Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 33

Case Study Example Britt might be compelled by the culture in the company, as informed by Sue, regarding the information provided by George. In the case, George is willing to disclose and use insider information for the company to present a winning bid, probably at a fee. The returns of the act might be big, but the acts of ensuring the tender wins are unethical. In this regard, Britt is entitled to at ethically, and avoid getting involved in the acts. As a matter of fact and responsibility, she is supposed to disclose such information to the management. The hardest part would be such disclosure as the ethical misdemeanor is led by the team leader, whilst the management can compromise such information to get the tender. Notwithstanding, Britt should go ahead and do the right thing, hoping for the best possible response from the company. As an ethics officer, it is vital to discuss the belief of discussing a pending proposal with a decision making team. The issue is hard to tackle, but very vital and relevant to the parties, as it tries to curb future malpractices. Ethical malpractices if discovered may make a company less appealing to the essential stakeholders, making it lose profitability. One way of communicating the issue to the firm is by engaging the workers in a one on one discussion. As an officer, one can approach the employees on a personal basis and enlighten them on the ills on such a behavior. The officer can research for various cases that negatively affected other companies and effects on individuals of such companies. Such information will be vital in ensuring that the employees are conversant with challenges of unethical practices and thus try to refrain from the same. Another practical way of ensuring that the employees of such a firm are addressed on the issue is organizing conferences. Such conferences should be well tailored to handle ethical issues and if necessary other issues on good corporate responsibilities. Such a move, even though initiated by an

Modernism and Ball Turret Gunner Essay Example for Free

Modernism and Ball Turret Gunner Essay In this poem it says at the start everything is gold or perfect then it goes away in the end which has loss of faith. It is rejecting Eden as a hero and who is flawed. â€Å"The Life You Save May Be Your Own† is modernism because a guy shows up, asks for work, takes the truck, and leaves the blind girl he married at a restaurant. This shows how a human mind can work in an evil way. He took the old ladies blind daughter that has never left home before and she loves her daughter and never wanted her to leave home but the strange man took her and left her all by herself. There is no hero in this story. The old lady didn’t do much to be a hero and neither did the blind girl. The strange man was the opposite of a hero, was greedy, and selfish by taking the car and leaving after he repaired it. â€Å" The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner† is a contemporary work because it comments on itself by saying, â€Å"When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hoses†. This poem has multiple meanings. One meaning is that he is in his mom’s stomach. The second meaning is him in the ball turret of a B-17 airplane. This is very personal. He got killed fighting for his country and they sprayed him out with a hose and didn’t give him the proper burial and respect. Night is also a contemporary work because it is very personal. He was put in a death camp for many years treated like crap because he was jewish. They barely fed the prisoners so they starved and died. They would also kill them with gas and work them to death. He talks about the past with no fear so everyone knows what happened in the past. The whole story is commenting on itself by explaining what happened at those death camps. Some of these stories and poems are modernist and contemporary works. Whether is in our past or present its still important. The works have many meanings and people enjoy reading them for the meaning of it not just to be entertained by the story but the true meaning of it. Poems and short stories have made a big impact in education and the way society is. Many people love poems and short stories but other people can hate them. I don’t like them my self but they still are important in education and for our future world.

Robb Whites Deathwatch Essays -- Deathwatch Robb White Essays

Robb White's Deathwatch Imagine you've been hired to be a hunting guide in the desert when you?re the guy that is being hunted. Your customer accidentally shot an old prospector whom nobody knows and doesn?t want to go to jail for it. So he makes you take off all your clothes and tells you to try to walk to town, which happens to be 60 miles from where you are. With no food and no water you are forced to walk or do what you need to do, to try to stay alive. So you wander in the desert mountains trying to find water while being watched through a ten-power scope of a .358 caliber Winchester Magnum. Well, that is what Ben had to face when Madec hired him to be a hunting guide in Deathwatch, by Robb White. It all started out when Madec hired Ben because of his field in working in the desert. When Madec saw a white figure through his ten-power scope on his .358 caliber Winchester Magnum, he fired saying he saw horns on it. When they walked up there, Madec confessed that he did not see horns on the animal, and requested to go on hunting and not waste time finding it and bringing it to the jeep. But Ben insisted on either bringing it in to the jeep or to burry it in the desert sand. But Madec had known what he had done, and kept persisting to go on and not waste time because it is a once in a lifetime chance to go hunting for bighorn sheep, and he didn?t want to go home empty handed. So when they got to the body of the sheep, Ben discovered that it was a human. The .358 caliber Winchester Magnum bullet had done fearful damage, blasting the man?s lungs out through his back. Madec was mad that Ben had found out what had happened, and said they should burry the man and never talk about him a gain. But, good ol? honest Ben wasn?t about to make a mistake; he wanted to report the accident to the sheriff. So he went down to go get the jeep, and on his way back up, he heard 2 gunshots. When he got up there, he asked what Madec was doing with the gun and Madec said he was seeing how it was shot. Then Madec went on to the body, and said that the man had been shot before, twice. Madec had tried to cover up his mistake. Then, Madec got mad and said that he didn?t want to go to town to report an accident because he might go to jail. Then he held the gun up to Ben, and told him to take all his clothes off and walk to town. So Ben took off, not knowing what to do. He... ...ngle time, until Madec stopped going for the .358. Then, Ben tied Madec up, and put him in the jeep. He then salvaged the stuff for the car and headed for town. Once in town, he headed directly to the Sheriff?s Office. When he got there he told the sheriff what happened, then they both, Ben and Madec went to the doctor. When they were in the doctor?s office, the doctor examined them both. When Ben went back to the sheriff?s, Madec went to the hospital, the sheriff arrested Ben. Ben told the truth about what happened, but they couldn?t understand what Madec did. They believed what Madec had said. When the trial came along, things were looking badly for Ben. Until the doctor stepped out. The doctor had found Ben?s slingshot, and said that he examined the dead guy, and found that the .358 bullet killed him. Ben was no longer arrested. They took him back to the sheriff?s office, where Ben didn?t report a crime of murder or aggravated assault, he reported an accident. If you really enjoy a fast paced, action packed book with a crazy maniac as the bad guy; if you like to read books about survival in the desert; if you love action books with a touch of death, you?ll love Deathwatch.

Barn Burning - Charcter Analysis :: essays papers

Charcter Analylis Barn Burning Character Analysis William Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning† In â€Å"Barn Burning† the setting is a time when people drove horse wagons and the workingmen were generally farmers. The major character in this story is Colonel Sartoris Snopes, called â€Å"Sarty† by his family who is a ten-year-old boy. In the beginning, Sarty is portrayed as a confused and frightened young boy. He is in despair over the burden of doing the right thing or sticking by his family, as his father states,† You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you.† Sarty’s father, Abner Snopes is accused of burning down a barn and Sarty is called upon to testify against his father and to tell the events of what happened. He wants to tell the truth because it is the right thing to do, but he knows he might have lie to save his father from being reprimanded. To his relief, it is decided that Sarty will not have to testify and is dismissed from testifying. It is decided by the Justice of the Peace to order Abner and his family to leave town at once. Sarty has moved twelve times in his ten years of age and although the story does not state clearly, that this is not the first time his father has set fire to a barn, but shows that the chances are, that he probably has done this in the past which has affected Sarty in how he feels about his father. Sarty’s other family members include the mother, aunt, an older brother, and two twin sisters who are minor contributing factors in this story. The family knows the father is responsible for the burning of the barns and they even unwillingly help him at his requests. This story describes the family somewhat concerned for the father, but they never challenge his decision to burn the barns even though it is wrong. The critical point of the story is when Sarty decides to tell Mr. De Spain that his father is going to burn his barn. Sarty is in disarray because he doesn’t know what is going to happen to him next and is probably speculating that his family will never forgive him because the of the harm that will come to their father if he is caught in the act.

Pathological gambling intervention Essay

When looking at pathological gambling we ask ourselves how someone gets to the point of addiction. In that regard there are both internal and external factors, beahior and environment related aspects leading to someone’s impulsive urge to gamble. Speaking of which, impulsivity can be a direct factor of a pathological gambler, Impulsive people are naturally more prone to gambling problems because of their nature and personality. That is not to say that all impulsive people will develop gambling habits or problems but they could if the right factors were in play at the right times. Inability to control impulses and also inability to delay gratification are two major impulsivity-related symptoms of pathological gamblers (McCormick & Taber, 1988). Other behavior factors include, coping strategies, high stress levels, family history, gender as males tend to be more prone to this affliction and â€Å"Pathological gamblers have been known to also exhibit antisocial behavior which is related to the impulse control disorder causing antisocial behavior such as exhibited in antisocial personality disorder† (Slutske et al. , 2001). The environment one grows up in Also plays a valuable role in understanding gambling. It’s a common misconception that pathological gamblers are only those that are near major casinos. That can be a tendency but in todays society technology has opened the door to universal in gambling before impossible. With computers and the internet people are now able to gamble straight from their homes on sports, online poker, etc. This boom in technology has allowed more people, from more places and economic statuses and younger ages be able to easily get involved in gambling. Our group even met a professional gambler who would have all of his bets placed on his computer before noon and then do nothing the rest of the day. Technology has extended the reach of gambling to social circles that before may have not been affected. Predisposing, Reinforcing, Enabling Factors Predisposing factors are what set someone up with the highest chances of being a pathological gambler. An addictive personality makes anyone more susceptible as well as having addictions or just gambling itself run in the family. A persons level of impulsivity is also a huge factor, an impulsive person is more likely to give into reckless decisions and follow the activities that give a rush sensation. Impulsive people have problems with delaying gratification making addictive and compulsive tendencies stand out. †Pathological gambling is a problem of impulse control. The more accessible gambling is, the harder it is to maintain the control. †(3) Predisposing factors can also be socioeconomic status, does one have the funds to feed the addiction, or did one one grow up in rough situations and use gambling as a crutch or coping strategy, the factors are vast and varying. Environment as brought up by the last quotation can also be a predisposing factor. Does one have access and how easily plays into an addiction. The closer one is to gambling the more likely they will partake. That used to entail how close someone was to casinos or legal areas of gambling and in many cases still does as more areas are becoming gambling friendly and more funerals pop up in for example, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Missouri, However with technology and the internet, access has become easier for all regardless, of location, sex, race, or economic status. With gambling there are different stages, stages that can reinforce the behavior because despite popular belief many gamblers are reinforced even when they don’t win. â€Å"WINNING PHASE Here the gambler is winning more than losing, has achieved a minimum of one big win. This early big win, bolsters the confidence of the gambler, causing ego to inflate, superior thinking and feeling over other participants. The gambler in this phase begins to spend more time gambling, is gambling for and with larger amounts of money. Winning streak begins to wane, losses start. LOSING PHASE In the losing phase, the gambler begins betting even larger amounts. The gambler accepts the fact that these losses are part of the game. The gambler bets on the long shots, knowing chances are not good for winning, however will pay big if win occurs. The gambler is now losing more than winning. In an attempt to gain back the money lost, the gambler spends more time gambling. Gambler must frequently lie to family, friends, employer, even casinos to convince them that the gambler is still a happy person and all around good person. Deep financial troubles begin. Using lying techniques, the gambler is able to convince employer, family, etc. , of some type of cataclysmic disaster, which requires a borrowing of large amounts of money. Soon the gambler is using this bailout to gamble more. The gambler life has now become unmanageable, family life is increasingly difficult, with deterioration occurring. DESPERATION PHASE During this phase, the majority of the gambler’s time is preoccupied with gambling on all levels. The gambler has no control over the gambling, to alleviate the inner pain, the gambler gambles, knowing the odds of wining are gone, and it does not matter. Lying is out of control. The gambler has one focus and one goal†¦get money in which to gamble with regardless of costs. Family life has deteriorated to the point of non-existence. Illegal activity is now a norm. †(paraphrased from Journal of Addictive Disorders) These phases help explain the reinforcement of pathological gambling along with more well known factor such as the adrenaline rush, the gamblers fallacy, instant gratification and payout. Enabling factors help keep a pathological gambler stuck in their ways and should be avoided as much as possible. Enabling factors can include dwelling on regrets, the focus of could’ve beens. (Pathological Gambling Resources) Looking for quick fixes for gambling addiction can also end up making the problem worse, pathological gambling is an illness that needs in depth treatment and support to be overcome, not a quickfix as those never entail the lifestyle change necessary to change an addicts life. Excluding those afflicted from normal activities or interactions as punishment or a means to help is also a counter intuitive strategy, Addicts need love and support and pushing them away may only compound upon the problem. Furthermore â€Å"Enabling is when you do anything that helps the gambler to continue with his addiction. For example, if you pay his bills for him, lend or give him money, you become an enabler. If you lie to help him cover his lies, you are an enabler. Or if you offer ultimatums in order to control his behavior, you are an enabler. Even if you in any way, directly or indirectly, make it easier for him to continue with his compulsive gambling, you are an enabler. †(Nguyen) Just like an accomplice is guilty in a murder an enabler is guilty through association. Although these may relieve the problem temporarily in some situations, it is always adding to the problem and hurting the addict. Goals And Objectives Our goals are a little more long-term related and the objectives are more specific short term goals. We are focusing more on educational endeavors for the families and friends of the afflicted as this builds the supportive environment necessary to truly help pathological gamblers. Our goals will focus on creating an increase in awareness in the Austin area of pathological gambling, it’s causes and effects, on individuals as well as the community as a whole. We want to create larger supportive environment in the community through the families and friends of the afflicted primarily through educational and awareness increase regimes. As well as provide increase in overall education on the matter for the community, even those not directly affected. As previously mnetioned these goals are broad and wide reaching. Our objectives however are more specific. We want to introduce educational, communication and family based interventions for the increase in awareness of pathological gambling. We will also work with the community and families to ensure interventions are done correctly and effectively fulfilling the needs of the afflicted and their loved ones. Finally but not least in importance we want to gain access to funding and support that will help establish effective educational based, wide reaching and successful intervention programs and learning processes.

Biography of Josiah Wedgwood

Biography of Josiah Wedgwood Josiah Wedgwood (ca July 12, 1730–January 3, 1795) was Englands foremost pottery manufacturer and a mass producer of quality ceramics exported around the globe. A member of his familys fourth generation of potters, Wedgwood started his own independent firm and became the Royal Potter for Queen Charlotte, the consort of King George III. Wedgwoods mastery of ceramic technology was matched by the marketing savvy and connections of his partner Thomas Bentley; together they ran the most famous pottery works in the world.   Fast Facts: Josiah Wedgwood Known For: Creator of the famous Wedgwood potteryBorn: July 12, 1730 (baptized), Churchyard, StaffordshireDied: January 3, 1795, Etruria Hall, StaffordshireEducation: Day School at Newcastle-under-Lyme, left at 9 years of ageCeramic Works: Jasper ware, Queens Ware, Wedgwood blueParents:  Thomas Wedgwood and Mary StringerSpouse: Sarah Wedgwood (1734–1815)Children: Susannah (1765–1817), John (1766–1844), Richard (1767–1768), Josiah (1769–1843), Thomas (1771–1805), Catherine (1774–1823), Sarah (1776–1856), and Mary Anne (1778–1786).   Early Life Josiah Wedgwood was baptized on July 12, 1730, the youngest of at least eleven children of Mary Stringer (1700–1766) and Thomas Wedgwood (1685–1739). The founding potter in the family was also called Thomas Wedgwood (1617–1679), who established a successful pottery works around 1657 at Churchyard, Staffordshire, where his great-great-grandchild Josiah was born.   Josiah Wedgwood had little formal education. He was nine years old when his father died, and he was taken from school and sent to work in the pottery for his eldest brother, (another) Thomas Wedgwood (1717–1773). At 11, Josiah had smallpox, which confined him to bed for two years and ended with permanent damage to his right knee. At the age of 14, he was formally apprenticed to his brother Thomas, but because he could not physically work the wheel, at 16 he had to quit.   Wedgwood teacup and saucer in the Waterford Wedgwood flagship store in London, England. The teacup features the white and blue jasper ware ceramic which is synonymous with the brand. Oli Scarff / Getty Images News Early Career At the age of 19, Josiah Wedgwood proposed that he be taken into his brothers business as a partner, but he was rejected. After a two-year position with the pottery firm of Harrison and Alders, in 1753, Wedgwood was offered a partnership with the Staffordshire firm of potter Thomas Whieldon; his contract stipulated that he would be able to experiment. Wedgwood stayed at the Whieldon pottery from 1754–1759, and he began experimenting with pastes and glazes. A primary focus was on improving creamware, the first commercial English ceramic invented in 1720 and widely used by the potters of the time.   Creamware was very flexible and could be decorated and over-glazed, but the surface was likely to craze or flake when subjected to temperature changes. It chipped readily, and the lead glazes broke down in combination with food acids, making them a source of food poisoning. Further, the application of the lead glaze was hazardous to the health of the workers in the factory. Wedgwoods version, eventually called queens ware, was slightly yellower, but had a finer texture, greater plasticity, less lead content- and it was lighter and stronger and less prone to break during shipments.   Thomas Bentley Partnership In 1759, Josiah leased Ivy House pottery in Burslem, Staffordshire, from one of his uncles, a factory which he would build and expand several times. In 1762, he built his second works, the Brick-House, alias the Bell Works at Burslem. That same year, he was introduced to Thomas Bentley, which would prove to be a fruitful partnership.   Wedgwood was innovative and had a strong technical understanding of ceramics: but he lacked formal education and social contacts. Bentley had a classical education, and he was socially connected to artists, scientists, merchants, and intellectuals in London and around the world. Best yet, Bentley had been a wholesale merchant in Liverpool for 23 years and had a broad understanding of the current and changing ceramic fashions of the day.  Ã‚   Josiah Wedgwoods Ivy and Etruria works in Staffordshire, England, ca. 1753. Oxford Science Archive / Print Collector / Getty Images Marriage and Family   On January 25, 1764, Wedgwood married his third cousin, Sarah Wedgwood (1734–1815) and they eventually had eight children, six of whom survived to adulthood:  Susannah (1765–1817), John (1766–1844), Richard (1767–1768), Josiah (1769–1843), Thomas (1771–1805), Catherine (1774–1823), Sarah (1776–1856), and Mary Anne (1778–1786).   Two sons, Josiah Jr. and Tom, were sent to school in Edinburgh and then privately tutored, although neither joined the business until Josiah was ready to retire in 1790. Susannah married Robert Darwin, and was the mother of the scientist Charles Darwin; Charles grandfather was scientist Erasmus Darwin, a friend of Josiahs. Ceramic Innovations Together, Wedgwood and Bentley created a huge variety of ceramic objects- Bentley keeping an eye to the demand, and Wedgwood responding with innovation. In addition to hundreds of types of tableware, their Staffordshire Etruria manufacturing facility produced specialty wares for grocers and butchers (weights and measures), dairies (milking pails, strainers, curd pots), sanitary purposes (tiles for indoor bathrooms and sewers all over England), and the home (lamps, baby feeders, food warmers).   Wedgwoods most popular wares were called jasper, an unglazed matte biscuit ware available in solid paste colors: green, lavender, sage, lilac, yellow, black, a pure white, and Wedgwood blue. Bas-relief sculptures were then added to the surface of the solid paste color, creating a cameo-like appearance.  He also developed black basalt, a stoneware in striking deep back colors. The Portland Vase (black and white jasper ware) that Wedgwood considered his finest work inside the Wedgwood Museum, in Stoke-on-Trent. Christopher Furlong / Getty Images The Art Market To answer what Bentley saw as a new demand in London for Etruscan and Greco-Roman art, Wedgwood made cameos, intaglios, plaques, beads, buttons, figurines, candlesticks, ewers, jugs, flower holders, vases, and medallions for furniture all decorated with classic art figures and themes. The canny Bentley recognized that original Greek and Roman nudes were too warm for English and American tastes, and the firm dressed their Greek goddesses in full-length gowns and their heroes in fig leaves.   Penelope and Maidens, Wedgwood plaque, 18th century. Illustration from Story of the British Nation, Volume III, by Walter Hutchinson, (London, c1920s). Hulton Archive / Getty Images The demand for cameo portraits skyrocketed and Wedgwood met it by hiring known artists to make models in wax for use on the production floor. Among them were Italian anatomist Anna Morandi Manzolini, Italian artist Vincenzo Pacetti, Scottish gem engraver James Tassie, British designer Lady Elizabeth Templeton, French sculptor Lewis Francis Roubiliac, and English painter George Stubbs.   Wedgwoods two main modelers were British: John Flaxman and William Hackwood. He sent Flaxman to Italy to set up a wax modeling studio between 1787–1794, and Wedgwood also set up a studio in Chelsea where artists in London could work.   George III and Queen Charlotte, modeled by William Hackwood after waxes by Isaac Gosset, 1776-1780, jasper, ormolu frames by Matthew Boulton. Public Domain (on display at Wedgwood Museum, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, England) Queens Ware   Arguably, Wedgwood and Bentleys most successful coup was when they sent a gift set of hundreds of his cream-colored tableware to British King George IIIs consort, Queen Charlotte. She named Wedgwood Potter to Her Majesty in 1765; he renamed his cream-colored ware Queens ware.   Five years later, Wedgwood obtained a commission for a several-hundred piece tableware service from the Russian empress Catherine the Great, called the Husk service. It was followed up by the Frog service, a commission for Catherines  La Grenouilliere (frog marsh, Kekerekeksinsky in Russian) palace consisting of 952 pieces decorated with over 1,000 original paintings of the English countryside.   The Life of a Scientist   Wedgwoods classification as a scientist has been debated over the intervening centuries. Largely through his connection to Bentley, Wedgwood did become a member of the famous Lunar Society of Birmingham, which included James Watt, Joseph Priestly, and Erasmus Darwin, and he was elected into the Royal Society in 1783. He contributed papers to the Royal Societys Philosophical Transactions, three on his invention, the pyrometer, and two on ceramic chemistry.   The pyrometer was a tool made first of brass and then high-fired ceramic that allowed Wedgwood to determine the internal heat of a kiln. Wedgwood recognized that the application of heat shrinks clay, and the pyrometer was his attempt to measure that. Unfortunately, he never was able to calibrate the measurements to any scientific scale available at the time, and the subsequent centuries have found that Wedgwood was somewhat incorrect. It is a combination of heat and the length of kiln time that shrinks pottery in a measurable fashion. The showrooms of Wedgwood Byerley in St Jamess Square, London, 1809. Hulton Archive / Getty Images Retirement and Death   Wedgwood was often ill for much of his life; he had smallpox, his right leg was amputated in 1768, and he had trouble with his sight beginning in 1770. After his partner Thomas Bentley died in 1780, Wedgwood turned the management of the shop in London over to a nephew, Thomas Byerly. Nevertheless, he was a vigorous and active director of the Etruria and other manufactories up until his retirement in 1790. He left his company to his sons and retired to his mansion Etruria Hall. In late 1794, he fell ill- possibly with cancer- and died on January 3, 1795, at the age of 64.   Legacy   When Wedgwood began his work, Staffordshire was the home of several important ceramic manufacturers such as Josiah Spode and Thomas Minton. Wedgwood and Bentley made their company the most important of the Staffordshire potteries and arguably the best-known pottery in the western world. Etruria would run as a facility until the 1930s. Wedgwoods company remained independent until 1987, when it merged with Waterford Crystal, then with Royal Doulton. In July 2015, it was acquired by a Finnish consumer goods company. Selected Sources Born, Byron A. Josiah Wedgwoods Queensware. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 22.9 (1964): 289–99. Print.Burton, William. Josiah Wedgwood and His Pottery. London: Cassell and Company, 1922.McKendrick, Neil. Josiah Wedgwood and Factory Discipline. The Historical Journal 4.1 (1961): 30–55. Print.-. Josiah Wedgwood and Thomas Bentley: An Inventor-Entrepreneur Partnership in the Industrial Revolution. Transactions of the Royal Historical Society 14 (1964): 1–33. Print.Meteyard, Eliza. The Life of Josiah Wedgwood: From His Private Correspondence and Family Papers with an Introductory Sketch of the Art of Pottery in England, two volumes. Hurst and Blackett, 1866.Schofield, Robert E. Josiah Wedgwood, Industrial Chemist. Chymia 5 (1959): 180–92. Print.Townsend, Horace. Lady Templetown and Josiah Wedgwood. Art Life 11.4 (1919): 186–92. Print.Wedgwood, Julia. The Personal Life of Josiah Wedgwood, the Potter. London: Macmillan and Company, 1915. Print.

buy custom Guns Law essay

buy custom Guns Law essay Introduction There are several laws that pertains to the owning of a gun by a civilian in the United States of America. These guns laws are intended at enhancing peace, harmony and security amongst the American citizens, the laws helps the government in keeping a close registration and monitoring of the individuals who have these weapons and how the individuals are using them. The present Gun law has undergone through several amendments in the past in attempts aimed at restricting the numbers of guns that get their ways into the streets and into the hands of dangerous criminals, discharged military officials and criminal fugitives. This is because they will use the guns in threatening / endangering the citizens security, freedom and peace in the country. Each state in the United States of America has its own gun laws that help the state in governing the ownership and transportation of guns in these states (Kluin, Para.11). The law allows guns to be owned by individuals that are above 18 years old and have to purchase the guns from the registered dealers and the purchase should be documented in federal form 4473 in order to ensure that the purchaser of the weapon is well known. This will reduce the cases of criminal activities in the county and at the same time help the government knows the exact numbers of firearms owned by civilians (O'Leary, para.5). I tend to disagree with the Current Gun Law; this is because it isnt that adequate to American citizens. The law doesnt provide the American citizens with utmost security they require, but it instead exposes them to a lot of insecurity as a result of the strictness of the Gun Law that is biased on one side thus reducing the numbers of guns that are in the hands of the Citizens. At the same time providing different avenues in which the criminals are able to get access to these firearms that they will use to conduct there activities (Lott, para.2). The present Gun Law is not appreciated with the Americans this is because it has some shortcomings that make it fail in conducting its duties they include the restriction of the age limit of an individual to own a gun. Another reason that fails the law checking the family background and place of residence of an applicant, the law has also banned the use or owning of certain hand guns, the laws also denies the normal citizens their constitutional right of self protection. The law also prevents the exhibitions and sale of guns through the use of guns shows that are aired on the Television channels. The main discussion The present gun law can be seen as the cause that has resulted to an increase in the crime cases that are being reported in the United States of America today. This is because the laws that are intended to protect the innocent American citizens ends up harming them as the laws are very strict and at the same time they tend to deny a lot of Americans who are eligible to own a hand gun with the opportunity of owning one. Thus denying them the access of owning the guns that the will use for self defense and protect themselves incase they are attacked (O'Leary, para.2). The law has failed in providing the American citizens with the necessary protection this is because it has strictly maintained at applying strict measures that are necessary for one to own a hand gun; while ignoring certain factors that will help in providing the Americans with the necessary security they will require in order to engage in their daily activities. This is without being exposed to any insecurty of being casualties in the case of gun shootings or attacks (Booth, para.6). According to a scholar John R Lott in his book tilted More Guns Less Crime he stated that the strictness of the present law will deny the criminals the opportunity of purchasing the guns in the legally known stores. This is because they will be afraid that their details will be taken and stored in a data base that will make it easy for them to be tracked down incase they are involved ion a criminal act (Lott, para.4). But this will not stop them in obtaining these weapons from different avenues that includes theft and other dubious means. From his own observation he has stated that the guns should be sold to every body that is wiling to own one without strictly scrutinizing individuals. This will ensure that the citizens are safe as compared to what the case is today as this leads us to the section where there is evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of the present Gun Law and later on in the paper there are the recommended changes that are supposed to be done on the present law in order to ensure that the law best serves the Americans. The advantages of the present Gun Law From my observation I have concluded that the present Gun Law has got little advantage that it offers to the American citizens as compared to the disadvantages. The main advantage that the law has is the controlling the numbers of the hand guns that are owned by the normal citizens, this will basically reduce the numbers of guns in circulation. Thus providing a given section of the Americans with the opportunity of owning the guns this to some extent tends to ensure that there is security in the country (Booth, para.5). The other advantage is when the law has provided as restricted age limit where one is eligible to own a gun and the recommended time for one to own a gun is when one is 18 years and over. At the age of 18 years an individual is mature and is able to make appropriate decisions. The strictness nature of the gun law has also made it difficult for the criminals to easily access these weapons (Kluin, Para.15). This is when there are a lot of details that are disclosed to the licensed dealer when purchasing the guns and thus making it hard for the people with past criminal records to purchase the guns for their own or public safety. The disadvantages of the present Gun Law The law tends to deny the Americans the freedom to practice there constitution rights, this is when the law tends to scrutinize an individual before he is given or denied the permit of owning a gun. This is by looking at an individual past background and place of residence this will provide people from less privileged backgrounds the opportunity of owning a gun as a result of their background (O'Leary, para.9). The strict gun law has also increased to insecurity in the society this is because the criminals prey on the civilians with these guns in attempts aimed at stealing the Guns they are denied the opportunity of owning legally. The laws that are aimed at banning the use and owning some types of guns have made the numbers of the guns in circulation in the country to reduce drastically. Thus denying a lot of eligible American the opportunity of owning there own guns thus making them more vulnerable to attacks by the armed criminals (Booth, para.3). Ways of improving the Present Guns Law There are several stakeholders in this department that have indicated that the present Gun possession Laww is good, but it is failing in providing the Americans with the relevant protections because some aspects are left out without being taken into considerations. They have argued that the government has failed in amending this law in order to accommodate all the people that want to own guns without being denied the opportunity of doing. At the same time ensure that there is a reduction of the reported cases of criminal attacks on the few innocent civilians that own the guns; it will also help in reducing the cases of guns that are lost through theft and hijacking (Lott, para.3). The law that is in use the moment is seen as the strictest amongst the other countries in the world. But according to a recently conducted sturdy it is indicated that countries with strict rules will record a lot of criminal activities and killings that involve the use of Guns as compared to other countries with less strict Gun possession laws. A great example was in England which had strict rules that pertained to owning of hand Guns and fire arms; but despite these strict rules the country recorded an increase in the usage of the guns in homicides and criminal activities. The strict nature of these Gun possession law will provide a booming business for illegal gun dealers who will opt to sell the guns to the criminals and the willing citizens at extremely high prices (Booth, par 3). This will to some extent deny the country the income tax from the purchase of these weapons. This at the same time will also deny the government with the vital information of the gun owner and thus make it easy for the criminals and civilians with the opportunity of misusing the weapons. This is by indulging in a criminal act without the fear of being tracked down. The other reason for amending the Gun Possession law will ensure that all the American citizens practice their constitutional rights without being restricted the opportunity of invading in their constitutional rights. There were several checks that were being conducted before an individual is issued the license of owning a hand gun; some of these laws bared some American citizens who were eligible were denied the license just because of their family background or even the place of residence (Kluin, Para.15). The laws should be amended in order to ensure that only people with criminal records and emotional/ mental problems are unable to own these weapons, and not an individuals family background or place of residence. The government should also lift the ban on other guns that includes semi-automatic handguns and assault weapons and at the same time provide the citizens with the legal right of owning a concealed weapon. This is seen as way that will increase the levels of insecurity in the streets but it will drastically reduce the cases of insecurity in the streets; this is because all the criminals will be afraid of attacking their assailants who might be carrying guns thus reducing the cases of crimes in there respective towns and cities (O'Leary, para.7). In conclusion the present Gun possession law is very strict and it can be sighted as the cause of insecurity in our society today; this is because it has denied the eligible citizens to poses guns for self defense against the criminals. It is argued that with a gun a weaker victim will become stronger and able to defend him/ herself incase of an attack by a criminal; thus keeping the criminal at bay and can harm them. But with the strict nature of the criminal activities are on the rise the government should conduct some changes in order to change the current situation (Booth, para.10). Buy custom Guns Law essay

Cybernetics and Social Construction

Cybernetics and Social Construction Abstract Cybernetics is the study of various systems in biology, sociology, psychology, and physics. In sociology and psychology, cybernetics is used to describe how social and psychological systems work. The theory is based on the structural functionalist theory which operates on the principle of interdependence of various parts of a system for the stability of the whole system.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Cybernetics and Social Construction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Social construction has to do with the way people perceive various aspects of life. Both cybernetics and social construction theories are applicable in family therapy. However, they differ in terms of how they address the issue of diversity. Cybernetics theory One of the key concepts in cybernetics is feedback, which refers to an output and which triggers positive or negative feedback in a system. A positive feedback is considered as that which brings a change in a system while a negative feedback is considered as that which maintains the status quo in the system (Metcalf, 2011). One of the basic assumptions of the cybernetics approach is that a family is like the human body which is composed of several organs, with each organ having a specific role to play in the body (Dallos, 2010).  The other assumption of the approach is that all families have a structure, either vertical or horizontal. The relationships within the family structure are important for the well being of the family and therefore, there is need to ensure that all family members play their roles effectively so as to make the family stable (Wetchler Hecker, 2014). The approach considers a family as an open system. Even though the members of a family are united by shared beliefs, patterns of thinking, and kinship, it does not mean that the family is cushioned from the influence of external factors or actors (Winek, 2010). The other concept relat ed to the cybernetics approach is homeostasis. This is a mechanism which tries to maintain the relationships between the family members. In other words, homeostasis maintains the status quo in the family structure. Through homeostasis, each family member has some specific expectations from the other family members (Stretch, 2005). Change is the other concept which is related to the cybernetics approach. The proponents of the approach argue that sometimes the status quo may be a source of family problems. Many people may not realize this fact because they believe that maintaining their relationships with each other is a crucial ingredient for the well being of the family.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One of the basic principles of the cybernetics approach is respecting the culture and values of the family. The therapist is obliged to ensure that the values o f the family are respected at all times. When the therapist sees the need of changing the values of the family, there is need for an intensive education of the family on the importance of changing some of the family values. The other principle is that a family is viewed as a client. Even though a family may have several members, there is need for the therapist to ensure that the intervention does not lead to disunity but enhance unity within the family. The therapist must therefore apply a participatory approach in order to ensure that the family members are part and parcel of the decisions reached in the therapy. Another principle is that families exist in a social system and therefore, there is need to ensure that the intervention by the therapist does not isolate the family from the rest of the society. The argument is that a healthy family is one that exists in a healthy social environment where there are good relationships between the family members and the society. Seeing that the cybernetics approach allows for choosing a family-centered therapy approach for the solution of a particular issue, the specified strategy allows for improving the relationships between the family members and providing them with an opportunity to understand the reasons for the malfunctioning of their family. The cybernetics theory helps people realize whether the communication patterns that they have chosen can be deemed as acceptable, and what changes they need to undergo in order to be improved. In other words, cybernetics allows for an introspective for the patient or patients, therefore, creating the premises for an in-depth analysis of the specifics of the current relationships between the family members. More importantly, the distribution of the family roles among the members can be analyzed with the help of the given approach, therefore, helping address the related issues and redistribute these roles among the members (Guise, 2009). Social construction theory Social cons truction refers to the perceptions people have about certain aspects of life such as gender, race, sex, disease, mental illness, and domestic violence. In most cases, social construction is not based on facts but on stereotypes, prejudice, and historical injustices. For instance, the social construction of gender is characterized by gender stereotypes which are the attitudes people have towards males and females. The attitudes may be implicit or explicit. Implicit attitudes are internalized by people in their thought processes. For example, a teacher of a school may select male students to represent the school in a mathematics contest and select female students to represent it in the art subjects or languages.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Cybernetics and Social Construction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This kind of selection may happen as a result of the belief by the teacher that all males are good in hard subjects like mathematics while all females are good in easy subjects like the arts and languages. In the professional sector, a male doctor may be referred to as ‘the doctor’ while a female one may be referred to as ‘the woman doctor’ to imply that it is unusual for a female to become a doctor. However, there is nothing funny with a female being a doctor because female doctors are capable of treating patients just like male doctors.  Much like the cybernetics theory, the theory of the social construct facilitates a better understanding of the role distribution among the family members. However, unlike the cybernetics approach, the theory of social construct sets the premises for restructuring the family hierarchy, therefore, providing the couple with the tools that they may use in order to improve their relationships (Guise, 2009). Family Therapist’s Role in Cybernetics and Social Construction Theories Both cybernetics and social construct ion theories are applicable in family therapy. However, the therapist’s role differs in the two theories. With cybernetics theory, the role of the family therapist is to establish linkages between family members. However, not all problems need a restoration of the equilibrium in the family. The reason is that some problems need a positive feedback which introduces a change in the family as a system. For example, family members may be advised by the family therapist to become more independent instead of being interdependent. The reason is that sometimes, the dependence on each other may lead to dependence syndrome which compromises the ability of individual family members to grow and be self-reliant. With the cybernetics theory therefore, each family member is considered as a therapy for the others and as a result, the absence of one family member may compromise the healing process (Carr, 2012).  With the social construction theory, the role of the family therapist is to dec onstruct the thoughts, perceptions, and attitudes of the family members. It is done with the aim of differentiating myths from facts to enable the family members to live in a world of reality. It is based on the reasoning that some problems in families are not based on facts but on social construction of various issues which affect families. The family therapist therefore aims at helping the family members change their thoughts which cause problems in the family.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, some families may believe that HIV/AIDS is caused by witchcraft. As a result, they seek intervention from witch doctors instead of medical doctors. Even though intervention from witch doctors may work on the short term, it may not be effective on the long term. When such a family seeks the help of a family therapist, the family therapist educates them that HIV/AIDS is a medical condition which requires a medical intervention (Nichols, 2013). Herein the significance of cybernetics in defining the role of a family therapist lies. Unlike any other discipline, cybernetics allows for transforming the role of a family therapist from the one of an observer to that one of an analyst. Seeing that the very concept facilitates a deeper understanding of the challenges that the family is going through, the relationships that the family members share, and the communication patterns that are accepted within the family in question, the specified discipline helps a family therapist infi ltrate the information concerning the relationships within a specific family in order to locate the patterns of the family members interaction and, therefore, identify the problem and contemplate the key steps for addressing the issue in question. The social construct theory, thus, allows for an even more precise definition of the role of a family therapist in a particular intervention. In accordance with the theory postulates, the therapy process is rooted in the idea of a family as a social construction, each member of it taking a very specific niche. The role of a therapist, therefore, mainly concerns the redefinition of the family members’ roles. It would be wrong to claim that the therapisr defines the place that each family member should take in a new hierarchy; instead, the therapist promotes the idea, thus, allowing the patient to make their own choice and, therefore, restructure the relationships within the family so that the latter should be complete (Guise, 2009). Historical Impacts of Cybernetics and Social Construction Theories The history of cybernetics is traced to the days of Plato and Aristotle who attempted to explain governments in terms of interrelationship of various units of the society. Afterwards, various scholars adopted the concept of cybernetics in different fields such as engineering, mathematics, psychology, and sociology. The theory of cybernetics has played a crucial role in the formulation of contemporary theories such as systems theory and systems thinking. It has also been used in the advancement of information and communication technology systems to reflect the changing needs of the society (Turner, 2011). The strength of the approach is that it has the ability to restructure the family in order to eliminate problems which are anchored on the status quo. The approach is based on the principle that all social systems are not static but are dynamic. There is therefore the need to ensure that social institutions such as t he family are studied with the aim of ensuring that the necessary changes are made for them to function well. The limitation of the approach is that it puts more emphasis on structural changes of the family to the extent that it ignores changes at the individual level. For any therapy to be successful there is need to focus not only on the environment but also on the individual. The approach is also unsuitable in addressing family problems in which one of the members is hospitalized or is unable to attend therapy sessions. The reason is that all the members have to attend the sessions for the therapy to be successful. The social construction theory may be traced to the emergence of concepts such as feminism, affirmative action, gender equity and equality, social class, and wealth. These concepts were associated with the existence of a gap between various units of the society especially in social institutions. Different scholars conducted research to establish the causes of the gap a nd found that there were deep rooted perceptions on various issues such as gender. The theory led to the emergence of various campaigns which aimed at ensuring that there was fairness, justice, and equity in the society. Examples of the campaigns include girl child education, women empowerment, and protection of the rights of minority groups (Roberts, 2009). How Diversity is Addressed in Cybernetics and Social Construction Theories Cybernetics and social construction theories differ in terms of how they address the issue of diversity. With cybernetics theory, diversity in social institutions is viewed as positive. The theory also considers diversity as a strength which may be tapped and transformed into an opportunity for social institutions to enhance their unity. Since the theory is based on the principle of interdependence of various units of social systems, and given that all social systems are not homogenous, the theory contents that it is not possible to have peaceful coexiste nce in the society without embracing diversity. On the other hand, the social construction theory views diversity as negative because it considers social institutions as homogenous entities which are only stable when there is uniformity. For instance, people in a given society may share the same belief about an aspect of life irrespective of whether the belief is true or not. Those who do not share that belief in that society may be considered as outcasts or as enemies of the other members of that society. For example, members of a particular society may believe that corruption is the only way of enriching oneself. Those who attempt to fight corruption may be considered as enemies of development in that society. Conclusion The analysis of the family hierarchy and the definition of the issues that are related to the family structure adopted by the patient and their relatives is, perhaps, one of the most complicated tasks for a family therapist. However, by adopting the approach of cy bernetics and using the theory of social construct, a therapist may alter their role so that the analysis could be more fruitful and that more efficient changes could be made to the relationships between the patient and their family. Providing a therapist with the power that allows them to dissect and analyze the family relationships of the patient, as well as suggest their ways of altering these relationships, are the obvious advantages of the specified approaches. References Carr, A. (2012). Family therapy: concepts, process, and practice. Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley Sons. Dallos, R. (2010). An introduction to family therapy. Maidenhead : McGraw-Hill International. Guise, R. W. (2009). Study guide for the marriage and family therapy national licensing examination. Boston, MA: The Family Solutions Corporation. Metcalf, L. (2011). Marriage and family therapy: a practice-oriented approach. New York: Springer Pub. Co. Nichols, M. (2013). Family Therapy: concepts. Boston: Pear son Education. Roberts, A. R. (2009). Social workers desk reference. New York: Oxford University Press. Stretch, B. (2005). Health social care: As level for excel. Oxford: Heinemann. Turner, F.J. (2011). Social work treatment: interlocking theoretical approaches. New York: Oxford University Press. Wetchler, J.L., Hecker, L.L. (2014). An introduction to marriage and family therapy. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage. Winek, J.W. (2010).Systemic family therapy: from theory to practice. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.

This I believe essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

This I believe - Essay Example Back then, I was really big, not in terms of height but of width. I am really not so sure how I got that way and when people ask me, I just tell them in jest, that some people are born to be â€Å"more spectacular† than others. During that period, all my friends referred to me as â€Å"big†. Sometimes, to avoid hurting me, they will also add the phrase â€Å"laugh and grow fat†. This is the closest I can translate the term from Chinese, which actually means that fat people usually have a beautiful heart deep inside. But seriously, even if they tried to soften the blow, I felt they still poked at my weakest spot. So finally, I decided to do some change. I told myself when I looked into the mirror that I can no longer live like this. So, I secretly began a program for myself to slim down. It was probably the first semester of my junior high school when the semester began, that I launched my personal project. I decided to keep it to myself as I started my plan with the most simple and effective way which was dieting. I don’t know how I made up my mind but I was able to skip my breakfast and lunch everyday in the next year. However, the only thing I regret about skipping meals was disappoi nting my mother who lovingly prepared them for me. Every morning she woke up very early to prepare breakfast for me and my dad and carefully packed them into a meal box for us to take out. But when I opened the box smell the food, I either threw it directly to the trash or give it to my friend to eat. There were actually several times when I felt I wanted to quit, and that I cannot do it anymore. But every day when I looked into the mirror at my reflection and stepped on the weighing scale, I get motivated with the changes I see. This kept me on track. I told myself to keep trying†¦to keep walking while watching. Six months after my plan started, I found my face thinner and my belt looser and of course, the numbers on the scale

Smokers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Smokers - Essay Example The government has a mandate of protecting its people. Young generation holds the future of these countries on their hands. As a result, every administration has a responsibility of protecting this generation. In an attempt to protect the whole population, these governments have come up with several measures that are aimed at reducing the exposure of the people to this kind of smoke (Callinan, Clarke & Kelleher 2010) The number of smokers in these countries is smaller compared to non-smokers. As a result, the governments are protecting the majority of the population through developing various strategies that will reduce the impact of cigarette smoke on the people. The smokers should stay outside the homes, restaurants and shops until they finish their activities. Although this will viewed as a way of segregating the smokers from the rest of the society, the move will play a significant role in preventing the younger generation from adopting the smoking behavior. Furthermore, it will protect the members of the public from the cigarette smoke. Some people are allergic to smoke (Great Britain, 2005). As a result, the government should create designated places where smokers can congregate and smoke freely without the fear of disturbing other people. This should be followed by strict rules and stiff penalties to all those who violates these laws. This is to ensure that bus stops, government buildings, social places, and the streets are safe for the people. Smoking in the open disturbs children and seniors. Many adapt this behavior because they feel that it is the right thing to do. Therefore, excluding the smokers to a particular place and making them pay for their behavior by staying away from other people while smoking will discourage the young people to stay away from the smoking behavior. The UK and US governments have implemented some of these measures, an aspect that has not augured well with the smokers. This is because they feel that the

Complex Organizations Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Complex Organizations - Term Paper Example For conducting such operations, he is required to possess certain vital skills so that the task can be performed in an effective manner. The most essential skills that are needed to be developed by aviation mechanics are communication skill, decision making skills, and the skill related to ethical values. The study comprises of the details of the role of aviation mechanics in Virgin Atlantic. In the paper, a brief introduction has been highlighted about aviation mechanic. It seeks to explain about the detail description of communication skill, decision making process and ethical values of aviation mechanic in his work. 2.0 Aircraft Mechanics Aircraft mechanics are also recognized as Aviation Maintenance Technicians and they are in charge of maintaining the aircraft in peak state. The performance of aircraft mechanics is evaluated on a regular basis and the inspection is done in a proper schedule and continuous maintenance as required by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The othe r works that they are entitled to includes repairs, replacement of aircraft parts, making utilization of various precision tools, troubleshooting for possible problems and eventually equipment testing after its repair so that work can be conducted properly within the safety limit that has been set. The job of aviation maintenance technician has an imperative role in safety and economic feasibility of airline operation (EVERETT Community College, â€Å"Aviation Program Outcomes†). The aircraft mechanics of Virgin Atlantic is responsible to handle the multiple tasks. They ensure maintenance of aircraft so as to meet the standard of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) along with the standard of the airline. They are entitled to complete the task related to aircraft maintenance within a definite time period and in a cost effective manner (Virgin Atlantic, â€Å"Aircraft Mechanic J.F.K International Airport†). The general responsibility of aircraft maintenance technician include s various features. They consider that safety is their major priority and seek excellence in their task. The judgmental capacity of the aircraft maintenance technicians is high and they apply good principles in their decisions. They are responsible towards the work and adhere to specific laws as well as regulations (AMTMCC, â€Å"Introduction†). A sound aircraft inspection as well as inspection system is of much importance for providing the public with constant safety along with reliability of air transport system. This system is considered as one of the most critical systems as it is related to human as well as machine components. Under the support of ‘National Plan for Aviation Human Factors’, FAA, by analyzing the aircraft maintenance technician, has recognized the significance of the role of human in the safety of aircraft. Humans are considered as a part of the systems though mistakes cannot be separated from the two aspects of human such as performance spee d and human well-being at work (Drury, â€Å"The Need for Human Factors in Maintenance†). The performance of the mechanics can be determined by both reliability as well as speed. There are two approaches of aviation maintenance such as Incident based approach and Task-Analysis based approach. When an incident takes place, the details of the incident will record

Data, information, and Organizational knowledge Essay

Data, information, and Organizational knowledge - Essay Example Knowledge is one the leading, if not the only, principal factor, which makes organizational, personal, as well as societal intelligent performance possible. Data refers to facts that are precise and timely, specific and planned for a reason, offered within a context that gives it significance and relevance, and can enhance understanding and reduce uncertainty. Information is priceless because it can influence behavior, a choice, or result. For instance, if a manager is informed that his/her company's net profit declined in the past month, he/she might use this information as a motive to cut financial expenses for the following month. A piece of information is regarded valueless if, after getting it, things still remain unchanged (Leonard & Swap, 2005). People can refer to information as data, particularly when it is in the form of statistics or facts that they can analyze. In the American English dictionary, data is normally a plural noun. The knowledge-based theory of the organizati on regards knowledge as the most tactically significant resource of the organization (Levinson, 2007). Its proponents quarrel that since knowledge-based resources are socially complex and difficult to imitate, diverse capabilities and knowledge bases among organizations are the key determinants of sustained competitive advantage, in addition to superior corporate performance. This knowledge is entrenched and carried through numerous entities comprising of organizational culture and identity, routines, policies, documents, employees and systems. Initiating from the strategic organization literature, this viewpoint builds upon and goes beyond the resource-based view of the organization (RBV) originally endorsed by Penrose (1959) and later lengthened by the likes of (Barney 1991, Wernerfelt 1984, Conner 1991) (Levinson, 2007). Even though, the resource-based view of the organization recognizes the significant role of knowledge in organizations that accomplish a competitive advantage, s upporters of the knowledge-based view quarrel that the resource-based perception does not go far enough. Particularly, the RBV regards knowledge as a common resource, instead of having unique traits. It, hence, does not differentiate between different kinds of knowledge-based competences (Levinson, 2007). Information technologies can play a significant role in the knowledge-based view of the organization in that information systems can be utilized to enhance, synthesize, and speed up large-scale inter- and intra-organization knowledge management. Not all information is significant. Hence, it is up to individual organizations to decide what information meets the criteria of knowledge-based and intellectual assets (Leonard & Swap, 2005). In general, nevertheless, knowledge-based and intellectual assets fit into one of two categories: tacit or explicit. They are incorporated among the former assets such as trademarks, patents, business plans, customer lists and marketing research. As a universal rule of thumb, explicit knowledge takes in anything, which can be archived, documented and codified, frequently with the help of IT. More complex to understand is the perception of tacit knowledge, or the expertise contained in an individual’s minds. The dispute inherent with tacit knowledge is finding out how to generate, recognize, share and run it (Wiig, 2009). While information technology in the form of a groupware, e-mail, instant messaging and correlated

The United States Army Corps of Engineers Essay

The United States Army Corps of Engineers - Essay Example The agency is mainly concerned with public projects as concerns environmental protection, disaster management such as hurricanes control, military technology design, recreational facilities and corporation with other government agencies to ensure a sustainable technology and national security. Besides running and managing most of the nation’s Hydro Electric Power Dams, it is conversely the arm of the federal government acting to support the locals in case of a natural disaster. Every year, the agency responds to more than 30 natural disasters both in the USA and elsewhere, with flooding being the most common disaster faced. One of the main activities the USACE is involved with is the reconstruction of infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan. The history of the Corps dates back to the origins of the nation in the early 18th century, mostly during the revolutionary war .It came about as a desire to combat the several challenges facing the forces in terms of technical capabilities and skilled labor. Later in the 19th Century, the Corps resolved to inculcate civilians in to its mission to serve in areas with highly specialized labor as well as to quiet political demands of the locals. Today, the USACE is a large Federal Agency with branches all over and serving more than 130 countries worldwide. Regardless of the noble tasks associated with the Army Corps, coupled with its great success in most of its projects, the USACE has been criticized for mismanagement of funds and environmental risks in the projects allocated to it. Its projects have often subsidized personal interests at the cost of taxpayers’ money. Besides, the Agency has a dark history of blurring its costs so as to justify its projects. One of its projects, the design and construction of levees to curb Hurricane Flooding in New Orleans, was described by the American Society of Civil Engineers as the greatest civil engineering catastrophe in history (Bernhardt & Walsh, 2003). This was after hurricane Katrina cracked the levees and flooded the larger area of New Orleans, destroying property and lives. With other several and similar examples, it is clear that the Agency is failing to manage effectively its projects, as well as costing citizens lots of millions. This paper scrutinizes the Agency’s Data Management System, which is core towards an effective system, paying special regard to the causes of the systems lack of integrity. The author will also examine examples where the system has been described as a total failure. The conclusion section will entail recommendations towards implementing a more honest system and how to avoid future failures of the system. In 1802, the Congress created an Army Corps of Engineers to focus on supporting Military activities. With the progress of the century, the Corps became involved with civilian activities mainly flood control and river direction. With the growing demand for humanitarian activities, more and more missions outs ide the military circle crept in, and today’s Corps has faced 200 years of mission creep (Edward, 2012). The expansion go-aheads passed by the Congress since the 18th Century has not been taking clear considerations on the management of the Agency. Rather, the focus was on eradicating the threats posed by natural disasters. Such a process allows for large possibilities of over budgeting. In one instance in 1836, the House Ways and Means Committee discovered that more than a quarter of the Agency’s projects were over budget. Another expansion mishap was seen in the 1930s where flood control projects were seen as a job creation strategy (Edward, 2012). Many government agencies, including USACE worked to drain many wetlands all over the nation. With

Violence in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Violence in America - Essay Example Children learn at an early age the easiest and often quickest way to remedy a problem is not to amended the cause directly, but rather, to blame something else as being the cause of the predicament. This paper shall look at the typical causes of violence in America and the social problems associated with them. Lastly, a sociological reasoning and conclusion is made in light of the study. There are several factors associated with effects of violent television including developmental stages, types of socialization, and cognitive priming. Other issues considered to play a part in the effect include the idea of a vulnerable viewer, result of desensitization and the creation of fear. Education that is more public is needed to inform American society of the possible negative effects of violence on television and the methods available to prevent these effects. (Best, 2003) American society is concerned with the negative effects of television as the amount of violent programming is increasing (Anderson, 2005). This concern is reinforced with an increase for television children are watching. On average, children view three hours of television a day (Anderson, 2005). That works out to more than 40 days a year in front of the television. As violent content increases, children are watching more violence during their viewing hours. This makes the effects of violence on television a great concern to parents and American society. Most researchers believe that there is a relationship between violent television and violent behavior (Anderson, 2005). Researchers classify violent behavior as ranging from minor to severe. Minor violence is defined as violence directed at toys while severe violence is the physical aggression involving intent to hurt another person (Lockwood, 2006). Studies by Best have concluded that no such relationship exists between violent television and violent behavior (Best, 2003). Still other studies have not been able to prove, nor disprove, the existence of a relationship among the two. Researchers do tend to agree that television does have a potential to influence behavior as so much time is spent viewing (Lockwood, 2006). A realistic sociological theory, which explains the above scenario, is symbolic interactionism, as studied by Blumer. When a child views a violent scene on television, the scene is stored in their memory along with other ideas. When such ideas are activated, the child's mind is organized in such a manner that it responds to the activated idea in a violent manner because of the set of associations made with the original violent scene. (Blumer, 1962) Some children may be more vulnerable to violent television than others (Best, 2003) this includes children who identify with those portraying violence on television and see them as real, even cartoon characters. These children watch many violent programs with little parental supervision. Desensitization can result from viewing violent television (Best, 2003). This effect is seen in children who show little interest or emotional trouble when they observe real life

Employment law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employment law - Essay Example This could also be held to be unreasonable behavior. A general rule has been set out in the case of General Billposting Co Ltd v Atkinson1 it was held that there may be instances where an employer has behaved so badly towards an employee that the employee can treat his employment contract as if it is at an end. When this is the case, the employer may not be able to impose any post termination restrictive covenant on the employee, because the contract has been ended as a result of the employer’s own fault, hence he will not have the right to demand that the employee adhere to any conditions post employment. Thus, on this basis, Ali has grounds to contest the sudden change in the contract that has been made by Balmoral. It must also be noted that there may have been certain terms implied in Ali’s original contract, such as the duty of an employee not to work for competitors, even during off duty hours, as also stated in the cases of Hivac Ltd v Park Royal Scientific Instruments Ltd2and Provident Financial Group plc v Hayward.3 Ali’s original contract with Balmoral would have already included the implicit restriction on working for competitors, therefore the grounds for Balmoral instituting a new contract may itself be subject to dispute. In general, once an employment contract has been entered into with an employee, an employer may not change the terms without first obtaining the consent of the employee.4 Unless the original contract Ali had with Balmoral allows the flexibility of changing contractual terms, Balmoral will be required to follow the correct procedure and offer the terms to Ali, who is at liberty to accept or reject them. Balmoral’s dismissal of Ali on the grounds of refusal to accept new terms may give rise to grounds for a breach of contract. Even assuming that the new contract was deemed necessary after the recent incidences of poaching staff, it will be difficult for

Violence in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Violence in America - Essay Example Children learn at an early age the easiest and often quickest way to remedy a problem is not to amended the cause directly, but rather, to blame something else as being the cause of the predicament. This paper shall look at the typical causes of violence in America and the social problems associated with them. Lastly, a sociological reasoning and conclusion is made in light of the study. There are several factors associated with effects of violent television including developmental stages, types of socialization, and cognitive priming. Other issues considered to play a part in the effect include the idea of a vulnerable viewer, result of desensitization and the creation of fear. Education that is more public is needed to inform American society of the possible negative effects of violence on television and the methods available to prevent these effects. (Best, 2003) American society is concerned with the negative effects of television as the amount of violent programming is increasing (Anderson, 2005). This concern is reinforced with an increase for television children are watching. On average, children view three hours of television a day (Anderson, 2005). That works out to more than 40 days a year in front of the television. As violent content increases, children are watching more violence during their viewing hours. This makes the effects of violence on television a great concern to parents and American society. Most researchers believe that there is a relationship between violent television and violent behavior (Anderson, 2005). Researchers classify violent behavior as ranging from minor to severe. Minor violence is defined as violence directed at toys while severe violence is the physical aggression involving intent to hurt another person (Lockwood, 2006). Studies by Best have concluded that no such relationship exists between violent television and violent behavior (Best, 2003). Still other studies have not been able to prove, nor disprove, the existence of a relationship among the two. Researchers do tend to agree that television does have a potential to influence behavior as so much time is spent viewing (Lockwood, 2006). A realistic sociological theory, which explains the above scenario, is symbolic interactionism, as studied by Blumer. When a child views a violent scene on television, the scene is stored in their memory along with other ideas. When such ideas are activated, the child's mind is organized in such a manner that it responds to the activated idea in a violent manner because of the set of associations made with the original violent scene. (Blumer, 1962) Some children may be more vulnerable to violent television than others (Best, 2003) this includes children who identify with those portraying violence on television and see them as real, even cartoon characters. These children watch many violent programs with little parental supervision. Desensitization can result from viewing violent television (Best, 2003). This effect is seen in children who show little interest or emotional trouble when they observe real life

Principles of Economics Essay Example for Free

Principles of Economics Essay Italy is one of industrial countries in the world in European. According to Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (28 May 2009), Italy has two sections of economy; one is developed industrial north and less-developed with high unemployment in south. In 2008, the unemployment rate in Italy was estimated with 6. 8%, especially in agriculture. In the current financial crisis, many companies get stuck in financial difficulties so that they could not provide work and pay enough salary for employees. It leads to employees dismissal and workers become unemployment. In some other cases, people lose their jobs by their skills are not enough with work requirement and by many unpredictable reasons, namely natural calamity, earthquake, tsunami. Unemployment is one of the most popular problems in many countries all over the world. High unemployment rate makes bad influences on not only national economy but also living condition of citizens. People are willing to work but they can not find any job. They would have to reduce their demands so that productivity of firms also decreases. Unemployment also affects to some other factors such as health, education, insurance, etc. In many countries, the Government tries to control unemployment rate effectively. Because of unemployment situation, the Government has to spend more money on investing and purchasing goods and services made by firms to increase productivity in a short time. This section called Government expenditure or Government spending. The more the Government spends on firms, the better the company could be. Moreover, the Government also has to spend a huge amount of money on building schools, hospitals and improving traffic system per year. Especially, the Government would be in charge when there is any problem that influences civil living, such as poverty, communicative diseases, natural disasters and other social welfares for orphan children and old people. SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE: An earthquake in Italy. â€Å"Death in the mountains† The article is all about an earthquake happened in L’Aquila, Italy recently which caused at least 250 cases death; over 1,000 injured, a loss of 39 habitants of Onna single village and 13,000 buildings damaged, (included the historic and artistic monuments). Besides, there is 17,000 people became homeless and the number of those who are unable to return to their homes until having been inspected is perhaps as many as 70,000. These numbers show that Italy in general and its economy in particular is facing a big trouble. How does Italy deal with this? Mr Silvio Berlusconi, the Minister of Economy and Finance of Italy firstly announced a dispatch of 14,500 tents for the homeless after touring to the area and those people are being cared for by the government. He also decided to decline offers of foreign help despite the magnitude of the damage is daunting and the public debt is exceeding the annual GDP of Italy. Besides, he intended to tap European Union funds as well as spending some cash for the construction project as a response to the economic crisis. UNEMPLOYMENT: Unemployment is simply known as people who are at the work age but currently jobless, those who are able and willing to work but cannot find a job or those who quit their job or being fired for some reasons. High unemployment makes bad affect not only for the living condition of people but also for the national economy. There are two types of unemployment: †¢ Disequilibrium unemployment is which happens when the average real wage rate is higher than the point that equates the aggregate demand and the supply of labour. †¢ Equilibrium unemployment is which happens when there are people unable or unwilling to find jobs. Applying to Italy economy, according to Italica news, the unemployment rate in Italy is quite high, 7. 1 percent in quarter 4 of 2008. And as mentioned above, the recently earthquake brings Italy a big trouble that it killed people, destroyed their homes, work places, and thus, people suddenly become homeless, jobless. This not only affects to the living of people but also leads the economy of Italy into deep recession. Unemployment occurs. Italy case of unemployment is type of disequilibrium unemployment: the earthquake destroyed the work places, people obviously lose jobs, besides, when the buildings collapsed or are damaged, firms have to spend money on rebuild and repair things, thus there will be a cut back on production and on the number of labour (demand-deficient) and as a result, the number of unemployment goes high (supply is higher than demand), there is surplus of labour in Italy. Secondly, this case can also be considered as frictional unemployment (a type of equilibrium unemployment) because people are not voluntarily leave their jobs but they are made redundant and losing their work places. In addition, using the circular flow of income will help explain better how the earthquake affects the economy of Italy. When people become unemployment, they will tend to cut back their consumption (domestic consumption goods and service decreases), start saving, thus, the firms lower their productivity (national income decreases, net saving increase). The Government will decreases taxes (net taxes decrease), in contract, to rebuild things, the investment and government expenditure will increase. The export expenditure and import expenditure will decrease because earthquake affects a lot on the tourism of Italy as it destroyed many ancient structures of Italy and make this place a mess. (Y) (C) (I) (G) (X) (S) (T) (M) SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKES ON ITALY’S ECONOMY 1. Short-term effects †¢ Demand Curve P Supply curve shift P1 Equilibrium P2 New Equilibrium New demand curve Demand curve Q2 Q1 Q Actually, because of strongly earthquake destruction, citizens’ lives are affected. They live essentially base on grants and money that draw from the bank. The demand will decrease and curve shift to the left side so that make a new lower equilibrium. In this difficulty, the company cannot prevent the business because people don’t want to spend money. This change will make a worse effect to economic that still got lots of problem. †¢ Circular Flow of Income Corruption (I) (G) (X) (Y) (C) (S) (T) (M) Transfer Payments Corruption Properly, the earthquake effected directly and strongly to economy of Abruzzo region as well as GDP of Italy in 2009. Apply to the circular flow of income: Firstly, people lost their houses and properties so that the consumption of goods and services will decrease; after that the national income also decreases because firms were collapsed by the earthquake destruction and the demand is lower. Firms would produce less bring the price to higher. Secondly, the saving will decrease at the accidental region because people do not have so much money and increase in another places because the price is higher, people frequently save money. Due to the falling of demand, banks and investors will keep money, spend less into the investment. Thirdly, government expenditure must to spend a huge amount for rebuilding the infrastructure, namely public transportation, pipelines, and electricity. Moreover, the transfer payment is spent on unemployment, finding death and survivors under the ruins, relieving homeless people, providing drinks, food and medical treatments. After the earthquake, the firms fell down; many jobs lost; L’Aquila is the old city with famous architecture, the tourism is heavily affected so the taxation will decrease. Moreover, the corruption happened that make the circular flow of income become smaller and smaller and could be broken. To sum up, the circular of income is directly affected by earthquakes as well as natural disasters. The solution for that problem still has many barriers; Italy government and President Berlusconi must work totally hard. 2. Long-term effects. Earthquake directly affected certain macroeconomics variables include natural resources, physical capital, human capital and technology. Mostly, the negative impacts will be set on the short time, but positive influences also are classified permanently. First, the natural resources is destroyed that make bad impacts the economic depend on tourism like L’Aquila shortly, but in the long-term, it contribute new landscapes naturally in attracting people to come. Second, the physical capitals are collapsed and governments, investors will put money to build new ones fast and strongly replace the old. For example, President and parliament plan to build â€Å"British-style† new town in L’Aquila, make it more modern and ready to develop. The infrastructures will give people the jobs in building and fixing. It affects on human capital who are unemployment and poverty because of the disaster. Last, government will spend more to extend the forecast systems, make it become more accurate and faster in noticing the earthquakes. Definitely, negative or positive effects depend mostly on circumstances. With the high rank of corruptions, public debts and the downturn of national economy; Italy will make lots of efforts on turn round the development and increase % GDP. CORRUPTION: Corruption is a fact of life around the world, appears in all countries with low, medium or even high-income economy. Corruption leads to inequality, wasted resources and wasted public money. Corruption emerges one of the most serious problems within Italian economy besides high rate of unemployment and public debt, and it is related intimately with criminal organization known as mafia. There are some different types of corruption such as bribery, blackmail, tax evasion, official misconduct, etc. (Independent Commission Against Corruption. ) but within this work and the given case study we just mention corruption in Italian public works. Transparency International’s 2008 Bribe Payers’ Index found that public works/construction was the sector most vulnerable to corruption in emerging economies worldwide. It is really difficult to measure exactly the level of corruption in a specific country since the amount of money involved is not reported. All data used to estimate corruption in this work is based on the figure provided by Transparency International (TI), the global civil society organisation bills itself as a leader in fighting against corruption. TI uses CPI (Corruption Perception Index ) rank countries in terms of the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians. The CPI draws on different polls and surveys from more than ten independent institutions, for example, World Bank/European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, World Markets Research Centre, International Institute for Management Development and so on. Those surveys are also carried out among businesspeople and country analysts, including surveys of residents of countries. It is not the most accurate tool to measure corruption in any specific country but it is quite reliable. After the terrible earthquake on April 6, 2009, according to Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, Italy needs at least 12 billion euros to rebuild Abruzzo (News Source  © 2009 Reuters). However, with the quite high score in the 2008 CPI (4. 8 ), the government of Italy has to be cautious and consider carefully when pouring money into reconstructing Abruzzo unless they want to make another scandal Campania 1980, when some money was diverted to the Camorra, one of 3 biggest mafia organizations in Italy. When corruption exists, the money from transfer payment in circular flow of income will run out instead of injecting fully to households. The higher level of corruption is, the more money runs out that circular, causes the lesser supply of money in the whole economy and the government has to spend more money that would raise the public debt. If there is a corruption in the above project of Italy, the government will face the increase in public debt which exceeded Italy’s annual GDP already. And if the Italian Treasury were unable to find buyers for Italian sovereign bonds, Italy could default.

Parle G Becoming The Largest Selling Biscuit Brand Marketing Essay

Parle G Becoming The Largest Selling Biscuit Brand Marketing Essay FOR a change, the Mumbai-based makers of the largest selling brand of glucose biscuits, Parle Products, want to be in the limelight. The reason being that for the first time, the low-profile company wants to fulfil its consumers dreams through its Parle-G My Dream Come True contest its biggest promotion till date. Setting aside a budget of almost Rs 2.5 crore for this contest alone, more than enforcing sales, the Parle-G brand is reinforcing its leadership position in the biscuit market while giving contestants a chance to fulfil their dreams. States Pravin Kulkarni, Marketing Manager, Parle Products Pvt. Ltd, We want to give children a platform to fulfil their dreams. After all, dreaming is synonymous with the brand values of Parle-G, which brings about all-round development to achieve their dreams. The promotion is the largest of its kind and gives contestants the opportunity to win whatever they dream of in contrast to the traditional promos where prizes are fixed. This contest has only first prizes and these prizes are defined as per the childs dream. Launched in 1939, the more than 50-year-old brand of Parle-G is Indias first glucose biscuit to be introduced from the House of Parle. With a dominant volume share in the glucose biscuit market, Parle-G is pegged as the largest-selling biscuit brand in the world, making up almost 80 per cent of Parle Products turnover of Rs 1,300 crore. The family-run business operating out of the western suburb of Vile Parle in Mumbai has always adopted the philosophy of being low key with an endeavour to give value for money. This biscuit and confectionery major has in fact not bothered to raise the price of its flagship brand for the past six years and has always tried to provide its offerings at nearly 33 per cent discount to competitive brands. While the high profile Britannia Industries has been busy stretching its portfolio of brands with more premium offerings, Parle Products has never felt the need to be wary of competition. It has been enjoying a `far too comfortable position in the biscuit market, especially in the largest segment of glucose, with its Parle-G brand. Today it wants to stay primarily focussed on its oldest biscuit brands, Parle-G, Monaco and Krackjack, and is intentionally staying away from the premium end of the Rs 2.400-crore market. Considering Parle-G has already topped charts worldwide as revealed by the US-based Bakery Manufacturers Association, there seems to be no apparent need for concern. But there is, since Britannia has priced its offerings on par with Parle, especially with respect to the latters three main brands (Parle-G, Monaco and Krackjack). Closing the gap in market share is thus an imminent possibility. While Parle-G may be leading in the glucose category with a 65 per cent volume share, Tiger (Britannias Glucose brand) is trailing at 23 per cent volume share, as per ORG-MARG. The difference in share between Monaco and Snax is also substantial but Krackjack and 50:50 are on par both in terms of pricing as well as shares. Thus Parle is not really expected to sit still. Apart from becoming more visible and adding value to the imagery of its flagship brand through its recently launched all-India contest, it continues to look at all brands within its portfolio either with intentions of adding more SKUs and variants or even launching new offerings and pruning away some unfeasible brands. Thus, the focus is on consolidation of its biscuits and confectionery business in terms of adding more variants and SKUs to its heritage brands rather than looking into allied areas to get added growth. Besides, Parles internal research reveals that the biscuit market has graduated from the core glucose and Marie offerings to more value-added variants and that this applies to the rural markets as well. Another finding revealed that packaging played a crucial role in both biscuits and confectionery, with regard to the acceptance of any brand. Meanwhile, riding on properties such as chess championships and cricket trophies, the Parle-G brand has been sponsoring sports events in these areas propagating its values of mental and physical health. In the recent past, the brands positioning has moved to `tasty healthy food from nutrition and energy. It has also changed its packaging from the staid wax paper wrapper to a more plastic and contemporary cover for its glucose brand. Today Parle is exploring more variants for its flagship brand, especially popular flavours such as chocolate, with more price points and SKUs (it already has eight) ranging from its glucose biscuit brand between Re 1 for 25 gm and Rs 37 for one kg. For the company, it makes sense to stretch the franchise of its mass brand than that of premium brands such as Hide Seek. The limited volumes gathered from its premium range of Hide Seek have made Parle put its variants on hold. States Daphne Nair, Brand Manager, Parle Products, There are not many takers at the premium points, especially for niche variants like mint. We have thus decided to hold back the flavours of Hide Seek and limit it to a chocolate cookie. Launched in 1998, Hide Seek was Parles foray into the premium biscuit market with offerings in chocolate, orange, coffee and mint. Moving away from its earlier baseline, `Game with taste buds, its new message is `Best of both worlds. Today Parle believes in delivering both taste and health through its chocolate and biscuit offering through Hide Seek. Adds B. P. Aggarwal, Managing Director, Surya Foods, manufacturer of the Priya Gold brand of biscuits, Hide Seek has failed to make an impact. However, its glucose brand of Parle-G continues to rule the market. In fact, it is Britannia which is expected to have a greater value share among biscuits due to its premium offerings and continues to hold a dominant position in the Rs 35-crore, 2,000 tonnes per annum premium biscuit market while Parle reigns over the popular biscuit market with its flagship brand, Parle-G. Says Jagdeep Kapoor, Managing Director, Samsika Marketing Consultants, Both the companies rule the biscuit market. Between them one has a stronghold on the popular market and the other, on the premium. Once in a while they do tend to move into each others territories but on the whole they continue to mutually respect each other. Comparisons between brands can, however, be drawn directly between these two biscuit majors. For instance, its sweet and salty biscuit of Krackjack is comparable to Britannias 50:50 and comes as the second largest volume brand in Parles biscuits portfolio. It is followed by another of its heritage brands, its salty biscuit, Monaco, which has stretched to include flavours like cheese,  jeera, methi  and onion in the past and can be compared to Britannias Maska Chaska, a variant of 50:50, which has also come up with spicy herbal toppings. Meanwhile, there are certain changes happening within Parles portfolio. Its more salty offering of the Nimkin brand of biscuits, which is present in the East, is preparing for a national roll-out while its cream biscuit brand (Fun Centre) will add more flavours to the current chocolate, orange, pineapple and  elaichi  with more SKUs catering to family packs. Besides, there will be extensions among its  namkeen  offerings of cheeselings, Jeffs and Sixer to include more products to the portfolio. Within its confectionery portfolio, Parle has pegged its toffee brands such as Kismi, Lux, Dairy and Mayfair at the 25 paise price point. However, it expects the 50 paise price point to be more viable. It already has a host of hard-boiled confectionery brands operating in that segment including the likes of Mango Bite, Tangy and Pick n Pack. This segment is expected to be a focus area for the company. Explains Nair, Although the 25 paise segment is the biggest potential segment, most of the bigger companies cannot cover their overheads. The 50 paise segment is the most viable followed by the Re 1 price point. A new toffee brand of Cafechino has just been launched at Re 1 down South while it has stretched the franchise of its Mango Bite to a juicy centre-filled offering at the same price point. Confectionery brands in the rolls category include another heritage brand, Poppins, which was relaunched two years ago with new flavours and packaging while Rol.a.Cola is on the threshold of a similar exercise. However, confectionery is not really a thrust area for the company now and contributes only 15 per cent to the turnover, although the business is nearly as old as its biscuits, having been launched way back in 1929. While core brands in the glucose and Marie category comprise the bulk (65 per cent) of the biscuit market, the higher growth rates of 10-12 per cent seem to be coming from the non-core segments. Explains Nair, There is magnified value growth due to the higher margins in the non-core biscuit category. Pegging growth rate for the core biscuit market between seven and 10 per cent, the glucose biscuit category in India is now estimated at Rs 1,500 crore. There is no dislodging Parle-G in its segment. Industry observers mainly attribute it to its well-entrenched distribution (the company covers 12-15 lakh outlets across the country) which can beat any new player wanting to make an entry. In any case, the volumes are expected to come from this segment alone with the others (the non-core segments) such as the salty and cream biscuits commanding meagre volumes between three and four per cent of the entire biscuit category, according to the company. The Marie segment, however, seems to register higher volumes of 12-13 per cent while the sweet and salty category registers a nine per cent volume in the market. Considering India is supposed to be the worlds second largest biscuit industry (after China), in the past, several MNCs tried entering the biscuit segment but failed due to the existence of unorganised players in the popular segment of the market. According to the Federation of Biscuit Manufacturers, the per capita consumption in India is about 1.2 kg per annum, compared to 15 kg per annum in developed countries. Now there are more players preparing to set up shop including the likes of United Biscuits and Nestle (which has increased its stake in Excelsia Foods). But such players will have to tackle Britannia in the premium market. Competing with Parle will never be easy in the popular biscuit market in India, especially now that it has taken the onus of fulfilling its consumers dreams.