to consultants for recruitment mostly in branches located in London. The weak performance also resulted in the retrenchment of up to 15 branch administers, apart from the voluntary exit of many employees who signed up with rival agencies. An analysis showed that the major cause for high employee turnover (91%) in 2004 was the cost reduction strategy adopted by the company. With a view to putting the operations back on rail, the company opted for a change of leadership at the top. A new managing director joined the board in January 2005 with a mission to improve the health of the company in general and the turnover situation in particular. He believed that the key to success through increased sales lay in ensuring employee satisfaction. Accordingly he straightway set about implementing certain remedial and innovative measures for a

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS - Essay Example After creating this cordial atmosphere between the two of us, I will be considerate enough to know that he is a man who has an active role to play in the corporation. I will, therefore, ask for as limited amount of time with him as possible. Finally, I will remember to politely follow up with an email if he does not remember to inform me of his preparation for the interview (Hoevemeyer 14). The structure to be used for the interview with the Chief Accountant, Mr. Leo, will be a diamond-shaped structure. This is because interviewing Mr. Leo will require asking of specific questions, followed by general questions and finally concluding with specific questions. The structure will be of importance in warming up Mr. Leo and give him the morale of answering my questions. The following question, that requires a generalized response, will therefore, be used: Mr. Leo, would you like to know the objects of my interview? Such a specific question will make Mr. Leo curious about my intentions and will have my attention. The next thing will be generally examining the objects through used of open- ended questions. For instance, the following question can be used: how do you think the objectives of my interview will affect your company? Finally, there will be use of closed questions when analyzing each of the objects of my interview. This will create a platform of argument for scrutin izing the objects and coming up with conclusions (Hoevemeyer 28). I will not interview them since it will take a lot of time which would have been productive to the corporation. Furthermore, interviewing Mr.Leo intensively will be appropriate to satisfy my objectives as he is the overseer of that department. It would be difficult interviewing virtual customers such as those who are visitors to the website becomes they are unreachable. However, it is easier to interview the customers who one can survey and email. It will certainly be easier to get valuable

Marketing Orientation Essay Example for Free

Marketing Orientation Essay There have been many studies of the term ‘marketing orientation’, and its presence within organisations. Marketing orientation is an approach that companies take which centres its activities towards achieving customer satisfaction through effective marketing. It is where customers form the basis of an organisations performance and overall success. In order to achieve successful marketing orientation, a company must organise an effective structure through planning its activities, products and services successfully. This will help the company on focusing its aims and objectives on the needs and requirements of its customers, in order to establish a relationship that will increase performance and success. ‘Market orientation is the organisation wide development of market intelligence pertaining to customer needs. ’ (Kohli and Jaworski, 1990. p12) Two approaches to marketing Orientation have been suggested by Avlonitis and Gounaris (1999), focusing on the practices and culture that the company adopts. It has been interpreted by Avlonitis and Gounaris (1999) that marketing orientation is either ‘a company attitude or company behaviour. This is whether a company is customer orientated or focuses on a competitive advantage through marketing orientation. Other authors have similiar thoughts upon these approaches to marketing orientation. Drucker (1954) believes that customers perceive marketing as an ‘activity involving the entire organisation’, rather than being a specific company process. The author’s view coincides with the work of Avlonitis and Gounaris (1999), as he focuses on the attitude organisations have in satisfying customer needs. The oth er side to this approach is the significance of a company’s culture towards marketing orientated activities. Felton (1959) states; ‘It is the attitudes and beliefs of a workforce that control the level of orientated activities a company strives to achieve,’ implying the focus is on themselves competing rather than putting the customer first. Trout and Ries (1985) perceive marketing orientation as an effort by companies to increase competitor advantage, rather than satisfy customer needs. Therefore the company’s culture is focusing its strategy on competitor orientation in order to achieve success. An organisations performance is a very important aspect of successful marketing orientation. Narver and Slater (1990) state that marketing orientation is based on 3 performance measures, which include ‘customer and competitor orientation, and inter-functional coordination. ’ Introducing effective performance measures can have positive influences on companies, as it helps the company’s culture set aims and objectives for a successful approach to marketing orientation. Jobber (2007) also describes the importance of these measures, stating; ‘A marketing concept culture that manifests in corporate activities to create superior value for customers. However, specific marketing activities relating to the behaviour of a company have ‘emphasis on managerial control rather than the natural culture of the organisation’ (Ellis, 2004), which relates to the work of Trout and Ries (1985) and their beliefs of company’s influencing the importance of competitor orientation over the satisfaction of their customers. Sharp (1991) argues the approach to marketing orientation as described by Drucker (1954), saying that it’s more than just about customer focus; Market orientation has a principle element of focusing on available markets and customer needs. Sharp criticises this view of orientation, as costs of maintaining customer focus will incur in unstable markets, affecting a companies orientation plan. In order to balance this procedure, a company needs equal focus in its approach to marketing orientation, which will help achieve success and efficiency. The link between organisational strategic thinking (Sharp, 1991) and managerial control (Ellis, 2004) helps towards a successful company through competitor orientation. Ellis states that effective performances increase through analysing competitor actions, in order to create a competitor advantage. However, company’s still need to be responsive to customer needs due to volatile markets. Overall increases of a company’s orientation, resulting from effective customer satisfaction, will then lead to greater performances (Kohli and Jaworski, 1990). The relationship between performance and marketing orientation is analysed negatively to strategic marketing. Sin (2005) considers the ‘external environmental aspects’ of marketing orientation, emphasising the importance of linking performance and marketing orientation in order to meet the needs of customers. Sin believes that if companies developed their approaches towards linking these two factors, a more in depth examination of customers needs could be undertaken, which would lead to higher performances within the company. Sin agrees with Sharp’s views, by describing the inclusion of customer needs as well as company aims and objectives. A strategic way of thinking is described by Sharp, where marketing orientation is described as being the most relevant, as it focuses on company, and not just market characteristics. The analyses of various journal articles relating to marketing orientation has led me to understand the different issues relating to marketing orientation. I agree with Kohli and Jaworski (1990) that a company should balance its orientation between customer focus and its aims and objectives, for effective performances. The authors were very clear and focused on what strategies were effective in approaching marketing orientation. I felt that this analysis helped me understand the best method of adopting marketing orientation and how to effectively respond to customer demands, as well as creating a competitive advantage. Limitations to the analysis were discussions from Felton (1959) and Trout and Ries (1995). The views of these authors concentrated on companies who adopted marketing orientation to create a competitive advantage as its main priority. The context of this article focused totally on businesses success and shadowed the importance of customer orientation, something which I feel is crucial for overall success.

Stranger in a Strange Land Essay -- Stranger in a Strange Land

Stranger in a Strange Land Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein takes the themes portrayed in the book and directly criticizes the Western Culture. As Heinlein said, "My purpose in this book was to examine every major axiom of western culture, to question each axiom, throw doubt on it" (Jelliffe 161). These axioms are where feels the Western Culture fails and so he uses the themes to criticize humans of the Western Culture by pointing out these faults. The themes of the story portray this by having Valentine Michael Smith, a human raised by Martians, come to earth to teach his knowledge which contradict what the Western Culture feels to be true. "Stranger is a strong-minded work of culture criticism, no doubt about it (Stover 58)." The themes that Heinlein uses are those of religion, sex, and love to make his point of where the Western Culture fails as a whole. Heinlein's writing of his novels after 1961 when he wrote Stranger in a Strange Land, has changed the genre of science-fiction, because he not only wrote about strange worlds and crazy adventures, but Heinlein also tried to include criticism and a message to the reader in his novels to explain problems that he felt humans have. This became Heinlein's writing style after 1957 when he reached the age of 50 and was on the top of science-fiction. Because science-fiction was considered to be for kids, Heinlein began to write more for adult audiences by adding the real problems and criticism into his novel (Drucolli 210). "The publication of Stranger in a Strange Land marked drastic shift in Heinlein's writing, at least in social criticism and controversial subject matter" (Drucolli 227). "As he had done immediately before World War II, Heinlein helped to ... ...ing the Ways of Man to God: The Novels of Robert A Heinlein." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Eds. Dedria Bryfonski, Laurie Lanzen Harris. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company, 1980. Vol. 14, 254-255. Jelliffe, R.A. "Alice in Wonderland for Space Age Grownups." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Eds. Dedria Bryfonski, Laurie Lanzen Harris. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company, 1975. Vol. 26, 161-162. Rose, Lois and Stephen. "The Shattered Ring: Science Fiction and the Quest for meaning." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Carolyn Riley. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company, 1969. Vol. 3, 226-227. Samuelson, David. " 'Stranger' in the Sixties: Model or Mirror?" Contemporary Literary Criticism. Eds. Dedria Bryfonski, Laurie Lanzen Harris. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company, 1975. Vol 26, 167-169. Stover, Leon. Robert A. Heinlein. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987.

Community Policing Essay

1. Explain the concept Total Quality Management (TQM) and give examples of each stage of the process (Lesson Two Notes and Internet Research). TQM is a structured approach to organizational management. It entails several steps to identify, assess and implement solutions to problems. The first step is to identify a problem: This could be a patient complaint or an internal process that is not working. The next step would be to assess any needed corrective action. This is done through teamwork and collaboration by brainstorming on how the complaint can be resolved or what part of the process is not working. The questions to ask are; how can we improve? Additional steps are implementing the new process and checking the quality to see if it is actually an improvement. This is done through feedback, surveys and visual observance. 2. How is the nature of crime changing? What types of crimes do you feel we will have to deal with in the future, possibly some that we presently do not deal with? Crime has been changing in numerous ways. With the internet, to name a few, there are crimes of fraud, identity theft and hackers using spam and viruses to steal information and funds. Bank robberies are occurring online and criminals are avoiding the risk of getting caught by robbing them in person. New drugs are manufactured or smuggled into the US constantly and law enforcement is not able to keep up. With the advancements of electronic technology, I foresee many crimes being committed against people who use electronics solely for protecting their home, investments, etc. Hackers will be able to bypass any home security system and gain entry through electronic means. We will no longer be safe in the fortress we thought was solid. Another crime that has the potential to escalate is the creation and selling of coins simila r to bitcoins. Because they are relatively new, people don’t know much about them and take a risk in investing in them. I can visualize fraud and Ponzi type crimes as a result. 3. Explain what is meant by the title of Chapter Two: Engaging in a Changing Society. Be sure to give examples. Actually the title is â€Å"Partnerships in a Changing Society† and discusses the relationship between the community and police as times change. This includes a number of concepts like; communitarianism, in which a community is given the rights and responsibilities to take care of itself by  developing community watches, preventing drug dealers from selling in their neighborhoods; social capital, which is a form of bonding between the community and its individuals, like churches and schools. And last but not least there are volunteers who provide an invaluable service to the police free of charge. These services range from fundraising to helping out in soup kitchens. 4. How does the traditional police organization contrast with the community problem solving strategy of community policing? There are several ways traditional policing contrasts with COPPS. Initially, the government was solely responsible for ensuring laws were enforced while now, both the public and police work together to prevent crimes. In the past, issues important to the police were not important or not taken seriously by other public service departments. In today’s policing, they all assume some responsibility in trying to improve quality of life. Crimes that netted high values were the focus of law enforcement while now, crimes that disrupt a citizens way of like and is of concern has become the focus. These are but just a few ways the two contrasts. 5. How can government most effectively expand its commitment to customer service? Currently, the government has offered services online as well as post updated information to be reviewed by the public. These include; calls for services as some police departments, sheriff’s departments share information about sex offenders in the area as well as arrests and police reports on a daily basis. By providing this type of information to the public, it shows the government as being a willing participant in an effort to protect our communities.

Emirates Airline in Dubai Essay

With the competition in the aviation industry threatening to hit fever pitch, Emirates is doing everything at its disposal to remain relevant in the sector which continues to grow tremendously. The massive growth in the aviation industry which has been largely attributed to globalization and industrialization calls for major players such as Emirates airlines to put extra efforts as far as service delivery is concerned in a bid to remain at the top. And since growth comes with its fair share of competition, to keep up with it a company must offer not only best but also unique services and be ready to commit enough resources towards customer satisfaction. It is in this spirit that Emirates through its innovative and creative strategy has remained a pace setter in the aviation industry. Pioneer In order to address the communication needs of its passengers, Emirates became the pioneer airline to launch a service of its kind which allows passengers to use their cell phones. The service which was first rolled out on 20 March 2008 on a charter plane between Dubai and Casablanca was received well by a good number of stakeholders in the industry. With this new system, passengers will now be in a position to call or send text messages to people who are on the ground. Already experts say that other airlines have gone back to the drawing board with a keen interest of embracing this new technology so as to attract more customers. Food for the soul Emirates offers what one can call a one-stop in-flight entertainment system with a wide range of options such as live international television channels, music and movies which are largely attributed to its large client base. Apart from in-flight internet services available to all classes of passengers, they are also provided with newspapers, magazines and other periodicals to inform and educate them while traveling. Generally it provides all what clients’ needs including food to music which some prefer calling food for the soul. This kind of investment in the entertainment makes customers to enjoy their journey and even consider using the same service in future hence making the Dubai based company preferred by many clients. Customer service Client satisfaction which gives Emirates competitive advantage can be attributed to its professional, young, dynamic, diligent, and dedicated cabin crew drawn from various countries. The multilingual staff uses its diverse cultural backgrounds coupled with the facilities available to serve passengers with the humility they deserve. Fully cognizant of the fact that good performance in business can only be achieved through customer satisfaction; the company has utilized this unique capability to offer best services so as to achieve the desire of their clients. This lean and well coordinated work force has seen . the airline maintain high standard of service delivery and achieve enviable goals. Although experts argue that this is a strategy aimed at cutting on costs, research shows that lean staff coupled with a simple organizational structure like the one adopted by the company leads to success. State-of–the-art The state-of-the-art fleet of planes which Emirates boasts of has enabled it to be consistent and reliable more than any other top airline. These latest planes comes in handy because it means they will be at the right place at the right time hence fits the bill of the demands of customers. Irrespective of the class of the plane, once you fly with the company comfort is guaranteed. Responsibility In this era where corporate organizations are giving back to the community in the spirit of social corporate responsibility, Emirates is not left behind. It sponsors major events across the world ranging from sports to trade. For instance it sponsors the English Premier League side Arsenal, Dubai Shopping Festival, West Australian Symphony Orchestra among others. Such gestures although can be easily dismissed by critics as public relations gimmicks, demonstrates that the company has the interests of the international community at heart bearing in mind that is where it draws its customer base from. The creativity and friendliness in which Emirates has handled its sponsored activities has really ripped off if the profits it continues to register is something to go by. Strategic position It is important to note that the strategic position of Dubai, home base of Emirates gives it an edge to do business. Strategic because one can conveniently fly to Dubai before connecting with ease to other cities like Manchester or Rome while avoiding an extra trip hence saving on costs. Apart from being a commercial hub, Dubai is a major tourism attraction a factor which makes the aviation industry to blossom. Those who fly with Emirates airlines attest that their ambitions are met a clear manifestation that that its objective of offering best services on every route it operates is fully achieved. Its value for clients has won accolades and trust from many quarters making it an airline you can bank on.

Genetics essays

Genetics essays GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS A RISK TO HUMANITY Giant transnational companies are carrying out a dangerous global experiment by introducing large numbers of genetically engineered foods into our diet. Genetic manipulations can result in unanticipated harmful effects, and because genetically engineered foods are not tested sufficiently, this experiment not only jeopardizes the health of individuals, but could also lead to global food shortages and extensive ecological hazards. Due to genetically modified food's unique and unknown nature, there is potential for adverse health side effects. It is impossible to predict the impact of genetic food, it is a matter of waiting for and observing future consequences. The cross-species transfers being made, such as between fish and tomatoes, would not happen in nature and may create new toxins, diseases, and weaknesses. An example of a possible health detrimental effect is resistance to widely used antibiotics. A new type of maize is currently being produced in the UK. Maize is attacked by the corn borer mite, that chews through the stalks. Genetically modified maize has been produced to be repellent to the mite. The marker gene in the new maize is resistant to ampicllin, an antibiotic. Scientists are concerned that when this maize is eaten, the gene will come in contact and be passed to bacteria living in the human gut. These bacteria would then be resistant to the antibiotic. There is only a slight chance of this occurring, but there is always a first time. Transferring animal genes into plants also raises important ethical issues for vegetarians and religious groups. It may also involve animal experiments that are unacceptable to many people. Once a genetically modified organism has been released into the environment it can reproduce, move and even mutate. After its release, it cannot be recalled. Unlike chemical or nuclear contamination, genetic pollution is perpetual. It can n...

Biography of Tom Hayden, Activist and Politician

Biography of Tom Hayden, Activist and Politician Tom Hayden (December 11, 1939–October 23, 2016) was an American anti-war activist and the co-founder of Students for a Democratic Society. In later life, he was elected to public office in California. Fast Facts: Tom Hayden Known For: Co-founder of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and a political activist focused on anti-war efforts, civil rights, and progressivism in American politicsOccupation: Activist, author, professor, and politicianBorn: December 11, 1939  in Royal Oak, MichiganDied: October 23, 2016  in Santa Monica, CaliforniaSpouse(s): Casey Cason  (m. 1961–1962), Jane Fonda  (m. 1973–1990), Barbara Williams  (m. 1993–2016)Children: Troy Garity, Liam Jack Diallo Hayden Early Life Hayden was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, to Genevieve and John Hayden. His father, a former Marine of Irish Catholic descent, was an accountant for Chrysler. The Haydens divorced when Thomas was ten, in large part due to John’s violent alcoholic tendencies. Hayden was raised by his mother and grew up attending Catholic elementary school, but he broke with the Church when he grew older. Hayden began his career as the editor of his high school’s newspaper. He then went on to attend the University of Michigan, where he served as the editor of the student newspaper, the Michigan Daily. It was at this time that he became more politically active, eventually co-founding the leftist student group Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). He met his first wife, Sandra Cason, through their shared activism, and the couple married in 1961. Radical Activism Hayden began his larger-scale activism as a Freedom Rider in the South, riding into the segregated South to protest the non-compliance with a Supreme Court ruling that had made segregated buses unconstitutional. As president of the SDS, Hayden drafted their manifesto, the Port Huron Statement, which became an early inspiration for the â€Å"New Left† and young, radical leftist movement in the United States. After divorcing Cason in 1962, Hayden moved to Newark, New Jersey, where he worked from 1964 to 1968 with inner-city residents and witnessed the 1967 â€Å"race riots,† which he attributed to more than just racial conflict. It was in 1965, however, that Hayden began his more visible and controversial activism. Alongside Communist Party USA member Herbert Aptheker and Quaker peace activist Staughton Lynd, Hayden visited North Vietnam, touring villages and factories. He continued his anti-war activities into 1968, when he joined the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam and protested outside the Democratic National Convention. Those protests led to his indictment, along with several of his fellow protestors, on charges of incitement to riot and conspiracy. Their case became known as the â€Å"Chicago Seven† (named after the city where the convention and protests occurred), and although Hayden and other protestors were initially convicted of crossing state lines with the intention to riot, the decision was later reversed, and the government did not retry the case. Following the trial, Hayden continued to make highly visible visits to Vietnam and Cambodia, the latter of which had been drawn into the war under the Nixon administration. Hayden had become involved romantically with actress Jane Fonda, who was also an anti-war protestor and famously took a trip to Hanoi, the North Vietnamese capital, in 1972. The couple married in 1973 and welcomed their son, Troy Garity (given Hayden’s mother’s maiden name for his surname). He also founded the Indochina Peace Campaign, which organized anti-war dissent and fought for amnesty for those who dodged being drafted. Entry into Politics In 1976, Hayden made his first political move when he challenged incumbent Senator John V. Tunney for a California Senate seat. Although he was initially viewed as a fringe candidate, he wound up finishing a strong second in the Democratic primary. In the 1980s, he served in the California state assembly and, in the 1990s, in the state senate. Hayden served on the advisory board of the Progressive Democrats of America, a political organization and grassroots political action committee created to advocate for more progressive policy within the Democratic Party. He also became a strong advocate for animal rights and authored a bill that improved protections for pets and shelter animals. Throughout his career, Hayden taught at the university level at several California universities. For the most part, his courses specialized in social movements, political science, and history of protests. He also authored or edited nearly 20 books. Later Life In 1990, Hayden and Fonda divorced; three years later, he married his third wife, Barbara Williams, a Canadian-American actress. The couple adopted a son, Liam, who was born in 2000. The 2016 election would be the last campaign season he participated in: although he reportedly supported Bernie Sanders early on, he publicly supported Hillary Clinton. However, Hayden did not live to see the results of the election. After a lengthy illness and a stroke, Hayden died on October 23, 2016, in Santa Monica, California. He left behind a large volume of published work, as well as a legacy of pushing for progress, even (and especially) when it went against the â€Å"establishment† thinking. Sources Finnegan, Michael. â€Å"The radical inside the system: Tom Hayden, protester-turned-politician, dies at 76.† The Los Angeles Times, 23 October 2016, https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-tom-hayden-snap-story.html.McFadden, Robert D. â€Å"Tom Hayden, Civil Rights and Antiwar Activist Turned Lawmaker, Dies at 76.† The New York Times, 24 October 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/25/us/tom-hayden-dead.html.Schaffer, Scott. â€Å"Tom Hayden: American Activist and Author.† Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 7 December 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tom-Hayden.

Texas Lottery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Texas Lottery - Essay Example Thesis: It is right for Texas law to restricts the lottery commission from introducing new forms of gambling. Texas Lottery runs by the Texas government thus it is often criticized as a typical gambling which has a negative impact on the society. In 1991, the legislation to create a state lottery was introduced and Texas population approved the Lottery. Since that time, the Texas Lottery communion has introduced a lot of new forms of gambling including Mega Millions, Looto Texas, Daily 4 (The Texas Lottery 2008). The goals of the Texas laws are to restrict gambling in the state and protect citizens from "exploitation" by the Lottery commission. Also, Texas laws regulate the gambling industry and stipulate strict norms and principles for the Lottery. The advisability of legalizing the Lottery in order to generate revenue for the state must be assessed in terms of the equity of gambling as a tax source, i.e. the regressivity of taxes, and the efficiency of raising revenue through gambling taxes, i.e. the cost-effectiveness of the Lottery legalization (Dee 2004). Thus, current laws do not accomplish their goals and permits emergence of new forms of Lottery and gambling. Daily 4. is an example of this process. The right thing is that the Texas laws legalize the Lottery and reduce illegal gambling in Texas (Sandberg 2008).

Answer to discussion board post Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer to discussion board post - Assignment Example ers aiming to effectively relay knowledge, it would be appropriate therefore, to assess the general or predominant learning styles of the students to provide the learning strategies that would maximize the students’ potentials to learn. This would also entail teaching applicable study skills like â€Å"active listening, reading comprehension, note taking, stress management, time management, test taking, and memorization† (Education Corner, 2011, par. 2), as needed. The strategies for applying study skills could be different depending on the subjects, such as English, science, history or mathematic classes since the subjects have diverse thrusts, learning objectives and focal points; but the study skills remain the same. For instance, English classes aim to develop students skills in grammar, writing, reading and comprehension which requires study skills that would develop proficiencies in these areas (note taking, reading comprehension, time management). On the other hand, for mathematics, skills could be apty developed through practice and provision of visual learning aids, such as flashcards, charts, or graphs, as needed. History requires a lot of reading and science subjects need both reading and applications, where active listening, note taking, time management and memorization would assist students in enhancing their potentials to learn. It is a matter of using the most appropriate strategy to apply the study skills deemed needed to impro ve learning and academic performance of

In Defense of Globalization - International Trade and Free Markets Essay - 1

In Defense of Globalization - International Trade and Free Markets - Essay Example One of the most important provisions under neoliberalism has been international trade and free markets. This concept of free and market-based economies can be traced back to more than 200 years back when the idea was born during the years of the Industrial Revolution. Evidence of the emergence of this idea can be traced to the discussion of such ideas in a book titled The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith in 1776, which professed that in order to attain maximum efficiency, any form of intervention into the working of the market had to be withheld by the government and all kinds of taxes and surcharges on manufacturing and commerce had to be done away with. Given the old practices of the olden days, such new and innovative ideas were immediately opposed, due to which, free markets had to be introduced by force. The introduction of free markets led to a strong growth of the economies of the countries (especially the ones in Europe) that were undergoing the industrial revolution. However, the booming trade and the discovery of new lands prompted these nations to promote trade overseas, which did not go according to what Free market theory had professed. The mercantilist system helped the imperial powers in carrying out unfair trade practices, which helped them to get richer at the expense of the overseas territories, which became poorer and poorer. This led to the creation of a financial imbalance in the world order, which saw some nations getting very prosperous at the behest of other nations, whose people were forced to remain poor. The trend in this direction continued to persist until the Second World War, whose culmination witnessed a reduction in the economic might of the empires. This reduction of strength prompted the colonized countries to break free one after another. However, the massive changes in the world geopolitical system saw the evolution of different forms of government in various countries, such as democracy in India and Communism in the Soviet Union and Russia.     

Trends in Business Communication Essay Example for Free

Trends in Business Communication Essay Over the past two decades technology has advanced rapidly, bringing substantial change in how people communicate in business. While traditional methods of communications such as formal letters and business meetings still take place, even these types of communications have changes dramatically. With the rise of personal computers and the internet in the early 1990’s, nearly every form of communication in business today would be largely unrecognizable to businesspersons from previous decades. The development of these business communication methods are one of the biggest reasons for movement toward an increasingly global economy today. In today’s business environment, typed letters are seldom used. In the times when they are used, they are used as more of a formality than as an everyday form of communication. From personal business experience, they are mainly used to personalize a relationship with clients and most often times are reinforced with electronic communications. Even the way letters are written in today’s business environment is drastically different from years past. Electronic methods for producing and personalizing the letters have been greatly enhanced by the software available today. As for non-formal written communications such as memos, from personal experience they are almost never received in hardcopy. They are all disseminated via e-mail. E-mail is the communications forum that has most affected business communications. Whether formal or informal, it provides for immediate transmittal and reply. A common issue with e-mail communications is that they may become too burdensome, however. The ease of mass dissemination and the prevalence of its use can often lead to large volume of relatively unimportant e-mails. There have been methods developed to lessen this burden, however, including the ability to identify relatively important e-mails such as flagging them. While e-mail has provided a much more fluent and easier method of communication among co-workers and clients, there have been advances that allow businesspersons to accomplish many tasks with less communication with people than was necessary in the past. In today’s business environment, almost all successful companies have interactive websites for customers to research information or to directly communicate with customer support. Data research is constantly required for customer inquiries or for data mining in almost every position within a company. The development of networked databases and cloud computing has allowed employees to conduct almost all necessary research without even speaking to a customer or another employee. The advancement of cloud computing in recent years allows businesses to store and access data remotely, rather than maintaining their own infrastructure. It allows you to access data using any device with a network connection as well as to work on documents with other businesspeople in multiple locations. Cloud computing also allows unlimited storage space and through subscription to the software, allowing businesses to only use what they need. Telecommunications has also been developed into something drastically different than from just a few years ago. While almost all conferences and meetings took place in person not too long ago. More frequent meetings that include all personnel are now increasingly possible with advances in teleconferencing and on-line meetings. In my current position, meetings are held several times a week from offices all around the country on-line. Training is also being conducted in this manner with live training sessions on-line where you can interact with the instructor through instant messaging and telephone. Because of these methods, business can be conducted from almost anywhere a networked computer is available. Another trend that is being allowed by business communication is that employees are increasingly working from remote locations. Devices such as wikis, PDAs, and much more powerful networks and transportable computers have made many of these advances in business communication much easier. In a previous position, our director often worked from remote locations while away on either vacation or business trips almost seamlessly. In my current position, I frequently interact with employees who work from home. The continually advancing technology of recent years has brought about dramatic changes in business communication. In the years to come, it will allow companies to become increasingly paperless will likely provide even greater changes to the way that businesses communicate. Rapidly advances in mobile devices and the software available for them will make what today is viewed as extraordinary the norm. In all, the developments of the last few years have greatly enhanced business communication, improving productivity and generally lowering costs while enabling a company to increase revenues. Effective communications play a critical role in all relationships within a business from management to employee to client. slide 1 of 10 The efficiency and overall profitability of businesses who have quickly adapted to the new communication methods has greatly improved, leaving all other companies no choice but to try and keep up. Communication is probably the most critical factor in the business world of today and companies who can more quickly to develop more effective communication will almost certainly have a substantial advantage on their competition.