Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 2

Business strategy - Essay Example Apple Inc., possesses wide base of total assets and this makes them largest technology company across the globe. There is large number of customers who opts for Apple products and this has enhanced brand loyalty. Brand loyalty of the product is due to unusual items manufactured by the company. It is considered to be most admired company in United States. The strategic position of the company is well supported by its understanding about customer’s taste and preferences. iPhone denoted creativity of Apple Inc., in smartphone industry. In this study, strategic analysis would be exhibited on iPhone 6/6+ of Apple. This shall indicate effective utilization of resources and competencies in order to address customer demand and secure high profit margins. The company well segments consumer market so that manufactured product reaches right consumer. High prices of its product line are substituted by innovation and quality which cannot be easily imitated by other players in the market pl ace. The study shall encompass analysis of Apple iPhone 6/6+ in technology industry, along with usage of models to determine its strategic framework. Models such as Porter’s Generic Strategies, Bowman’s Strategy Clock, Pestle analysis, Five Forces Model, Value Chain, Resources and Competencies Audit and Strategic Group Mapping will be included in this research study. There are four kinds of generic strategies such as cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy, focus cost strategy and focus differentiation strategy. Products launched by Apple Inc., are unique by nature and are targeted towards a particular consumer market segment. Focus differentiation strategy states that narrow market segment are targeted by the company so as to acquire maximum market share. This form of differentiation strategy is adopted by a company when high priced products are being sold in the market place. Apple iPhone 6/6+ are targeted towards high income

Select a firm that is listed in the UK and a competitor that is listed Essay

Select a firm that is listed in the UK and a competitor that is listed elsewhere in the world. Using financial information from THOMSON ANALYTICS - Essay Example Many drugs fail to pass the various drugs administration tests issued by respective government agencies, this leads to heavy research and development costs to be levied on products that could never be seen in the markets. (Bleavins et al., 2010, p.35) Drug testing is a very time consuming as well as expensive process. This is usually disastrous for a company’s results as the R&D investment may not generate any returns in the near future, making it difficult to judge the true position of a financial statement. (Bleavins et al., 2010, p.35) It is because of such reasons why analyzing the results of a pharmaceutical company is considered to be an extensive and taxing task. Furthermore, short-term financial statement analysis may be rendered ineffective because of these reasons, as the numbers will never consider ‘what if’ scenarios (such as what if R&D costs do not provide any return in the future? or provide exceptional returns?) Perhaps the industry with the highest innovation rates, the pharmaceutical industry is an essential element of the financial system. According to Fortune Magazine, 12 pharmaceutical companies have made it in the Fortune 500 list in 2009, amongst these 6 companies were from the US, and 2 companies were from UK; the rest were also from other European regions. (Fortune, 2009, p.27) GlaxoSmithKline (hereafter referred to as GSK) and Pfizer have been close competitors for a long time, although their major focus in terms of type of drug differs substantially, these two companies still compete for top spot within many drug categories. Nevertheless, both these companies are very accomplished: Pfizer is more often in the news as compared to any of its counterparts, mostly it generates media for all the wrong reasons, but it gets lots of free publicity nonetheless. Most recently the company was surrounded in a controversy involving bribing doctors to recommend Pfizer’s

The Journey Of Mahatma Gandhi Religion Essay

The Journey Of Mahatma Gandhi Religion Essay Movie: Gandhi (1982) directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Ben Kingsley in the title role. This movie won 9 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. This movie depicts the journey of Mahatma Gandhi from the sole colored (racial discrimination inflicted on him) practicing advocate in South Africa, who is thrown out of a train at Pietermaritzburg on his refusal to shift to a third class coach while holding a valid first class ticket to the leader using the principles of non-violent resistance on behalf of Indian immigrants to his relocation to his mother land, India and inspiring the millions of fellow citizens by his charismatic leadership skills. The movie also portrays his individuality and relationships with his family, close-associates, friends and leaders of Indian Congress Party. Additionally, the principles followed by Mahatma Gandhi are represented fairly with the right blend of external factors including the British policies, poverty prevalent in rural India and discrimination issues affecting his decisions, outlook and strategies adopted together with the building of his Ashram. Who was Gandhi? Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, bestowed with the title of Mahatma  [1]  (Hindi word for great soul), lovingly called Bapu (Hindi word for father) by his followers, is the Father of nation  [2]  of India, who not only raised his voice for Swaraj (home rule for India) and taught his countrymen to fight against the British empire, but led the world to believe and still follow his principles of truth and non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi was a qualified Barrister, studied law in University College of London, lead a simple life with his wife, Kasturbai Makhanji and four sons, Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas and Devdas. Though a Hindu by birth, he believed in spirituality and not strict adherence to religious beliefs. The dialogue from the movie Gandhi clearly reveals the same: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I will begin with the Bible where the words of the Lord are, Love thy neighbor as thyself and then our beloved Gita which says, The world is a garment worn by God, thy neighbor is in truth thyself and finally the Holy Koran, We shall remove all hatred from our hearts and recline on couches face to face, a band of brothers  [3]  . It is easier to explain the austerity of this great leader by borrowing the condolences of Edward R. Murrow from the 1982 movie Gandhi: ..Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of great armies nor ruler of vast lands, he could boast no scientific achievements, no artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom Guiding principles and followers: Mahatma Gandhi followed the following 11 vows  [4]  throughout his life: non-violence, truth, non stealing, self discipline, non-possession, Bread labor, control of the palate, Fearlessness, equality of all religions, use of only locally made goods and removal of untouchability. These vows were envisaged in his book Yervada Mandir. He was unperturbed by the consequences that could follow on pursuing these principles, which undoubtedly made him the unique leader of East inspiring leaders across the globe, including Martin Luther King and James Lawson, drew from the writings of Gandhi in the development of their own theories about non-violence. Anti-apartheid activist and former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, was inspired by Gandhi. Others include Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Steve Biko, Aung San Suu Kyi and Philippine opposition leader during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, Benigno Aquino, Jr.  [5]  The Time Magazine in December, 1999 edition named The 14th Dalai Lama, Lech WaÅ‚Äâ„ ¢sa, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Aung San Suu Kyi, Benigno Aquino, Jr., Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela as Children of Gandhi and his spiritual heirs to non-violence.  [6]   His journey, from a briefless barrister  [7]  in Bombay to the half naked Indian fakir  [8]  to the champion of the cause of non-violence and equality, was full of thorns in the form of assorted problems faced by him as well as roses as the numerous followers. Innumerable writers and leaders world-over have diverse opinion about the greatest spiritual and political leader of India. Whether people follow the principles of Mahatma Gandhi or they loathe him, his immense work cannot be ignored. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. in the year 1955: Christ gave us the goals and Mahatma Gandhi the tactics.  [9]  The person of the century  [10]  Albert Einstein in his condolence message declared that Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood. Johanna Macgeary, a journalist with Time magazine quoted: His generation knew him as a radical political agitator; ours shrugs off a holy man with romantic notions of a pure, pre-industrial life. Further reporting that even his principal adversary, the Afrikaner leader Jan Smuts, recognized the power of his idea: Men like him redeem us from a sense of commonplace and futility.  [11]   The President of USA, Mr. B. H. Obama at the Wakefield High School speech in September 2009, quickly responded to a question posed on him as who was the one person, dead or alive, that he would choose to dine with? as Gandhi!, who he considers his biggest inspiration.  [12]   Leadership style: Leadership is a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.  [13]  There are diverse opinions and theories regarding definitions and classifications of leadership styles. Nevertheless, in the words of Vance Packard Leadership appears to be the art of getting others to want to do something you are convinced should be done. Leadership style is the summation of manner and approach of a leader in providing direction towards the accomplishment of a common task, implementing plans and motivating people. Kurt Lewin  [14]  led a group of researchers to identify different styles of leadership and established three major styles of leadership  [15]  as: authoritarian or autocratic; participative or democratic and delegative or laissez-faire. Participative leader: Mahatma Gandhi definitely was a participative or democratic leader, who involved the whole team in planning and goal setting, problem solving and emphasised team building; on the other hand, he retained his decision making authority that could not be challenged. Rather than deciding in an autocratic manner, he involved other people in the process, including his subordinates, peers, superiors and other stakeholders. Since the political situation then, was dynamic and changing frequently, the required democratic leadership flowed from Mahatma Gandhi. He brought out the best of experience and skill from the fellow Congress leaders, seniors and followers. He had a strong conviction with the right blend of flexibility and chose the appropriate approach to be followed. The communication channels used were open and transparent; and in case of any changes, the strategy was explained unambiguously. Theories of leadership: Various theories have been propounded on the concept of leadership based on varied attributes of a leader including traits, situational interaction, function, behavior, power, vision and values, charisma, and intelligence among others.  [16]   Transformational Leadership: Transformational leadership  [17]  as defined by Burns, is the process of motivating the team by leader to be effective and efficient and engaging their commitments in the context of the shared values and shared vision. It involves relationship of mutual trust between the leaders and the followers. Mahatma Gandhi beyond doubt was a transformational leader. He utilised his communication skills for facilitating and focusing his peers and followers on the final desired outcome or goal attainment. In consonance with Burns analysis, Mahatma Gandhi was highly visible and used chain of command. He focused on the ideal vision of Swaraj Home rule for India, and was surrounded by numerous other leaders who were responsible and accountable for the interim milestones leading to attaining the target. All the four elements of a transformational leader were evident in Mahatma Gandhis leadership: individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation and idealized influence. He attempted to attend to his followers individual needs, acting as their mentor and addressing their concerns. He unconditionally supported his followers and respected their individual contributions. The followers also had aspirations for self development and were motivated towards accomplishing their responsibilities. He was never averse to taking risks and was open to nurturing associates and followers. He articulated a common vision which inspiring not only his followers, but his peers and other contemporary leaders. Leaders with inspirational motivation challenge followers with high standards, communicate optimism about future goals, and provide meaning for the task at hand. Followers need to have a strong sense of purpose if they are to be motivated to act. Purpose and meaning pro vide the energy that drives a group forward. The visionary aspect of leadership are supported by communication skills that makes it precise and powerful. The followers are willing to invest more effort in their tasks, they are encouraged and optimistic about the future and believe in their abilities. 4. Idealized Influence Provides vision and sense of mission, instills pride, gains respect and trust. It involves having a clear vision and a sense of purpose. Such leaders are able to win the trust and respect of the followers. They build a base for future mission, which enables them to obtain extra efforts from the followers. Charismatic Leader Till now we have read about different types of leaders but some times it happens that we are awed by a leader and follow him/her blindly. The personal charm of the person influences us. These types of leaders are known as charismatic leaders. Mahatma Gandhi was also an example of charismatic leader. The charismatic leaders have the ability to carry the masses the them. They have a great deal of emotional appeal. Swami Vivekanand was another charismatic leader. Some characteristicof charismatic leaders are followers accept the leader unquestioningly. followers obey the leader willingly. followers beleif are similar to the leaders beleifs. followers trust the correctness of the leaders beleif. Servant leadership: Contemporary leaders:

Doctor-Assisted Suicide Essay -- Euthanasia Essays

Doctor-Assisted Suicide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Suicide is the act or instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally especially if that person is of sound mind. Euthanasia is the act or practice of killing individuals who are hopelessly sick or injured for reasons of mercy. Doctor-assisted suicide is a term used to describe the act of a doctor or physician providing direct or indirect means of assisting someone in taking their own life. There are 2 types of euthanasia. Passive euthanasia is withholding life-sustaining treatment either before or after it has been initiated. Active euthanasia is "taking steps to end your life, as in suicide, handling the action yourself" (Humphry 20). It is an explicit act such as writing a lethal prescription or a directly injecting a lethal dose. Approximately 30,000 Americans kill themselves every year. This means that the rate of suicide is about 11.0 per 100,000 people. This rate is just the average, and it varies greatly among sexes and races. The suicide r ate for males is 19.8, but the rate for females is 3.8. This difference in rates appears deceptive because females are 3 times more likely to attempt suicide than males. Males are just more effective in their methods. White Americans have a higher rate of suicide than any other ethnic group. It is believed that homosexuals have a much greater rate than heterosexuals, but this is difficult to research because many homosexuals hide their sexual orientation from fear of persecution. The terminally ill are most closely associated with the doctor-assisted suicide issue. Many in this group argue that once all medical care has failed, then one has the right to hasten death to avoid pain and suffering. If a person is going to inevitably die from a painful disease, then that person should have the right to decide when, where, and how death comes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many ways for one to commit suicide. The 2 major types are self-inflicted and assisted. Despite the popular issue of legalizing doctor-assisted suicide, most suicides remain self-inflicted. Zeinert describes the statistics:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS),   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the majority of those who commit suicide do so by shooting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  themselves. In fact, the latest statistics available from the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NCHS show that 59 percent of all suicides were committed   Ã‚  ... ...ks Cited Cohen, Adam. "Showdown for Doctor Death." Time 7 Dec. 1998.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 Nov. 2001 <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/1998/dom/981207/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  nation.showdown_for_doc2a.html>. Greenhouse, Linda. "Justices Uphold Laws Banning Assisted Suicide." The New York Times on the Web 27 June 1997. 30 Oct. 2001 <http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/07/20/reviews/scotus-suicide.html>. "High Court Rejects Constitutional Right To Doctor-Assisted Suicide." American Civil Liberties Union News 26 June 1997. 30 Oct. 2001 <http://www.aclu.org/news/n062697g.html>. Humphry, Derek. Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Assisted Suicide for the Dying. Eugene: The Hemlock Society, 1991. Katz, Stephen R. "Doctor Assisted Suicide-a Bad Oxymoron and a Bad Idea." Connecticut Post 27 Apr. 1998. 30 Oct. 2001 <http://pages.prodigy.com/DOCTORINFORM/suicide.html>. Torr, James, ed. Euthanasia: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven P, 2000. Uhlmann, Michael, ed. Last Rights? Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia Debated. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1998. Zeinert, Karen. Suicide: Tragic Choice. Berkeley Heights: Enslow Publishers, 1999.

Book Report †Middle School Series Essay

? Rafe Khatchadorian has enough issues around his family life, without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, he’s got an incredible plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off. With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school’s Code of Conduct. Having gum in class scores him 5,000 points, running through the hallways, another 10,000 points and pulling the fire alarm, 50,000 points! But not everyone thinks that Rafe’s game is a good idea, especially the teachers, parents and other students at the school, so he’ll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he’s finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he’s been avoiding. http://www. jamespatterson. com/books_middleSchool. php#. UWY9FFdstN4 Middle School the Worst Years of My Life is written by James Patterson and is a realistic fiction book that takes you through the journey of Rafe’s first year at middle school, dealing with the awkwardness of crushes, bullies, and family issues as he tries to break every rule in the school’s Code of Conduct. The book features many different pictures that tell you what’s going on as well, and is considered a graphic novel. Middle School the Worst Years of my Life received a critical acclaim from the most reviewers, it won the YALSA 2012’s Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers award and James Patterson got nominated for the Children’s Book Council’s Author of the Year award. James has written well over 50 books, a lot of them being in series, and has won many awards. Middle School the Worst Years of My Life is the first book in the Middle School series. The setting of the Middle School series is in middle school. There is no specific day or time that this book is set in, other than it being during middle school. A lot of the time the rules that are broken are broken within the school timing, but there are one or two rules that get broken out of school times. I think the setting has been chosen well, and believed it suited the book well. The novel starts with Rafe entering sixth grade at Hills Village Middle School. Beginning the new school year with a negative mindset means that Rafe starts the year bored and believes that ‘it was a prison Pilgrims back then, but not too much has changed. Now it’s a prison for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. ’ Rafe quickly understands that he will be stuck in middle school for 3 years, and invents â€Å"Operation R. A. F. E. † with his best friend Leonardo the Silent. The plan was to break every single rule in the schools handbook. He also has to put up with the issues in his home life. His mum is always working double shifts at a diner and never gets time with her children, Rafe, and Rafe’s younger sister, Georgia. He has a verbally abusive stepfather (Bear) who looks after him when his mother is away. Then, there’s Jeanne Galletta, who Rafe is madly in love with. Jeanne is a doubtful of Rafe’s plan and wishes he would spend more time on school work then his games. Operation R. A. F. E’s consequences consists of many detentions with his English teacher, Ms. Donatello. This creates tension between Rafe’s family, and after having a fight with Bear about Leonardo and how he is a bad influence on Rafe, we discover that Leonardo is Rafe’s imaginary friend. Rafe’s actions eventually lead to bad grades, getting himself suspended, and then forced to be tutored by Jeanne, whom he had been trying to avoid because she doesn‘t like him. While the tension in the family gets stronger, Bear throws Rafe’s mother to the ground and moves out, Rafe gets expelled for spraying graffiti on the school walls, but Ms. Donatello see’s the potential artist within him and comes up with the idea to send him to art school. The final part of the book reveals that Leonardo is Rafe’s dead twin brother. An exciting part of the novel is when Rafe graffiti’s the school wall at four in the morning. ‘The next morning, I left a note for Mom saying that I had to go to school extra early to work on a project, which was basically true. I just left out the part about how early meant four in the morning and project meant highly illegal activity. â€Å"You’re not going to regret this,† Leo kept telling me. The way he saw it, the whole point of Operation R. A. F. E. was about breaking rules, so why should I let a little thing like losing the game stop me from doing the part I’d been looking forward to the most? Like I said before – genius†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I unpacked my new flat black marker, a big old camping flashlight, and some of my latest practice sketches. I’d drawn these ones on graph paper, which is kind of like a brick wall, to show me how big everything would need to be. But Leo was feeling impatient, â€Å"You don’t need those anymore,† he said. â€Å"The clock’s ticking. Stop thinking so much and just go. † So I did. I set up the flashlight on a rock so that it was shining right at the wall. Then I picked up my marker and started. It was king of slow-moving at the beginning. I wasn’t sure what to draw first, or what order to do things in. But the more I kept going, the more I got into it, and then somewhere along the way everything started to flow†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. After a while I was running around like crazy, working over here, working over there and getting up on an old trash can to reach the higher parts when I needed to. The whole thing started to get so big that I felt like I was inside it, even while I was still drawing. It was like Leo had said – I wasn’t thinking anymore. I was just doing it, like the marker was just another part of me, and the lines and shapes and pictures were coming right out of my hand. ’ After a while, the police show up, and are surprised that a kid had done all that work, but then again, it was illegal, so into the cop car went Rafe and Leo. I like this part of the novel because I felt as if I was in the actual scene. It was as if I was Leo and I was scared we’d get caught. This scene, although it’s short, it was intense. You didn’t want Rafe to get caught, but you wanted to know what would have happened when he got caught. I just believe that the way this chapter/scene has been written makes it believable and makes you feel like you’re there. The style of this novel is average pace. The novel begins out very slowly, and it doesn’t have much meaning, but once the novel gets a fair way into it, the drama begins, and the pace slowly picks up. At the end of the novel, things get more intense and more happens in a shorter amount of time, and by the end of the novel, so much has happened, that it takes a while to comprehend what has happened, but you realise that James wrote it that way for a reason, and to me, that reason was so that he could have a short book, that had a lot in it, and might eventually be able to make a movie, much like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies. The Worst Years of my Life uses a lot of slang humour, but not so much that it’s over powering, it’s just enough that it creates the characteristics of the book. A genre is the category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter. There are several genre’s the feature in this novel, some more than others. The genres that feature heavily in Middle School the Worst Years of My Life are: Comedy Humour Drama The genre that is featured in the book, but not as heavily is romance. Have you ever had a crush on someone and had them not like you back? Romance is a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love. Rafe Khatchadorian discovers his feelings for Jeanne Galletta on one of his first days at school. They were all sitting in the school gym and she was one of the candidates for the student council representatives and part way through or speech, she offers to buy Rafe fries later that day, and that’s when he knew he liked her. Towards the end of the novel, Rafe’s grades start to go downhill and the school as well as his Mum think it’s a good idea to get some extra help. Little did Rafe know that his dream girl Jeanne was going to be his tutor. Even though Rafe is a teenage boy who likes girls, middle school would not be any good without a sense of humor or a comedian mixed into the scene. The biggest class clown in the school is here, and his name? Rafe Khatchadorian. A class clown is the funniest person in the class who often gets in trouble. Rafe’s first year at middle school is spent trouble making and trying to make people laugh, but not everyone thinks that his plan to break every rule in the Code of Conduct. Miller the Killer was the school bully, and his new prey is Rafe. Throughout Rafe’s middle school year, he comes into conflict with Miller many times. The biggest thing that happens to Rafe because of Miller the Killer is when he discovers Rafe’s notebook with all the Operation R. A. F. E. (Rules Aren’t For Everyone) and makes Rafe buy each page back off of him for a dollar a page, but Rafe discovers Miller’s plan with the notebook early on, and it isn’t pretty. Miller the Killer enjoys making Rafe’s first year at middle school hell, but Rafe enjoys the humorous side of school. School is tough on everyone, so what’s the best way to get through? Have fun! And that’s what Rafe intends to do by breaking all the rules in the Code of Conduct and earning himself points. The catch is, he only gets given three lives, and if he breaks all three, the games over. All the seriousness aside, Rafe gives himself, and Leo a good laugh. The funniest scene in the book to me was when Rafe decides to break the schools dress code, and he was given the best chance to do this with Halloween just around the corner. Leo knew that it would only be a matter of time before Rafe was caught by a teacher, so Leo was giving him 10,000 points for every 50 yards of the school he covered in his costume. Rafe ran, as fast as he could in all black, with a pocket full of Cheerios as throwing stars, and nunchucks made from paper towel roles with rope knotted at either end. Yep, you guessed it. Rafe was a ninja. ‘I came tearing out of that bathroom at full speed and just kept running – through the first floor (10,000! ), up the stairs (10,000! ), down the second floor hall past all the lockers (10,000! ), throwing Cheerios and swinging my nunchucks like crazy. ’ Right before he got caught, Miller the Killer was right in his aim. ‘I made sure my mask was pulled down tight over my face. Then I took a big windup as I went by, and beaned him upside the head with one of the chucks (10,000! ). â€Å"What the – ? † Miller turned the wrong way, just as I passed him. By the time he’d figured out where I came from and where I was headed, I’d already left him in the dust. He was twice as big as me, but I was twice as fast. Eat it, Miller! ’ And then it happened. Caught right in the act. Yep, a teacher saw him†¦ Well, he ran into the teacher. Games over Rafe. ‘And then – splam! I ran right into Mrs. Stricker. Literally. Let’s just say, she wasn’t in the mood for wrestling. ’ But Rafe had another plan and it was going to earn him double points. ‘I went into the bathroom and came out a minute later without my ninja costume, running just as fast as before. Some kids got out of my way. Some even ran in the other direction. A few of the girls screamed when I cam2 through, but I don’t think they meant it. And a few people even yelled stuff like â€Å"Go, Rafe, go! † and â€Å"Don’t let ‘em get you! † Because, like I said, I wasn’t wearing my ninja costume anymore. In fact, I wasn’t wearing much of anything at all. ’ No, he wasn’t naked, but he wasn’t wearing much†¦ ‘Just sneakers, a pair of boxers, and a big old smile. Boy, did Rafe get in big trouble for that, but on the other hand, he did earn himself a lot of points! Rafe loves making people laugh, and I believe that the reason he does it isn’t for other people, but he does it to make himself feel good. I believe that the main theme in this novel is coming of age and growing up into a better person in a way. To me, I think this means that by using the resources that are around you (family, friends etc. ) to become the person you are supposed to be. For Rafe, this is trying to get over his prank, funny, humorous stage, and into the more serious schooling stage. This can be hard for some people, especially when they don’t get along with their family, and when their only friend is in their imagination, but by the end of the book, Rafe has realised that even though he isn’t academically smart, he does have a gift with art, which sees him going to art school. Love is also in the novel, as Rafe discovers Jeanne Galletta, but it doesn’t impact on the story as much as growing up does. The main characters in the book are: Rafael (Rafe) Khatchadorian – Rafe is the trouble maker in the story who is in his first year at Hills Village Middle School. Rafe is important because without him, there is no story. I like this character because he makes the book fun. Even though he isn’t an actual person, this character has a funny personality and a childish sense of humour. I believe that James Patterson has described this character well. Georgia Khatchadorian – Georgia is Rafe’s annoying little sister who likes to be in everyone’s business and know what’s going on in Rafe’s life, especially when he is in trouble. She is also the family tattletale and always dobs Rafe in when she catches him doing something wrong. Even though Georgia annoys Rafe a lot, he also protects her, which is like all siblings love-hate relationships. I like her because I think I can relate to her because I am the younger sister in my family, and I like to annoy my older brother, but I also know that he will always be there for me. I think that Georgia is a main character in this story because she is a part of Rafe’s home issues because she never leaves him alone and always wants to know what’s going on in his life. Carl AKA Bear – Bear is Georgia and Rafe’s, abusive, rude, obese stepdad who can be found on the couch. Bear is often yelling at Rafe after school. He also argues with Mrs. Khatchadorian, Rafe and Georgia’s mum, and one argument let Bear to accidently push her down the front steps, and when the police show up, it doesn’t look good for Carl. I don’t like him at all! He’s so rude and obnoxious, and I would hate to have a step parent as bad as him. Leonardo (Leo) the Silent – Leo is Rafe’s best friend, who we later discover is in his imagination. We also later find out that Leo was Rafe’s twin brother who died when he was still a baby. I think that Leo is the glue that holds everything together. He helps Rafe with school, with home, and he gives him the motivation to keep going when things get tough. I really like Leo the Silent because even though he isn’t real, he is the perfect best friend. Jeanne (Jay-Gee) Galletta – Jeanne is Rafe’s crush. He is madly in love with her, but she is also the goody-two-shoes of the school, and she hates Operation R. A. F. E. I like her but I don’t. I feel like she tries too hard to be a good student, and doesn’t give herself enough freedom, which is why I don’t like her. I think that being a teenager, or getting to that stage  means that you can manage school and social life, and to me, it’s like she has no social life. She’s important in the story because as we get older, we start to see people in different ways, and we start to like them, and I believe that Jeanne is important because without her, it’s not a real adolescent’s life. Ms. Donatello AKA the Dragon Lady – Ms. Donatello is Rafe’s English teacher, as well as his detention buddy. Even though she is strict and can get aggravated easily, she also has Rafe’s best interest at heart and wouldn’t help him if she didn’t believe he was better than what he shows. I like her because I have had plenty of teachers that are hard on me, but they do it because they want what’s best, and without that push, we wouldn’t grow and evolve as people. I understand why Rafe doesn’t particular like her, but teachers always want what’s best, and he will eventually see that. Miller AKA Miller the Killer – Miller is the school bully, hence the name ‘Miller the Killer. ’ He is constantly giving Rafe a hard time throughout his first year at middle school, and without the school bully, school wouldn’t be school. There is always that one person that puts people down to make themselves feel good, although not a lot of bullies take kids lunch money, but hurt them mentally, or even physically. I don’t like Miller because I believe that he hurts people because he can and he needs to get disciplined. Without Miller, or a bully in the book, it wouldn’t be like school life, so I can understand why James Patterson included him in it. I’m not much of a reader, but I really enjoyed this book, and I found it easy to understand and comprehend because of the little sketches throughout the book. This book is much like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and I believe it is aimed at the same kind of age group. I think that I was too old to read this novel, but I didn’t find it so easy that I could just read it in a day, but not hard enough that it took me forever to read. It was a good balance, so I would suggest it for kids 13 years old and younger, somewhere between 9 and 13. To be honest, it was a good book, but it could have been made longer so not everything happened at once towards the end. In general, it was a good read, and I would recommend it to younger kids who enjoy having a good laugh and getting into trouble.

Ethics Paper Essay

The role of ethics and social responsibility are vital to the success of business. This also is very important to the stakeholders and should be even more important to management executives who have to make the decisions on whether to be ethical or unethical. This seems like a no brainer, but top level officials have the daunting task of making difficult decisions that affects groups involved in the success of the company. This paper will bring into focus the ethics and social responsibility in creating a strategic plan while taking in consideration stakeholder needs and agendas. Business Ethics is a form of ethics, which examines the ethical principles, and moral problems that occur in a business today. Ethics plays an important role in business today by establishing policies, procedures, and practices when creating a strategic plan. One such policy to have as a driving force for the company is a code of ethics, which outlines how an employee should behave while on the job. Having a code of ethics in place will not only help employee’s behavior, but the implementation of strategic plan of guidelines that will take in consideration for stakeholder needs and agendas. Social responsibilities are the responsibilities of private corporations to society that goes beyond that of making a profit. When implementing a new strategic plan you have to take in account the affects it will have on society as well as the organization. Strategic decisions influence other entities internally and externally. For instance, a decision to down size by closing some distribution centers and discontinuing manufactured goods, affects not only the employees, but also the neighborhoods where the plants are located. This also hinders the consumers and suppliers with having no other source for the discontinued products (Wheelen & Hunger, 2010). These types of decisions bring forth questions as to regarding, the appropriateness of certain missions, objectives, and strategies of businesses. Management must be able to come to compromise the difference in interests in an ethical manner to formulate a realistic strategic plan to meet the needs of the stakeholders. To answer this question, the corporation may need to engineer a strategy, which can explicitly articulate the organization with the role of ethics with stakeholders. This requires not only that management a clear picture of the organization key ethical approach but also that it understands the organization societal context, and undertakes stakeholder analysis to identify the issues and duties of each stakeholder (Wheelen & Hunger, 2010, pg.76). While researching an industry that continues to overstep it’s boundaries for stakeholder agendas. Pfizer, the world largest pharmaceutical company has been continually marketing and selling drugs with unapproved uses. In 2004 Pfizer plead guilty to two felony counts of marketing a drug for unapproved uses and paid 430 million in fines and penalties (Evans, 2009). United States attorney’s office was assured by Pfizer lawyers that they will stop promoting drugs for unauthorized purposes. Five years later Pfizer plead guilty again for directing over 100 salespeople to promote Bextra, another unapproved medication. The fine this time was an America’s highest recorded fine ever of 1.19 billion. Since May 2004, Pfizer, Eli Lilly & Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and four other pharmaceutical companies have paid a total of $7 billion in fines and penalties for marketing drug for unapproved uses (Evans, 2009). This shows that not only Pfizer, but other pharmaceutical companies are taking the approach of maximizing profits for the sake of stakeholders. In the readings it states that shareholders were unmoved by the actions of the company because each time the company had to pay out billions in penalties the share price went up (Evans, 2009). This practice of marketing and selling unapproved medications have shown how irresponsible, unethical, and socially unaware these companies are. Lives are being lost or changed forever because of some of the side effects of these medications that are being push by these organizations for a buck. To prevent such heinous acts we need only one of the pharmaceutical giants to step up and implement a strategic plan using more of an ethical approach in producing new drugs to the market. This can be attain by having the research done well in advance, publically documenting their finding, have more transparent marketing strategies, and making sure that all medications are FDA approve first before any distribution of a single pill. Another strategy to improving the industry is by using the input of the stakeholders which can give other alternatives to what route can the industry can use to maximize the benefits for all. In conclusion we can clearly see the importance of roles of ethics and social responsibilities are within an organization’s strategic plans. Once a company has put itself in a position to use ethics and society to govern it duties to make sure business is held to a standard higher values. Only then will organizations such as Pfizer will understand that it’s more about the people than the profit. Stakeholders have a pivotal role in the advance of business because each company that have taken notice continues to thrive today even in a recession.

Our Day Out by Willy Russell Essays

Our Day Out by Willy Russell Essays Our Day Out by Willy Russell Essay Our Day Out by Willy Russell Essay Mrs Kay disagrees with Mr. Briggs who thinks that to teach the children you should be firm (the old fashioned way). Mrs. Kay however clearly states that the children should be treated fairly and has little hope for their futures. When Mrs Kay speaks about how the kids are being brought up to be nothing more than factory fodder, she could take her argument even further. Unemployment was so widespread in Liverpool in the 1970s, that the progress children had little prospects of any job at all. The fact that Carol is willing to stay in Wales at the end of the play, and even considers jumping off a cliff rather than returning, illustrates how hopeless her life and prospects are. The same for all the other children in Liverpool at that time. In my own opinion, I think that Willy Russells main aim was to influence his audience by entertaining them. There are so many examples in the play were a funny incident is in fact more than it seems and makes the audience think. For example the best incident is were Brigs is talking to Andrews about smoking, Andrews says that his dad beats him up because he wont give him one. This is just one of many examples were by Russell uses what seems to be funny incidents but when thought about them more carefully, turns into pathos.

The Civil Rights Cases essays

The Civil Rights Cases essays The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was an effort of the Post-Civil War Congresses to enforce civil rights throughout the United States. It was a part of the Reconstructionists to eliminate racial discrimination throughout the United States and this Act was one form to attempt to accomplish this. They took the authority to pass this Act from Section 5 of the 14th Amendment. They interpreted that section to allow the Congress the power to define as well as enforce the rights established by the 14th Amendment. When the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was tested by the Supreme Court it held that interpretation of the amendment and thus the Act was unconstitutional, and in passing the Act overstepped the power granted by the amendment to Congress. The ruling and the dissent to this opinion of the Court looked to four main constitutional issues to support their findings: civil and social rights, implied and expressed powers, federal supremacy and state sovereignty, and finally strict and broad interpre tations. One of the issues exhibited in the Civil Rights Cases was the protection of civil rights versus the protection of what has been deemed as social rights. The argument of Justice Bradley indicted that the 13th and 14th Amendment can only be looked to for the protection of civil rights and expansion of these protections to social rights would be outside the scope of the Constitution. The protection of these rights instead fell to the States and their authority to legislate their own domestic affairs. Civil rights are identified as those safeguarded by the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution (the essential rights of life, liberty, and property) against State infringement, and therefore cannot be breached by acts of individuals. Social rights or protection against discrimination, however, does not fall within the scope of the US Constitution. The imposition of an individual into the rights of an injured party, if not sanctioned in some way by the S...

Aging Population in Hk

In the past, many people dead in childhood due to sickness and improper medical treatment, which enzymes and bacteria can easily kill them. However, with the development of medical technology, such as introduction of new treatments like antibacterial, people can combat many diseases and have a longer life, and the death rate can be lowered. Hence, as Hong Kong is a stable place, it can make people in Hong Kong live longer. Hong Kong is a stable place without the threat of civil wars and lack of essential resources like water and food, compare with some undeveloped countries. In addition, the Hong Kong government also maintain stability by making policies such as food hygiene policy. With maintaining stability, people can live longer then. The above conditions lead to the increasing longevity of Hong Kong people, which caused the aging population in Hong Kong. Declining birth rate In the past 50 years, there was a baby boom occurred in Hong Kong. People at that time did not concern about the cost of bring the child up and the problem of population explosion, which lead to the high birth rate at that time. After reaching 1980s, the birth rate started to be declined. This is mainly due to higher education rate in HK, when there is a higher educates rate, less female would unwilling to born more children. Hence, fearing from financial burden, as it bringing a child up requires a high cost, families are unwilling to give birth to child. Moreover, people are more likely to settle down at a later age, form their families when they become old, this also lead to a low birth rate. In fact, the low death rate could bring few negative effects. However, when there is a declining birth rate, the young age group cannot support the size of old age group born in the baby boom. This will lead to a serious problem. In short, a declining birth rate and a low death rate caused the aging population. Situation in Hong Kong In Hong Kong, the population sizes of youngsters are keeping decreasing with a decrease of 17. 9% in 33 years. In contrast, the number of old people are keeping increasing, it is estimated in 2033, the old age group will become one-forth of the whole population. Hence, there is a decreasing trend in birth rate in 40 years with a drop of 1500 babies per year. Nevertheless, the trend grow again since 2005 due to migration from Mainlanders, they could only be able to work until 2030,which may hard to combat the problem. To conclude, the problem of aging population is serious. Impact of aging population In medical aspect, aging population may increase medical expenditure of government because elderly people may have the high risk of chronic diseases. Due to increases of medical services, the demand of doctor and nurses would also be increased. However, the government may not have enough money to provide better medical services as a lower tax income. This may lead to poor quality of medical services. From the point of view of the government, aging population reduces the government’s income as providing more welfare and medical care for elderly. It would also affect the GDP of HK due to more elderly people and less working population, which reduce Hong Kong’s economic development. HK competitiveness in the world may be seriously affected. In social aspect, aging population may increase the pressure of working force, as they need to pay more tax to government for providing better medical services and welfare, even though the demand of productivity at will be high and high salaries will be paid in the future. On the other hand, it may also enhance the problem of poverty as they may unable to work after retired. Suggestions of aging population From the above passage, we can see that aging population will cause a high expenditure and welfare on the government. The aims of the solutions below are to solve these problems. To start with, the government can solve the problem by Enabling older individuals to keep economically active. For example, the government can employed these old age people part-time works to enhance productivity. It can also encourage them to spend more money to enhance the economy by encourage them to travel in Hong Kong, such as the $2 Public Transport Concessions for the elderly. For those retired who are poor and disable to work, the government should put more resources to help them maintain a living. For example, increase the amount of welfare on the poor, or provide resources to some fund, which helps the old age groups, such as the Community Collusion Fund. On the other hand, the government should also cut some welfare, for example, the introduction of the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) can let the old people save money itself for entire when they are working; the issue of health care voucher can reduce the burden of the government-owned health system. These measures can help the government to reduce the welfare.

CASE STUDY 02 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CASE STUDY 02 - Essay Example The debt position of the company is more or less the same as that of its peers. 7 Dividend policy forms an integral part of corporate finance. It looks obvious that the company must reward its shareholders by declaring high dividends. But then the question is if the company declares all of its earnings as dividend merely to keep the shareholders happy then this will perhaps retard the future growth prospects. For this reason the companies do not declare all its earnings as dividend but they plough back a certain portion of the earnings in the form of ‘Retained Earnings’. The companies pay a lot of attention to ‘dividend policy’ as a fall may invite the wrath of the shareholders and a rise can come in the way of the growth prospects (Ross, et al., 2008, pp. 590). The dividend payment of FPL Group Inc has been on an upward move for the last ten years. In the year 1984 the company declared a dividend per share of $1.77 that reached the levels of $2.47 in 1993. Unlike the steady rise in the divided the earnings per share (EPS) of the company passed through fluctuations on many occasions but the impact of this was not felt on its dividend payment pattern. In fact in the year 1990 FPL Group incurred a net loss of $391.005 million resulting in a negative EPS of $2.86. But even in this year the company declared a dividend of $2.34. The main incentive of a share issue is that payment of dividend is ‘not obligatory’ i.e. a company pays dividend only when it is able to generate sufficient amount of earnings. But this seems to be inapplicable in the real world as is evident from the case of FPL Group. However it is anticipated by the analysts that the group will either cut dividend or keep it stable at the existing level of $2.48 per share . In 1993 FPL Group maintained a dividend payout ratio of 91% which is the highest as compared to its peers. During this period Duke Power Co. maintained a payout ratio of 68%, Florida

E-commerce Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E-commerce - Research Paper Example The second exercise is on the comparison of online prices across the four major supermarket chains across UK and the prices of all the items have been compared to understand whether certain supermarkets are generally cheaper than certain others. Tesco and Asda have been found to be in general cheaper than Sainsbury's and Waitrose although further research in this area would be required to provide any conclusive evidence in this matter. The report however can definitely suggest that considering the lowered prices of online goods, more consumers would prefer to buy goods online in the coming years and online or internet shopping will definitely become more successful in the future. The expenditure for the week given is at 51 which would be slightly higher than the normal expenditure as the DVD, and Women's shoes amounting to 20.99 + 17.99 that is 38.98 are extra items bought which are not usually bought every week. The usual or average weekly expenditure considering these items bought will only be at 12.02 although at this time it is above 50. The expenditure for this week involves goods and items as diverse as washing powder, soft drink, women's shoes, mixed vegetables, ice cream, DVD, and red wine. ... The report however can definitely suggest that considering the lowered prices of online goods, more consumers would prefer to buy goods online in the coming years and online or internet shopping will definitely become more successful in the future. Keywords: Market price, online price, supermarkets, internet shopping, listed items. I - Summary of expenditure showing item, brand, size and cost and comments on how this would differ from average or normal expenditure Item Date Brand Size Cost Monday Washing powder 16-10-06 Ariel 1 kg 1.47 Tuesday Women's shoes 17-10-06 M&S 5 20.99 Wednesday Soft Drink 18-10-06 Coca Cola 2ltr 2.18 Thursday Mixed Vegetables 19-10-06 Tesco 500g .90 Friday Vanilla ice cream 20-10-06 Walls 2ltr 2.64 Saturday Red wine 21-10--06 Marquez de chive 75cl 4.83 Sunday DVD 22-10-06 Sainsbury's n/a 17.99 Total: 51.00 The expenditure for the week given is at 51 which would be slightly higher than the normal expenditure as the DVD, and Women's shoes amounting to 20.99 + 17.99 that is 38.98 are extra items bought which are not usually bought every week. The usual or average weekly expenditure considering these items bought will only be at 12.02 although at this time it is above 50. The expenditure for this week involves goods and items as diverse as washing powder, soft drink, women's shoes, mixed vegetables, ice cream, DVD, and red wine. The DVD and women's shoes as we have identified are some of the items that I wouldn't usually buy and can be considered as 'extra items' for the week. However these items seem to have raised the expenditure dramatically. II - Summary of expenditure showing item, brand, size and cost for online

Security Survey Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Security Survey - Assignment Example This survey also involves interviewing all employees working in the firm, day and night shifts, meeting with security officers and other law enforcing bodies in the urban area where the firm is situated (Davis, 2008). This survey, if done properly, will help the firm identify the risks, threats and plan well to reduce the security-related expenses. It will also help the firm to know areas of weakness in security issues. Since this manufacturing plant is located in the urban environment, it is important to recognize the number of risks that it might experience. These risks include theft, air and noise pollution, traffic congestion near the plant and terrorism, which is a global threat to almost all organizations. In order to reduce these risks, the firm needs to erect a tall stone fence that does not allow passer bys to see the activities carried inside the compound of the firm. In this kind of location (urban), one gate to the firm is more effective to allow easier access control. The gate should be made of a tough steel metal that cannot be destroyed easily by thieves and other employees who might intend to sneak with the company’s property. This should be done in all entrances and exits of the compound. To save time while at the access points, two entrances are more suitable to enable security officers conduct friendly security checks to the employees. This will also help the security officers identify outsiders who pretend to be staff members of the firm. The security check helps to prevent the entrance of illegal weapons such as grenades, firearms and other crude weapons that may create a massive loss to the firm. These entrances should have two security officers, both male and f emale. Disasters like fire and earthquakes are experienced in many parts of the world; therefore, emergency exits should be available in all the small and large firms to allow easier

Slanket Case from Harvard Business Review by John Deighton Essay

Slanket Case from Harvard Business Review by John Deighton - Essay Example A slanket’s body length makes it convenient to use in the comfort of a sofa or even while studying. Some customers send slankets to their loved ones as gifts during feasts and festivals, such as Christmas and Halloween. It saves money that could otherwise be spent on thermostats during winter. Its use is further promoted by consumers when watching movies and during long car journeys. Distribution Situation Gary Clegg ensured the effective delivery of the product to customers’ doorsteps. Every time an online order was made, the details of the client were noted and responded to online. Gary accompanied these deliveries with a personal note, thanking the customer for purchasing the product. He also built a supply chain that helped source the product from China, in partnership with a North Carolina company. Competitive Situation The main competitor of the Slanket Organization came in October, 2008, by the name Allstar Marketing Group (AMG). Based in Hawthorne, New York, the firm was a Direct-Response Television (DRTV). This was a highly successful marketing firm that was previously credited with the production of Aqua Globe, a self-watering system for house plants, and Big City Sliders, a device that produced miniature hamburgers. As an infomercial marketer, the Allstar Marketing Group produced a cheaper version of the Slanket, dubbed â€Å"snuggie†. ... However, there is uncertainty in this industry as it is not known whether other consumer trends may occur or which other company may enter and invest in the industry. SWOT Analysis of the Slanket Business Strengths To begin with, the Slanket Business had quite a diligent and industrious pair of managers. Gary Clegg researched on patents, found a textiles supplier and oversaw production. Despite the discouragement from lawyers concerning the impossibility of obtaining a patent of their work, due to the difficulty in distinguishing the design from a bathrobe, hospital gown, stylized shawl or poncho, Gary persisted and would not let go of the business. Gary’s elder brother, Jeff Clegg, was also important in the success of the business in its earlier years. He set up the infrastructure for a web-based business. On day one of their business, he worked tirelessly for 14 hours on the screen, answering emails and filling orders. These two brothers further cooperated in effectively man aging the staff and the transaction operations of the Slanket Organization. The Slanket Business had an upper hand in ensuring product awareness. The on-line word of mouth promotion was also strength to the business. At Digg.com and the Daily Candy, an email newsletter and insider guide that appeared in one million subscribers’ inboxes daily, Gary and Jeff could reach over a vast proportion of potential clients each day. Exclusive contracts went as far as having Gary host live sales for the slanket on the QVC Channel, a televised home-shopping network. This was an added strength in getting more customers, ensuring more sales. For instance, by the end of 2007, QVC had sold over 30 000 units (Deighton & Kornfeld, 2010). Another contract was made with an airline

American politics questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American politics questions - Essay Example Moreover, the mighty state government can ask the central government to remain close to the people in state governments and to be more concerned with the needs and aspirations of the people especially relevant to small and isolated places. On the other hand, there are a number of demerits attributed to the states having a strong political role in America. As the state government is in warm relation with the central government, it is forced to obey even the one-sided decisions of the central government. It leads to duplication of government and inefficient, over-lapping or contradictory policies in such states. The unilateral policy making and decisions of the central government may lead to inequality between the states and thereby unhealthy competition and rivalry between them. The double ruling of the central as well as state government in the constituents may pave way for corruption. The phrase tyranny of majority means a situation in democracy where the party that gets majority of votes has the sole role in formulating policies and making decisions completely snubbing the interests and role of the minority. The term also indicates that the interests of the ruling party will be prevailed and this ignores individual interests; and such a situation can be regarded as the rule of a dictator or tyrant. Even if the decision taken by the ruling party has some evil effects, it will remain in force. Suppose the majority is 51% and the minority is 49%, a huge number of 49% people will have to suffer for the tyranny of a simple majority. To overcome the deficiencies of such a government Madison proposed the establishment of a new Constitutional republic government in which the scheme of representation takes place. According to him, it can avoid the tendency of â€Å"tyranny of majorities† that occurs in pure democracy through two basic means (Bardes, Shelley, and Schmidt, 45-47). In the first place, the representative

Policing Policies in the USA and the UK Coursework

Policing Policies in the USA and the UK - Coursework Example This report looks at the background and the development of the policing policies in the USA and the UK to understand the drivers and motivations that inform police activity in these countries. A comparison with the reported crime levels allows comparison of their performance and effectiveness and thus the systems. Why are the police so important in the development of democratic societies The police are different from any other government entity. Of all government functions, the policing function is arguably the most visible, the most immediate, the most intimately involved with the well-being of individuals and the health of the communities. Police represents a vital arm of the government and is primarily responsible for the maintenance of law and order within the political boundaries of a country. The organisation, the underlying philosophy and the way police approach their task reflects the approach to governance that the country has especially towards its citizens. Conversely, the attitude of the community towards the police also affects the way the police approach their job. Regardless of the way the policing function is organised the result is what is important. The essential questions to ask are: While it is widely agreed that the functions of the police ... The essential questions to ask are: a) Whether the police is effective in crime reduction and, b) Do the police meet the needs of the society whose interest it serves While it is widely agreed that the functions of the police embrace much more than crime investigation and control as also that police are not the only institution that is responsible for crime abatement, this essay considers only the role of the police in fighting crime. At the end of the 1980s, the change in societal environment, and the demographics of crime and drug abuse clearly indicated that the traditional police practices were inadequate to control crime (Greenwood et al 1977; Kelling et al 1974). Two decades of rising crime led to a gradual erosion of public confidence in the institution (Crank & Langworthy 1992) and demanded the use of innovative practices to meet the requirements of the society. While the American police adopted the 'zero tolerance' approach that continued to tend toward use of force to keep the streets clean, the British police, except for a few disastrous experiments with 'zero tolerance' gravitated towards the more liberal approach. A comparison of police systems and practices in America and Britain helps understand the cultural and operational philosophy differences between the two and impact they have on their effectiveness. The analysis and discussion in this report is limited to police organisations in urban and metropolitan areas with rural policing specifically excluded. This report explores the different constructs that earlier research suggests in terms of defining 'models' and 'styles' of police service provision. Using these, the recent historical developments of the actual practices in America and Britain and their

American politics questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American politics questions - Essay Example Moreover, the mighty state government can ask the central government to remain close to the people in state governments and to be more concerned with the needs and aspirations of the people especially relevant to small and isolated places. On the other hand, there are a number of demerits attributed to the states having a strong political role in America. As the state government is in warm relation with the central government, it is forced to obey even the one-sided decisions of the central government. It leads to duplication of government and inefficient, over-lapping or contradictory policies in such states. The unilateral policy making and decisions of the central government may lead to inequality between the states and thereby unhealthy competition and rivalry between them. The double ruling of the central as well as state government in the constituents may pave way for corruption. The phrase tyranny of majority means a situation in democracy where the party that gets majority of votes has the sole role in formulating policies and making decisions completely snubbing the interests and role of the minority. The term also indicates that the interests of the ruling party will be prevailed and this ignores individual interests; and such a situation can be regarded as the rule of a dictator or tyrant. Even if the decision taken by the ruling party has some evil effects, it will remain in force. Suppose the majority is 51% and the minority is 49%, a huge number of 49% people will have to suffer for the tyranny of a simple majority. To overcome the deficiencies of such a government Madison proposed the establishment of a new Constitutional republic government in which the scheme of representation takes place. According to him, it can avoid the tendency of â€Å"tyranny of majorities† that occurs in pure democracy through two basic means (Bardes, Shelley, and Schmidt, 45-47). In the first place, the representative

Global war wine Essay Example for Free

Global war wine Essay The global wine industry is being influenced by a number of factors including consumer demand and changes in the way wine is produced and sold. There has been a shift in the perception of wine in the past half-century as consumers and producers have migrated away from the Old World philosophies to the modern-thinking the New World has brought about. By the 1990’s the average consumer’s palate changed especially here in the U. S. where consumers were more apt to look for the premium ($7-14) and super-premium (+) wines. By this time, there was a drop in consumption in countries that traditionally consumed a great deal (France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, and Chile) while demand in other countries increased (U. K. , Canada, Belgium, and some Asian countries). Wine consumption was now becoming truly â€Å"global† and New World producers had the means to handle demand. Shipping overseas was now a cost-effective way to transport wine around the globe allowing consumers even more choices of quality wines. Therefore, one of the most important factors in how the wine industry is changing is in the education of the wine consumer. And consumers now can look at a bottle of wine and tell the type of wine and the region they came from along with the date bottled. 2. How did the French become the dominant competitors in the increasingly global wine industry for centuries? What sources of competitive advantage were they able to develop to support their exports? Where were they vulnerable? French wine producers became the dominant competitor as a result of four reasons. First, their geographic and climatic featuresplayed significant role. As France is in the middle of Europe culture with suitable climate and soilcondition for harvesting grape, had accrued first-mover advantage and established its place as thedominant competitor in the global wine industry. Second, they became the first high-quality winemarket and gained a lot experience. Especially, the negociantstraded wine between France and othercountries and this worked as word-of-mouth effect, increasing the reputation and dominance of Frenchwine. Third, they used the latest innovations such as mass production of glass bottles, the use of cork stoppers and pasteurization. These innovations increased the stability and longevity of wine whichallowed the transportation of wine to distant places, and birth of global wine market. Lastly, the government support made significant effect on the reputation and improvement of French wineindustry. The sources of competitive advantage that they were able to develop to support their exports is to keen to taste and tradition in the production of wine (strongly tight to the French culture), artistic and historical talent and expertise in wine making and well located as to the high demand markets such as England,.. The main vulnerable aspects of French wine industry were highly fragmented vineyard and wine production, increasing vineyard prices per acre, complex distribution and sales system, long multilevel value chain, risk of bad weather and disease; and poor roads and complex toll and tax system. Also, they lack of rational assessment of their place comparing to other countries and they do not have any marketing plan or strategy.

Photography

Photography Using a broad range of critical, satirical, and photographic texts, assess the cultural reception of photography in the mid nineteenth century. To answer this question fully, there must be a clear knowledge of the culture/society which birthed photography. The mid nineteenth century was a time of great technological advancement (most prominently industrial technologies) that bought with it significant cultural and social change. It is well known that photography was both embraced, but also regarded with some scepticism as to its overall purpose and usefulness in the early Victorian era. Julia F Munro (2009 pg.167) states It is now widely accepted that photography wasnt truly discovered until 1839, as it was then that Daguerre and Fox Talbot made their discoveries of early photographic processes, the daguerreotype and calotype respectively, and shared them with the world. Goldberg (1991) agrees that it was much earlier when people began to realise a need and take interest in using light as a way of taking pictures, preserving a moment accurately and mechanically. Goldberg (1991 pg.10) goes on to state that desire was abroad to catch nature in a net. Indeed as early as the late eighteenth century, devices such as the camera obscura (optical device used mainly to aid drawing) and camera lucida (a piece of technology which allowed artists the ability to precisely record contours of landscape) were rife, and captured the eye of professional and amateur artists alike. Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877), sometimes referred to as the Grandfather of Photography, was one of many people searching for an answer to the void that existed before the conception of photography, and was most interested in its ability to record nature accurately, and pursued his development of the calotype photographic process mainly as a result of his poor ability as an artist. Talbot states is his manual The Pencil of Nature (1844) that his photography should be thought of as photogenic drawing. Talbots earliest photograph, Latticed Window although very poor quality and taken during his early experiments utilising an adapted the camera obscura, highlights his intentions as a keen scientist and mathematician to take mechanically accurate pictures. It is merely an accurate recording, a latticed window on a bright day, it serves very little artistic purpose, and is mainly a triumph of technical accuracy. Photography came to serve a much needed purpose, one that had been recognised much earlier that its first conception. Although Daguerre/Fox Talbots Victorian audience were generally a receptive and willing one, indeed ready to embrace a new and exciting technology, but they also engaged in much critical debate regarding the cultural, ethical and social impact regarding the emergence of photography. Wells (2004 p.12) states that hailed as a great technological invention, photography immediately became the subject of debates concerning its aesthetic status and social uses , Henisch (1994 pg.2) agrees stating intense controversies raged concerning its status and role. The debates related to art or technology is one still fought today, and ones which roots can obviously be found in the very early years of photography. The famous quote by Paul Delaroche (1797-1859) upon first seeing a daguerreotype photograph, from this day painting is dead, whilst an overt exaggeration, highlights a genuine fear felt by artists (especially portrait) during infantile years of photography. The daguerreotype Although accepted for its ability to record mechanically accurate images that are free of discrimination, photographys status as an art form was much less certain, and fiercely contested. Can photography be considered artistic? Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), a French Poet artist, was a well known and very vocal critic of early photography: If photography is allowed to deputize for art, it will not be long before it has supplanted or corrupted art altogether (Baudelaire 1859 pg.297) Baudelaire suggest photography simply should not and could not supplant more traditional artistic methods. Its ability as To answer this question fully, there must be a clear knowledge of the culture/society which birthed photography. The mid nineteenth century was a time of great technological advancement (most prominently industrial technologies) that bought with it significant cultural and social change. Whilst these advancements were the cause of change, Well (2004) states a society will also invest and put time into developing new technologies in order to help satisfy previously unseen social needs. Wells (2004 pg. 12) summarises, photography was a consequence, and not a cause of culture. It was not a cause of change, but an answer to an unforeseen social need brought about by the fast evolving, and ever changing modern metropolitan lifestyle. Bibliography WELLZ, L. 2004. Photography: A critical introduction. Oxford: Routledge. CLARKE, G. 1997. The Photograph. Oxford: Oxford University Press. BAUDELAIRE, C. 1859. The Salon of 1859. Unknown. BRIGGS, A. 1998. A Victorian Portrait. London: Cassell Publishers Limited. GOLDBERG, V. 1991. The Power of Photography: How photographs changed our lives. New York: Abbeville Publishing Group. GREEN-LEWIS, J. 1996. Framing the Victorians. New York: Cornell University Press. HEINZ, K. 1994. The Photographic Experience 1839-1914. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press. MARIEN, M. 1997. Photography and its Critics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. MUNRO, J. F. July 2009 The Optical Stranger: Photographic anxieties in British periodical literature of the 1840s and 1850s. Journal of early popular visual culture 7(2) pp167-183.

Coincidences :: Essays Papers

Coincidences â€Å"Hurry Taylor, we’re late sweetie.† â€Å"But Mom, I’ve gotta make sure I have everything!† Taylor screams in a whiny voice. The day I’ve been dreading has finally arrived. My oldest daughter is leaving for the summer to work as a camp counselor. She’s working at the same camp that I worked at when I was 16. â€Å"Mom!! I can’t find my adidas, HELP ME.† Yells Taylor, sounding like she’s in a state of emergency. â€Å"Sweetie, they’re already in the van, you packed them this morning.† I replied. â€Å"Dad! Are you coming? We’re leaving in five minutes.† Taylor screams in excitement. Dressed in faded overalls, with her hair pulled up and tied back with a bright yellow ribbon, she looks so grown up -- so mature. I’ve never been more nervous. What am I going to do without my baby all summer? Who’s going to keep my fashion sense in line? Who’s going to watch Felicity with me? Ahh! She can’t leave me! â€Å"Ya know mom, I’m gonna miss being home this summer, I’ll come home during the five week break and I’ll call you as much as I can.† Taylor looks at me with true sincerity. Tears are filling my eyes, I can’t show her my weakness. I quickly change the subject. There’s the sign, â€Å"YMCA CAMP WEWA, 5 MILES.† â€Å"Jamie, look at this place. Nothing has changed. It seems like we were just here yesterday.† Jake mentions as he rolls his window down. Taylor quickly perks up in her seat; her eyes open wide with excitement. She’s been going to this camp since she was eight years old. This will be her first year as a counselor. I can remember my first year. Summer of 1969, the best summer of all. It was the summer I met my husband. I was the counselor of the Washoe cabin, and he kept the boys of the Witchita cabin in line. I can remember those sparkling days like they were yesterday. June 6, 1969†¦ I’m finally here. The cabin is desolate now, but in about an hour it’s going to resemble a can of sardines. Thirteen girls each bringing two or more bags and seven bunk beads all shoved into a small wooden cabin. What a mess it will be. It’s noon, the first set of camper’s drive up to the cabin.

Terrorism Essay -- essays research papers

Terrorism and hostage taking may be as old as civilization itself. There are numerous references to abduction throughout Greek mythology. In midievil times hostages were taken for money or a guaranteed safe passage through a country. In the U.S., Indians on the western frontier terrorized settlers to frighten them away. Throughout the twentieth century, up until the 1970’s various terrorist acts were committed, yet it was not as big a problem as it is today. The new age of terrorism dawned at 4:30 in the morning of September 5, 1972. It was then that members of the Palestinian organization Black September attacked the Isreali Olympic team. Three men were killed on the spot and nine were taken captive. The terrorists demanded that 200 of their fellow Arabs be released from Isreali prisons. They also wanted Isreal disbanded and its territory returned to the Palestinian people. The results of the Munich attack were tragic. Following a gun battle between German sharpshooters and t he terrorists, which killed one German policeman, all nine hostages and five of the terrorists were killed by a hand grenade. The events at Munich proved that a single terrorist action, cleverly planned and daringly executed by a small band of people could accomplish as much as the movement of a large army. That is why the Munich attack was the dawn of a new age of terrorism. From the point of view of the terrorists, the main goal of the Munich attack was to draw attention to the Palestinian cause, a goal that was achieved through media coverage. This accomplishment was a lesson that terrorists everywhere were quick to learn. This is widely shown in that the number of terrorist acts has generally risen, with a trend toward bloodier incidents. The accumulation of terrorist attacks on innocent civilians has caused many changes around the world. There have been thousands of instances of terrorism. Just a few statistics can give one the idea of the seriousness of the problem. Robert Cla rke from the National Security Council put it perfectly when he said "organized crime groups now posses such significant resources that they can almost buy and sell governments" (Morrison 6). The Department of defense estimates that as many as 26 nations may posses chemical agents and or weapons and an additional twelve may be seeking to develop them. Between 1970 and 1977, terrorist movements thr... ...at the problem of terrorism. These new policies have clearly changed many routines and spending of money. Programs have been set up, thousands of people have been hired, and billions of dollars have been spent in order to reduce terrorism around the world. In the past decade, over 18,000 individuals in 50 nations gave been trained in counter terrorism. The U.S. alone gas trained more than 19,000 foreign law enforcement officials from more than 80 countries in such areas such as airport security, bomb detection, maritime security, VIP protection, hostage and rescue, and crisis management. The FBI is moving to reassign 500 of its agents to counter terrorism duty. It is also dramatically expanding its presence overseas. Along with hiring thousands of individuals to counter terrorism duty, governments have set up hundreds of programs to help gain intelligence. Anti-terrorism funding has been boosted by one billion dollars in over four years. In 1986, the Counter-Terrorism Center was set up to collect data about and coordinate strategies toward terrorist groups. In 1985, President Reagan set up a cabinet level commission, known as the Vice President’s Task Force on Combating Terrorism.

An Epic Story: Sundiata Essay

What makes a story truly epic? Is it the qualities of the characters within the story? Is it the story itself? Is it the sense of destiny or Fate that the story creates for the reader? Is it the way said story is written? Whether a story requires only one or all of these characteristics, the book â€Å"Sundiata and Epic of Old Mali† is a truly epic tale. The story tells the life of a great king in Mali named Maghan Sundiata. Born to an unfortunate looking mother, he is slow and weak at the beginning of life. Sundiata doesn’t start walking until he is seven years old but once he stands he stands tall. He is a natural leader and has all the qualities of a paragon protagonist. He is smart, kind, merciful, and fair as well as strong, willful, powerful and skilled. Choosing exile from his home city, and rightful throne, in order to protect his sisters he finds himself in a position of leadership in another city. After he leaves Mali it is invaded by and evil king showing all the characteristics of and epic antagonist. King Soumaoro Kante is narcissistic, cruel, petty, sadistic and ruthless as well as smart, powerful and most of all cowardly. They are joined in battle twice; both times the victory is Sudiata’s and both times Soumaoro Kante runs away. Soumaoro’s city is sacked and he is left powerless while Sundiata not only wins his kingdom back but also gains many allies and friends because of his truly good personality. If a story is made epic by its characters than surely the perfect paragon of Sundiata and the extreme evil of Soumaoro are epic enough to fulfill and epic requirement. If one judges an epic by the story being told than â€Å"Sundiata an Epic Tale of Old Mali† is also a worthy candidate for an epic tale. Starting from the weakest in the city and becoming the strongest in the Kingdom, Sundiata’s life in itself is epic enough. The story is told through the point of view of a griot named Mamadou Kouyate. A griot is many things in the society of Mali and thr oughout much of Africa. He is an Historian, an advisor, a mediator, an entertainer but most of all he is the culture of an entire society of people. Understanding the culture of the society in which this story comes, one would, without question, consider the griot Mamadou Kouyate on par with the likes of Homer and the author(s) of Beowulf. This is possibly partially because of his perspective but definitely because of his beautiful use of  the marvelous in order to beautify the story and make it personal to the reader or listener. The way the story is told enraptures an audience like any true epic should. Within all great epics there is an obvious theme of someone’s destiny. Sundiata is given a destiny at a young age, as predicted by a seer before his birth, and fulfills it with purity of heart. He faces many trials and tribulations along the way but never once does he give into darkness. Never once does he give up and decide he’s done enough. Not until all his people are freed, all debts are paid, and his kingdom is returned does the story end. This is a clear and perfect example of the sense of fate one requires of our epic heroes. Of all the traits of â€Å"Sundiata†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the characteristic that most earns it its epic status is the battle of good versus evil and the triumph of good. Not to be misunderstood with a novel tale of mediocre light and dark, the battle in this story speaks to the deepest depths of darkness and to the purest picture of paragon.

Outline and Discuss the Major Roles and Functions of the Guidane Counsellor

Within our Jamaican schools the guidance counseling programmes are designed to implement core principles as stated by the Jamaican school curriculum. Guidance counsellors are the ones who play the role of effectively analyzing and implementing these programmes which ensure that all students are well prepared to manage these â€Å"exciting times†; every student needs support and guidance. This is imperative as they embark upon the academic, social, spiritual and developmental challenges of adolescence; a time of rapid growth and change.Our guidance and counselling programmes offer students the opportunity to develop these characteristics necessary to become successful adults in a fast changing world. The primary goal of guidance and counselling and guidance counsellors is to guide and support overall student development and well-being in three broad areas of student life; while keeping in mind the central tasks of adolescence such as acquiring and assimilating self-knowledge, d eveloping future goals and purposefulness, building strategies to accomplish goals, developing decision-making skills, coping with outcomes of decisions and exploring social relationships.The guidance counsellor is charged with the responsibility of being the one who facilitates positive change in the lives of those in their care especially in the three broad areas. These include ‘Personal/Social Goals’ which entails helping students acquire the inter personal and communication skills to increase their understanding and respect of self and others. Academic Goals’, which helps students develop a wide range of academic skills and become effective agents of their learning, ‘Post Secondary-College Planning Goals’ achieved through information sessions and by making resources available to research and apply to college, students are able to plan and make decisions about their future. John is a fifteen year old student who has recently returned to Jamaica to live with his father. John had left Jamaica at an early age to live with his mother in the Cayman Island. She is now incarcerated in the Cayman Island and so he now has to live with his father.John is having serious problems in school and at home. He has been getting very low grades in class and is sometimes very disrespectful to his teachers especially his female teachers. John also finds it hard to adjust and to make new friends; he resents the woman with whom his father now lives and is now hiding from school and hanging out at the video arcade. John’s teachers and his father have made arrangements for him to have weekly sessions with the schools Guidance Counsellor. The roles of a Guidance Counsellor in any Jamaican school vary.John’s case is just one example of the wide spectrum of psychosocial problems experienced by many Jamaica students who are in need of guidance and support. The role of a counselor in John’s case is vital to his adjustment to his new situation and with him dealing with the pain of his past experiences. Whatever his counsellor does is critical in his survival from his maladjustments. Myric (2003) defines the term ‘role’ as an elusive one. It generally refers to the part that one plays in a given situation. He further gives the definition of function as the way in which a professional carries out his/her part.Function gives attention to various behaviours that might be performed in the role. Guidance and counselling is therefore a necessity in all Jamaican schools. The needs of students especially those at the adolescent stage are overwhelming. As postulated by Makinde (1993) persons at the adolescence stage in life need guidance as they seek to clarify their goals and values, strengthen their interests and aspirations, appreciate their philosophies and cognition and adjust to the norms of society. Some major roles and functions of the guidance counsellors according to Gibson et al. 1999) are to provi de individual counselling, group counselling, work with parents, and consult with teachers and administrators. Guidance counsellors should also conduct classroom guidance instructions and assessment activity and coordinate with community agencies. The Ministry of Education (2009) outlines the major components that comprise roles and functions as: preventative, interventive, supportive administrative and pro professional development. In order to help Jamaican students make the transition from childhood to adulthood, the guidance counsellor’s role is integral in this quest towards the holistic development of these students.How important are these roles and functions in the development of our children, our future? This essay seeks to outline the major roles and functions of a guidance counsellor in our Jamaica school setting and also to examine some of the factors which negatively impact the guidance counsellor in his or her quest towards fulfilling these roles. As a guidance co unsellor the implementation of all the components geared towards the holistic development of students must be considered and implemented. These should be ongoing and emphasis should be placed on classroom guidance as well as group and individual counselling.Ministry of Education (2009) coined preventive measures as proactive initiatives implemented to deter the onset of individual and group problems. These measures and strategies will provide students and others the opportunities to learn skills of conflict resolution and reduction. Guidance Counsellors are able to assist in the planning, implementing and coordinating of orientation designed to help students adjust to new experiences within the school community. The preventative components also help guidance counsellors to promote leadership development of peer counsellors and encourage participation in community service programmes.These programmes also furnish principals and other stakeholders with relevant information concerning s tudents in the various stages of development. As students progress through the different levels of academic life, they are faced with tremendous problems of deciding and selecting their subjects, courses and career choice. This challenge can be alleviated through the professional guidance of the guidance counsellor. The counsellor will assist the students to make rational decisions toward their life goals.Through career development programmes the Guidance counsellors help provide placement services and work experience for the students. Through this kind of programme the counsellor is able to help the students to make the transition from one school level to another or from school to employment, in this way students are better prepared and equipped with skills necessary for the world of work. The guidance counsellor also assists students who although they have been exposed to the options and guidance in a group setting, have not made up their minds as to which area they would like to pursue.These students are usually assisted on an individual basis. Another major role and function of the guidance counsellor includes individual counselling of students. Gibson (1999) defines individual counselling as one-to-one relationship involving a trained counsellor that focuses on some aspects of the client’s adjustment, development, or decision making. This process can therefore help a counsellor develop a close personal relationship and communication base with the student. As such the guidance counsellor in the school can help tudents to develop understanding of self as it relates to their social and psychological world. Students can also be assisted in exploring possibilities relating to their lives and also understanding how to initiate change in their lives. Through individual counselling students will gain a better sense of confidence in the counsellor and will no doubt be more comfortable in discussing and dealing with issues presented. With individual counsell ing the opportunity is there for them to speak freely without the fear that may exist in a group setting.For a student such as John an individual session will help him to deal with underlying issues which have created his bitterness and anger. He would be better able to cope with all the changes with which he is faced. Such an individual counselling session would allow him the framework on which to maximize his true potential and understand his world in order to impact positive change. Saginak (2003) provides additional insights into how effective counsellors can help identify students of multiple intelligences.This finding can help a counsellor care for the different needs of students. For example, the use of journal writing, art, music and poetry has been advocated for many years as effective ways with counselling students. Individual counselling is basically a continuous process as the counsellor seeks to build a relationship with each student he or she comes in contact with. Ind ividual counselling by a guidance counsellor is sometimes the only means of providing some kind of hope for some children. Hence, the counsellor should ensure that a harmonious relationship is built.Although some students are confident to go to a counsellor’s office after being referred by their teacher, parents or peer, some may be reluctant; as such, group sessions will help to cater to the needs of these students. The importance of group counselling (small group, large group) and guidance in schools cannot be overemphasized. According to Johnson (2000), group counselling involves two or more individuals in face-to-face interactions, each aware of positive interdependence as they strive to achieve mutual goal.Myrick (2003) adds value to what Johnson (2000) said that group counselling in school is a unique educational experience in which students can work together to explore their ideas, attitudes, feelings and behavior especially as it relates to personal development and pr ogress in school. For some students this might be the only intervention experience in learning about themselves, others, life task and how to deal with certain confidential issues. It is clear that group counselling helps students to share common interest and concerns.Students like to know that other students are having similar experiences as they are having. Groups are valuable as students are better able to support each other as they struggle together. As such, students are better able to relate to each other in their social contexts. Improvise the opportunity for students for students to learn and live with each other as a team. Gladding (2009), states that students participating in a group develop social relationships and emotional bonds and often become enlightened.Research has also shown Flemming (1999) that group counselling is more effective than individual counselling to address the need of students, especially â€Å"at risk† students. He further asserts that this co ntention is supported through research into violent youths, which suggests that peer group interventions are effective in redirecting peer values, confronting antisocial behavior, teaching problem-solving skills and encouraging pro-social behavior. Dollarhide et al (2003) opines that students in group counselling allow counsellors to expand their awareness of student client.What better way to see how students react in their systems than to witness it first-hand. In essence group counselling in Jamaican schools provide both students and guidance counsellors with a more comprehensive knowledge of what students are faced with on a daily basis, issues can be dealt with and students continue to focus on their goals. As in John’s case, he may not be responsive in a group setting as well as he might be timid or embarrassed to tell his story. Although group counselling can be beneficiary to many students, it has its down side.The nature of group settings can at times bring out comple x and sensitive issues which might require counsellors to speak to teachers and parents to better aid students in this process, hence the need for consultation. Saginak (2003),defines consultation as a three part helping relationship characterized by confidentiality, mutual respect and collegiality, focused on helping the consulted function more effectively with the client. Saginak further states that consultation provides a systematic intervention allowing counsellors to reach into student’s context and mobilize other persons in the student’s support network.In the consultation process the Guidance Counsellor can maximize the opportunity to educate the teachers, parents and community on the developmental issues that students are faced with this level of consultation is vital in Jamaican schools as it provides stakeholders with the assurance in dealing with the issues which may arise with their children. Parents are better able maximize on their roles as caregivers and confidants. This is as a result of the access to cooperative relationship with their child’s Guidance Counsellor.This enables them to better understand their child’s behavior, attitude, relationship and other concerns. In addition, it provides the opportunity for counsellors to consult with parents who are not actively participating in their child’s education. In a case like John’s which is similar to many children in Jamaica, the guidance Counsellor would not only help him to deal with his present problems but also to develop skills that would allow him to be able to cope with other challenging situations which will inevitably occur throughout his lifetime.His parents would also be enlightened as to how their actions influence his state of mind and behaviour and the steps they can take to help him to live a better life. Parents would also have a closer hand on what exactly is going on in the life of their children and would receive information as to whe ther or not their child need further help to cope with different situations. Consultation also helps teachers and administrators in dealing with students who are exhibit anti-social or dysfunctional behaviour.It provides the teacher the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to deal with these children who are problematic. Teachers would understand the adjustments of the curriculum and instructions needed to effect positive change. In his or her role in the Jamaican school system the guidance counsellors also provide consultation to the members of the school community this is deemed necessary as the community is usually the nurturing ground for the members of the school. This in effect filters down to benefiting the student and the entire community.This also fosters a better and more effective communication process between the school and the community. Although not an official role, the guidance counsellor in the Jamaican schools, through community involvement, are often times ca lled upon to lobby for sponsors for different projects these are usually projects undertaken by the counselling department or administration for the funding of different project geared towards students’ development. As stated by Miss Cindy Nemard guidance counsellor at Quest Preparatory, many students benefit from these programmes specially in the public schools where school feeding programmes, school fee payment, sport scholarships, examination fees, uniform to books and other programmes benefit the children based on the collaboration effort of the guidance counsellors and the community members. Miss Nemard further states that this allows the community members through their support of the school a sense of being a part of the school development and progress. They also get to voice their opinion on their hopes and plans for the school and in turn the students.In addition the counsellor gains easier access to engaging families in counselling the process and if necessary collec ting information to assist the police, judge or social worker. The overall benefit from community consultation is immeasurable. She further states that when the stakeholders are involved in the children’s development the school environment is more shaped within the community. To maximize on this the guidance counsellor must have a good programme which will be beneficial towards the total development of the students.Without a plan we have very little hope of achieving the full potential of our dreams and aspirations, similar is the case with a guidance counsellor in achieving his or her objectives. He or she must have a clear idea of the needs of the students and the objectives must be in line with such. The role of the guidance counsellor in this instance is one of being administrator as he or she must not only decide on the objectives but plan careful and effective programme to achieve these goals. These goals must be in line with the Ministry of Education’s guideline s and at the same time cater for the needs of the stakeholders.These programmes must be infused with the school’s curriculum. The counsellor has to maintain records of the process and progress of the guidance programme and all the activities involved, these include career day, orientation of new students, staff and student development seminars, curriculum lessons and consultation time. Myrick (2003) says that a guidance counsellor is like the co-pilot on a plane, responsible for his or her own programme. The question therefore arises: what are the specific ways in which a guidance Counsellor leads?The guidance counsellor at all times has to be involved in planning, coordinating, organizing, assessing and evaluating. The counsellor has to be reliable, impartial and accountable. The guidance counsellor has to be supportive of all stakeholders. Ministry of Education (2010) views supportive as those management activities that establish, maintain and enhance the total guidance and counselling programmes. A full assessment of programmes activities in schools helps the counsellors to plan for future programmes and evaluate to what extent the programme are working or their effectiveness.Ongoing assessment needs to be done for the students to ensure readiness for ongoing learning. As guidance counsellors are seen as helpers who understand and respond to human needs however, he or she must be cognisant of his or her needs as well. With the approval of the Ministry of Education and the school boards counsellors must engage in personal and professional development. According to the Ministry of Education the guidance counsellor must attend conferences, workshops, and meeting.These include those at the Jamaica Association of Guidance Counsellors in Education (JAGCE), the Guidance Counselling Unit and other organizations not exceeding fifteen sessions per year. As the guidance counsellors acquire these skills and knowledge he or she must demonstrate knowledge of the l aw and policies as it relates to education, guidance and counselling, children and adolescent. The counsellor must also abide by the Education act (1980) and the Code of National Ethics of the Jamaica Association of JAGCE Ministry (2009).Being a proactive, knowledgeable individual, a guidance counsellor has to keep up to date with the required skills and knowledge in order to be a competent and effective counsellor. Although the guidance counsellors are reaping some success in schools, they are faced with existing challenges which affects the effective performance of their daily tasks. Myrick (2003) thinks that the individual counselling is becoming a luxury in schools. It cannot be provided for everyone. He further states that some students need this more than others because of the nature of their concerns and their inability to work with groups.In essence, counsellors face limitations to effectively cater to every student. Counsellors do not have enough time to see all. Guidance c ounsellors are also seen as coordinators of many activities and programmes within the school setting. They are responsible for a number of administrative work involving students, teachers, parents and all the stakeholders involved. This role in itself impedes the speed and progress of other important roles. It may lead to an overworked counsellor and an unbalanced counselling programme.Myrick (2003), points out that the coordinating functions of can be a millstone round a counsellor’s neck, or it can lead to some productive outcomes in guidance. Counsellors are seen as teachers with flexible time and so at times there is disregard for the structured plans and routine of a guidance counsellor as he or she is often called up onto fill in as a substitute teacher in the absence of a regular class teacher. Another problem that counsellors face is that of the increase in the violence in the society which is then mirrored in the Jamaican schools. Counsellors are limited to their job s as it is often difficult for them to gain access to the root cause of the problems involving violence in the schools.Students who are exposed to violence in their communities may begin to adapt to this kind of life experience and sometimes may even accept violence as the norm. Although the guidance counsellors use their initiatives to encourage students in situations like these at times their efforts seem to go unnoticed The limitations and challenges also extend to the lack of or insufficient resources in schools. For the counselling process to be effective the counsellor should be provided with certain basic essentials such as a comfortable counselling area in which to practice.Counsellors are sometimes hesitant to pursue difficult cases involving students especially as it relates to criminal offences. Counsellors are often apprehensive of the repercussions which may arise when reports are made against persons who commit crimes against children. With the inadequacy of our legal system, counsellors sometimes have to think of the safety and well being of themselves and their families. The roles and functions of a guidance counsellor are many and varied and sometimes extend to areas undefined; however as a guidance counsellor one must ensure that his or her role is carried out comprehensively and effectively.All the roles mentioned are specific to all counsellors but may vary depending on the type of school. The finding in this research outlines and gives definite answers relating to some roles and functions of the guidance counsellor within the Jamaican schools. The roles identified include providing education counselling, career counselling, consultation, classroom instruction, individual and group counselling. It can be concluded that the role of the guidance counsellor is important for the continued development of the students in our school and in effect the continued development of our Jamaican society.Reference Gladding,T. (2009). A comprehensive Profes sion. New Jersey Gibson, L. (1999). Introduction to Counselling and Guidance. United States of America Prentice Hall Inc. Mankind, O (1993). Fundamentals of Guidance and Counselling London Oxford Mack Millan Education Myrick, D (2003). Development Guidance and Counselling: A Practical Approach. 4th Edition. United States of America: Education Media Corporation. Ministry of Education Guidance Counselling Unit