Tuesday, December 31, 2019

BUS 475 Week 2 Knowledge Check - 1108 Words

BUS 475 Week 2 Knowledge Check 1. Compared with other approaches to business, the marketing concept is distinct in that it A. focuses on sales B. produces new products and services C. creates a broad assortment of products D. focuses on satisfying customers needs 2.A company provides its advertising agency with a statement about a new product to use in designing an advertising campaign, and this statement includes a description of the target market, the product type, the primary benefits of using the product, and how this product is different from, and better than, competitive products. What type of statement is this? A. Qualifying B. Positioning C. Determining D. Clustering 3. The sales analysis of a product revealed†¦show more content†¦increased, causing the price of cigarette rolling machines to rise and the quantity of machines purchased to rise D. increased, causing the price of cigarette rolling machines to rise and the quantity of machines purchased to fall 12. Keynes believed that an increase in savings would A. raise aggregate demand by reducing investment B. raise aggregate demand by increasing consumption C. reduce aggregate demand by reducing investment D. reduce aggregate demand by reducing consumption 13. Which of the following monetary policies reduces aggregate demand and output? A. A cut in the federal funds rate B. An open market purchase of government securities C. An increase in the discount rate D. A cut in the required reserve ratio 14. Deficits may be desirable in the short run if they A. help to stabilize the economy when the economy falls below potential output B. increase savings necessary for future investment and growth C. increase savings necessary for future consumption and demand D. help to stabilize the economy when the economy is above potential output 15. If for a country, the quantity of its currency demanded exceeds the quantity supplied, then there is a A. balance of payments surplus B. balance of payments deficit C. balance of payments equilibrium D. trade balance 16. Suppose that college tuition is higher this year than last year and that more students are enrolled inShow MoreRelatedBUS 475 Week 2 Knowledge Check Assignment1150 Words   |  5 PagesBUS 475 Week 2 Knowledge Check 1. Compared with other approaches to business, the marketing concept is distinct in that it ï‚ · focuses on sales ï‚ · produces new products and services ï‚ · creates a broad assortment of products ï‚ · focuses on satisfying customers needs 2. A company provides its advertising agency with a statement about a new product to use in designing an advertising campaign, and this statement includes a description of the target market, the product type, the primary benefits ofRead MoreBUS 475 Week 4 Knowledge Check Assignment1515 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿BUS 475 Week 4 Knowledge Check 1. A fast-food restaurant asks customers to evaluate the drive-thru service as good, average, or poor. What level of data measurement is this classification? Nominal Ordinal Interval Ratio Click here to download BUS 475 Week 4 Knowledge Check 2. In order to determine the average amount spent in November on Amazon.com a random sample of 144 Amazon accounts were selected. The sample mean amount spent in November was $250 with a standard deviation of $25. AssumingRead MoreBUS 475 Final Exam2905 Words   |  12 PagesBus 475 Capstone Part 1 The theme of Bus 475 Capstone Part 1 is to enable students to learn about the ways of motivation to let employees work toward achieving the organizational goals. This course tells about the use of communication techniques with the subordinates and supervisors to make it effective. There is a Bus 475 Capstone Part 2 as well that tells the things which are not covered under Part 2 or it is the more explanatory version of Part 1. To complete the Part 1, there are classesRead MoreBUS 475 Sample Final Exam4943 Words   |  20 Pagesï » ¿ BUS/475 Sample Final Exam 1. Which of the following is NOT an element of manufacturing overhead? a.  Factory employee’s salary b.  Depreciation on the factory c.  Plant manager’s salary d.  Factory repairperson’s wages 2. What accounts are NOT classified in the current assets section of the balance sheet? a.  Cash b.  Accounts payable c.  Security deposits d.  Inventory 3. The starting point of a master budget is the preparationRead MoreBus 4756130 Words   |  25 PagesBUS/475 Sample Final Exam This Sample Final Exam is provided as a resource to help familiarize students with the content areas and types of questions that they may encounter when they complete the comprehensive BUS/475 Final Exam in Week Five. The student version of the sample Final does not include the correct answers (as marked below in red). Please feel free to share the sample final questions and answers with your students. Accounting Financial accounting Conceptual foundations IncomeRead MoreAccounting: Fraud and Problem-based Learning Case18144 Words   |  73 PagesISSUES IN ACCOUNTING EDUCATION Vol. 18, No. 2 May 2003 pp. 137à ±173 The Tallahassee BeanCounters: A Problem-Based Learning Case in Forensic Auditing Cindy Durtschi ABSTRACT: You are auditing the books of the Tallahassee BeanCounters (TBC), a minor league baseball team in Tallahassee, Florida. During your audit the teamà ­s owner, Franklin Kennedy, approaches you and offers an additional fee if you will quietly investigate the possibility of fraud within the firm. Mr. Kennedy reports that he receivedRead MoreSupply and Demand and Study Guide20292 Words   |  82 PagesHoughton Mifflin, p. 2 Economics is concerned with what is termed the economic problem. This fundamental problem, which is faced by all individuals and communities, centres on the inability of available resources to produce the goods and services that are required to satisfy all the material needs and wants of individuals and communities and that choices must be made between alternatives. Aim The aim of this unit is to help you to develop the understanding, knowledge and practical decision-makingRead MoreIntroduction to Materials Management169665 Words   |  679 PagesSingapore Pte. Ltd. Pearson Education Canada, Ltd. Pearson Education—Japan Pearson Education Australia Pty. Limited Pearson Education North Asia Ltd. Pearson Educacià ³n de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. Pearson Education Malaysia Pte. Ltd. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN-13: 978-0-13-233761-8 ISBN-10: 0-13-233761-4 From the Library of Girro@qq.com PREFACE Introduction to Materials Management is an introductory text written for students in community colleges and universities. It is used in technical programsRead MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 Pages CONTENTS: CASE STUDIES CASE STUDY 1 Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (A): The Role of the Operating Manager in Information Systems CASE STUDY I-1 IMT Custom Machine Company, Inc.: Selection of an Information Technology Platform CASE STUDY I-2 VoIP2.biz, Inc.: Deciding on the Next Steps for a VoIP Supplier CASE STUDY I-3 The VoIP Adoption at Butler University CASE STUDY I-4 Supporting Mobile Health Clinics: The Children’s Health Fund of New York City CASE STUDY I-5 DataRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pages Cross Reference of Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Concepts to Text Topics Chapter 1 Modern Project Management Chapter 8 Scheduling resources and cost 1.2 Project defined 1.3 Project management defined 1.4 Projects and programs (.2) 2.1 The project life cycle (.2.3) App. G.1 The project manager App. G.7 Political and social environments F.1 Integration of project management processes [3.1] 6.5.2 Setting a schedule baseline [8.1.4] 6.5.3.1 Setting a resource schedule 6.5.2.4 Resource

Monday, December 23, 2019

Diverse Personal Encounters With Non State Armed Actors

Diverse personal encounters with non-state armed actors animate my research agenda, and I seek to discern the meaning of a picture formed by pieces of a puzzle collected during my years of military service. As a peacekeeper in Kosovo, I witnessed how a random rifle shot could spark a series of reprisals across invisible lines that separated villages. My soldiers and I were almost powerless to stop them. On one hand, our legal mandate prevented our ability to take direct action. One the other, we understood so little about our adversaries we did not fully know which action to take. Subsequent experiences leading soldiers during counterinsurgency efforts in both Iraq and Afghanistan immersed me again in the turmoil created by overlapping networks of non-state armed groups competing for economic, social, and political power. Each incident revealed another piece of the puzzle, but the picture it formed remained unclear. I started to wonder if the pieces actually fit, or if I was p utting them together incorrectly. I intuitively sensed the ascendant role of non-state-armed actors in Kosovo. However, my experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan crystalized in me the desire to explore the broader political and social ramifications of the rising influence of non-state armed groups. I began to ponder the strategic impact of their decisions and actions on the long-term evolution of political institutions. What are the consequences when local political elites try to incorporateShow MoreRelatedThe Niger Delta Struggles: Its Implications for Resource Control.17990 Words   |  72 Pagesbetween local ethnic communities and agents of the Nigerian state and oil companies involved in the extraction and exploitation of oil in the area. What began as community agitation has undoubtedly undergone several transformations. The first involved the flowering of civil society, which mobilized a popular civil struggle. The second saw the extension of the agitation from that against multinational oil companies (MNCs) to include the Nigerian state. The third transformation involved the elevation of theRead MoreSocial Movements And Collective Action Essay8585 Words   |  35 Pagesactivate in an empty space, they have an itemized background behind their emergence and they are revolutionized in response to the realities of the subject-matter. As a result of the writings and research there has been a lot of debate regarding diverse perspectives of various researchers. Advances and defense of the existing school of thoughts were also presented along with the emergence of new school of thoughts altogether. Comprehensive research related to social movements is being conducted notRead MoreHistory and Rolls of Law Enforcement in America10094 Words   |  41 Pagesgained throughout the course. Followed by a reaction summary. To understand today, you often have to look at yesterday. To grasp the challenges that contemporary policing faces, we need to explore a brief history of law enforcement in the Untied States. It is a story of a countries continuing struggle with law enforcement within a democracy. On the one hand we all want a professional police, with highly trained officers who will rush to our door in emergencies. Weather the reason is crime or catastropheRead MoreWhy Guns Should Be Banned9306 Words   |  38 Pagesrate in the world. US civilians own about 270 million guns, compared to about 3 million guns owned by the military and less than 1 million guns owned by the police, also in the USA. In 2009, gun deaths actually outraced motor vehicle deaths in 10 US states. The 20% of gun owners possess 60% of all guns in the USA. Gun violence and gun control have been in the news a lot lately. This is because of the recent shooting in Newtown, Connecticut where 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot twenty children, six adultRead MoreWhy Guns Should Be Banned9315 Words   |  38 Pagesrate in the world. US civilians own about 270 million guns, compared to about 3 million guns owned by the military and less than 1 million guns owned by the police, also in the USA. In 2009, gun deaths actually outraced motor vehicle deaths in 10 US states. The 20% of gun owners possess 60% of all guns in the USA. Gun violence and gun control have been in the news a lot lately. This is because of the recent shooting in Newtown, Connecticut where 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot twenty children, six adultRead MoreSSD2 Module 2 Notes Essay23331 Words   |  94 Pagesleaders, and are critical links in the NCO support channel. These NCOs live and work with their Soldiers every day, and are responsible for their health, welfare, and safety. Squad, section and team leaders ensure their Soldiers meet standards in personal appearance, and teach them to maintain and account for their individual and unit equipment and property. Squad, section and team leaders teach everything from the making of sound and timely decisions and physical training to ethics and values. CorporalsRead MoreLgbt19540 Words   |  79 Pagessexuality and gender identity-based community centers and media in the United States and some other English-speaking countries.[3][4] It is also used in some other countries in whose languages the initialism is meaningful, such as France and Argentina. The initialism LGBT is intended to emphasize a diversity of sexuality and gender identity-based cultures and is sometimes used to refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non-cisgender instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexualRead MoreAlternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism21967 Words   |  88 Pages2 4 6 6 7 10 12 13 14 16 18 18 21 22 23 24 25 25 26 26 26 27 29 29 30 31 31 33 33 36 37 40 ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION APPROACHES AND THEIR APPLICATION Alternative Dispute Resolution comprises various approaches for resolving disputes in a non-confrontational way, ranging from negotiation between the two parties, a multiparty negotiation, through mediation, consensus building, to arbitration and adjudication The article introduces the key skills required, with particular attention to theirRead MoreChildren in Conflict to the Law12401 Words   |  50 Pagesstudy aimed to determine the main factors that contribute to the rise of Children in Conflict with the law in the City of Makati. Specific Problems: Below are the specific questions that guided the researcher in this study: 1. What are the personal profiles of the children in conflict with the law (CICL) in Makati in terms of: a. Sex b. Educational Attainment c. Educational Status d. Offense Committed e. Age When offense is committed 2. WhatRead MoreSwiss Army Case Study10155 Words   |  41 Pagesbecame wildly accepted in the United States when soldiers brought the knives back at the end of World War II. Swiss Army has a strong worldwide reputation built on quality and reliability with 92% brand awareness in the United States alone. Leveraging the success of the knife, the company expanded into apparel, travel gear, and other product categories. The launch of the Swiss watch was an overnight success; and now 1 out of 5 watches under $500 in the United States is Swiss. The company enjoyed similar

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The History of the National Transport Safety Board Free Essays

string(287) " has been struggling to create a balance between the issuing of responsibilities to its investigators to complete their duties on time and efficiently and also providing a better financial management system that is effective in curtailing the fraudulent risks and wastages of resources\." The National Transport Safety Board in the United States of America was established on the 1st of April 1967, basically relying on the Department of Transportation, for its funding and the administration maintenance. In 1974, the Safety Board Act (in P.L. We will write a custom essay sample on The History of the National Transport Safety Board or any similar topic only for you Order Now 93-633) was passed by the Congress, which thereafter, separated the board from the department of transportation which allowed the safety agency to carryout the unbiased investigations and also to make recommendations about the safety regulation sine then the NTSB has received a momentous respect from the Congress for its hard work in discovering the needed transportation safety enhancement and maintaining the civic confidence in transportation safety. On 1st October 2002 the funding authorization for the National Transport Safety Board expired but in the second session of the 107th Congress, bills that is the CRS-43H.R. 1527/S. 579 grants for authorization of the funds that are necessary for the expenses of the board. Senator John McCain introduced the reauthorization of the safety board which was therefore prepared and reported positively without adjustments by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. We see that on 13th March 2003. Representative Don Young established a bill for reauthorization of the board that was to be done on 1st April 2003. Also the House Committee covering Transport and Infrastructure reported a bill on May 1, 2003 the two bills, were to authorize the boards’ appropriations from the year 2003 to the year 2006 in which the same funding was to be provided. [1] Since its launch, the board has been given the responsibility of carrying out investigations on aviation and surface transportation accidents. Due to its high number of investigation recorded, the board is ranked as the worlds leading accident investigation agency. These transportation modes include the highway, marine, pipeline and railroad, therefore, it core objective is presenting safety recommendations that are meant to prevent future transportation accidents, and therefore it comes up with capable causes of the accidents. These investigations are carried out by the boards regional and field officers though they are not the basic sources of information to the board. The board has headquarter offices for all modes of transportation in which various information is requested from. The headquarter offices are situated at 490 L’Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20594 and they can be contacted by telephone (202) 314-6000 while its conference center is located at 429 L’Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC   20594 the location of the offices vary, depending on the mode of transport that the board deals with . The board is also dependable for maintaining the governments records on transportation issues, these records are normally accrued from special studies on transportation protection that are conducted by the board,   these studies basiaclly come up with factual and safety recommendations that are of a nationalized importance. Under this, the board provides investigators who always serve as qualified legislative body which is specified in the international agreements for aviation accidents overseas that usually involve the United States registered aircrafts. The National Transport Safety Board does not carry out regulations over the transportation apparatus, operation and the transportation personnel. The boards’ success in the formation of the transportation safety comes as a result of, its character for fairness and care. The National Transport Safety Board has five Board Members, who are normally chosen by the President and confirmed by the Senate to serve for a period of five years. Therefore a member is nominated by the President as Chairman and another as Vice Chairman for a period of two years These Chairmanship requires a separate Senate verification. In a situation where the chairman is not designated, then the vice chairman acts in place of the chairman. [2] Since the board has no power to regulate the transportation laws in the country it only causes change in the safety implementation of the transportation systems in the USA, therefore, it submits safety proposals to managers, workers, and the users of transportation systems. The safety measures include: improvement of child protection in automobile industry, reduction of fatigue of people from transportation operations, creation of event recorders that includes; video systems, commercial highway vehicle recorders, and an improved flight data recorder. Averting runway incursions at airports; justifying the risks of structural icing on aircraft; and the elimination of the explosive fuel in fuel tanks from the aircrafts to prevent explosions. while on the rail roads, the board comes up with a suggestion of avoiding collision systems, it also improves the safety standards of trucks and buses on the roads, this may require the use of seat belts, it also implements the promotion of highway safety through licensing and also ensuring that the driving laws are adhered to by the members of the country, and in marine transportation, the board enhances the recreational boating safety; and the post-accident drug and alcohol testing. Reports say that, these safety recommendations across all modes of transportation for over 35 years, through which about 82% of the recommendations has led to the implementation of acceptable safety improvements in the United States. The board normally works in collaboration with the department of transport agencies during the drafting of these measures so as to ensure that they are issued earlier and also in a satisfactory manner. The national transport board is given the authority to sign contracts for facilities, technical services, and training in accident investigative theories and practices. Like in a case where the board was given a one year contract for a training site to the George Washington University, and in the year two 2003 it established the National Transport Safety Board(NTSB) Academy on London County Campus of the George Washington University in Ashburn, Virginia. It is also allowed to engage in agreements and other dealings that are important in accomplishing its mission without undergoing the normal procedures of contracts, though the board has been criticized over its financial management it has been struggling to create a balance between the issuing of responsibilities to its investigators to complete their duties on time and efficiently and also providing a better financial management system that is effective in curtailing the fraudulent risks and wastages of resources. You read "The History of the National Transport Safety Board" in category "Essay examples" [3] Despite the alleged financial mismanagement, the board had to establish a strategic plan that is meant to last for 4 years, the plan was established in the year 2006 and is expected to accomplished its objective in the year 2010, this plan is meant to guide the Agency’s work, by enabling the planning, budgeting and accounting for the work performed by the board. This strategy is to cover various issues, including the accident investigation, support and the boards’ employee’s development and resource management. The current technological complex in the transportation system has made it hard for the agency to meet the challenge of accidents, thus making the agency to enter into a resource declination period whereby, planning is seen to be the most important factor in the utilization of the declining resources. For this reasons, the aircrafts, vehicles, trains, pipelines and marine vessels have safety features integrated in them. Therefore the assignment of the National Transport Safety Board is to, recognize and converse the lessons learned from investigation of transportation accidents. this investigation is normally watchful, experienced and self-regulating in order to prevent the loss of possessions, individual injuries, loss of life and also the environmental harm. Apart from safety measures, the board also carries out the coordination of tragedy backing for, victims and families affected by the transportation accidents; it also arbitrates for the airman and mariner petition, this services are used to maintain the reputation that the transportation system of America   as the safest in the world. [4] Therefore the national board of safety have set plans to have a careful use of the resources by maintaining a motivated, experienced, well trained, equipped and supported workforce which will enable it accomplish its mission this motivation is to be done through   intellectual selection of attempt and masterful implementation of objective; this goes hand in hand with the contribution of the private and public sector partners, who are always cooperative and supportive, the communication of these   recommendations for change in the directive and functions of the services of transportation is also considered. The goals set by the transportation safety board in conjunction with its mission include: Accident investigation under this the board has been maintaining its reaction competence of the accidents and has also increased the examination of occurrence and other negative issues that predicted to be of consequences in the improvement of public transportation protection. The boards’ approaches to accident investigation involve the enhancing of the organizational capacities and investment of the resources to enable the board to recognize and analyze the incidents which will further identify the origin of the transportation accidents. The second goal of the board is the support and Outreach this, objective is to enhance the presence of the national transport safety board in the transportation system whereby, leadership and technical support is used as a factor in giving support to the safety issues in transportation, thus promoting the safety recommendations of the board, this is normally done by, advancing the technical understanding and awareness of the safety issues which reflects the leadership role in the workforce performance. The board also expands and performs procedures that always support the safety recommendations. The board also carries out the reviewing and analyzing the results of the recommendations, whereby the board chooses what measure is proved to be better. While playing its role of leadership the board usually solicit the support of external agencies which may be industries or the government, that assist in the bringing of the transportation issue to the awareness of the transportation society. [5] The board also ensures that, its workforce maintains its knowledge by giving them a chance to play the leadership role with the board and other agencies locally and internationally. The board seeks to improve the productivity of the employees and their satisfaction through a vigilant recruitment, performance compensation, having an interest on their personal needs. It also maintains a working environment that facilitates the performance and the fulfillment of the boards’ workforce. To deal with financial frauds, the board has come up with a resource management system, whereby it evaluates expenditures and fiscal commitments, so as to have an efficient asset management, to enable it have its mission accomplished, this course of management involves the budget implementation as a factor of performance for all stages of management. The reviewing of all actions and costs is carried out whereby; the board members expect the board to finish its mission at a considerable time and with the use of limited resources therefore the national safety board is expected to carry out more investigations on accidents in shorter time and with fewer resources. The cost accounting tools and methods is normally provided by the agency to the program officers so that they can manage resources more effectively. The boards’ performance is usually evaluated by the office of the management and supplemented by the boards’ annual financial audit. The national board of transportation safety provides a room for safety studies that is termed as an assessment of the effectiveness of rules, curriculum, program management and operational regulations and other government agency actions that are implemented to reduce the transportation losses; these studies result in the issuance of a narrative report on the information, conclusions and any valid recommendations on the safety of the travelers. They are normally scheduled irregularly about six weeks after a board meeting is carried out covering the same subject. The schedules for such meetings are usually presented under news and events on the boards’ website, and announced via a press release. [6] Since the board is basically an investigative agency, it carries out a special investigation that is divided into two segments, whereby the first one is defined as an effort of gathering any information concerning the programmed focus selected in support of safety studies under this a report is usually issued, but a file is usually preserved, this file normally contains details, circumstances, and conclusions but will not include the possible cause of the accident. While the second one is an examination of the mechanical issues and safety problems recognized in one or more accident investigations, under this a detailed narrative report is usually developed and approved by the Board, it contains the details, circumstances , conclusions and safety recommendations if necessary. All these records are always available from the boards’ records management division. References: Coyle, J.J.; Bardi, E.J. and Novack, R.A. (2004): Transportation. 5th Edn: Southwestern College Publishing, Cincinnati OFCM (1999): Public-Private Partnership Symposium: Panel on Successful Transportation Partnership; Presentation at the Volpe Center, Boston M A. TRB (2001): Critical Issues in Transportation 2002. Reprinted from TRB News 217; November-December 2001: Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C TRB (2000): Highway Capacity Manual 2000. D.C.: Transportation Research Board. Washington [1] Coyle, J.J.; Bardi, E.J. and Novack, R.A. (2004): Transportation. 5th Edn: Southwestern College Publishing, Cincinnati [2] TRB (2000): Highway Capacity Manual 2000. D.C.: Transportation Research Board. Washington [3] Coyle, J.J.; Bardi, E.J. and Novack, R.A. (2004): Transportation. 5th Edn: Southwestern College Publishing, Cincinnati [4] [5] TRB (2001): Critical Issues in Transportation 2002. Reprinted from TRB News 217; November-December 2001: Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C [6] TRB (2000): Highway Capacity Manual 2000. D.C.: Transportation Research Board. Washington    How to cite The History of the National Transport Safety Board, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Amazon in the Australian Market-Free-Samples-Myassignmentshelp.com

Question: Research Market Opportunities, develop a Country/Product Opportunity Brief highlighting the Opportunities and Challenges that exist for Product entry into a given Country. Answer: Introduction Background to the report This report is premised on Amazon, the cloud computing and largest e-commerce company, planning to venture into retail market in Australia. For this purpose, a detailed analysis has been presented in this report that includes alignment with international marketing and detailed analysis of Australian market environment, in terms of economic, political, social, technological, legal and environmental factors. Founded by Jeff Bezos on July 5, 1994, Amazon operates in 16 different countries and is the largest internet company in the world in terms of revenue (Amazon.com, 2017). The company is planning to enter Australian online market for cementing their foothold in retail industry. Theory of international marketing The theory of country size is applicable for Australian market given the context Amazon is aiming to enter its retail market. This theory proposes that size of a country determines the volume and nature of product. Currently, Amazons website, maintained from US, converts 49% of Australian shoppers into sales, and this statistics clearly states that Amazon could be highly benefitted by entering Australian retail market, given the large size (7.692 million sq. km.) of the country. However, as Al?Khatib et al. (2016) has contradicted, the large territorial size of the country can cost higher in terms of transportations and logistics. Similarly, the product life cycle (PLC) theory is also applicable in this context. As Amazons online marketplace in Australia currently offers limited products (Amazon Prime, Kindle Books, Kindle and Kindle Fire devices, Audible Audiobooks and Android apps), there is high potential for introducing other products in the retail market. New products such as Amazon Web Services, Amazon Video can provide significant economic return to the company while they traverse through the initial two phases of product life-cycle (that is introduction and growth). Country where product is being taken As per this report, Amazon is ventured to enter into Australian retail market, taking their products such as Amazon Echo, Amazon Kindle and other products. Brief overview of company product Currently, Amazon a wide range of products and services that is variedly available in different countries. Major products and services of this company includes Amazon Prime, Echo, Alexa, Kindle Fire tablets and TV, Amazon Appstore, Amazon Web Service, Amazon Studio and Amazon Drive (Amazon.com, 2017). In addition, the company also had 368 million products available for sale in December 2016. Reasons for entering the country 29% Australian shoppers spend more time in online store, therefore Amazon could translate that customer segments into their loyal customer base through providing retail service (Guzmodo.com.au, 2017). 29% of Australian prefers an easy-return policy from online retailers - an element of business that Amazon specialises. High margin of sales by competitors such as Woolworths ($38.8 billion in 20160 and Coles supermarkets ($29.4 billion in 2016) (Abc.net.au, 2017). Situation Analysis Business environment - (PESTLE) Political The stable political condition in Australia is highly favourable for foreign companies as they could smoothly run their business operations in the country. Furthermore, Australian government favours foreign direct investment (FDI), as the total stock of FDI valued at AUD$735.5 billion in 2015. Naturally, this favourable political environment would be beneficial for Amazon. As per Al?Khatib et al. (2016), in addition to this the governmental activities based on certain rules and laws are also followed by Amazon Company in order to establish their business in Australian market. Henceforth, Australian market also highlights the commercial service provinces for organisations to help them to extend their business productivity and customer rates. Hence, due to these uncommon factors of Australian market Amazon Company is trying their best to start their new business in Australia (Balabanis Siamagka, 2014). Economical As of 2016, Australian GDP was valued at AUD$ 1.189 trillion and the purchasing power parity (PPP) was AUD$1.2 trillion. The country is one of the largest mixed economic powers in the world, having a net wealth of AUD$ 8.9 trillion as of June 2016 (Abs.gov.au, 2017). In addition, the country is also the 25th largest exporter and 20th largest importer in the world - signifying the massive economic strength of the country. Australian economy is largely dominated by service sector, contributing 73% of total GDP (Abs.gov.au, 2017). Given the highly developed infrastructure, business in Australian encounters very little friction and therefore no such major trading blocs will be encountered by Amazon. According to Chiva, Ghauri Alegre (2014), the economical factors of Australia focus on various rules and regulations such as Rule of Law that includes property rights, government integrity and judicial effectiveness. In addition to this, companies also focus on Australian market such as trade freedom, investment freedom and financial freedom for ensuring better or provisions for business organisations like Amazon Company (Clarke, Owens Ford, 2015). Hence, for all these economical factors Amazon Company is trying to establish its business operations in Australian market for more profit and productivity. Figure 1: PESTLE ANALYSIS (Source: Al?Khatib et al. 2016, p.180) Social With the rapid development of e-commerce activities in Australian market, users are spending more time in online retail stores - a trend that can be highly favourable for Amazon. A survey reports that only 21% of shoppers shop through brick-and-mortar stores, while 396% of people aged over 50 spends more time in online stores (Gizmodo.com.au, 2017). Given the greater availability of resources and choices, people prefer to purchase through online stores. De Mooij (2013) stated that on the other hand, more consumerism and developed social statues would help Amazon Company to increase their profitability and productivity. In Australian market, increasing wealth disparity improves potential stagnation and helps in renovating current market standard and for that Amazon Company tries to enter into this Country (Export.gov, 2017). Technological Innovative practices in telecommunication, media and information technologies have significantly minimised cost for infrastructure setup. In addition, abundant energy supply at comparatively low cost has attracted foreign companies to expand their business in Australia as they would not have to worry about energy resources required for managing the technology. According to Hill, Cronk Wickramasekera (2013), moreover, the increasing IT efficiency of Australian market will also help Amazon Company to increase their opportunity for exploring their business. Due to its telecommunication factors and media information, Amazon would be benefitted for developing business operations (Heritage.org, 2017). Legal Rising productivity and popularity helps in innovating business operations and market facilities. However, in case of Amazon Company, it has focused on the legal factors such as Corporations Act 2001 of Australian market such as popularity, regulations and legislations in order to improve their business and explore their market analysis (Jehanzeb, Rasheed Rasheed, 2013). Environmental Australia focuses on environmental sustainability factors. Therefore, Amazon can focus on organic fabrics, organic food products to fetch the customer attention. Australian society emphasises on calculated use of ecological resources such as water and energy. As Australia has abundant source of both renewable (solar, wind, marine) and non-renewable (fossil fuel) energy, industries planning to set up business in this country gains significant benefit. Furthermore, Amazon being an internet-based company, they will not add extra burden in the resource reserve of Australia. Infrastructure The strong infrastructure rate of Australia is 89% and it provides better opportunities to the retail organisations in order to increase their growth. As per Korschun, Bhattacharya Swain (2014), the infrastructure of the rural sector is poor which may act as hindrance to further extension. Thereby, in this case Amazon may face some difficulties for improving their market analysis. In contrast, the urban sector would provide them immense opportunities to innovate and present new products such as Echo dot, FB products and vacuum cleaner. Demographic trends The demographic trends of Australian market highlight the need of the customers based on their sex and age. According to Li et al. (2014), it has been found that in Australian market, it has $ 80,704 number of young people those who are focusing on retail organisations for fulfilling their needs.. Market Analysis - Definition of the Market Market is a place that enhances high productivity and profitability through low investments. Market facilities should always be calm and attractive in order to increase large number of customers. For example, Australian market fulfils all the criteria for enabling business organisations to improve their success (Lu et al. 2014). Market size, outlook product service and trends In this context, it is necessary for the business organisations like Amazon Company to focus on their market trends from where they are achieving success for their future development. Figure 2: Market share (Source: Export.gov, 2017) Market size of Australian market value is $ 32.56 billion due to the factors of e-commerce growth and high internet usage (Export.gov, 2017). It also enhances stronger economy as the GDP rate is $88 thousand. Trends of Australian market focuses on young generation and their needs. The trend is to provide them full success by delivering their products. Figure 3: Market Analysis (Source: Spring, 2014, p.42) Market characteristics Market characteristic focuses on its products and services in order to overcome the barriers for entering into new market provisions. However, the pricing rates and practices should also be authentic and reasonable in order to satisfy the customers. As per Pike Page (2014), the infrastructures of Australian market should be more attractive in order to affect the behaviour of the customers. Government rules and regulations on reasonable price rates, safety acts and healthy food are the provisions for maintaining government controls of the organisation (Spring, 2014). Target market behaviour Target market behaviour for Amazon Company in this case will focus on the young generation mostly. However, young people focus on fast food whereas on the other hand, middle aged people prefer sophisticated food items. In this context, Williams, Mummalaneni Erramilli (2015) stated that the market behaviour of retail organisations like Amazon In this way the market behaviour for organisations to people varies specifically. Amazon Company should enhance their market by focusing on target market provisions such as more innovative food items, distinctive dresses such as coastal and traditional in order to attract customers (Yeung Coe, 2015). Competitive Analysis Primary competitors of Amazon in the Australian market would be- Woolworths Ltd - largest supermarket chain in Australia having 900 supermarkets Coles - second-largest supermarket having 800 stores in the country. Big W - biggest discount department stores having 176 stores in the country. [refer to appendix 1] Existing and potential competitor In this context, the competitive analysis of Australian market focuses on its own industries like Woolworth. In this case, Lu et al. (2014) opined that the probability of increasing competition level in the market clashes between retail organisations which are trying to enter into Australian market with the remaining organisations of Australian market such as Woolsworth which holds around 70% of the market in case of groceries. However, competitive analysis draws the attention of the readers towards the productivity, profitability, product quality and behaviour of the organisation (Heritage.org, 2017). The strength of this company highlights the marketing rates such as in the year 2016 its growth rate was 27.1% and it has successfully enhanced its products as per the need of the customers. Figure 4: Market portion (Source: Spring, 2014, p.78) International competitors As Amazon Company is a retail organisation, it focuses on the strategies of retail organisations of Australia market such as John Lewis in order to seek their proficiency and functions for attracting large number of customers (Clarke, Owens Ford, 2015). The existing and potential Australian competitors include John Lewis and Tesco who have the tendency to compete with Amazon Company by their products, services and quality. Figure 5: Competitive analysis (Source: Al?Khatib et al. 2016, p.183) Amazon Company highlights its specific infrastructures such as low price rates with high quality products. However, it also focuses on online selling facilities that help in increasing large number of young customers those who feel comfortable in buying products online (Balabanis Siamagka, 2014). According to Li et al. (2014), the strategy of Amazon Company is to minimize the cost structure and maximize their productivity in order to increase profitability. Organisational Analysis Previous Experiences Amazon has no previous experience in Australia. They have expanded in many other European and Asian countries where they have experienced growth and progress in their business. Challenges and solution Amazon may face issues in understanding the local culture and trends. Since the country also consists of Aboriginal culture, the organisation needs to have a basic knowledge of the preferences of the customers around the country. Moreover, Balabanis Siamagka (2014) have pointed out entering a new country requires accessing partnership with domestic brands. SWOT Analyses Strength Specific infrastructure Low cost rates Online selling facilities Strong background (Balabanis Siamagka, 2014) Customer centric. Weakness Amazon company shrinks margins and maintain low cost Avoid issues regarding tax High debt Product flops sometimes Low profitability due to high price Opportunity Backward integration Global expansion E- commerce facilities and systems for attracting large number of customers Acquisitions (Amazon.com, 2017) Threat This company has low entry barriers Government rules Competitive level Due to high profitability of other competitors of Amazon Company like flip kart and EBay, it reduces its customers Table 1: SWOT analysis (Source: Balabanis Siamagka, 2014) Based on the SWOT table provided above, it can be surmised that Amazon has several positive aspects such as comparative low price of their products, online selling facilities, effective customer service and practice of cost-leadership pricing policy. On the other hand, competition with major retailers such as Woolworths, Coles may provide obstacle for Amazon as a new entrant in retail market. However, state-of-the-art e-commerce infrastructure and global presence can help Amazon to counter such obstacles. Again, it should be noted that the governmental laws and legislations, along with low entry barriers could pose serious threat to the business of the company in Australian soil. Conclusion From the above analysis, it has been found that Amazon Company is trying to establish their business operations in Australian market for increasing their productivity and market provisions. However, from above discussion it has also been analysed that Amazon Company have many innovative features and infrastructures that they want to establish in their new business place in Australia. Whereas Australian market also enhances good specifications and better environmental provinces for organisations like Amazon Company to enhance their business. In addition to this, this present report also draws the attention of the readers towards the competitive analysis of existing companies of Australian market and Amazon Company in order to specify their job profiles. References Abc.net.au (2017) Amazon's $12b raid on Australian retail: Who'll feel the pain and why consumers won't gain (too much), Retrieved on 16 Aug 2017 from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-02/amazon-massive-raid-on-australian-retail/8580544 Abs.gov.au (2017) Key Economic Indicators, 2017, Retrieved on 16 Aug 2017 from https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/1345.0?opendocument Al?Khatib, J. A., Al?Habib, M. I., Bogari, N., Salamah, N. (2016). The ethical profile of global marketing negotiators.Business Ethics: A European Review,25(2), pp.172-186. Amazon.com.au: Shop for Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Fire HDX, Kindle Books, Apps for Android, Cloud Drive, and Audible Audiobooks.. (2017).Amazon.com.au. Retrieved 14 August 2017, from https://www.amazon.com.au/ Balabanis, G., Siamagka, N. T. (2014, July). THE BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF CONSUMER ETHNOCENTRISM: THE ROLE OF BRAND, PRODUCT CATEGORY AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. In2014 (pp. 587-588). Chiva, R., Ghauri, P., Alegre, J. (2014). Organizational learning, innovation and internationalization: A complex system model.British Journal of Management,25(4), 687-705. Clarke, I., Owens, M., Ford, J. B. (2015). Integrating Country of Origin into Global Marketing Strategy: A Review of US Marking Statutes. InGlobal Perspectives in Marketing for the 21st Century(pp. 373-373) De Mooij, M. (2013).Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes. London: Sage Publications. De Mooij, M. (2013).Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes. London: Sage Publications. Export.gov (2017) Economic Statues Of Australia 2017, Retrieved on 16 Aug 2017 from https://www.export.gov/article?id=Australia-political-environment Gizmodo.com.au (2017) Yep, Amazon Australia Is Going To Be Huge, Retrieved on 16 Aug 2017 from https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2017/06/yep-amazon-is-going-to-be-huge/ Heritage.org (2017) Status of Auatralian Market 2017, Retrieved on 16 Aug 2017 from https://www.heritage.org/index/country/australia Hill, C. W., Cronk, T., Wickramasekera, R. (2013).Global business today. Sydney: McGraw-Hill Education Jehanzeb, K., Rasheed, A., Rasheed, M. F. (2013). Organizational commitment and turnover intentions: Impact of employees training in private sector of Saudi Arabia.International Journal of Business and Management,8(8), 79. Korschun, D., Bhattacharya, C. B., Swain, S. D. (2014). Corporate social responsibility, customer orientation, and the job performance of frontline employees.Journal of Marketing,78(3), 20-37. Li, Y., Chen, H., Liu, Y., Peng, M. W. (2014). Managerial ties, organizational learning, and opportunity capture: A social capital perspective.Asia Pacific Journal of Management,31(1), 271-291. Lu, J., Liu, X., Wright, M., Filatotchev, I. (2014). International experience and FDI location choices of Chinese firms: The moderating effects of home country government support and host country institutions.Journal of International Business Studies,45(4), 428-449. Pike, S., Page, S. J. (2014). Destination Marketing Organizations and destination marketing: A narrative analysis of the literature.Tourism management,41, 202-227. Spring, J. (2014).How educational ideologies are shaping global society: Intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, and the decline of the nation-state. London: Routledge. Williams, J. D., Mummalaneni, V., Erramilli, M. K. (2015). An Innovative Classroom Approach to Analyzing the Role of Culture on Business Relationships using the Global View International Business Simulation., 130-132. Yeung, H. W. C., Coe, N. (2015). Toward a dynamic theory of global production networks.Economic Geography,91(1), 29-58.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Psychological Foundation of Human Resource Development

Introduction The effective management of human resource is the means through which organizations can succeed in continued growth and financial stability. The discipline of human resource development has been considered to be based on the theories of not only economic and systems but also on the psychological theories of the surrounding the human resource department.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Psychological Foundation of Human Resource Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, there has not been enough exploration on the implications associated with the economic theories on the human resource development theories. In this context, human resource development entails the process which focuses on bringing out the best of human expertise with the sole purpose of improving and maximizing the performance of n organization. The dominating theoretical understanding of human resource development is the int egration of all theories that may seem to be significant in an organization’s operations as well as promoting result oriented functionality. This can only be achieved by human resource development through creation of a much friendlier working environment by improving the health of workers from a psychological and social perspective (Swanson, 2008, p. 1). This paper examines the need for the human resource development department to keep checks on the well-being of the employees by discussing the possible factors that may affect the well-being of the workers with much emphasis on stress audits. Assessment of the psychosocial workplace With the increasing competition in markets, human resources get under a lot of pressure to produce high quality products and services in order to maintain the organizations’ position in the market. Such pressure may be prolonged enough to cause strain on the employees. This could affect the physical, psychological and behavioral capabilitie s of the employees. Physical strains affect the employees’ to perform bodily duties due to muscle aches, headaches, and other discomforts in the body. This has been confirmed in various researches which show that some disorders such as musculoskeletal are a result of workplace stress. Psychological strain mostly affects the employees ability to perform effectively hence may cause a reduction in productivity. They are indicated by depression and anxiety both of which relatively causes job dissatisfaction. On the other hand, behavioral strains involve the unusual and most likely unethical behaviors on the part of the employees at the workplace. They include addiction to alcohol or medicines, uncontrollable consumption of food and most importantly, unprofessional interaction with other workers or even superiors.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Consequently, when employee s are strained the organizations get affected too. For instance, absenteeism may result from employee stress especially where the strain is a result of poor working environment. Losses incurred during compensation to stressed or injured employees are likely to result (Thomas, butts, Vandernberg, Dejoy and Wilson 2005, p. 4790. Similarly, compensation on workers and expenses on health schemes increase. This is where the human resource comes in to ensure that the psychosocial lives of the employees are maintained steady by creating favorable working environment which would then result to healthier production. However, many organizations do not pay much attention to workers’ stressful conditions but rather leave it to the employees to deal with it. Organizations should therefore work more on employee stress and this entails getting involved in individual level stress management and not just organizing stress management courses and that is it. This entails the participation of th e organization in identifying and implementing effective stress busters. The most effective method that is appropriate for human resource development is the use of stress audit which is a systematic tool used to measure stressors as well as stress busters in a workplace environment. Stress audits are effective in identifying performance related stressors that would not have been identified in the traditional assessments of human resource development. Despite the fact that stress audits are meant to address organization related stress, there is also the need to examine the most recognized stressors especially those that promote the health of the employees. This entails the assessment of organizational factors that affect the physical, social and psychological being of the employees (Quill, 1999, 19). However, the most effective factors to assess are the range of work load on the employees, the behavior of the workers’ supervisor, social support availed by the organization to t he employees and the control method used by the organization on the workers. These factors are significant to all organizational settings and have most impacts on the employee performance and behavior.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Psychological Foundation of Human Resource Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The aspect of job control entails the extent to which workers are allowed to have control on their duties. According to research, worker who have low control over their jobs are less healthy than those with high control. It is obviously stressful for anyone to be controlled in all aspects of work. Therefore, addressing stress associated with low job control should not, by any means, involve the implementation of more control from the superiors. However, increasing the job control should be carefully undertaken to avoid giving the employees certain responsibilities that they view as legitimately t heir superiors’. The most effective measures to solving this problem would be re-scheduling tasks, work policies and duty procedures as well as including breaks for resting. These physical arrangements help workers feel more at ease with their work. Work overload, on the other hand, refers to a situation in which workers have too much work and a limited time to do the work. This may be referred to as quantitative work load with a qualitative work load involving a situation where workers have complex duties which may cause strain on them. Generally, work overload has serious effects on the health of workers including heart related conditions. The effect of work load on employees may increase due to the need of workers to balance between work and life and this is precisely what results to signs of strain. This could be solved by utilizing organizational resources as much as possible as well as giving employees time to recover from such work-related pressures (Hood 2001, p. 165) . Similarly, lack of support especially from the managers is one of the greatest contributors to employee stress. Social support such as being attentive to workers and offering them ideas and counseling services are some of the important ways of giving social support to employees. Instrumental support is as important as social support especially through helping workers in aspects such as advising, coaching, job training or by mentoring employees. Social support is not only important in promoting health in organizations, but at all levels of individuals’ lives.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Psychological health is better supported through social support from family, friends, work mates and job managers as well. On the other hand, social support is significant in the work place as it helps transfer the skills attained from the training session to the real working environment. Social support can be created by emphasizing on team work and cooperation between all stakeholders in an organization. This prevents employees from strain that results due to tension and emotional tiredness. Work supervisors have great influence on the employee’s well being since they determine how workers feel about them and how well or bad they perceive them. Inconsiderate supervisors may cause psychological strain on workers by being too hard on them and pressuring them especially on work load related matters (Kahnweiler, 1991, p. 347). This is because supervisors are in charge of job delegation and planning and it is precisely how they do this that affects the employee performance and he alth. Supervisor self reflection is one of the significant ways in which originations can foster in efforts of trying to avoid compromise on the psychological health of employees. Conclusion As much as all organizations want to succeed especially in maintaining their market positions in the competitive world of business, they should also understand the need to maintain good health for their employees because they are the foundation to the organizations’ performance. Since most workers get stressed due to work related issues, it is the duty of human resource development to ensure that favorable working conditions are created for the employees in order to promote healthy performance (Biggie and Hunt 1992, p. 623). Psychological fitness is the most important tool in work performance and as long as workers are not provided with environments that promote psychological health, their performance can never be as efficient as the organizations want it to be. All in all, the workers sh ould work alongside their superiors towards ensuring maximum production in organizations by devoting themselves to their work but in a healthy way. However, one question which arises from this paper is â€Å"who is to blame for organization’s poor performance both in production and in the market?† Reference List Biggie, M., and Hunt, M. (1962). Psychological foundations of education: An introduction to human development and learning. Universal digital library: Harper Brothers. Hood, P. (2001). Human resource development: motivation and movement. Management in education 15 (19). Kahnweiler, W (1991, November). HRD and empowerment. Training and development. New York: EBSCO. Quill, W. (1999, summer). The psychology of human resource development; a consequent of radical cultural change in America. Journal of business and psychology, 13 (4). Swanson, R. (2008). Economic foundation of human resource development: advancing the theory and practice of the discipline. Thomas, W ., Butts, M., Vandernberg, R., Dejoy, D., and Wilson, M,. (2005). Effects of management communication, opportunity for learning and work schedule flexibility on organizational commitment. Journal of vocational behavior, 68 (2006) 474-489. This essay on Psychological Foundation of Human Resource Development was written and submitted by user Evan Walton to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Pandemics essays

Pandemics essays Throughout history, pandemics/epidemics have had dire effects on societies and sent shockwaves through the world. They have undermined economies and eroded the very foundations and values these societies were based on. Two of these pandemics, perhaps the worst, are the Bubonic Plague of 14th century Europe and the AIDs outbreak in 20th/21st The Bubonic (or 'Black) Plague originated from rodents and fleas in China, in the 1330s. Being a bustling trading city at the time, it was inevitable the disease would spread and cause a major pandemic. It was Italian merchants brought the disease to Europe. (Rice, The Black Death: Bubonic Plague) "The Black Sea, where the Italians had trading colonies...The Black Plague spread through the importing and exporting of goods from country to country (Turner, The Plague)." Europeans, not knowing any better, blamed god. Early attempts to quarantine the infected and cordon off infected/uninfected cities were a failure because the Europeans failed to realize the disease was perpetuated by rodents and fleas, not other humans. During winter time, animals seeking refuge from the cold would often hide in houses, infecting a family which would inevitably lead to a whole town being infected (Turner, The Plague). Also contributing to the rapid spread of the plague was the poor sanitation common in European society. Bathing was rare, due to a lack of running water. Garbage was often left unchecked in the streets, feeding and attracting the creatures that had the virus (West, What is the Bubonic Plague?). All these factors only helped to breed the virus and contribute to rapid spread. In five years (1347-1352), the plague wiped out 25 million people, or one third of Europe's populace. It took several centuries for Europe to regain this appaling number of people. Even centuries after the plague had devastated Europe, minor outbreaks occured. In mid-17th century London, ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Economics for buisness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Economics for buisness - Essay Example The market has various structures under which firms operate. A market structure is the method or system wherein "the suppliers and demanders in an industry interact to determine price and quantity (Deardorff, 2001)." There are four main market structures: perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly, and monopolistic competition. The categorization is based on the extent and characteristics of competition in the market that affects the behavior of both the buyers and sellers (Fischer). One consideration in analyzing market structures is how the price of a particular product affects the quantity demanded of the product. The relationship between the price of a product and the quantity demanded is measured by the price elasticity of demand (PED). A perfect (pure) competition is a market wherein potential and actual buyers and sellers are so many that both market players have very limited individual influence in the market. Because of the huge number of participants in this market structure, individual producers and consumers are heaviliy dependent on the market forces and mechanisms. A perfect competion has di... The second character of a perfectly competitive market is that firms are price takers. This means that no single firm can affect the price. Because of the numerous firms that produce and sell an identical product. Their number makes their influence insignificant. Buyers of this product are also many. Consumers have the information regarding the prices that all sellers in the market charge. This makes consumers sensitive to the changes in price. If one firm raised the price of its product, buyers can easily switch to another firm's product, which is, as mentioned above, a perfect substitute. All firms are assumed to have equal access to resources and improvements in production technologies achieved by one firm can spill-over to all the other suppliers in the market. No one is assumed to be privileged when it comes to acess to technology and other factor inputs. Another notable quality of perfect competition is its freedom of its firms to enter in and exit from the market in the long run. This means that the market is open to competition from new suppliers. The existence and the absence of an individual firm does not affect the overall market. Price Elasticity of Demand in Perfect Competition In a perfect competition, the demand curve is perfectly elastic. This means that a change in price of a good in this market structure will greatly affect the quantity that consumers demand. As mentioned above, any increase in price will cause the demand for the product to fall. If one internet service provider raises its price, customers will find another firms that provide the same, standard product. Features of Perfectly competitive market With the mentioned qualities above, a

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Legalizing drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legalizing drugs - Essay Example ‘This means buyers and sellers cannot resolve their disputes with lawsuits, arbitration or advertising, so they resort to violence instead’ (Miron, 2009). This led Miron to controversially conclude ‘the only way to reduce violence is to legalize drugs’. I aim to discuss arguments supporting the controlled legalization drugs. ‘The legalization of drugs would massively reduce organized crime’ (Micklethwart, 1994). Legalization wouldn’t mean the existing ‘evil drug pushers’ controlling the market. Instead, official legal businesses (e.g. cigarette companies) would take control of the drug industry. ‘The number of drug related murders would fall because turf battles would be settled by law instead of gun fire and corruption/blackmail/bribes by drug dealers to judges, government officials and the police, etc would diminish’ (Micklethwart, 1994). Cussen and Block (2000) also claim that the price of drugs could fall if they are made legal due to increased competition amongst drug companies, which could reduce theft, and murder rates among addicts in order to get their next ‘fix’ because they wouldn’t need as much money to afford them. The increased availability of drugs could therefore decrease drug-related crime. Drug revenues of cartels (often international organisations which support terrorism and add to violent crime) could also diminish due to drug revenues being increasingly distributed by free-market forces (Cussen and Block, 2000). On the whole, crime figures would reduce dramatically as formerly illegal activities become ‘socially approved business transactions (Cussen and Block, 2000: 528). ... However, when prohibition ended, alcohol related crime decreased. The same scenario could happen if drugs were legalized too. The legalization of drugs could also stop the ‘potency effect’, which is best summarized with the example of prohibition. During this time, the sellers would sell alcohol with higher alcoholic concentrations (higher potency) because ‘hard liquors’ had greater value (per unit of volume) (Cussen and Block, 2000). This resulted in people drinking alcohol with higher concentrations such as vodka, which, when drunk excessively is more dangerous than beer and wine. The same ‘potency effect’ can also be applied to today’s drug trade, in which dealers carry more potent drugs (which are also the most dangerous to consume, e.g. cocaine) due to their greater monetary value. I believe the ‘potent effect’ of drugs could be reduced is they were legalized. A legalized drug trade could also save taxpayers money. For e xample, in the UK, drug related crime costs the state department ?16 billion a year. Easton (2009) estimated that a regulated drug market for cocaine and heroin would see ?7 billion worth of savings due to savings in the cost of drug crime. ‘Jails are also often overcrowded and large amounts of tax payers dollars are being spent on enforcement efforts that only aggravate the problem’ (Cussen and Block, 2000: 532). Legalizing drugs could therefore cut the costs, not only of the consequences of addicts’ habits, but also for tax payers. Legalizing drugs would also mean that they could be taxed like alcohol and cigarettes, which would provide the state with a new substantial form of revenue which could outweigh related expenditure / costs, occurred onto

Monday, November 18, 2019

Final report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final report - Essay Example One of the environmental trends that affect the product’s demand is the legal environment. As an innovative product, we expect to reserve rights over the product through patent rights. This prevents other people or entities from producing and trading in a similar product. Patent right however run for a specified period then protection of rights over innovation becomes void. During the protection period, the venture anticipates an increasing demand as the product gains popularity into the market because of limited level of competition. The legal environment will ensure minimal competition but tight competition is expected after expiry of patent rights as other parties are likely to develop and sell similar products and demand will be expected to reduce. Trend in the legal environment that changes by legislations may also have adverse impacts on the venture should legislation be enforced to term illegalize the product on safety and health grounds. This is because of its scope th at allows electric charges into people’s bodies, a factor that may become controversial a legislation that bans the product will terminate its demand (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel 128, 155). Economic trend also affect the product because of the trend’s impact on people’s ability to purchase. ... Demographic factors such as level of education social class and age are other trends that affect the product’s demand. Level of education plays an important role in informing people of the safety in using the devise and together with social class empowers people towards demand. The wider scope of the product’s market that targets the global market extends these trends from local to national and global levels (Luck 56). Consumers’ taste and preference against the product may influence the market and limit our potential to sell the product. Customer research: To analyze demographics, psychographics, and purchasing behavior of the target market A primary research was necessary to understand the target market. The research implemented a qualitative research design through phenomenology. Qualitative research was selected because of its scope and type of data that corresponded to the type of research that aimed at understanding psychological and behavioral aspects of t he target market. Phenomenology, a research design that relies on participants’ experience to develop an understanding of their perspective was used because of its suitability for the scope of research and its ability to capture reality. Survey questionnaire was applied on a randomly selected sample of 12 participants (McNabb 147, 148, 301, 302, 308, ). The following is the applied survey questionnaire. The participants were offered the product to use for a week and the questionnaire administered to each of them. Survey Questionnaire How effective are the normal alarms in waking you up? Have you tried our product before? How effective is our product in waking people up compared to traditional alarms?

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Realism In War English Literature Essay

The Realism In War English Literature Essay In times of war one must simply endure to survive; as a seemingly insignificant foot soldier discovers in Charles Harrisons novel, Generals Die in Bed. Through this character Harrison strips away any possible glorifications that were previously found in most stories of war. Charles Harrison presents the reality of war without attempting to romanticize the idea of grand battles. War, as depicted in Harrisons work, is an unadorned, hollow, and meaningless endeavor that nations have had the unfortunate habit of creating and recreating throughout history. Without this sense of safety, which previous works have accomplished by sugar coating war, Generals Die in Bed weaves together a representation of war that maximizes the full-blown power of a harsh reality. Harrison achieves a graphic portrayal of war through the novels form. More specifically, the clever use of structure, plot, characterization, language, and point of view allows Harrison to portray the stark contrast of the reality of war with the common perception of chivalry in battle. True to its anti-war reputation, the novel illustrates war in a dramatic and horrifying way. This is easily identified as the concept and purpose of war are continuously questioned. As the disapproval of war becomes a common theme, of Generals Die in Bed, many justifications behind these views become clear. Needless deaths and constant terror, as well as emotional suffering and trauma, become common factors that contribute to the distaste involved with war. Deaths and misery need no annotation; they simply are. These daily horrors only increase the damning nature towards war when they have no justifiable cause. As the question of why constantly crops up in the plot, the idea of a just war is heavily questioned. More simply, war makes no sense. The plot further enforces the incomprehensible aspects of war by avoiding the traditional eight point arch and adopting a sustained tension and conflict, without the obligatory resolution that is supposedly substantial. Harrisons novel does not employ this common convention; but creates a structure consisting of two main components: rest and action. The rest is represented by the moments and periods in which the protagonist, and his fellow soldiers, takes his time away from the front lines. The action, on the one hand, represents the trench times, bombardments and raids that the soldiers had to face and endure. This structural preference adds to the sense of immediacy and involvement that the reader experiences and allows the story of war to become more believable. In this way, Generals Die in Bed is debunking the romanticized notion that war is a duel and an extravagant battle. Even in war, there are periods of inaction. The dispatch; the months and weeks of being away from the trenches; the visit to London; and the benign conversations of soldiers all construct the varied pauses that punctuate the lives of the soldiers during the war. By including these inactive periods, Harrison is not making an attempt to portray the absence of conflict. In fact, Harrison achieves quite the opposite by means of including aspects of the war in every facet of life. For example, when the protagonist was vacationing in London, the conflict was not unfelt. Despite efforts to escape the war, vague traces of it follows him wherever he goes, like the sound of distant cannons. Even while trying to escape the ter rors of warfare, the protagonist is unable to let go of his current mindset. During his visit to the theater, for example, the unnamed soldier notices that the play and audience trivialize the war, and feel[s] they have no right to laugh at jokes about the war (107). Despite this, however, conflict does more than merely contribute to the sense that war is slowly consuming the lives around it. The conflict depicted in the novel works as an important event. By jumping from important event to important event, Harrison allows the protagonist to express his sense of confusion. Much like a lost soul, the soldier seems to wander through time. This effect, although not conventional, allows the reader to understand the effect that war can have on the mind, as well as contributes to the impression of a dazed soldier. In addition to this, the jumping of event also can contribute to a sense of befuddlement, suggesting that war cannot be understood, and lack of control. This lack of control can relate back to the inability to stop the damaging effects of war, but can also help portray the situation of the soldier: A soldiers life is not his own, but belongs to the hierarchy of war. This sense of being lost, and not belonging to ones self, is supported when Ha rrison does not give the novel a satisfactory and definitive resolution. Although the protagonist was sent home because of his leg injury, the reader knows that the conflict stays with him even after his separation from the war. The war bears eternal inner conflicts that an individual who had seen and borne the war will wrestle with throughout most of his life. This final portrayal of the damaging effects of war is, in truth, the turning point in Harrisons protagonist; making the young soldier a round character. Harrison depicts most of the characters as people who do not feel a glorified and heroic attachment to war. They are all practical and intent on staying alive during the course of the war. These characters are regular people who see the war as a terrifying nuisance and a needless disruption to their normal lives. The protagonist represents the qualities and features of all the other characters in the story, but shows signs of a struggling sense of self as well. Harrison tries to capture the realistic emotions and concerns of regular soldiers in his characterization of the male young protagonist. In the novel, the lead character holds no romantic notions about the war. He did not join the war out of patriotism or the need to feel heroic. He went there because he had to and was left with no choice. The first chapter of the novel sees the protagonist and all the other soldiers leaving Montreal with a heavy heart. They were well aware that their participation offered two possibilities: l ife or death. What makes Harrisons characters realistic is that the soldiers in the story are made to see the war for what it truly is. Their reactions to the war are honest because they have been exposed to the horrors of flying shrapnel and dead boys. What they see; hear; and feel, they reflect in the novel without pretense or pride. The horrific actions required for survival have humbled the soldiers, much like the thoughts of the protagonist after witnessing Brownies death. The soldiers felt no hate towards their enemies, but wished only to survive; they looked without resentment towards the woods. [They were] animated only by a biting hunger for safety. Safetyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (47) and the protagonist was not ashamed to admit that their immediate reaction was not pity, but the pressing need to survive and live. These harsh living conditions, allow the soldiers to view the war from an entirely new perspective. The characters, particularly the protagonist, develop acute perceptions of the truth due to intense experiences. This is generally caused by self-reflection after some sort of struggle, similar to the internal conflict that the nameless soldier experienced after killing the young German soldier with his bayonette. Due to this and other conflicts, the protagonist eventually came to the realization that the true enemies in the war were not the soldiers from the opposing camp, but the struggles and hardships they continued to face. More specifically, the lead character believes that the their enemies are- the lice, some of our officers, and death (36). The protagonist also concluded, along with his fellow soldiers, that while they are busy fighting the war; others are making a profit out the necessities and demands of war. Each soldier wish[es] the war was over, but believe me, theres plenty that dont (143). These perceptions reflect the characters understanding of wars true nature. From their perspective, the war is entirely cruel and without benefits. More specifically, to the soldier this business of military glory and arms means carrying parties, wiring fatigues, wet clothes, and cowering in a trench under shellfire (140). The characters in the novel are skilled in bringing down the narrative of war from its high and mighty perch, and pulling it onto the ground to reduce it to facts. Harrison simply reflects the ideals of his characters by his use of language. The novel is saturated with a language that is terse and to the point. Harrison does this on purpose in an endeavor to support and expound on the novels theme and intent. Conversations between comrades are never lengthy or pompous. While many would surmise that talks during war would tend to veer towards the philosophical, in truth, soldiers exchange few in depth conversations. Due of the tension-filled surroundings and the dire context they find themselves in, the soldiers often find the need to seek relief. Their conversations reflect this as they often daydream of food and clean sheets. In fact philosophy is almost never discussed between soldiers, and religion was only sought after in moments where one found himself close to death. During these moments the language used becomes more abrupt and jolting, adding to a sense of terror. The abrupt contains the apprehension, worries, and pain of the soldiers. Aware of this, Harrison employs disjointed, and almost monosyllabic, articulations and exchanges to create the sense of tension. The frugal use of language can give off a sense of dread, allowing readers to immerse or take part in the experience of the characters. When being bombarded in trenches, the world around them didnt burst into extravagant, superfluous trains on thought and emotion; the world erupted into chaos and fragments of clear thought. The sky is lit by hundreds of fancy fireworks like a night carnival. The air shrieks and catcalls. Still they come. I am terrified. I hug the earth, digging my fingers into every crevice, every hole. A blinding flash and an exploding howl a few feet in front of the trench. My bowels liquefy. (25). This effect causes a more direct focus on the basic emotions and instinct in a moment of severe stress. This lack of thought process gives the protagonist animal-like qualities and emphasizes the sense of immediacy and confusion for the reader: this highlights their connection to the protagonist and creates an emotional reaction in the reader that is closer to what one may experience in war.. However, short sentences are not the only way in which Harrison creates this effect. To depict the war in realistic and personal terms, Harrison adopts the first person point of view, using the pronouns I and We throughout the novel. The first person perspective makes the realities of war more pronounced and believable. The way in which he switches from the use of I and we can give the reader a more powerful reaction to the events in the book. During stressful times, as depicted in the excerpt above, the protagonist refers to himself as I to emphasize his survival instinct, and the action in the scene. In other words, the realism that Harrison aims at is conveyed effectively because the protagonist tells his story of war from his own vantage point. The events, feelings, and ideas contained in the novel take their basis on the narrator having participated in the war himself. . However, during periods of rest or contemplation, the protagonist uses the pronoun we to refer to himself and his comrades. The use of we enables the reader to realize that the war extends beyond the protagonist. In addition to this, the pronoun we promotes the reader to feel the unifying effects of war, ultimately creating a more realistic account of the war. It is not enough that Harrison employs a first person point of view; he chooses to depict the war from the perspective of the soldier. This is an imperative narrative strategy because it creates more trust between the reader and the protagonist, encouraging a sense of reliability. In his novel, Generals Die in Bed, Charles Harrison challenges all the glorifying and romantic notions people may have about war. Although his protagonist is not a hero, he is a realistic representation of the survivor. The war in which the soldiers see themselves holds no splendor, but it kills, traumatizes, and scars. This is the war that Harrison came to witness as a former soldier, and this is the image in which he hopes to leave his readers. Armed with this vivid experience, he makes no attempt to discolor the truths about war. In not aspects of his novel does Harrison shy from his realistic perception of war. In fact, the strategic method in which Harrison constructed his novel helps to convey his message to his readers: war holds no glory, it holds not meaning, and yet it is pursued.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Stephen Crane and Walt Whitman: The Natural and the Language of Social

Stephen Crane and Walt Whitman: The Natural and the Language of Social Protest      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though in his short life Stephen Crane was never a soldier, his novel The Red Badge of Courage was commended by Civil War veterans as well as veterans from more recent wars not only for its historical accuracy but its ability to capture the psychological evolution of those on the field of battle (Heizberg xvi). Walt Whitman, on the other hand, served as a field medic during the Civil War. He was exposed perhaps to the most gruesome aspect of the war on a daily basis: the primitive medical techniques, the wounded, the diseased, the dying and the dead. Out of his experiences grew a collection of poems, "Drum Taps" , describing the horrors he had witnessed and that America suffered. As literary artists, a wide chasm of structure and style separates Crane and Whitman. The common cultural experience, the heritage of the Civil War connects them, throwing a bridge across the darkness, allowing them, unilaterally, to dispel notions of glorious battles and heroic honorable de aths. By examining Crane's Henry Fleming and the wound dresser from 'Whitman's poem of the same name, both fundamental literary differences and essential thematic consistencies emerge.    In The Red Badge of Courage, Henry Fleming was drawn to enlist by his boyhood dreams. His highly romanticized notion of war was eclectic, borrowing from various classical and medieval sources. Nevertheless, his exalted, almost deified, conception of the life of a soldier at rest and in combat began to deflate before the even the ink had dried on his enlistment signature. Soon the army ceased to possess any personal characteristics Henry had once envisioned, becoming an unthinking, dispas... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eds. New York: W.W. Norton, 1962. Hartwick, Harry. The Foreground of American Fiction. New York: American Book Co, 1934, p. 17-44 Rpt in Crane,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. Sculley Bradley, Richard Beatty, and E. Hudson Long Eds. New York: W.W. Norton, 1962. Schroeder, John W. "Stephen Crane Embattled," University of Kansas City Review, XVII (Winter 1950), 119 Rpt. in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. Sculley Bradley, Richard Beatty, and E. Hudson Long Eds. New York: W.W. Norton, 1962. Walcutt, C.C. American Literary Naturalism, A Divided Stream. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1952, p.66-82 Rpt in Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. Sculley Bradley, Richard Beatty, and E. Hudson Long Eds. New York: W.W. Norton, 1962. Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. New York: Bantam Books, 1983.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Growing Up African American Essay

I am a member of the African American group and I would like to tell you a bit about the group of when I am a part of. Let me start by saying that my African American group originated from Africa and growing up in America can be tough for people of my race, the African Americans. My group’s history is wide ranging spanning for many years and varying from region to region within the United States. I remember when I was young I use to talk to my mother a lot and asked her many questions like â€Å"Why am I called an African American? † She went on to explain that our race originally comes from Africa and we were part of a slave trade. From my mother I learned that we were slaves until a law was passed to give us freedom. I use to wonder when I was young if there were other people similar to me all over America. I also remember something my father told me once that African Americans live all over the country. My father told stories of how he used to go to an all black school could vote or sit in the front of buses. Being African Americans have faced several kinds of creation and consequence situations in the years they have been a part of the United States. In some places cheaper labor, longer work hours and terrible living conditions. Many people of the United States have made it almost impossible for groups of another race or Ethnicity to strive and live full happy lives. I have seen over the year’s situations of extermination in some parts, as well segregation, and expulsion. In school from some of my teachers, in social interactions like just walking through a store, and especially in the work place when they’ll even give me the chance to work because it doesn’t matter I go to get a job out here. There are some racist, even the Uncle Tom’s. I’ve done everything they ask and still I either get denied the job or they hire me and treat me like Growing up African American 3 trash until I quit, or they try to find a reason to get rid of me. Since, I don’t give them much reason to get rid of me due to my strong work ethic and performance; they usually try to break me down. Education plays an important role for most African Americans; however we are still way behind when compared to the White American which probably has a lot to do with the way some of us was brought up or our background. Regardless of the contributions made by the forefathers of black people, there is a hesitation of acceptance of the race that has been a focus of many groups the strive for freedom and justice for all, that has not yet been rectified. The same group of people was good enough to built the country is not always seen as good enough to live in the house next door. I believe because this country is made up of many different races and ethnic groups that are steadily growing in numbers. If different races are toco exist peacefully in the U. S. , it is vital that we all become educated on the history and culture of different races and ethnicities. According to the 2000 Census data for Lexington, MS the total population for 2000 were 2,025 male 965 and female 1,060 square miles 2. 45. Race: white (635); black or African American (1,362); American Indian and Alaska Native (1); Asian (13); and two or more races (14); and Hispanic or Latino (of any race) (40) (Fact finder Census 2000). Birthplace facts from the 2000 census data in Lexington born in the same state (1,706); born in another state (269); born outside the US (0); naturalized citizen (14); and foreign born, not US citizen (10). Some more 2000 census data in educational attainment population 25 and older was 1,206 in Lexington: high school graduates (299); some college, or associate’s degree (349); bachelor’s degree (111); and master’s, professional or doctorate degree (60). Some enrollment population 3 years and over Growing up African American 4 enrolled in school was 627: preschool and kindergarten (83); grades 1-12 (446); and college (98) (2000 census data). Growing up African American 5 References Factfinder Census 2000 Census data for Lexington, MS My mother and father.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

BUY PAPERS

BUY PAPERS Essay writing is essential part of any educational program. There are different types of essays that are being required to be written by the students. One of the mostly used essay types is observation essay. There are two options to go about this assignment. One is writing the paper and doing your best, the other option is to give this assignment to professional writer and buy papers online. Observation essay outline requires clear description, main facts presentation and general rules overview.    Observation essay outline concentrates on description and maid facts. Important aspect of observation essay is actually fundamental style of writing. Do a few sketches before you start composing your original observation essay. Ensure that you purely stick to the basic standard for essay writing. Try and create a special atmosphere to be present at the moment. Write at present tense. Display as many details as possible using senses of smell, light, touch, sound and taste. Employ your skill to develop parallels and include comparisons. BUY PAPERS Whether you are attending college or university, essay and term paper writing is definitely the most important part of any educational process. There are different types of papers which are being required and recommended to be written by the students. Among the mostly used and wide spread writing forms is observation essay. There can be two alternatives to go about this assignment. The first option is writing the paper on your own and doing all of your best. And the other option would be giving this assignment to professional writer, buy papers through secure essay writing online system. Observation essay outline demands clear and simply clear description. The main facts representation and general rules overview must be written as well. Observation essay outline concentrates on written description and main facts. Important aspect of observation essay is actually the fundamental style of writing. Perform a few sketches before you start composing your actual observation essay writing. Make sure that you strictly stick to the basic standard for observation essay writing format. BUY PAPERS Another important type of writing that you probably know about is junior research paper. Being a type of academic writing, junior research paper gives description of the research results. If a student is interested in gaining experience in research competition, then a junior research paper is written. We have gathered a list of important and useful tips that are able to help you create a junior research paper today. If you need assistance with writing junior research paper, you can always consult our writers and buy papers online.   The cover page or the junior research paper shows research field and research title that are concise. Include a research thesis approval by the college or university board. Introduction will discuss the thesis statement, important parts of the research. You may also include several aspects of the research problem. Body paragraphs will include methods and procedures used while doing a research itself. Then present results or findings in logical manner. Also, use graphics and tables as a fact or an argument. Conclusion must not only show but interpret the presented materials. Restate the thesis statement or the hypothesis. Remind the findings and give full interpretation of the received results. Finish up with a cited literature including list of citations.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Californias Overcrowed Prisons

Californias Overcrowed Prisons Free Online Research Papers California’s Overcrowded Prison’s Axia College of University of Phoenix This is what conditions are like at one of Californias best prisons, the California Rehabilitation Center: Built to hold 1,800 inmates, it now bulges with more than 4,700 and is under nearly constant lockdown to prevent fights. Portions of the buildings, which date to the 1920s, are so antiquated that the electricity is shut off during rainstorms so the prisoners are not electrocuted. The facilitys once-vaunted drug rehab program has a three-month-long waiting list, and the prison is short 75 guards.† (Pomfret, J) 32 years ago, California’s inmate population was only 19,600. 11 years later, the inmate population had increased by 811% to a whopping 159,000 and by the year 2000 that number increased to 161,000. The state of California is now running by far the largest prison system in the world. We house more inmates than three European countries (France, Germany, the Netherlands) and Singapore combined. Non-violent offenders are responsible for most of the increased inmate population. As it stands now, California sends to prison one out of every eight prisoners in the United States. Does this sound like a problem? I think so. â€Å"The California Department of Corrections predicts that at the current rate of expansion, barring a court order that forces a release of prisoners, it will run out of room eighteen months from now. Simply to remain at double capacity the state will need to open at least one new prison a year, every year, for the foreseeable future.† (Schlosser, E) T his is a scary thought indeed. How many more prisons must we have in this state before enough is enough? In this graph, one can see the increase of inmate population from 1988-2007. The numbers are staggering. Even though the Governor does not want to do an early release of as many as 55,000 inmates, there is a crisis going on in California’s 33 prisons because of overcrowding and because of the lack of medical and mental healthcare for its inmates, thus causing cruel and unusual punishment and violating the inmates Eighth Amendment rights. These inmates are either being housed in gymnasiums using bunk beds that are three beds high, or are being sent out of state to other facilities. In this picture, one can see how inmates are being stacked like sardines in gymnasiums across California. In February, a special panel made up of three federal judges upheld a tentative ruling that the overcrowding in California’s prison system presented and unconstitutional risk to the inmate’s health and safety. They further stated that California must reduce the population of its prisoner’s by at least 57,000. Currently, there are 174,000 inmates housed in California’s 33 state prisons. The stress from packing these inmates into facilities that were not meant to hold as many as they are, have resulted in scandalous behavior, not only from the inmates but the guards as well. Riots among inmates are a common occurrence. Back in September 1996, a fight broke out on B yard at New Folsom. Gang members that were comprised of Latino and African-Americans started fighting. Soon afterwards, â€Å"the fighting spread to other inmates on the yard and racial lines were drawn†. At least 200 inmates were involved in the riot. Warning shots were fired by officers, along with rubber bullets and live rounds. The riot took 30 minutes to cease. 12 officers were injured, â€Å"six inmates were stabbed, and five were shot.† An inmate who had been serving a sentence of 18 years for voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder was killed by the gunfire. (Schlosser, E) At Corcoran State prison , the guards had to be disciplined for staging gladiator fights. Up in Northern California at Pelican Bay State prison, there was at least one correctional officer who conspired with the inmates to arrange assaults on convicted child molesters. At the women’s prison near Chino, five employees resigned in 1999 because of sexual misconduct allegations and there were 40 other officers that were said to be involved. The medical and mental-health care that inmates are receiving in California’s state prisons is appalling. Inmates have been seen using communal showers and have open, bleeding wounds (staph infections). Mentally ill inmates live in conditions that some experts have said are even worse than those of the old mental institutions. Some guards will use medication as a tool to punish an inmate if they act out. With-out the proper medication, the inmate can sometimes become psychotic, thus leading to solitary confinement. This is in no way a form of rehabilitation. It is inhumane. A psychiatrist (who specializes in prison mental health) by the name of Pablo Stewart testified before the panel of federal judges that the overcrowding alone has contributed the rise in mental illness amongst the inmates. He further stated that these inmates have â€Å"no privacy, no sense of personal space, sleep with the light continuously on, and must cope with constant noise which is like that of an airport runway.† â€Å"It has been estimated that California’s prison system â€Å"throws away at least $100 million a year because officials refused for decades to negotiate low rates with hospitals, as every insurance company does.† (Elias, T) Correctional officers who testified before the panel of three federal judges that â€Å"as many as 50 inmates at a time typically wait two to five hours inside a 12-foot by 20-foot holding area for medical or mental health treatment.† (Thompson, D)It was also stated that â€Å"suicidal inmates were kept overnight in cages the size of telephone booths until crisis cells became available† and â€Å"some of the more severely ill mentally ill inmates wait more than a year before they can be transferred to a mental health facility.† (Thompson, D) These correctional officers are also at risk because of these conditions. Inmate assaults against staff â€Å"increased between 1990 and 1995 and the number of attacks rose by nearly one-third, from 10,731 to 14,165†. (Gillan, T) There are thousands of inmates that are infected with the HIV virus and thousands more are carriers of hepatitis C. Officers of late now have to be concerned with a new form of assault from inmates called â€Å"gassing†. This type of assault is done by throwing a bag or cup of feces or urine at the officers as they pass by the inmate’s cell. California prisons are filled with gang members from the Aryan Brotherhood, the Bloods, the Crips, the Fresno Bulldogs, the Nazi Low-rider’s, and the Southsiders, which can lead to random acts of violence against correctional officers. Today, prison sentences are more intended to incapacitate rather than rehabilitate the offenders. . Rehabilitation has basically been abandoned and has been replaced with tough on crime attitudes that truly only seek to punish and protect society. California’s prisons use to be known as the California Department of Corrections. When Gov. Schwarzenegger took office, he changed the name to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. My question is this? What happened to the rehabilitation part of it? Our prisoners are in desperate need of education and rehabilitation. Most of them only have a seventh grade reading level, a huge percentage of them have substance abuse problems, and there is little or no motivation for any of them to participate in programs that were created to address those problems that led them to criminal behavior. What is happening is without any type of rehabilitation, these individuals will keep going through a revolving door that I like to refer to as the CDCR. Those who are incarcerated should have access to programs that address: 1. Academic, Vocational, and Financial 2. Alcohol and other Drugs 3. Anger, Aggression, Hostility, and Violence 4. Criminal Thinking, Associations, and Behaviors 5. Family, Martial, and Relationships 6. Sex Offending Programs like these would help to cut down on the revolving door effect. The biggest problem that I see in California’s state prisons is the rate of recidivism amongst its parolees. When an inmate is paroled, they leave the prison with no more than the clothes on their back, and $200 in gate money. Most of these individuals will have no place to live and no job to go too. Because of this situation, most parolees will return to the people and places that they are familiar with, thus leading to more criminal behavior. California’s parole system violates more parolees and sends them back to prison than any other state. Parolees are getting violated for a dirty test, missing a scheduled appointment, or not being able to provide an address as to where they live and are being sent back to prison for up to one year. California’s parole system needs seriously to consider other alternatives besides sending violators back to prison. This in itself could save the state hundreds of millions of dollars a year in unnecessary spending. There are some wonderful programs that are available to paroles in the state of California that help them receive their GED, and train them in different marketable skills. They are also taught important values, and the interpersonal and social skills that will eventually allow them to live successfully in the mainstream of our society. These programs definitely help to cut done on the rate of recidivism. Ray Procunier, who was the director of corrections under then Gov. Ronald Reagan, has said that â€Å"We don’t need all these punitive laws like the three strikes law.† He then went on to say that when Reagan was in office, they were able to â€Å"cut the prison population by one-third and there was no increase in crime, not even a blip.† (Elias, T) Procunier also believes that he â€Å"could bring down today’s prison population by 95,000 and no one would be hurt in the process.† Maybe Gov. Schwarzenegger needs have this man brought back in to clean this mess up. Up until now, California’s attitude regarding over-crowding has been to just build more prisons because they cannot seem to agree on anything else. One thing is clear, there needs to be a cap on the prison population. Without it, we are going to keep filling as many prisons as we build because we are not affecting the amount of individual’s that are going in. This morning I read an article in the local section of the newspaper. The article started by saying â€Å"In Kern County, you really cant swing a dead cat without hitting a parolee.† (Henry, L) Ms. Henry went on to write that are an estimated 5,450 parolees in Kern County, with an estimated 800 who are back in custody for violating their parole. The numbers are high because â€Å"Kern County prides itself on sending more people to prison per capita than any other county in the state.† Maybe then Kern County should start picking up the costs of housing all these parolees. Something has got to give. There is a saying in California and it goes something like this: Come on vacation, leave on probation, and return on a violation. A very sad but true statement. California’s prisons are a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode. Right now, there is not too much love and affection going on in the house of corrections. The CDCR needs a serious overhaul. Will the Governor be able to come up with a way to relieve the overcrowded conditions and implement some kind of satisfactory medical and mental healthcare for California’s inmates without having to ship them out of state? Hopefully, he will, and soon. References: 52,000 inmates could be set free: Trial starts on effect of prison overcrowding. (November 19, 2008). Ventura County Star (Ventura, CA), p.NA. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from General Onefile via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS California’s Crowded Prisons. (Editorial Desk).The New York Times 158.54586. (February 14, 2009): A22(L).Retrieved March 13, 2009 from General Onefile. Gale. Apollo Library. Elias, T. (February 4, 2009) How to save billions on state prisons. Daily Breeze, Retrieved March 13, 2009 from ProQuest Newsstand database. (Document ID:1638518181) Gillan, T. (October 2001) The Correctional Officer: One of Law Enforcement TOUGHEST Positions. Corrections Today. Retrieved April 15, 2009 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6399/ai_n28870774/?tag=content;col1 Henry, L. (April14,2009) Pot of Parolees at the end of Kern’s rainbow. The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved April 14, 2009 from bakersfield.com/news/columinst/henry/x44130952/Pot-of-parolees-at-the-end-of- kern’s-rainbow KCBS News. (November 18, 2008) Trial Begins Over California Prison Crowding. Associated Press, Retrieved April 14, 2009 from kcbs.com/pages/3343672.php? MacLean, P A (March 1, 2009). CA ordered to reduce prison population. Medical Malpractice Law Strategy, p.NA. Retrieved April 30, 2009, from Academic OneFile via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS Meier, M. (November 17, 2008) Criminalizing Mental Health. Miller McCune. NAMI California: THE STATES VOICE ON MENTAL ILLNESS. Retrieved April 29, 2009 from namicalifornia.org Promfret, J. (June 11, 2006) Californias Crisis In Prison Systems A Threat to Public Longer and Less Emphasis On Rehabilitation Create Problems. The Washington Post, Retrieved April 11, 2009 from washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/06/10/AR2006061000719 Schlosser, E (December 1998) The Prison Industrial Complex. The Atlantic, Retrieved April 13, 2009 from theatlantic.com/doc/199812/prisons Thompson, D (November 23, 2008). Crowded Calif. Prisons neglect ill inmates. Associated Press, Retrieved March 13, 2009 from policeone.com/corrections/articles/1759045-Crowded-Calif-prisons-neglect-ill- inmates/ Tuccille, J.D. (February 10, 2009) California needs to release prisoners; heres a good place to start. Civil Liberties Examiner, Retrieved April 11, 2009 from examiner.com/x-536- Civil-Liberties-Examiner~y2009m2d10-California-needs- to-release-prisoners-here’s-a-good-place-to-start Research Papers on California's Overcrowed Prison'sThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationQuebec and Canada19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCapital PunishmentPETSTEL analysis of IndiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeResearch Process Part One