Monday, December 30, 2019

What You Need to Know About MBA Application Deadlines

An MBA application deadline signifies the last day that a business school is accepting applications for an upcoming MBA program. Most schools will not even look at an application that is submitted after this date, so it is really important to get your application materials in before the deadline. In this article, were going to take a closer look at MBA applications deadlines to determine what they mean for you as an individual. Youll learn about the types of admissions and discover how your timing can impact your chances of getting accepted business school. When Is the Deadline for Submitting an MBA Application? There is no such thing as a uniform MBA application deadline. In other words, every school has a different deadline. MBA deadlines can also vary by program. For example, a business school that has a full-time MBA program, an executive MBA program, and an evening and weekend MBA program may have three different application deadlines - one for every program that they have. There are lots of different websites that publish MBA application deadlines, but the best way to learn about the deadline for the program you are applying to is to visit the schools website. That way, you can ensure the date is completely accurate. You dont want to miss a deadline because someone made a typo on their website! Types of Admissions When youre applying to a business program, there are three basic types of admissions that you might encounter: Open AdmissionsRolling AdmissionsRound Admissions Lets explore each of these admissions types in more detail below. Open Admissions Although policies can vary by school, some schools with open admissions (also known as open enrollment) admit everyone that meets the admission requirements and has the money to pay the tuition. For example, if the admissions requirements dictate that you have a bachelors degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution (or the equivalent) and the capacity to study at the graduate level, and you meet these requirements, you will most likely be admitted into the program as long as space is available. If space is not available, you may be waitlisted. Schools with open admissions rarely have application deadlines. In other words, you can apply and get accepted at any time. Open admissions are the most relaxed form of admissions and the one most rarely seen at graduate business schools. Most of the schools that have open admissions are online schools or undergraduate colleges and universities. Rolling Admissions Schools that have a rolling admissions policy usually have a large application window - sometimes as long as six or seven months. Rolling admissions are commonly used for freshmen at undergraduate universities and colleges, but this form of admissions is also heavily used by law schools. Certain graduate-level business schools, such as Columbia Business School, also have rolling admissions. Some business schools that use rolling admissions have what is known as an early decision deadline. This means that you have to submit your application by a certain date to get an early acceptance. For example, if you are applying to a school with rolling admissions, there may be two application deadlines: an early decision deadline and a final deadline. So, if you are hoping to get accepted early on, you have to apply by the early decision deadline. Although policies vary, you may be required to withdraw your application from other business schools if you accept an early decision offer of admission that is extended to you. Round Admissions Most business schools, especially selective business schools like Harvard Business School, Yale School of Management, and Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, have three application deadlines for full-time MBA programs. Some schools have as many as four. Multiple deadlines are known as rounds. You could apply to the program in round one, round two, or round three.   Round admissions deadlines vary by school. The earliest deadlines for round one are typically in September and October. But you shouldnt expect to hear back right away if you do apply in the earliest round. Admissions decisions often take two to three months, so you could submit your application in September or October but not hear back until November or December. Round two deadlines often range from December to January, and round three deadlines are frequently in January, February, and March, though all of these deadlines can vary by school. The Best Time to Apply to Business School Whether youre applying to a school with rolling admissions or round admissions, a good rule of thumb is to apply early in the process. Assembling all of the materials for an MBA application can take time. You dont want to underestimate how long it will take you to prepare your application and miss a deadline. Even worse, you dont want to slop something together quickly to make a deadline and then get rejected because your application was not competitive enough.   Applying early has other advantages as well. For example, some business schools choose the majority of the incoming MBA class from applications received in round one or round two, so if you wait until round three to apply, the competition will be even stiffer, thus decreasing your chances of getting accepted. Furthermore, if you apply in round one or round two and get rejected, you still have an opportunity to improve your application and apply to other schools before their round three deadlines have ended. A few other considerations that may be important depending on your individual situation: International applicants: As an international student, you often need a student visa (either an F-1 or J-1 visa) to study in the United States. Youll want to apply in round one or round two if possible to give yourself enough time to get this visa before the actual program starts.Dual degree program applicants: If you are applying to an MBA/JD program or another dual or joint degree program, youll want to pay particularly close attention to the deadlines. Some business schools, even those with three rounds, require applicants to apply for dual degree programs in round one or round two.Submatriculation applicants: If you are an undergraduate who is attending a business school that allows qualified juniors to apply for early entry (Submatriculation) to the schools MBA program, you may want to utilize a different application strategy than the average MBA applicant. Rather than applying early (like most applicants would), you may want to consider waiting until round three so that you hav e a more complete academic record when you submit your transcripts and other application materials. Reapplying to Business School Business school admissions are competitive, and not everyone gets accepted the first year that they apply to an MBA program. Since most schools will not accept a second application in a single year, you typically have to wait until the next academic year to re-apply. This is not as uncommon as many people think it is. The Wharton School at the Universality of Pennsylvania reports on their website that up to 10 percent of their applicant pool consists of reapplications in most years. If you are re-applying to business school, you should make an effort to improve your application and demonstrate growth. You should also apply early in the process in round one or round two (or at the start of a rolling admissions process) to increase your chances of getting accepted.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Research Tabacco Control and Road Safety in Australia

INTRODUCTION By the beginning of 21st century, public health activities over different settings led to growth in healthcare. Improvement in large number of diseases, injuries, infectious diseases, nutrition, sanitation, cancers, dental health have led to significant growth in Australia’s health population since last 30 years. Improvements grew from advances and technology in medicine and surgery, delivery of quality health care services, and also range of public health programs promotion via an organized approach (NHMRC, Dec 1996, p.7). When we talk about developing and implementing population based interventions strategies,†¦show more content†¦Significant funds have been provided by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for medical research in tobacco diseases. Also, the State, Federal and Territory funding to road safety continues for more than 20 years. Road safety expenses have been more in developed road safety infrastructure. In 1989, the law was passed in which the Federal Legislation banned all forms of tobacco advertisements like signs, billboards etc. Also, in 1987 the Victorian Tobacco Act added a wholesale tax on tobacco products in Victoria to promote good health, prevent diseases, and disabilities. It was later followed by South Australia in 1988, Australian Capital Territory in 1989 and Western Australia in 1991. The most notable traffic law was one in which seat belts became compulsory to be worn in 1970. In Australia, the illegal blood alcohol concentration limit has been set up to 0.05ml/100ml throughout Australia. Laws were introduced in 1976, to enforce proper restraint of children’s/babies in vehicles. In Australia, the ratio of injured persons with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reduced from 44% in 1981 to 30% in 1995 (FORS, 1995, P.17) In the late 1970s, Australia was one of the first nations to run mass reach anti-smoking campaigns (Egger et al, 1983, p.1125-28). Media started playing a significant role in spreading awareness to public with evidence about the dangers of tobacco smoking to health. Now the community knows about the harmful

Friday, December 13, 2019

Intellectual Property Assignment Free Essays

string(241) " requirements for breach of confidence, it is clear that this information was imparted in a relationship where Lisa could reasonably expect a degree of privacy and could suffer actual loss as a result of the publication of this information\." Introduction There are a number of intellectual property concerns with regards to the given set of facts and these relate to four specific elements of the given facts namely, the publication of the information in GOSSIP magazine, the proposed book written by Jayson, the registration of trademarks by Lisa and the opening of the competing salon by Emma. These potential legal issues stem from a number of common law and legislative provisions and will be dealt with separately in terms of the relevant law that they relate to. Broadly, these legal issues arise in relation to the breach of confidentiality with regards to personal information and trade secrets, and the creation and infringement of trademarks. We will write a custom essay sample on Intellectual Property Assignment or any similar topic only for you Order Now Breach of Confidence: The Book Breach of confidence or misuse of information in this context refers to the intended publication of the business plan which was discussed by Lisa and Jayson on their holiday, as well as the publication of the details of their intimate relationship. There are a number of preliminary observations with regards to the current case. The first is that there is no common law right of privacy as confirmed by the court in Kaye v Robertson [1991]. Despite this however, Article 8 of the ECHR as imported into domestic law by the Human Rights Act 1998 does provide a legal basis for the protection of the right to privacy with regards to confidential information. This was confirmed by the court in Campbell v. MGN Limited [2004]. The second observation is that the current facts are distinguishable from a number of cases on the subject in the matter as they involve the publication of information gained from a private relationship and therefore based on inferred confidence that exists in private relationships rather than the breach of confidence resulting from a breach of contract or that which exists in an employment relationship or other business relationship. In McKennitt v Ash [2005], the court confirmed that the essential element for a brea ch of confidence in this case rested on the pre-existing relationship between the parties. This is a relevant consideration for the current facts as there is no formal contractual relationship existing between Lisa and Jayson in this case. In Coco v AN Clark (Engineers) Ltd [1969], Megarry J. stated that there are three essential elements required for a successful action for breach of confidence: The information must be of a confidential character. The imparting of the information must be in circumstances where the confidant ought reasonably to have known that the information was confidential. The information must have been used or disclosed in an unauthorised manner causing a detriment to the claimant. With regards to the first requirement that the information be of a confidential nature, the courts have taken the approach of a negative definition of this quality stating that the information must not already be that which is in the public domain (Coco v AN Clark (Engineers) Ltd). In the current circumstances, the information that will form the subject matter of the book is not in the public domain and based on the personal nature thereof, can be argued as confidential as it contains information about the private life of Lisa. With regards to the second requirement, this is an objective test which asks what a reasonable person considers to be confidential. In the case of personal relationships this may be personal information and that it may be known to a third party does not preclude the information from being confidential (Argyll (Duchess of) v Argyll (Duke of) [1965]). On analysis therefore of this requirement in terms of the current facts of Jayson and Lisa, it stands to reason that the information passed between Lisa and Jayson was done so on an implied understanding of confidence in their personal relationship and does not exist in the public domain currently. Arguably therefore the information does possess the requisite quality of confidence. With regards to the third requirement, there are a number of relevant considerations. This detriment to Lisa arguably may exist in a number of ways. The first is a breach of her right to privacy under Article 8 of the ECHR. In Campbell v. MGN Limited [2004], the court established a three step test in determining if the right to privacy was being engaged. The first step is to show that there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, arguably mirroring the first requirement of breach of confidence. The court noted that this is problematic in the case of celebrities as their private life is something which is generally in the public domain already. The second step is in establishing a balance between the Article 10 right to freedom of expression and the claimant’s right to privacy which necessitates an inquiry into public interest. The third step is to establish that the publication should not be allowed in terms of section 12(3) of the HRA. A further detrimental effect that may ex ist mirrors a claim for defamation that the information may be detrimental to the reputation and image of Lisa in the circumstances. Based on the judgment of Campbell, it seems unlikely that an application for breach of confidence will succeed, because Lisa is a celebrity. Lord Hoffman stated in obiter that romantic or sexual relationships of public figures or celebrities are not necessarily subject to the same privacy considerations as ordinary persons due to the commonplace of this information in everyday life. Despite the private connotation of such relationships, a celebrity may reasonably expect their intimate relationships to be known as well as the parts of their private life which they willingly share with the press. This however is not to say that Lisa would not be able to get an injunction against the release of information relating to her business plan which she discussed with Jayson. Coco v Clark established that there can be such a breach of confidence despite the lack of contractual obligation between parties. On the basis of the requirements for breach of confidence, it is clear that this informatio n was imparted in a relationship where Lisa could reasonably expect a degree of privacy and could suffer actual loss as a result of the publication of this information. You read "Intellectual Property Assignment" in category "Essay examples" It is possible therefore that Lisa may be able to get an injunction against the publication of her business plan, although not for the details of her private life with regards to the proposed book. Defamation and Privacy: Gossip Magazine Defamation is defined in Sims v Stretch [1936] as: A defamatory statement is one which injures the reputation of another by exposing them to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or tends to lower him in the esteem of the right-thinking members of society. Defamation however, only exists for false statements, as truth is a defense thereto. There is no indication on the facts that the information published in the magazine was false and therefore Lisa does not have a claim for defamation, despite the potential damage to her reputation. With regards to the photographs published, there is no claim for proprietal infringement (Prince Albert v Strange [1849]) as Jayson recorded the video and captured the pictures and therefore is the owner therefore. Arguably, Lisa may have a claim for an infringement of her right to privacy on the criteria set out in Campbell, however consistent with the difficulty noted above as to her status as a celebrity or public figure, this application may have significant difficulty in succeeding in court. Trademarks Nail Varnish and Salon Name Lisa wishes to register as many trademarks as she can over the salon and the nail varnish. Potential trademarks therefore may exist over the name of the salon â€Å"A. OCEAN†, â€Å"RETURN TO THE OCEAN†, the dolphin shaped container, the distinct colour scheme, and the smell diffused on opening the bottle. According to the s1(1) Trade Marks Act 1994: A â€Å"trade mark† means any sign capable of being represented graphically which is capable of distinguishing goods or services of one undertaking from those of other undertakings. A trade mark may, in particular, consist of words (including personal names), designs, letters, numerals or the shape of goods or their packaging. In addition to falling within the definition of a trade market under s1(1) of the Act, the mark must also not fall within the prohibited categories under section 3(1) of the act. If however it is found that the trademark does not satisfy the requirements of s3(1)(b) – (d), it may still be registered on the basis that it has become distinctive through use. According to this definition, ‘any sign’ means anything which can convey information; ‘capable of being represented graphically’ means it must be possible for a trade mark to be represented in two-dimensional or three dimensional forms and ‘capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one undertaking from that of another’ means that distinctiveness of strong marks may be those with unique names and those which are merely descriptive may be weaker. In the leading case of Sieckmann v Deutshces Patent-und Markenamt [2004] the European Court of Justice held: â€Å"A sign which is not in itself capable of being perceived visually, provided that it can be represented graphically, particularly by means of images, lines or characters, and that its representation is clear, precise, self-contained, easily accessible, intelligible, durable and objective† The development of these criteria has led to a case being made for scents as trademarks, however Sieckmann held that this is problematic as it may not satisfy the criteria of a trademark in the case, although in Firma Senta Application [1999], a scent application was allowed because of the distinctiveness of the smell and the fact that everyone knows the smell through experience. With regards to the registration of the smell diffused by Lisa’s nail varnish upon opening of the bottle, this may be capable of registration as the smell of the sea is a distinct scent which may be known to a significant portion of the general public and therefore, following the ratio of the Firma Senta Application [1999], may be capable of registration. With regards to the registration of the colour scheme, following the case of Libertel Groep BV v Benelux-Merkenbureau [2003], Cadbury Ltd’s Application set the precedent for allowing the registration of colour schemes with regards to specific goods and services. Therefore it is possible for Lisa to register the distinct colour scheme of her nail varnish, but this may apply only to nail varnish. The dolphin shaped bottle of Lisa’s nail varnish is considered as packaging falls under the shapes or three-dimensional trademarks category, which are capable of being registered under the Act. Under S1(1), in order to be registered the first requirement is that the shape must be capable of being ‘represented graphically’ and for a shape mark, this is not problematic as generally they are able to reduced to a drawing. Whilst there is no specific criteria for measuring distinctiveness in terms of s1(1), there are a number of factors with regards to distinctiveness that may present a number of difficulties for the registration of the salon name â€Å"A. OCEAN† and the name of the nail varnish â€Å"RETURN TO THE OCEAN†. This is so, because these words are not unique and may be found to be descriptive. Additionally, the presence of the competing nail varnish product â€Å"GO BACK TO THE OCEAN† may prove as a reason for the rejection of the trademark application. Under s5(2) of the Act, the registrar will not allow registration of a mark that is the same or similar to an earlier mark as a relative ground of refusal as there may be likelihood of deception of confusion. This is not to say however that this will stand as an absolute ground for the refusal of registration, as these two names may still be capable of registration as having acquired distinctiveness through use. To satisf y this requirement for distinctiveness, the marks must satisfy the requirements of the test for distinctiveness in Windsurfing Chiemsee [1999]. The ECJ provided guidance as to the conditions which would create the requisite distinctiveness to satisfy s3(1)(d) of the Act, as having acquired distinctiveness through use. The court found that: â€Å"If the competent authority finds that a significant proportion of the relevant class of persons identify goods as originating from a particular undertaking because of the trade mark, it must hold the requirement for registering the mark to be satisfied.† With regards to the name of the salon and the nail varnish, these may be capable of registration if it is distinctive in this way. In Philips v Remington, the court also considered the fact that the more descriptive and non-distinct a mark, the more work the proprietor will need to undertake in order to have the mark recognizable to the average consumer. It stands to reason therefore that the extensive advertising campaign that was undertaken by Lisa may in fact have served the purpose of establishing the name of the salon and nail varnish as distinctive trademarks in a significant proportion of the relevant class of persons. This is an objective determination made in light of all relevant circumstances (Windsurfing Chiemsee [1999]). In conclusion therefore, â€Å"A.OCEAN†, â€Å"RETURN TO THE OCEAN†, the dolphin shaped container, the distinct colour scheme, and the smell diffused on opening the bottle are all marks that are capable of registration under the Trademarks Act. For the name of the salon and the nail varnish, there is a significant reliance on the success of the advertising campaign undertaken by Lisa as these marks are not unique per se and may be held to be too descriptive. In the case of RETURN TO THE OCEAN, this will be refused as it is too similar to the competitors name with regards to distinctiveness. P. OCEAN – Trademark Infringement In the case of Emma leaving her employment at A. OCEAN and starting her own salon, the issue of trademark infringement arises. Trademark infringement can essentially occur for both registered and unregistered trademarks, and while it is not clear on the facts whether the trademark of A.OCEAN had been registered, it is necessary to consider both scenarios. According to section 10 of the Act, infringement of a registered trademark may occur in four ways: Identical marks in relation to identical goods or services (s10(1)) Identical marks in relation to similar goods and services andthe public are likely to confuse or associate the later trade mark with the earlier mark (s10(2)(a)) Similar marks in relation to similar goods and services andthe public are likely to confuse or associate the later trade mark with the earlier mark (s10(2)(b)) Identical or similar marks in relation to goods or services that are not similar and the use of the later trade mark without due cause would take unfair advantage of, or be detrimental to, the distinctive character of the earlier mark (s10(3)). It is clear in the case of A. OCEAN and P. OCEAN that if the mark was registered, the infringement would be according to 10(2)(b). It is clear on analysis that there would be an infringement of registered trademark here as the names of the salon are very similar, and the goods and services offered by the salons would lead to a likelihood of confusion. Although, arguably there are a number of factors that may direct away from such a conclusion. The first is that the services offered by the salons are fairly standard in terms of what the general market of salon offers to their clientele and in fact, it could be argued that Emma’s salon offered more of a customized service than Lisa. In addition to this factor, the fact that Lisa’s salon trades in London whilst Emma’s is in Scotland may indicate that there is no likelihood of confusion because of the fact that they trade in vastly different geographical areas. This may in part depend on the nature of the advertising campaign that Lisa undertook, as it may be established that it was a national campaign and therefore extends the reach of the A.OCEAN salon to Scotland where Lisa operates. There is no indication in the legislation that the infringement of a registered trademark is limited by geographical location and therefore it stands to reason that the operation of the act affects the whole of the U.K regardless of the scope of the business operations of that trademark. It is likely that under the Act, Emma would be found liable for infringement of a registered trademark, if the mark of A.OCEAN was registered at the time. If the mark is not registered, Lisa still may have a common law remedy known as passing off. This applies to unregistered trademarks and protects the goodwill associated with certain goods and services. According to the House of Lords decision in Reckitt Coleman v Borden Inc [1990], Lisa must establish the following three elements in order to establish infringement of the unregistered mark: OCEAN is an established trade mark that has acquired a reputation and/or goodwill in the mind of the relevant section of the public. The offending trade mark has been, or is likely to be, confused with your established trade mark. There is a likelihood of damage following the use of the infringing mark. According to IRC v Muller and Co’s Margarine [1901], goodwill is defined as the benefit and advantage of the name and reputation of a business. With the extensive advertising campaign that was undertaken by Lisa, it stands to reason that the requisite goodwill and reputation was established. This goodwill may be restricted in terms of geographical areas and therefore an action of passing off may not be found in this case considering the vastly different geographical locations in which Lisa and Emma operate. This speaks to the likelihood of confusion that may be associated with the mark as considering that the section of the public likely to be confused is not a shared market. This is furthered by the notion of likelihood of damages, as there may be no actual damage to the business or business reputation, as the operations areas are so far apart that it is unlikely that any customers will be lost to Emma’s salon. As noted above however, this may depend entirely on the advertising campaign that was undertaken by Lisa, as the reach of the campaign may have been national and therefore extends the goodwill associated with her mark. Trade Secrets Breach of Confidentiality: Personalized Training Programme With regards to trade secrets and the breach of confidentiality, the relevant law has been outlined above and therefore will be discussed only in terms of its application to the current set of facts. The law of confidentiality arguably applies in this situation because of the use of information gathered at A.OCEAN salon which was then used by Emma in P.OCEAN. This is specifically with regards to workplace confidentiality that may exist in the use of client records for the development of the training programme. Arguably, this information represents a classic situation of workplace confidentiality as it relates specifically to information gathered in the course of employment in A.OCEAN salon. In the absence of a contractual agreement of employment which protects the confidentiality of this information, Lisa may rely on the common law remedy established in Coco v Clark to protect the information that relates to her clients. Arguably however the law of confidentiality does not protect th e use of the training schedule which was independently developed by Emma in her spare time despite this being based on the clientele information of A.OCEAN. Therefore, unless it can be proved that Emma is making use of confidential information in the implementation of her programme in P.OCEAN, the law of confidentiality does not necessarily apply. Conclusion Based on the law therefore there are a number of potential legal issues that Lisa faces. With regards to the publication of her personal information by GOSSIP, unless the information that Jayson sold the magazine is false, there is no claim for defamation. It may be possible for Lisa to get an injunction prohibiting the publication of the book proposed by Jayson, if she can prove a substantial infringement to her privacy would occur. It is unlikely that the publication of the book would be prevented as her status as a celebrity significantly affects her privacy rights. It is however likely that she would be able to prevent the publication of the details of her business plan in this book, as these are detrimental to her business interests, over and above any personal reputational damage that may occur. With regards to her business interests, it is likely that Lisa will be able to register at least five trademarks over her business if it can be proven that they possess the requisite quality of distinctiveness. It is possible that the extensive advertising campaign has had the effect of creating distinctiveness through use and therefore despite lacking a quality of distinctness in terms of the definition of a trademark, registration is still possible. It is further likely that in the event of her registering the trademark over her salon, that there may be an action for trademark infringement against Emma, although this is limited if the trademark is not registered as actions for passing off have been previously limited to geographical area. Considering that A.OCEAN and P.OCEAN operate on opposite ends of the country, there may be no basis for a claim that there was misrepresentation and a likelihood of confusion leading to damages. Further, with regards to the use of the personalized training programme developed based on the client information of A.OCEAN, there may be no action for breach of confidentiality or misuse of trade secrets as there is no actual use of confidential information and the personalized programmes that were used by Emma were developed in her private time and therefore may not breach any workplace confidentiality. This is however in the absence of any confidentiality agreements that she was party to upon entering employment with A.OCEAN. Bibliography Legislation European Convention of Human Rights Human Rights Act 1998 Trade Marks Act 1994 Case Law Argyll (Duchess of) v Argyll (Duke of) [1965] 1 All ER 611 Cadbury Ltd’s Application [2001] Case O-358-11 Campbell v. MGN Limited [2004] UKHL 22 Coco v Clarke Engineers [1968] FSR 415, CA Firma Senta Aromatic Marketing’s Application [1999] ETMR 429 IRC v Muller Co Margarine Limited [1901] AC 217 Kaye v Robertson [1991] FSR 62 Libertel Groep BV v Benelux-Merkenbureau [2003] ECR I-3793 McKennitt v Ash[2006] EWCA Civ 1714 Phillips Electronics v Remington [1999] RPC 809, CA Prince Albert v Strange (1849) 1 Mac G.25 Reckitt Coleman v Borden Inc [1990] 1 All ER 873, HL Sieckmann v Deutches Patent [2003] RPC 685 Sim V Stretch [1936] All ER 1237 (HL) Windsurfing Chiemsee v Boots Case C-109/97 [2000] 2 WLR 205 Secondary Sources Aplin and Davis, Intellectual Property Law (1st ed. OUP 2009). Bainbridge, Intellectual Property (9th ed. Pearson, 2012) MacQueen, Waelde Laurie, Contemporary Intellectual Property (2nd ed. OUP 2010) How to cite Intellectual Property Assignment, Essay examples

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Maxine Hong Kingston Essay Example For Students

Maxine Hong Kingston Essay For many of the writers discussed in class, family stories are a guide to live by. The family stories told, give an outline of morals as well as a way to stay close to their true family. Both Cofer and Stone show how family stories give them a very strong form of acceptance. Acceptance is key for each of the writers because they both face the challenge of living as multicultural people in a world that tends to shame diversity. These stories are extremely important to Cofer and Stone; questioning them would violate all they believe in. However, there is another side to this subject. Maxine Hong Kingston reveals to the reader a different side to family stories. A side that is not of love and acceptance, but more of hate, betrayal, and rejection. In some cultures family circles cannot always be of love and protection. In her case she reveals to the reader a family circle that would murder in order to keep the circle clean of sin, no matter what the cost. Kingston may not successfully gains the recognition from the family, but at least she is sure of herself now. I am worthy of eating the food. She reassures herself that she too is useful and respectful. Though she may not be the dutiful swordswoman in her mothers eyes, and her mother is certain that she will grow up as wives or slaves. Kingston chooses to be a warrior who will stand up and fight against all these traditional discrimination. She has successfully found another way to achieve what the woman warrior has achieved by using a pen. She is confident of herself despite lacking recognition from the villagers and her family. The story of Fa Mu Lan also helps Kingston understand herself better with Kingston own reinterpretation of the story. Reinterpreting the story is a process of self-revelation. Through the reinterpretation of the story, she actually learns that the only way that she will gain approval of the villagers or her family is to take her fathers place in fighting and behead the baron and evil emperor. The impossibility of doing this makes Kingston acknowledge the difference between her American life and the fantasy. She may not be like the swordswoman having all kinds of hard physical training, to copy tigers anger or stalking kill, etc. However, she does learn to stand up in her life to challenge the racist. When her boss called her Nigger Yellow, she pointed out that I dont like that word, unlike the no-name aunt who endured all humiliation silently, she expresses her dissatisfaction. She also challenged the boss when the boss was being unreasonable. I refuse to type these invitations. Though this is again not her mothers intention in telling her the folklore, Kingston displays courage in fighting against injustice by using a pen. She does not recede under the spite teasing of others. Kingston is not a timid woman who let this kind of inequality continue without people paying attention to them. She is a female avenger and she sees herself as a liberator from all these old attitudes of China. In conclusion, the intention of the mother telling Kingstons stories is somehow twisted. Kingston breaks from the restrain of tradition and work out a set of her own values. She librates from the patriarchal society. She is not submissive anymore,. She writes her desire and dissatisfaction and in turns opens the way for understanding herself better.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Organizational Culture Assessment

Introduction Every organization has its own competitive strategies. However, these strategies cannot work without a strong organizational culture. Organizational culture has the advantage of increasing employee commitment to the firm. In addition, it enables the organization to define its strategies effectively.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Culture Assessment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is essential as it ensures successful execution of activities necessary for achievement of organizational goals. Organizational culture is also important in maximizing production through employee motivation. This is particularly significant to human capital whose value is maximized by the right organizational culture. In essence, organizational culture forms an integral part of management competency. While these attributes can be achieved through implementation of the right organizational culture, deter mining an effective culture is quite difficult. This paper will explore corporate culture, its roles in organizations and the factors that influence its implementation (Senge, 2006, p. 55). Organizational culture encompasses concepts such as assumptions, values, beliefs, artifacts and behaviors, among others. It, therefore, works to reduce variability in the workforce. This allows for easier control and shaping of staff behavior. In essence, it defines the distinct character of an organization since it varies from one organization to another. Culture, therefore, plays a crucial role in organizational setup. Organizational culture connects employees together and ensures efficiency in execution of activities. Moreover, communication is essential for implementing the right culture. In addition, when the right culture is implemented, employees are usually motivated to maximize production.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fi rst paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this regard, it is necessary that the right communication framework is put in place to achieve desired objectives. Furthermore, motivation is a central factor in determining an organization’s competitiveness (Andreas, 2006, p. 159-172.) Motivation Motivation can be defined as the urge to do something. For instance, organizations with motivated staff enjoy their work. This improves both efficiency and quality of production. Moreover, it saves time and creates opportunity for innovations. Motivation is essential to every organization. In fact, when employees are motivated, they are able to create as well as implement inventive ideas. Strong identification is important in enabling employees to be part of the organization. This gives them a sense of belonging, which is significant in entrenching spirit of unity in the team. Besides, their sense of innovation can only be achieved if the organization embraces innovative norms. Interesti ngly, these norms can only be achieved through implementation of strong organizational culture. Motivation is usually derived from effective organizational culture. Organizational culture is essential in creating commitment among employees. This strengthens their motivation to achieve organizational goals. Motivation is a very significant factor in organizations because it affects returns. When employees are not motivated then organizational objectives cannot be achieved. Moreover, it is important that employees enjoy their working conditions. This helps in influencing on the team spirit as well as motivation. Corporate culture reinforces shared and individual beliefs. This is then allowed to develop as employees share the same values. Organizational culture is thus significant in driving employee motivation. However, it is necessary to note that some organization cultures are uninspiring.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Culture Assessment speci fically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such organizations face such issues as lowered standards of performance. Motivation is thus a vital factor in corporate culture (Bisel, Messersmith Keyton, 2011, p. 564-585). High preforming companies have defined goals and ways to reach them. In fact, they thrive in motivating their employees for the same course. In order to maintain such high standards, the company must envisage a long lasting motivation. Some companies have done this through incentives that may be in form of cash or not. However, it has been found that non-cash incentives work best for companies. Employees who feel valued tend to work with a common purpose. In this regard, it is important that companies involve their employees in creating organizational culture which is essential in providing motivation for work. Moreover, value-creating companies such as Proctor and Gamble, among others have managed this through implementation of effec tive organizational culture. This has proved to influence attainment of goals within desired periods. Motivation influences employees’ behavior through self-control. This enables them to explore their needs within the firm and achieve them by helping the company. In fact, motivated employees take full responsibility for their actions which is important for accountability. Motivation catalyzes employees’ desire to perform. When this is cultivated within the company, then new entrants come into the culture of that company. This is very important in keeping focus on goals and competency (Keyton, 2004, p. 215). Leadership is crucial in any organization. Moreover, a leader must understand that company’s organizational culture. This is important in reflecting its objectives and encouraging employee motivation. Leaders should enshrine company policies and mission to influence motivation in employees.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, the leader should ensure that corporate culture gives employees a sense of belonging as well as pride. This will motivate them to work hard in order to maintain such status. Leaders should look to integrate culture levels from departmental subcultures to corporate assumptions into motivation. This is essential in integrating shared vision for all employees in the company. Moreover, observable culture should be in line with objectives of the company as this determines levels of motivation for employees. In essence, effective leaders must understand cultural influences on organizations in order to come up with one that would influence motivation. In addition, the leader should involve all stakeholders in determining best corporate culture for the company (Nayak, Padhi, Barik, Mohanty Pradhan, 2011, p. 323-334.) Communication Communication is essential in any organization. It can be defined as the transfer of information between departments. Communication as a factor in orga nizational culture is quite essential since it determines the manner in which information is received and decoded. Communication is utilized to diffuse tensions that could arise due to complex organizational structures. Moreover, it is a source of constraint and creativity. This makes it vital for organizational culture. Multinational companies employ workers from different parts of the world. Moreover, they have branches in various parts of the globe. It is therefore central that effective communication is employed to achieve desired results. This can only be achieved if communication is integrated to conform to organizational culture. Employees in a company should speak in one language, that is, the company language, which is in accordance with its corporate culture. This ensures that the right information is sent and received. Barriers such as beliefs and norms that differ from one community to another would be of negligible effect when the company entrenches organizational cultu re. Moreover, employees would speak in one language that is unique to the company. In essence, communication is so vital to organizational culture that it cannot be ignored at any cost. In fact, due to the ever-changing trends, it is important that such changes are observed and worked on to establish the best mode of communication (Guide to Communication and Corporate Culture, 2008, p. 1). Effective communication is essential in every high performing company because it ensures the right chain of command is followed at the correct time. Effective communication also ensures that the right message is delivered and is acted upon as required. In this regard, companies with good organizational cultures save time in communication. Moreover, very little misunderstandings are encountered. This is good for development of the company. Time is important to companies as it improves efficiency and return, therefore, both horizontal and vertical communication lines are supposed to be integrated wi th organizational culture. This can be quite difficult at the beginning. However, with much effort and cooperation from all stakeholders, it can also be achieved (O’Reilly, 1989, p. 9). People from different cultures have different behaviors because of their environment. However, when they integrate into the company as well as learn its communication framework, this can change and bring about unity through organizational culture. This is essential for proper coordination and transfer of information from management to employees as well as between employees. Companies should, therefore, shun cultural groupings between employees as this draws them away from organizational culture. At the same time, they should embrace diversity in order to keep employees motivated and appreciated. Balancing these factors can be difficult. However, with the same organizational culture, this is practicable (Boleman Deal, 2008, p. 11). Leadership is essential in fronting for effective communicatio n since culture comes from top-level management to employees. In this regard, the kind of communication entrenched by management is vital in influencing organizational culture. Therefore, leaders have the responsibility of enshrining communication models that would integrate with the chosen organizational culture. In addition, they are supposed to have good interpersonal skills that would enable them to communicate effectively to other stakeholders. In essence, effective organizational culture should be a benchmark to management officials. This will enable them to integrate easily with other employees and work in accordance with their objectives. Leaders have the power to influence cultural traits of their employees. In fact, encouraging participative communication is instrumental in establishing a good communication culture in an organization. Autocratic leaders are therefore less likely to achieve effective communication and this has the propensity to harm the company’s org anizational culture (Schein, 2010, p. 42). Summary and Conclusion Organizational culture is instrumental to every company because it works to save time, motivate employees and add to the company’s competitiveness. Given that individuals possess varying character traits, organizations also have their own norms and values. Such values can only be strengthened if there is effective communication and motivation. In essence, motivation and effective communication work to fortify organizational culture. This is essential in maintaining healthy operations in the company. However, if motivation and communication are not ensured then the company stands to lose. It is therefore important for effective leaders to enshrine good communication mechanisms and organizational culture for the progress of the company. In addition, they should ensure that employees are motivated in order to achieve high standards of results. Leaders should also work to integrate all stakeholders in decision maki ng to tap into creative ideas and innovations (Judge Robbins, 2011, p. 112). Reference List Andreas, H. (2006). The role of organizational culture in motivating innovative behaviour in construction firms. Construction Innovation: Information, Process, Management, 6(3), 159-172. Web. Bisel, R., Messersmith, A., Keyton, J. (2011). Understanding Organizational Culture and Communication through a Gyroscope Metaphor. Journal of management Education, 35, 564-585. Web. Boleman L. G., Deal T. E. (2008). Reframing Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Guide to Communication and Corporate Culture. (2008). Web. Judge, T., Robbins, S. (2011). Essentials of Organizational Behavior (11th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Keyton, J. (2004).Communication and Organizational Culture: A Key to Understanding Work Experiences. Upon Tyne, Newcastle: Sage Nayak, B., Padhi, M., Barik, A., Mohanty, A., Pradhan, S. (2011). Organizational Culture as related to motivation: A Study on Steel Manufacturi ng industries in India. European journal of Social Sciences, 26(3), 323-334. Web. O’Reilly, C. (1989). Corporations, Culture, and Commitment: Motivation and Social Control in Organizations. California management review, 31(4), 9. Web. Schein, E. (2010). Organizational Culture and Leadership. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley, John Sons. Senge, P. (2006). The Fifth Discipline. New York, NY: Doubleday Publishing. This essay on Organizational Culture Assessment was written and submitted by user Tristen F. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Small Tent Essay

Small Tent Essay Small Tent Essay Yellow Tent I remember when I was young, probably around 12 years old; my parents would help my two younger brothers and I set up a small tent in our backyard. I remember the excitement of anticipating going outside as a family, preparing for the evening events and working together so we could have fun. As dad and I would start setting up the tent, he become frustrated trying to figure out which poles should be paired together. Once we finally matched up the poles, we would stand up the tent. It was a wonderful tent, bright yellow with two screened windows on each side. One of the windows had a small tear in the netting so mosquitoes became our unwelcomed guests. I tried using gray duct tape to repair the rip, but somehow the mosquitoes still managed to get in. Following the tent set up, my brothers and I would drag our sleeping bags and pillows outside and assemble our beds in the tent. We always argued about who would sleep in the middle. However, since I was the oldest, I usually won the prime spot. It seemed to take forever for darkness to fall. We would impatiently watch the yellow and orange colors of the sun blend together. As they dropped slowly down into the horizon, It seemed to sit on the tips of the trees for hours, before dropping from sight. When the sun was just skimming the ground and it was beginning to look like dusk outside, my brothers and I were ready to start our night. Our parents would assemble a campfire and let us roast marshmallows and make s’ mores. The family would circle the campfire for story time. My dad would always tell the scary stories and my mom would entertain with the funny ones. My brothers told stories that I considered to be senseless. I thought they either made everything up, or were repeating something they had seen on TV. My stories were always connected to cheerleading. To be an awesome cheerleader was a lifelong dream of mine. I would tell my parents how I imagined that I was in high school, being tossed in to the air while and the crowd yelled for me. I wanted to have lots of girlfriends and hang out with them as a team. I dreamed of having fun at all the games, cheering on the football players. As the night progressed, my brothers and I would make our way into the yellow tent and snuggle into our sleeping bags. Our parents would give us a flashlight so we could see in the dark. After my parents would leave us to inside to bed, go inside to go to bed we would take turns reading books to each other. When it would be my brothers’ turn to read a short story, they would always pick the easiest ones like â€Å"Red fish, blue fish, one fish, two fish†, and I would still have to help them. I would pick a scary story to read to them, because I found it funny how they would react. While reading the story one of them would whisper, â€Å"Did you hear that?† as if they heard a bear in our backyard coming to eat them. This was the only time that my brothers and I would get al ong and not fight or argue. I can remember it being so quiet and peaceful, just the noise of crickets coming from the outside world and the shining of the porch light into one of the net windows from our little yellow tent. Once we would be done reading to each other and we were getting tired, Of course one of them would say they had to use the bathroom. And me being the oldest sister I would volunteer to walk them into the house, so nothing would jump out and scare them. While in the house waiting for them to finish using the bathroom, I would wait for them in my room, sitting on my bed. Eventually, I would get tired and end up falling asleep. So needless to say we never did make it through a whole night in that yellow tent. Now that I have grown up and have children of my own, I have passed down this same tradition to them. The only difference is, they don’t have a yellow tent. They share their time in a playhouse, but they go through the same things that my brothers and I went through. They argue about who is

Thursday, November 21, 2019

CORPORATE FINANCE - REAL OPTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CORPORATE FINANCE - REAL OPTIONS - Essay Example The ral-options technique has been used in industries like extractors of natural resources, enrgy firms, and pharmaceuticals corporations, which have a gratr scale of uncrtainty in business investments i.e., as far as the oil-drilling industry is concrned, uncrtainties comprise issues such as what the cost of the lased/purchased land will be. How large the oil resrves would be What is the appropriate price for the lase on the resrve Questions similar to these have led to the use of the ral-options methodology as a systematic analytical tool to estimate these investments in business technology. Ral options tendr an additional valuable comparison with financial investing: "that holding a varied portfolio of stocks is lessr risky than owning only one stock". Applying this view of offsetting risk to asset/project evaluation allows for the incorporation of capital budgeting issues with physical assets on the one hand, and the integration of decision-tree analysis on the othr. Ral assets can be evaluated using available techniques developed for financial options, such as the Black and Scholes model. GENENTECH: Drug development at Genentech and othr similar companies is inhrently a "stage gate" process in which ach successive phase depends on the success of the previous phase. ach stage is similar to purchasing a call option and the entire process can be viewed as a sries of call options. At Genentech, ral options have been used in this mannr in the analysis of all drug development projects since 1995. One of the most important fatures of the ral options approach is its recognition that investment values vary ovr time and that management has the ability to trminate investments whose future value has fallen below zro. Traditional discounted cash flow methods genrally do not account for this contingent decision-making or active management and, as a result, will undrvalue flexible investments. The drug development process can be improved simply by incorporating this undrstanding into project valuation. Applied in this mannr, a ral option provides a consistent language and method to evaluate and compare all projects more effectively across the company. More recently, Genentech has begun to expand its use of ral options through development of a new entrprise-wide investment planning system. In this system, Monte Carlo simulation is used to develop the appropriate distributions for relevant costs and revenues, and the risk-neutral approach is being adopted to take advantage of financial data that alrady exist within the company. This more sophisticated approach will extend the gains that Genentech has alrady made in this ara. TEXACO: Texaco is one of a handful of major global enrgy companies. A grat part of the success of Texaco and similar firms is their ability to identify the right major capital investments, both intrnal and extrnal, and manage them appropriately. In the mid-1990s, Texaco began to recognize the critical importance of top-notch investment valuation and management. Texaco had strong analytical skills, using a variety of techniques such as DCF, Monte Carlo simu

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Combahee river corporative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Combahee river corporative - Essay Example Black women have made massive economic progress in the past four decades. Black women occupied the base step of the economic ladder of America They were involved in labor force and earned much lesser than any other nation. Richard Nixon was hostile towards black in helping them catch up with whites in any run of life. In 1970, State of the Union address, he said about blacks, "for those who make massive demands on society to make some minimal demands on themselves." The socio-economic systems along with the political system demanded the struggle against oppression. The function of education, work experience, welfare reforms and the enforcement of equal opportunity laws played a crucial role in reshaping the feminist discourse in the USA.Black women's dissatisfaction, in both women's liberation groups and civil rights, resulted in National Black Feminist Organization (NBFO) in 1973, of New York, felt the urge to form it. Disillusionment within this movement resulted in few Black Femin ist organizations; one of the most prominent of these groups was Combahee River Collective Statement. They began meetings in 1974 in Boston. The name is the conceptualization from the guerrilla action which was led by Herriet Tubman on June 2, 1863, in the Port Royal region of south California. It freed almost 750 slaves and was the only military campaign in America led by a woman. Since then, in association with other progressive organizations and movements, Combahee River Collective Statement has been in process to define and clarify the politics of power and system. It is a collective of Black feminists, who are out there to define, clarify and identify the combined racial, social and political struggle. The women of African descent, who happen to be black, were faced by the constant life-and death struggle for survival and liberation. A black feminism or womanism organization was the product of oppressed racial and sexual castes dominated by extremely negative relationship between the American political system (a system of white male rule) and them. The distribution of Material resources was unfair to those who created resources. The further division of resources, between the men and women of black inhabitants, was complicating the situation in a worse manner because they were already limited to very few educational and employment options. The deprived people were baffled by the gender differences because Black women's intellectual interests had been attacked by their peers, mainly Black males. Initially, the politics of class and race brought these black feminists together. CRC also considered "capitalism" as the main reason for Black women's oppression. In a society, one faces different problem which are inter-connected for example it is hard to detach race from class and sex oppression because they are most often experienced simultaneously. They were racially and sexually oppressed and these two features were considerable determinants in their working/ economic lives. Neither had they had the access to resources nor any form of the power. These combinations of the oppressions had formed different condition in their lives which resulted in Combahee River Collective Statement. Absolute equality and freedom are ideas of an abstract world but they are the simple solutions. They would demand the destruction of the structure of oppression. These females not only do political work as a group, but continued their individual involvement in Lesbian politics, sterilization abuse and abortion rights work. They initiated functioning as a study group and also began conversing about the possibility of starting a Black feminist publication to distribute their work. They setup a rape crisis center in Black vicinities. Organizing welfare, health care and daycare are the main concerns. They also conduct many educational workshops. They all are working for a

Monday, November 18, 2019

Biofuels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biofuels - Essay Example This paper examines cons associated with biofuel production as well as their counter views. Advantages of biofuels As earlier noted, biofuel is produced from agricultural crops, especially corn. This means biofuel has generated a market that competes with the food market for crop harvest. Recent studies have shown that the increased dependence on this type of fuel has led to a rise in the demand for food crops in the energy market. Farmers are motivated to channel their crops there due to high market prices for their produce. This has in turn has led to a decrease in supply of agricultural products in the food market. In effect, low supply of food commodities in the food market has translated to increased global food prices (Bruce et al, 2010). According to FAPRI (2009), biofuel production has also encouraged farmers to limit their production of other crops and concentrate on corn. This has led to the reduction in the supply of other types of crops hence an increase in their prices. Extensive corn production has also encouraged extensive land use and potential encroachment into wild habitats, forests, and swampy areas. This threatens the potential of the land to sustain future generations, especially encroachment to wetlands. Bruce et al (2010) states that during biofuel production, a lot of energy is used making the project uneconomical. In some cases, the energy used is more than what is produced. For others like ethanol, 1 unit of energy produces 1.5 units of ethanol. It should also be noted that biofuel are produced from biomass. This is renewable and degradable hence it will have cumulative long-term negative effects on the future generations. A study on biodiesel utilization has revealed that there is an increase in NOx in biodiesel emissions. This means, it has not served to mitigate the effects of fossil fuels upon the environment. Counter views Concerning the contribution of biofuel to increased global food prices, biofuel cannot be totally be blamed f or it. This is because such a project can only be undertaken by a country after a thorough assessment of its ability to feed its people and the availability of excess for biofuel production. Currently, there are enough farms to grow crops that support this project. Countries which produce biofuel like the US and Brazil have significantly increased their corn, sugarcane and vegetable oil production. Farmers plant this crops knowing they are meant for two markets. In some cases, they even have a surplus of these commodities at the end of the year. According to Colitt (2008), improved economic condition leading to better feeding can be blamed for the rise in food prices. Though it may be said that biofuel production is uneconomical due to its input verses output, the situation has changed over the past couple of years. There have been significant improvements in technology

Friday, November 15, 2019

Punishment And Rehabilitation Between Prison Probation Services Criminology Essay

Punishment And Rehabilitation Between Prison Probation Services Criminology Essay When the prison population doubles, then doubles again, and then doubles again as it has done in EW from 15,900 in 1901 to nearly 90,000 in 2010, it follows that there will be substantial increase in the number of supervised by National Probation Service (NPS). The probation service is responsible for the commissioning and delivery of offenders who are subject to a court order or those released on licence from prison. The probation service focuses on the following aims and objectives: proper punishment, protecting public, reduce re-offending, assisting courts in sentencing, victim empathy, rehabilitation and finally best use of resources. As shown, its aims are less about the welfare of offenders and more about social control, which will be covered in more depth in this chapter. During the late 1990s, the probation service was targeted by the media for its poor ability to administer probation orders due to the lack of effective punishment for offenders (Ward et al 2002). Association Of Chief Officers Of Probation (ACOP) released the results of their study which revealed what was feared. It clearly demonstrated that improving enforcement was fundamental for proper punishment and public protection. Thereby, in order to re-gain public confidence and that of the courts, the service took an active approach to ensure that those who breach an order will be returned to court or custody for further sentencing. However, data collected by the National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO) indicated that; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦many of the recalls were for technical reasons such as not following rules, or missing appointments. In the majority of the cases of those recalled for technical reasons, there was no evidence of risk to the public. Cases published by the Napo include individuals who were recalled for not getting up in the morning, for reporting to the wrong probation office, for loosing their permanent address, because of tags not workingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (cited in Sim 2009 page 112) Thereby, although probation officers attempts to protect public with rigorous enforcement orders, for Hearnden and Millie (2004) these changes made little advancement because organisational effectiveness of law enforcement agencies has been seen in terms of control and punishment, rather than rehabilitation of offenders. Recent research findings support Hearnden and Millies claim as re-conviction rates within the first two years of being released from prison is more than 60% (Telegraph 2008). As a consequence of an organisational shift towards law-enforcement, it has been told that control-oriented models of NOMS had an inhibitory effect on the performance of rehabilitation and treatment needs of offenders. Although control-oriented and rehabilitative forms of treatment have been used together, one of the other has been obviously pre-eminent; punishment. This, as a result, brought a punitive criminal justice system which also increased fears about the disappearance of the caring and socially aware aspects of probation work. For Farral (2002) such changes have been a dismal failure because professional literature recommends assisting individuals in the process of self-change and building on strengths. In support, Farrals (2002) project which included interviewing almost two hundred probationers revealed the very small role that supervising probation staff had played in any successful desisting from crime. It has, for long, been recommended by Bottoms and McWilliams (1979) and many others that the elements of rehabilitation and punishment should be separated from each other. More controlling the probation service may be, but Ames (2002) told that probation staffs are often reluctant to punish offenders because they have understandably felt that this is not their proper business, and indeed is not within their power (Duff 2003). It has come to be assumed by many probation officers that offenders have problems, often involving their adjustment to society and to life in general. And because the problems of many more offenders lie in their situation, past and present, rather than in themselves, officers are more willing to refer offenders to agencies in which they can obtain special help with housing, employment, drug or alcohol problems and mental health needs which are all considered to be aspects of re-offending (Thames Valley Criminal Justice Board 2007). This reinforces the arguments put forward by Bottoms and McWilliams over twenty years ago when they wrote that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ help may be more crime-reducing than treatment (1979: 174). It is clear fro m this statement that offenders require understanding, and as a result of their understanding they will receive insights which will substantially alter their attitudes after a criminal activity. The notion of reintegration is well known in Marunas Liverpool desistance study where he found that participants often talked about the role of probation officers in recognising redemption (Maruna 2000). But not only do the probation officers play big role in re-integration; models of reintegration stress the need for changes in both role and status for the released prisoner: The exchange theory concept of reciprocity suggests that only by taking responsibility for making things right with victims and victimised communities can offenders change either the communitys image of them or their perceptions of themselves. (Bazenmore and Stinchcomb 2004: page) So the emerging question is how can offenders change either the communitys image of them or their perceptions of themselves. For Williams (1995: 124), the latter can be achieved by developing a professional relationship with the client. However, there is a barrier. In contrast to Ames (2002), more recent findings revealed that the attitude of the probation officer to the probationer is no longer as it would be adopted by a sensible friend. Though there are still elements in place in to supply advice, assist and befriend but in reality it is lacking. Strategies For Effective Offender Supervision highlighted the necessity for a higher detailed quality approach to deal with offenders by addressing more of their specific behaviour (HMIP 1998b). Offenders can change communitys image of them by undertaking community work in the community- which is a form of punishment. Nonetheless, no matter how strict the supervision of offenders, and no matter the extent of technology used, it will not be considered to be as effective as the simple act of imprisonment because offenders are not under a total control which prison affords, and is therefore not physically prevented for a period from committing further crimes. However, there are many reasons which provoke government from abolishing the objective of proper punishment; from an effective punishment in the community the offenders are more likely to able to pay compensation to their victims (Home Office, 1998: 7) by having the chance to re-appraise their lives and their relationships to other people. Moreover, as well as being economic for the taxpayer, it also boosts the probationers chance of finding employment as many offenders have poor work records; especially among school leave rs. In theory, community sentences help to ease the pressure on the prison system. As well as being cheaper than prisons, community sentences have shown to have lower recidivism rate; in 2007, 37% of people on a community order re-offended within one year of the order coming to an end as it offers a difficult but genuine opportunity for self-determination and an incentive to use it in legitimate directions. Community orders lasts between 60 and 240 hours of useful labour in the community. Approximately 70% of supervised offenders will be on community sentences each year. With community sentences, probation service aims to provide punishment (the hard work); reparation (working for the community); deterrence (giving up free time to work for nothing); incapacitation (restriction of liberty); and rehabilitation (achieving something worthwhile, and perhaps even learning a new skill). Among the community sentences performed by offenders has been work in youth clubs, hospitals and elderly home s, construction, painting and decorating, cleaning and many more. As psychologist ________ assert The desire to be wanted is basic to human nature (reference). In regards to community sentences, many who feel rejected by their families or society can under the right circumstances find fulfilment in discovering that they are needed by others. For example, Inner London Probation Service provides Bulldog Employment Project for offenders who are fully capable of work. The participants are paid more than they would receive from unemployment benefits, but less than they could obtain outside the programme. In due course they can leave work not only with the habit but also with an employers reference. This example provides the base of support which enables the offender to rise above their situation so they do not return to a life of crime by increasing their empathy with victims and growing their sense of community responsibility. (Ward 2008). This is consistent with Bazelmore and Stitchcombs model of reintegration. However, in some places the community wo rk has not been so inventive; it has been claimed that a few public service institutions in North London have been painted four times because the local probation service has run out of ideas (reference) In addition to the fact that community penalties lack the denunciatory power and the punitive elements of imprisonment, there is a huge amount of criticism that the idea of punishment turned upside down when considering that offenders often enjoy and continue to work voluntarily after the order expired. This is an opposition to utilitarian theory because the amount of pain derived from the community sentence is not greater than the amount of pleasure that is derived the forbidden activity (reference) Despite the potential of non-custodial sentences as an alternative to custody, magistrates and judges are sceptical of their use particularly when regarding the adequate supervision of offender which is resulting in prisons becoming a massive and seemingly indispensable pillar of contemporary social control (Garland 2001:14), which does not do anything to overcome the contemporary crisis experienced with the prison system. Having said that there have also been cases where non-custodial s entences have been imposed on minor offenders who would otherwise have received lesser penalties or none. This proves that there is inconsistency when imposing a sentence. And also, apart from being an excessive invasion of their liberty, this overloads the probation service. Another form of community penalty is the curfew order (electronic tagging) which is predominantly used for juveniles. Since electronically monitored curfews were introduced and implemented throughout in EW, their use has increased dramatically from 9,000 cases in 1999 to 53000 in 2004-05 (reference). The Home Office spend over  £100 million on the electronic monitoring of curfews. Although the primary purpose of electronic tagging is to monitor a curfew and reduce the opportunities for offenders to commit further crimes during their sentence, this does not prevent the offender from potentially deviating during the day. National Audit Office (NAO) reported that those who breached their curfew were more likely to have committed an office whilst on tag than those who had complied with the curfew (NAO 2006:3:1) In addition to this some offenders have tampered with or removed their tagging device which increase the risk of a breach and the subsequent risk of recidivism. However, some sc holars told that reconviction rates vary by offender- some statistics giving more convincing results. Despite the various criticisms, electronic tagging is financially more beneficial compared with incarceration. Moving on, as a result of tensioning recidivism rates and adverse publicity many critics point their finger at the probation service for its poor job handling. Speaking from their own experience and their knowledge of being part of a wider national probation workforce, staff reported sheer numbers of sickness absences which are sometimes accompanied by feelings of fear and insecurity (BBC News 2009a). These resulted in staff-resignations which further pressurised staff (BBC News, 2009b). Statistics are available to confirm this; each year the probation service commences the supervision of some 165,000 offenders; the caseload on any given day is believed to be in excess of 200,000 (Ministry of Justice 2009: 3). The funding invested to probation service over the recent years to provide more effective and beneficial service, particularly in supervision of community sentenced offenders allowed the service to become a more attractive proposition for the courts, not simply because they fel t resources are in place to enable them to use community orders more widely, but also because it is considered by courts to be more efficient and suitable form of treating and training offenders than imprisonment (Ministry Of Justice 2008). Given that the service as a whole relies upon the loyalty and integrity of its staff (reference), it is unimpressive that staffs are often feeling unsupervised and unsupported by their bosses (BBC News 2009c). In an attempt to reduce workload between the years of 2001-2008, the number of staff involved in the probation service has increased by 37%. This hides the reduction in the number of professionally qualified probation officers by 4%. Despite the rise in number of staff, the ratio of offenders to qualified probation officers has dramatically risen from 31:1 to 40:1, which is an increase of 28% as a result of numerous factors affecting the flows and caseloads. (NPS for England and Wales, 2005) Some of these factors are; the number of cases passing through the courts and the number found guilty; the length of time spent on remand; the custody and court order rates at the courts; and the number of offenders breaching court orders. Moreover, the role of the probation has expanded in many directions. As though the current workload is not enough, the probation service now has a duty to contact victims about the progress of the case and also give free and emotional support and practical help to victims of crime, their family, friends and anyone who is affected by it. According to _____ this is a rational decision because if the service continued to withdraw ignoring victims it would be targeted publicly and politically for its naiveness, thus it would also be morally unacceptable to behave as though the offenders need for rehabilitation is more important than victims. Of particular importance is that, according to _________, being equipped with fewer roles and responsibilities would make the service more likely to achieve those aims. Overall, a particular attention must be paid to rising workloads and staff dis-satisfaction, which in itself is bad but what is also important is that it makes the job of the probatio n service much more difficult and the possibility of rehabilitation and punishment far less likely to be successful than it otherwise would be. For instance, only about half of community sentence orders ran their full-course or at most, the likely offenders were terminated early for good progress. This could possibly be due to the fact the staff in these facilities are under immense pressure which produce hasty decisions, which are then reflected in the recidivism rates (Ministry of Justice 2009: 2). In order to reach its primary objectives, Multi-Agency Public Protection (MAPPA) was introduced in April 2001 to improve powerful management system for those offenders who are a potential threat to the community à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ensuring that public protection is the priority (MAPPA, 2005) For the most serious of cases MAPPA can take further actions to prevent distress to citizens. However, the plausibility of this agency is limited. An independent investigation agency, Panorama, revealed that only the top two risk levels, two and three, are tracked by the service. They argue that majority of violent criminals in England and Wales include sex offenders who are only classified as a low risk and subject to less supervision. (Panorama) In order to protect the public and reduce re-offending, risk assessment forms the basis for successive intervention and management of offenders by identifying harms posed. It is an important feature of the probation service and a core activity of a fully qualified probation officer. The intentions of government ministers for improving the risk assessment is clear; to be seen to be fighting crime on a politically sensitive issue.(reference) However, such an objective was difficult to achieve when traditional ways of working based on professional autonomy led to inconsistency and variation in probation practice. As a solution, over the decade, various risk assessment tools have been developed to eliminate inconsistency, but were, too, often open to criticisms. Ultimately, the creation of OASys sought to fulfil the aims of the prison and probation service by working in partnership with other institutions and also ensuring that probation officers assessed risk against the same criteria i n the same previous way. Howard et al (2006:33) highlighted the effectiveness of OASys as the best of actuarial methods of prediction with structured clinical judgement. However, critical consequences have been acknowledged by staff such as the loss of autonomy and de-skilling. Many officers complained that their job was becoming increasingly standardised, technical, and routine. (Leach 2004) The same argument was put forward by probation officers in a previous risk assessment tool such as LSI-R. (Robinson 2003). However, such changes in New Labours image of the modernized correctional institutions failed to materialise with respect to the protection of ex-prisoners upon release. This could perfectly be explained in the case of Gabriel Ferez and Laurent Bonomo, who were the victims of correctional service for their errors which left offenders free to kill (BBC News 2009c). Equally important, according to Shaw, in the week following release, prisonersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are about 40 time s more likely to die then the general population (2007; 1) because offenders have problems in meeting their basic needs for food and shelter. Their basic needs also act as a barrier to develop relationships with other people. Such arguments are nothing new; as early as in the late 1960s, Dr. Eugene Heimler (1967) provided a convincing argument that when the satisfaction of a mans basic needs falls below a certain level he finds it increasingly difficult to struggle with his everyday life, with all the pressures and forces of social living. A step taken by the Labour government to successfully meet its objective of rehabilitating offenders and protecting public was by developing staff. In an attempt to ensure that staff are of the right quality, well trained and efficiently used, labour government have abolished the diploma in Social Work and replaced it by integrating level 4 NVQ and an undergraduate degree to become a probation officer. The underlying reason for a change was to move beyond a social work curriculum by maintaining a university base. (Nellis, 2003: 95) Although the new requirement is much more preferable to the previous, there are some limitations that must not be masked. A major concern is the diminution of properly contextualised understanding of offending which was the strength of social work training. (Bhui 2001:1)Thus the emerging question is, though new probation officers may know how to run an effective programme, will they have a good comprehension of wider relevant issues such as social deprivat ion and so on? Surely this is still a concern for the service for the reason of there being little scope for the probation officers to decide how they want to work due to the introduction of accredited programmes and minimum standards they have to follow. In support, a newspaper article informs that officers spend about 25% of their time face-to-face with offenders (BBC News 2009b) which highlights how technical staffs have become. So rather than being encouraged to do as they are told, officers should be given the environment to think independently as professionals which would also eliminate dissatisfaction and enable them to meet their, and offenders, psychological needs. Frankly probation service was targeting both, offenders and victims, in its early years, (Smith et al., 1988) but this was not the case in the last decade or two. This Another problem stemming from punishment in the community is that if an offender is undergoing a probation order of treatment is later charged with a further offence, the court will most likely disapprove its previously given generous opportunity. This will lead to an inclination not only to impose a prison sentence, but an imprisonment longer than that which might otherwise be considered appropriate. This could perfectly be explained in the case of Gabriel Ferez and Laurent Bonomo, who were the victims of correctional service for their errors which left offenders free to kill (BBC News 2009c). The punishment should be imposed by the court, and rehabilitation should be agreed between the offender and the probation officer. In EW, although punishments are largely dependent on the court order issued, Carter report told that they do not tend to address the needs of the offender (91). However, a problem stemming from punishment in the community is that if an offender is undergoing a probation order of treatment is later charged with a further offence, the court will most likely disapprove its previously given generous opportunity. This will lead to an inclination not only to impose a prison sentence, but an imprisonment longer than that which might otherwise be considered appropriate. This could perfectly be explained in the case of Gabriel Ferez and Laurent Bonomo, who were the victims of correctional service for their errors which left offenders free to kill (BBC News 2009c). (See extra stuff document) for a conclusive paragraph Nonetheless, the ineffectiveness of such roles and responsibilities should not solely be attributed to the probation service or to the Ministry of Justice. Indeed, they can not find satisfaction in work and recreation, and do not have the motivation to acquire the necessary skills. The likelihood of reintegration is made worse given that many probationers are illiterate. It is possible that illiterate people commit more offences than others, because fewer opportunities are available to them. When the offenders return to their home, they again associate with the society that bred the criminal activity in the first place. Many offenders come from areas where poverty and low education standards overwhelmingly influence criminal behaviour. It can not of course be concluded that illiteracy is alone responsible; other factors can also influence criminal behaviour, such as the care and support shown by teachers and other participants and the fact that these individuals were motivated to seek self-improvement. Surely probation officers should not be held liable to fix what education institutions failed to do; teach reading and writing.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Jews :: essays research papers

Jews "The enemy trapped the Jews in the city by building a wall around it. Foodstuffs could not be brought in: starvation and crowded conditions gave rise to disease, and epidemics spread among the populace. But surprisingly the Jews held on. Then the enemy massed troops outside the wall and brought out the latest in weaponry. They attacked, using fire to spread destruction. The Jews repelled the enemy a number of times. So savage was the resistance that the campaign to destroy the Jewish population took much longer and cost more troops than anticipated. Street by street the fighting raged with hand-to-hand combat between the heavily armed troops and the haggard defenders. Some Jews tried to escape through the sewers, but they were flushed out by fire. At the end the Jews had taken a heavy toll on their enemy but the city lay in smoking ruins. The remaining Jewish survivors were rounded up to be used as slave laborers or to be killed. What episode in Jewish history is depicted in this scenario? Most people would say this was the Warsaw Ghetto uprising against the Nazis in 1943. But in fact it was the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in the year 70 The destruction of the Second temple and the attack on the Warsaw Ghetto, although separated by nearly two thousand years have and eerie sameness. The Germans sealed off the Warsaw's Jewish population with and eight-foot brick concrete wall. The Romans built a high earthen barricade around Jerusalem to make certain the Jews could not escape. Germans shot, on the spot Jews discovered outside the Warsaw Ghetto. The Romans crucified the Jews they found, placing crosses atop the hill to terrorize those watching from inside the city: as many as 500 were crucified in 1 day. The Germans tried to starve the Polish Jews into submission reducing their rations at first to 800 calories a day and later cutting off all food to the ghetto. The Romans used the tactic of siege to bring starvation in Jerusalem. In both episodes the actual fighting was in some ways similar. "Since the ghetto was impenetrable in frontal attack, General Stroop's forces set fire to the buildings with incendiary bombs and flame throwers" Titus's Roman legions used flaming torches of wood to set fire to the Temple and other buildings in the final battle. "Through the roar of the flames as they [the Romans] swept relentlessly on could be heard the groans of the falling†¦ the entire city seemed to be on fire. The Nazis not only killed but plundered Jews if their possessions; the Romans

Monday, November 11, 2019

Pitt Street in Sydney and Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne Essay

Apart from Zara, Inditex also owns international labels Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarious, Oysho, Zara Home and Uterqà ¼e. The formula for Zara is simple: latest catwalk trends reproduced, plus new stocks delivered to stores in fewer than 15 days, plus giggle-inducing prices, equates to global success. â€Å"Our decision to come to Australia now is based on two main reasons. Firstly, our operations are at that capability level of supplying to a country like Australia, which is quite far away from our headquarters in Spain. With new stocks needing to be sent every two weeks, we had to be absolutely sure we could handle this new amount of orders. â€Å"Secondly, we were waiting for the right locations to become available, and now we [have] found two excellent spots in Sydney and Melbourne and were happy to launch into Australia.† Fleur Madden-Topley, managing director of PR agencies Red and Blue by Red, feels that Australian consumers have also created the demand for the brand’s entrance onto our shores Touted as one of the world’s most successful logistics operations by the Harvard Business Review, the production line is executed like clockwork, where lorries move in and out on schedule to ensure each store gets its fortnightly update of stocks right on time. Echevarria oversees all international marketing activities and media relationships, engaging assistance from a local public relations firm only during momentous occasions like new store openings. Zara’s closest competitors, such as Swedish label H&M, the UK’s Top Shop and the US’s Gap, spend typically three to five percent of annual revenues on advertising campaigns, and have a penchant for involving celebrities, either in their advertising or their product lines. Top Shop has its sought after Kate Moss collection, while H&M has limited pieces designed by the likes of Madonna and Kylie Minogue. Gap is well-known for attracting star names, such as Lucy Liu, Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer, to appear in its advertisements. Our store locations and window fronts are our biggest form of advertising Zara tailors its products to each city â€Å"Zara has effectively utilised word of mouth, or strategic public relations, in building and maintaining its brand. So while rivals outsource to Asia, Zara makes its most fashionable items — half of all its merchandise — at a dozen company-owned factories in Spain. Clothes with a longer shelf life, such as basic T-shirts, are outsourced to low-cost suppliers, mainly in Asia and Turkey. Zara’s nerve center is an 11,000-square-foot hall at its headquarters in Arteixo, a town of 25,000 in Galicia. That’s where hundreds of twentysomething designers, buyers, and production planners work in tightly synchronized teams. It is there that the company does all of its design and distribution and half of its production. The concentrated activity enables it to move a dress, blouse, or coat from drawing board to shop floor in just two weeks — less than a quarter of the industry average. Inditex says it works with unions and other organizations â€Å"to have the most respectful supply chain† and audits all of its partners every year, but like most major fashion companies that outsource the manufacturing of their clothes, it has received its share of complaints about factory conditions

Friday, November 8, 2019

8 Bad Habits Bosses Hate the Most

8 Bad Habits Bosses Hate the Most It’s easy to get into bad patterns. But the good news is, it’s possible to break out of them! Whether you’re new to the workforce or you just want to make sure you’ve got your ducks in a row, it never hurts to think through the habits bosses find most annoying or repellent and make sure you’re not guilty of any of these professional faux pas. 1. Too Much/Too Little InitiativeIt’s important to show initiative. You should never be sitting around at your desk idly waiting for someone to tell you what to do. Show you love your job by finding productive and helpful things to do! But, on the other hand, don’t overdue it. There’s going the extra mile and then there’s going overboard. Aim for enthusiastic and thorough, not inefficient and excessive.2. Making ExcusesFirst of all, try not to do anything that would require an excuse in the first place. Get your work done. Get to work on time. And if you can’t get there in the time you have, don’t try to pawn off the responsibility. Just fix it. Stay honest and take responsibility for your part in everything. Okay, so maybe you did have a flat tire. Resist the temptation to embellish or to elicit sympathy. Just get back to work.3. WhiningThis includes moaning, moping, and complaining. In today’s economic climate, you’re lucky to have a job. Everybody hates staying late and having to sacrifice family time for work functions- even your boss. You’re all in it together. So save the grumbling and try to find ways to make it work instead.4. Asking Too Many QuestionsIt’s okay- good even- to ask questions when you need something clarified. It’s another thing entirely to ask redundant questions, or questions you could have found answers to on your own. If you can’t keep up intellectually, your boss will notice. Don’t hassle your boss or waste her time.5. Sloppy EmailsJust because some of your coworkers are e xtremely casual in their emailing habits doesn’t mean you should be too. Make sure to use complete sentences and to proofread. And for the love of all things holy, don’t reply all every time. Save that move for when it’s absolutely necessary.6. Taking AdvantageYour boss gives you a little leeway about clock-in times or coffee breaks- don’t take advantage of this and abuse the privilege. Your boss is super informal- don’t take advantage of this and become disrespectful. If your boss gives you an inch, be grateful. Don’t try to squeak out a foot, or worse, a mile.7. NegativityEspecially if your negativity means you badmouth the company- a fireable offense! But the same goes for being super rigid about what your job parameters are. Or being the one who’s always contrary and always saying no and shooting down others’ ideas.8. PolitickingTry not to get caught up in the politics and drama of office controversies. And definitely absta in from gossip. Nobody likes a coworker who is constantly pushing for better position and maneuvering behind their colleagues’ backs.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Drinking and Drafting Essays

Drinking and Drafting Essays Drinking and Drafting Paper Drinking and Drafting Paper For two decades, young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty have tried to come to terms with governmental restrictions placed on the legal drinking age in the United States of America. For most, this law seems to be quite senseless, especially since these same young people are required by law to register with the armed services in case of a necessary draft. Why is it acceptable for the government to not only allow but in some cases require our young adults to risk their lives for a country that places restrictions on their consumption and behavior? The simple answer is that it is not fair, nor does it make any sense. Restricting the adult activity of purchasing and drinking alcohol to adults age twenty one and over is not only a slap in the face to young adults, it actually produces more negative behaviors in the same people that the law was meant to help protect. While the main issue may seem to be that it is unfair or even wrong to restrict an adult’s ability to legally consume alcohol until the age of twenty one that is really just one of the underlying arguments for an even bigger argument. The main issue of restricting drinking in young adults is that it produces harmful and negative behaviors. Dr. Ruth Engs, Professor of Applied Health Science at Indiana University, has spent years studying this issue. In her article entitled â€Å"Why the Drinking Age Should be Lowered: An Opinion Based on Research†, Engs submits her findings after over twenty years of research regarding the legal drinking age. Engs believes that â€Å"Prohibition did not work [†¦] and prohibition for young people under the age of 21 is not working now†. Restricting alcohol consumption in young adults who are able to enter establishments with drinking, live on their own, and make their own rules does not stop them from drinking. They just do it illegally, and while doing so, develop bad habits. â€Å"Those under the age of 21 are more likely to be heavy sometimes called binge – drinkers† (Engs). Binge drinking leads to uninhibited behavior and over intoxication. These are not only health risks, but place people in dangerous situations. As dangerous as binge drinking can be, young men who enter the armed services face an even graver danger. With the nation currently at war, Americans sacrifice their young men daily to a government who will allow them to lose their life in the pursuit of the government’s battles. Why is it then that this same group of young people is denied the right to engage in an adult activity, that, if taught to be handled responsibly, can produce very positive, fun, and relaxing interactions between adults? Has reducing the legal drinking age benefitted anyone? According to research, it has not. Although study after study has been conducted, it seems that the evidence simply isn’t conclusive, as stated by Toomey and Wagenaar, â€Å"Of all analyses that reported significant effects, 87% found higher drinking ages associated with lower alcohol consumption. Only 13% found the opposite. The evidence is not entirely consistent: Almost half (46%) of the analyses found no association between the legal age and indicators of alcohol consumption† (3) Has reducing the legal drinking age made streets any safer? While the statistics may seem to imply yes, Engs points out that other factors are being ignored such as â€Å"education concerning drunk driving, designated driver programs, increased seat belt and air bag usage, safer automobiles, lower speed limits, free taxi services from drinking establishments, etc. †. The big argument seems to focus on the young adults in college who end up binge drinking and partying to the point that they make themselves ill. Given the atmosphere that these young adults are in, it is inevitable that illegal drinking will take place. Toomey and Wagenaar also found that â€Å"as the legal age was lowered, the number of problems increased, and as the legal age was raised, the number of problems decreased† (5). It is safe to say that increasing the drinking age may appear to have positive effects, but studies have shown that it in fact is more detrimental to young people than helpful. What then, can we do as a nation to get the law makers to see that their foolish laws are counterproductive and are in fact endangering young adults more than protecting them and society? The first step is to analyze the data available and to see that the current system just isn’t working. If encouraging illegal drinking, irresponsible behavior, and binge drinking is what the government wants to do, then it has succeeded at this task. Instead of not trusting young people to drink responsibly, the same young people that are entrusted to protect our nation, we should teach responsible behavior and how to enjoy alcohol safely. Engs, Ruth. Should the drinking age be lowered to 18 or 19. Adapted from and in Drinking on Campus, CQ Researcher 8 (March 20,1998):257. Issues author Karen Scrivo. Retrieved April 12, 2007, from indiana. edu/~engs/articles/cqoped. html. Toomey, Traci and Alexander C. Wagenaar â€Å"Effects of Minimum Drinking Age Laws: Review and Analyses of the Literature from 1960 to 2000†; Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Vol. 63, 2002.