Swot Analysis Rim

The following is the SWOT analysis for Blackberry Smartphone, a tool for auditing the organization and its’ environment and used to evaluate the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of the device, which provides a better understanding about its position in the marketplace, where it stands, and where it needs to move forward to see what its future predicaments will have for them. As you can see below, the growing/expansion market share of Blackberry is able to capture, its current strengths outweighs its weaknesses.In order for Blackberry’s opportunities to outweigh its threats they must make sure that their competitors do not excel in areas in which they are lacking and meet level of security. The main question we should ask ourselves is will Blackberry set the challenge in order to begin taking more market share for its competitors and produce products that will appeal to a broader target market by upgrading their interfaces and applications to the level that their security has. Blackberry has several strengths including high brand awareness because it is a very recognizable brand with consumers.The company is known to have a good reputation of value for money and convenience because their products costs are worth the value the consumer receives. Blackberry does have a strong market position in the mobile market in comparison to its competitors. Blackberry also has the advantage of having the best e-mail and/or diversity device combination-organizer, internet, mp3 player, GPS, and social networks built into their products. The company is also leading in Smartphone technology because they have strong product depth.Blackberry has durable products because they have high capacity battery, built-in QWERTY keyboard, stylish/powerful features, and unique operating system. Although Blackberry has its strengths, the company also has its weaknesses such as having its products used and/or created more toward business professionals than general con sumers; their lack of compatibility-not making decisions in a timely manner. There is also the possibility that Blackberry is in the mature phase. There also patent problems that they encounter.Their products lack in web service and also have a problem with application-long loading time and does not turn on/restart quickly which makes it frustrating for its consumers that like for their phones to be faster. Blackberry’s products also have lack of size and/or products because they don’t have as much variety as its competitors. Blackberry also lacks in social networking because it doesn’t provide any entertainment for other individuals and/or the younger generation, which is an entire consumer market that would be beneficial to Blackberry if they’re able to address this issue.There is also the problem of having a high cost of ownership which makes blackberry devices quite expensive. RIM has not created a new marketing strategy for its products that are clos ing the technological gap. Blackberry has the opportunity to expand its profits by further expanding into North America and into International markets and taking advantage of the availability of markets for new technology. The company can also consider entering into partnership with large growing corporations.Blackberry’s customer loyalty and their brand loyalty allows for an assurance in producing new products because they know that its consumers will loyal in purchasing those products as well. They need to take advantage of the industry explosive growth so that they can grow alongside the industry’s demand for it products. The company can increase their growth rate and their power within the industry by expanding their target market by creating new appealing phones that include a variety of features that will attract new customers other than the business professionals that it currently appeals to.Blackberry can also take an opportunity by reaching out to iTunes to tr y and create software that will be compatible to its products since that is something that a lot of consumers would really enjoy, and also by creating great products that include advanced technology. Blackberry faces some threats from the Apple iPhone, HTC, HP, Sony Ericsson, and Sony smart phones because they constantly have new products entering the market, they are strong within the industry, and this increasing competition may cause demand for products Blackberry’s products to decrease.These competitors also have a greater span in technology and products which may cause consumers to see Blackberry as outdated when it comes to Smartphone technology. The economy also plays a role in Blackberry because some consumers are unable to afford the company’s products and can therefore decrease its demand. They also face the problem of having a large demand for a niche product which may cause a lack of innovation when it comes to creating new products and having those product s become successful.Since Blackberry is a reputable brand it has become the target of competition and has created price wars with third parties that make similar phones to the Blackberry and then sell those products at lower prices. SWOT Analysis for Blackberry Positive Negative InternalStrengths ?High brand awareness ?Reputation for value for money and convenience ?Strong market position ?Best E-mail/ Diversity device combination-organizer, internet,mp3 player, GPS, and social networks ? Leading in Smartphone technology ?Strong product depth Durable ?High capacity battery ?Built-in QWERTY keyboard ?Stylish/Powerful features ?Unique operating systemWeakness ?Know to be used /created more toward business processionals than general consumers ? Lack of compatibility-not making decisions in a timely manner ? Web service and application-long loading time ?Lack of size/products ?Possibly in mature phase ?Patent ?Does not turn on/restart quickly ?Social networking- no entertainment for oth er individuals/younger generation ? High cost of ownership are quite expensive RIM has not created a new marketing strategy for its products that are closing the technological gap ExternalOpportunities ?Further expansion into North America & international markets ? Availability of markets for new technology ?Partnership with large growing corporations ?Customer loyalty- allows for a assurance in producing new products ? Industry explosive growth ?Brand loyalty ?Expand target market-new appealing phones with a variety of features that will attract new customers other than business professionals ? Still at growth rate/rising in power Software compatibility with iTunes ?Great product with advance technology Threats ?The Apple iPhone, HTC, HP, Sony Ericsson, and Sony smart phones ? New, strong, and increasing competition may cause demand for products to decrease ? Competitors have greater span in technology and products ? Possibly seen as outdated in Smartphone tech ?Economy environment ?Large demand for a niche product may cause lack of innovation ? Being a reputable brand makes blackberry the target of competition ? Price wars with third parties –make similar phones to the blackberry and sell at a lower price

Books vs Ebooks Essay

Now days with the rise of digital technology many physical items such as pen and paper are slowly being replaced by computers and smart phones. But is this really a good thing? I read books and of course so do many other people in this class and around the globe. But since the creation of ‘e-readers’ more and more people have been converting to the technology based side of reading. Although technology is slowly becoming more predominant in this era we should not rely on it to always entertain and keep us occupied. I think ‘real, physical’ books are better than e-books because you can truly own a book. As Mortimer J. Adler, a popular author, says, ‘Full ownership comes only when you have made [the book] a part of yourself, and the best way to make yourself a part of it is by writing in it. ’ When owning an e-book it is more like owning ‘insurance’ than owning a camera. In one case ownership of books is physical and irrevocable but e-books are not and can be taken away easily as Kindle users discovered when one day their copies of 1984 suddenly disappeared. You will know a book that is truly owned because it will be ‘dog-eared and dilapidated, shaken and loosened by continual use, marked and scribbled in from front to back,’ says Adler. It also lets you know how old and how well enjoyed a book was. E-readers are beginning to allow some interactivity, but it is of a very different order. Taking a note in an e-book or making a highlight in it is independent of the book; all of that information is stored apart from the book in a file or a database. Send the book to another person and you’ll find that all of the notes and highlights are gone. They belong to you or your device, not to your book. One of the most disappointing aspects of e-books is that they cannot be loaned out. Most have some kind of digital rights management which ties a book to a particular owner. When you buy a Kindle book, you might have a copy of that book on up to 5 of your devices, but they must be devices tied to your Amazon account. You cannot loan your book to your friend; you cannot even loan it to your mum if she has a Kindle of her own. Of course that’s not strictly true—you can loan your book by loaning your reading device, but that’s like giving someone access to one of your books by loaning them an entire library, book cases and all. And books are a tactile experience, meaning they are supposed to be experienced through touch and smell (especially for the old books). A book is meant to be an experience that can have depressions and elevations on the cover and text, feeling the weight of the pages as you turn them and all of these elements when combined make a book what it is, but when you read an e-book you are exposed to digitized text and a screen. And it’s been proven that when people are exposed to screens of TVs or computers they are less likely to have a good night sleep. On a web poll about e-books vs. books one person commented, ‘I’ve tried reading a few e-books but I’ve always given up. I just don’t like looking at digitized text when I’m reading a novel. I like the feel, the weight and even the smell of books,’ many of the following comments made by others agreed with this persons thoughts. A book is a single-task item that is written to distract the reader from everything else happening around them, they are technology designed for the best possible reading experience. An e-reader, however, tends to be a multi-tasking item with the ability to play music and videos as well as hold books. The iPad has a reading function but the focus is usually on the masses of games and the ability to search the internet. They beep, they buzz, and they disengage in a thousand ways. I don’t ever anticipate searching quiet side streets in old towns hoping to find used e-book stores. That’s because there is no such thing as a used e-book. E-books are never used, even when they have been read. They are still just files, as unblemished after ten years as they were the day they were duplicated. They will never suddenly appear as hidden treasures, dug out of a box in an old, rundown book store. They can never be loaned out and they can never be resold. They are forever new, forever fresh, forever unused and unstained. There will be no rare first editions, no beautiful special editions to be searched for decades from now. But whether used or new physical books can have sentimental value, you can get given a book for you birthday from your aunt but she can’t buy you an e-book, although she can give you the money for one, there won’t be a sweet message in its cover and you probably won’t remember if you bought the e-book or not. Books have sentimental value to them and are special reminders of times in you life because you can see them age and they will always be a physical reminder where they came from. We may be replacing things for easy technology even though some of it keeps us occupied. We still use old fashion books and letters because it connects us to what is happening, the letter you got from your grandma is special because its physical and you can keep it without it somehow disappearing. You can mark a book to show others its yours and to show them how you felt about it, you can lend them to a friend so they can enjoy it too and you can really get into a book that you can feel and smell and hide away from the world to find somewhere you can be or do whatever you want.

An Analysis of the Characters of Liliana Heckers Short Story The Stolen Party

An Analysis of the Characters of Liliana Hecker's Short Story The Stolen Party The characters in the short story, The Stolen Party demonstrate striking differences in their values and beliefs. Each character displays unique traits. It is these unique traits, which illustrate different aspects of society. Each character then, represents a portion of the values and beliefs of todays society. Rosaura is the main character of this writing. The story revolves around her from start to finish. Rosaura is an inexperienced young girl. This story opens with an argument between Rosaura and her mother. Rosaura wants to go to Lucianas birthday party. Luciana is in a wealthy family so Rosauras mother disapproves of her daughters attending the party. In the first few sentences the author makes it evident that Rosaura is financially challenged. Rosauras mother says, I dont like you going because it is a rich peoples party. This one sentence already tells me that they are probably not very wealthy. In addition Rosaura is an inexperienced young girl. She is not tarnished by the belief that everyone should be judged according to his or her financial worth. She, unlike her mother, judges people by who they are and not by how much money they have. When Rosauras mother states, you should not fart higher than your own ass she shows that she feels below those who are wealthy. Rosauras argum ent shows that she does not feel bound by her financial status. Her financial state isnt even an issue to her. She says that she wants to go because she is a friend of Luciana and because she was invited. The author also demonstrates Rosauras openness in the first few paragraphs of the story. Since Rosaura is only nine years old she has no prior experience of prejudice. She does not realize that her mother might be right about her assumption that not everyone will accept her at the party and treat her with the same respect. The author begins the story by demonstrating how much Rosauras mother loathes the rich. Her disapproval of her daughters attending the birthday party, expresses some hidden anger and maybe even jealousy towards those who are wealthy. Rosauras mother feels lower than Luceanas family. She feels that a persons financial status determines whom a person can associate with. The author eventually reveals that Rosauras mother is a maid. Because her job does not pay very high wages she feels inferior to Lucianas family. Her feelings of hostility toward the wealthy might come from years of prejudice. Rosauras mother constantly feels bound by her financial situation. Rosauras mother does not want her daughter going to the party because she is the daughter of humble maid. She feels that her daughter will not be looked upon as an equal, no matter what. Rosauras mother states, That ones not your friend. You know what you are to them? The maids daughter, thats what. But no matter how strongly Ros auras mother feels about this, she is willing to let her daughter go to the party. This demonstrates the unconditional love she has for her daughter. There are some characters in this story that are not developed as well as Rosaura and her mother. One of these characters is Luciana. Luciana is very similar to Rosaura in that she sees everyone as an equal. She does not consider Rosaura to be different from any of her other friends. She never considers Rosauras financial situation to be important. She treats Rosaura like all of her other friends. Another character, which is not covered in depth, is Lucianas cousin. She is brought into this story through an argument with Rosaura. Lucianas cousin doesnt know Rosaura but she feels inclined to start an argument with her anyway. Lucianas cousin begins to question Rosaura. She questions the fact that Rosaura is a friend of Luciana. Lucianas cousin seems to think that she is better than Rosaura. This shows the reader the first clues that Rosauras mother could have been right about wealthy people not accepting Rosaura. Another character that is only introduced briefly is the magician. The author does not get into his personality or values but it is made clear that he sees all of the children as equal. The last character that is introduced is Senora Ines. Once again the author does not develop her in depth. The author places her in the story in order to demonstrate the prejudice, which Rosauras mother had described. Senora Ines offers Rosaura money at the end of the party rather than a small gift. This demonstrates to Rosaura that she is, in fact, looked upon as being different from the other children. Each character in this story demonstrates an aspect of society today. Rosaura signifies the unsuspecting poor child. She represents the fact that a person usually does not develop stereotypes until they have experienced many of the aspects of life. Rosauras mother is placed in the story to illustrate another fact about todays society. Rosauras mother demonstrates that society influences the way a person thinks. She shows that from years of experience she has developed a pattern of stereotyping wealthy people. Luciana represents the wealthy part of society that does not see less fortunate people as being different. She, like Rosaura, does not stereotype people because of their financial worth. Lucianas cousin, on the other hand, demonstrates that part of the wealthy population that feels superior to the financially challenged. The magician in this story represents someone like a priest or a charity worker. He sees all of the kids at the party as equals. He is willing to let any of t hem participate in his magic. Senora Ines plays the part of society that feels obligated to offer charity to those who are less fortunate. The author not only writes a very interesting story but also provides an important message regarding society. People are too concerned with money in todays society. If we could all remain innocent (such as Rosaura and Luciana) and never become prejudice towards others the world would be a better place. Everyone would be judged according to who they are and not by what they posses.

Toxicology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toxicology - Essay Example He/she may have to identify and analyze evidence that are collected at the crime scene and symptoms that have been recorded by the crime scene investigation team. These evidences help in narrowing the investigation that is being conducted. Forensic toxicologists tend to ignore the legal outcome of an investigation and they give emphasis to the technological equipments and methods used for analyzing and acquiring of outcomes (McDavid 92). Forensic toxicology is conducted on several samples that are acquired from different individuals at the crime scene and the main task of the toxicologist is to determine the quantity of chemicals in the samples, kind of chemicals present and the impact of these chemicals. Sampling Forensic Toxicology is conducted on bodily fluids including urine, blood and other samples obtained from body, it is even conducted on body parts especially hair. Urine samples are mostly used in the case of testing individuals representing the field of sports and employees . It is one of the most commonly used sample in the case of criminal investigation and it is easy to extract from a subject who is alive. For example: employees as well as athletes’ urine samples may be tested for consumption of marijuana and this substance tends to remain active in human body for fourteen days from the day it was consumed. Tests results from urine samples can take approximately 8 hours of time before showing positive and negative results. Forensic Toxicology is even conducted on obtained blood samples. To conduct proper inspection of blood sample, a minimum of 10 cm3 of blood content is required (Biswas 47). A forensic toxicologist obtains important information from the blood sample, he may obtain a profile of the substance that has been consumed at and before the sample was obtained and blood samples are mostly used in order to identify the level of blood alcohol level. Blood alcohol levels are mostly checked in order to identify the amount of alcohol in th e sample provider’s blood at the time of incidences such as driving. A forensic toxicologist may use hair samples in order to identify the level of dosage of drugs consumed and the time period at which the drug was consumed. Consumed drugs tend to travel from blood streams to hair that is growing and the drugs may end up being stored in hair follicle which helps in determining and creating a timeline at which the drug was taken. An individual hair growth has been recorded at one to one and a half cm each month and the stored drugs in the follicle area may help in determining the date and time the drug was ingested. Organs of subjects as well as other bodily fluids are even used by forensic toxicologists especially while conducting autopsy. While conducting an autopsy, forensic toxicologists may use the contents of the gastric region and gastric fluids are mostly obtained from subjects that are no longer alive. This content can help in identifying liquid content or drug substa nces that may have been consumed by the deceased subject before dying. Ethical Issues in Forensic Toxicology Forensic toxicologists may face various ethical dilemmas; they may obtain different results from different set of samples. In the case of hair testing, hair testing cannot be recognized as a standard for detecting and analyzing drug content as a standard for the entire population as different set of hair can provide different results. The

Letter reference former prof Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter reference former prof - Essay Example I believe it will be worth mentioning her unique teaching style that really brought out the best in us, her students. She is a teacher in every sense of the word because she was able to make her students understand the toughest concepts about Molecular Biology almost effortlessly. Her teaching approach is very supportive that made us very comfortable in her class. She always has this unusual calmness and patience that even if we mess up with our experiments, she does not lose her temper. She was always there to guide us and to discover by ourselves certain problems that really made us understand the subject. She was very patient and never made her student feel inadequate whenever we ask questions. She explained it to us very clearly to the point that she made molecular biology very easy even if many students find it difficult. I can remember that I always looked forward attending to her class because I find it stimulating in the atmosphere of support and encouragement which makes Pro fessor X’s class unique. Professor X’s love for knowledge is contagious. Her enthusiasm about the subject matter rubbed on us that made everybody look forward for the next class. Her method of teaching does not only elucidate, but also encourage the students to excel thus encouraging her students to be the best that they can be. Professor X is also an authority on the subject she teaches but despite of her academic stature, she is very generous to accommodate students in her research that allows us to grow in ways that classroom experiences cannot provide. After graduation, she let me work for her as a Research Assistant for two academic years which provided me invaluable learning insight about the practical aspect of Molecular Biology. Professor X does not only encourage us to learn about theoretical concepts but also the experimental aspects of Molecular Biology and its application to the

Can technology benefit education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Can technology benefit education - Essay Example ng system in colleges and universities plays an important role in the availing information for coursework to students registered with the institutions. The tutors upload the necessary information on the developed program and the students access it with the help of an individual username and a password (Selwyn, 77). The use of technology in this manner is convenient to both the learner and the tutor because both parties are relieved from hard copies as sources of information. The use of hard copy is bulky in terms of carrying and expensive to purchase. Printing out of information on soft copy is cost effective compared to purchasing a published book. For these reasons, the availability of coursework in the form of soft copy through an E-learning system is beneficial in educating the students because it is conveniently accessible and inexpensive. Implementation of digitized library systems in secondary and tertiary levels of education simplifies book searching, borrowing and returning. Instances where additional research or extensive reading on a discipline is a recommendation, visiting the library is inevitable. The automated access to published books by the tutee aids in proper management of time. The utilization of technology in this way wards off wastage of time by availing books with ease putting the learner at an advantage. In this case, technological education in light of time is effective. The use of E-mails to communicate and face-face platforms such as Skype to name a few allow real-time interaction between the student and educator. For this reason, distance learning is popular. In both secondary and tertiary levels of education, individuals are able to learn with convenience by interacting with the tutor through a webcam or messenger irrespective of their location. Assignments and assessments are coordinated through e-mails and websites. Examinations and assessments are carried out on real-time basis where the learner submits and receives results when

Journal 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal 6 - Essay Example In total, the theories of crime explain that people commit crime because of some social, ecological, cultural or subcultural factors such as financial and social deprivation, bad living conditions, ill social background, people’s assumption that some illegalities are positive and their teaching to their family. In my perception, every city or neighborhood has some forms of organization/disorganization. In my locality, there are very few incidents of delinquency or crime while if I consider the city, there are many forms of disorganization such as theft, mobile snatching, vehicle snatching, murders and many others as no place is perfectly free from crimes. Poverty is the basic reason for making people to commit crime as they are unable to even get their due rights. In our neighborhood, people try to keep an eye on delinquent people or people that are doubted to do wrong so that they can be checked while committing a wrong deed, which is a form of organization. Parents teach their children to follow the law and keep away from bad company even then, there can be some problems such as children fight and small disputes between neighbors, etc. Anderson’s code of the street is applicable on the story of Willie Bosket in All God’s Children: The Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence because he belongs to a family that can be called street family. While being nourished and brought up in such a family, the protagonist performs such illegal deeds that are previously done by his father and forefather and is unable to consider the aftereffects of his doings. According to Anderson, parents teach children to be aggressive when they try to control their children by punishing them physically or showing violence before them. In Willie Bosket’s life, he has witnessed and listened about aggressive attitudes of his ancestors due to which, he also

Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Lab Report Example DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) represent the most dangerous type of DNA damage since a single DSB is capable of causing cell death or disturbing the genomic integrity of the cell (Jackson and Bartek, 2009). DSBs are difficult to repair and extremely harmful (Khanna and Jackson, 2001). DSBs generally form when two single-strand breaks (SSBs) occur in close proximity, or when a SSB or certain other lesions are encountered during DNA-replication (Jackson and Bartek, 2009). Ionising radiation (IR) and chemotherapeutic compounds used in cancer also generate DSBs. Mediated by DSBs, DNA lesions develop as a result of recombination between different loci (Kongruttanachok et al., 2010). Thus, a cell constantly faces the risk of DNA damage caused exogenously as well as from an incorrect incorporation of base pairs occurring during normal replication. The chemical changes occurring in the DNA structure, therefore, must be corrected in order to preserve the encoded genetic information. Mechanis ms of DNA damage repair exist which involve systems that detect DNA damage, signal its location and bring about the repair. The DNA-damage responses (DDR) are physiologically very important as each of the nearly 1013 cells in the human body experiences innumerable DNA lesions per day (Lindahl and Barnes, 2000). Nuclear Excision Repair (NER) is a repair mechanism in the cell to deal with DNA damage caused exogenously by UV rays and ionizing radiation, besides other types of chemical alteration to the DNA (Wood, 1997). Mismatch repair (MMR) is an evolutionarily conserved DNA damage fixing process that is employed by the cell when base pairs are added incorrectly during replication (Kunkel and Erie, 2005). At least ten different DNA repair processes are operative in higher organisms (Reed, 2010). Platinum-based compounds e.g., cisplatin, oxaliplatin, satraplatin etc. interfere with the repair mechanisms to effect programmed cell death, or apoptosis. For example, cisplatin when introduc ed into the nucleus, forms adducts (Fichtinger-Sherpman, et al., 1985). The formation of the bulky adducts causes torsional strain on the DNA strand prompting the cell to invoke the NER and/or the Mismatch repair enzymes. However, the repair mechanisms are generally unable to effectively correct the damage as the platinum adduct is a non-native structure, and this leads to permanent DNA damage causing apoptosis of the potentially defective cell (Agarwal et al., 1998). The inactivation of repair processes could have wide-ranging consequences, both beneficial and detrimental. In the context of the former, DNA damage and repair has been the major target of anticancer therapy. Serious attempts are being made to modulate these processes in order to improve their efficacy in the treatment of cancer (Reed, 2010). While DSBs are processed by a number of DNA repair pathways depending partly on the phases of the cell cycle, NER is the only mechanism known to remove bulky DNA adducts, includin g those formed by platinum-based anticancer drugs, from human cells (Readon et al., 1999). A majority of DSBs are repaired by non-homologous end-joining repair (NHEJ) mediated by either

Corporate Strategies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Strategies - Assignment Example With its vision of enabling its customers to make the most of their world and possibilities though the services it offers, O2 plc (O2) accomplishes its commitment of providing mobile communication services in Europe. The business organisation also profits from its leading mobile internet portal business. Armed with its values of being bold, trusted, open, and clear, O2 continues its quest to become the telecommunication industry's market leader. The creation of O2 in the 1990s can be traced backed to the decision of British Telecommunication to "demerge its mobile phone business" in order to strengthen the financial position of the latter. From its beginning, the firm is currently a major player in the various nations where it operates including the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Germany, the Isle of Man, and Asia. As the business organisation is focused on satisfying consumer needs, O2 strategic business units are classified according to their geographic locations. It should be noted that the products being offered varies in each region (O2 Plc 2006). The major products of O2 are mobile telecommunication equipments which are either paid through installment plans or pre-paid. With its thrust to provide the market with higher quality products, the company offers complementary services like third generation telephony (3G), O2 Active, I Mode, and O2 Online. O2 also ensures the satisfaction of customers by offering product features like entertainment through its sponsorship of the England Rugby Team and Arsenal FC and partnership with Anschutz Entertainment Group (O2 Plc 2006). III. Competitive Position in the Industry Environment As stated above, O2 Plc operates in different geographic locations, battling head-on with various competitors. Table 1 shows the geographical locations of firm's business activities alongside with its competitors in each region. It can be deduced that O2's direct competitors are Orange SA (Orange), T-Mobile, 3, Vodafone Group Plc (Vodafone), Virgin Mobile Ltd. (Virgin Mobile), Meteor Mobile Communications Limited (Meteor), and e-plus. Table 1. Geographical Location of O2 and its Main Competitors Geographical Region Major Competitors United Kingdom Orange, T-Mobile, 3, Vodafone Ireland Vodafone, Meteor, 3 Germany T-Mobile, Vodafone, e-plus Czech Republic T-Mobile, Vodafone Slovakia T-Mobile, Orange In order to look at the relative position of O2 Plc relative to its competitors in the United Kingdom, this report will look each business organisation in terms of market scope, number of customers, financial performance, market growth, products and services sold, and factors affecting business well-being. The main findings including the data for O2 are tabulated in Table 2. Among all the players in the global mobile communication industry, Vodafone holds the largest market share at 26.8%. The business organization is recognized as the largest mobile telecommunication company in the world with a market value of 65 billion (Vodafone 2006). It is estimated that the market leader approximately has 186.8 million subscribers in the 27 countries where it conducts its

Mgmt Organization design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mgmt Organization design - Essay Example This gives them more experience in the work, which promotes creativity and innovativeness. Organic structure is less efficient than mechanistic structure. However, organic structure has more flexibility and employees can adapt quickly with the changes. Organic structure is most appropriate in uncertain, dynamic, and changing work environments. In addition, since the organization is decentralized and using the organic model structure, mutual adjustment is also common in the organization and plays an important role in the company. Therefore, employees are allowed to use their judgment instead of standardized rules to guide decision-making. This makes it possible to inject new synergistic ideas in the process of decision-making. Moreover, integration is working well in the company. For example, if there is any trouble, the whole staff or the employees will work together to solve and coordinate this

How Can Civic Education Enhances Civil Society Essay Example for Free

How Can Civic Education Enhances Civil Society Essay Civic education is very essential to each and every citizen in a civil society. Therefore it must be noticeable. Civic education contributes to the well-being of society. This presentation is aimed at discussing how civic education can enhance civil society. The key concepts in this presentation are civic education and civil society. Therefore it is important to know the meaning of these two terms. Civic education is the field of study dealing with rights and responsibilities of citizenship as well as the responsibilities of the government. It deals with the commitment, assumptions, values and challenges of the national and civil society at large (Mwaipaya 1980). A Civil society is a public place between the states the market and the ordinary household, in which people debate and tackles action. Civic education enhances civil society in many ways, as one of the components is civic knowledge which it imparts in the citizen of the civil society. If the civil society are aware of their rights and if they know what to do it is very easy for them to participate in various activities of the civil society. Civic education imparts knowledge on democracy among the citizen of the civil society; democracy simply means a dialogue, a discussion, and a deliberative process in which citizen engage themselves in question about civic knowledge like what are the foundation of that particular civil society, and if the civil society will have knowledge on democracy issues it will improve. Hence this knowledge about democracy can only be imparted to the civil society through civic education and by doing so it is enhancing the needs of a civil society (Brookers etal 1980). Civic education also enhances civil society in terms of democracy because it is through civic education that we know and explain to others on how democracy acts and depends on certain basic values like respect for individual, the right to participate in the implementation of politics and development programmes, therefore if people in a civil society have knowledge about these rights and responsibilities, the civil society will be improved. Civic education can enhance the civil society because of its civic skills, if citizens are able to exercise their rights and discharge their responsibilities as members of self-governing communities, they are only need to acquire relevant intellectual and participatory skills, when we say intellectual skills these are essential for informed, effective and inseparable citizen from content, to be able to think critically about contemporary relevance as well as command of a set of an intellectual tools or considerations useful in dealing with such an issue. Hence if the society will have civic skills it will automatically be enhanced and there will be quick development in that particular civil society (Z.C.E.A, 2004). Another intellectual skill which good civic education fosters is that of describing. The ability to describe functions and processes such as legislative checks and balances or judicial review is indicative of understanding, describing trends like participation in civil lif e, immigration or employment helps the citizens fit current events into longer term pattern (Patterson, 2001). Civic education seeks to develop competence in explaining and analyzing issues, if citizen can explain how something should work, they will be able to analyze things as the components and consequences of ideals, social, political or economic processes and institutions. The ability to analyze enables one to distinguish between facts and opinion or between means and ends. It also helps the citizen to clarify responsibilities such as those between personal and public responsibilities or those between elected or appointed officials and citizens, therefore this can only happens if people in a civil society have civil skills and by having these skills in a civil society means that civic education is doing its job of enhancing the civil society (African Development Bank Achieving Millennium Development Goals in Global poverty, 2002). Furthermore, civic education enhances civil society through the component of civic skills, in such a way that education for citizenship in a democratic society focuses on civic skills that are required for informed, effective and responsible participation in the political process and in civil society, those skills can be categorized as interacting, monitoring and influencing. Interacting pertains to the skills citizen need to communicate and to work cooperatively with others. To interact is to be responsive to one’s fellow citizens, to interact is to question, to answer and to deliberate with civility, therefore if people be able to interact and question others toward certain common good the civil society will be enhanced. Monitoring politics and government simply refers to the skills citizens need to track the handling of issues by the political process and by the government. Monitoring also means the exercising of over sight functions on the part of citizens. Finally the participatory skill of influencing refers to the capacity to affect the process of politics and governance, both the formal processes of governance in the community (Mwaipaya, 1986). Civic education can improve and enhance our civil society through the component of civic dispositions essential traits of private and public character. This is important to the maintenance and improvement of constitutional democracy. Civic dispositions, like civic skills, develop slowly overtime and as a result of what one learns and experience in the home, school and organizations of civil society. These experiences should engender understanding that democracy requires the responsible self -governance of each individual worth and their dignity. One cannot exist without the other. Traits of private character such as moral responsibility, self -discipline and respect for the worth and human dignity of every individuals are no less consequential. Such traits as public spiritedness, civility, and respect for the rule of law, critical mindedness to listen, negotiate and compromise are indispensible to democracy success (Patterson, 2001). Civic education can enhance civil society due to civic dispositions that contribute to the political efficiency of the individual, the healthy functioning of the political system, a sense of dignity and worthy as well as the common good were identified in national standards for civics and government. In the interest of brevity, these dispositions are private and public character might be described as becoming an independent member of the society, assuming the personal, political and economic responsibilities of a citizen, respecting individual worth and human dignity (respecting others and listen to their opinions). Also participating in civil affairs in a thoughtful and effective manner as well as promoting the healthy functioning of constitutional democracy (Todaro etal 2009) Therefore, it can be noted that civic dispositions as a component or the habits of the heart , the traits of the public and private character that under-greed democracy are in the long run, probably of more consequence than the knowledge or skills a citizen may command (Z.C.E.A, 2004). In conclusion, civil society can be enhanced by civic education through its components (civic knowledge, civic skills and civic dispositions). Civic education is therefore very important to the lives of citizens in a civil society and it must be noticeable.

Individuals With Asperger Syndrome

Individuals With Asperger Syndrome Asperger Syndrome (AS) or (Aspergers Disorder) is a neurobiological disorder named for a Viennese physician, Hans Asperger, who in 1944 published a paper which described a pattern of behaviors in several young boys who had normal intelligence and language development, but who also exhibited autistic-like behaviors and marked deficiencies in social and communication skills. In spite of the publication of his paper in the 1940s, it wasnt until 1994 that Asperger Syndrome was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th. Edition (DSM IV) and only in the past few years has AS been recognized by professionals and parents. Individuals with AS can exhibit a variety of characteristics and the disorder can range from mild to severe. Persons with AS show marked deficiencies in social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer sameness. They often have obsessive routines and may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. They have a great deal of difficulty reading nonverbal cues (body language) and very often the individual with AS has difficulty determining proper body space. Often overly sensitive to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights, the person with AS may prefer soft clothing, certain foods, and be bothered by sounds or lights no one else seems to hear or see. Its important to remember that the person with AS perceives the world very differently. Therefore, many behaviors that seem odd or unusual are due to those neurological differences and not the result of intentional rudeness or bad behavior, and most certainly not the result of improper parenting. By definition, those with AS have a normal IQ and many individuals (although not all), exhibit exceptional skill or talent in a specific area. Because of their high degree of functionality and their naivetà ©, those with AS are often viewed as eccentric or odd and can easily become victims of teasing and bullying. While language development seems, on the surface, normal, individuals with AS often have deficits in pragmatics and prosody. Vocabularies may be extraordinarily rich and some children sound like little professors. However, persons with AS can be extremely literal and have difficulty using language in a social context. While specific Asperger syndrome causes are not known, research is being conducted to understand Asperger syndrome and how it can be effectively treated. One study is using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to show how abnormalities in particular areas of the brain cause changes in brain function that result in the symptoms of Asperger syndrome and other autism spectrum disorders. Other research includes testing the effectiveness of an antidepressant in individuals with Asperger syndrome who exhibit high levels of obsessive/ritualistic behavior. Another Asperger syndrome research study is collecting and analyzing DNA samples from a large group of children with Asperger syndrome and their families to identify genes and genetic interactions that are linked to Asperger syndrome. Although there are many possible symptoms of Aspergers syndrome, the main symptom is severe trouble with social situations. Your child may have mild to severe symptoms or have a few or many of these symptoms. Because of the wide variety of symptoms, no two children with Aspergers are alike. Parents often first notice the symptoms of Aspergers syndrome when their child starts preschool and begins to interact with other children. Children with Aspergers syndrome may. Not pick up on social cues and may lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read others body language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking. Dislike any changes in routines. Appear to lack empathy. Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others speech. Thus, your child may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment literally. Likewise, his or her speech may be flat and difficult to understand because it lacks tone, pitch, and accent. Have a formal style of speaking that is advanced for his or her age. For example, the child may use the word beckon instead of call or the word return instead of come back. Avoid eye contact or stare at others. Have unusual facial expressions or postures. Be preoccupied with only one or few interests, which he or she may be very knowledgeable about. Many children with Aspergers syndrome are overly interested in parts of a whole or in unusual activities, such as designing houses, drawing highly detailed scenes, or studying astronomy. They may show an unusual interest in certain topics such as snakes, names of stars, or dinosaurs. Talk a lot, usually about a favorite subject. One-sided conversations are common. Internal thoughts are often verbalized. Have delayed motor development. Your child may be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike, or catch a ball. He or she may have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor. Have heightened sensitivity and become over stimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures. For more information about these symptoms, see sensory integration dysfunction. A child with one or two of these symptoms does not necessarily have Aspergers syndrome. To be diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, a child must have a combination of these symptoms and severe trouble with social situations. Although the condition is in some ways similar to autism, a child with Aspergers syndrome typically has normal language and intellectual development. Also, those with Aspergers syndrome typically make more of an effort than those with autism to make friends and engage in activities with others.

Ethical Dilemma of Elective Induction

Ethical Dilemma of Elective Induction To Induce or Not to Induce? The Ethical Dilemma of Elective Induction Lets paint a picture. A 32-year-old patient gravida 1, para 0 presents at 38 weeks gestation and states that she would like to be induced the following day for personal reasons. She has not previous medical history which indicates that she is a high-risk pregnancy. She is electing to be induced.   Labor induction is the use of medications or other methods to stimulate contractions in the uterus to result in vaginal birth before labor has started on its own (). It can be a recommended if either the mother or fetus are at risk but sometimes, labor can be induced for nonmedical reasons and scheduled by the patient. Evidence suggests that there are no benefits to either mother or baby, however, there are several risks associated with inducing labor. These include but are not limited to infection in the mother and/or the baby, uterine rupture, increased risk of cesarean birth and death of the baby (). There has been a dramatic incline in the number of elective induced labors in the United States. Statistics show that there has been an increase in induced labor from 9.4% of births in 1990 to 23.2% in 2009 (). These increased rates can especially be seen among non-Hispanic White women with private or commercial insurance and more than 12 years of education (). While this increase alone is of significant concern, studies show an increase in induced labor during the preterm period, including the late preterm period between 34 through 36 weeks of gestation. This is especially alarming as this could have significant negative impacts on the infants overall development and health (). Our profession calls for dedication to nursing excellence through ethics, standards and best practice. Specifically, labor and delivery nurses as well as midwives are known for providing compassionate care and advocating for women to be actively involved in all aspects of their care. They have the responsibility of playing the delicate role of balancing each individuals right to birth as they desire while at the same time advocating to provide evidence-based practice levels of care and improving maternal and child birth outcomes. Therein lies the ethical conflict: how do you provide care that reflects the birthing parents unique needs (elective induction) while at the same time providing care that does not put birthing parent and/or baby at increased risk for negative outcomes. Some would argue that ethically, the birthing parent has autonomy over her body and should be able to decide the what, where, when and how around all medical procedures. While I do not disagree with this, we cannot risk the chance of violating other ethical values like nonmaleficence and beneficene because of autonomy. It is important that we fall back on the ethical principles and theories that shape our practice as nurses in order to make a decision that is ethically sound. Our primary responsibility and commitment, as stated by the first and second provisions of the ANA code of ethics are that we practice with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth and unique attributes of every person and our primary commitment is to our patient (). This includes providing patients with all the education they need. Research shows that 78% of women who elected to induce labor felt confident that they were knowledgeable about the procedure, however on further inquiry it was found that they in fact were not aware (). I firmly believe that it is our role and duty as nurses to provide care to each individual following the lines of what would make them most comfortable. In the same light, it is our role and duty as nurses to keep up to date on evidence based practice in order to provide up to date information to our patients and advocate for them. We walk the fine ethical line all the time and bear the load of providing the absolute best care to our patients by finding a balance between both patient desires and evidence based practice. We cannot let egoism play a role here by only considering that which is evidence-based care while ignoring the wishes of the birthing parent. However, tapping into the ethical theory of utilitarianism, we must look at all the benefits and risks involved. and together with the people involved make a decision that is best suitable for the birthing mother and baby.

Abortion: The Wrong Choice Essay -- The Truth about Abortion

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion? Is it the right or wrong thing to do? In this paper I will try to prove why I believe that it is wrong to have an abortion. Why have an abortion when you can have the baby and put it up for adoption after birth? When you have an abortion, you are committing manslaughter, murder. Some people may not think so, but they are. If the woman does not want to have a baby, then why did she take the risk by having sex? I believe that once you have found out that you are pregnant you should continue the process and see the pregnancy through to birth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The entire complex issue comes down to one question: Is the fetus a person?†(Gilbert,Intro-2). This question is the most important one to ask yourself before deciding whether or not to have an abortion. Some people ask doctors the same question, and their response would be to define â€Å"life†. After a discussion in 1981, the U.S. Senate decided that biological life starts at implantation. Many of the Pro-abortionists, however could not found one expert to prove that life starts at any other time than implantation. They were able to however to show an alternative viewpoint. It considers the continuum to run from sperm and egg, to single-cell zygote, to multi-cell blastocyst, to embryo, to fetus, to newborn, etc. This view is attractive because it supports the right of each mother and doctor to individually choose when in the continuum the fetus becomes a person(Gilbert,Med-2). This view though did not prove the ...

President Harry S. Trumans Executive Order 9981 :: essays research papers

President Harry S. Truman's Executive Order 9981 On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman orders the desegregation of the Armed Forces by Executive Order 9981. Prior to Harry Truman passing the Executive Order 9981 on February 2, 1948 he asked Congress to create a permanent FEPC, and in December 1946, he appointed a distinguished panel to serve as the President's Commission on Civil Rights, which would recommend "more adequate means and procedures for the protection of the civil rights of the people of the United States." The Commission noted the many restrictions on blacks, and urged that each person, regardless of race, color or national origin, should have access to equal opportunity in securing education, decent housing and jobs. Harry Truman sent a special message to Congress on February 2, 1948 calling for prompt implementation of the Commission's recommendations. Southerners were unhappy with that idea and â€Å"immediately threatened a filibuster†, so Truman, unable to secure action from the Congress had no choice but to move ahead using his executive authority. Critics on Capitol Hill easily stopped his proposals. Some historians believe President Truman had hoped to unite the Democratic Party by promising civil rights to African Americans, but not pushing so fast as to alienate segregationists. Southern Democrats formed the Dixiecrat Party and nominated South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond for president. President Truman’s Executive Board was the beginning step for further integration in the Armed Forces. Following President Truman's Executive Order, two boards were established to make recommendations about integration. A presidential commission chaired by Charles Fahy recommended an end to discrimination in jobs, schooling, assignment, and recruitment. In 1952 it was the Korean War that finally led to the desegregation of previously all-white combat unit. The main goal of President Trumans Executive Order 9981 was to grant equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. â€Å"There shall be created in the National Military Establishment an advisory committee to be known as the President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services, which shall be composed of seven members to be designated by the President.† He also states that the Committee â€Å"shall confer and advise the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force†. Over 2.5 million African-American men registered for the draft, and black women also volunteered in large numbers. While serving in the Army, Army Air Forces, Navy,

Douglas Macarthurs Occupation of Japan :: World War II 2

Formatting Problems The occupation of Japan was, from start to finish, an American operation. General Douglans MacArthur, sole supreme commander of the Allied Power was in charge. The Americans had insufficient men to make a military government of Japan possible; so t hey decided to act through the existing Japanese government. General Mac Arthur became, except in name, dictator of Japan. He imposed his will on Japan. Demilitarization was speedily carried out, demobilization of the former imperial forces was complet ed by early 1946.Japan was extensively fire bombed during the second world war. The stench of sewer gas, rotting garbage, and the acrid smell of ashes and scorched debris pervaded the air. The Japanese people had to live in the damp, and col d of the concrete buildings, because they were the only ones left. Little remained of the vulnerable wooden frame, tile roof dwelling lived in by most Japanese. When the first signs of winter set in, the occupation forces immediately took over all the s team-heated buildings. The Japanese were out in the cold in the first post war winter fuel was very hard to find, a family was considered lucky if they had a small barely glowing charcoal brazier to huddle around. That next summer in random spots new ho uses were built, each house was standardized at 216 square feet, and required 2400 board feet of material in order to be built. A master plan for a modernistic city had been drafted, but it was cast aside because of the lack of time before the next winte r. The thousands of people who lived in railroad stations and public parks needed housing.All the Japanese heard was democracy from the Americans. All they cared about was food. General MacAruther asked the government to send food, when they refus ed he sent another telegram that said, "Send me food, or send me bullets."American troops were forbidden to eat local food, as to keep from cutting from cutting into the sparse local supply.No food was was brought in expressly for the Japan ese durning the first six months after the American presence there. Herbert Hoover, serving as chairman of a special presidential advisory committee, recommended minimum imports to Japan of 870,000 tons of food to be distributed in different urban areas. Fi sh, the source of so much of the protein in the Japanese diet, were no longer available in adequate quantities because the fishing fleet, particularly the large vessels, had been badly decimated by the war and because the U.

Goal formulation statement Essay

Goals are developed from the SWOT analysis. This is not a wishful thinking. Goals describe objectives that are specific with respect to magnitude and time. A goal is a realistic, measurable, time-dated target of accomplishment in the future. Why goal formulation so important thing for strategic planning? Strategic planning is a process that determines the future of organization. Goal formulation determines resource allocation needed. Having a proven process for strategic planning and goal formulation makes the effort more efficient. This assures that a strategic plan will provide a frame that will shape a company’s future. Goals formulation converts the company’s mission, objectives, strategic vision to specific performance targets, something the company’s progress can be determined. All goals must be stated in quantifiable or measurable terms, contain a deadline for achievement. Let’s consider a goal formulation process in terms of mobile restaurant business with food to-go, which is popular in the United States but still not presented here in Kazakhstan. Worldwide crisis gave a way to this specific business where not only professionals – chief cooks that has been fired or lost their business due to being unprofitable – even simple ex-office clerk who lost job during recession can run it. Cooks prepare and sell food right on the street where truck parked. The main goal of every business is to generate profit. However, the goals of every business change, depending on the type of industry they are in, the demands of the market, the current condition of the market. To be specific  When setting business goals, entrepreneur should keep in mind that specificity is really important to visualize exactly how the end result would be. For example:† Generate sales of $ 500 000 after running my mobile restaurant entity for year† is more specific goal, than simple â€Å"I want to be rich†. Then, one more specific goal is how much â€Å"branches† with me – â€Å"trucks†, I wish to have after a specific number of years, the exact number of employees after a year, the exact number of customers I regularly have on a daily basis. To be measurable This aspect of goal formulation is tied up with specificity. I need to have a unit of measurement to determine how close I am to my goals. For example, during measuring financial status, I need to measure sales, expenses per day. To be Attainable A good approach is to divide a huge goal into smaller objectives to help entrepreneur achieve through smaller steps. Setting realistic goals, based on personal capability, the current workforce and the resources available in the company. To be Realistic  To know how to set right goals, I have to check current capabilities and resources first, check how well the business is doing and do a thorough evaluation before setting business goals. For example, I can check how many customers I have, how many total sales generate per day, then make goal formulation on the daily basis. I have to be careful about the current situation on the market, as well as the demand for particular product service. Another thing is to create marketing scheme, which helps make goals more realistic. To be â€Å"Time-bound† Business goes on as long as I have enough resources and manpower to sustain it. This is a ideal marketing to set goals on a daily, monthly, quarterly and yearly basis. I suppose setting huge goals in a short interval of time can lead to unreal and unattainable results, still setting small goals over a long period of time can lead to delay and wastage. Set task and use enough time for accomplishment for business to grow. Business plan includes goals formulation in its first part. This is really important for businessman, especially if he seeks an investor. It’s extremely significant to look narrowly at goals of the business over at least one full year. Entrepreneur should do a monthly review of business to identify which goals have been accomplished. After year, recheck and adjust everything. A business will go on to progress as long as there are available goals and objectives. Even if business doing well, setting new goals and working with the trends must take place.

Article rebuttal

I located an article on CNN. Com the article is â€Å"Why we should not legalize marijuana†. The author states that marijuana is the commonly abused illegal drug in the U. S. , and around the world. The author also states that marijuana makes it totally impossible for a person using it to function and live a normal daily life. The author believes everyone who uses this drug she have penalties against them. I disagree, because the author is not stating facts and the information she provided In the article does is not reliable because she is going off of her opinions.I know many people who smoke marijuana and many people who use other drugs. Marijuana would not do much harm, I know a lot of people who are successful college graduates who used marijuana all throughout college and in their careers. Although I have never smoked a day in my life. I have reliable sources who have and decided to question them. I questioned friends who smoke marijuana, and friends who used to smoke mar ijuana. In my Interviews with friends and a few family members the ones who smoked told me It relaxes them and helps them focus more and have a clear vision on the things.The ones who quit says marijuana helped them perform better in school and feel stress free and that the only reason they quit was because of employment purposes. There are other drugs out there such as crack cocaine that can cause bodily harm and damage and even death while using, or overdose. You can not over dose on marijuana, marijuana can not cause serious harm. Being that marijuana can not cause you any serious harm or causes anyone to lose their life. I think It should be legalized and people should not get In trouble for having It. It should be their choice since no serious side effects occur

Corporate Business World: Ethics and Morality Essay

Ethics and morals are a requirement in the corporate business world. Each day employees are faced with moral and ethical issues; and because they have their own individual set of morals, they behave differently. Many have formed a good understanding of the basics of ethics, leadership, morality and social responsibility; but most do not really understand the true meaning of values, ethics and morality. The roots of ethics in America teach us â€Å"Ten Universal Values,† namely, honesty, integrity, promise-keeping, fidelity, fairness, caring, respect for others, responsible citizenship, pursuit of excellence, and accountability. However, recent history teaches us 12 ethical principles that include two additional values, namely leadership, and reputation and morals to the list that I will discuss in this essay. I will also discuss the differences between ethical and moral issues. In business, ethics and character count. Therefore, I will also discuss some organizations that have been destroyed or damaged due to their unethical and immoral behavior in business. Let’s begin with Merriam Webster’s Dictionary definition of ethics. According to this dictionary, ethics is defined as: an area of study that deals with ideas about what is good and bad behavior; a branch of philosophy dealing with what is morally right or wrong (Merriam-Webster). According to our text, ethics is defined in two ways. First, it states that ethics are the principles of conduct that governs an individual or group. An example would be the rules by which an individual lives his or her personal life (Text pg 8). A great example would be when a child makes the decision to  break the rules of a game, he is creating conflict between himself and his playmates. Then again, the child who chooses to play by the rules ultimately enjoys friendship and closeness with his playmates, which is a benefit to himself. Our text defines ethics from the dictionary as â€Å"the study of morality.† Ethics may deal with morality, but it is not the same as morality (Text p g ­ 8). Our text states that ethics is a kind of investigation [that] includes both the activity of investigating as well as the results of that investigation. Whereas, morality is the subject matter that ethics investigates (Text pg 8). This brings us to the dictionary definition of morality which defines it as: beliefs about what is right behavior and what is wrong behavior, or the degree to which something is right and good; the moral goodness or badness of something (Merriam-Webster). Two good examples are correcting a financial error in your favor when you know that it would never be discovered and a co-worker stealing food out of the freezer. These are crimes, the moral issue is do you report them or not? There are guidelines and standards in which employees are expected to follow if an employee decides to stay employed. Ethical principles serve as a guide to making decisions and they also serve to establish the criteria by which your decisions will be judged by others. In the business world, it is critical how people judge your character because it is the basis of trust and credibility. Your reputation is what people perceive of your actions. Are they honorable and ethical? Whereas your character is defined by your actions and if they are they honorable and ethical according to the following 12 ethical principles: 1. Honesty – Be honest in all communications and actions. 2. Integrity – Maintain personal integrity. 3. Promise-keeping – Keep promises and fulfill commitments. 4. Loyalty – Be loyal within the framework of other ethical principles. 5. Fairness – Strive to be fair and just in all dealings. 6. Caring – Demonstrate compassion and a genuine concern for the well-being of others. 7. Respect for others – Treat everyone with respect. 8. Law Abiding – Obey the law. 9. Commitment to excellence – Pursue excellence all the time in all things. 10. Leadership – Exemplify honor and ethics. 11. Reputation and Morale – Build and protect and build the company’s good reputation and the moral of its employees. 12. Accountability – Be accountable. Both character and reputation should be a concern for successful executives because both can be destroyed by their actions that are perceived to be unethical (http://josephsoninstitute.  Ethics are an integral learned part of the success or failure of a business. Several large organizations such as Enron and WorldCom have been destroyed and some organizations such as AIG, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac have been seriously damaged due to unethical practices of their top executives. Most notable is the Ponzi scheme by Bernie Madoff and other executives of Enron Corporation who convinced thousands of investors to fork over their savings by falsely promising consistent profits in return and falsely inflated the company’s revenues, through their accounting practices that made them become the seventh largest company in the world. When the scheme was uncovered, the company fell unraveled and, consequently, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December, 2001. Seven years later, Madoff wa s caught and charged with 11 counts of fraud, money laundering, perjury, and theft after conning his investors out of $65 billion and went undetected for many years. He was sentenced to 150 years in prison (S. Yang 2014). More locally, my daughter previously worked for the Finance Department of the Marion Housing Authority and was terminated by Executive Director, Frederick Hunt, for not participating in practicing that ethically and morally wrong. After a three-year investigation, Hunt was arrested and preliminarily charged with two counts of forgery, one count of corrupt business influence and four counts of theft for misusing more than $20,000 in Marion Housing Authority funds. According to the Grant County Prosecutor, checks were written to a sub-contractor, Hunt forged the payee’s name and deposited the funds into his own personal account; charged over $12,000 on a company credit card and made several in his hometown of North Carolina (C. Franks 2014). According to our textbook, traditionally the view of an individual’s  responsibility for corporate acts have claimed that when an organized group of members (i.e. corporation) act together, then their act should be attributed to the corporate group and not the individuals of whom the group is made; and they must be held responsible for the act. Meaning that each and every person who knowingly and freely cooperates to produce a corporate act is morally responsible for that act. The law, however, attributes the acts of a corporation’s managers to the corporation as a whole and not to the managers as individuals. (Text pg. 62) While a majority of companies choose to make law-abiding decisions, there are still some companies that will try to â€Å"beat the system.† This is where the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 comes in. This Act discourages the â€Å"crooks† of the corporate world from being noncompliant with security violations due to the Act’s criminal and civil penalty provisions; and it encourages independent auditing by certified external auditors. This Act requires elevated levels of corporate disclosure in the areas of executive salaries, financial reports, and insider trading. Although the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is considered a burden by some companies, it gives the investing world a greater level of confidence in their investment activities by complying with its provisions. In conclusion, ethics is the branch of philosophy that theoretically, rationally, and logically determines right from wrong, moral from immoral, and good from bad conducts and behaviors. Simply put by some as â€Å"walking the talk.† With regard to basic values, morals guide people toward permissible behavior; they are judgments, standards and rules of good conduct in society. Hopefully, one day all executives and managers will come to realize the old saying that â€Å"honesty is the best policy.† References 12 Ethical Principles for Business Executives by Michael Josephson. (2010, December 17). Retrieved January 6, 2015, from http://josephsoninstitute.org/business/blog/2010/12/12-ethical-principles-for-business-executives/ Ethic. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic Franks, C. (2014, July 14). Former Housing Head Arrested. Chronicle-Tribune. Retrieved January 8, 2015. Morality. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morality Understanding ethics and morality in business – Smart Business Magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2015, from http://www.sbnonline.com/article/understanding-ethics-and-morality-in-business-there-are-distinct-differences-between-ethics-and-morality/ Velasquez, M. (2012). Business ethics Concepts and cases (7th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Yang, S. (2014, July 1). 5 Years Ago Bernie Madoff Was Sentenced to 150 Years In Prison – Here’s How His Scheme Worked. Retrieved January 6, 2015, from http://www.businessinsider.com/how-bernie-madoffs-ponzi-scheme-worked-2014-7 BA 3200 ESSAYexist.

Pscychological Effects of Ragging on Student and Counteractive Measures for Prevention Essay

Ask any college student what he or she was most nervous about on the first day of college and the answer will most probably be the same — ragging. But what is ragging? Who does it and why? There is no clear definition of ragging (or hazing), but it is generally understood to be the act of college seniors subjecting juniors to teasing or practical jokes. The term includes a relatively harmless prank such as asking a junior to roll a coin around the basketball court to more serious or dangerous acts like sexual abuse and torture. Ragging initially began as an innocent tradition to get new students acquainted with each other but has gradually become a method by which anti-social elements of the institute assert their dominance on the campus. Although ragging can happen in any college, it is most prevalent in medical and engineering colleges. The reason being most students live on campus and are thus soft targets. What to do if you are ragged Ragging can assume any form — abusive language directed at the student or his family, making juniors run errands for seniors, sexual abuse, forcing freshers to strip or speak obscenely about professors in front of other students. Basically, any form of abuse against juniors amounts to ragging. If any of this is happening to you, inform your family about it first. Going against one’s college seniors can be stressful for a fresher, so make sure you have all the support you can get from your family and friends. The second step is to approach the institute’s authorities. Inform them of the goings-on and the names of the culprits. Most colleges have an anti-ragging cell — an association of professors and students who track down and take disciplinary action against students indulging in ragging. If the college authorities seem unwilling to take action, and the severity of the offence is great, you can even approach the police. Ragging has been recognised as a cr ime in India and the police are legally obliged to investigate the matter. Frehsers entrance test Ragging is meant to faimilarise the seniors with the juniors. In the media it is portrayed that ragging is normal event in a student life, seeing TV many seniors develop new ideas to conduct ragging. In the news they tell about the event how a sudden namely ___ got ragged commited suicide or got  affected, but they fail to tell the outcome punishment on the raggers. Demiralise the student: Demoralise the student and will develop phobia and lose interest in studies, leave their goals aspirations, leaving them helpless for rest of their life. Inaction or ineffective action on part of the concerned authority only encourages the mindset of te accused to indulge in such action again. The accused senior gains confidence as being right and will traumatize someone else or same one again. How to deal with being ragged Sometimes, intervention may come too late. In a number of cases, students have succumbed to the humiliation of ragging, and fall victim to bouts of depression and lack of interest in academic pursuits. Extreme abuse has even caused some students to attempt suicide. It is recommended that students grappling with the humiliation of ragging seek help from a trained counsellor. Parents and teachers must take it upon themselves to safeguard the mental health of students by keeping all the channels of communication open. Every effort must be made to help a victim deal with the incident and move on. So, don’t let the fear of being ragged prevent you from pursuing a happy and fruitful college career. Remember, it is as much a crime to tolerate oppression as it is to subject someone to it. Timely action can help change your freshman year from a nightmare into a dream come true. There are 3 types of ragging verbal, physically and sexual. The acts of abuses are making u dance, sing, propose to girl or boy, go kiss a girl or boy, all this acts which the so called seniors will not or r not bold enough to do they do it in form of ragging through the juniors. Teasing or abusing of playing Practical joke on, or causing hurt to any student. or (b) Asking any student to do any act, or perform any thing, which he/she would not, in the ordinary course, be willing to do or perform. It is the animal hidden Instinct. The urge to dominate the neighbour, especially when one has more leisure.It happens not only in colleges/educational Institutions but also in jails and such other Institutions. They want respect from juniors. †¢ they want to show that they  r the SENIORS, and another reason may be that they want to repeat what had happend with them when they were juniors†¦. Please keep in mind the following things and advise your college going friends too. * Ragging is a crime. Do not engage in it or support it * Even petty ragging is against fundamental human rights * There needs to be zero tolerance for any form of ragging * Being senior does not give anyone any right to pull up others for anything * If you see any ragging, immediately inform authorites and even the police * Just pick your phone and call police if anyone rags you even in a small way * Make sure your college has an active anti-ragging cell * If college authorities don’t take small ragging complaints seriously, complain to your parents and the university * As responsible citizens of India we need to elimiate ragging in everyway * Please share this message with all your college going and other young friends Anti-Ragging Act, 2010 and under sections 377, 511, 504, 506, 384, 341 and 323 of the IPC, How Ragging Affects The Victim: 1. An unpleasant incident of ragging may leave a permanent scar in the victim’s mind that may haunt him for years to come. 2. The victim declines into a shell, forcing himself into ignominy and alienation from the rest of the world. 3. It demoralizes the victim who joins college life with many hopes and expectations. 4. Though incidents of physical assault and grievous injuries are not new, ragging also simultaneously causes grave psychological stress and trauma to the victim. 5†¦. WHAT IS RAGGING †¢Teasing, manhandling, ill-treating with rudeness any Fresher. †¢Psychological harm that raises fear in the mind of fresher. †¢Asking the fresher to perform any act, which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame so as to adversely affect his/her physique/psyche. RAGGING IS REPREHENSIBLE ACT †¢No act of ragging shall be tolerated. †¢Any act of ragging shall not go unnoticed and unpunished. PUNISHMENT MAY INCLUDE: †¢Expulsion from hostel. †¢Fine with public apology. †¢Withholding a scholarship or other benefit. †¢Debarring from representation in events or campus placement. †¢Adverse entry in Character Certificate. †¢Suspension from the institution. †¢Expulsion from the institution. PROCEDURE OF DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS: †¢If the appropriate authority is satisfied that a prima-facie case exists against the boarder he may be suspended from the hostel, pending a final enquiry. What constitutes Ragging: – Ragging constitutes one or more of any of the following acts:  3 a. any conduct by any student or students whether by words spoken or written or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness a fresher or any other student; b. indulging in rowdy or undisciplined activities by any student or students which causes or is likely to cause annoyance, hardship, physical or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in any fresher or any other student; c. asking any student to do any act which such student will not in the ordinary course do and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame, or torment or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of such fresher or any other student; d. any act by a senior student that prevents, disrupts or disturbs the regular academic activity of any other student or a fresher; e. exploiting the services of a fresher or any other student for completing the academic tasks assigned to an individual or a group of students. f. any act of financial extortion or forceful expenditure burden put on a fresher or any other student by students; g. any act of physical abuse including all variants of it: sexual abuse, homosexual assaults, stripping, forcing obscene and lewd acts, gestures, causing bodily harm or any other danger to health or person; h. any act or abuse by spoken words, emails, posts, public insults which would also include deriving perverted pleasure, vicarious or sadistic thrill from actively or passively participating in the discomfiture to fresher or any other student; i. any act that affects the mental health and self-confidence of a fresher or any other student with or without an intent to derive a sadistic pleasure or showing off power, authority or superiority by a student over any fresher or any other student. 5. Measures for prevention of ragging:- It shall be mandatory for every technical Institution, University, deemed to be University imparting technical education to take following measures for prevention of ragging at such institutions. 1. The advertisement issued for admission by a technical institution, University including Deemed to be University concerned and/or the admission authority/ affiliating University/State Govt./UT/Central Govt. as the case may be, shall clearly mention that ragging is totally banned and anyone found guilty of ragging and/or abetting ragging is liable to be punished. 2. The ‘Prospectus’ and other admission related documents shall contain directions of the Supreme Court Affiliating University/admission Authority/State Govt/Central Govt. shall make it mandatory for the institutions under their jurisdiction to compulsorily incorporate such information in their ‘Prospectus’. These Regulations shall be printed in the brochure of admission/instruction booklet for candidates. 3. The application form for admission/enrolment shall have a printed affidavit, preferably both in English and Hindi and/or in one of the regional languages. The affidavit should be filled up and signed by the  candidate to the effect that he/she is aware of the law regarding prohibition of ragging as well as the punishments, and that he/she, if found guilty of the offence of ragging and/or abetting ragging, is liable to be punished appropriately. 4. The application form shall also contain a printed affidavit, preferably both in English and Hindi and/or in one of the regional languages and the affidavit should be signed by the parent/guardian of the applicant to the effect that he/she is also aware of the law in this regard and agrees to abide by the punishment meted out to his/her ward in case the latter is found guilty of ragging and/or abetting ragging. 5. The application for admission shall be accompanied by a document along with the School Leaving Certificate/Character Certificate which shall include a report on the behavioral patter of the applicant, so that the institution can thereafter keep intense watch upon the student who has a negative entry in this regard. 6. A student seeking admission to the hostel shall have to submit another affidavit along with his/her application for hostel accommodation that he/she is also aware of the law in this regard and agrees to abide by the punishments meted out if he/she is found guilty of ragging and/or abetting ragging. 7. Every technical institution, University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education shall maintain a proper record of the affidavits obtained to ensure its safe up keep thereof,including digital copies of the affidavits and such digital copy should be made available to the AICTE or to an Agency identified/nominated by AICTE. 8. The AICTE or an Agency identified/nominated for the purpose and affiliating Universities and Directorate of Technical Education of the concerned State Govt./UT shall maintain an appropriate data base of the affidavits in the digital form obtained from every student at the time of admission to the technical institutions, Universities including Deemed to be Universities imparting technical education. 9. Each batch of freshers should be divided into small groups and each such group shall be assigned to a member of staff. Such staff member should interact individually with each member of the group on daily basis to ascertain the problems/difficulties, if any faced by the freshers in the Institution and extend necessary help. 10. Incase of freshers admitted to a Hostel it shall be the responsibility of the teacher incharge of the group to co-ordinate with the warden of the Hostel and to make surprise visits to the rooms in the hostel where the members of the group are lodged. Freshers should be lodged in a separate hostel block wherever possible and where such facilities are not available, the college/institution shall ensure that seniors’ access to freshers’ accommodation is strictly monitored by wardens, Security Guards and Staff. 11. Every institution should engage or seek the assistance of professional counselors at the time of admissions to counsel ‘freshers’ in order to prepare them for the life ahead, particularly for adjusting to the life in hostels. At the commencement of the academic session the Head of the technical Institution, University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education shall convene and address a meeting of various functionaries/agencies, like Wardens, representatives of students, parents/guardians, faculty, district administration including police, to discuss the measures to be taken to prevent ragging and steps to be taken to identify the offenders and punish them suitably. 12. Every fresher admitted to the technical Institution, University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education shall be given a printed information booklet detailing when and whom he/she has to turn to for help and guidance for various purposes (including Wardens, Head of the institution, members of the anti–ragging committee, relevant district and police authorities), addresses and telephone numbers of such persons/authorities, etc. 13. The technical institutions, University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education through the information booklet mentioned 6  above shall explain to the new entrants the arrangements for their induction and orientation which promote efficient and effective means of integrating them fully as students. 14. The information booklet mentioned above shall also tell the freshers about their rights as bona fide students and clearly instructing them that they should desist from doing anything against their will even if ordered by the seniors, and that they have nothing to fear as the institution cares for them and shall not tolerate any atrocities against them. 15. The information booklet mentioned above shall contain a calendar of events and activities laid down by the institution to facilitate and complement familiarization of juniors with the academic environment of the institution. 16. To make the community at large and the students in particular aware of the dehumanizing effect of ragging, and the approach of the institution towards those indulging in ragging, big posters (preferably with different colors for the provisions of law, punishments, etc.) shall be prominently displayed on all Notice Boards of all departments, hostels and other buildings as well as at vulnerable places Some of such posters shall be of permanent nature in certain vulnerable places. 17. The technical Institution, University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education shall request the media to give adequate publicity to the law prohibiting ragging and the negative aspects of ragging and the institutions ‘s resolve to ban ragging and punish those found guilty without fear or favor. 18. The technical Institution, University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education shall identify, properly illuminate and man all vulnerable locations. 19. The technical Institution, University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education shall tighten security in its premises, especially at the vulnerable places. If necessary, intense policing shall be resorted to at such points at odd hours during the early months of the academic session. 20. The technical Institution, University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education shall utilize the vacation  period before the start of the new academic year to launch wide publicity campaign against ragging through posters, information booklets, seminars, street plays, etc. 7 21. The faculties/departments/units of the technical Institution, University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education shall have induction arrangements (including those which anticipate, identify and plan to meet any special needs of any specific section of students) in place well in advance of the beginning of the academic year with a clear sense of the main aims and objectives of the induction process. 22. Mobile Phones and other communication devices may be permitted in residential areas including hostels to provide access to the students particularly freshers, to reach out for help from teachers, parents and Institution authorities. Monitoring mechanism in technical institution, University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education:- a) Anti-ragging Committee: Every institution University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education shall constitute a Committee to be known as the Anti-ragging Committee to be nominated and headed by the Head of the Institution, and consisting of representatives of civil and police administration, local media, Non Government Organizations involved in youth activities, representatives of faculty members, representatives of parents, representatives of students belonging to the freshers’ category as well as senior students, non-teaching staff; and shall have a diverse mix of membership in terms of level as well as gender. b) It shall be the duty of the Anti-Ragging Committee to ensure compliance with the provisions of these Regulations as well as the provisions of any law for the time being in force concerning ragging; and also to monitor and oversee the performance of the Anti-Ragging Squad in prevention of ragging in the institution. c) Anti-Ragging Squad: Every institution University including Deemed to be  University imparting technical education shall also constitute a smaller body to be known as the Anti-Ragging Squad to be nominated by the Head of the Institution with such representation as may be considered necessary for maintaining vigil, oversight and patrolling functions and shall remain mobile, alert and active at all times. Provided that the Anti-Ragging Squad shall have representation of various members of the campus community and shall have no outside representation. d) It shall be the duty of the Anti-Ragging Squad to be called upon to make surprise raids on hostels, and other places vulnerable to incidents and having the potential for ragging and shall be empowered to inspect such places. 8 e) It shall also be the duty of the Anti-Ragging Squad to conduct an on-the-spot enquiry into any incidents of ragging referred to it by the Head of the institution or any member of the faculty or any member of the staff or any student or any parent or guardian or any employee of a service provider or by any other person, as the case may be; and the enquiry report along with recommendations shall be submitted to the Anti-Ragging Committee for action. Provided that the Anti-Ragging Squad shall conduct such enquiry observing a fair and transparent procedure and the principles of natural justice and after giving adequate opportunity to the student or students accused of ragging and other witnesses to place before it the facts, documents and views concerning the incidents of ragging, and considerations such other relevant information as may be required. Actions to be taken against students for indulging and abetting ragging in technical institutions Universities including Deemed to be University imparting technical education:- 1. The punishment to be meted out to the persons indulged in ragging has to be exemplary and justifiably harsh to act as a deterrent against recurrence of such incidents. 2. Every single incident of ragging a First Information Report (FIR) must be filed without exception by the institutional authorities with the local police authorities. 3. The Anti-Ragging Committee of the institution shall take an appropriate decision, with regard to punishment or otherwise, depending on the facts of each incident of ragging and nature and gravity of the incident of ragging. 4. a) Depending upon the nature and gravity of the offence as established the possible punishments for those found guilty of ragging at the institution level shall be any one or any combination of the following:- (i) Cancellation of admission (ii) Suspension from attending classes (iii) Withholding/withdrawing scholarship/fellowship and other benefits (iv) Debarring from appearing in any test/examination or other evaluation process (v) Withholding results (vi) Debarring from representing the institution in any regional, national or international meet, tournament, youth festival, etc. (vii) Suspension/expulsion from the hostel (viii) Rustication from the institution for period ranging from 1 to 4 semesters (ix) Expulsion from the institution and consequent debarring from admission to any other institution. (x) Collective punishment: when the persons committing or abetting the crime of ragging are not identified, the institution shall resort to collective punishment as a deterrent to ensure community pressure on the potential raggers. b) An appeal against the order of punishment by the Anti-Ragging Committee shall lie, 11 i. In case of an order of an institution, affiliated to or constituent part, of the University, to the Vice-Chancellor of the University; ii. In case of an order of a University, to its Chancellor. iii. In case of an institution of national importance created by an Act of Parliament, to the Chairman or Chancellor of the  institution, as the case may be. 5. The institutional authorities shall intimate the incidents of ragging occurred in their premises along with actions taken to the Council form time to time. 9 Action to be taken against the technical Institution, University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education which fail to take measures for prevention of ragging:- 1. Role of the concerned technical institutions, Universities including Deemed to be Universities imparting technical education shall be open to scrutiny for the purpose of finding out whether they have taken effective steps for preventing ragging and action taken against provision indulged and/or abetting ragging. The Council shall constitute Committees to inspect technical institutions, Universities including Deemed to be Universities imparting technical education to verify the status of anti ragging measures and to investigate specific instances of ragging and take appropriate action. 2. The technical Institution, University including Deemed to be University imparting technical education should submit an affidavit along with its compliance report submitted to AICTE annually with details of measures taken for prevention of ragging in technical institutions. The Compliance Report should also contain the details of the instances of ragging and action taken against students, and others for indulging and abetting ragging. 3. All Letters of Approval issued by AICTE such as extension of approval letters, letters issued for additional courses/increase in intake and letters issued for new technical institutions, release of grants, letters of approval issued to integrated campus, second shift etc. shall contain a specific clause of prevention of ragging. 4. The AICTE shall, in respect of any institution that fails to take adequate steps to prevent ragging or fails to act in accordance with these Regulations or fails to punish perpetrators or incidents of ragging suitably, take one of more of the following measures, namely; i. No admission/Withdrawal of approval granted under section 10(k) of AICTE Act. ii. Withholding any grant allocated. iii. Declaring the institution ineligible for consideration for any assistance under any of the general or special assistance programmes of the AICTE. iv. Informing the general public, including potential candidates for admission, through a notice displayed prominently in the newspapers or other suitable media and posted on the website of the AICTE, declaring that the institution does not possess the minimum academic standards. v. Taking such other action within its powers as it may deem fit and impose such other penalties as may be provided in the Act for such duration of time as the institution complies with the provisions of these Regulations. 5. As regards the Universities including Deemed to be Universities imparting technical education the actions proposed to be taken such as stopping release of grants, withdrawal of approval/recognition will be sent to University Grants Commission (UGC), Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Govt. of India and the concerned State Govt./UT. The UGC, MHRD Govt. of India, and the State Govt./UT concerned shall initiate immediate action on the recommendations of the Council.