Hip Hop’s Betrayal on Black Women Essay

In â€Å"Hip Hop’s Betrayal of Black Women†, McLune addresses the influence of hip hop’s choice of words towards African American women and females. McLune’s article is written in response to Powell’s opinions in â€Å"Notes of a Hip Hop Head†, along with various other hip hop artists, that black females are the leading cause of poverty and racism why black men undertake racism and poverty, as if women do not face these struggles from day to day. McLune disagrees with this remark and states that this is just one of many excuses that men use. McLune addresses an audience that is well educated along with informed with the different sexism opinions towards women in our society, though many men feel that some of their statements or opinions are not affecting women. Therefore, McLune’s article deserves to be recognized in PopMatters. With all the arguments and comebacks she had, â€Å"Hip Hop’s Betrayal of Black Women† should be considered for the top prizes for persuasive essays due to the problems that our African American society faces on a daily basis. The energy of McLune’s argument is its energetic appeal to African American women along with different races. Her argument implied that men want women to give in to them and accept the fact that they are being degraded, simply so that men can boost their confidence and masculinity: â€Å"It’s obvious that if these are the winning terms for our creativity, black women are ultimately the losers. And that’s exactly how these self-proclaimed players, thugs, and hip-hop intellectuals want us—on our backs and pledging allegiance to the hip hop nation. (Analytical Writing: A Guide to College Composition 300) McLune also covers the fact that even the hip hop artist â€Å"who have an underground and conscious force in hip hop— like Common, The Roots, Talib Kweli and others— remain inconsistent, apologetic, and even eager to join the mainstream player’s club† (297) She is bothered that they have yet to come forward and defend the women who are being belittled by the misogynistic hip-hop artist. By expressing this with the African American society of women who are ontinuously torched by the demanding words of men, McLune appeals strongly to all American women’s intellect of equality and respect. Women should not have to be judged by men and expect to be treated as if they owe anyone something, let alone have to be mistreated and belittled, if that were to be the case then men should be treated the same, therefore McLune’s audience, should understand that that is not how you define a black woman in any terms. This denotation to the silent cries supports for an emotional appeal to an example of the silent cries in African American women. As stated in the title, Powell is aware that black women are merely being betrayed in the hip-hop industry and simply states that the choice of words that hip-hop artist chose to rap about is simply â€Å"the ghetto blues, urban folk art, a cry out for help. † (298) and it is rubbing off on almost every man in our American society and giving them a different perspective of women all because women refuse to speak out and speak up. As a result, female rappers are often just as male-identified, violent, materialistic, and ignorant as their male peers. † (298). Over 100 years ago, women were not even allowed to vote, the closest they got to voting was sitting there and watching. They were not allowed to work, they were forced to be stay at home wives while their husbands went out and worked hard to provide for the family. They also didn’t h ave the opportunity to speak up for themselves, it was known as a man’s duty. As you see in â€Å"Hip Hop’s Betrayal of Black Women† McLune states that women still sit back in silence in accept the belittling words that men throw at them through their lyrics. Hip hop did not evolve from speaking down on females, it started out as a way suppress differences between two rivalries or to speak on behalf of shortcomings and mishaps in the past. This comes to question our audience why it is that hip hop has transformed into a way of lashing out a man’s anger towards a woman and how their imaginative character dreams to look at women. We can look at the past years when women were not given the opportunity to make their own decisions and to speak on behalf of themselves, also how and why did hip hop change its meaning behind music. McLune provides a great example to the female hip hop artist as to why they would chose to be viewed in the same eyes that the misogynistic hip hop male artist are viewed. Also as to why after so many years why is that men still have the upper hand. She does this by bringing up the point from Powell’s socioeconomic explanation for the sexism in hip-hop is a way to silence feminist critiques of the culture. It is to make an understanding of the misogynistic objectification of black women in hip-hop so elusive that we can’t grasp it long enough to wring the neck of its power over us (297). From this information, we can conclude that is very much true, because most females will accept the belittling comments rather than words of wisdom and motivation. Because McLune gives great appeals to the not only the African American society, but the various races, her article deserves to be one of the top prized persuasive essays in PopMatters. It can be used as an example to our upcoming generation of young men to not treat or speak down on a young lady as something they hear in a rap song. McLune’s article demonstrates why women, especially African American women should speak up and out regardless of what the outcome will be. Her argument would have been more effective have she spoke about all the other races seen in videos because it’s not just black females now.

Importance of Computer Literacy Essay

Introduction Patient safety is described by the US Institute of Medicine as â€Å"the freedom from accidental injury due to medical care or from medical error† (Mansour, 2012). With that being said, patient safety has long been a major issue for hospitals. In the past many patients have been injured during hospital stays, some being injured severely with death being the result. With the growing trend of lawsuits, hospitals were becoming more and more vulnerable to financial liability when patients were injured on their grounds. No one wants to be responsible for the injury or death of another individual. This is why many hospitals have begun doing their own independent research as well as looking at the research from other patient safety organizations. Patient safety goals are being put into place by organizations such as The Joint Commission, as well as falls reduction campaigns being implemented by the individual hospitals. While regulatory agencies like The Joint Commission require hospitals to identify who is at risk for a fall, and gives minimum standards to go by, it is up to the individual hospital to go beyond these required interventions to reduce the risk of a fall occurring within their facilities. Some ideas to prevent falls include the implementation of a new Clinical Nurse Leader position, purposeful hourly rounding, as well as sensors for beds to ensure they are in the low position. Topic One of the first ways to prevent falls in patients is to identify who is at risk. According to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, the major intrinsic, or physiology-based, risk factors for falls include; altered elimination, cognitive impairment, sensory deficits, altered or limited mobility/gait, and impaired balance (2009). Contributing to these risk factors are, for example, medications that act on the central nervous, circulatory, digestive, or urinary systems; age-related conditions that affect sensory organs; history or fear of falling; and fluid and/or electrolyte imbalances (United States Department of Veteran Affairs, 2009) For most hospitals, there is a list of questions that nurses are asked used in documenting about patients on a daily basis to determine the ever changing status some patients have while hospitalized. These questions make up what is called The Morse Falls Scale. A Morse Falls Scale must be done each day, and with any condition change, to determine a patients risk for falling. The Department of Veteran Affairs also states â€Å"A score of 0-24 indicates no risk for falls. A score of 25-50 suggests a low risk for a fall while a score of greater than 51 indicates a high risk of falling†(2009). To determine the score a person will have several questions must be asked such as: Does the patient have an IV? Is the IV a saline locked or does it have medications infusing? Has the patient fallen in the last three months? How does the patient ambulate? Are they on bedrest, use the nurse to assist, do they have a weak gait, or do they have an impaired gait? Are they taking diuretics/sedatives/tranquilizers? Is the patient over the age of 70? Are they oriented to their own ability or do they forget their limitations? (2009). Answering the aforementioned questions may seem tedious and like busy work however it is very important in the implementation of effective interventions for at risk patients. Now that you have identified who is at risk and how at risk they are, it is imperative to quickly implement the necessary interventions to prevent those at risk from becoming a statistic and more importantly keep them safe from harm. Even those individuals, who are alert, oriented and are at a low risk for falls should still have preventative measures taken to prevent an accidental fall. One of the leading causes for falls in this group is from hospital staff not lowering the bed down after attending to a patient. Also it is important to keep the patients call button within reach at all times, and educate the patient to call for assistance when needing to get up. Make sure the patient has all of their possessions within reach. For some it might be advisable to turn on a night light at night. For even alert patients, waking up in the middle of the night in a strange place can lead to a fall. Non-skid slippers are another way to prevent falls. Make sure your patients are wearing those any time they are out of bed. Side rails at the head of the hospital bed must be kept up on any patient who is hospitalized, but especially on those patients who are over 65 years of age or those receiving narcotics or sedatives (2009). Patients who are at a slightly increased risk for a fall should have the same interventions taken to protect them as a person with a low risk, but additional interventions are also needed. Rounding on patients is supremely important for many reasons, one of which is decreasing falls. (Tucker, Bieber, Attlesey-Pries, Olsen & Dierkhising, 2012). It is usually during these rounding times you will find noncompliance within patients of this category. If you go into a room and find a patient who is at moderate risk up and out of bed, reeducation is required and in some cases it may be beneficial to turn on the bed alarm to prevent them from getting up again without assistance. It is important to use judgment here when deciding to implement the bed alarm or not (National Guideline Clearinghouse, n. d. ). Take into consideration things such as are they hooked up to a central line, suction, is there a chest tube? Typically when patients insist on getting up without help and have various kinds of tubing hooked to them it is recommended to implement the bed alarm for their safety (National Guideline Clearinghouse, n. d. ). Patients who are at a high risk for falls should have all previously discussed interventions taken along with additional interventions, such as having signs posted so all staff knows that a patient is at risk for a fall. A yellow arm band should also be placed on the patient to alert all staff of the patients risk for falls. There is also no question that these individuals should have a bed alarm activated. If possible it’s always a good idea to have these patients close to the nurses’ station (National Guideline Clearinghouse, n. d. ). Having them closer to the nurses’ station improves the response time for when or if the bed alarm does go off. Having patients closer to the desk also given the staff a better opportunity to more closely monitor the patient. When it is not an option for a patient to be moved closer to the nurse station, it may be advisable for the patient to have a one to one sitter. In many cases families will be more than willing to stay with a patient to help make sure they do not get out of bed without assistance. If this is not possible a hospital staff member, usually a nurse assistant, will need to stay with the patient. Most all hospitals have moved away from using restraints. The liability had become too great for hospitals and staff to continue such a practice. As previously alluded to one important tool most facilities have adopted is hourly rounding. Studies have shown that by hourly rounding and addressing the 4 P’s, which are pain, potty, position, and possessions, reduces the amount of falls that occur in an inpatient setting (Ford, 2010). It is also a great way to make the patient feel safe. According to the research done by Beverly Ford in 2010, patients who see that someone from the faculty is coming in to their room each hour to check on them feels that they are being taken care of and safe. More often than not a patient will avoid using the call bell because they do not want to bother their nurse. (Tucker, et al. ,2012). Particularly with these patients it is important to see them as often as possible and at a minimum once an hour. Studies have shown that one factor in reducing the risk of falls is to have the bed in the lowest position when leaving the room. (Tzerg, Prakash, Brehob, Devecsery, Anderson, Yin. ,, 2012). Studies have also shown that 26. 5% of patients who fell during a hospital stay fell from their beds. 3. 6% fell over the bed rails, footboards, or headboards. (Tzerg et al. ,2012). If the bed is raised from the lowest position it dramatically increases a patient’s chance for falling. According to research done in 2012 by Tzerg, et al, the appropriate height of a hospital bed in the horizontal position is the patients’ knee height. For women the average keen height is 19. 49 inches and in men it is 21. 3 inches. (Tzerg et al, 2012). There is also research to suggest that a bed height sensor should be placed on all hospital beds to ensure that a bed is not left in the up position. Many hospitals have started implementing a new nursing position that helps bridge the gap between nurses with a heavy patient load and the patient who needs closer monitoring. According research The Clinical Nurse Lead (CNL) position has been created at the encouragement of several agencies such as The Joint Commission and Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. (Stanly, Gannon, Gabuant, Hartranft, Adams, Mayes, Shouse, Edwards, Burch, 2008). In the Fall of 2006 the first CNLs graduated from 12 different masters nursing programs across the united states. â€Å"With a heightened awareness these new graduates went out into the workforce to improve healthcare quality and patient safety, national indicators have been identified and they are being used to determine the quality of care being provided to patients† (Stanly, et al. , 2008). While not the answer to improved patient safety, studies have shown that implementing the position, especially on surgical units has improved the level of care received by patients while hospitalized (Stanly, et al. ,2008). There is no question that falls more often occur in the older population. Medicare has taken a huge interest in this factor and many questions are now being asked. Some of the questions being asked involve things such as what were the risk factors leading up to the incident, how did the incident occurred, what interventions were taken to prevent, and what was the response time after it occurred? (Liang, Mackey. ,2011). Because of the association of falls with mortality and disability, especially in the elderly, several studies have investigated the incidence of falls and the associated risk factors. In 2011 research done by Liang and Mackey reported The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimation of approximately one third of people 65 years of age and older fall each year, with many of those falls taking place in hospital settings. In October 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid stopped reimbursing for hospital-acquired conditions, or events, that should never occur during hospitalization (Liang, Mackey. ,2011). The guiding premise on why these â€Å"never events† should not occur is because there is a sufficient evidence base to prevent those events (Liang, Mackey. ,2011). If a patient experiences one of these events during their hospitalization, the hospital will not be reimbursed for the treatment costs associated with the event if the patient’s insurance is provided through Medicare or Medicaid. With the already serious losses most hospitals take each year, they simply cannot afford to have more revenue lost. This pay-for-performance initiative includes some patient outcomes that are considered to be nursing-sensitive, for example, injuries from falls. This phenomenon of hospitals not receiving reimbursement based on patient outcomes is a relatively new phenomenon for nurses in acute care. This is why hospitals are being serious and taking a hard stands on patients’ safety while in their care. Summary While there is defiantly a trend toward improvement to increase patient safety while hospitalized, it is obvious that there is still a long way to go. Nurses more than ever are using their role as a patient advocate to find new and insightful way to reduce risks for falls. Implementing falls precautions before there is a fall is one of the best ways to avoid an incident. Keeping beds in low position reduces the risk for the alert and oriented patients to fall. Implementing unit standards, researching and revising things that needs to be addressed are highly important for patient safety initiatives to be effective with a hospital setting. Continued research is also needed. Hospitals and patient acuity are both changing almost on a daily basis. It is up to those in the medical profession to avoid becoming stagnant and continue to grow in an effort to protect our patients from harm. REFERENCES Ford, B. M. (2010). Hourly rounding: a strategy to improve patient satisfaction scores. MEDSURGE Nursing, 19(3), 188-191. Retrieved from http://ehis. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. gardner-webb. edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? sid=02fda96b-2386-46ab-a942-0c65dcde3704%40sessionmgr113&vid=6&hid=124 Johanson, L. S. (2008). Interprofessional collaboration: nurses on the team. MEDSURGE Nursing, 129-130. Retrieved from http://ehis. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. gardner-webb. edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? sid=bfbb16e7-99ab-43bb-8aed-c12cfa010014@sessionmgr14 Liang, B. A. , & Mackey, T. (2011). Quality and safety in medical care what does the future hold. Quality and Safety in Medical Care, 135(11), 1425-1431. doi: 10. 5858/arpa. 2011-0154-OA Mansour (2012). Current assessment of patient safety education. British Journal of Nursing, 21(9), 536-543. Retrieved from http://ehis. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. gardner-webb. edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? sid=d98ff6b9-b7e2-4057-a870-c1fdf160b65d%40sessionmgr14&vid=5&hid=20 National Guideline Clearinghouse | Prevention of falls (acute care). health care protocol. (n. d. ). National Guideline Clearinghouse | Home. Retrieved from http://www. guideline. gov/content. aspx? id=36906&search=falls+prevention#top Stanly, J. M. , Gannon, J. , Gabuant, J. , Hartranft, S. , Adams, N. , Mayes, C. , Shouse, G. M. , Edwards, B. A. , & Burch, D. (2008). The clinical nurse leader: a catalyst for improving quality and patient safety. Journal of Nursing Management, 16, 614-622. doi: 10. 1111/j. 1365-2634. 2008. 00899. x Tzeng, H. M. , Prakash, A. , Brehob, M. , Devecsery, D. A. , Anderson, A. , & Yin, C. (2012). Keeping patient beds in a low position: an exploratory descriptive study to continuously monitor the height of patient beds in an adult acute surgical.

Understanding Research techniques in nursing Essay

Understanding Research techniques in nursing - Essay Example In addition to that, the nominal level of measurement entails the grouping of cases into categories. On the same note, in this level of measurement, the measure of dispersion draws its basis on the frequency of the distribution which is the particular frequency of cases in each category (Fisher& Marshall, 2009). On the contrary, the other level of measurement in descriptive statistics is the ordinal level. Apparently, this level of measurement entails grouping of cases into several groups like the previous case. However, here unlike the first case, the categories have numerical hierarchies where data in this level of measurement are classified in a hierarchical manner; in other words, starting from the lowest to the highest point for instance marks (Fethney, 2010). Notably, the measures of the dispersion are similar to the nominal level of measurement but they only vary on the arrangement of the data in the groups. Evidently, the role of descriptive statistics is inevitable in the field of nursing; self-efficacy, which is the ability of a nurse to translate research into meaningful evidence in the field of healthcare (Britt, 2009). On that note, through the study of descriptive statistics, a nurse can be able to think critically and reasonably and thus better job performance (Fisher& Marshall, 2009). It is worth noting that, this particular area of study aids in the building of the thinking capacity of an individual and thus the self-efficacy. Apparently, descriptive statistics can be said to at times very persuasive since it is not a very difficult discipline to venture in as compared to other fields for instance science which may require very complex scientific experiments in order to yield a particular result (Fethney, 2010). Although descriptive statistics plays a huge clinical significance, so does the confidence intervals. On the same

Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Letter from Birmingham Jail - Essay Example During the period of Martin Luther King, American society witnessed unethical, incredible and pathetic practice of discrimination between the white and black. Although this discrimination resulted in dissatisfaction among the Negros, their inefficiency and helplessness restricted them from taking any steps to break the bondage. They were treated as aliens in their own region, deprived of all sorts of freedom. Their religious churches and worship centers were also destroyed. Luther clearly explains why he has visited Birmingham. It is stated that the situation in the locality was worse and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights could not resist the power of the authority. Hence, they invited him to overcome the existing crisis. The letter says that â€Å"several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary† (King). He convinces the clergymen that being entrusted with mis sion of working for the society, he has desperately moved to the land so that he could uplift it. And now he is confined to his activities he had undertaken, and this he attributes to the unjust act of the ruling power. Moreover, he expresses dissatisfaction as he justifies the responsibility stating that he cannot sit idle or remain blind to the injustice happening to his fellow citizens. Every act is intention oriented. Similarly, this ‘Letter from Birmingham’ also intends a group of people, and they are none other than the clergymen. The reason behind writing the letter is to convince them why he has undertaken such movements. It is precisely to defend the criticism raised by the religious heads and his fellow clergymen. It clearly illustrates that the religions neither initiated nor allowed others to do so. Eventually, Luther does not simply target a few of the clergymen but the entire Christianity for being neutral to the situation. It is not a criticism against th e religion but a reminder of the unfair ignorance or negligence of basic responsibility the church displays. Luther is to point that the religion should understand the racial injustice or discrimination and react against it effectively. Since the church is his intended audience, indirectly he questions the responsibilities of the church. Luther strongly holds his view and answers his fellow clergymen who addressed his activities as ‘unwise and untimely’. Moreover, he shows his dedication to the asserted task by stating it beautifully â€Å"Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas† (King). Apart from this, Luther tells the clergymen who are the intended audience that if he and secretaries keep on answering the criticism placed on the table then there would have been no time to involve in the activities planned. And, he also states that what they have contributed is just criticisms; and it is evident from his statement, â€Å"you deplore the demo nstrations taking place in Birmingham† (King). What Luther could not tolerate is the comment made by the church on police force in a positive sense without understanding the real miseries of the Negros. Luther is takes a challenge since he is criticized for his timely actions as untimely. And he conveys the message that he would take further ‘

Mills utilitarianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Mills utilitarianism - Essay Example One thing which we should have learned by now during our philosophical journey is that we have to have a theory of human behavior which should be able to address the diversity of human environments and thus cannot be very simple and rigid. Utilitarianism is a step in that direction. Utilitarianism The founder of Utilitarianism was Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832). His theory begins with proposition that nature has placed human beings under two masters: pleasure and pain. Anything that seems good must either be directly pleasurable, or thought to be a means to pleasure or to the avoidance of pain. Conversely, anything that seems bad must either be directly painful, or thought to be a means to pain or to the deprivation of pleasure. From this Bentham argued that the words right and wrong can only be meaningful if they are used in accordance with the Utilitarian principle, so that whatever increases the net surplus of pleasure over pain is right and whatever decreases it is wrong. Moreover, the net pain and pleasure to be considered is not restricted to personal level but should be the sum of the pleasure of all involved by acting or getting effected by a particular action. Therefore from utilitarianism we cannot gauge the utility of action by putting it on the persona l criteria of pleasure and pain but it has to be more wholesome resultantly more complex but practicable. Basic Objections to Utilitarianism Most difficult part in the implementation of Bentham's utilitarianism is that to take an action, one has to take into account the expanse of the effects of the actions i.e. how far the consequences going to travel. This factor leads to three basic objections to utilitarianism:- 1. Utilitarianism is too demanding as it is more inclined towards collective good than individual good. 2. Utilitarianism is a heartless doctrine as it does not concentrate/focus on the intention but on the consequences thus making the entire concept of virtuous intent redundant. 3. The Principle of Utility is impractical because one has to think the consequences for which the time and information might not be available at a particular moment. Mill's Modification to Utilitarianism These basic objections though seem valid were addressed by John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). The salient points of his modification to utilitarianism were:- 1. Introduction of Higher and Lower Pleasure Mill is of the opinion that pleasure has to be distributed into categories of higher and lower pleasure. At times we may confront a situation that we find a number of actions which might lead to "pleasure". In such circumstances we would be at a loss to decide the course of action. It will be only the conception of higher and lower pleasure which will give us the ability to take correct actions at correct time. In doing so we should also consider that the most suitably equipped person to judge the distinction between the higher and lower pleasure is the one who has experienced both. 2. Introduction of Rules in Moral Decision Making Mill considers that rules can be the force behind the decision. These rules are in fact the outcome of utilitarianism and they are established by taking into consideration principles of utility i.e. rules which had been giving and will give "pleasure" to the

Shaping Marketing Decisions Based on Consumer Behavior Essay

Shaping Marketing Decisions Based on Consumer Behavior - Essay Example It is important to note that the buying process originates in the mind long before a customer has made a conscious effort to make a purchase, and such a decision shall be affected by personality and social-cultural factors (McKenna 2000). Consumer behavior thus is a study that attempt to assess why consumers buy where they buy, the influence that affects their purchase decision, how they view your products or services relative to those of your competitors, and most importantly, why they should stick to your products in the face of a market awash with similar products and services from your competition. It also involves an assessment of the attitudes that consumers have towards a service or a product and the role that they play in their households, as this shall affect their purchase decisions (Lele 1002). Consumer behavior is both a dynamic and complex process. It is also multidimensional and tends to greatly impact on all the marketing decisions of a firm. An evoked set is that subset of brands within a product category that is often considered by individuals when they wish to make a purchase (Campbell, 1969). Given that there is a large number of brands that are contained in each of the individual product categories, consumers thus resorts to the use of evoked sets with a view to making their purchase decisions easier. From a consumer's perspective, an evoked set could as well be regarded as an awareness set made up of particular brands within a product category that a given set of consumers are aware of (Narayana & Markin 1975). In other words, an evoked set could be viewed as those handful of choices that will often pass through our minds when we are just about to arrive at a buying decision. For instance, when someone is purchasing say, a personal computer, such brands as either Sony or Dell may come to mind. In this case, this is an evoked set. For a marketer, it is crucial that his/her products be aligned so as to constitute a valid evoked set in the minds of customers. This is all about creating a brand image of your products and services that appeal to the market. According to Lele (1992), only those brands that form an evoked set within the consumers' minds get to be purchased. Lele Further opines that if a brand or supplier is not part of an evoked set, then such a brand will either be rarely purchased by a consumer or be ignored altogether. A majority of consumers' evoked sets have at most five differing brands. Consequently, it often becomes quite tricky to have more that a similar number of firms having a widespread acceptance as being distinguished and exceptional. Owing to the multiplicity of opinions, it would not be easy to have to say, three firms or brands being a part of the perception of quite a sizable proportion of the consumer market. Due to this, most of the marketers for packaged goods often fight viciously to obtain a share of the consumers' mind, and hence their attention. When a firm fails to familiarize itself with a buyer groups' evolved set, then the achievement of its overall strategy through the use of differentiation is jeopardized (Lele 1992).  

Implication of Bad Managerial Ethics in Enron Term Paper

Implication of Bad Managerial Ethics in Enron - Term Paper Example On the other hand, the failure of a business venture can be attributed to upholding unethical values such as deception and complacency. Ethics can be understood well by paying special attention to the Enron scandal. This paper discusses the implications of unethical practice. It begins by bringing out the unethical practices that occurred at Enron and the implications. To begin with, the Enron scam, unearthed in 2001, eventually caused the collapse of Enron, an Energy Corporation based in the United States and the complete closure of an accounting and re-organization firm called Arthur Andersen. Apart from being the mega insolvency reorganization in the history of the United States during that time, Enron was also regarded as the huge audit failure. Enron problems owe their origin to Jeffrey Skilling, who created a group of executives that used accounting loopholes, specific purpose entities and negative financial reporting to hide huge amount of dollars in the form of debts that cam e from scrupulous deals as well as projects (Swartz & Sherron, 2004). Chief Financial Manager Andrew Fastow together with other managers not only confused Enron’s management board and accounts committee on highly vulnerable accounting practices, but also forced Andersen to overlook the issues (Collins, 2006). Shareholders lost eleven billion dollars (Schein, 2005), when the price of stocks at Enron that had gained a peak of ninety dollars per share as of mid 2000, dropped by less than one dollar by the close of 2001.The United States Securities and Commission of Exchange started an inquiry, and rival competitor from Houston, Dynergy wanted to buy the firm at a subsidized price. The deal collapsed, and in2001, Enron petitioned for insolvency under chapter eleven of the US Bankruptcy Law (Cruver, 2003). Furthermore, the implication was that many managers at Enron Corporation were arrested for a several charges and later put behind bars. The auditor at Enron, Arthur Andersen, wa s proven guilty by a District Court in the US. However, when the decision was rescinded by the United States Supreme Court, the firm had lost many customers. Workers and shareholders got limited returns from lawsuits, despite forfeiting billions in form of pensions as well as stock prices. As a result of the scam, new rules and laws were passed to increase the validity of financial communication for public firms. The unethical events that took place at Enron included embracing a culture which regarded innovation coupled with unlimited ambition to be vital factors that produced good returns within a short time. However, this theory focused on the short term aspect rather than long term whereby achieving maximum profits becomes cumbersome. This forces employees to bend the rules until the limitations of ethics are ignored in the quest for success (Toffler & Jennifer, 2004). It is worth noting that Enron enjoyed a lot of success initially by raking in a lot of earnings as well as cash flows. Therefore, in order to maintain this trend they resorted to join a faulty network of partnerships and also employed questionable auditing procedures. Enron managers thought that it was the best path for the organization. The crucial question that comes out of this initiative is whether it was ethical for the executives to pursue that course. In my view, it can be said that to some extent it was given the fact that the company realized a lot of earnings. However, to a large extent the behavior depicted by the executives of Enron constituted the highest violation of ethical values since it is responsible for the collapse of Enron. In addition, my

The Continuum from Legitimacy to Fraud Dissertation

The Continuum from Legitimacy to Fraud - Dissertation Example With the purpose of satisfying the data requirements of the proposed study, two types of data collection procedures, which include primary data and secondary data, will be taken into account. The primary method of data collection to be implemented in this proposed study comprises interviews and surveys. In this context, interviews and surveys will be conducted on managers and stakeholders for collecting primary data in this proposed study. On the other hand, the secondary data planned to be collected from various secondary sources in this proposed study will include journals, books, and other online sources. This proposed research will emphasize the study of earning management. Earning management is identified as a practice executed by managers to modify the financial stance of the earning entity, depicting misrepresented financial information during the unsatisfactory performance of a company. In this respect, the proposed study will be executed with the aim of determining the vario us differences and linkages amid earning management and fraud. In the process to attain the determined aim, the proposed study will depict the dimensions and aspects of earning management. Accordingly, a quantitative research approach will be adopted on the basis of which, the data collected will be analyzed with charts and graphs. It is expected that from the findings of the proposed study, the procedure on the basis of which earning management leads to fraudulent practices can be revealed evidently.... On the other hand, fraud is unaccepted under the principles of GAAP being explained as the procedure of misrepresenting data and information presented to stakeholders and investors of the company. Kassem (2012) contextually stated that earning management may be accepted under the principles of GAAP, but it may affect stock price as well as integrity of a company leading to non-transparency of financial information. As stated by Kassem (2012), management of a company may adopt earning management in providing misrepresented financial information in order to misguide stakeholders and investors during the failure of the company (Tangjitprom, 2013; Kassem, 2012). Earning Management is a form of Fraud According to Leuz, Nanda & Wysocki (2003), earning management is used by management of a company to adopt fraudulent practices for their benefits at the expense of stakeholders’, investors’ and others’ interests who are dependable on the performance of the company. In thi s perspective, when stakeholders and investors detect that management of a company has adopted earning management, the stakeholders are eligible to take adequate disciplinary and legal measures against the occurrence of the mismanagement (Leuz, Nanda & Wysocki, 2003). In a similar perspective, Saanoun, Riahi & Arab (2013) have stated that managers may be adopting earning management in order to obtain private benefits and revealing false financial information and reports to stakeholders and investors. Correspondingly, earning management is recognized as an unethical practice in business by stakeholders and investors, which can certainly hamper the confidence of stakeholders and investors among others to a significant extent (Saanoun, Riahi & Arab,

Personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal Statement Example nd respected Business Schools in the United Kingdom, the International reputation of the department of Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations has attracted many local and international students, and I believe the institution will definitely offer one of the most intellectually stimulating environments to pursue my career goals. My interest in the study areas of marketing, public relations and advertisement was first aroused during shortly after I began my undergraduate studies in humanities foundation (Sociology, Media & Computer Information Technology) at Bellerby College, Oxford. Undertaking this course has not only enabled me to establish a solid theoretical foundation in communications and media but has also enhanced my quantitative as well as interpersonal skills. In addition, my preference for communication and sociology makes me to find public relations to be an instrumental field to my dream career of being a Communications and Media Manager in a well established organization. I am particularly enthusiastic to learn about how different business enterprises embrace varied social media utilities to remain relevant in face of the rapidly evolving marketing conditions. Besides, I want to learn about how a business’ responsiveness to social issues that unravel during its course of operation can impact the achievement of the overall strategic goals. I have also developed deep insights into ways of conceptualizing and developing creative communication actions for both advertisement and public relations. I posses exemplary skills in communication and media, which have been helpful in letting me tailor adverts in a way that suits the target group. Besides, I am proficient in matching different types of social media utilities with given audience in varied advertising contexts and marketing endeavors. In integrating these efforts into public relations, I believe that I will be better positioned to build cross-functional groups that are capable of executing

The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway Research Paper

The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway - Research Paper Example 191). In other words, Hemmingway’s The Snows of Kilimanjaro tells a story about writing and somehow links this story to human themes. To demonstrate the point, Becnel and Bloom (2009) draw attention to the following passage narrated by Harry and taken from The Snows of Kilimanjaro: We must all be cut out for what we do, he thought. However, you make your living is where your talent lies. He had sold vitality, in one form or another, all his life and when you affections are not too involved you give much better value for the money. He had found that out but he would never write that, now, either. No, he would not write that, although it was well worth writing (Hemmingway 2003, p. 12). Becnel and Bloom (2009) noted that from Harry’s perspective, he acknowledges that during his life as a soldier, writer and husband married into wealth he has been â€Å"selling vitality† his entire life (p. 191). Therefore Harry is able to connect the demands and passions in life via three seemingly unrelated factors: marriage, the military and writing. The connection begs inquiry in to how each of these factors relate to selling vitality. It is therefore first necessary to understand what Harry means by selling his vitality. Looking further into The Snows of Kilimanjaro some guidance can be found in the following excerpt: He had destroyed his talent himself – by not using it, by betrayals of himself and what he believed in, by drinking so much that he blunted the edge of his perceptions, by laziness, by sloth, by snobbery, by hook and by crook; selling vitality, trading it for security, for comfort (Hemmingway 2003, p. 11). This excerpt informs that selling vitality means sacrificing one’s own talents and ambitions in favour of security and at times in favour of other human frailties: laziness, greed and other exigencies of human weaknesses. In many ways these human exigencies are seductions and inevitably forced Harry to trade the vital elements of his life for greater comforts (Bush 1995, p. 26). Arguably, Harry was unable to succeed at or find complete satisfaction via marriage, soldiering and writing because he had sought comfort and security rather than the art of mastering each of these factors. The selling of vitality from Harry’s perspective thus informs that Harry sold or surrendered something of significance in his marriage, soldiering and writing. He therefore loses something of importance in each of these life roles. That something must be passion as, he suggests that a man must make his living where his talent lies and for Harry, his talent lies in trading vitality or sacrificing his real ambitions in favor of shortcuts to comfort and security. The suggestion is therefore that Harry’s life is disingenuous or at the very least the reader can form the opinion that Harry is only superficially happy as he has sacrificed what he really wants out of life for comfort and security. He has also allowed his pursuits to be compromised by the seductions that lead to or command shortcuts. His marriage into wealth may perhaps demonstrate the point best as he has obviously succumbed to a shortcut to material possessions or the seductions inherent in sloth. Soldiering would obviously provide Harry with material for his

Morality and God Essay Example for Free

Morality and God Essay Morality only exists if we believe in God; therefore if God doesn’t exist there is no morality. There have been so many evil acts committed in the name of God that it is difficult to maintain that a belief in God equates to morality. There are situations that happen every day where decisions are made based off of human rights that contradict the word of God. Morality comes from within, it is an understanding of right versus wrong and the ability to choose what is right. Knowing all this a belief in God is not a requirement for a person to be moral. (Mosser, 2011) We are taught that morals are basically the difference between right and wrong. A child may be taught that stealing is wrong because it hurts the store owner and can ruin the child’s reputation. Or the child may be told that if they steal they will be punished because God is always watching. The child has learned the fundamental difference between right and wrong, even if the reasoning is different. This will allow the child to make moral decisions when they grow up whether it is based off of human compassion or fear of God. If we accept that the child understands right from wrong regardless of their reason, we accept that God is not a requirement to be a moral person. If a person observes an act of violence or torture, they are morally required to stop it. In biblical times these acts were not only accepted but encouraged by the bible. Today, a person would not ignore these things simply because they did not believe in God. There are human rights that we believe each person is entitled to and someone with good morals would help out another person in need because it is the right thing to do. If it turned out that God does not exist, violence and torture would not suddenly become acceptable. (Mosser, 2011) Mass acceptance of a belief does not make it right. Ancient religions that believed in numerous gods have been pushed aside as fairy tales, for the more widely accepted belief in a single God. During their time those gods were prayed to just as fervently as today’s God. What was accepted as true back then is now known as a fable, and the laws of the day have been wiped away and replaced with our modern laws. These laws were put in to place to punish people who do wrong to others. They have become the moral balance. If you do wrong you will be punished, if you continue to do what is right you will live unmolested and enjoy your freedoms. God is not a requirement for someone to act morally, because there are earthly punishments for crimes. There is no right or wrong without God because He determines what is right and wrong. Moral standards cannot be enforced without God to ensure that we are punished or rewarded for our acts. Someone who does not believe in God may change their morals to whatever suits them at the time. We have been given guidelines by God on what is morally acceptable, and informed of the punishment that comes with being immoral. When an individual does not believe in God they cannot be a moral person, because they have no moral standards. (Millard, A. 2000) The Ten Commandments give us a basic understanding of what is right and wrong. These Commandments along with various scriptures from the bible determine which acts are moral and which are immoral. An individual who witnesses a crime but does not believe in God can simply decide that they are not responsible for stopping the crime. This may lead one to believe that if a non-believer does something right that they have morals. This is not the case, because they could just as easily do wrong and their conscience would have been just as clear. They have no moral compass to tell them that this act is leading them astray from God. (Riskin, S. 2007) If one does not believe in God they cannot know right from wrong and cannot do what is right because they do not have the understanding. The lack of a belief in God means that rules do not have to be followed. If you do not fear the wrath of God, there is nothing to stop you from committing immoral acts, or any crimes for that matter. Any situation can be overlooked because there is no fear of punishment without a fear of God. Only a person with a firm belief in God can be considered moral because they fear His punishment and desire his reward. God is the only person great enough to enforce moral standards, without his guidance there can be no binding morals. Moral standards come from God and without Him a person cannot be moral. When we talk in absolutes we ignore possibilities that exist outside of our beliefs. There are many examples of individuals that believed in God who acted immorally, as well as examples of people who do not believe in God acting with good morals. Their beliefs do not determine their morality, their acts do. If we are to base morality solely on a belief in God then which believer do we follow? Do we follow the believer who commits crimes, or only the believer who is an upstanding member of society? Adolf Hitler was raised as a Catholic, and in his adult life spoke of his religious beliefs. He wanted to create a pure Germany, through a religion known as positive Christianity. Positive Christianity removed the Jewish elements from the standard Christianity doctrine and replaced them with Nazi philosophy. More than six million Jewish people were killed during the Holocaust in the ideal of positive Christianity. Bill Gates is noted as saying he does not know if there is a God or not, yet he donates billions of dollars to Charity every year. The foundation he formed with his wife to address extreme poverty and poor health in third world countries has brought attention and relief to millions of people across the globe. These acts were not done in the hopes that they would be rewarded, but instead to help the human condition. A general concern about the welfare of our neighbors is not exclusive to God. Not every action is based solely off of a person’s morals. There are many reasons people decide to do things and we cannot judge a person’s moral standing off of a single action. We do not look at Adolf Hitler and say that he is a great moral figure because he believed in God. On the same note we do not look at Bill Gates, a non-believer and say that he is immoral. We look at their actions over time and determine whether or not they acted morally. We know that killing millions of innocent people is immoral; just as we know that helping sick and injured people is moral. Which God you believe in determines what you consider to be moral. Muslims agree that polygamy is acceptable. Protestants and the Jewish believe divorce is acceptable if certain conditions are met. Catholics are strictly against both polygamy and divorce. Which God is morally right? All of these groups worship the same God, so perhaps it is the translation of the word of God that is in question. When we look at this we begin to have a better understanding that God’s contradictory words could bring the thought of what is moral crumbling down. There are many controversial moral endorsements in the bible that are accepted today. There are also commands given that are ignored because they are no longer socially accepted as truth. Exodus 20:13 says we must not kill. However, Leviticus 20:13 tells us that if a man lies with another man he must be put to death. There are many debates and arguments over whether homosexuality is moral, but we overlook the second part of the scripture because it is no longer held as a valid punishment. The times have changed and we cannot murder or we will go to jail. Leviticus 19:19 says it is a sin to wear clothes made from two different types of material. You will be hard pressed to find anyone backing up this claim today. (King James Bible) Many religious people have chosen scripture from the bible to suit their lifestyles over the years, but ignore things that are no longer socially accepted as immoral. They hold others to strict standards on matters that they do not agree on and use verses from the bible to support their viewpoint. If everyone used the internal right versus wrong approach to morality there would be less confusion on which standards we held each other to. It is unfair to condemn someone for something using half of a statement from the bible, and then ignore the rest of the statement because it does not agree with current beliefs. Our faith, lessons from our parents or even witnessing other people’s actions are different reasons to decide what we believe is moral. All three have flaws that can lead to differing views on the same subject. However, at the end of the day there are certain things that everyone accepts as morally right, or morally wrong. These are situations where it does not matter how you learned it, you just know it. Biblical teachings tell us that certain things are acceptable, while others are punishable by death. But in the legal society of America acting on the acceptable things will land you in prison, and the immoral sins are inalienable rights. Every day decisions are made across the world without having to consider if we will be punished by a higher being. These things prove that a person does not have to believe in God to act morally. A moral person is someone who not only understands the difference between right and wrong, but also does what is right. The lack of God in someone’s life doesn’t make a person immoral just as the presence of God does not make someone moral. Morality is not proven by a belief in God. References King James Bible Millard, A. (2000). How reliable is exodus? Biblical Archaeology Review, 26(4), 50-57. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/214908737? accountid=32521 Mosser, K. (2011). Logic an introduction. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Riskin, S. (2007). Ten commandments audience? Washington Jewish Week. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/220857354? accountid=32521.

An Ecological Viewpoint On Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay

An Ecological Viewpoint On Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay Pollution is the effect of undesirable changes in our surroundings that have harmful effects on plants, animals and human beings. This occurs when only short term ecological gains are made at the cost of long term ecological benefits for humanity. During the last few decades we have polluted our air, water and land on which life itself depends with a variety of waste products. From an ecological point of view, pollutants can be classified as degradable or non-persistent pollutants which can be rapidly broken down by natural process.eg: domestic sewage, discarded vegetables etc., Slowly-degradable or persistent pollutants are pollutants that remain in the environment for many years in an unchanged condition and take decades or longer to degrade.eg:DDT(pesticides) and most plastics. Non-degradable pollutants cannot be degraded by natural processes. Once they are released into the environment they are difficult to eradicate and continue to accumulate.eg: toxic elements like lead or mercury and nuclear wastes. Pollution is a very wide topic. This thesis focuses on two major pollutions- air and water, and explains in detail the causes, effects and control measures. Air pollution occurs due to the presence of undesirable solid or gaseous particles in the air in quantities that are harmful to human health and the environment. The air may become polluted by natural causes such as volcanoes, which release ash, dust, sulphur and other gases, or by forest fires that are occasionally caused by lightening. However, unlike pollutants from human activity, naturally-occuring pollutants tend to remain in the atmosphere for a short time and do not lead to permanent atmospheric change. Air pollution began to increase in the beginning of the twentieth century with the development of transportation systems and large-scale use of petrol and diesel. These severe air quality problems due to the formation of petrochemical smog from the combustion residues of diesel and petrol engines were felt for the first time in Los Angeles. Pollution due to auto- exhaust remains a serious environmental issue in many developed and developing countries, including, India. The air pollution control act in India was passed in 1981 and the motor vehicle act for controlling air pollution was passed very recently. These laws are intended to prevent the air from becoming over polluted. The greatest industrial disaster leading to serious air pollution took place in Bhopal, where the extremely poisonous methyl isocyanides gas was accidently released from the Union Carbides pesticide manufacturing plant, on the night of December 2, 1984. The effects of this disaster on human health and the soil are felt even today. Lead is a major air pollutant that remains largely unmonitored and is emitted by vehicles. High lead levels have been reported in the ambient air in metropolitan cities. Leaded petrol is the primary source of air-borne lead emissions in Indian cities. The use of unleaded petrol is one way of reducing this pollutant. Pollutants are also found indoors from the infiltration of polluted outside air and from various chemicals used or produced inside buildings. The effects of air pollution on living organisms are adverse. Cigarette smoking is responsible for the greatest exposure to carbon monoxide. Exposure to air containing even 0.001% of carbon monoxide for several hours can cause coma and even death. Sulphur dioxide irritates the respiratory tissues; chronic exposure to it causes a condition similar to bronchitis. The acids can become attached to particles which, when inhaled, are very corrosive to the lungs. The widely talked changes in the ozone layer have serious implications for mankind. The effects on human health due to increased UV radiation are sunburn, cataract, aging of the skin and skin cancer. It weakens the immune system by suppressing the bodys resistance to certain infections like measles, chickenpox and other viral diseases that elicit rash and parasitic diseases like malaria introduced through the skin. UV rays also affect the ability of plants to capture light energy during the process of photosynthesis. This reduces the nutrient content and the growth of plants. This is seen especially in the case of legumes and cabbage. Air pollution can be controlled by two fundamental approaches: preventive techniques and effluent control. One of the effective means of controlling air pollution is to have proper equipment in place. This includes devices for removal of pollutants from the flue gases through scrubbers, closed-collection recovery systems, and the use of dry and wet collectors, filters, electrostatic precipitators and so on. Building higher smoke-stacks facilitates the discharge of pollutants as far away from the ground as possible. Industries should be carefully located so as to minimize the effects of pollution after considering the topography and the wind directions. The substitution of raw materials that cause more pollution with those that cause less pollution will also help. Water pollution is when the quality or composition of water changes directly or indirectly as a result of mans activities such that it becomes unfit for any purpose it is said to be polluted. Point sources of pollution are when a source of pollution can be readily identified because it has a definite source and place where it enters the water it is said to come from a point source. E.g.: municipal and industrial discharge pipes. Non-point sources of pollution are when a source of pollution cannot be readily identified, such as agricultural runoff, acid rain etc., There are several classes of common water pollutants. These are disease causing agents which include bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasitic worms that enter water from domestic sewage and untreated human and animal wastes. Large amounts of human waste in water increases the number of these bacteria, which cause gastrointestinal diseases. Other potentially harmful bacteria from human wastes may also be present in smaller numbers. Thus, the greater the amount of wastes in the water, the greater is the chance of contracting diseases. The third class of pollutants is inorganic plant nutrients. These are water -soluble nitrates and phosphates that cause the excessive growth of algae and other aquatic plants. The quantity of fertilizers applied in a field is often many times more than actually required by plants. The chemicals in fertilizers and pesticides pollute both soil and water. A fourth class of water pollutants is water- soluble inorganic chemicals, which are acids, salts and compounds of toxic metals such as mercury and lead. High levels of these chemicals can make the water unfit to drink, harm fish and other aquatic life, reduce crop yields and accelerate the corrosion of equipment that is in contact with this water. Another cause of water pollution is a variety of organic chemicals, which includes oil, gasoline, plastics, pesticides, cleaning solvents, detergents and many other chemicals. These are harmful to aquatic and human health. They enter the water directly from industrial activity, either from improper handling of chemicals in industries and usually from the improper and illegal disposal of chemical wastes. The foremost necessity of controlling water pollution is prevention. On the other hand, setting up effluent treatment plants to treat wastes can reduce the pollution load in the recipient water. The treated effluent can be reused for either gardening or cooling purposes, wherever possible. A few years ago a new technology, called the Root Zone Process has been developed by Thermax. This system involves running contaminated water through root zones of specially-designed reed beds. To conclude, the responsibility to prevent pollution lies in the hands of every individual. Some concepts that help individuals contribute towards a better quality of our environment and human life are: Try to plant trees wherever you can and more importantly take care of them. They reduce air pollution. From the mail you receive reuse as many envelopes as you can. Use pesticides in your home only when absolutely necessary and use them in small amounts. Some insect species help to keep a check on the populations of pest species. Reduce the use of fossil fuels by either walking short distances or using a car pool, sharing a bike or using public transport. This reduces air pollution. Shut off the lights and fans when not needed. Do not use aerosol spray products and commercial air-fresheners. They damage the ozone layer. Do not pour pesticides, paints, solvents, oil or other products containing harmful chemicals down the drain or onto the ground. Buy consumer goods in refillable glass containers instead of cans or throwaway bottles. Try to avoid asking for plastic carry bags when you buy groceries or vegetables or any other items. Use your own cloth bag instead. Set up a compost bit in your garden to produce manure and reduce use of fertilizers.

Need For Structural Transformation Through Ebusiness Business Essay

Need For Structural Transformation Through Ebusiness Business Essay There are various theories on the subject which enrich our modern days understanding of the subject and make us appreciate how and why organisations strategise their decisions. How does Coca Cola know that its strength lie in adding various lines of beverages such as energy drinks, sports drinks, health drinks when others are just making aerated drinks? Or how does Estee Lauder through its various marketing brands cater to different segments the original Estee Lauder for older women, Clinique for middle aged women, M.A.C. for youthful hipsters, Aveda to aromatherapy enthusiasts and Origins for eco conscious consumers. Michael Porters acclaimed Five Forces of Competitive Position model explains a simple perspective for evaluating and analysing the competitive strength and position of a corporation or business organisation. Let us understand each force and its implication for the Strategic Planners in the Case of FedEx Industry Competitors This refers to the existing players in an industry unless and until there is a first mover advantage. But sooner or later, other firms enter and pose a direct threat to ones profits. In the case of FedEx, UPS was a competitor though till 1982 UPS was not directly competing in the overnight delivery segment. And so the rule of the game have to be maneuvered keeping in mind what other firms are doing in the industry. Potential Entrants The threat of a new firm entering into the industry is more when its easier relatively for an organisation to enter the industry in other words, entry barriers are low. An organisation planning to enter the industry will contemplate various decisions such as the loyalty of customers to existing products, how soon the economies of scale can be achieved, do they have access to suppliers, and would they face government legislation, discouraging them or promote them in any manner to enter the industry. FedEx had a lot of first mover advantages. It was the first company to give the drivers hand held scanners for sending alerts to customers for each pick up and delivery. In 1994, it became the first big transport company to launch a website that included tracking and tracing capabilities, but by 2000 when DHL, TNT and UPS were fierce competitors., these advantages were lost as customers took all these facilities as granted and did not see any incremental value. Thus as more firms enter the market, the dynamics change and this calls for a continuous innovation stream and realignment of corporate strategy which has become the hallmark of FedEx over the years. By integrating its services and managing the supply-chain of its customers, it generated customer loyalty and increased the customer switching costs. Thus FedEx managed to effectively introduce the barriers to entry for competitors. Threats of substitute products or services The availability of products services outside the common product boundaries raises the likelihood of customers to switch to alternatives. Are there alternative products that clients can buy over your product that provides the same benefits at a lesser price? In the case of FedEx, this threat was low at the time it entered the market. There was no other way to make time sensitive documents reach overnight in a reliable fashion. Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of clients is also expressed as the market of outputs: the ability of customers to put the firm under pressure, which also governs the customers sensitivity to price changes. Strategic Planners at FedEx realised this from the beginning. The underlying philosophy at FedEx was that whenever businesses grow, there is always move of physical goods. This shows that the management team at FedEx took cognisance of customer sensitivity and their power. It always laid emphasis on speed and reliance in moving time sensitive documents. Bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers are critical for the success of a firm. Raw materials are required to complete the finished product of the organisation. Suppliers have immense power. This power comes from: If they are the main supplier or one of the rare suppliers who supply that particular raw material. If it is relatively costlier for the company to move from one supplier to another (known also as switching cost) If there are no other substitutes for their product. FedEx made judicious decisions in selecting their technology partners. Whether it was tying up with COSMOS or making a deal with Netscape in 1999, it leveraged its IT partners to the fullest. Value chain is described by Dagmar Recklies in the following words: Value chain analysis described by Porter refers to the activities within and around a company, and links them to an analysis of the competitive strength of an organization. It thus assesses which value each particular activity brings to the organizations products or services. D.K. Likhi in the article Motives of Strategic Alliances formation: Value Chain perspective states the following:   Porter says that the capability to perform particular activities and to manage the linkages between these activities is a source of competitive advantage. In his well-known book Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining superior Performance (1985) Porter distinguishes between primary activities and support activities. Primary activities are straightforwardly linked with the creation or delivery of a product or service. They can be assembled into five main parts namely inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and service. Each of these primary activities is joined to sustain activities which help to improve their competence or efficacy. There are four major areas of support activities: procurement, technology development (including RD), human resource management, and infrastructure (systems for planning, finance, quality, information management etc.).   The basic model of Porters Value Chain is presented here- Moreover, the term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Margin denotes that organisations realise a profit margin that depends on their aptitude to handle the linkages between all activities in the value chain. In the case of FedEx Strategic Planners at FedEx have been able to leverage both its primary and secondary activities and ensured that they reap high margins. Its focus on Technology Development proved that even a secondary activity can become critical in defining success. FedExs success lay in its pro-activeness. It realised that mere express delivery will not take it far; in order to revolutionise the globe, it will have to focus on total logistics and supply chain solution. Core Competencies and Capabilities at FedEx A core competency is a unique factor that a business considers as being central to the way it, or its employees, works. It fulfills three key criteria: It provides consumer benefits It is not easy for competitors to imitate It can be leveraged widely too many products and markets. When we analyse the case, it becomes evident that FedEx had various core competencies and capabilities. Firstly, it is the underlining philosophy and the vision of the management at FedEx. Innovation and Pro-activeness is a culture in itself; either the organisation has it or it does not. When others in the industry were competing on prices, FedEx was thinking how to integrate seamlessly with its customers and provide value. It was thinking of emerging into a global logistics and supply chain company while others in the industry were complacent being express delivery firms. In 1974, FedEx opened a small warehouse for Parts Bank and thus embarked on the journey of logistic management. Fred Smith, Chairman of FedEx Corporation was a visionary; he realised that overnight delivery of time sensitive documents was a brilliant business idea. He mastered that speed and reliance were crucial in this business for clients. In the nascent years when other players were buying space on commercial airlines, FedEx acquired its own transportation fleet. Such a vision was instrumental in saving huge costs to the company in the latter years. Secondly, the use of breakthrough technology and internet acted as another core competence. In 1980s, FedEx became the first company to give its drivers hand held scanners that were used to send alerts to customers every time a packet was picked up or delivered. It became the first big transport company to have a website with tracking and tracing facilities in 1994. It had started putting customers catalogues on the website. Thus FedEx had started redefining sources and procurement strategies for its clients who were very happy with these value added services, they had in a way outsourced their entire supply chain management to FedEx. Thirdly, leveraging relationships as a strategy acted as yet another major competency for FedEx. It started using COSMOS tracking network in 1979 and provided tracing and tracking services with the advent of internet. In 1999, it made a deal with Netscape to offer a suite of delivery services at its netcenter portal. This meant automatic integration of Netscape FedEx by means of which FedEx gained an added access to 13 million members who were there on the portal. As we see FedEx leveraged both, backward integration with its IT Technology partners on one hand and forward integration with many of its clients like Dell Cisco on the other. Thus as of January 2000, FedEx became the worlds largest overnight package carrier with about 30 percent market share. Main Advantages Disadvantages of international trade to FedEx Corporation FedEx gained tremendously from International trade. Its tie up with Dell, Cisco, NatSemi and Netscape vouch for the fact that such backward and forward integrations would not have been possible if it had not ventured out of its home market. The management also exploited the use of internet and e-commerce to the best of its advantage. It started tying up with companies worldwide and managed its customers effectively. FedEx was able to service as an extended, fully outsourced logistics supply chain division of global companies. It introduced various e-Business Tools for faster connections with FedEx shipping and tracking applications. As early as in 1974, it started logistics operations with Parts Bank and built up a small warehouse at Memphis. Thus when others were just competing on prices and speed, FedEx was already way ahead with its first value added service way beyond transportation. However when one goes international, there are disadvantages as well. FedEx increased its scope of work and base, spreading itself too thin. Multiple brands worldwide became difficult to manage. Costs started multiplying as each sub business had its own accounting, sales and marketing costs. While the likes of UPS had the advantage of promoting just one brand UPS to sell the company and its many service offerings, FedEx was trying to promote five different sub-companies with completely unrelated names business logos under the FDX banner with separate sales and customer service teams. However a re-alignment and re-branding strategy was timely planned and international trades advantages far out weighed its disadvantages and costs. Section II Classical Evolutionary School of Thought the case of FedEx Strategy Theory is such a vast, multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary academic field with competing schools of thought with each one taking a different view as to what strategy is aiming to achieve that it becomes almost impossible to compare any two schools. Let us look at some of the schools of thought in the domain of strategy and see the relevance of the same in the case of FedEx. The classical view of strategy is supported on the military parlance, in which the world is a fixed hierarchy with a solitary general who makes decisions. The concept has a long history in the military and if we see etymologically, strategy literally means what the generals do. However problem exists when some theorists take this too literally and try to replicate this in the business domain as it is. The military model is supported by an intellectual inheritance from economics. Many economists placed this singular figure right at the heart of their ideation of strategy as an highly structured game of move and counter-move, bluff and counter-bluff, between competing yet interdependent businesses. This view of individuals in association with Smiths view that each individual is continual wielding himself to find out the most profitable employment of whatever capital he can command, creates a stereotype of the manager who is focused on maximising return on investment. Classical strategy places immense assurance in the readiness and capacity of managers to adopt profit maximising strategies through rational long-term planning. Such cases are a rarity as businesses do not comprise of ideal economic man. managers not only fall short to set output at the theoretically profit-maximising level where marginal costs precisely equal marginal revenue, but most managers have no clue what their marginal costs and marginal revenue curves are! Economists attuned to this business stupidity by letting the markets do the thinking. With this view of the world, markets not managers opt the prevailing strategies within a particular environment. For those strategists who stick to the evolutionary view of competition, survivors may emerge to be those who have adapted themselves to the environment. Competition is the mainly useful form of weeding out inefficiency or lack of adaptation, hence simple access into markets is the way to ensure healthy industries. Application of the Schools in the case of FedEx In the case of FedEx, we see an amalgamation of both the schools happening. When the firm has a first mover advantage, at times it is possible to relate its thinking, and actions with the Classical School Of Thought. From 1973 onwards, Fred Smith, Chairman of the group steered the company through breakthrough technical advances and innovative practices. It is similar to the Classical Ideology of maximising profits and shaping the industry, so to speak. It was Freds vision that enabled the organization to transform itself from an express delivery company to a global logistics supply chain company. He took the right decisions at the right time most of which were instrumental in making it the market leader at that time and even some thirty years later! Noteworthy are the following actions As early as 1974, FedEx realised the importance of value added services and the transformation into a logistics company. It tied up with Parts Bank and built up a small warehouse at Memphis to provide storage facility. Smith insisted of acquiring his own transportation fleet while others were booking space on public carriers. FedEx was the first company to introduce hand held scanners for drivers; this facilitated sending alerts to clients for pick up and delivery. In 1994, it was the first transport company to have a website with tracking and tracing facilities. In 1999, FedEx tied up with Netscape and thus gained access to millions of customers who were already on Netscape portal. It tied up with Dell, Cisco NatSemi and almost acted as their logistics and supply chain management. The above are some of the examples to prove that from 1973 to 1999, there were a number of incidents which make us feel that management at FedEx acted in a Classical fashion and tried to maximize its profits and returns on investments as much as possible. However when we look at the Re-branding strategy that was undertaken by the management in January 2000, it shows us the application of Evolutionary School of Thought strategy. Towards 2000, UPS, TNT and DHL were strongly competing with FedEx. FedEx had five subsidiary companies each with separate sales, marketing and customer service staff. Each unit had its own accounting practices. They were targeting different segments and were working independently. But this strategy resulted in a lot of duplicity of resources and wastage of time efforts. The subsidiaries were not even to leverage any synergies, not even the legacy of the FedEx brand. This is when the management at FedEx looked around and learnt from market and the competition. It undertook a major re-branding and re-alignment of resource strategy. All subsidiaries had FedEx branding thus denoting that it came from the same brand. They leveraged the consolidated pool of sales, marketing, accounting and customer service operations. It became a one-stop-shop for all sized of customers, whether it was business-to-business, home delivery, ground or heavy steel plates. Typically this is true in any industry and a new firm that enters the market at an early stage. The firm can operate in a classical manner, calling the shots. This is possible because of several reasons low threat of competitors, virtually no substitutes, low bargaining power of customers and high switching costs. This is typical in the case of FedEx as well. But the dynamics change, when other firms enter and the market becomes mature. In that scenario, it is not the firm but the market that decides. This scene can be seen in other industries as well. When Coca cola started operations, it was the king in the aerated segment, charging a price that it deemed fit and the customers were more than willing to pay the same, but years later when competition got ripe, such advantages disappear. There is a tendency to compete on prices, value added services because of which the market decides the viable price. To Coca Cola, the threat was not only from Pepsi and other soft drink beverages but even from other health drinks and water! This is when the entire product mix was realigned and Coca Cola introduced sports drinks, health drinks, tea coffee. Hence it is not a question of preference. It is which school is applicable as pet the time and maturity level of the industry. More often than not, we see that most of the times in a mature set up it is the Evolutionary School of Thought which is more relevant as market forces determine the pace and the direction in which change is required. Businesses which realize this well in time and pick up timely cues and act upon them thrive, while others wither with time. Section III Processual School of Thought, Staceys Four Loops and Strategy Implications A processual view of an organization suggests that organizations are a cocktail of individuals, each of who brings their own personalities, personal agendas and cognitive biases to the organization. Thus, strategy is a continuing process of adjustment evolvement because rational economic man is only a state of utopia and people are only boundedly rational. Most Processual scholars argue that because of these constraints, strategy is nothing else but the continuous adjusting of routines to awkward messages and cues from the environment which gradually force themselves on the managers attention. Strategy is not only planned and executed action, but it is also a means to make meaning of the chaos of the world. Staceys Integrated Model of Decision making and Control The Staceys Matrix is a critical tool that helps one navigates when faced with complexity in the field of strategy. This tool helps in adopting the right management action defines the strategy that one should focus at when faced in a complex environment with varying degree of certainty and agreement amongst the group in the organisation. Let us understand the axis first 1. Closeness to Certainty: Concerns or decisions are close to certainty when cause and effect linkages can be evaluated. This is mostly the case when a very similar issue or decision has been made in the past sometime. One can then assess and relate from past experience to predict the outcome of an action with a good degree of certainty. 2. Far from Certainty: The opposite of the above, is the extreme end of the certainty continuum. They are decisions that are far from certainty. These scenarios are often unique or at least new to the decision makers. The cause and effect connections are not clear. Extrapolating from past experience is surely not a good method to predict outcomes in the far from certainty range. 3. Agreement: The vertical axis measures the degree of agreement about an issue or decision within the group, team or organisation. As you would presume, the management or leadership function changes depending on the level of agreement surrounding an issue. Four Loops: Rational Loop Rational Decision Making is possible when there is closeness to certainty and closeness to agreement. In such cases, the group has a consensus on views, options and decisions; also high certainty permits references from the past. There is less risk involved so it is fairly easy to take a rational decision. As per the Processual School of Thought, such cases are a rarity in real time. Even if there is absolute clarity or certainty about an issue, to find absolute agreement in team is seldom possible. This is because each individual comes with his own objectives and interests. Political Loop Overt Covert Some themes have a great chance of certainty about how outcomes are created but high levels of disagreement about which results are desirable. Neither plans nor shared objectives are probably to work in this context. Instead, politics become more significant. Coalition building, negotiation, and compromise are used to make the organisations agenda and direction. Some misgivings have a high level of agreement but not much conviction as to the cause and effect linkages to create the sought after results. In these cases, monitoring against a set plan will not work. A sound sense of shared mission or vision may substitute for a plan in these cases. Comparisons are made not against plans but against the purpose and vision for the organisation. In this region, the objective is to head towards an agreed upon future state even though the specific paths cannot be prearranged. Culture Cognition As per the Cultural School of Thought, strategy formation is a collective process of social interaction, based on the beliefs and understandings shared by the team members of an organisation. Stacey defines culture as a set of assumptions people simply accept without question as they interact with each other. Thus strategy is based on perceptions and is deliberate if not fully conscious. This goes well with Processual School as well, because it assumes that people come with different perceptions and learn through a tacit process of acculturation. To conclude the above discussion, we can contemplate that strategies are often evolving, their coherence accruing through action and perceived in retrospect, while successive small steps finally merge into a pattern.

Canada Is Becoming Too Americanized Essay -- essays research papers

Canada Is Becoming Too Americanized Today Canada and the United States are major trading partners, allies, and two neighboring countries with a long history of cooperation with each other. But is it possible for Canada to protect its independence and culture living next door to the country so powerful and rich as the United States. Since the Canadian confederation, Canada started developing relations with the U.S. As the years passed by, Canada began to relay on the United States in the national defense. Many Canadians think that the military, political and economical dependence would not make a difference to their daily life. But today more then even Canadian culture is affected by the American influence. Media, American artists, economic dependence, American propaganda and political pressure from the United States is making Canada too Americanized. All of these factors reflect on the social life of ordinary Canadians threatening the heritage and the traditions that define Canada as independent country. Canada and the United States are the largest trade partners in the world. It is the result of the geographical position of two countries and the free trade between two countries. It should be a great thing for the economies of both countries, but since the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed, American businesses almost took over the Canadian economy. When the American companies started to make more business in Canada, it brought more jobs and money to the country in the short-term. But as a long-term effect Canadians became even more depended on the U.S. as the American companies started dominating Canadian companies in Canada. Also, today Canadian manufacturers have little protection from the government when ch... ...m industry, which is the largest in the world. From the movies and shows people see the life style, American life style. They are becoming more Americanized every time when they watch a film where American marines one again save the world. A huge part of American movie industry is based on propaganda movies. And this is not all, bois in the information programs such as CNN and ABC sometimes can be completely misinformed. Finally, if the comparison were ever made a survey, it would really show the full scale of Americanization in Canada. But until now we can only see from the daily life, how American culture is inviting Canada. Today more then ever, Canadians are in real danger of loosing their national identity. It is unfortunate that if the study of this cultural influence will be done few years later, it might be too late to save Canadian culture and identity. Canada Is Becoming Too Americanized Essay -- essays research papers Canada Is Becoming Too Americanized Today Canada and the United States are major trading partners, allies, and two neighboring countries with a long history of cooperation with each other. But is it possible for Canada to protect its independence and culture living next door to the country so powerful and rich as the United States. Since the Canadian confederation, Canada started developing relations with the U.S. As the years passed by, Canada began to relay on the United States in the national defense. Many Canadians think that the military, political and economical dependence would not make a difference to their daily life. But today more then even Canadian culture is affected by the American influence. Media, American artists, economic dependence, American propaganda and political pressure from the United States is making Canada too Americanized. All of these factors reflect on the social life of ordinary Canadians threatening the heritage and the traditions that define Canada as independent country. Canada and the United States are the largest trade partners in the world. It is the result of the geographical position of two countries and the free trade between two countries. It should be a great thing for the economies of both countries, but since the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed, American businesses almost took over the Canadian economy. When the American companies started to make more business in Canada, it brought more jobs and money to the country in the short-term. But as a long-term effect Canadians became even more depended on the U.S. as the American companies started dominating Canadian companies in Canada. Also, today Canadian manufacturers have little protection from the government when ch... ...m industry, which is the largest in the world. From the movies and shows people see the life style, American life style. They are becoming more Americanized every time when they watch a film where American marines one again save the world. A huge part of American movie industry is based on propaganda movies. And this is not all, bois in the information programs such as CNN and ABC sometimes can be completely misinformed. Finally, if the comparison were ever made a survey, it would really show the full scale of Americanization in Canada. But until now we can only see from the daily life, how American culture is inviting Canada. Today more then ever, Canadians are in real danger of loosing their national identity. It is unfortunate that if the study of this cultural influence will be done few years later, it might be too late to save Canadian culture and identity.

Stonehenge :: essays research papers fc

Stonehenge, the most famous Neolithic monument, had a great significance to the ancient people of England. The monument, which is located in the Salisbury Plain, was built and reconstructed many times starting in about 3200 BC to about 1650 BC. The stones that were used to construct the monument weighed anywhere from 25 to 50 tons apiece, in some cases the stones had to be dragged to the plain from up to 20 miles away.(Marvin Perry,19) Stonehenge went through three major phases, the first of which was when the ancient people created a bank of chalk and a ditch, inside the bank there was 56 pits. The second phase was when 82 blocks of bluestone, about 4 tons each, were brought to the site. Using the bluestone the ancient people made a double circle in the bank and they formed an avenue leading to the River Avon. The third phase was the ancient people removed the bluestone and replaced it with sandstone, weighing 25 to 50 tons each.(Stonehenge,1) The main reason for Stonehenge being bu ilt by the ancient people of England was as a calendar because they needed a way of keeping track of important dates. The ancient people of England didn't have a formal calendar like today's society does. For this reason they had to rely on other ways of keeping track of the time during the year. In this particular case the ancient people of England used the Stonehenge for record keeping. "In 1964 the American astronomer Gerald S. Hawkins reported findings obtained by supplying a computer with measurements taken at Stonehenge together with astronomical information based on celestial positions in 1500 BC when Stonehenge was in use."(Encarta, 1) Hawkins believed that the ancient people were able to gather information about the sun and the moon, with accuracy. He believed that Stonehenge was used to predict the seasons by examining the position of the sun and moon to the earth. Stonehenge's axis is pointed in the direction of the sunrise at the summer and winter solstices, for this reason some scientists believed that ancient people were able to predict eclipses of the sun and moon by their p osition in relation to the monument. The ancient people of England had many religious beliefs that they followed and believed in. They also probably had religious holidays that they had some kind of ceremony for. Some people believe that they used Stonehenge to determine what time of the year it was and to figure out what religious ceremonies were coming up.

Aphasia: A Language Disorder :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Aphasia: A Language Disorder "My most valuable tool is words, the words I can now use only with difficulty. My voice is debilitated - mute, a prisoner of a communication system damaged by a stroke that has robbed me of language," stated A. H. Raskins, one of approximately one million people in the United States who suffer from aphasia (1), a disorder which limits the comprehension and expression of language. It is an acquired impairment due to brain injury in the left cerebral hemisphere. The most common cause of aphasia is a stroke, but other causes are brain tumors, head injury, or other neuralgic illnesses. Of the estimated 400,000 strokes which occur a year, approximately 80,000 of those patients develop some form of aphasia (2). Another important observation is that within the United States, there are twice as many people with aphasia as there are individuals with Parkinson's disease (2). Yet, what is so astounding is the lack of public awareness about aphasia. Aphasia attacks an intricate part of a person' s daily life - the simple act of communication and sharing. The disbursement of such a tool deprives an individual of education learned through their life, often leaving the ill fated feeling hopeless and alone. In considering the effects of aphasia, a deeper analysis of the two most common forms of aphasia will be examined: Broca's aphasia and Wernicke's aphasia. While both forms occur usually as a result of a stroke in the left hemisphere of the brain, their particular site of impairment produces different side effects in an individual's comprehension and speech. These regions have been further studied through experimental researches such as positron emission tomography (PET). Moreover, although there is currently no cure for the disorder, there are treatments and certain guidelines to follow when encountering an aphasic. In physiological terms, Broca's aphasia and Wernicke's aphasia occur in the left hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for controlling the right side of the body along with speech and language abilities. Broca's aphasia affects the frontal lobe adjacent to the primary motor cortex, and Wernicke's aphasia affects the posterior portion of the first frontal lobe (3). A general distinction made between the two disorders are that Broca's aphasia limits speech, while Wernicke's aphasia limits comprehension. Broca's aphasia characterizes patients as people who has loss the production of complete sentence structures in speech and writing. Although the individual may retain the usage of nouns and verbs, the aphasic may have lost all forms of pronouns, articles, and conjunctions (3).

Sports Participation and Academic Success

Sports Participation and Academic Success Kurtis Arnold Grand Valley State University As an increasingly relevant part of society, sports seem to find a way into many parts of our everyday lives from the global stage to our own individual experiences and feelings towards them. Not only are sports and athletic competition used for the purpose of entertaining, but the core values of athletic competition are reflected also in the mainstream cultural values in society (Snyder & Spreitzer, 1974).Some of these values include striving for excellence, fair play, sportsmanship, hard work, and commitment to a goal, and all are applauded in virtually every area in society outside of sports. Another interesting point to be made about athletics in society is that those who seem to excel in an area of athletics, and participate competitively in sports, seem to be held to higher status than those who are not viewed to be athletic.This trend can occur as early as middle school (Eder & Kinney, 1995), and often continues through high school (Zentner & Parr, 1968), college (Finkenberg & Moode, 1996), and even beyond college in professional sports as many dream of one day becoming a professional athlete (Stiles, Gibbons, Sebben, & Wiley, 1999). Much has been written about the relationship of sports and society in a broader sense, but little has been discovered through about the role of athletics as it relates to academic outcomes for adolescents.Even less is known about the specific benefits of athletic participation that may exist for various students of different racial backgrounds. What is currently assumed in the literature is that participation in sports benefit adolescents academically in a number of important ways. First, it seems that sports participation enhances students feeling of connectedness to one’s school. Secondly, sports participation seems to promote its own intrinsic value on students.That is, students who are able to find structured activities within sc hool settings that capture their attention will be more likely to assimilate to the philosophy of schooling (Jordan, 1999) Participation in sports may also foster an extrinsic motivation for students to do well in their academic studies so that they may stay eligible to participate in athletics. Although the literature illustrates some of the reasons participation in sports may facilitate higher academic achievement, the question still remains.Does sports participation in fact have a positive effect on academics? This may be an easy enough question to ask, but the difficulties in answering this question seem to be extensive. Many past studies have sought to answer this question by conducting regression analyses of cross-sectional data sets collected from students throughout the country in order to determine if sports participation is correlated with higher academic outcomes.It seems from a review of the literature that no one has been able to conduct an experimental study which test s the effects of sports participation verses non-participation on some form of academic outcome. The difficulty in conducting a truly experimental study of the relationship of sports participation with academic outcomes comes from a number of different problems that come with the design of such a study. One such difficulty is the voluntary nature of sports participation.Sports participation occurs on a voluntary basis in which student athletes choose whether or not to participate in sports. Because of this, it becomes difficult to design a study in absence of self-selection biases among participants (Jordan, 1999). Another difficulty in designing an experiment testing sports participations effects on academic outcomes is the vast number of participants that would be needed to participate in the experiment. The benefit of using data from national longitudinal surveys is the vast amount of data that can be obtained in a relatively simple and inexpensive fashion.Also, in the analysis o f this data, researchers are able to statistically control for a number of variables such as socioeconomic status, risk factors, and parental education level that may contaminate the effects of sports participation on academic outcomes. In contrast, an experimental study would have to offset these variables through random selection, and random assignment to conditions. Both of these processes require a large population in order to truly eliminate these confounding variables. It is for these reasons, among others, that research n the topic of sports participation and academic outcomes remains in its early stages of development, and tend to rely heavily on the analysis of data. Although the research on the relationship between athletics and academic outcomes remain in its early stages, current research has made important contributions to our understanding of how participation in sports may have an impact on academic outcomes. One such interesting finding from the research is that in g eneral, an extremely few number of students participate in organized sports (Jordan, 1999).According to the National Educational Longitudinal Study conducted in 1988 (NELS: 88) only about 21% of students participated in teams sports, and 15% of students were involve in individual sports when students who participated in both team and individual sports were included. This finding suggests that whatever impact sports participation may have on students’ academic outcomes, very few students have the opportunity to receive these benefits. Jordan (1999) also found that participation in sports did have a positive relationship with students GPA, self-concept, academic preparedness, and standardized test scores.Although the relationship between sports participation and the academic improvement in these areas may be small, the relationships remain both positive and consistent for students across gender, and racial lines. It is also noted that these types of improvements may not be limi ted only to sports participation, but may also be expanded to other school related extracurricular activities as well (Jordan, 1999). Another study, also analyzing data from the NELS: 88 surveys, found similar effects of sports participation on academic outcomes.According to Broh (2002) student participation in athletics does help to facilitate success in the classroom. This facilitation of increased success may be for a number of reasons, and Broh attempts to explain the findings in this study according to three different theoretical models. The first, and most popular of these theoretical models is the developmental model. For a number of years it has been the belief of researchers, educators, and the public that involvement in athletics helps to socialize students in ways that promote academic success.While participating in athletics, students learn important skills such as a strong work ethic, self-discipline, respect for authority, and perseverance which can all be used for aca demic success as well (Miracle & Rees, 1995). Also, repeated success in athletics through the learning of a new skill, and also in winning a competition helps students to develop a higher level of self-esteem, and confidence which can be carried over into academics. In Broh’s (2002) study, the developmental model accounted for one third of sports participations effects on academic outcome.Sports participation does in fact seem to help to improve students’ self-esteem, locus of control, and time spent on homework. It is assumed that these habits eventually translate into better academic outcomes. Another model used by Broh (2002) to explain why sports participation may be linked to academic outcome is the leading-crowd theory. For many years the developmental theory dominated popular beliefs of the relationship between sports participation and academic outcomes.So much in fact that little attempt was given to make an alternative argument for it. Recently however, the le ading-crowd theory has offered some challenge to the developmental theory. According to the leading-crowd theory, participation in sports offers a higher social status to those who participate and facilitates a membership into the â€Å"leading-crowd. † Consisting of the most popular students in high school, this leading-crowd is disproportionately comprised of college oriented, high achieving students (Rehberg & Schafer, 1968).Although the argument may be indirect, there is some evidence that suggests that high school athletes are among the students with the highest status in high schools (Zentner & Parr, 1968), and they also seem to be part of a college oriented peer group (Wells & Picou, 1980). In Broh’s (2002) study, only a small effect was found between being in a high status, college oriented peer group and higher academic outcomes. This may be the case because students do not gain as much from being a part of a high status, college oriented group of peers as the y do from the social connections made by participation in sports.The third model used by Broh (2002) was the social capital theory. The social capital theory is the idea that people have the ability to accrue benefits through membership in various social networks. According to Coleman (1988), the family is the greatest source of social capital for students. Students whose parents are well educated, and spend a significant amount of time interacting with their children, often tend to have higher educational outcomes than those who do not. Sports may also serve as a way for students to have greater amounts of interaction with highly educated adults.Because high school sports are often coached by administrators, teachers, or highly respected members of the community, an increased amount of interaction with these authority figures may in fact help to encourage athletes to not only be successful on the field, but also in the classroom (Portes, 2000). In Broh’s (2002) study, there was some evidence that a social capital exchange may be taking place among students and the adults they interact with in their athletic activities.It seems from this study that social capital had an effect on student’s grades, but did not have an effect on standardized test scores. What is important to note is that when each of the theoretical models were analyzed individually in Broh’s (2002) study, the results indicated only small, if any, effects on academic outcomes. The best results of analysis occurred when all three models (developmental theory, leading-crowd theory, and social capital theory) were analyzed together.Even when all three models were analyzed, there is still a great deal of variance left unexplained when it comes to the effects of sports participation on academic outcomes. This has been consistent with much of the literature involved with sports participation and academic outcomes (Broh, 2002). Other research in the area of sports participation foc uses on the types of people who participate in sports. As previously described, research in the area of sports participation has mostly come from cross-sectional data analysis.This has made it difficult to determine a causal order between sports participation and academic outcomes. Although sports participation may in fact be the reason for higher academic outcomes, it could also be the case that higher achieving, disciplined, determined, and goal oriented youth are the ones choosing to participate in sports (Spreitzer, 1994). It is for this reason that some researchers have sought to discover more about the types of people who participate in sports.According to a study conducted by Videon (2002) participation is athletic activities may be associated with a student’s socioeconomic status, siblings, family structure, year in school, attendance at a private school, size of school, region of the country, and whether or not the school was located in an urban area. After analyzing data collected from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (ADD Health), it was discovered that a number of the variables previously mentioned could be used to predict whether or not a student would participate in athletics.Variables contributing to the influencing of students towards sports participation may be referred to as socialization into sport. One of the major factors contributing to the socialization into sport has been found to be parental influence. Often times, a child’s parent, or parents are the first to expose their child to athletics and their encouragement to participate strongly influences a student’s decision to start playing sports, and continue to play them throughout their schooling (Videon, 2002). Another key factor in predicting which students will play sports and continue to play them is a student’s socioeconomic background.It is a known fact that participating in sports often comes with its expenses. Although some school s may offer the use of equipment for some of the sports offered, often times this does not include all of the equipment needed to play the sport. At a minimum, most parents will have to purchase cleats, special gloves, bats, and numerous other types of equipment in order for their child to play any given sport. Along with the expense of equipment, most schools have a â€Å"pay to play† policy for sports in order to subsidize their lacking in the sports budget.It is for these reasons that those students who participate in sports also tend to come from a higher socioeconomic background (Videon, 2002). Another import thing to note from research is that sports participation tends to be much lower for girls than it is boys, especially among African American students (Videon 2002, Jordan 1999, Zentner & Parr 1968). Although the passing of title IX has encouraged more female participation in sports, over thirty years later the number of girls participating in sports is still far les s than the number of boys.This especially true in suberban, and rural areas where the number of girls participating in sports is only about three for every five. These numbers are compared to those of urban schools where the number of girls participating is three for every four (Videon, 2002). It may be the case that because of lower participation rates among girls that fewer benefits of athletic participation are being experianced by girls. This may or may not be the case. Some research suggests that the effects of sports participation among boys on academic outcomes may be stronger for boys than it is for girls (Snyder & Spreitzer 1974, Videon 2002).There are a number of explanations for boys benefitting more from athletic participation. One such explanation is that by being involved in a sport, boys will be less likely to skip class in order to avoid not being allowed to play. Also, boys are more likely to respond to the high expectations of coaches in order to stay eligible to p lay (Videon, 2002). These relationships may not be showing up as strongly for girls, because on average girls have higher academic outcomes than boys, and skip class less often regardless of whether or not they participate in sports (Jacobs, 2009).Although from the research conducted by Videon (2002) indicates that some of the reason for athletes having higher academic outcomes may be contributed to other factors (student’s socioeconomic status, siblings, family structure, size of school, region of the country, and whether or not the school was located in an urban area), the net result of the analysis still showed that some of the varience can be explained by the sports participation itself.In this study (Videon, 2002), in Brohs study (2002), and in Jordan (1999), none were able to show that sports participation could explain more than about nine percent of the variance for any type of academic outcome. In all three, however, the results seemed to be consistant and positive. In spite of the small amounts of varience explained, it still seems that sports participation could be a contributing factor for positive academic outcomes.What is important to remember when making a judgment on the variance explained by sports participation on academic outcomes is that there are innumerable variables that may contribute to a student’s academic outcome. It is difficult to narrow down an explanation for academic outcomes to only a few variables that explain a great deal of the variance. So, when we see that sports participation can only explain about three to five percent of the variance for various factors contributing to academic outcomes this is in fact a considerable amount.Although the findings of these studies were able to find significant positive effects of sports participation on academic outcomes, these findings do not seem to be representative of the public’s perception. It has long been the belief of the public that sports participation has strong influences on academic outcomes. Various studies have investigated public perceptions of sports participation and its relationship to academics and found that it is strongly believed by the public that athletics and academics are strongly related (Goidel & Hamilton, 2006; Fairweather, 1988; Finkenberg & Moode, 1996).Regardless of these beliefs, there has yet to be a study that shows a strong relationship between athletics and academic outcomes that is representative of the public’s perceptions. 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