Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Seneca Falls Womens Rights Convention - 1848

The roots of the Seneca Falls Womens Rights Convention, the first womens rights convention in history, go back to 1840, when Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were attending the Worlds Anti-Slavery Convention in London as delegates, as were their husbands. The credentials committee ruled that women were constitutionally unfit for public and business meetings. After a vigorous debate on the role of women at the convention, the women were relegated to a segregated womens section which was separated from the main floor by a curtain; the men were permitted to speak, the women were not. Elizabeth Cady Stanton later credited conversations held with Lucretia Mott in that segregated womens section for the idea of holding a mass meeting to address the rights of women. William Lloyd Garrison arrived after the debate about women speaking; in protest of the decision, he spent the convention in the womens section. Lucretia Mott came from a Quaker tradition in which women were able to speak in church; Elizabeth Cady Stanton had already asserted her sense of womens equality by refusing to have the word obey included in her marriage ceremony. Both were committed to the cause of abolition of slavery; their experience in working for freedom in one arena seemed to solidify their sense that full human rights must be extended to women, too. Becoming a Reality But it was not until an 1848 visit of Lucretia Mott with her sister, Martha Coffin Wright, during an annual Quaker convention, that the idea of a womens rights convention turned into plans, and Seneca Falls became a reality. The sisters met during that visit with three other women, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Ann MClintock, and Jane C. Hunt, at the home of Jane Hunt. All were also interested in the anti-slavery issue, and slavery had just been abolished in Martinique and the Dutch West Indies. The women obtained a place to meet in the town of Seneca Falls and on July 14 put a notice in the paper about the upcoming meeting, publicizing it mainly in the upstate New York area: Womans Rights Convention A Convention to discuss the social, civil and religious condition and rights of woman, will be held in the Wesleyan Chapel, at Seneca Falls, N.Y., on Wednesday and Thursday, the 19th and 20th of July, current; commencing at 10 oclock, A.M. During the first day the meeting will be exclusively for women, who are earnestly invited to attend. The public generally are invited to be present on the second day, when Lucretia Mott of Philadelphia, and others, ladies and gentlemen will address the convention. Preparing the Document The five women worked to prepare an agenda and a document to be considered for passage at the Seneca Falls convention. James Mott, Lucretia Motts husband, would chair the meeting, as many would consider such a role for women to be unacceptable. Elizabeth Cady Stanton led the writing of a declaration, modeled after the Declaration of Independence. The organizers also prepared specific resolutions. When Elizabeth Cady Stanton advocated for including the right to vote among the proposed actions, the men threatened to boycott the event, and Stantons husband left town. The resolution on voting rights stayed in, though the women other than Elizabeth Cady Stanton were skeptical of its passage. First Day, July 19 At the first day of the Seneca Falls convention, with over 300 people in attendance, the participants discussed womens rights. Forty of the participants at Seneca Falls were men, and the women quickly made the decision to allow them to participate fully, asking them only to be silent on the first day which had been meant to be exclusively for women. The morning didnt begin auspiciously: when those who had organized the Seneca Falls event arrived at the meeting place, Wesleyan Chapel, they found that the door was locked, and none of them had a key. A nephew of Elizabeth Cady Stanton climbed in a window and opened the door. James Mott, who was supposed to chair the meeting (it still being considered too outrageous for a woman to do so), was too ill to attend. The first day of the Seneca Falls convention continued with a discussion of the prepared Declaration of Sentiments. Amendments were proposed and some were adopted. In the afternoon, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton spoke, then more changes were made to the Declaration. The eleven resolutions -- including the one that Stanton had added late, proposing that women get the vote -- were debated. Decisions were put off until Day 2 so that men, too, could vote. In the evening session, open to the public, Lucretia Mott spoke. Second Day, July 20 On the second day of the Seneca Falls convention, James Mott, Lucretia Motts husband, presided. Ten of the eleven resolutions passed quickly. The resolution on voting, however, saw more opposition and resistance. Elizabeth Cady Stanton continued to defend that resolution, but its passage was in doubt until an ardent speech by ex-slave and newspaper owner, Frederick Douglass, on its behalf. The closing of the second day included readings of Blackstones Commentaries on the status of women and speeches by several including Frederick Douglass. A resolution offered by Lucretia Mott passed unanimously: The speedy success of our cause depends upon the zealous and untiring efforts of both men and women, for the overthrow of the monopoly of the pulpit, and for securing to women of equal participation with men in the various trades, professions, and commerce. The debate about mens signatures on the document was resolved by permitting men to sign, but below the womens signatures. Of about 300 people present, 100 signed the document. Amelia Bloomer was among those who did not; she had arrived late and had spent the day in the gallery because there were no seats left on the floor. Of the signatures, 68 were of women and 32 were of men. Reactions to the Convention The story of Seneca Falls wasnt over, however. Newspapers reacted with articles mocking the Seneca Falls convention, some printing the Declaration of Sentiments in its entirety because they thought it was ridiculous on its face. Even more liberal papers like that of Horace Greeley judged the demand to vote to be going too far. Some signers asked to have their names removed. Two weeks after the Seneca Falls convention, a few of the participants met again, in Rochester, New York. They resolved to continue the effort, and organize more conventions (though in the future, with women chairing the meetings). Lucy Stone was key in organizing a convention in 1850 in Rochester: the first to be publicized and conceptualized as a national womens rights convention. Two early sources for the Seneca Falls Womens Rights Convention are the contemporary account in Frederick Douglass Rochester newspaper, The North Star, and Matilda Joslyn Gages account, first published in 1879 as National Citizen and Ballot Box, later becoming part of A History of Woman Suffrage, edited by Gage, Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony (who was not at Seneca Falls; she did not become involved in womens rights until 1851).

Monday, December 23, 2019

Death A Very Deep Impact On The Way That Everyman Essay

What Every Man Should Strive For. Engl. 102: Composition and Literature Fall B Term, 2016 Robert D. Tice L26695780 APA Thesis Statement: Death has a very deep impact upon the way that â€Å"Everyman† is understood. This play explains greatly the impact of our deeds on us when the time comes that we have reached deaths door. Outline 1. Introduction and thesis statement 2. Authors interpretation of the play a. What points the author is trying to present to the reader. b. How the author wants the reader to perceive the play. 3. Authors perception of death a. Author wants the reader to know his ideas of death. b. How the author feels death affects us and how we affect death depending on how we live. 4. Authors treatment of death a. How the author perceives death and interacts with death. b. What the author feels as to how they will treat death. 5. Conclusion. Death has a very deep impact upon the way that â€Å"Everyman† is understood. This play portrays death and god and how we really should live our lives in order to know for sure where we will go once we have left this life and gone into the next one. This play explains greatly the impact of our deeds on us when the time comes that we have reached deaths door. Will we go to Heaven and stand before the lord and recount our good we have done in life? Or will we be sent to Hell for failing to live the life God had intended us to live here on Earth? â€Å"Everyman†Show MoreRelatedCharacter Analysis Of Everyman1161 Words   |  5 PagesEveryman, a morality play, was written in the late fifteenth century with the intention of communicating to both educated, as well as, illiterate audiences’ some of the moral instructions regarding the way to live life and prepare for judgment day. Liberty University (Lesson 26 presentation) says, â€Å"This play taught masses of people about Christ and what constitutes a God centered moral life.† (Liberty University. n.d.) 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It is, then, a broad field which, to add to the confusion, also goes under several different names, some of which you will encounter when reading texts on the subject. The two main areas are generally calledRead MoreStrategy Safari by Mintzberg71628 Words   |  287 Pagessturdy side, At once began to brawl: God bless me but the Elephant Is very like a wall. The Second, feeling of the tusk, Cried, Ho! What have we here So very round and smooth and sharp? To me tis mighty clear This wonder of an Elephant Is very like a spear! The Third approached the animal, And happening to take The squirming trunk within his hands, Thus boldly up and spake: I see, quoth he, The Elephant Is very like a snake! The Fourth reached out an eager hand, And felt around the knee

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Dissertation Research Design Free Essays

string(54) " to a sizeable audience in a very cost-effective way\." Sample Dissertation Methodology: Quantitative Survey Strategy 1 Research Methodology 1.1 Introduction This research project has been one of the most thought-provoking and challenging feature of the master’s course. It provides a chance to endorse, simplify, pursue and even explore new facets of one’s research topic. We will write a custom essay sample on Dissertation Research Design or any similar topic only for you Order Now The research approach adopted is an important aspect to increase the rationality of the research according to Cresswell (2007). The research ‘onion’ is a methodology that was developed by Saunders et al (2003).According to the research ‘onion’, as shown in figure 4.1, the entire process is in the form of an onion comprising of various layers. The research philosophy, research approaches, research strategies, time horizons and the data collection method form the different layers of the onion depicting each of the research process. The process involves peeling each layer at a time to reach the centre which is the actual question of the research. For this research philosophy of interpretivism was chosen along with deductive approach and mainly using quantitative techniques for data collection and analysis (Saunders et al., 2009). The chapter details the research process adopted and continues with an explanation of the data collection and data analysis methods employed by the researcher including a justification for the approach and method. The sampling method used by the researcher is discussed and justified and the chapter continues with a commentary of the limitation of the study design. Finally the issues of observer influence are covered as in the ethical approach to the research and a summary of the chapter is presented 1.2 The Research Philosophy Research philosophy forms the outermost layer of the research ‘onion’. There are three views based on the way knowledge is developed and corroborated. Individuals or groups rely upon their individual experiences, memories and expectations to derive logic from situations occurring in the society. This logic gets revised over a period of time with new experiences which in turns leads to different interpretations. Therefore it is essential to determine and understand the factors that impact, govern and affect the interpretations of individuals. According to Denzin and Lincoln (2003) interpretivists believe in multiple realities. Hatch and Cuncliffe (2006) have described how interpretivists try to draw meaning from realities and further creat new ones to analyse the different point of views and to validate them against academic literatures. Since the aim is to interpret the thinking of ‘social actors’ and gaining insights using their pointo of views, it cannot be generalised (Saunders et al. 2007). Remenyi et al. (1998) described an interpretivist as one who tries to ascertain the details of the situation with the underlying motive to unearth the working logic behind the situation. Eriksson and Kovalainen (2008) point out a flaw which researchers need to take care of while adopting the interpretivism. They say that because of the closeness of the researcher and the researched, there is a likelihood of a bias in the interpretation. The solution is self-reflection This research attempts to ascertain a relationship, if any, between knowledge management framework in an organisation and the behaviour resulting from the knowledge management practices. This approach adopted by the researcher requires to ‘get close’ to the participants and try and throw light on their acumen of the reality. Thus it can be said that the researcher adopts a interpretivism philosophy. The Research Approach The next layer of the research ‘onion’ is the research approach. The design of the research project determines the choice of research approach adopted. If the research involves developing a theory and hypothesis (or hypotheses) and design a research strategy to test the hypotheses then the approach classifies as a deductive approach. On the other hand the inductive approach involves data collection and developing a theory based on the analysis of the data. In an inductive approach a theory follows the data collection where as it is vice versa in case of a deductive approach. According to Saunders et al (2003), researchers in the 20th century criticised the deductive approach stating that deductive approach help establish cause-effect links between specific variable without taking in to account the human interpretation. Saunders et al. (2000) suggest that researcher should be independent of what is being observed, which the deductive approach dictates. Robson (1993) suggests that the deductive approach is a theory testing practice which arises from an established theory or generalisation, and tries to validate the theory in context to specific instances. According to Jashapara (2004) Knowledge Management, the central topic of the research, has been around since ancient Greece and Rome and it further mentions that knowledge management is growing at an exponential growth with a lot of literature available. As Creswell (1994) suggests that a deductive approach would be a better approach in such a scenario. Since the data collection for this research involves online surveys by professionals, time is a valuable commodity. In a deductive approach, data collection is less time consuming and works on a ‘one take’ basis, which is also beneficial for the participant of the survey. Following a deductive approach ensures a highly structured methodology (Giles and Johnson, 1997) and can also be basis for future research adopting an inductive approach. 1.3 Research Strategy The research strategy provides a rough picture about how the research question (s) will be answered. It also specifies the sources for data collection and hindrances faced throughout the research like data access limitations, time constraints, economical and ethical issues. Saunders et al. (2003) explain that the strategy is concerned with the overall approach you adopt while the tactics involves the details like data collection methods (questionnaire, interviews published data) and analysis methods. There are several strategies that can be employed and they can be classified based on the approach, deductive or inductive, adopted. This research adopts deductive approach. Survey strategy is well suited for this approach. A large amount of data was required to determine the relationship, if any, between the constructs defined in the literature review. According to Saunders et al (2003) and Collins and Hussey (2003) surveys allows data collection and can be addressed to a sizeable audience in a very cost-effective way. You read "Dissertation Research Design" in category "Essay examples" Surveys are mostly done in the form of questionnaire, as questionnaire provides standardised data making it easy for comparison. One drawback is the time spent to construct and test a questionnaire. In a survey there is a huge dependence on the participants to answer the questionnaire causing unnecessary delays. There is also a limitation on the number of questions that can be included in the questionnaire. This limitation is from the respondents’ perspective if the researcher wants a high quality of response from the part icipants. Owing to the nature and amount of size required, statistical analysis of data, time available for the research and for economic reasons the survey strategy has been adopted for this research. Choice of research method According to Saunders et al. (2003) the research methods are in accord with the methods and used for data collection and analysis. Quantitative research is associated with numeric data collection and analysis while, ‘qualitative’ methods are inclined towards non-numeric or data that is gained from inference. However a combined approach can also be adopted as suggested by Tashakori and Teddlie’s (2003). The main advantage is that the researcher can get a different perspective while attempting to answer the research questions and also make more reliable interpretations, ’triangulation’ (Saunders et al. 2009). For this research data was collected via online questionnaire and was statically analysed and represented using graphs. Number crunching methods are generally used in business and management studies. This method is primarily contributed to quantitative analysis. To answer the research question data was also collected from theories and case studies and analysed qualitatively. To present the analysis in a structured manner and articulate the inferences from the theories and statistical analysis could only be done by means of words (Saunders et al., 2009). By making use of qualitative methods the data could be categorized under â€Å"knowledge management environment†, â€Å"organisational knowledge behaviour† and â€Å"Individual knowledge behaviour† and with the aid of narrative an attempt to establish relationships, if any, between them (Saunders et al., 2009, p.516). 1.4 Time Horizons Saunders et al. (2009) suggest that a research can be depicted in a snap look alike or can have a diary like perspective. A ‘snapshot’ horizon is termed as a cross sectional whereas the diary perspective is termed as longitudinal. Further Saunders et al (2003) suggest that the time perspective to research (cross-sectional or longitudinal) is independent of the research strategy. Longitudinal research is adopted when change or development that occurs over a period of time is to be studied. Adam and Schvaneveldt (1991) suggest that in longitudinal studies is very useful in studying human behaviours and development. Longitudinal studies do have a limitation when time is a constraint. In cross-sectional research, a certain phenomenon is studied at a particular point in time. This research tries to explore the relationship between organisational environment and its effect on organisational behaviours in the context of Knowledge Management. It is aimed to find the relation at the present time so a cross-sectional study is adopted. According to Easterby-Smith et al. ( 2002) surveys are preferred in cross-sectional studies. However Robson (2002) g=further says that qualitative methods can also be adopted in cross-sectional studies by considering interviews carried out in a short span of time. 1.5 Secondary Data Collection According to Saunders et al. ( 2003) secondary data includes both quantitative and qualitative data. Secondary data is usually used in the form of case studies or survey-based research in management and business research. Saunders et al. (2003) have classified secondary data under documentary data, complied data and survey-based data as shown in figure 3.1 For this research the primary data collection was using online questionnaires. However documentary secondary data was also unsed in conjunction to the primary data. The purpose of making use of secondary data was to explore the existing literature and explore the various facets of knowledge management. Documentary secondary data like books, journals articles were used in this research to define the three constructs explained in chapter 2. Also secondary data was used to explore the literature to define the research question. Books by noted authors and academic journals such as Emerald journals, swetswise e-journals, ebsco host were refereed for the purpose of data collection. The reliability and validity of secondary data relates to the methods by which the data was collected and the source of the data. A quick assessment of the source can ensure validity and reliability of the data. Dochartaigh (2002) suggests the testing of reliability and validity refers to testing the authority and reputation of the source. Articles and papers found in Emerald and Ebscohost are likely to be more reliable and trustworthy which can be inferred from the continued existence of such organisations. Dochartaigh (2002) furthers the point of assessment by looking out for copyright statement. 1.6 Research Sample Saunders et al. (2003) differentiated sampling techniques as probability sampling and non-probability sampling based on their generalizability. Probability sampling meant that the research question could be answered and generalized across the target population, based on the responses from the sample size. Time was a constraint owing to the business of the participants who belonged to Knowledge intensive industry, selecting a sampling method was a challenge. According to Easterby-Smith et al. (2002), sampling methods must reduce the amount of data to be collected by focusing on the target population rather than a random sample population. Snowball sampling was selected to ensure that maximum participants could be reached. The research was carried within 7 organisations across 5 countries. The researcher could not personally know so many professional from IT and other knowledge intensive industry, so a few managers was contacted who subsequently forwarded the questionnaire to others with in their respective organisation resulting in to a homogeneous sample (Babbie, 2008). Manager also had to be contacted since all participants could not be addressed directly due company policies restricting external emails. Since the questionnaire was target at the users of knowledge management tools and practices with in the organisation, the researcher requested the managers to forward the questionnaire across the organisation independent of the managerial status. Sample selection was continued till 20 responses from each organisation were received. 140 samples have been considered for this study. 1.7 Primary Data collection Questionnaire is a form of data collection in which all the respondents are asked the same set of questions in a pre-set order (deVaus, 2002). Robson (2002) suggested that questionnaires are not effective in a descriptive research as it is requires many open ended questions to be answered. All the participants should interpret the questionnaire in the same manner; the data collected can be reliable. If the questionnaire is worded correctly, less effort is required to administer the questionnaire (Jankowicz, 2000). Questionnaire can be classified as shown in the Figure below. The differentiation is based on the level of interaction between the researcher and the respondents. The research has an international orientation to it. The respondents are based in 5 countries and it was not feasible for the researcher to meet each respondent. So a self-administered questionnaire was the most appropriate option. Time and monetary constraint further helped to narrow down the survey to an online questionnaire where the questionnaire was forwarded to the emails. Email offers a better reliability as the respondents would access their own emails and respond to the questionnaire (Witmer et al., 1999). In this case the questionnaire was sent to the managers who further forwarded the emails to their colleagues. In this scenario online questionnaire was a more feasible option because it is easy to forward emails, unauthorised access to emails would be difficult and the responses would go directly to the researcher without them being disclosed or discussed with. The questionnaire has been divided into two parts. The first part consists of information regarding demographics such as organisation location, age, tenure in the organisation and job role. The second part consists of questions related to organization’s knowledge management practices, knowledge behaviour and use of the knowledge. The data required for the research required responses from managerial and non-managerial employees working in a knowledge intensive environment. It was required to create an accurate cause – effect relationship of the KM practices with respect the organisational environment and behaviour of employees. This required honest responses about the KM practices. Appendix shows the questions that were asked to define the relationship amongst the construct defined in the literature review. Likert scale has been used to score each question and score will be given from strongly disagree(1) to strongly agree(5) to. In the questionnaire 1 question has been framed using negation and in a reverse order. Podsakoff et al. (2003) suggest that this should be done to ensure that respondent pay attention while reading the question. All questionnaires were returned within 72 hours. Considering the incentives and time constraints for the respondents the questionnaire was designed so that it does not take more than 8-10 minutes to be answered. 1.8 Dota Analysis methods Qualitative and quantitative data has been used in this research. Qualitative data has been used to study the literature about knowledge manangement and define the constructs that for the basis of the research question. Quantitiative data was collected primarily with the help of questionnaire. 1.9 Methodological Review Saunders et al. (2003) emphasis on two aspects of data collection: validity and reliability. The validity and reliability of secondary data has been explained in SECTION. Saunders et al. (2007) suggest that in case of a questionnaire pilot testing should be done to ensure the validity of the question and the reliability of the data subsequently collected. The questionnaire used for the survey has been tested on a group, to test the comprehensibility of the content and the logic of the questions. Bell (1999) suggests that a trail run should never be compromised even if time is a constraint. While testing the questionnaire the respondent were asked regarding the time taken to complete, ambiguity of the questions, if any questions caused a uncomfortable feeling or awkward state of mind and the last was the structure. Validating the questionnaire ensures that the response for each question and the motive for the question are the relevant (Saunders et al. 2000). Reliability of the questionnaire depends on the consistency of the response to the same questions. To ensure this the questionnaire must be answered twice by the respondent at differing time (Easterby-Smith, et al. 2002). This may be difficult due time constraints but should be done. Mitchell (1996) suggests that the responses of the questions should be checked for consistency within the subgroup. In this research the questionnaire has been divided in to 4 sections. During the pilot testing the responses where checked for consistency with in each section to ensure the reliability. The results can be generalised to an extent due to the sample size and inferences are gathered based on the statistical analysis. Steps have been taken to ensure the anonymous nature of the questionnaire so that the responses are honest and unbiased. How to cite Dissertation Research Design, Essays

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Global Risk Management And Supply Chain †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Global Logistics Risk Management And Supply Chain? Answer: Introduction Supply chain can be defined as the sequence of processes, which are involved in the production and distribution of the goods. This study will choose retailers for discussion the factors of their supply chain. In the global market, retailers are more likely to be influenced through the global market forces. The study will discuss the global market force and risk of supply chain of the retailers. Apart from that, the study will also discuss the development chain, supply chain and strategies of the retailers. Discussion Most of the retailers are more incline to expand their business in international markets. In such global business, retailers are to build global supply chain networks for establishing strong supply chain networks (Pagell Shevchenko, 2014). However, in global market, retailers face some global market forces for their global logistic system. Political stability of different countries can impose several restrictions on the supply chain of the retailers. Moreover, changing government rules and regulations of the foreign Government can impact on the supply chain management strategies. According to Seuring, (2013), volatile fuel price in the foreign market can often impact on the cost of overall supply chain activities of the retailers. Moreover, increasing fuel price of in the international market actually enhances the cost of the overall supply chain network. Apart from that, Ellram and Cooper, (2014) opined that currency fluctuation is one of the most important global market force, whi ch have major impact on the supply chain of retailers. Retailers face some risks in their global supply chain, which can affect the business performance of the retail organizations. Volatile fuel price actually increases the cost of overall supply management with frequent increase in the fuel price. Therefore, the retailers can face less potentiality of business profitability. The retailers should crucially choose the international market, where fluctuation of fuel price has less impact on the supply chain. As per Heckmann, Comes and Nickel, (2015), rise of technology of different international market can also be risky for the supply chain of the retailers. The less technically advanced retailers often face compatibility issues in advanced technology of the developed countries. Therefore, these retailers can manage this risk through advancing their technology towards aligning with the advanced technology of the developed countries and perform smooth supply chain in those countries. While considering the development chain of Retailers, it can be seen that the retailers mostly follow product architecture scheme, where the functional elements of products are arranged into physical chunks. As per Li, (2013), retailers always crucially choose making and buying decisions for their supply chain. Retailers are mostly engaged in getting supply of different brands in their organizations. Therefore, choosing right brand to buy is the most important thing for enhancing the economies of scale. On the other hand, Garcia and You, (2015) opined that the retailers always maintain long-term and collaborative relationship with their suppliers for getting price discount from those suppliers. In this way, retailers can manage effective development chain even in global market. Global Retail supply chain management defines the process of managing the entire supply chain of the retail organizations. Retail supply chain is slightly different from other supply chain in regards to volume of product movement and fast moving nature of the products of retail industry. According to Ellram and Cooper, (2014), the retail supply chain needs to be monitored very closely and free from any kinds of defects as the cycle time is very low. Furthermore, continuous movement of materials across the supply chain is extremely important for the success of retail industry. Moreover, there should be perfect interlinking between the inbound and outbound logistics of the retails organizations for timely delivery of the products to the customers. While considering the strategies of Retailers, it can be seen that retail organizations follow demand driven operating model in supply chain management. In this model, right prediction and contingency planning is taken for optimizing the production process and material sourcing. According to Pagell and Shevchenko, (2014), retailers also have taken agile and adaptive supply chain with rapid planning and execution. Moreover, for fine-tuned supply chain operations, the retailers also remain adaptive in aligning with changing technologies and other market changes. On the other hand, Ellram and Cooper, (2014) opined that recent retailers are more inclined to take sustainable approach in supply chain management. Through this strategy, the retailers are focused on protecting the environment for aligning with environmental laws towards sustainable business performance. Conclusion While concluding the study, it can be said that the supply chain is highly affected through the market forces like changing government rules and regulations, currency fluctuation, volatility of fuel price and others. In the global market, the retailers can face the risk of enhanced organizational cost with the currency fluctuation and volatility of fuel price. Most of the retailers used agile and adaptive supply chain model for aligning with the global market forces and maintaining sustainable supply chain. References Ellram, L. M., Cooper, M. C. (2014). Supply chain management: It's all about the journey, not the destination.Journal of Supply Chain Management,50(1), 8-20. Garcia, D. J., You, F. (2015). Supply chain design and optimization: Challenges and opportunities.Computers Chemical Engineering,81, 153-170. Heckmann, I., Comes, T. Nickel, S. (2015). A critical review on supply chain riskDefinition, measure and modeling.Omega,52, pp.119-132. Li, L. (2013). Technology designed to combat fakes in the global supply chain.Business Horizons,56(2), pp.167-177. Pagell, M., Shevchenko, A. (2014). Why research in sustainable supply chain management should have no future.Journal of supply chain management,50(1), 44-55. Seuring, S. (2013). A review of modeling approaches for sustainable supply chain management.Decision support systems,54(4), pp.1513-1520.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Truth Of Juvenile Delinquency Essays - Criminology, Crime, Penology

Truth Of Juvenile Delinquency A movement has taken hold nationally to change the juvenile justice system, and erase any distinction between young offenders and adult criminals. Almost all fifty states have overhauled their juvenile justice laws, allowing more youths to be tried as adults and scrapping long-time protections to help rehabilitate delinquent kids and prevent future crimes. The current debate over juvenile crime is being dominated by two voices: elected officials proposing quick-fix solutions, and a media more intent on reporting violent crimes than successful prevention efforts. Politicians feel that best and easiest solution is to simply lock up youth offenders for long periods of time, and ignore rehabilitation. The most recent studies demonstrate that putting young offenders in adult prisons leads to more crime, higher prison costs, and increased violence. Yet, we are spending more and more on corrections, and less on prevention efforts. Some states spend more on corrections than they do on higher education. The cost of keeping juveniles in prison as compared to putting them into rehabilitation programs is astronomically higher. The Average cost of incarcerating a juvenile for one year is between $35,000 to $64,000. However, the average cost of an intervention program is $4,300 per child a year. Also the effectiveness of prisons to prevent juveniles from becoming repeat offenders is low. Kids, who have already spent time in adult prisons, are far more likely to commit more serious crimes when they are released. Crime prevention programs work and are cost-effective. They have been shown to reduce crime substantially when compared to imprisonment after crimes have been committed. There have many crime prevention programs around the country that have been very successful in helping to reduce juvenile crime. Many states use early intervention programs that are designed to help parents of troubled kids in raising their children. These programs offer strategies and tactics for hel ping supervise and discipline troubled children. This is done because it is believed that one of causes of delinquency is that parents of kids with delinquent tendencies simply don't know what to do with them. This program as well as other similar ones, have been shown to have quite an influence on crime prevention. Media reports on juvenile crime are greatly exaggerated. While some headlines suggested that a ?ticking time bomb? of so-called ?superpredator children? is waiting to explode, the studies show that this is simply not true. Crime level indicators show that the male ?at risk? population will rise over the next decade, but the levels are far from the explosive level that the media would like to suggest. In fact, the levels are lower than those reached in the late 1970's , when the ?at risk? population last peaked. The public also holds greatly distorted views about the prevalence and severity of juvenile crime. Contrary to public perception, the percentage of violent crimes committed by juveniles is low, only 13% of violent crimes are committed by young people. Also, most juvenile arrests have nothing to do with violence. Most kids only go through the juvenile justice system once. Also, most youths will simply out grow delinquent behavior once they mature. The true ?juvenile predator? is actually a rare breed. But the media thrives on sensationalism, so they make it appear that crime is everywhere in order to sell more news papers, or have people watch their broadcast. Juvenile crime does exist and youths do commit violent acts. However, it is not on the scale that many people would like the public to believe. The solution is to this problem is not a simple one and can not be solved by simply putting kids in adult prisons. More effective solutions should be explored and put to use. A movement has taken hold nationally to change the juvenile justice system, and erase any distinction between young offenders and adult criminals. Almost all fifty states h ave overhauled their juvenile justice laws, allowing more youths to be tried as adults and scrapping long-time protections to help rehabilitate delinquent kids and prevent future crimes. The current debate over juvenile crime is being dominated by two voices: elected officials proposing quick-fix solutions, and a media more intent on reporting violent crimes than successful prevention efforts. Politicians

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Definition of Hydrophobic With Examples

The Definition of Hydrophobic With Examples To be hydrophobic means to fear water. In chemistry, it refers to the property of a substance to repel water. It isnt that the substance is repelled by water so much as it has a lack of attraction to it. A hydrophobic substance exhibits hydrophobicity and may be termed hydrophobic. Hydrophobic molecules tend to be nonpolar molecules that group together to form micelles rather than be exposed to water. Hydrophobic molecules typically dissolve in nonpolar solvents (e.g., organic solvents). There are also superhydrophobic materials, which have contact angles with water greater than 150 degrees. Surfaces of these materials resist wetting. The shape of water droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces is called the Lotus effect, in reference to the appearance of water on a lotus leaf. Superhydrophobicity is considered a result of interfacial tension and not a chemical property of matter. Examples of Hydrophobic Substances Oils, fats, alkanes, and most other organic compounds are hydrophobic. If you mix oil or fat with water, the mixture will separate. If you shake a mixture of oil and water, the oil globules will eventually stick together to present a minimum surface area to the water. How Hydrophobicity Works Hydrophobic molecules are nonpolar. When they are exposed to water, their nonpolar nature disrupts hydrogen bonds between water molecules, forming a clathrate-like structure on their surface. The structure is more ordered than free water molecules. The change in entropy (disorder) causes nonpolar molecules to clump together to decrease their exposure to water and thus decrease the entropy of the system. Hydrophobic vs. Lipophilic While the terms hydrophobic and lipophilic are often used interchangeably, the two words dont mean the same thing. A lipophilic substance is fat-loving. Most hydrophobic substances are also lipophilic, but exceptions include fluorocarbons and silicones.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Should Environmental Rights be inserted into the Canadian Charter of Essay

Should Environmental Rights be inserted into the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Essay Example Through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canadians are afforded the right to life, liberty of expression, security and protection from discrimination. However, these liberties and rights can only work against themselves if the people are not allowed to enjoy them with the right to be in healthy environments. To this end, this paper will critically evaluate why environmental rights should be inserted into the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Approaching the protection of certain rights through statutory and constitutional means is a practical and achievable initiative and, in the present age of global warming, all citizens in the world, including future generations, are entitled to protection from unhealthy environments. Therefore, the Canadian federal government must consider how the rights of its citizens to an environment that is balanced ecologically and healthy are ensured, both through statutory and constitutional means. Denying Canadians the right to live in healthy environments cannot be justified. Since a nation’s Constitution defines its people in more ways than just a simple set of legal instructions, it should also exemplify their highest values and aspirations. Therefore, as the supreme law of the land, it is only fair that the Canadian Constitution mirrors its people’s connection to their environment which sustains health and life. Sadly, in the industrialized world, Canada ranks extremely po orly in terms of environmental performance. According to a survey conducted by the Center for Global Development, based in Washington, Canada was placed 27th out of 27 among the industrialized countries (Erin 61). From this, there is evidently an urgent need to include environmental rights in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This will also serve the purpose of confirming the federal government’s public trust obligation of protecting the environment under its authority.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Prohibit gay couples from obtaining a marriage license Research Paper

Prohibit gay couples from obtaining a marriage license - Research Paper Example The Equal Protection Clause, which forms part of the 14th amendment, prohibits the states from making a legislation that can deny the citizens equal protection under the law (Newton 34). The 14th amendment only mentions the state governments but not the federal government. In this case, the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 cannot gay couples the right to marriage in the society. Accordingly, the 1996 Defense of Marriage act has not conclusively denied the states the right to grant gay marriage license since it only grants the states the right to not recognize gay marriages performed n other states. In addition, the Defense of Marriage Act1996 legally implied that States has the option of recognizing same-sex marriage. In Massachusetts Supreme Court decision of 2004, the jurists adhered with the equal protection clause since banning gay marriages denied the citizens the right to benefit from various federal government programs and right to be treated equally in the society regardless o f the sexual orientation. Jurist activists have observed that equal protection clause of the 14th amendment desired to protect some groups from subordination and thus sexual orientation should be strictly safeguarded (Cahill 165). Strict constructionist jurists oppose the making on laws on the bench since they prefer a conservative approach when issuing judgments on gay marriages. Strict constructionist jurists are of the view that law-making duties should be left to the executive and legislators and judges should never make judicial decisions under the influence of their personal political or policy agenda (Newton 78). The jurists are bound by the ‘original intent’ of the applicable law and exercise judicial restrain in controversial public agendas such as legalization of gay marriages and granting of gay couples a license. These jurists are opposed to the idea of states granting marriage license to gay couples. They argue that the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 is th e underlying law that guides marriages in the constitution. The jurists would argue that the Act prevents the federal government from recognizing any gay marriages. Accordingly, the jurists strictly observe the Act since the States are protected from recognizing gay marriages that have been executed in other states (Cahill 67). Accordingly, the Act conclusively defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman and does not mention the possibility of any gay unions. Strict constructionist jurists argue that Supreme Court of Minnesota in the case of Baker v. Nelson (1971) clarified that any marriage occurs between a man and a woman and entails the possibility of procreation and support of children. In addition, the opponents of gay marriage license argue that marriage is not a right like the right to life or fair trial since it is a privilege and only heterosexual marriages can procreate and serve the purpose of the society (Cahill 265). Although the US is a secular society, a m ajority of the individuals identify with a particular religion such as Christianity, Islam or even Baptism. All the religions claim that marriage is sacred and involves the union of a man and woman with the aim of procreation (Merin 87). According to strict construction

Monday, November 18, 2019

United States Military Functions as the Worlds Police Essay

United States Military Functions as the Worlds Police - Essay Example The incidents that are going to be looked at include: attack on Libya in operation ‘Odyssey Dawn’ in the year 2011; Operation New Dawn of Iraq in the years 2010 and 2011; Operation Neptune Spear which sending of two batteries of Patriot missiles and 400 troops Turkey in the year 2012; and Drone strikes launched on al-Shabab militants in Somalia in the year 2012. Looking at the attack of Libya in Operation ‘Odyssey Dawn’ in the year 2011 the most notable thing is that the attack was more political than it was for the sake of international security and stability. The then Libyan leader, Colonel Gadhafi had been a non-cooperator with the western government's something that is believed to have put him in bad records with the government of the USA. In my opinion, the attack was not really necessary. Operation New Dawn of Iraq in the years 2010 and 2011 is one of the involvements of the US military that is believed to have been highly unnecessary. Due to the period of the involvement, a good number of the United States of America citizens believe that this must have cost the country a lot of finances that would have been used in solving the problems that the country was facing internally at that time (Lane, 2004). Internationally, it was sometimes seen as a case of overindulgence of the internal affairs of another country. There are a number of factors of US history since 1865 that has led to the U.S’s rise as a world superpower policeman. These factors include: their economic superiority and stability, which enabled them to spend on improving their military; the US-Spanish eviction from the Cuba war of 1898 which played a pivotal role in the establishment of the United States of America as the highest ranked world power; and the three years long war during which the US defeated the Filipino insurgents that helped them in gaining control over a point of geostrategic and trading significance (Meernik, 2004).

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Social Work and Looked After Children | Book Review

Social Work and Looked After Children | Book Review Cocker, C. Allain, L. (2008) Social Work and Looked After Children. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. (This is number 8 on the list) The area of looked after children have received considerable attention within the social work and policy discourse over recent years. The book Social Work and Looked After Children by Christine Cocker and Lucille Allain was chosen for this review because it is not just another addition to the discourse, it represents a comprehensive and definitive submission which navigates the system of state care for children from the moment they enter the system until the moments they leave. The area of looked after children is an important aspect of social work, entailing the care of extremely vulnerable young people usually suffering from trauma. Social work students usually approach the area with some level of fear and trepidation and there was a definite absence within the discipline of a comprehensive simple to use guidebook. This book is simple, but not simplistic and addresses the core concepts within the area of looked after children robustly. It addresses complex issues from legislation a nd policy to minority issues, disability, and theoretical debates deftly. While the book was seemingly created for the student practitioner, comprehensive span, research summary tables, bullet point tips and summaries of key frameworks and policies within each areas makes it a must have for any serious student and social work practitioner committed to working with vulnerable children and young people. The book starts by outlining the relevant policies that direct work with looked after children. It offers a comprehensive summary of the history and ethics of working with looked after children and the values which underline the policies. In tandem, it presents a statistical trajectory mapping the number of looked after children in the care system in recent years to set the foundation for the discussions within the book. The second chapter is an excellent accompanying foundation chapter which identifies the main legal frameworks guiding work with looked children e.g. The Children’s Act of 1989 and the Every Child Matters policy document of 2003. Central to the thesis in this chapter, was the emphasis that work with looked after children should attempt to remove labels of exclusion and reinforce the entitlements of the child, according to the United Nations Convention’s Rights of the Child document. The various pathways by which children entered the system was examined and these were considered in relation the existing legal frameworks and how the conditions surrounding their entry into care, should be of vital importance to social workers whose main aim to support the child by understanding the entirety of their cases. The navigation from entry to exit of the care system, highlighted its strengths and weaknesses and in so doing zoomed in on areas where social workers need to be especially alert, for example, in their support and assessments of foster parents and the conditions of residential care homes for vulnerable children. The examination of the child assessment process, presented a chronological and in-depth look at one of the core tools of the social worker. Cocker and Allain focused on the important skills such as observation, reflection and empathy needed by the social worker to deliver best practice meeting the needs of the child and also to build the future client pra ctitioner relationship. The authors emphasized the importance of planning the assessment by studying the child’s files and reflecting on your own judgments regarding the issues emerging before beginning the assessment in order to avoid projecting your own values and stymie the future client relationship or create barriers to getting information which may best support the client. The book considered the importance of communication skills to the social work practitioner and in work with looked after children. It examined the impact of language on culture, the various types of communication patterns both verbal and non-verbal and highlighted how being able to engage the looked after child to participate in their own recovery through expression was central to successful practice. It also highlighted the need for practitioners to recognize that their language is inclusive and does not make the looked after child feel as if they are being controlled. It implores the practitioner to be aware of the power in language and to ensure that the way they communicate does not impart discriminatory undertones about the looked after child’s vulnerable position. While the issue of ethnicity and disability is often examined on the fringes of the mainstream work, this book dedicates two rigorous chapters to both areas. The chapter identified the importance of cultural awareness in working with looked after children especially considering the high numbers of minority children in looked after facilities. Cocker and Allain underline the need for practitioners to be vigilant in ensuring their practice is anti-discriminatory and impressively, they also link communication with ethnic minority looked after children as one are which is usually affected by cultural ignorance. They argue that looked after children from ethnic minorities are usually very aware that are sometimes treated differently because of not only being in care but because of their ethnicity and are therefore very attuned to individuals who are culturally ignorant of their needs. They highlight the dangers this can pose to developing trust within the client practitioner relationship and encourage vigilance in this area. Also considered was how attachment issues must be interrogated within social work assessments and interventions with look after children. The authors acknowledged the debates about using attachment framework with looked after children and acknowledged that while there is a risk of using attachment theory in a deterministic manner with looked after children who are constantly in transition between carers, it can also be useful to build problem solving skills, coping strategies and to build self reliance and resilience. Also addressed were the mental health needs of looked after children and implored social work practitioners to seek out inter-agency collaboration with other specialist for such children. They also address the importance of education in the lives of looked after children and explore the disjointed and inconsistent educational experiences they usually experience. Social work practitioners are encouraged to support the educational experience of looked after children as this can help to improve their self esteem and outlook. Finally, the book looked at the issue of adoption and permanence and discussed how this process can be emotional and confusing for the looked after child. It provides great advice on how to support both adoption parents and the looked after child through the process of change for example in working with them on how to display empathy and how to communicate with the child. In conclusion, there was a need for a comprehensive text on looked after children and as is demonstrated in this review, the areas interrogated by Cocker and Allain in this text, provides a first-rate resource with which to study, debate and get guidelines on current issues within the subject. 1 What is the Most Credible Justification of Punishment? What is the Most Credible Justification of Punishment? What is the Most Credible Justification of Punishment? Punishment has been a part of the human society ever since the beginning of civilization. Throughout the history, wrong doings or wrong acts have simply stood out like sore thumbs, greatly affecting the very emotions of man. These wrongful acts, which have been later termed as crimes, are as noticeable as kind acts but the only difference is that the former harbours condemnation than praise; punishment than reward. Man sees such crimes as condemnable especially those that are heinous such as rape, murder, arson, genocide and other types that puts humanity into shame and the community into disarray. Wrongdoers who have been accused of committing crimes would be brought into trials to give them the chance to defend themselves. However, if they fail to do so, then the hands of justice will strike them down and cast down on them the necessary punishment they deserve according to the legal laws created by the governing bodies. When this happens, people will say that â€Å"justice has bee n served† or that the criminal â€Å"got what he deserves†. Some will feel that the punishment is necessary to avenge the man or the woman who have been seriously wronged by the offender. Other people will see that this type of action is necessary in order for the criminal to realize the sins he has committed. Greek philosophers of the past realized this too early when Socrates stated that â€Å"to serve as a corrective measure that would be of benefit to the criminal by helping him to overcome his evil tendencies† (Patterson, 1985, p.44). There would also be those who will acknowledge punishment because they will see it as something that benefits the whole community or the country. For instance, when a corrupt president is ousted and sentenced with capital punishment, people will rejoice because they will see it as something beneficial not only to a certain individual, but to the whole country as well. These are just some of the common views toward punishment th at can be observed in our everyday lives, from commentaries in newspapers, news on the television and the radio, to simple informal conversation with acquaintances, friends and relatives. It seems that punishment is already deeply embedded within the very core of human civilization and most have accepted this act without question. However, in a philosophical sense, punishment in all its form has many loopholes, problems and questions that need to be resolved. Existing punishment theories such as Consenquentialism and Retributivism have tried to defend the importance of punishment to human society – how it can benefit the society, the victim, and the offender or the criminal. According to Duff, cited in Hart (1968, pp.1-27), â€Å"there are three justificatory issues that must be addressed in order to justify punishment. The first thing that should be asked is the ‘general justifying aim’ of a system of punishment. We should identify what justifies the creation and maintenance of such a system what good does it achieve and what duty does it fulfil. Next is to identify who may properly be punished. It this case, the principles or aims that should determine the allocations of punishments to individuals should be identified†. Finally, the theorists should know the appropriate amount of punishment needed and the factors that would affect the severity a sentence the sentencers should impose. Duff (2004) added that â€Å"philosophers should also know which concrete modes of punishment are appropriate, in general or for particular crimes†. These four main questions should reveal an acceptable justification of punishment. Unfortunately, each type of punishment theory offers a different type of answer to all of those questions. In this sense, the values of one may clash with the other, creating more doubt and confusion than realization. Basically, the Retributist and the Consequentialist or a Retributist-consenquentialist all compete in providing most justifiable explanation of punishment. Among these three, there could be a normative account of punishment that is morally acceptable to society. After all, it is the responsibility of theorists to provide an acceptable explanation of this human act. However, as Duff (2004) stated, â€Å"philosophers must be prepared or must be open to the startling and disturbing possibility that this â€Å"pervasive human practice cannot be justified.† Now, with all these issues at hand, is there a theory that best justifies punishment or is there hardly any? Is there a credible j ustification of punishment? Understanding Punishment and its Purpose To have an understanding of which type of punishment offers the most credible justification of such pervasive human act, we must first have an understanding of the concept of punishment. Punishment is always coined as legal because of it is written in the legislation. Generally, it is defined it as â€Å"†¦first a cultural process and secondly a mechanism of particular institutions, of which criminal law is but one† (Simon, citing from Newman, 1983, pp. 2-3). In a non-general specific account of legal punishment, Hart’s â€Å"five elements of legal punishment† offers an interesting explanation: the involvement of pain or other consequences that are unpleasant; the involvement of an offence against legal rules; an act that is of an actual or supposed offender for his offence; administered intentionally; and finally, only the authorities can impose and administer such an act or in the old clichà © â€Å"nobody is above the law† (Hart, 1968, pp.4-5; Zaibert, 2005, p.225; Gottschalk, 1999, pp.195-196). On the other hand, ideologies such as retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation offer some alternative definition of punishment (Wilson, 1975, pp.6-12; Allen, 1981, p.1; Gottschalk, 1999, pp.195-196; Hoffman, 2002, pp.1-2; Jiang et al, 2007, p.85). The different views basically shape the current application of punishment in today’s world as it encompasses from an individual to a broader cultural belief. Further, these different views have their own justification of punishment. Within the definitions of punishment also come the two types laws specifically mandated for punishment: civil and criminal law. Duff (2004) explains that â€Å"civil law deals in part with wrongs which are non-private in that they are legally and socially declared as wrongs, but at the same time, private in that it is up to the person who was wronged to seek legal redress†. On the other hand, a criminal case refers to a case† between the accused criminal and the whole political community, the state or the people, and the defendant† (Duff, 2004). Nonetheless, Duff (2004) explained that â€Å"it is difficult to distinguish the civil from the criminal law†. The problem is to determine which crimes should be accepted as public and which crimes should be accepted as private ones. Should it be that all crimes are both public and private in a sense that it has wronged both the norm and the individual? Should the crime committed against the society be the ultimate j ustifiable explanation of punishment or should it be more focused on the crime committed against the individual? It can be argued that none of these accounts are credible enough to justify punishment since from every angle, it is also an act that the society detests and it is a horrifying gruesome act if not mandated by law. McDermott (2001, p.403) stated that â€Å"punishment is morally troubling because it almost always causes human suffering†. For instance, throughout the history of punishment in the United States, those who had committed the most severe forms of crimes have suffered in cruel and painful methods such as â€Å"hanging during 1853, the electric chair, the gas chamber, and the latest most humane type of capital punishment, the lethal injection† (Turley, 2008, p.13a). â€Å"Means of punishment have changed over time but the ends have always been the same – bringing pain to the sentenced. Even though the government claims that new forms of punish ment are less painful such as the lethal injection, cases of botched executions are still taking place causing much more pain to the punished† (Turley, 2008, p.13a). Basically, the cries of the society to abolish the death penalty or to lessen the pain that is involved with it also shows that humans can instinctively feel uncomfortable that such acts are nearly as heinous and horrible as the acts committed by the criminal. Nonetheless, it can be strongly argued that to detest punishment as much as to detest the crimes committed by the criminal is a selfish act that is against order. Detesting punishment for its moral grounds can be argued as something that is on the side of social disorder rather than order simply because there is no alternative means to instigate order other than punishment. The utilitarian nature is perhaps the most credible justification of punishment since it is not bounded by individual feelings or emotions, but rather by a cluster of feelings and emotion s. Allowing criminals to roam free in the streets may be a moral act of compassion but it does not remove the fact that these criminals are dangerous and there is a very real risk that they may cause further damage to the society. Of course, this characteristic is also evident within the retributivist principle but its aim is more on the individual rather than the â€Å"good of the majority†. Kant stated that â€Å"even though it is not for the good of all, a wrongdoer must still be punished for the benefit of the wronged† (Kant and Hastie, 1790, p.82; Barber, 1994, pp.246-250). For Kant, the moment an individual does an unjust act; â€Å"he already gives himself the right to punished† (Kant and Hastie, 1790, p.82; Barber, 1994, pp.246-250). The Retributivists’ View Retributivism is a theory of punishment that argues â€Å"people should always and only be treated as ends and never as means, and that are the actions of government legitimate only to the degree to which they are consistent with this model of citizenry† (Clear, 1994, pp.8-9). The belief that the state should inflict harm in order to confirm the moral order established by the laws of the state is the purist view of retributivism. â€Å"Retributivism puts more importance on the moral grounds compared to the classic utilitarian view, which more on the political side† (Clear, 1994, pp.8-9). The retributivist believes that â€Å"punishment is necessary because it is simply deserved by the offender† (Walker, 1991, Clear, 1994, pp.8-9). The main theme of this theory is the old clichà © â€Å"eye for an eye†, within which it promotes revenge, just deserts and practices fairness and proportionality. The retributivist belief is the backbone of the levels of punish ment that our society currently has – from the petty illegal parking fine to the severe capital punishment. The theory shows that â€Å"the harshness of punishment should be proportionate to seriousness of the crime† (Hoffman, 2000, p.1). However, if this is the case, then punishment is nothing more than a mere personal vendetta executed with the help of the state. This reasoning basically limits punishment’s benefit to the victim alone. But in contrast to this generalization, Ten (1993, p.43) argued that: â€Å"Retributive punishment is only inflicted on the wrongdoer, whereas revenge is sometimes inflicted on an innocent person close to the revengee, either because this is an easier target or because it is thought that this would hurt the revengee more.† Retributivism has some serious problems that are not evident in some punishment theories like utilitarianism. â€Å"Retributivist has the hard job of explaining why it is more than mere vindictiveness to punish offenders rather than use these seemingly more humane alternatives† (Bennett, 2004, p.325).As Dewey pointed out in his theory of punishment â€Å"when we are concerned with morality, we are concerned with developing the future responsible agency of a person, and thus moral education is the relevant practice involved† (Dewey cited In Shook, 2004, p.69). Retributivism is not concerned with the future responsible agency of the offender because its objective is to end it by inflicting the same amount of damage inflicted on the offended. In this case, critics can strongly argue that retributivist offer a non-credible explanation on why punishment is necessary, both morally and politically. According to its critics, its moral flaw lies in its lack of regard to the huma nity of the offender; while its political flaw lies in its lack of regard for the society at large. However, the stance of this paper is against those views simply because a consequentialist can inflict the same amount of punishment as a retributivist could inflict if the situation grants it. For instance, a state that punishes an angry soldier marching down the street for protest just because it can promote sedition can also have the same weight as punishing an important public figure who has wronged the public in many possible ways. The soldier can be subjected to torture and imprisonment as forms of punishment, and these acts can basically strip off the soldier any possible future possible agency of change since to his belief, the State tells only lies and teaches its beliefs that are a sacrilege to its own (as when corruption and bribery within government is accepted as reality and the norm). In other words, humane is a complex word that is yet to be defined by both the consenqu entialist and the retributivist. What may be humane to another person may not be humane to another and so on. The point is that no matter how some scholars defend the idea of punishment as a mere tool for control, its methods of punishment can be as inhumane as those of the retributivists’. The Complexity of Consequentialism Consenquentialism seems to be just an excuse for those are in power to demonstrate their power without any regards to its citizens. Its first component is that â€Å"an action or institution is right if it maximally achieves whatever are intrinsically good states of affairs while minimizing whatever are intrinsically bad states of affairs† (Katz, 1999, p.64). The other component stresses that â€Å"welfare is the only sort of thing that is intrinsically good† (Katz, 1999, p.64).Thus, this theory claims that â€Å"together and alone, people only act to maximize happiness† (Kunz, 1998, p.10). However, maximizing happiness simply means minimizing those who suffer. In other words, consenquentialism does not aim for the equality of justice but more on the biased side of favouring those flocks of people who think that â€Å"this† is the way to maximize happiness. Aside from being biased, it also puts those in power untouched by this so-called punishment since they can easily reason out that ousting or punishing them will have a negative impact on, say, the economy. Bell (1993, pp.118-122) supports this rationale when he stated that â€Å"consequentialism promotes abuse in power of authority figure because they can easily justify that what is done is for the good of the majority. Basically, these people in power can develop an unsympathetic stance for reformists and revolutionists as it mutes the critique of society and restricts possibilities of action by beginning with the way things and people are†. Further since to consenquentialists’ claims about maximizing happiness, they then refer to digits results that can be statistically tested. However, it seems that statistical tests were not in their favour. It was found that â€Å"the calculation of net social welfare that utilitarianism demands often cannot be equated with the intuitive demands of justice† (Moore, 1999, p.64). Furthermore, it has been argued that â€Å"sometimes; innocence is sacrificed for the general welfare, while the guilty are freed in order to meet what is perceived as â€Å"good for all† â€Å"(Moore, 1999, p.64). Comparison of views in justifying punishment Consenquentialism is far too complex to justify punishment as compared to the simplicity and straightforwardness of retributivism. Because of the larger and more general claim of consenquentialism, it is in a position where it has to prove its claims of maximized happiness through generalized means. However, according to Katz (1999, p.64-69), â€Å"consenquentialists are yet to prove this†. Even the concept of deterrence, a claimed benefit of consenquentialism, has its share of loopholes that are difficult to explain†. In a specific study that tried to prove the impact of deterrence, â€Å"data on state homicide rates were employed and execution rates between 1976 and 1997 were examined across 50 states and the District of Columbia were estimated. The study found that that the death penalty indeed helps (to) deter criminal acts† (Yunker, 2001, p.310). Further, the relationship between deterrence and homicide rates was also criticized because â€Å"only relatively few supportive data exists† (Simson, 2001, pp.306-307). Simson (2001, pp.306-307) stated that â€Å"most case studies failed to emphasize the relationship between the two variables†. Also, Walker (1991, p.52) supports the claims that â€Å"deterrence is unsupported statistically†. On the other hand, retributivistic punishment only limits its case within the offender and the victim. If the victim becomes satisfied after he or she heard or witnessed the punishment of his or her offender, then the goals of retributivism have been achieved. Deterrence is basically not the aim, rather, the restoration of the dignity of the victim by inflicting the same level of punishment to the offender. The individual’s happiness, although not the main cause of happiness of the country as a whole, is a beginning that may produce more ripples of happiness that externally affects others in society. For instance, it may signal the development of a fair and equal justice system where all who have committed serious crimes will be punished no matter how powerful he or she might be. Retributivism also is more ethical because it answers to individual sins and crimes rather than on a questionable and complex common good that consenquentialists claim. It does not disguise itself as justice because it is in fact justice to victim unlike consenquentialism that can be used as a mask to hide the truth or to twist and distort the beliefs of those who are weak. Conclusion On the whole, retributivism is more honest and more transparent than consequentialism since it only concerns giving legal retribution to those who are victimized. However, Retributivism still needs to explain several points, such as â€Å"proving why wrongdoers deserve to suffer† (Shafer-landau, 2000, p.210). Further, it needs to emphasize and justify how the level of punishment metered out to the offender can possibly equal that of the crime inflicted on the victim. For instance, how would a retributivist punish a rapist? â€Å"Sexually violating the rapist may not be a good idea and the retributivist must find another alternative punishment to somehow level it with damaged caused to the victim† (Waldron cited in Shafer-landau, 2000, pp.197). Others might argue that â€Å"the retributivist principle is one that is â€Å"cold-hearted† and has no concern for the welfare of the criminal† (Bennett, 2002). Finally, retributivism has been interpreted as a backw ard belief that has no regard for the common good (Bennett, 2002. p.148). Basically, retributivism receives as nearly as much criticism as the less favoured theory in this paper, consenquentialism. However, the consenquentialist must answer on how it could actually give justice to the victim without inflicting too much punishment on the criminal. There is perhaps no answer to this since the very core of punishment is inflicting pain on the offender as a form of justice for the victim. Considering the welfare of the offender may take away the feeling of satisfaction from a justice-thirsty victim. Consenquentialism seems like a â€Å"wolf in sheep’s clothing† where it pretends to be the better alternative but the reality is it is just as lacking as retributivism. It presents an almost perfect view that happiness may be maximized, but in reality, ends up providing the retribution the victim needs but with less weight or more humane as they claim. Duff (2000) even stated t hat â€Å"the utilitarian principle of maximizing happiness is only a ‘fantasy’ because the consenquentialist should figure out â€Å"how much pleasure, and how much pain, various possible practices and policies are likely to produce  and then somehow add the pleasures, add the pains, and weigh them against each other† The acceptance of the consenquentialist’s method of punishing the innocent for the benefit of good is also morally unacceptable. Again, Duff (2000) explained that â€Å"even if we would, in some extreme situation, recognize that an innocent ‘must’ be punished, we would also realize that this involved a significant moral cost, a significant wrong done to the innocent person, which the utilitarian cannot recognize.† (i.e. that the end justifies the means). They cannot recognize the intrinsic wrong of injustice that is done to an innocent scapegoat for what it is. Ironically, scapegoat can also be considered as an evil ac t given the circumstances, which may promote corruption and disregard for justice. Bibliography Allen, F.A. (1981).The decline of rehabilitative ideal. New Haven: Yale University Press. Barber, K.F. (1994). Individuation and Identity in Early Modern Philosophy: Descartes to Kant. Albany State University of New York Press Bell, L.A. (1993). Rethinking Ethics in the Midst of Violence: A Feminist Approach to Freedom. Md. Rowman Littlefield, Lanham. Bennett, C. (2002). The Varieties of Retributive Experience. The Philosophical Quarterly, vol.52, no.207, pp.145-163 Bennett, C. (2004). Punishment. UK: Blackwell Publishing. Clear, T.R. (1994). Harm in American Penology: Offenders, Victims, and Their Communities. University of New York Press, Albany NY. Duff, R. (2000).In Defence of One Type of Retributivism: A Reply to Bagaric and Amarasekara. Available from: [2 [21>0 February, 2008] Duff, A. (2004).Legal Punishment. Available from: [20 February, 2008] Gottschalk, M. (1999). Monkeywrenching as Punishment? CJPR, vol.10, no.2, pp. 193-211 Hart, H. L. A. (1968). Punishment and responsibility. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hoffman, D.E. (2000). Criminal Justice. Cliffs Notes, CA: Foster City. Jiang, S., Lambert, E.G. Wang, J. 2007. Study among College Students Capital Punishment Views in China and the United States: A Preliminary. Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol, vol.51, no.84 Kant, I. (1790). The Science of Right. W. Hastie (Trans).Raleigh: Alex Catalogue. Katz, L, Moore, S Morse, S. (1999). Foundations of Criminal Law. New York: Oxford University Press. Kunz, G. (1998). The Paradox of Power and Weakness: Levinas and an Alternative Paradigm for Psychology. Albany State University of New York Press McDermott, D. (2001). The Permissibility of Punishment. Law and Philosophy, vol. 20, pp.403–432 Newman, G. (1983). Just and Painful: A Case for the Corporal Punishment of Criminals. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. Patterson, C.H. (1975). Plato’sEuthyphro, Apology, Crito Phaedo: Notes. Lincoln: Neb John Wiley Sons, Inc. Shafer-landau, R. (2000). Retributivism and Desert. Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, vol.81, pp.189-214 Shook, J. (2004). Dewey’s Rejection of Retributivism and His Moral- Education Theory of Punishment. Journal of Social Philosophy. 35 (1), pp.66-78. Simson, S. (2001). Does Capital Punishment Deter Homicide? A Case Study of Epistemological Objectivity. Metaphilosophy, vol.32, no.3, pp.293-307. Ten, C.L. (1993). Crime and Punishment. In P. Singer (ed) A companion to Ethics. Blackwell Publishing. Turley, A. (2008). The punishmentfits the times. USA Today, 16, Jan, p.13a, Available from: Academic Search Elite [26 February, 2008] Walker, N. (1991). Why Punish? Oxford University Press. Wilson, J.Q. (1975) Thinking about Crime. New York: Basic Books. Yunker, J.A. (2001). A New Statistical Analysis of Capital Punishment Incorporating US Post moratorium data. Social Science Quarterly, vol.82, no.2, pp.287-311. Zaibert, L. (2005). Prolegomenon to a Theory of Punishment. Law, Culture and the Humanities, vol.1, pp.221- 246 Zaibert, L. (2006). Punishment and Revenge. Law and Philosophy, vol.25, pp. 81–118

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Importance of Airline Safety Essay -- Airlines Airplanes Aviation

The Importance of Airline Safety Many people travel by airplane all around the world. For some people it is the only way they can get to where they are going. On a daily basis, averages of 28 to 30,000 seats are filled on airplanes (Bear, Stearns Co. URL www.hotelonline.com). At each airport, there are hundreds of arrivals and departures worldwide. Even though airline officials say flying is safe, accidents kill many people because airlines neglect to prevent human error or repair faulty equipment. Sometimes I think the only reason an airplane could crash is if something on the plane were to break. However, most of the time that is not the case. A survey conducted by Boeing found that flight crews were responsible for at least seventy-three percent of all fatal airplane accidents. (Gray 17). Forty-one percent of these accidents occurred during landing because of unstable approaches. Also an investigation by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the causes of airline accidents revealed that more than eighty percent of all airline accidents involved some degree of human error (Helmreich 62). This is very alarming when people are putting their lives in the hands of flight crews. Forty-four passengers died aboard a new British Midland 737 after its crew shut down the wrong engine after the other one malfunctioned (Greenwald 40). Do you really think that flying on an airplane, over which you have absolutely no control is very safe? Reasons for flight crew error can be explained by the conditions under which they are flying. Flight crew fatigue is a largely increasing problem on many of the jumbo jet flights today. Although there are laws that prohibit cockpit crews from sleeping in flight, there have been many weary pilots that have been known to nod off on occasion during some of their seventeen hour, non-stop flights (Urquhart 15). Perhaps laws should regulate the number of hours a flight crew is in the air instead of prohibiting sleep in flight. Another condition, alcohol abuse, has been found to inhibit the abilities of some flight crews. A northwest crew flying from North Dakota to Minnesota was found to be intoxicated on the job ("Air Safety" 61). Some people refuse to drive at night because of the number of drunk drivers on the road. Would passengers want a drunken pilot to be responsible for their... ... since the 1960s (Shrontz 40). Getting to some places throughout the world depend solely on air travel; therefore, people must trust their lives to flight crews, safety inspectors, and maintenance crews and believe that all problems are being addressed and corrected. Bibliography 1. Bear, Stearns, Co. Internet Connection. URL www.hotelonline.com 2. "Air Safety". Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Business Notes. 26 March 1990: 61. 3. Gray, Paul. "Our Regularly Scheduled Crash" Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Grapevine. 20 August 1990: 17. 4. Greenwald, John. "Tarnished Wings". Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Business Notes. 13 March 1989: 40. 5. Helmreich, R.L. "Managing Human Error in Aviation". Scientific American. May 1997:62. 6. Nelan, Bruce W. "Are 747s Safe To Fly". Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Europe. 19 October 1992: 52. 7. "New Qualms about the DC-10". Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Nation. 7 August 1989:20. 8. Urquhart, Sidney. "This is Your Captain Snoring" Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Grapevine. 7 October 1991: 15.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Customer-Driven Learning at Radisson Hotels Essay

In the case study titled â€Å"Customer-Driven Learning at Radisson Hotels Worldwide† the background, growth, and service guarantees of the Radisson Hotel chain is discussed. Radisson Hotels was founded in 1938 by Curtis L Carlson of Carlson Companies Inc. The company’s headquarters were located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was divided into four operating groups – Carlson Hospitality Worldwide, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Carlson Marketing Group, and Carlson Leisure Group. In 1975 Radisson only had ten hotels but quickly grew to three hundred and sixty locations in forty seven countries by 1998 by partnering with existing hotel companies creating Radisson SAS Worldwide under the â€Å"growth at any cost† model. By 1998 Carlson Hospitality Worldwide included Radisson Hotels Worldwide, Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, TGI Friday’s, Regent Hotels, Italianni’s, Friday’s Front Row Sports Grill, Friday’s American Bar, and Radisson Seve n Seas Cruises (Schroeder, pg 454). Also in 1998 Curt Carlson’s daughter Marilyn Carlson Nelson took over as CEO of the Carlson Companies. It was at this time that Brian Stage, Radisson’s president, and Maureen O’Hanlon, Radisson’s executive vice president, started taking initiatives to transform the â€Å"growth at any cost† model to becoming a more customer-focused brand. To achieve this transformation from the current diverse hotel quality, they included a service guarantee, a guest satisfaction measurement program, and employee satisfaction measurement program, and an information technology initiative. Their goal was to make Radisson the â€Å"most trusted and respected brand worldwide† (Schroeder, pg 454). To support these strategies, Stage and O’Hanlon initiated a 100% guest satisfaction program, a fully integrated guest information system, guest and employee satisfaction measurement programs, guest recognition and rewards program, and a genuine hospitality program . Customer satisfaction is a relative concept that varies from one customer to another (Schroeder, pg. 147). A service guarantee is a promise by a company to compensate the customer in some way if the defined level of service delivered is not duly met. An effective service guarantee sets clear standards of performance for customers to expect and to which employees adhere (Al, 1993; Rose, 1990; Hart, 1988). It communicates to workers the level of service the organization intends to offer to its customers, as well  as provides a clear and strong task identity (Cahill & Warshawky, 1995). It mandates that every decision and employee must focus on the customers. Successful implementation of a service guarantee would require managerial emphasis and proper allocation of resources on key determinant variables. Management staff is primarily responsible for the formulation and communication of service priorities to frontline staff as well as the design of recovery measures for resolving customer complaints. Quality of service and the ability to attract and retain customers dictate the success or failure of hotel service providers. Hotels typically measure quality through inspections and with customer-satisfaction data. David Kearns once said â€Å"Performance benchmarking is the continuous process of measuring products, services and practices against the toughest competitors or those companies recognized as the industry leaders.† In today’s competitive environment, customers are quick to abandon services that do not meet expectations. The ease with which customers can switch from their current service to another, demands that providers deliver the highest possible levels of service quality and performance. To be successful, hotels must deliver positive customer experiences with rich, value-added services supported by comprehensive service quality management. Significant changes are occurring in the hotel industry that affect how providers run their businesses as well as what services they offer. There is a greater need to attract new customers, find new revenue sources, reduce operational costs and increase customer satisfaction. Successful quality management of next-generation services requires end-to-end service management across complex, multitechnology, multivendor infrastructures. Providers need to be able to quickly assess the impact of events on the performance and availability of revenue-generating services, establish and ensure aggregate service quality levels, and provide a detailed analysis of an individual subscriber’s experience that correlates back to broader service quality trends. In effect, providers need to be able to visualize service quality, prioritize their efforts and communicate relevant information to all stakeholders. This means they need to consolidate key data from disparate systems and from multiple vendors. They  need to be able to model relationships and dependencies between the network, applications and databases so they can see what resources are critical to their service. Communication plays a vital role in managing overall service quality. Providing relevant service intelligence to those who need it such as operations, IT, executives and customer care, helps providers rapidly resolve issues and minimize service impact on customers. They can quickly relate performance to business metrics. They can get a real-time view to better understand the customer experience. By improving communication across all levels of the value chain, they can help improve overall service quality and customer satisfaction. With the improved communication, Radisson must train all employees from all franchises in the same fashion to create a more consistent customer-driven concept. Many companies and franchise systems have found themselves in a situation where rapid change and deployment is critical to the company’s success. It’s absolutely essential to have a roadmap under these conditions. Once training is completed, studies and surveys must be done that include guests and employees to provide information that can be used to increase customer and employee satisfaction as well as help shape the direction for a defined service guarantee. Once defined, the service guarantee should be implemented to continually provide quality measurements and improve employee motivation. Providers also need a real-time view to understand the customer experience. How many customers are experiencing the service? Who is impacted by service issues? Providers need to be able to quickly assess the impact of events on service performance and availability, as well as how the business is affected. By providing a detailed analysis of an individual subscriber’s experience and correlating it back to broader service trends, providers can better manage the overall customer experience. Information technology software delivers comprehensive service quality management and customer experience management that help service providers  differentiate through improved service quality and lower operational costs. It gives them the ability to monitor and manage, from a single, central location, the availability, performance and quality of services. Information technology software equips them with a complete view of all the resources that comprise a service, from very beginning all the way to the customer. Information technology software not only plays a part in accelerating the drive to improve service quality but additionally measures information needed to improve customer and employee satisfaction. It can measure and create reports against key measurements to more effectively monitor availability, quality of virtually any service. By delivering new, high-quality services to market, they can attract new customers and generate new revenue streams. By enabling an improved customer experience, providers can help reduce churn, positively affect the uptake of that particular service and impact a subscriber’s willingness to try new services. Delivering consistent high-quality services to customers in a franchise business is more difficult than in a non-franchised business. In a franchised business, all employees must be trained in the same manner as well as have access to the same information. There are no exact guidelines, nor books to follow, nor formulas to adhere to when it comes to establishing and maintaining strong franchisor-franchisee relationships. It must be a strategic choice that is constantly enhanced, nurtured, and developed (Howe, 2003). Once a relationship is commenced it must be sustained, and any effort to maintain a high-quality affiliation requires the vital component of effective, two-way, communication. The franchisor is responsible for providing the channels for communication. A commitment to high-quality communication will also help to align the goals of the management team, hotel workers, owners, corporate management, and corporate staff. There are other benefits that come from this commitment to a two-way exchange of ideas and perspective. It cultivates a mutual respect and commitment between the employees, building trust and therefore solidifying a fully functional and working relationship. This should be designed to keep in touch with the franchisees’ core needs and goals, and provide an environment that enables  franchisees to approach the franchisor with questions, concerns, or ideas for improving the programs or recommended changes. Another means of communication is an intranet site accessible only by the franchisor, franchisees and their employees that provides a forum for questions, news updates, and other business information. Through these various forms of communication the franchisor can educate franchisees on the brand strategies and enhance their ability as keepers of the brand (Howe, 2003). Through a commitment to each of the key elements of effective two-way communication franchisors and franchisees can strengthen the strategies and consumer level execution that will drive their brand’s performance (Howe, 2003). Since the beginning of the change that Stage and O’Hanlon brought about, services have been implemented to acquire and satisfy customers. These services include the Express Yourself pre-arrival online check-in, the â€Å"Curtis-C† reservation system, the â€Å"Yes I can!† training program, the gold points plus customer reward program, and their 100% guest satisfaction service guarantee. These programs are designed to link the customers with the staff. The information technology used to create the check-in and reservation systems is an amazing service that benefits both the guest and the staff. The â€Å"Yes I can!† training program has been developed to train all employees consistently throughout the franchises to assist in aligning the goals of each franchise with their new brand strategy. The gold points plus reward program is a program that allows it’s customers to earn reward points that can be used for free stays or air miles. It also gives its members access to exclusive hotel and travel offers as well as in-hotel benefits. The website for the gold points program also lets it’s members make online reservations, check-in online, and select their stay preferences. In the matter of the last ten years, Radisson Hotels has escalated from a once â€Å"unfocused† brand into one of the world’s leading, full-service global hotel companies. This has been successfully accomplished through the organization of its franchises and implementation of information technology systems. Radisson Hotels & Resorts is committed to change and innovation in  all key areas including its growth strategy, operations, franchising, sales and marketing, and technology, to operate with maximum effectiveness in a highly competitive business environment (The Radisson Story). Technology will undoubtedly continue to develop and Radisson Hotels should continue to progress along with it to stay on top of the service industry as one of the best global hotel companies out there. References Al, L. (1993). Service guarantees in outpatient clinics: a case study. Health Care Management Review, 18 (3), 59-65. Cahill, D. J., & Warshawky, R. M. (1995). Beyond competence: unconditional guarantees as a customer-service tool. Journal of Customer Service in Marketing and Management, 1 (3), 67-77. Hart, C. W. L. (1988). The power of unconditional service guarantees. Harvard Business Review, 88 (4), July/August, 54-62. Howe, Michael C. (2003). Keys to a successful franchisor-franchisee relationship: through a commitment to each of the†¦ Franchising World. http://www.allbusiness.com/management/657315-1.htmlImprove service quality and enhance the customer experience. December 2007 ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/software/tivoli/whitepapers/GMW14002-USEN-00_SP.pdfKearns, David. Chairman of the New American Schools Development Corporation, formerly chairman and CEO of the Xerox Corporation and Deputy U.S. Secretary of Education. Rose, M. D. (1990). No strings attached. Chief Executive, 60 (Jul/Aug), 30-33. Schroeder, Roger. (2008). Operations Management: Contemporary Concepts and Cases 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill. New York, New York. The Radisson Story. http://www.radisson.com/section/aboutus.story/aboutus.sidemenus