Why Prohibition Failed to Control American Alcohol Consumption

A single sketchy light flickers in a dark room. The smell of pure, hard liquor (most likely moonshine), permeates the air. Screams, laughter, shattering glass, and the freshly-made whiskey are shared by all in the dingy lair–until a stern knock cuts through the noise, silencing and destroying the night. It was this scenario and countless others like it that defined American Prohibition, also known as â€Å"The Noble Experiment†, a ban on any intoxicating beverage from 1920 to 1933.Reasons Prohibition was enacted was to correct corruption and reduce prison numbers, solve social unrest, lower taxes, and improve hygiene and health of the people. However, Prohibition ultimately failed in its attempt to control the behavior and vices of its citizens. One particular issue that arose from Prohibition was that it fostered corruption; poor, young immigrants gradually morphed into mobs and general crime became organized. Extensive crime syndicates solidified and what is now collo quially known as the â€Å"Mafia† formed.The public had nowhere else to turn but these bootleg distilleries (dubbed â€Å"speakeasies†), because the method of getting in was a password–and by the end of Prohibition, over one million gallons of liquor had been bootlegged and brought into the United States alone. Not only had organized crime increased, but most crimes in general did, too. In addition to distilling alcohol illegally, police budgets in the period of Prohibition had increased by 11. 4 million dollars (adjusted for today’s inflation, more than 140. 5 million dollars). Total federal expenditures on penal institutions increased by a whopping 1000%.Homicides, civil unrest, the prison population, and Prohibition violations had actually increased during Prohibition. The demand for alcohol and the elimination of the public’s legal supply ultimately played a large part in the spike in crime during this era. Besides the fact that crime multiplie d uncontrollably, Prohibition was also practically unenforceable. Interestingly enough, the act of drinking in itself was not banned, rather, only sale and distribution. Bootleggers outnumbered police officers and enforcement became laughably lax in some areas of the United States.The 21 Club, a popular speakeasy in New York City, had been raided many times by police, but the owners were never caught. Many American immigrants viewed liquor not as a vice but as an integral cultural component. Smuggling and bootlegging were in full swing, and by 1927 the number of speakeasies was twice the number of legal bars pre-Prohibition. The Volstead Act itself (the enabling legislation for Prohibition) allowed the sale and production of wine at home and for religious purposes, allowing for vineyards to sell grapes and concentrate for people to make their own wine at home.The contents of the law was full of loopholes that were often exploited, such as whiskey prescription for medical reasons. Th e Prohibition saw a sharp increase in prescriptions written for patients that called for alcohol. Prohibition had also decimated the alcohol-production industry, particularly that of winemaking. As mentioned previously, winemakers had to find loopholes and crafty ways to bypass the law. Many went out of business due to the fact that any alcohol over 0. 5% was banned, and most wines had about a 13% alcohol content.Wine for sacramental purposes was allowed, and people who acted as imposters of church figures obtained wine through this alternative route. Lack of support was widespread and only increased as Prohibition went on. The increase of chaos, loss of businesses, and most of all crime only caused any original support for the law to dwindle. Finally, at 3:32 p. m. on December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment was ratified, effectively nullifying the 18th Amendment and repealing Prohibition.As the Roaring Twenties came to a close, the United States of America saw that the tax revenue gen erated by legal sale of alcohol would help take the edge off of the financial burden that came with the Great Depression. In conclusion, Prohibition in the United States is generally known as an unsuccessful experiment in enforcing morality in legislation. Illegal distilleries and speakeasies (establishments for illegally purchasing alcohol) broke out and encouraged the spread of crime. The Mafia was established as poor immigrants who found an easy way to make a great deal of money by selling alcohol to those in desperate want of it.Countless loopholes were exploited and enforcement of the laws, over time, decreased steeply. Despite the conviction by Congress that going dry would help the United States cut down on alcoholism and crime, Prohibition ended up doing the exact opposite. Overall, lack of support, increase in crime, unenforceability, and necessity of alcohol in society during the 1920s caused the ultimate downfall and failure of the American Prohibition.CITATIONS (sorry th at this version does not have them inline): http://www. cato. rg/publications/policy-analysis/alcohol-prohibition-was-failure http://www. albany. edu/~wm731882/organized_crime1_final. html http://www. westegg. com/inflation/infl. cgi http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/database/article_display. cfm? HHID=441 http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC1655505/pdf/calwestmed00210-0040b. pdf http://library. thinkquest. org/04oct/00492/Why_It_Did_Not_Work. htm http://www. netplaces. com/wine-guide/a-brief-history-of-wine/prohibition-wipes-out-an-industry. htm http://history. howstuffworks. com/american-history/prohibition. htm

Situation Analysis Dell

Situation Analysis Dell Inc. MKTG 300-51 Glenn, Hayen By: Brian Cavalier 2- 28-2010 History & Background As a student at the University of Texas Austin, Michael Dell founded Dell Inc in 1984. Michael started his venture by building PC’s from his dorm room. He wanted to sell directly to the consumer and give them options during assembly, which would lower cost and give the consumer more of what they desired. Michael believed that by selling directly to the consumers, he could better understand the wants and needs of the people who were purchasing his products. This was an immediate success, as Dell was grossing over $80,000 a month (Gale, 2010). In 1984, he dropped out of school and went public with Dell Computer Corporation. Large firms such as IBM dominated the market in the 80’s, so Dell advertised in computer magazines directed at people with the knowledge that Dell used high quality parts, and sold their PC’s for less. Using this approach, Dell Inc. hit gross sales of $6 million in its’ first full year of distribution, and almost $40 million in the second year (Gale, 2010) Dell is the second largest player in the global personal computer market with a 15% market share (Standard and Poors). The company’s expanding growth spurs out to Brazil, Russia, China and India with revenues from these countries rising by 20% the past year (Standard and Poors). Revenues have increased by 48% in segments outside the United States. The company recorded revenues of $61,101M (Business and Company) million during the financial year ended December 2009. FY2009, operating profit of the company was $3,190 M and its net profit was $2,478 M (Datamonitor, July, 2009). Dells’ customer base is mainly personal users, families, businesses, healthcare, governments and schools. They are the number one supplier of personal PC’s in the United States and are second in the world. ( Standard and Poors) Dell’s main competitors are Hewlett-Packard and IBM. Industry Analysis The computer hardware industry is one which is growing globally. It grew by 7. 6% in 2008 to reach a value of $411 billion (Datamonitor, December, 2009). In 2013, the global computer hardware market is forecast to have a value of $511. 2 billion, an increase of 24. 4% since 2008 (Datamonitor, December, 2009). With growth potential forecasted to increase, Dell and it competitors will have room to increase their market value. With favorable forecasting in the industry, computer hardware companies have a great deal of decisions to make. The industry has many diverse users all with different wants and needs. Issues such as storage, music manipulation, video enhancement, money management tools, peripheral options, business use, school use and a plethora of other applications affect market segmentation. With so many options, it means that the customer base is very diverse and has many different individual needs. The ability of companies to meet the needs of consumers effectively and find small advantages over their competitors is key to increasing overall earnings. Technology trends play a huge role in the computer hardware industry. With the development of better, smarter, faster and innovative products the industry offers, it makes competition very great. The computer hardware industry strives to give every person a use for their products. New ideas happening everyday make their products more practical for users to purchase. Service has also become an interesting trend. Consumers don’t always know how to use their computer properly, and in turn they tend to blame it on the computer, not their inabilities. Great customer service is a trend Dell has embarked upon to gain market share. Increased globalization is a trend that will continue to happen in the industry. As the world economies become more stable and able to purchase computer hardware, they will have different wants and needs which will have to be met. Being proactive about globalization will be fundamental if companies want to expand and gain market share. Dells main Competitor is Hewlett Packard . Hewlett packard has taken over the dominant market share. IBM is also a big competitor of Dell and the situation isn’t going to get any easier for them in the future. Both companies have recorded better revenue and increase in market share than Dell. Competition within the industry is based upon product line, price, new technologies and marketing tactics Strengths Strong Brand Name Recognition High Market Share Niche sales marketing Weakness Declining market share Product Recalls Opportunities Indirect Sales market growth Increase competitive edge Product Growth Threats Hewlett-Packard (Competitors) Declining Economy Strengths Dell has strong name recognition with a market share of 15%. Dell has been around for a long time and has developed good customer relations. Dell has reached consumers in an innovative way that engages them in the building process of their computers. This will continue to be a strong point of Dell; it’s a nice niche to have in such a competitive market. Weaknesses Dell has seen operating success in terms of revenue, but Dells market share has been steadily losing value in the market. Although they have a healthy share of the market, Dell will need to increase their market share by keeping up with new and expanding markets. Dell has also had some product recalls; this causes loyal customers to look elsewhere and deters new consumers. Dell can’t afford to make manufacturing mistakes as consumer’s opinion is vital for success. Opportunities While not Dells traditional way of operating, Dell has the ability to increase their indirect sales. Dell could gain more recognition by establishing themselves in a traditional retail setting. Dell offers a lot of products that consumers might not always hear about and by putting products in a retail environment they could gain market share. With Dell already being a leader in the industry, they have the opportunity to increase their competitive edge. Dell has the capabilities to make their products better and more unique than competitors to entice consumers. Consumers are always interested in new ideas and Dell has the opportunity to introduce other technology into their brand name. While Dell already has many products, there is always room for growth in the industry. Threats Dell has tough competition in the industry. Dell is behind Hewlett-Packard in Global Market Share and is increasing their position. Others in the market are also very strong competitors. Dell is in a constant battle to create the best products at the best price. Since prices of computer systems are becoming more comparable, Dell will need to go beyond their normal business model if they want to keep their market position. Declining economy could be a huge threat for Dell. If companies are closing and people aren’t working, it makes their products, no matter how great they might be, not be applicable to peoples’ change in economic status. If the economy doesn’t rebound, this could be detrimental to Dell Inc. Marketing Recomendation My market strategy for Dell is to design and produce smart phones. This would be similar to what Mac has done with the iphone, but I want Dell’s phones to be available on all service providers. I feel this is a great way to help close the gap between them and Hewlett-Packard. By providing this product that Hewlett-Packard doesn’t, Dell can gain market share and increase revenue. Dell already makes palm pilots and by combining that technology into a phone, they can design a really useful, efficient consumer product. Dell could market these phones to businesses at a discounted rate. By selling to large corporations, they can increase revenue at a very high rate. They can set up a web site where consumers can design and pick options they desire. Selling directly to the consumer will save the consumer time and money. Dell can set up the phone so that it is ready for use as soon as the consumer receives the product. The consumer won’t have the hassle of setting the phone up at the store, saving them time and frustration. Dell needs to continue to come up with ideas that grab consumers attention. Dell must come up with new products and innovate current products keep consumer interest. If Dell hopes to increase Market share they should be very selective in choosing new avenues enterprise Work Cited 1. Dell Inc. † International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 63. St. James Press, 2004. Reproduced in Business and Company Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich. : Gale Group. 2010 2. Standard and Poors (2010) Retrieved from http://www. netadvantage. standardandpoors. com. ezproxy. metrostate. edu/NASApp/NetAdvantage/showPublication. do? dataPosition=3&SPID=20251 3. Datamonitor. (2009, July 8). Datamonitor: Dell Inc. Dell inc. Company profile, Retrieved from http://ezproxy. etrostate. edu/login? url=http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=buh&AN=43606079&site=ehost-live 4. Datamonitor. (2009, December). Software industry profile: global. Retrieved from http://ezproxy. metrostate. edu/login? url=http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=buh&AN=47196292&site=ehost-live 5. Business & Company resource Center. (2010) Retrievd fro m http://galenet. galegroup. com. ezproxy. metrostate. edu/servlet/BCRC? vrsn=unknown&locID=mnamsu&srchtp=glbc&cc=1&c=1&mode=c&ste=60&tab=1&tbst=tsCM&ccmp=Dell+Inc. &mst=dell&docNum=DC322938&bConts=3

Gap Within the Organization: a Case Study in Administrative Building

Communication Gap within the Organization: A case study in administrative building of SUST, Sylhet By Sato Barua Masters Student Department of Public Administration SUST, Sylhet Introduction Organizational communication as a discipline grew tremendously over the 20th century, but accompanying that growth was a struggle to establish a clear identity of the field. Today scholars still continue to define and redefine the focus, boundaries and future of the field (Thompkin & Wanka-Thibault, 2001).Why it is that organizational communication is such an interesting concept for researchers to study? Apparently, a great deal of the answer to this question can be found in the importance communication has been re-vealed having for the success of organizations. Open communication has for example been found to be positively correlated with employees’ satisfaction with the organization (Koike, Gudykunst, William, Lea & Ting-Toomey, 1989). Communication is the glue that holds a society toget her. The ability to communicate enables people to form and maintain personal relationships.And the quality of such relationships depends on the caliber of communication between the parties. Communication is the process of sharing ideas, information, and messages with others in a particular time and place. Communication includes writing and talking, as well as nonverbal communication (such as facial expressions, body language, or gestures), visual communication (the use of images or pictures, such as painting, photography, video or film) and electronic communication (telephone calls, electronic mail, cable television, or satellite broadcasts).Communication is a vital part of personal life and is also important in business, education, and any other situations where people encounter each other (Encarta, 1998). A study was completed within the organization to determine if there was an internal communication gap that existed between the supervisors and representatives. When there 1 is an internal communication gap within an organization there is usually a breakdown in the way information is been sent from the sender to the receiver. This is precedent in organizations that have a top down hierarchy.In this type of hierarchy it can be difficult for bottom level employees to obtain information regarding changes within the organization. Significance of the study Communication is described as one of the crucial fouls of management. It helps in handling the major managerial tasks of planning direction coordination motivating and controlling. We live in a world filled with other people. We live together, work together, and play together. In our personal lives, we need each other for security, comfort, friendship, and love.In our working environment, we need each other in order to achieve our goals and objectives. None of these goals can be achieved without communication. Communication is the basic thread that ties us together. Through communication we make known our needs , our wants, our ideas, and our feelings. The better we are at communication, the more effective we are at achieving our hopes and dreams (Alessandra, Hunsaker, 1993). Based upon conversations among the representatives, this study is important because there appears to be a lack of communication within the organization.Some of the representatives feel as though the supervisors have daily meetings, but no information is shared regarding the company changes and/or procedures. When there is an internal communication gap it becomes difficult for anyone to effectively achieve goals. Purpose of the study The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not there's an internal communication gap that exist between the representatives and the supervisors. The three objectives of this study were to: 2 1. Discover whether or not there is an internal communication gap between supervisors and representatives within the organization. . Determine the subject's perception of their immediate supe rvisor’s level of communication. 3. Identify the ways in which employees usually receive most of their information. Definition of terms Sender Someone or something that sends or transmits something. To establish yourself as an effective communicator, you must first establish credibility. You must also know your audience (individuals or groups to which you are delivering your message). Failure to understand who you are communicating to will result in delivering messages that are misunderstood (Fowler, 2005).Message A communication in speech, writing, or signals. Written, oral and nonverbal communications are effected by the sender's tone, method of organization, validity of the argument, what is communicated and what is left out, as well as your individual style of communicating. Messages also have intellectual and emotional components, with intellect allowing us the ability to reason and emotion allowing us to present motivational appeals, ultimately changing minds and action s (Fowler, 2005). Channel A course or a means of communication or expression.Messages are conveyed through channels, with verbal including face-to-face meetings, telephone and videoconferencing; and written including letters, emails, memos and reports (Fowler, 2005). 3 Receiver These messages are delivered to an audience. No doubt, you have in mind the actions or reactions you hope our message prompts from this audience. Keep in mind, your audience also enters into the communication process with ideas and feelings that will undoubtly influence their understanding. Your audience will provide you with feedback, verbal and nonverbal reactions to your communicated message.Pay close attention to this feedback as it is crucial to ensuring the audience understood your message (Fowler, 2005). Context The words or phrases or passages that come before and after a particular word or passage in a speech or piece of writing and help to explain it's full meaning (Encarta, 2005). Feedback Comments in the form of opinions about the reactions to something intended to provide useful information for future decisions and development (Fowler, 2005). A literature review was completed to determine the importance of internal communication within the work environment. Review of literatureIn every society, humans have developed spoken and written language as a means of sharing messages and meanings. The most common form of daily communication is interpersonal- that is, face-to-face, at the same time and in the same place (Encarta, 2005). Communication barriers can pop-up at every stage of the communication process (which consists of sender, message, channel, receiver, feedback and context) and have the potential to create misunderstanding and confusion. To be an effective communicator and to get your point across without misunderstanding and confusion, your goal should be to 4 essen the frequency of these barriers at each stage of this process with clear, concise, accurate, well planne d communications (Fowler & Manktelow, 2005). Communication, the heart of business, is the most important of all entrepreneurial skills. The destiny of the business depends on the quality of your relationships. Your ability to transmit information helps both clients and employees feel they can communicate with and ultimately trust you (Black Enterprise, Charles, 1998, pg 116). Internal communication is more important today than in previous years partly because the business and market conditions are more complex.There is a lot of information in the marketplace and it's crucial that employees understand it. The development of a strategic internal communication strategy and its implementation can provide a number of benefits to organizations, such as keeping employees motivated and engaged, and sharing clear, consistent messages with employees in a timely manner. Personal relationship is what organizations are all about -or should be. An organization, whatever its size, mission, or moti ve is merely a collection of people assembled to pursue a common objective.An organization functions through its people, who in turn function through communication (Brennan, 1974). Employees have their own sources, their own information system, separate from the management channels. These usually carry the news ahead of communications from management. Not that the employee network is flawless. That system transmits information indiscriminately- Fragments, Rumors, Gossip. It may not always operate in the best interests of the organization, but it does provide a check-point when management fantasies are disguised as information.Furthermore, it enables employees to participate in the communication process, and it fills their need for information which at least seems to come from a credible source: another employee (Brennan, 1974). Employees, like all people, require outlets for their thoughts and feelings. And they find them. So don't arbitrarily assume that the relative absence of emp loyee complaints is a positive sign. Employees may be expressing themselves through other channels: meetings with fellow employees, union representatives, government agents; or through passiveaggressive behavior such as work slowdowns, carelessness, tardiness, absenteeism, and apathy.These can be symptoms that employees feel other means of participation are unavailable to them (Brennan, 1974). 5 The skill of listening becomes extremely important when we talk about â€Å"upward communication. † There are many avenues through which management can send messages downward through a business organization, but there are few avenues for movement of information in the upward direction (Nichols & Stevens, 1999). Many popular theories on workplace communication focus on the differences between men and women, suggesting that the sexual divide causes communication to break down. Women are seen as being more empathetic and oblique than men.Other variables that cause people to mix their mes sages include differences in age, culture, and socioeconomic background. Some tips to help managers bridge any communication gap were (Fortune 1994): 1. Listen actively for the subtext of people's words. 2. Persuade rather than command. 3. Target your words to your audience. 4. React to content, not to people's manner of expressing themselves. 5. Let people know that criticism is welcome. 6. Make your intentions clear before acting. 7. Assume that people take responsibility for what they say. By successfully getting your message across, you convey your thoughts and ideas effectively.When not successful, the thoughts and ideas that you convey do not necessarily reflect your own, causing a communications breakdown and creating roadblocks that stand in the way of your goals-both personally and professionally (Fowler & Mankelow, 2005). In the workplace, supervisors and their employees have opportunities to develop nonthreatening, mutually rewarding relationships. These can be quite cond ucive to individual and corporate health. They are akin to what in our personal life we call meaningful relationships. Supervisors who attain such relationships with employees are said to practice â€Å"positive human relations. True. But it's done through communication. (Brennan, 1974). 6 Methodology of procedures Methodology can properly refer to the theoretical analysis of the methods appropriate to a field of study or to the body of methods and principles particular to a branch of knowledge. Methodology has been increasingly used as a pretentious substitute for method in scientific and technical contexts. â€Å"Methodology† is a system of precise rules and procedures on which research is based and against which claims for knowledge and evaluation. Research and DesignA quantitative research methodology was used for the research to determine if there was a communication gap within the organization. A multiple choice single answered survey was distributed to the lower-level employees. A survey can be a powerful tool to improve communication between different parts of an organization. Surveys are especially useful for establishing upward communication links from lower-level employees to management. Population The survey was distributed to lower-level employees who are within the organization. The participant's involved included males and females with 6 weeks to 20 years of experience within the organization.A total of 20 surveys were completed. The participants were informed per instructions on the survey and through face-to-face conversation that their participation was voluntary and the answers in which they chose would remain confidential, with the exception of the final results from all the participants. Sample The research was conducted within Administrative Buildings of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, located in Sylhet, Bangladesh. The organization has an 7 estimated 300 staff which are located in three separate buildings. The adm inistration is divided into some units and each unit has one supervisor.The subordinates report to the supervisors. Instrumentation The survey consisted of ten multiple choices single answer questions and one open ended question. The participants were asked single answer questions to discover whether or not there was an internal communication gap between supervisors and the subordinates within the organization, to determine the subject's perception of their immediate supervisors level of communication and to identify the ways in which employees usually receive most of their information. The survey was distributed to the employees by the researcher via face-to-face contact.The researcher chose face- to-face contact because it gave the participants the opportunity to ask questions and to have a visual picture of whom and where to return the surveys. Data collecting and recording A Microsoft program, Excel was used to determine the percentage rate of each answer given by the participan ts. Limitations of the study The limitations of this study were that the researcher could not distribute the surveys to forty-three employees. Some employees were not available to complete the survey due to absenteeism (vacation, personal time, sick, etc). The employees are so much busy so they cannot provide me to give information.Time is not sufficient to gain practical knowledge and prepare a report. I have no proper experience to do this kind of report. So, inexperience creates obstacle to follow the systematic and logical research methodology. 8 Analysis Findings The present study was designed to determine whether or not there were an internal communication gap that existed between the subordinates and the supervisors. The three objectives of this study were to: 4. Discover whether or not there is an internal communication gap between supervisors and representatives within the organization. . Determine the subject's perception of their immediate supervisor’s level of com munication. 6. Identify the ways in which employees usually receive most of their information. The representatives responded to questions regarding the communication within their organization. To the contrary, the result suggests that 5% of the representatives were neutral regarding the overall satisfaction of communication within this organization, 80% were very satisfied, 15% were satisfied and no one indicated that they were dissatisfied.Although majority of the representatives were very satisfied so 60% thought the organization kept them fully informed and no one indicated that the organization gave them a limited amount of information, 35% thought that they were fairly well informed, 5% answer was unclear. When asked how would you rate your supervisor's communication skills, 80% indicated excellent and 20% marked that their supervisor communicated very good. Also, 35% indicated that whenever there was change within the organization their supervisors inform them most of the time . A 60% response was given to the supervisors informing them all the time.Like many organizations, the majority (90%) of the representatives indicated that they received most of their information through their supervisor. The overall result of the survey indicates that there does not appear to be a lack of communication between the subordinates and the superiors. 9 Results Table 1: Which best describes your impression of communications within this organization? Item Response Frequency % Keeps us fully informed 14 70 Keeps us fairly well informed 3 15 Keeps us adequately informed 2 10 Gives us only a limited amount of Information 0 0 Doesn't tell us much at all about what is going on 0 Answer was unclear 1 5 N=20 0% Figure 1: impression of communications within this organization. 10 5% Answer were unclear 0% Doesn't tell us what is going on 10% Adequately informed Fairly well informed 15% Limited amount of information 70% Fully informed 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Table 2: How do you feel about the information you receive? Item Response Frequency % I can almost always believe it 14 70 I can usually believe it 3 15 I can believe it about half the time 2 10 I usually can't believe it 1 5 Frequency % Strongly Agree 16 80 Agree 3 15 Neutral 1 5 Strongly Disagree 0 0 N=20Table 3: I have the information I need to do my job. Item Response N=20 11 Table 4: How would you rate your supervisor's communication skills? Item Response Frequency % Excellent 16 80 Very good 4 20 Good 0 0 Fair 0 0 Poor 0 0 Unclear answer 0 0 N=20 20% Excellent Very Good 80% Figure 2: Supervisor's communication skills. 12 Table 5: Overall, how satisfied are you with the communications within this organization? Item Response Frequency % Very satisfied 16 80 Satisfied 3 15 Neutral 1 5 Very dissatisfied 0 0 Unable to identify answer 0 0 N=20 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 80% 15% 5% Very Satisfied Satisfied NeutralFigure 3: Overall satisfaction of communications within the organizatio n. 13 Table 6: From which of the following sources do you usually receive most of your information? Item Response Frequency % Grapevine 0 0 Bulletin Board 0 0 My supervisor 18 90 Group meetings 0 0 Organizational Programs 0 0 Organizational emails 0 0 Multiple answers 2 10 N=20 Table 7: I feel confident that management considers my ideas and/or concerns. Item Response Frequency % All the time 8 40 Some of the time 12 60 Undecided 0 0 Almost never 0 0 Never 0 0 N=20 14 Table 8: Whenever there is a change within the organization, my supervisor Item Response Frequency Always inform me 12 60 Inform me most of the time 7 35 Almost never informs me 0 0 Never informs me 0 0 Unable to identify answer 1 5 N=20 Table 9: The information that I receive from my supervisor is consistent with the information received from other supervisors. Item Response Frequency % Strongly Agree 15 75 Agree 5 25 Neutral 0 0 Disagree 0 0 Strongly Disagree 0 0 N=20 15 What topics do you feel are important for you to know more about and would like the organization to inform you during future communications? Answer: ? Policy and/or procedural changes ? Future and/or general changes that are coming and how to prepare for it ?Correct procedures for completing work correctly ? Adequate training for job changes ? Training and/or how to use new programs ? Overtime and/or for special projects ? All information that can help improve goals and job skills ? New updates within the system ? Legitimate reasons why things cannot be updated or corrected ? More feedback on the quality and quantity of work completed. ? Information regarding promotions ? Information regarding other departments. 16 Conclusions Communication is very important in every aspect of our lives. In order for any relationship to work properly we have to learn to communicate effectively with each other.The fact still remains that in order for any business whether entrepreneur, partnerships or corporate offices to succeed we have to commu nicate with someone to voice our ideas and/or concerns. The literature review addressed the importance of internal communication. It provided the researcher with background information on the different ways and the different styles of communication. Needless to say, face-to-face communication seemed to remain the number one style of communicating within organizations. Based upon the answers given on the survey, most people were thought that the communication was satisfactory within the organization.Majority of the participants also felt that their supervisor communication skills were excellent. 17 Recommendations The researcher would recommend for future research that the survey exclude any neutral options. Although by eliminating this option it forces the participants to answer one way or the other. The researcher believes that you will get more precise answers. The supervisors can also following communication techniques can be used to increase the level of internal communication i n the organization and therefore the level of the organizational efficiency (Fishman, 2000). 1. Share information with employees whenever possible.One of the most sensitive areas in management involves how much company information should be shared with employees. Many feel that information should be given on a need-to-know basis. 2. Find out if those listening to you hear what you say and interpret it correctly. One way of doing this is to ask questions that will show the understanding level of those with whom you are speaking. 18 References 1. Alessandra, T & Hunsaker, P. (1993). Communication at Work. Fireside, Simon & Schuster, New York, NY. 2. Brennan, J. (1 974). The Conscious Communicator; making communication work in the workplace. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. Reading, MA. . MSN Encarta Premium (2005). Retrieved May 2005 from http:// www. msn. com. , accessed on 15. 12. 2011. 4. Retrieved from, http://www. communicationintheworkplace. net/, accessed on 15. 12. 2011. 5. Retri eved from, http://www. buzzle. com/articles/importance-of-communication-inthe-workplace. html, accessed on 18. 12. 2011. 6. Retrieved from, http://www4. ncsu. edu/~crmiller/Publications/ATTW03. pdf, accessed on 18. 12. 2011. 7. Retrieved from, http://www2. uwstout. edu/content/lib/thesis/2005/2005mallett hamerb. pdf, accessed on 20. 12. 2011. 8. Retrieved from,http://www. lisc. org/docs/resources/experts/2007/eo_2007_03_07. df, accessed on 22. 12. 2011. 9. Retrieved from, http://www. google. com/#sclient=psyab&hl=en&source=hp&q=communication+in+t he+workplace+ppt&oq=communicaton+in+the+workplace+&aq=3&aqi=g10&aql=& gs_sm=c&gs_upl=7599l8963l0l11145l8l6l0l0l0l5l766l3816l55. 1l6l0&bav=on. 2,or. r_ gc. r_pw. ,cf. osb&fp=55dcc7523cfd78c6&biw=1024&bih=577, accessed on 23. 12. 2011. 10. Retrieved from, http://www. managementskillsadvisor. com/effective-communicationin-the-workplace. html, accessed on 23. 12. 2011. 19 Appendix Survey Questions Please fill in the answer that best fit your ex perience when dealing with communication within this organization. . Which best describes your impression of communications within this organization? ? Keeps us fully informed ? Keeps us fairly well informed ? Keeps us adequately informed ? Gives us only a limited amount of Information ? Doesn't tell us much at all about what is going on ? Answer was unclear 2. How do you feel about the information you receive? ? I can almost always believe it. ? I can usually believe it. ? I can believe it about half the time. ? I usually can't believe it. 3. I have the information I need to do my job. ? Strongly Agree ? Agree ? Neutral ? Strongly Disagree 20 4.How would you rate your supervisor's communication skills? ? Excellent ? Very good ? Good ? Fair ? Poor ? Unclear answer 5. Overall, how satisfied are you with the communications within this organization? ? Very satisfied ? Satisfied ? Neutral ? Very dissatisfied ? Unable to identify answer 6. From which of the following sources do you usual ly receive most of your information? ? Grapevine ? Bulletin Board ? Company Newsletter (Intranet) ? My supervisor ? Unit leader ? Group meetings ? Company Programs ? Company emails ? Multiple answers 21 7. I feel confident that management considers my ideas and/or concerns. All the time ? Some of the time ? Undecided ? Almost never ? Never 8. Whenever there is a change within the organization, my supervisor ? Always inform me ? Inform me most of the time ? Almost never informs me ? Never informs me ? Unable to identify answer 9. The information that I receive from my supervisor is consistent with the information received from other supervisors. ? Strongly Agree ? Agree ? Neutral ? Disagree ? Strongly Disagree 10. What topics do you feel are important for you to know more about and would like the organization to inform you during future communications? 22

The Absolute Freedom of Expression through Journalism in the Modern Article

The Absolute Freedom of Expression through Journalism in the Modern World - Article Example In this same background, it is also important to redefine the true purpose and function of the global journalists. A prudent definition would instruct the journalists to persist their valuable efforts to invite the attention of the common people to incidents of similar nature and to the exact need for greater freedom of the press. The most recent attacks on the six journalists across the world and especially in South Asia once again draw the attention of international community to the question of journalistic function and many have responded to this essential topic of the time. In one of the most persuasive appeals to the recent atrocities on international journalists, Matt Wade’s article â€Å"Sword Mightier than Pen as Journalist Deaths Rise to Six† deals with the â€Å"bloody start to this year for media workers on the Indian subcontinent.† (Wade) In this article, Matt Wade convincingly summarizes the atrocities to journalists in the most hazardous region in the world for journalists to work and reports the several instances of media attacks in South Asia - which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. He illustrates the mounting attacks against the freedom of speech in the region with pieces of evidence of Lasantha Wickramatunga, the leading Colombo newspaper editor, Uma Singh, the young journalist in her 20s, and Sayed Perwiz Kambaksh, the journalism student in Afghanistan. By reporting and summarizing several instances of attacks on journalists in the region and by raising the issue of the sword is mightier than the pen, Matt Wade not only serves his journalistic function but, more importantly, proves that pen is mightier than the sword. An understanding of the rhetorical devices used by the author, one realizes that Matt Wade has been effective in catching the emotion of the readers and creating the exact feelings of pathos in them.

Reply Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Reply - Essay Example In fact, firms and museums usually experience mismanagement of their resources, which mostly leads to collapse of the organizations. Apart from competing for limited resources, both institutions always aim at making profits. In this case, both the firm and museums tend to utilize monetary and natural resources in ensuring that their businesses make profit. The fact that both institutions aim at making profit, it therefore means that they are always attracting new clients hence depending on them for survival. Without visitors and clients, both institutions remain non-operational. The visitors in this case help in granting funding and operations in both institutions. In simple terms, firms and museums always strive to survive in their markets. In fact, innovations remain important to both institutions. Additionally, both institutions have various laws and constitutions which tend to govern them during their operations. To achieve their objectives, both institutions always have specific management types. Lastly, both institutions also have various cultures, which help in attracting their niche customers. In fact, th eir cultures help in allowing both institutions in making valuable profits hence meeting their client’s

Carry Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Carry Trade - Essay Example e all too apparent that in the globalised and networked economies, no country can consider itself safe, if there are adverse signals from one corner of the world. Carry trade is termed to be an important factor in such a scenario, which has led to cascading effects for majority of exporters and manufacturers of cars and electronic products. While on the one hand exports are down and production are down, on the other hand a large number of job losses is causing further slide in economy. This raises the curiosity about the importance of carry trade in this scenario. Carry trade, as the name suggests is the trading activity that one indulges by carrying forward the returns or losses of the holdings by an individual or a business entity. Yen has been a popular instrument amongst the trading community as an important tool for holding foreign exchange and dealing in financial transactions. Selling the Yen at lower interest rates and then using the funds for purchasing higher interest curre ncies like dollar or pounds would yield considerable profits. Such a carry trade prospered, with the hope of sustaining the higher swap ratio and lower interest rates on Yen. But, with western economies reeling under recession, the Yen has considerably become strong, resulting in some loss making propositions for Carry trades. This has brought the issue of carry trade in focus. This study is an effort towards analyzing the trends in Carry trade over the years and its impact on the economic conditions of different countries. An effort will also be made to foresee the futuristic trends while analysing and comparing the development of the markets. Economic activities, financial services, and banking have experienced quite a few changes in the last couple of decades. With the opening up of economies, the industrial activities saw an upsurge on global scale. The financial system around the world also saw need to have a matching regulatory mechanism. The exchange rates became more

Bobcat Hospital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Bobcat Hospital - Essay Example Proper documentation, resource optimization and reduced complications lead to low cost and improve the billings. This ensures profits for the health care. Bobcat county hospital also has to ensure that it has all the necessary equipments used to treat the patients, so it has to invest in the machines. This is usually based on the amount of money that the hospital is able to raise. It will have to invest on the machines that they are able to afford depending on the revenue that it can raise. Having a good financial system enable them to calculate how much money can be saved for a long term investment. The hospital should have a vision and mission that motivates the patients and give them a feeling of getting better. The main objective of the hospital is to offer quality treatment (Cawsey et al, 2012). Doctors sand nurses should be well trained professional who are qualified and are able to deliver quality services to the patients. Each and every person at bobcat county hospital has go od work ethics. Doctors need to be in their places of work at the right time, this enable them to respond quickly to any emergency that occur. They should also be able to report to work during early hours of the morning if they are needed to do so. All these can be attained if all the information about the residential places, the contacts of the hospital workers is easily accessible. All the information about the capital of the hospital should be well kept. This enable the organization to know how much is spending. For the hospital to achieve its goals which is to offer quality services to the patients, it has to be up to date of how much money is available to buy the necessary things like medicine and gloves used by the doctors, food for patients and also equipments used in the hospitals. This can be achieved if the amount of revenue raised is more than the amount that is spend. Well kept information about the capital also enables easy scrutiny and accountability of the funds. A go od management of the information bout the patient is important in the service delivery. An electronic record about the patients gives the doctor easy access and this enable them to give easy treatment (Institute of Medicine (U.S.). (2000). This, also ensures that a lot of time is not wasted while trying to treat the patients and also saves time in the organization of task and activities in the hospital. A good management of information also gives details about all the professionals that attend to a patient and this enable them to interact and discus on how to give quality treatment to the patient. References Cawsey, T. F., Deszca, G., Ingols, C., & Cawsey, T. F. (2012). Organizational change: An action-oriented toolkit. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications. Institute of Medicine (U.S.). (2000). Protecting data privacy in health services research. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press. Part Two The purpose of Clinical Information System is to avail all relevant information, at a ll places, fast, easily, in clarity and concisely. The upgrade of the clinical information system is of great benefit to the hospital. It will ensure: Information about the Patients Is Easily Accessed This system is important to providing convenient access to all medical records available during the process of caring for the patient. This enhances continuity of

Roles you play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Roles you play - Essay Example The first task consisted in eliciting support from the members of the community through their becoming members of this group. A few of us, including myself, were given the task of persuading as many community members as possible to become members, and involve themselves in the activities of planning, implementing, and monitoring of the community development activities. Thus, my first group task was that of INITIATOR-CONTRIBUTOR. This role was assumed by me, because of the motivation and energy that I had for the objectives of the group, and my ability for persuasive communication. This role was effective in drawing many members to the group. It was not long before a majority of the members of the community had become members of the group, and the forming phase was over. We next had to get down to the storming phase or the phase in which the agenda of group activities would be decided. At this stage my role in the group changed to that of an ELABORATOR. This role was assumed by me as I had the capacity to listen and understand the opinions of the members of the group, and put it to the group clearly, for better understanding in the group. This role was effective in ensuring that every member had a proper voice in the setting of the agenda for the group activities. Having sorted out the agenda, we next moved on to assigning tasks and roles for the members of the group. This was the most disruptive phase encountered thus far. In this phase I played the role of a GATEKEEPER-EXPEDITER. Every member needed to know the opinions of others, and also have a say in the assigning of roles and tasks, for an amicable way in going about the assigning and acceptance of roles and tasks. I assumed this role because of my listening and communication skills, persuasive nature, and high energy levels. This role of mine ensured that communication between members was maintained during the disharmonious periods, so that tasks and roles

Leadership Types Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership Types - Essay Example This style is often referred to as ‘management by exception’, implying that transactional leaders are not interested in altering or transforming the work environment or employees, unless some problem occurs. Joseph McCarthy, a Wisconsin state senator is a famous example of transactional leadership due to his style of rewarding his followers for bringing him intelligence regarding communist spies, and punishing those who failed to follow his orders. Transformational style of leadership, on the other hand, is aimed to inspire and motivate employees, rather than expecting a set performance from them. Leaders following this style of leadership employ motivation and team-building tactics with employees. â€Å"The dynamics of transformational leadership involve strong personal identification with the leader, joining in a share vision of the future, or going beyond the self-interest exchange of rewards for compliance† (Hater & Bass, 1988). Jack Welsh, CEO of General Elec tric between 1981 and 2001, changed the bureaucratic organization into one in which employees stretched their potential to achieve long-term goals. Both styles of leadership are important, depending on different situations. However, transformational leadership holds greater merit in most scenarios, as it makes use of motivational tactics which go a long way to fulfill the esteem needs of employees, helping them to achieve self-actualization. In ethical style of leadership, leaders respect the rights and dignity of employees during the course of their leadership. Ethical leaders should treat, encourage, and direct their employees in an ethical manner. For instance, Lola Gonzales, founder and CEO of Accurate Background Check actually fired herself when she found out that redundancy was the only option left to keep her company afloat. Instead, she acquired a part-time job

Evaluate Bribery in the context of International Strategic Marketing Essay - 1

Evaluate Bribery in the context of International Strategic Marketing - Essay Example in -- in other words, to "do as the Romans do." When a corporate official is faced with real situations abroad, this advice can give rise to conflicts and ambiguity, when actual situations require responses which are incompatible with the ethical norms in the home country. Payment of a tip to a government official or employee in the home country intended to facilitate licensing can be considered bribery, and therefore subject to legal consequences, at home; however, in a foreign country it may be a standard operating procedure that can facilitate and expedite action. The cost of refusing to comform to local practice can be result in significant losses which are disproportionate in relation to the small amount of "bribe" money. The international marketer can face a difficult dilemma when he has to respond to situations where there is no local law, where local practices forgive a certain behavior, or the companywilling to â€Å" do what is necessary† is favored over the company that refuses to engage in practices that are not ethical. The issue of bribery and corruption is not extensively covered in international or global marketing textbooks. The subject is often located under the rubric of legal environment (subtopic: ethics and regulations); cultural environment, (as in Hill 2005; Verna and Sarathy 1993). Or it is discussed as part of international promotions (Verna and Sarathy). For the most part the subject presents the the relevant US statute (FCPA) and analyzes its features and implications for the business person and marketer. A more comprehensive treatment, including its history and philosophical basis is found in textbooks dealing with the business environment (such as Baron 1997) and legal environment (such as Jennings 1997). This study will deal with the issue of bribery from the Western viewpoint, particularly that of the United States, being the first country to enact a law prohibiting its practice by its companies abroad. The Foreign Corrupt

Marketing Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing - Literature review Example Also, the study analyzes how product placement is utilized in different TV shows and movies in, different countries. Also, the literature review will look at the effects of the product placement on the consumer behavior and how likely are the product placement to change consumers mode of buying a certain commodity. It is crucial for people to know how to use product placement positively (Johnson, 2009). Product placement is the use of diverse types of media to make people conscious of different products and services when they are entertained through watching. Its development dates back upto 1896, when it was used by Lumiere brothers in their short film â€Å"washing day in Switzerland† and they advertised soap. It was introduced by Henri Lavancy who was the film director and publicist for the soap company but, it became popular in the 1930’s when the sound movie was introduced. For example, in 1934 in the movie, â€Å"It happened One Night,† the star Clarke Gable featured bare chest and sale of men’s shirts reduced; therefore, use of the movie is a strong tool of product placement (Johnson, 2009). It gained popularity with the years, but in 1980’s, it became more successful when the movie â€Å"Extra Terrestrial† by Steven Spielberg advertised Reese Pieces and increased its sales by 65%. The 80’s was the turning point of product placement where there was a working partnership between the movies and the commercial sector. According to Mary-Lou, product placement is necessary because moviemakers need money for their movie production; therefore, they will turn to the commercial sector to provide the money and them to provide the services of product placement (Johnson, 2009). Product placement in Sweden developed in the 1990’s when the real first commercial commenced, this was due to strict government regulations on media operations. It has been embraced in the recent past, for example, where TV shows get spon sorship from the commercial sector in SVT. In Kanal 5, the home improvement show â€Å"Room Service† was sponsored Marlamastana which is the trading association of painters. To the broadcasters this is a way of decreasing costs. Therefore, all media houses in Sweden are finding it important to use product placement also; the moviemakers are finding it important to advertise in movies which is becoming popular day by day, for example, in the movie â€Å"Hamilton† 1998 sponsored by Statoil. Product placement in Seinfeld and other TV shows, in the TV show they use product placement in their episode making them come in a unique way. They have registered success in advertising. Also, in the James Bond movies, product placement has been used to show new car models and gadgets (Johnson, 2009). Product placement can be unethical when it brings negative influence like smoking, use of guns. For example, teens tend to smoke if the influential stars in movies do so. In conclusion, product placement has become popular since its inception in the 1930’s. It is important increasing consumers’ knowledge of products. The product placement is embraced in most parts of the world. Also, product placement is an important tool in today’s business where the movie makers use it as a source of sponsorship while commercial industry view it as a source of publicity and a way to expand their market. The Product Involvement Inventory (PII), developed in 1985 by Zaichkowsky is a good measure at construct development. It has shown

Chipotle Mexican Grill Essay Example for Free

Chipotle Mexican Grill Essay I. Key Problem What Steven Ells began with a small taqueria in Denver, Colorado in 1993, one may not have foreseen this venture to become the fastest growing restaurant chain in the last decade. By 2006, Ells’ idea made its initial public offering with 535 restaurants throughout the world. Things were going tremendously well for CMG until late afternoon on October 18, 2012 when Ells finished receiving the company’s third quarter results. While data indicated an overall satisfactory outcome, it was the competition from Yum Brands’ Taco Bell and their recent launch of the Cantina Bell menu that would result in what seemed to be the onset of a major problem. Taco Bell had now become a major competitor to Chipotle since the launch of their new Cantina Bell menu allowing them to enter into the fast-casual segment in offering similar ingredients and items as Chipotle had. At the same time CMG paid a significant amount more for their products forcing them to charge a higher price on their menu items. Taco Bell, however, now offered similar items for half the price. The bottom line: competition was the root of this problem. The fact that Chipotle menu prices were higher as compared to that of Taco Bell’s new menu would lead to consumers or normally loyal customers to give the Cantina Bell menu a try. After the launch of the Cantina Bell menu in the summer of 2012, CMG stock significantly declined just after third quarter results were announced. To add insult to injury, Jeff Einhorn, a hedge fund leader, presented at the Value Investors Conference in New York City proclaiming that CMG was an attractive stock for short-sellers because of the considerable competition from Taco Bell. He further stated, â€Å"23% of Chipotle customers had already tried Taco Bell’s Cantina Bell menu†¦and two-thirds of those customers indicated they would return. What’s more, the customers most likely to return to Taco Bell were also those most likely to eat at Chipotle, a dynamic that indicates to me that Chipotle is most at risk of losing its frequent customers.† This message led to CMG’s stock falling by more than 4% within hours of the conclusion of the presentation. The announcement of projected increases in food costs on the part of CMG also contributed to the competition between them and Taco Bell. While Chipotle stood by its belief that it is â€Å"Food with Integrity† because of better ingredients, the Cantina Bell menu produced something similar while lowering the cost a customer would have to pay for a meal, therefore, causing further competition between the two. II. Relevant Theory By looking at the items offered on the Cantina Bell menu versus those on Chipotle’s menu, I determined that they both have a competitive advantage. Chipotle is a premium product offered at a higher price where it reaches a broader market share that is willing to pay more money. On the other hand, Taco Bell’s main strategic course is cost leadership which enables them to reach a broader market share with a lower price for the desired item. As shown on Example 1 the Competitive Advantage and Economic Value Created are somewhat different between the two companies. Since Chipotle offers a better quality of ingredients, consumers are willing to pay a higher price. As a result, creating a higher Value (V) for a burrito is at the same time creating a greater economic value (Value-Cost.) Meanwhile the economic value created by Taco Bell is smaller since the value of their product is less and consumer’s maximum willingness to pay will be lower. Example 1 Since Yum Brands launching of the new Cantina Bell menu, this new organic ingredient-driven list of selections has been a pretty obvious attempt to compete with fast casual giant Chipotle. This is what has become the major concern for Chipotle where competition is becoming fierce and for practically half the price the Cantina Bell menu is a definite value. However, you do get what you pay for and the overall quality and taste of Chipotle still has a slightly greater edge over Taco Bell. The value someone will be willing to pay for a Taco Bell burrito will be less than the value Chipotle has created with their better quality ingredients, hence creating a greater economic value. III. Assessment of Alternatives How could Chipotle effectively approach their key problem which is Taco Bell’s new Cantina Bell menu? What seems to be the main concern for Chipotle is that Taco Bell is trying to provide a similar product for half the price. Some of the alternatives available to Chipotle to are: †¢ Buy low cost goods to reduce prices using Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) †¢ Another option could be to offer a smaller burrito for a smaller price, or to include less amounts of meat as Taco Bell does †¢ Continue doing what they do best and differentiate themselves Should Chipotle buy low cost goods to reduce prices using Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), it would allow them to offer menu items at a lower cost to the consumer providing greater competition between them and Taco Bell’s Cantina Bell menu. However, in doing so would contradict their philosophy of providing the best quality ingredients in their food. In doing so, it will change CMG’s strategy from being a premium product and higher price to a cost leadership strategy and at the same time reducing the value of its product. Another option could be to offer a smaller burrito for a smaller price, or to include less amounts of meat as Taco Bell does in its Cantina Bell menu. This would also allow for cost effectiveness on both the consumer and Chipotle’s side, however, it would go against CMG’s mission statement of being â€Å"Food with Integrity†, lower its value and become a cost leadership strategy as opposed to being a premium product and higher price. A third alternative is for CMG to continue to compete effectively by doing what they already are doing which is differentiation based on quality and sustainability. This approach supports its philosophical message of better food for the consumer and community as well as being environmentally conscious. This allows CMG to maintain its values and remain within their strategy segment. On the contrary, this alternative force Chipotle to increase their menu prices while reducing its consumer surplus. IV. Suggested Course of Action After carefully analyzing the different alternatives, the best course of action is to continue to compete effectively on differentiation based on quality and sustainability given the mounting competitive and sourcing challenges. Even thought Taco Bell’s new menu seems like a significant threat they are far from creating the same value and reputation Chipotle has created since it opened its first restaurant in 1993. Not only does Chipotle provide the freshest and best ingredients with a bold flavor, they are setting themselves apart from any other restaurant chain and main competitor since they continuously are working toward better practices. They continue to push to sustainable sourcing like getting their meat form non Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) while at the same time contributing to the promotion of good animal health and fighting against animal abuse. In addition, CMG buys products from local farms, builds restaurants to be eco friendly and LEED certified (leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) while trying to keep the cost and price of other items down. As their value statement proclaims, â€Å"Food with Integrity† is a mission of serving good quality food with inputs sourced using sustainable farming practices. Even thought new threats like Taco Bell’s Cantina Bell menu are presenting a challenge there will always be competition. CMG upholds strong beliefs to do what is best for the environment and for its communities in order to provide the best products to its consumers. This is precisely why they have grown so fast from the opening of their first taqueria, to the capital infusion from McDonald’s, to its initial Public offering (IPO.) They have been the fastest growing chain in the last decade and just like any fast growing business, regardless of their success, they will reach a slower growth as they approach maturity. There will still be opportunity for expansion. Chipotle is certainly heading toward a different direction than their competitors making them stand out and become a lot harder to imitate. This alternative is truly the only logical option for Chipotle as it continues to enforce its philosophy of providing â€Å"Food with Integrity.† There will always be competition between companies and products, however, if Chipotle chooses another route for combating this rivalry with Taco Bell, it would not allow itself to differentiate from them. V. Key Takeaways Before reading this case, I knew nothing about Chipotle but after reading it I am quite impressed by the approach CMG has taken choosing to go a different route most companies are afraid of doing because of higher cost prices. I was equally impressed they choose organic products, to buy from local farms, being against massive animal feeding as well as animal cruelty and that they are eco friendly and are looking to make all their restaurants like this. Of course, I should also mention that one knows one will be eating the best ingredients and most fresh available foods. I am confident as the values of this company are brought to the attention of more of the public, Chipotle will reach a bigger market share as the public demand will rise. I would also predict other companies and restaurants will follow similar suit. As mentioned earlier, there will always be competition in business, but a firm must find their differentiation advantage. As individuals become more educated and understand the factor facing the environment people will be willing to make a change and help make a difference.

Effects of Interprofessional Working on Service Users

Effects of Interprofessional Working on Service Users Grace N Gaisey Enhancing Health and Social Care through Interprofessional Education Beresford and Carr (2012) identified a service user as an individual who essentially receives an impeccable and person- centred care from a healthcare professional or service. Thus, using appropriate and evidence-based literatures, this essay will critically analyse and discuss how service users’ experiences are influenced through Interprofessional working. An introduction to what Interprofessional working is will be defined with brief discussion of the need for Interprofessional working. The essay will also have a critical discussion of two key points on how service users’ experiences are influenced through Interprofessional working. The key points consist of; more understanding of team, team roles and personality types-more positive experience for service users. Increased knowledge of other professional roles- ability to relate them to own role- understand of gaps and overlaps in service provision-increased ability to relate across professional boundaries. The essay will then conclude by looking at how Interprofessional working is essential in the delivery of service users’ outcome. As explained by Day (2013), Interprofessional working occurs when healthcare professionals from diverse disciplines work together to identify needs, solve problems and make joint decisions on how best to provide an integrated care for the benefits of service users. As a result in making a difference, the Department of Health (DH) (2015) suggested that effective care is the product of Interprofessional working. This is because professionals working in collaboration give care which is designed to meet the needs of service users. This concept was further endorsed with the publication of The NHS Plan in the year 2000 (DH, 2015). The purpose of the plan was to create a service designed around service user needs, encouraging healthcare professionals to work together to meet the needs of service users, as lack of Interprofessional working can cause harm to service users. For instance, several researchers have shown that failure to collaborate and failure of communication between different h ealthcare professionals contributed to the death of Victoria Climbie (Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2015). This highlights how Interprofessional working is essential and massively influences service users’ experience. Coherently, government policies emphasises the need for effective Interprofessional working to provide optimal and safe service user care. Thus, as published in 2010, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised that, Interprofessional working is an essential component in the satisfactory of service delivery as it enables the delivery of excellent care to service users. As a result, a key point to consider about the influence of service users experience through Interprofessional working is; it enables more understanding of teams, team roles and personality types which provides more positive experience for service users. This is for the reason that every professional have their own roles, skills and responsibilities that formulates efficient practice in curing, managing or treating specific ailments (Brumfitt Baxter, 2011). This also allows healthcare professionals to identify a distinctive difference in, and to understand the roles and contributions of other healthcare professiona ls (MacDonald, 2011). Therefore, this influences service users experience as it is suggested that it contributes to patient safety and enhances the understanding of professionals’ roles (Vincent, 2012). Because these professionals working together will have the ability to collaborate effectively, and understand each other team roles to provide effective care for a service user. A study by (Jones, 2011) states that when professionals from various disciplines collaborates, it facilitates better service user outcomes as they work as a group, and utilise individual skills and roles to generate an understanding and make decisions to reach the highest service user care standards. However, RCN (2014) proposed that if healthcare professionals do not work together and understand each other’s professional roles, it can compromise service users’ experience. This is because they need to manage the relationship with each professional and understand their roles in order not to compromise any clinical decision making (RCN, 2014). This was further concurred in a study by Zwarenstein, Goldman Reeves (2011) proposing that Interprofessional working involves issues such as, lack of understanding of other professional roles and responsibilities that arises due to different healthcare professionals working together which can have adverse harm on service users. Thu s, it is thought that understanding of roles within the healthcare professionals encourages team approach to service user needs where information and knowledge is shared to facilitate improved decision making regarding service user care (RCN, 2015). Consequently, upon understanding each professional roles and working together, it enables them to provide a plan of care for the service user. This therefore influences services users experience as the care given will be individualised for their needs. A typical example would be an elderly care patient with diabetes who develops a pulmonary embolism while on the ward. The healthcare professionals that will care for this service user will be more aware and able to collaborate to provide a plan and develop their workforce to increase the safety of the service user. Thus, there will be collaboration between an endocrinologist, a respiratory physician, cardiologist, a diabetic nurse and a general nurse who will work together and understand each professional’s role to coordinate care to this service user as they all have different roles that will help in the service users’ recovery. In addition, a study by Kenny (2013) disputed that Interprofessional working can be very challenging and not an easy thought for healthcare professionals to adopt. The author disputed that Interprofessional working is not being delivered to service users’ effectively due to healthcare professionals misunderstanding the policies and research regarding Interprofessional working. However, plans for improvement were recognized within the NHS Plan regarding effective Interprofessional working which was utilised to meet these challenges (DH, 2015). The NHS Plan for Interprofessional working recommended that healthcare professionals should collaborate effectively, understands each other’s roles, and communicate collaboratively to deliver a gold standard care to service users (DH, 2015). Hence, providing this plan was used in shaping the way in which Interprofessional working is viewed and adopted today by healthcare professionals (DH, 2014). The second key point to consider on how Interprofessional working influences service users’ experience is; it increases knowledge of other professional roles, making it possible for individual professionals to relate them to their own role, and understanding of overlap in service provision, which influences service users’ experience. This is because it helps in gaining experience on how other healthcare professionals work, and leads to an enhancement of knowledge required to collaborate with other healthcare professionals in providing effective healthcare to service users (MacDonald, et al., 2011). For instance, this influences service user experience because upon healthcare professionals increasing their knowledge of other professional role creates the maintenance of professional boundaries. Though, a study by Nancarrow (2011) looked at the impact of care delivery on healthcare professional role boundaries. It was established that professionals of the Interprofessional team were not threatened by role overlap and that role overlap was usually undertaken. It was further suggested that this role overlap can have an effect on service delivery (Nancarrow, 2011). However, another study by Jones (2011) disputed on this belief. The author argued that this is why Interprofessional education and Interprofessional working was introduced to increase the knowledge of healthcare professionals, and for them to understand each other’s role and not carrying out tasks of other professionals to prevent role overlap. As a result, this influences service users experience as healthcare professionals working together will respect each other and will not overstep their professional role amongst them (Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), 2013). It also enables a healthcare provider to know when service users’ need referrals, and the right professional to be referred to. A study by MacDonald, et al., (2011) points out that there is no way an individual professional can deal with all determinants of service users’ health. It has to be a group of professionals with different knowledge base, different experiences with different roles and willing to learn from each other. As such, this creates the provision for healthcare professionals to be able to participate in shared team experience, which therefore enhances individual knowledge and the ability to relate them to their own role which consequently influences service users’ experience. An example will be a service user with Parkinsonà ¢â‚¬â„¢s disease who is admitted on the ward due to a fall at home. This service user will be referred to a Parkinson’s specialist nurse, occupational and physiotherapist and a doctor to work towards on how best these service users’ needs will be met as an individual service provider cannot provide the care this service user needs on his/her own. Conversely, research shows that this outcome is not always the case as healthcare professionals may be unclear not only about other professional roles, but also about their own role. Hence, an evidenced-based research by (Lowes Hulatt, 2013) also shows that Interprofessional education was introduced in undergraduate nursing and other healthcare students to facilitate them gain insights into different healthcare professional roles, practice of collaborating team members, as well as the ability to relate to their own role. This influences service users’ experiences as these professionals working together are increasing their knowledge of other professional role in a directive way, putting service user at the heart of care and working towards their improvements. Today’s service users have complex health needs and require more than one healthcare professional to address issues regarding their health needs. Thus, professionals from various disciplines working together and understanding each other roles can best communicate and collaborate together to address these complex needs to maintain service users health and improve their health outcomes while combining resources (Bridges, Davidson Tomkowiak, 2011). This essay has highlighted the need for Interprofessional working and how it massively influences service users’ experience. Upon writing the essay, it has increased my knowledge of the different professional roles within the healthcare profession and the value of these roles in relation to service users’ management. It has also enabled me to understand my own professional identity. Hence, as a soon to be nurse, this will be applicable to my own professional practice to ensure service users’ needs are met holistically. References Beresford, P., Carr, S. (2012). Social care, service users and user involvement. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Bridges, D. R., Davidson, R., Tomkowiak, J. (2011). Interprofessional collaboration: three best practice models of Interprofessional education. Journal of Interprofessional care. 17(6), 342-400. Brumfitt, M. S., Baxter, S. K. (2011). Professional differences in Interprofessional working. British journal of nursing, 22(3), 239-251. Day, J. (2013). Interprofessional working: An essential guide for health and social care professionals. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. Jones, I. F. (2011). The theory of boundaries: impact on Interprofessional working. Journal of Interprofessional care, 21(3), 355-357. Kenny, G. (2013). Interprofessional working: opportunities and challenges. Nursing standards. 17(6), 33-35. Lowes, L., Hulatt, I. (2013). Involving service users in health and social care research. Oxfordshire: Digital printing. MacDonald, B.M., Bally, M. J., Ferguson, L. M., Murray, L., Fowler, K. et al. (2011). Knowledge of the professional role of others: A key Interprofessional competency. Nurse education in practice, 10(4), 238-242. Nursing and Midwifery Council. (2013). Maintaining Boundaries. London: NMC. Retrieved February, 22, 2015, from http://www.nmc-uk.org/Nurses-and-midwives/Regulation-in-practice/Regulation-in-Practice-Topics/Maintaining-Boundaries-/ Royal College of Nursing. (2014). Safeguarding the young. London: RCN. Retrieved February, 18, 2015, from http://rcnpublishing.com/doi/pdfplus/10.7748/paed2003.12.15.10.24.c827 Royal College of Nursing. (2014). The impact and effectiveness on inter-professional education in primary care: an RCN literature review. London: RCN. Retrieve February, 21, 2015, from https://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/78718/003091.pdf. United Kingdom: Department of Health (2015). Delivering high quality, effective, compassionate care: Developing the right people with the right skills and right values. London: DH United Kingdom: Department of Health (2015). The NHS Plan: a plan for investment, a plan for reform. London: DH. Vincent, C. (2012). Patient Safety. 2nd (ed.). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. World Health Organisation. (2010). Framework for action in Interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Geneva: WHO. Zwarenstein, M., Goldman, C., Reeves, S. (2011). Interprofessional collaboration: effects of practice-based interventions on professional practice and healthcare outcomes. British journal of nursing, 33(4), 159-170.

Effects of Transition on Child Stress

Effects of Transition on Child Stress Using evidence, write an essay showing how stress is influenced at the levels of the individual, family, locality and society. Chose one intervention at one of the levels and say why you think it could be effective in tackling the problem.   This essay looks at how stress is influenced at many levels: individual, family, locality and society, and concentrates on the level of family, to describe an intervention that could be effective in tackling the problem. As Finlay et al. (2005; p. 141), stress is something that everybody experiences at some point in their life, from children to adults, although excessive amounts of stress can be harmful for individuals in terms of their health and longevity. It is therefore important that the causes of long-term stress be identified and that interventions are utilized in order to minimize the adverse effects of this stress. As Finlay et al. (2005; p. 29-31) point out, however, stress can have many causes, from individual factors, to family concerns, to external factors from the individual’s environment (locality) to societal-level factors, all of which can lead to an individual experiencing stress. This can make it difficult to isolate one intervention that could be effective; the remainder of the essay will, however, describe a case study and will highlight one intervention that might be effective in this case. The particular example that will be used is that of a primary-aged child who is showing signs of stress. The child is manifesting behavioural changes, such as disturbed sleep and mood swings, and is experiencing headaches and loss of appetite, all of which are classic signs of childhood stress (Flinn, 1999). The child is the youngest child of a two-child family, and has just started primary school. His parents both work full-time and they are rarely in the house. The family does not eat together. The child’s older brother is a teenager, and is going through exams at the moment. He himself is also showing signs of stress, and all the spare time the parents have, they spend with their oldest child, helping him cope with his exams. It is clear that the youngest child is being neglected emotionally, at a time when he needs support, having just moved to full-time school. There are many stressors on this child, which can be addressed through some simple interventions, which will be discussed below. A recent study (Turner-Cobb, 2008) shows that, in particular, periods of transition in childhood can be extremely stressful for children. Studies have suggested that stress can be anticipated by children, which can lead to deep anxiety (Primary Report, 2007). As shown by Flinn (1999), untreated stress in childhood can have long-term health effects, such as adverse developmental effects (McEwen, 2008) and increased mortality (McEwen, 2003). In addition, childhood stress can lead to social problems, such as poor familial relationships, and behavioural disorders as a result of this (McEwen, 2003; Alfven et al., 2008; Flinn, 1995). As Flinn and England (1997) show, supported by Bauer and Boyce (2004), these social problems can then lead, in later life, to socio-economic problems caused by long-term health concerns. As (Finlay et al., 2005; p.64) state, â€Å"Family relationships have both a positive and a negative effect on health behaviours and health†. As suggested, the lack of ‘family meals’, where the whole family sits down to eat can disrupt the parent-children relationship, and can lead to stress being put on the children, who feel they do not have a regular point of contact with their parent(s), breaking the facility for communication with their parent(s) (Finlay et al., 2005; p.64). This certainly seems to be the case here, where the parents work full-time and have little spare time to spend ‘quality time’ with their child. As (Finlay et al., 2005; p.70) suggest, the changing roles within families have put stress on the family, with both parents working meaning that the children are less likely to see their parents for extended periods of time, leading to a greater need for independence at an earlier age and, also, potentially leading to poor health beha viours in the children and to higher levels of stress in these children. What can be done, what intervention can be suggested, to help this child? Given that the child is young, very young, and is going through a stressful period in his life at the moment, with the transition to full-time school, and that the child is being neglected, emotionally, by his parents, the suggested intervention is that the family attempt to sit down together at all mealtimes. This would give the family an opportunity to be together and would allow the child time to settle down with his parents and to feel comfortable enough to be able to tell them about his worries and his concerns. As shown by Arnold (1990), it is often enough for a child to be given the space to talk for the child to feel less stressed, and to recover from the symptoms of stress they were suffering. This intervention is expected to be effective in that it would allow connections to be made again between the child and his parents, and his brother, allowing some repair of the disrupted parent-child relationship (Finlay et al., 2005; p. 64). The need for families to have a space (both physical and temporal) where they can be together is paramount, in terms of allowing each family member to interact with each other, allowing them to discuss their worries and concerns and allowing, to some extent, the stressors to be relaxed. This is especially important for a young child who needs to feel protected. Without the protection of their families, their parents, young children can begin to feel vulnerable, with this vulnerability allowing for stressful events to have a far greater negative effect than usual on their responses to stress (Arnold, 1990). By sitting down together as a family, by talking and being listened to, the child can externalize his worries and, once shared, these worrie s can be dealt with in the most appropriate ways. Indeed, recent studies have shown that families who eat meals together have children who are more emotionally healthy than those families who do not eat together (Fivush and Duke, 2005; Duke et al., 2004). In summary, the suggested intervention in this case is to sit down together, as a family, to eat together. It is important to realize that such an intervention can have major effects on the sense of belonging a child has, which, in turn, can reduce their sense of vulnerability and can increase their ability to deal with stressful situations, and to avoid suffering from stress. This type of interaction can also lead to greater levels of family cohesiveness and resilience, having the beneficial side effect of contributing to a general reduction in family-level stressors. References Alfven, G. et al. (2008). Stressor, perceived stress and recurrent pain in Swedish schoolchildren. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 65(4), pp. 381-387. Arnold, E.L. (1990). Childhood Stress. John Wiley Sons. Bauer, A.W. and Boyce, T. (2004) Prophecies of childhood: how childrens social environments and biological propensities affect the health of populations. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine 11(3), pp. 164-175. Duke, M.P. et al. (2004). Of ketchup and kin: dinnertime conversations as a major source of family knowledge, family adjustment and family resilience. The Emory Centre for Myth and Ritual in American Life, Working Paper 26, available from http://www.marial.emory.edu/pdfs/Duke_Fivush027-03.pdf [Accessed on 3rd October 2008]. Finlay, L. et al. (2005). Understanding Health. The Open University. Fivush, R. et al. (2004). Family narratives and the development of children’s emotional well-being. In Family stories and life course, Pratt, M.W. and Fiese, B.H. (eds.), Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Flinn, M.V. (1995). Childhood stress and family environment. Current Anthropology 36(5), pp. 181-187. Flinn, M.V. and England, B. G. (1997). Social economics of childhood glucocorticoid stress response and health. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 102(1), pp. 33-53. Flinn, M.V. (1999). Family environment, stress and health during childhood. In Hormones, Health and Behaviour, Panter-Brick, C. and Worthman, C.M. (eds.), Cambridge University Press. McEwen, B.S. (2003). Early life influences on life-long patterns of behaviour and health. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disability Research Review 9(3), pp.149-154. McEwen, B.S. (2008). Understanding the potency of stressful early life experiences on brain and body function. Metabolism 57(2), pp. 11-15. Primary Report (2007). Community Soundings: The Primary Review regional witness sessions. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/12_10_2007primary.pdf [Accessed on 3rd October 2008]. Turner-Cobb, J. (2008). Children’s transition to school. Preliminary results available from http://www.bath.ac.uk/schooltransition/home#results [Accessed 3rd October 2008].

Analyzing Eyre and Copperfield Essay -- Literary Analysis

In the novels Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, the protagonists are retrospectively looking back on their lives and illustrating tribulations they endured regarding familial, social, and romantic relationships. At the end of both novels, the central characters find harmony in idealistic partners. Ultimately, both novels demonstrate the necessity of eminent relationships, the impingement of negative relationships, and the experiences that led both protagonists to recognize the difference between which relationships were hindering and which were constructive. The Bildungsroman genre entails a character’s formative years and his or her development from childhood. The characters from this type of novel recall, in detail, past relationships and experiences that impacted the characters growth, maturity, and exemplar for their relationships with other characters. An important component to Bildungsroman novels is the concentration on the characters childhood (Gottfried & Miles, 122). In Jane Eyre and David Copperfield, both characters childhoods were despondent. Both characters experience the loss of a parent: Jane is a literal orphan; David’s loss is metaphorical, then literal. When Jane Eyre begins, Jane has already lost both parents and is under the guardianship of her aunt, Sarah Reed. Reed and her children, Jane’s cousins, are abusive to Jane and never accept Jane as family. Jane has lost both parents and with the death of her uncle, Sarah’s husband and an advocate for Jane, Jane is without any caring re lationship. In addition to being without affection, Jane must endure torment. It is this lack of adoration that leads Jane to seek acceptance throughout her life, while attempting t... ...ight is present as the main character retells their life story, but is capable of exhibiting the naivety and inexperience that the character possessed at specific stations throughout their life. Works Cited The Undisciplined Heart of David Copperfield Gwendolyn B. Needham Nineteenth-Century Fiction , Vol. 9, No. 2 (Sep., 1954), pp. 81-107 Published by: University of California Press Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3044322 Defining Bildungsroman as a Genre Marianne Hirsch Gottfried and David H. Miles PMLA , Vol. 91, No. 1 (Jan., 1976), pp. 122-123 Published by: Modern Language Association Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/461404 Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Charleston: Forgotten Books, 2008. Print. Burstyn, Joan. Victorian Education and the Ideal of Womanhood. Hatfield, UK: Routledge, 1980. 138-40. Print.

Vermont :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On behalf of myself, and many other students, I would like to formally address the Drug and Alcohol problem that accompanied the 1999-2000 school year Vermont trip. Many times I have heard stories about the â€Å"infamous† Vermont Ski trip, and the many illegal things that have occurred consistently throughout the years. To the best of my knowledge this behavior was ignored, overlooked, and typical of this trip. So in believing that this kind of â€Å"partying† was habitual, I decided to participate along with several others who had attended past trips.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At first I was hesitant in bringing anything, but after a couple of conversations with certain individuals, I was convinced that it would be all right to do so without any punishment being enforced. Thus brought me to obtaining the â€Å"single† bottle I was bringing for a friend ,and I to consume with others, along with the other alcoholic beverages brought on the trip by my peers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This brings us to the time of departure for Vermont, on Thursday March 17, 2000. At approximately 11:50 PM I arrived to load the bus. At a little after 12:00 AM we left the Holley High School for Vermont, without â€Å"A BAG CHECK† by any of the seven chaperones. After a ten hour drive we arrived at our destination, Stowe Ski Resort. At around 4:30 PM we loaded the bus to go to the Courtyard By Marriot, the hotel in which we would be staying at for the remainder of the trip. Following our arrival we were given the room assignments, we then unpacked our bags quickly, and my roommates and I hid the alcohol that we each brought under our beds. After that a majority of us students went to the pool, and jacuzzi for a swim before our expected 7:00 PM dinner time. Dinner lasted for about a half an hour, to forty-five minutes, and soon after I then again went to the pool with a couple of people for another swim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Around 8:30 PM I returned upstairs to a friends room, where I then received a phone call from one of my roommates asking me if I planned on returning to our room to â€Å"drink.† I answered hesitantly, but after a little debating I decided to go back to my room. At that moment I only returned ,to change out of my swim clothes, before I headed back to the friends room. While I was in my room changing I was asked by two of my roommates to compare their drinks, and

The Crucible - Comparing Play And Movie Essay -- arthur miller film Ni

Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, and the movie with the same name have many differences and similarities, all of which contribute to the individual effectiveness of each in conveying their central message. There are several additions and variances in the movie. First of all, the scene where the children and Tituba are dancing in the forest is never seen in the forest; we simply learn of it from dialogue. This scene was most probably added in the movie for a dramatic effect: foreshadowing. Along the same lines, there are many scenes included in the movie that are outdoors, however; there were no such scenes in the play. All of the action in the play was indoors. The director, in this case, was simply using the advantages of movie making. It is difficult to replicate an outdoors scene in a theatre. Also, some of the techniques used when filming outdoors create a symbolic message. A portion of the scenes before the beginning of the witchcraft trials is seen in a downpour of rain, possibly foreshadowing doom and dreariness to come. There were some scenes added or adapted in the movie as opposed to the play. First, the large group of "stricken" girls, which indeed had a greater number than did the group in the play, left the church meeting at the beginning of the movie to see about Betty's condition. Betty seemed to be much more violent in the movie and she tried to jump out of the window, which did not occur in the play. These details were most likely added to ...

Mandating School Uniforms Essay

The controversy on school uniforms has continued from the early 1990’s and its worth was reiterated by President Bill Clinton in his State of the Union Address in 1996. In attending a school which incorporates the school uniforms parents need to know what school uniforms represent, the goal of the schools for their children, and what should be taught to their children. School uniforms create unity and pride. School uniforms are also encouraged as a means to help ensure students safety and assist them in achieving academic success. Although it is argued that  school uniforms is a breach of a student’s freewill for self- expression, all public schools should incorporate uniforms because it creates and symbolizes unity and pride, heightens discipline, but most importantly it is believed that the reinforcement of school uniforms decrease bullying, disciplinary actions ,and violence. School uniforms create unity with uniforms being the same across the whole campus. Teachers are able to identify students and separate them from outsiders or those who are on campus without permission. Parents also play a big role in educating students with what uniforms represent for them and the schools they attend. Students will become more confident in engaging with their peers and teachers because they will not feel any different but rather have a sense of belonging. Huss’s (2007) article â€Å"Do uniforms influence teacher expectations† reports that teachers perceived an elevation in the overall morale at the school after the implementation of the school uniform policy. School uniforms boost confidence in students and makes it easier to interact with one another without being self-conscious about the attire he and/or she has on. It is an acknowledgement of the schools they attend but most importantly who they represent as  individuals. Students with low socioeconomic statuses are unable to express themselves if they are unable to afford the new and latest trends which may cause them to feel out of place. Should Public Schools Reinforce Uniforms? 3 Would a parent ever want his and/or her child singled out because of clothing? Parents need to think about all students who are currently affected and not only for their own child’s sake or unnecessary want. Other students who wish for brand name clothing and cannot have them tend to shy away from others and eventually shy away from school. With school uniforms  implemented students will learn to appreciate themselves as students, and without distractions from clothes they will be able to see one another for who and what they represent which is the act of unity and the start of discipline. Anderson (2002) states that when students dress alike, a â€Å"team-like† culture develops, and this promotes school spirit and positive self-images. Uniform is in fact a representation of one, and students will grow to understand the value of wearing a uniform. Because all students look alike, differences are pushed aside thus allowing more time to focus on academics. School uniforms decrease disciplinary actions because students have more self-respect, respect for their peers and for their teachers. Some school personnel believe students and teachers tend to behave the way they are allowed to dress (Stephens, 1996). When school uniforms are present in schools the goal is to make a distinction between teachers and students. Teachers are given the authority to teach and students are given an undivided attention from teachers which will allow them to learn. An observation of a United Kingdom school conducted by Amy Walmsley (2011) stated with school uniforms implemented students are more likely to  respect peers and teachers because they are reminded that their job is to be a student. Students will attend school in uniforms and cannot differentiate with one another as they are able to identify themselves and their peers as students are all in school for one common goal which is to learn and exceed in academics. Teachers can lead by example and support the integration of school uniforms by wearing similar colors to school consequently reminding the students that Should Public Schools Reinforce Uniforms? 4 they are all on the same page. Parents and guardians can lend a hand in educating their children  as well to ensure students understand the importance of school uniforms in creating discipline overall school campus. With discipline comes more control in the schools and school uniforms can definitely be one influential cause. Studies conducted with regards to student discipline has shown that schools which have incorporated school uniforms have noted that students behaved better, paid more attention in class, and interacted in a respectful manner than before the implementation took place (Huss, 2007). As Angela Walmsley (2011) reiterates in her article, â€Å"teachers appreciate the fact that the  presence of school uniforms brings a sense of duty to the students and respect for the school and teachers. Uniforms should be used to create a positive school climate in which students focus on learning and bring back a little bit more respect for teachers and students in the classroom†. Teachers perceived improvement in academic and achievement motivation, an increased sense of responsibility by students acknowledging a more effective use of instructional time, and greater participation in classroom activities (Huss,2007). Why else would parents not want to implement  school uniforms in public schools? Students are being bullied, violated, and threatened for their designer or brand name clothing. Others with low socioeconomic statuses are constantly being harassed and ridiculed because they do not fit in a social group due to what they wear. The implementation of school uniforms can minimize the act of bullying in schools. Nowadays fashion trends and designer clothes are aimed to a younger generation, and students are going out of their way to flaunt (show off new clothes with attitude) them. While some students are fortunate enough to receive  these with parents who are able to afford them, others are not able to because their parents have much more important things to worry about with regards to how money is being spent in their Should Public Schools Reinforce Uniforms? 5 households. Students cannot learn to appreciate the effort of the school for the integration of school uniforms if parents continue to condone this type of behavior. Parents need to be mindful of all other reasons that may affect students while they are in school and their cry for freedom of expression. In an attempt to help stop bullying The Federal Government has created a Stop  Bullying website and brings to light a certain group of students who may be at risk of being bullied. Some of the children who may be at risk of being bullied if it has not occurred yet are perceived as different from their peers because of different clothing or not wearing what other students consider cool (â€Å"Stop Bullying, † n. d) . Students especially those who are females are known to degrade one another if the clothes worn are not of the latest style. An editor, Vanessa O’Connell of The Wall Street Journal writes and reports on fashion bullies from a public school which has yet to incorporate a school uniform. Students without the latest cool brands have become a target for bullying because they are wearing the wrong brands. It is stated that the number of fashion bullies (or those related to clothing) and incidents have increased over the years, therefore calling for assistance in reduction of these types of incidents. Susan M. Swearer, associate professor of school psychology at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, surveyed a total of more than 1,000 students at five Midwestern middle schools from 1999 to 2004, with about 56% of the sample female, and more than one-third of the students admits to being bullied  because of their clothing (O’Connell, 2007). Students should not have to worry about clothing but it is happening and it needs to stop with the reinforcement of school uniforms. Furthermore, the Bullying Statistics from 2013 has stated that 77% of students are being bullied on a regular basis, and half of the percentage is made up of students who are harassed and fear returning to school. The effects of bullying are low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and some suicidal thoughts. Bullying due to clothing occurs when students are being teased or Should Public Schools Reinforce Uniforms? 6 humiliated constantly for not having the latest designer clothes, or for having a different type of style in attire such as Goth wear or those of a low socioeconomic status. Name-calling, dirty stares, elimination from social groups are some of the actions defined as bullying which students are involved in at school. With the integration of school uniforms there should be no bullying in school with respect to the types of clothing the students should wear. Students will not be intimidated by one another because they choose to express themselves differently, therefore  permitting them to the freedom they need to learn and exceed in academics. The most important reason school uniforms should be incorporated is to help decrease violence. Violence in schools has been marked by health professionals as a threat to overall health and academic success of students (Stephens, 1996). In addition, programs which were implemented in schools to assist with violence have noted a possible connection between school violence and the type of clothing students wear (King, 1998). Most cases are due to the fashion trends which is most attractive by students such as brand name clothing or urban wear which are  over-sized and can be mistakenly identified as gang-related clothing. This type of wear is the made popular by famous hip hop artists and rappers whom students look to imitate and idolize. Students have had violent encounters in school because some individuals envy them because they cannot afford to purchase these types of clothing. Furthermore, gang members are usually differentiated from one another through the colors they wear and there have been instances where students from local schools are unintentionally harmed or gunned down due to the colors they choose to wear to express themselves in school. Other students who become victim to these occurrences are able to hide weapons in their large clothing which is potentially placing all students in harm’s way. Should Public Schools Reinforce Uniforms? 7 Violence in schools has been an ongoing issue over the last decades and King notes in his article Should School Uniforms be Mandated in Elementary School how violence has negatively influenced students and have caused one of every 10 to 12 youths to stay away from school does so because of fear (Stephens, 1997; Everett & Price,1995). Students fear for their lives because of the common occurrence of violence. They are no longer motivated to attend nor learn from school as they do not feel safe in school. These feelings eventually cause isolation and causes students to drop out of school. With the implementation of school uniforms, fights over looks and styles will discontinue hence giving faculty, staff, teachers, and parents more time to focus on academic success of students. In support of decreasing violence through incorporating school uniforms research studies have shown that there has been an intense decrease of violence and disciplinary problems for Kindergarten through Grade Eight in schools which have incorporated  uniforms (King, 1998). Requiring school uniforms is one of the simplest ways to start teaching students about unity and pride as they start school and grow into learning individuals. It is important for parents and teachers to support the decision to implement school uniforms and allow the students to adapt to the changes which are designed to provide them a safe and secure learning environment. The reinforcement of school uniforms will lead to changes that are not only beneficial to students but the teachers and the school as a whole. It will help the students understand the importance of  school uniforms and how they symbolize unity and pride. In addition it encourages students to learn to appreciate and respect themselves, their peers, and teachers and remove distractions from which eventually lead to bullying, fighting, or some form of disciplinary or violent behavior. With full support from parents, the students will be on their way to academic success. Should Public Schools Reinforce Uniforms? 8 Students can lead themselves to a fit and well-disciplined environment where they will be able to learn at their full capacity, and their teachers can teach at their maximum potential (King, 1998). References Everett SA, Price JH. Students’ perceptions of violence in the public schools: the MetLife survey. J Adol Health. 1995; 17:345-352. Huss, J. A. (2007) The role of school uniforms in creating an academically motivating climate: Do uniforms influence teacher expectations. Journal of Ethnographic and Qualitative Research, 1, 31-39. Retrieved from: http://eds. b. ebscohost. com. proxy-library. ashford. edu/ Should Public Schools Reinforce Uniforms? 9 Kling, K. A. (1997) Should School Uniforms be Mandated in Elementary Schools? Journal of School Health, 68 (1), 32-37. Retrieved from: http://eds. b. ebscohost. com. proxy-library. ashford. edu/ O’Connell, V. (2007, October) Fashion Bullies Attack – In Middle School The Wall Street Journal Retrieved from: http://online. wsj. com/news/articles/SB119326834963770540 Portner J. Department to issue guidelines on school uniforms. Educ Week. 1996;15(24):27 (as cited in King, 1998, p. 32) Stephens RD. The art of safe school planning. Sch Admin. 1996;53(2): 14-21. (as cited in King, 1998, p. 32) The US Dept of Education. Manual on School Uniforms, online. Retrieved from: http://inet. ed. gov/updates/uniforms. html. Feb 29, 1996. The U. S Department of Health & Human Services Manual on Bullying, online Retrieved from: http://www. stopbullying. gov/at-risk/factors/#atrisk The White House Office of the Press Secretary. Memorandum for the Secretary of Education. Subject: Manual on School Uniforms, online. http://inet. ed. gov/PressReleases/02- 1996/whpr. 26. html. Feb 23, 1996. Walmsley, A. (2011) What the United Kingdom can teach the United States about school uniforms. Kappanmagazine. org. 92 (6), 63-66. Retrieved from: http://eds. b. ebscohost. com. proxy-library. ashford. edu/