Causes of Crime

The causes of crime are usually physical abnormalities, psychological disorders, social and economic factors, broken windows, income and education. By the twenty-first century criminologists looked to a wide range of factors to explain why a person would commit crimes. These included biological, psychological, social, and economic factors. Usually a combination of these factors is behind a person who commits a crime. Reasons for committing a crime include greed, anger, jealously, revenge, or pride. Criminologists focused on the physical characteristics and sanity of an individual. They believed it was â€Å"predetermined† or that people had no control over whether they would lead a life of crime. For example, criminologists believed people with smaller heads, sloping foreheads, large jaws and ears, and certain heights and weights had a greater chance to be criminals. As late as the 1950s researchers continued to investigate the relationship of body types to crime. Aside from biological traits indicating a natural tendency toward criminal activity by some individuals, Lombroso and other early twentieth century researchers also reasoned that criminal behavior could be a direct result of psychological disorders. They believed these mental disorders could be diagnosed and possibly cured. If this was true, then criminal activity could be considered a disease and the offender could be â€Å"cured† through psychiatric treatment. In addition to studying the biological and psychological causes of criminal behavior, others looked toward society in general for possible causes. In the early 1900s researchers believed social changes occurring in the United States, such as an industrial economy replacing the earlier agricultural economy and the growth of cities, as well as the steady flow of immigrants from eastern Europe affected crime levels. In the 1990s a new idea spread through the criminal justice field concerning the influence of a person's social environment on crime rates. The idea was that general disorder in the neighborhood leads to increased antisocial behavior and eventually to serious crime. For most of the twentieth century, police primarily reacted to serious crimes such as rape, murder, and robbery often with little overall success in curbing crime rates. So, the thinking went, if authorities eliminated disorder, then serious crimes would drop. Disorder creates fear among citizens of unsafe streets; they avoid public areas allowing criminals to gain a foothold. The neighborhood goes into a downward spiral because as crime increases, then disorder increases further. Another theory from 1930s criminologists was that unemployment could be a major cause of crime. Society teaches that persistence and hard work lead to personal financial rewards; however, educational opportunities are often limited to those who can afford to attend college. People who do not receive higher education or college degrees are often forced to take lower paying jobs. Some attempt to achieve material success through illegal means; in this sense social forces can lead a person into crime. The belief that education plays an enormous role in deterring crime led to educational programs and job training in prisons. Education and job training not only provide a way to find a job and make a legal living, but potentially places the person into a better social environment once he or she is back in society. Criminologists believe a good job creates social and personal attachments to a person's community that in turn influence whether or not to commit a crime. A person is less likely to commit a crime, even if there will be substantial rewards, if he or she is tied to the community and is respected by its members.

Marketing Objectives Essay

Executive Summary Ceylon Tea came into being nearly a century and half back when the then existing coffee plantations, struck by a deadly disease – which virtually proved the death knell of coffee in Ceylon as it was then called, were converted to tea plantations. Nearly all the coffee plantations were very soon converted to tea plantations. As Ceylon Tea made its mark in the world and was being widely traded in the markets, measures were instituted to facilitate and monitor the process of manufacture and sale of tea to be shipped to foreign countries. On 30th July 1883 the first public sale of tea took place. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce brought under its purview the conduct of these auctions. In 1894 the Ceylon Tea Traders Association was established. Today almost all tea produced in Sri Lanka is sold in auctions conducted by these two organizations. Introduction This assignment is mainly about a FMCG product which the organisation depends only on Tea. I have sectioned this assignment in to different sections, to make the reader easy and understandable. I have also given a brief idea about marketing orientation, key steps to follow to be marketing oriented and also difficulties of implementing marketing orientation. Then I have spoke about the marketing environment with micro and macro environment and also how these environments impact to the organisation. At last I worked with marketing mix and how the marketing mix elements are blended together in an organisation. I hope this assignment will be something different and interesting task for you. Thank you. Methodology Mainly concentrated on preliminary data questionnaire and the study also contains secondary data from www.zaidtea.com Got reference from articles and books are revealed by tables and diagrams. Also discussed and got ideas from people who are in the high position in the tea industry. Body of Assignment Task 1 1. Zaid Tea Company 1.1 About Zaid Tea The Company incorporated in 2008 was formed in the year 1998 by a person with multifaceted experience gained in the tea industry and inherited from his forefathers of two previous generations. Naushad Jamaluddin the Managing Director/CEO of ZAID TEA CO. (PVT) LTD and a scion of an icon in the tea industry was nurtured in it from an early age during the tenure of his school days whilst assisting his father and grandfather in their tea business and plantations. He was trained in the delicate art of tea tasting by some of the best experts in the industry. He has blossomed to be an expert, having an exquisite flair in tasting and blending teas to meet the most exacting requirements of his buyers. Zaid Tea with its well experienced, diligently trained resource personal and cutting edge knowhow is eminently suited to seamlessly source and deliver the most exacting tea blends to its diverse worldwide clientele. Selecting for them the choicest of teas produced in factories located in the tea plantations of the central highlands of Sri Lanka and sold at the Colombo Tea Auctions, each having their distinct and subtly varying aroma, flavor and liquor Zaid Tea Co (Pvt.) Ltd is incorporated as a limited liability company under the Companies Act of Sri Lanka. It is registered as an exporter of Ceylon Tea with the Sri Lanka Tea Board – the regulatory body of the Government of Sri Lanka entrusted with the task of ensuring the maintenance of the quality and image of Ceylon Tea exported from the country The Co. is also registered with the Sri Lanka Export Development Board as an exporter of Ceylon Tea. This is another regulatory body of the Government of Sri Lanka promoting exports in general from the country 1.2 Products and Main Brands Zaid Tea Company has their own brand – the â€Å"Maskeliya Kahata† range of black teas comes in aluminum pouches and tea bags with their distinct aroma, flavor and liquor. The teas come from plants grown in the cool crispy air of the mountain ranges of the Hatton – Maskeliya tea plantations famed for its teas with its distinctly fine aroma and flavor Further they have their own brand of blended teas and green teas Black Tea a) Maskeliya Kahata in aluminum pouches b) Maskeliya Kahata in tea bags a) Kingswood Tea in loose packaging b) Kingswood Tea in tea bags – flavored and unflavored Green Tea a) Kingswood Green Tea in loose packaging * Kingswood Green Tea in tea bags – flavored and unflavored 1.3 Services a) BLACK TEA Bulk Teas – They source and deliver unblended or specified blends worldwide packed in paper sacks, plywood chests and corrugated cartons with inner lining of either aluminium foil or suitable polythene to retain the freshness and aroma Branded Teas – They also source as per customer specifications and blend, package in printed cartons or other packaging as per their own brands and deliver worldwide Flavored Teas – Here too we can supply either in bulk or as per customers branded or un branded packaging – cinnamon, vanilla, ginger etc b) GREEN TEA Zaid Tea are in a position to supply you Green Tea plucked and processed from the finest tea gardens located in of the high mountainous terrain found in the central highlands of Sri Lanka where the air is fresh, pure, cool and crispy. It is manufactured to the highest international standards. Like black tea we can supply in bulk or customized brand, packaging and flavoring – unflavored, jasmine, mint etc Task 02 1. What Is Marketing Orientation A business which begins work on, or philosophy that focuses on identifying and meeting customer’s needs and wants satisfyingly. -Himaz Ahamed 2. Key steps that Zaid Tea should implement in order to be marketing oriented 2.1 Customer Focused An organizational orientation toward satisfying the needs of potential and actual customers. Customer focus is considered to be one of the keys to business success. Achieving customer focus involves ensuring that the whole organization, and not just frontline service staff, puts its customers first. All activities, from the planning of a new product to its production, marketing, and after-sales care, should be built around the customer. Every department and every employee should share the same customer-focused vision. This can be aided by practicing good customer relationship management and maintaining a customer relations program. In order to achieve this, the organization must: a) Define its market, effectively segment and target the right customer and listen to customers. b) An extensive programme of employee education and communication may be necessary to introduce customer focus in order to create the environment that encourages to think customers. c) Implement an effective marketing information system that will track customer needs on a continuous basis. 2.2 Competitor Focused In terms of competitors, in marketing and strategic management is an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and potential competitors. This analysis provides both an offensive and defensive strategic context to identify opportunities and threats. Profiling coalesces all of the relevant sources of competitor analysis into one framework in the support of efficient and effective strategy formulation, implementation, monitoring and adjustment. Competitor focused concept is more preferable in markets which are growing very fast. Tea also one of the fastest growing market in Sri Lanka. So Zaid Tea also can invest in gathering more data about competitors which will enable them to develop innovations at lower costs. 2.3 Strategic Vision Develop a long-term, market-oriented strategic vision by viewing marketing as more than a series of promotional tools and techniques. Strong leadership from the top with high level executives building a customer philosophy into their business plans and define the future in terms of creating long-term value for stakeholders. Figure-01 Market vs Operations oriented structure 3. Difficulties in Implementing Marketing Orientation Concept to Zaid Tea Even though Zaid Tea might feels that the marketing orientation is the only correct path to be successful, in practice there are likely to be barriers in developing such an orientation. They are as follows: 3.1 Lack of Effective Customer Service The job of the customer-service staff involves more than just answering questions and providing solutions to problems that arise. For market orientation to prove successful, it must also include customer-service representatives who take the time to get to know each customer’s needs and preferences. Zaid Tea Company also can gather records of the feedback it receives and analyze them for use in developing market-orientation plans. Without such customer-service efforts, company loses key opportunities to obtain information. 3.2 Lack of Marketing Knowledge Lack of marketing knowledge, skill and experience are among the challenges of developing market-orientation plans. Many company employees understand basic marketing concepts, but lack the in-depth knowledge needed to develop marketing-orientation strategies that work. Some companies deal with this by seeking additional education for key employees or by hiring experienced, skilled marketers. Skilled marketers can help develop solid plans and give direction to key employees and departments. For example, an experienced marketer might help customer service, sales and technical-support departments learn how to incorporate a company’s overall market orientation plan. 3.3 Conflict between marketing and other functions The power struggle between different departments within an organization can hinder the process. Task 03 1. Marketing Environment Framework A company’s marketing environment consists of the actors and forces outside marketing that affect marketing management’s ability to build and maintain successful relationships with target customers. (Philip Kotler – 12th Edition) Figure-02 the marketing environment 2. Micro Environment 2.1 Definition Factors or elements in an organization’s immediate area of operations that affect its performance and decision-making freedom. These factors include competitors, customers, distribution channels, suppliers, and the general public. Micro Environment| Description| Factors that impact to Zaid Tea| Suppliers| A party that supplies goods or services. A supplier may be distinguished from a contractor or subcontractor, who commonly adds specialized input to deliverables. | A supplier’s behavior will directly impact the business it supplies. If a supplier provides a poor service Zaid Tea this could increase timescales or product quality. An increase in raw material prices will affect an organization’s Marketing Mix strategy and may even force price increases. Close supplier relationships are an effective way to remain competitive and secure quality products. | Intermediaries| Firm or person (such as a broker or consultant) who acts as a mediator on a link between parties to a business deal, investment decision, negotiation, etc. Intermediaries usually specialize in specific areas, and serve as a conduit for market and other types of information. Also called a middleman. | Zaid Tea must partner effectively with marketing intermediaries to optimize the performance of the total system.| Competition| The marketing concept states that to be successful, an organization must provide greater customer value and satisfaction than its competitors.| Competitor analysis and monitoring is crucial if an organisation is to maintain or improve its position within the market. If a business is unaware of its competitor’s activities they will find it very difficult to â€Å"beat† their competitors. The market can move very quickly. As a business it is important to examine competitors’ responses to these changes so that you can maximise the impact of your response.| Customers| A person, company, or other entity which buys goods and services produced by another person, company, or other entity.| Zaid Tea Company’s marketing plan should aim to attract and retain customers through products that meets their â€Å"wants and needs† and excellent customer service.| Publics| A public is any group that has an actual or potential impact on an organization’s ability to achieve its objectives. | According to Zaid Tea there are number of publics that will impact. They are:Financial Public, Local Public, Med ia Public, Government Public, General PublicZaid Tea should keep a good relationship with these publics in order to run successful business. | 3. Macro Environment 3.1 Definition The major external and uncontrollable factors that influence an organization’s decision making, and affect its performance and strategies. These factors include the economic factors; demographics; legal, political, and social conditions; technological changes; and natural forces. Macro environment is also known as uncontrollable environment. Figure-03 Macro environment forces The main forces in the macro environment are commonly denoted by the mnemonic PESTEEL forces. a) Political Environment b) Economical Environment c) Social and cultural Environment d) Technological Environment e) Ecological Environment f) Ethical Environment g) Legal Environment 3.2 Political Environment The first element of a PESTEEl analysis is a study of political factors. Political factors influence Zaid Tea Company in many ways. Political factors can create advantages and opportunities for Zaid Tea. Conversely they can place obligations and duties on company. Political factors include the following types of instrument: – Legislation such as the minimum wage or anti discrimination laws. – Voluntary codes and practices – Market regulations – Trade agreements, tariffs or restrictions – Tax levies and tax breaks – Type of government regime Non conformance with legislative obligations can lead to sanctions such as fines, adverse publicity and imprisonment. Ineffective voluntary codes and practices will often lead to governments introducing legislation to regulate the activities covered by the codes and practices. 3.3 Economical Environment The second element of a PESTEEl analysis involves a study of economic factors. Zaid Tea Company also affected by national and global economic factors. National and global interest rate and fiscal policy will be set around economic conditions. The climate of the economy dictates how consumers, suppliers and other organisational stakeholders such as suppliers and creditors behave within society. An economy undergoing recession will have high unemployment, low spending power and low stakeholder confidence. Conversely a â€Å"booming† or growing economy will have low unemployment, high spending power and high stakeholder confidence. A successful organisation will respond to economic conditions and stakeholder behaviour. Furthermore Zaid Tea will need to review the impact economic conditions are having on their competitors and respond accordingly. Task 04 1. Traditional Marketing Mix 1.1 What Is Marketing Mix Marketing mix is the set of controllable tactical marketing tool that firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market. The marketing mix consists of everything the firm can do to influence the demand for its product. Thus in performing their key tasks marketing managers have at their disposal marketing programs to create customer satisfaction and ultimately profit for the organisation. These tools are often referred as the â€Å"4P s† on how to use these ingredients require marketing research and information. Marketing mix variables are as follow: Figure-04 Traditional Marketing Mix 2. How The Marketing Mix Elements Are Blended Together In Zaid Tea Company Sri Lanka is one of the oldest tea producing countries in the world – commercial Production was started in 1867 by the British planter James Taylor in Loolecondera Estate in Kandy. The tea produced in this country, popularly known as â€Å"Ceylon Tea†, ranks among the best available teas in international trade. In 2007, Sri Lanka was the third-largest tea-producing country globally, with a 9% share of global production, producing 30.6 million kilograms of tea. The total extent of land under tea cultivation has been estimated at approximately 187,309 hectares. Sri Lanka produces tea throughout the year, and the growing areas are mainly concentrated in the central highlands and southern inland areas of the island. They are broadly grouped under these headings according to their elevations, with high growns ranging from 1200 m upwards, medium growns covering between 600 m to 1200 m. and low growns from sea level up to 600 m. High grown teas from Sri Lanka are renowned for their taste and aroma. The two types of seasonal tea produced in these areas, Dimbula and Nuwara Eliya, are much sought-after by blenders in teaimporting countries. Uva teas from the Eastern Highlands contain unique seasonal characteristics and are widely used in many quality blends, particularly in Germany and Japan. The medium grown teas provide a thick colour variety which is popular in Australia, Europe, Japan and North America. The teas produced in low grown areas are mainly popular in Western Asia, Middle Eastern countries and CIS countries. Most factories in these areas produce what is known as a leafy grade of tea, the tea leaves of which are highly twisted and can grade into long particles. 2.1 Product Tea is produced from the Camellia Sinensis plant. The tea plant, which is evergreen, isn’t a shrub as popularly believed but a tree that is grown like a shrub to facilitate the process of tea plucking and production. It is native to Southeast Asia and is grown in a wide range of climatic conditions across the world. Tea is mainly produced in India (the world’s largest producer), Sri Lanka (till recently the world’s largest exporter), China, Kenya, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. The differing climatic conditions in the world’s various tea growing areas influence the quality and taste of the various teas. Zaid Tea Company has their own brand – the â€Å"Maskeliya Kahata† range of black teas comes in aluminium pouches and tea bags with their distinct aroma, flavor and liquor. The teas come from plants grown in the cool crispy air of the mountain ranges of the Hatton – Maskeliya tea plantations famed for its teas with its distinctly fine aroma and flavor Further they have their own brand of blended teas and green teas Black Tea c) Maskeliya Kahata in aluminium pouches d) Maskeliya Kahata in tea bags c) Kingswood Tea in loose packaging d) Kingswood Tea in tea bags – flavored and unflavored Green Tea b) Kingswood Green Tea in loose packaging * Kingswood Green Tea in tea bags – flavored and unflavored 2.2 Price Table 02- Price List Effective from 1st January 2013 of Maskeliya Kahata ZAID TEA CO (PVT) LTD| Price List Effective from 1st January 2013| Product| MRP| WSP| QDP| Maskeliya Kahata 20g| 20.00 | 18.00 | 17.10 | Maskeliya Kahata 50g| 42.00 | 36.96 | 35.11 | Maskeliya Kahata 100g| 84.00 | 73.92 | 70.22 | Maskeliya Kahata 250g| 195.00 | 171.60 | 163.02 | Maskeliya Kahata 500g| 385.00 | 338.80 | 321.86 | Maskeliya Kahata 1Kg| 755.00 | 615.00 | 584.25 | Maskeliya Kahata 2Kg| 1,495.00 | 1,215.00 | 1,154.25 | Maskeliya Kahata100 Tea Bags| 250.00 | 220.00 | 209.00 | | | | | | | | | | MRP – Maximum (Marked) Retail Price| | WSP – Wholesale Price – Price to Retail Trader| | QDP – Quantity Discounted Price| | The above table shows the effective price list of Maskeliya Kahata from 1st January 2013. 2.3 Place The role of this element basically describing availability, which is â€Å"right place† and the â€Å"right time†. Zaid’s Maskeliya Kahata is also available in every retailer shops. A channel of place is a set of interdependent organisation, which helps to make a product available in market for use of consumer. Zaid Tea also uses this concept of channels in order to provide Maskeliya Kahata available in the market. The below diagram denotes how Zaid Tea uses the distribution channels. Figure-05 Distribution channels of Zaid Tea * Note- There is also another Distribution channel method: PRODUCER AGENT WHOLESALER RETAILER CONSUMER Conclusion In a fast growing market day by day everything is fluctuating faster than we expect. Products and services are also same. The purpose of the project is to exhibit organisation to be marketing oriented and to aware about the marketing environment with micro and macro environment , how these environments impact to the organisation. Recommendations Plantation companies a) Explore the possibilities of upgrading plantation jobs, by providing upward movement, to attract more workers to work in the estate. b) There should not be any effort from the plantation companies to dilute the existing labour laws which protect the workers in the tea industry, on the grounds of declining returns. c) The big companies could also tie up with the ILO and other civil society organisations to help small growers achieve minimum labour and environmental standards. Adherence to such standards will give an additional product value to the tea being sold at the retail level. In return, the companies could provide incentives in terms of better prices to the small growers. These practices could work to the advantage of both. The government a) Provide technical and marketing assistance to the small and marginalized Farmers b) Provide credit schemes and debt management services to the plantations c) Strengthen the relationships between small tea growers and private processing factories. Develop a strategic intervention in order to help each actor aware of their rights and responsibilities within the value chain. International tea buyers a) Take responsibility for conditions in their entire tea value chains, particularly where they have more influence. b) Provide support to the small tea growers through technical and marketing assistance c) Pay a higher price for tea produced in a sustainable process d) Do not lobby to dilute the social protections available to tea estate workers e) Conduct multi-stakeholder monitoring and verification of the social and environmental standards on the tea estates from which tea is procured Annexure References * PCM Text Book * Kotler P. â€Å"Marketing Management† 9th Edition, Prentice hall of India, 1997, pp 128-150 * www.zaidtea.com

Behind Mud Walls Paper

Modern India Behind Mud Walls Paper In order to understand India, one needs to understand its villages. Behind Mud Walls does a great job in providing a detailed background of an ordinary village life in India. Since seventy percent of Indians live in villages, it is important to learn about village lifestyle and the changes that take place in it. Only then one can learn about the cities because one needs to understand the relationship between the two in India. Behind Mud Walls provides the opportunity to examine a north Indian village from a non-Indian point of view; in other words, a non-biased point of view.Since the book is broken up into parts by years, it gives the reader a great way to examine the changes that take place in this village; it shows how it was then and how it is now. Karimpur in 1930 was very different from Karimpur in the 80’s and 90’s. Many changes were observed by Wisers and Susan Wadley, who writes the later chapters in the book. These changes w ere social, economic, educational, technological, political and cultural but most significant of these were social, and educational. The social changes with an emphasis on role of women, the slowing down of the Jajmani system and the rise in education will be the focus of this paper.What was Karimpur like in 1930? Women in Karimpur in late 1920s were very traditional. They had a purdah (covering of the face) on at all times and were dependent on males (husbands, father or brothers). They were uneducated and illiterate. They had limited movement outside the house and were usually tied to raising children and doing household work. They worked almost entirely in mud enclosures. Their days were spent largely in menial labor, ensuring that their family could subside on a day-to-day basis. Their days began at dawn, when they gathered water for their family and their daily tasks of cooking, brushing, and cleaning.They ground flour for bread. They milked the family's cow or buffalo. They pr epared the ovens or chulas for the day's cooking. They swept. They collected dung for fuel. They gathered vegetables from the fields. It is safe to say that these women lived entirely behind â€Å"mud walls†. (144). They were also not allowed to go to the fields by themselves to relieve themselves. (46). Moreover, a system called Jajmani was widespread in Karimpur when the Wisers first visited. It was basically a system that bounded upper castes to lower castes in the villages.There was exchange of goods and services between landowning higher castes and landless service castes. The relationship was to be permanent, hereditary and lower castes generally received grains against rendered services. Dhobis (washers), chamars (tanners), faqirs (beggars) dhanuks (midwives), sudras (lower caste), and bhangis (sweepers) were all treated in a degrading manner. (47). The upper caste people, the Brahmins, would not like when the Wisers’ children played with those of bhangis. A tou ch of a bhangi would bring pollution to the upper caste Brahmins since they carry human waste and clean the courtyards.The Brahmins dominated the village. They owned most of the land and also took part in religious rituals due to their priest roots. Therefore, the caste system was a major social structure in Karimpur. Every individual had to stay within their caste boundaries; everyone had a hereditary job to do. Two different castes could not marry and an upper caste could eat or drink anything offered by the lower caste. Even when the Wisers offered peanuts to the children, their parents refused to let them eat. Only food offered by Brahmins would be acceptable for other upper castes.Therefore, caste system played a huge role in the lives of people in Karimpur. Furthermore, education was very low in Karimpur in 1925. Both males and females could barely read or write. As a result, there were no technological developments and therefore, agricultural production was low. Lower educati on rate also meant that people strictly followed the caste system to keep order in the society. Another observation made by the Wisers during their first was that most village houses were made of mud and were called â€Å"kaccha† houses. An interesting relationship noticed by the Wisers was that of newly wed girls and their mother-in-laws.Mother-in-laws would keep an eye on their daughter-in-laws or â€Å"bahus. † These bahus would have to please their mother-in-laws and take care of the household and everyone living in the family or in this case joint-family where brothers and their families live together with their parents under one roof. Therefore, one can see that Karimpur described by the Wisers in 1930 was quite backward and orthodox. The next half of the paper will be focused on the changes that took place over the decades in Karimpur. What were the changes in the second half of the century when Wisers and Susan Wadley visited Karimpur?Firstly, the role of women had changed a little bit. Secondly, education had increased and more and more villagers had B. A. degrees and moved to cities to find work. Thirdly, technological changes had brought enormous agricultural growth in the farms. The rigid caste system had slowed down a little bit and the mutual relationship of Jajmani system had declined as well. Finally, the younger generation was more in touch with the world through cities and education, the lower castes had more access to land ownership and most of the mud houses were transformed into brick houses or â€Å"pakka† houses.The roles of women had started to change in the 60s and later as observed by Susan Wadley. The purdah declined except during ritual occasions. The dress style also changed. Head was less covered. They started to show more head and face unlike before. When women went out in the fields to work still wore long sleeve blouses and had their head covered. The ones who worked in their own courtyards or left their ho use briefly started wearing dhotis which was something shorter than saris and other traditional long sleeve garments that they wore. (193).This was a radical change. It really showed that times had changed and people were becoming a little more open-minded. The younger generation of women was far more educated than their mothers or sisters and also wore baggy pants (Panjabi suits) by 90s. At times they would refuse to help their female figures in preparing and collecting cow dung, calling it â€Å"dirty. † They no longer had to collect water for their families since the introduction of hand pumps in their courtyards. This made their job a lot easier. Women also experienced change in their work.Due to the decline in the jajmani system and male employment in the farms, women no longer worked on the farms. The decline in the jajmani system meant more opportunities for women. Female servants were more acceptable as household servants. The decline in the purdah also helped women s ince now they could get their own water without males, carry their own messages and pick their own flowers from the fields. (289). They also took part in Hindu rituals. At the same time, one can argue that the voice of women in a household declined. Females were excluded from farm work since men had moved to the cities for work.They were replaced by machines and pumps on the fields and farms, and traditionally employed women in caste-based jobs through the jajmani system were no longer employed. Therefore, the changes in the lives of women were both negative and positive although the changes in the levels of education in Karimpur definitely helped women. Education was beneficial to both men and women. Better opportunities for jobs and marriage increased education rates among men and women. Women were expected to be educated to train their future generations. An educated girl was a likely girl for a marriage proposal.In 1984, three schools were set up for both boys and girls. An asto nishing forty nine percent of boys attended school. That is a big percentage for a backward village like Karimpur. (291). Fifty seven percent of girls attended primary schools. (291). All these numbers aside, education was still a luxury not a privilege in Karimpur. It was only accessible to upper castes that had money and the poor could not afford the cost of books and clothes. It is also important to note that it was extremely difficult to pass the sciences in schools without proper tutoring. As a result, the spread and benefit of education remained low.Still, it was a crucial change because it did make life better for some of the people. Many Brahmins obtained B. A. and M. A. degrees and most were literate including women. Increased education for men meant more opportunities in the cities for work which meant more money to provide for families back in village. Those who stayed in villages chose to be intermediates between the Brahmins and the government officials in matters of th e village. Another reason why education was an important change for Karimpur was because it changed caste relationships. Education loosened the bonds of Brahmin dominance.Education brought knowledge and knowledge brought changes in caste relationships. Different lower castes were no longer tied to their jajmans or patrons. They were able to deal with banks, lawyers, doctors and government officials. There was a decline in the traditional jajmani system due to abundance of labor. The farmers no longer needed to maintain their workers when they could hire labor for a cheaper price. Wealthy farmers in the 80s did not need that many laborers. They had machines that took care of their daily work. Hand pumps were a great tool for rich farmers. (285).There were two new tractors in the village. As a result the whole relationship between the jajmans and their servants declined due to abundance of cheap labor and new technology in the farms. The jajmani system no longer provided services, wag e labor was more focused and employment networks were more focused and laborers were in constant demand. (283). Some lower castes were also able to raise their status in the society by changing their caste names. Scheduled or backward castes like the chamars and telis became jatavs and rathors, both subcastes of the Kshatriya. (262).This type of upward mobility shows that progress did take place and this is the type of mobility is portrayed in the sacred Hindu texts like the Vedas. The system of hereditary caste system was never propagated by any texts. Rather, a system based on meritocracy was promoted in ancient Sanskrit texts and it was good to see such changed in a small north Indian village. Thus, one can see many social changes in Karimpur starting in the 60s and lasting till the 90s. Other important changes that took place were the transformation of the kuccha houses into pakka houses. Pakka houses were no longer limited to Brahmins.Even a sweeper had a pakka house. (248). Ec onomic growth enabled people to buy bricks and build these new types of houses. Payments are done in rupees rather than grains due to cash economy. Jajmani system no longer controlled the exchange of goods. Agricultural production was booming due to technological changes and introduction of necessary materials by the government to increase production. Better seeds, more fertilizer and more irrigation were provided by the government. One can credit increased education for more interaction between the villagers and the government officials. 252). Crops other than grains were produced and more number of farmers from all castes planted more crops and vegetables unlike only the Brahmins forty years ago. Green revolution also brought tremendous change in agriculture along with introduction of pumped irrigation water. Family incomes increased for many castes and access to land ownership also increased for middle and lower castes. The dominant Brahmin influence declined over the years but t hey still had a huge presence in the village. Overall, Karimpur in 1920s was different from Karimpur in the second half of the century.The reason why it was different was because of the changes in the roles of women over the years, the decline in the caste and jajmani system, and increased education. These changes were tied to each other and a change in one system brought a change in another. Finally, Karimpur serves as a model for modern India; it shows how a socially orthodox and economically backward place can experience changes at all levels in the society and improve the lives of its people. Works Cited Wiser, Charlotte, William Wiser. Behind Mud Walls. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California, 2000.

On Orientalism by Edward Said Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

On Orientalism by Edward Said - Movie Review Example lution Western writings from the mid-20th century closely mirror those of the 19th and 18th centuries, demonstrating a lack of change in the stereotypes about the region. In addition, Orientalism promotes the idea of an â€Å"ideal other,† a reverent and exotic ethno-religious group that embodies traits deemed â€Å"noble† or â€Å"good.† Said’s analysis looks not only at the images that characterize Orientalism, but also why it looks the way it does. He points to Imperialism as the foundation of Orientalism — many of the early generalizations about Arabs came from the Imperialist impulse to control a nation through its people. By making broad assumptions about a certain group of people, colonialists found it easier to control the expansive empire they found in the east. Following the years after Napoleon’s 1798 conquest of Egypt, the French surveys of the country provided Europeans a window into the mysterious middle east. The volumes compiled demonstrated French military power, but also introduced the first images of the region into the collective consciousness. These stereotypes would define the cultural perspective on the middle east for the next three centuries. In this section, Said talks about the differences between British and French Orientalism as opposed to American Orientalism. The key differences spring from two facts: firstly, America has never had a colony in the near east, and as such their perceptions are far more indirect and abstract; secondly, America has a long-standing tradition of support for the nation of Israel, which leads to a strong polarization between the â€Å"west† and the â€Å"east.† American media offers fresh anti-Arab sentiments on a regular basis, primarily due to the pro-Israel attitudes of the federal government. This bias, in turn, colors American perception of Israel. This section serves as a continuing examination of the perception of Arabs in the media. Although Said acknowledges the persistence of what might

Marketing case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing case study - Essay Example The economic down turn had a negative impact on the consumer expenditure and the resultant manufacturers selling prices. The consumer confidence and house building decreased tremendously. The kitchen furniture market reduced rapidly because of house moving. The market value also declined costing the industry more than 250 million pounds. This marketing essay seeks to discuss PEST analysis, target segments and value chain in the industry. PEST analysis PEST analysis is a crucial tool when it comes to marketing process of any organization. It involved identifying economic, technical, political and social influences on the organizational entities. The external factors include uncertainties and risks. Political factors The political or legal set up of the United Kingdom furnisher industry has an immense influence in the mode of regulation that affects the industry. The legislations that are sponsored by the government have the potential to affect the spending power of the consumers. The fiscal policies in the United Kingdom during the recession had a profound effect on the consumer choices in the furniture market (Bruhn & Georgi 2006). The political environment is composed of pressure groups, laws and state agencies that influence the furniture market. The political developments in the United Kingdom have affected all the stakeholders in the furniture industry. Studies show that the legal environment in a market can limit the operations of individuals or organizations (Lopes & Duguid 2010). Therefore, the stakeholders in the furniture industry must understand the United Kingdom’s political system and processes. This is likely to give the stakeholders an enhanced insight into the most profitable business decisions to take in the furniture industry. Government interventions in the running of timber industry affect both the long-term and short term plans of the organization (Lopes & Duguid 2010). The government of the United Kingdom monitors the timber industry to avoid depletion of the forest cover. The government has enacted special legislations that ensure that nature resources are not destroyed for private gain. The furniture market in the United Kingdom is subject to these legislations. The marketing strategy of the timber industry is affected by the government interventions. The government of the United Kingdom has informal and formal rules that play an important role in the timber industry. Some of these laws are the tax policy, environmental regulations and other trade restrictions. Research shows that political stability and tariffs affect organizational profitability (Jerrard & Hands 2008). The government is keen on the role of the forests in fighting climate change. Some of the causes of deforestation include wood extraction, expansion of infrastructure and getting more agricultural land. The government controls the logging process in order to ensure that technology does not lead to compromise in the forest cover leading to neg ative effects on the weather patterns. Technology has enabled the sawyers to harvest up to 4000 tons of timber in a day. Economy factors The economic risks or factors relate to regional trends in the conditions that can have profound effects on timber industry in the United Kingdom. The free market economy, the dynamic inflation rate which is under strict fiscal policies because of the recession and the slow economic growth has a negative effect on the timber and furniture company (Lopes &

Financial Information for Business Decisions Essay

Financial Information for Business Decisions - Essay Example The global economy has undergone a drastic change due to recession and economic slowdown in different parts of the world, so on the basis of volatile economic condition, the companies have also changed their strategies and business models to survive in the market, and retain their position among the other players. In order to identify the repercussions of turbulent economic environment, and effects industrial factors on Wal-Mart, an overall analysis of the operations of Wal-Mart over five years would be done. Further, the competitors of Wal-Mart would also be analysed to gauge the position of the company, globally, in terms of market share. The financial analysis of the company would also reveal the financial stability of the firm, which would assist in deriving a conclusion regarding the effect of financial information on the business decisions of Wal-Mart. Company Overview Wal-Mart Store, Inc. is a multinational company which was established in the year 1945 and is headquartered at Bentonville Arkansas, United States (Yahoo Finance, n.d.). It is a publicly listed company and its shares are traded in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with the ticker symbol â€Å"WMT†. The company’s stocks were first traded at NYSE on August 25, 1972 (Wal-Mart, 2012a). Wall-Mart is engaged in retail or supermarket business in various formats around the world. Wal-Mart operates restaurants, retail stores, supermarkets, discount stores, hypermarkets, supercenters, apparel stores, warehouse clubs, etc. The products offered in the stores of Wal-Mart include frozen foods, meat, dairy products, bakery products, baby products, beverages, grocery items, electronic goods, household items and so on. Presently the business operations of Wal-Mart are divided into three broad segments, namely: a) the Wal-Mart International segment, b) the Wal-Mart US segment, and c) the Sam's Club segment. Retail stores of various formats are run by Wal-Mart in all the 50 states of US. Along with this it also operates its retail operations online through walmart.com. The international segment of Wal-Mart has its presence in 26 countries of the world and is also in the business of operating its retail operations in all those countries outside US. The Sam's Club segment of Wal-Mart includes membership based warehouse clubs that are operated in 47 states of US along with Puerto Rico (Wal-Mart, 2012b). The US business segment of Wal-Mart operates its business activities which are divided into six strategic merchandise units. They are: a) Grocery, b) Entertainment, c) Hardlines, d) Health and wellness, e) Apparel, and f) Home. All these six merchandise units offer different categories of merchandise products through its various types of retail stores located in different parts of US. In the recently published Fortune-500 list Wal-Mart has been ranked second, just after Exxon Mobil. Business Model Analysis of Wal-Mart After getting an overview regarding the operations of Wal- Mart, its business model would be studied in a comprehensive manner in this section. The current business model would be scrutinized and the changes that have taken place in the last five

Relational Data Model Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Relational Data Model - Assignment Example The attribute "is leader" should be removed from the table Candidate because this information already exists in the table Party. It is possible to get to know if a Candidate is leader of any party with looking through references to leaders in the table Party. .. First_name Middle_name Last_name address gender date of birth Party Pk_id Fk_leader name address date established Candidate Pk_id Fk_electorate Fk_party First_name Middle_name Last_name address gender date of birth is leader Second normal form (2NF) further addresses the concept of removing duplicative data: Meet all the requirements of the first normal form. Remove subsets of data that apply to multiple rows of a table and place them in separate tables. Create relationships between these new tables and their predecessors through the use of foreign keys. (Chapple 2005) So, personal information, such as name (first, middle, last), address, gender, and date of birth can be taken apart into separate table Person. It also should have a primary key named Pk_id. Then tables Elector and Candidate should reference to it via secondary (foreign) key Fk_person. Therefore there are 5 tables in the relational database schema for the 2NF: Person Pk_id First_name Middle_name Last_name address gender date of birth Electorate Pk_id unique name number of registered voters Elector Pk_id Fk_electorate Fk_party_vote Fk_candidate_vote Fk_person Party Pk_id Fk_leader name address date established Candidate Pk_id Fk_electorate Fk_party Fk_person is leader Third normal form (3NF) goes one large step further: Meet all the requirements of the second normal form. Remove columns that are not dependent upon the primary key. (Chapple 2005) The attribute "is leader" should be removed from the table Candidate because this information already exists in the table Party. It is possible to get to know if a Candidate is leader of any party with looking through references to leaders in the table Party. There's no attributes that are not dependent upon the primary key. Here are

Stress and Coping Mechanisms of First Year Principals Dissertation

Stress and Coping Mechanisms of First Year Principals - Dissertation Example Explaining the fundamental basis of stress as a reaction towards demands on the body, the Mountain State Centers for Independent Living (2010) expresses the view that stress involves the release of body chemicals that â€Å"give people more energy and strength, which can be a good thing if their stress is caused by physical danger.† However, it is alarming that in a particular group of people, the levels of stress recorded among them should be rated as high. This is because high levels of rising stress impacts the victims in several ways including the work they do and their health (Foxall et al, 1990: 580). This argument says a lot about why principals are stressed most of the time. Having noted that a person’s duties could determine the level of stress to be experienced by the person, it is just right to state that principals are often stressed because their work comes with a lot of mental demands that requires them to use their brains very often. Knowing that principa ls undertake a lot of academic responsibilities that strain their brain, stress is thus inevitable for them. In a typical educational institution, principals are expected to among other things supervise the activities of other teachers, initiate academic itinerary, organize school examinations and in some cases serve as examiners. They also go an extra mile to execute other duties including being in charge of every sector of the school development; ranging from meeting the educational needs of students to providing the necessary materials and supplies for the teachers to implement the curriculum. They do this under strict monitoring by the stakeholders, board members, the superintendent, and the state and national educational leaders. New mandates are frequently imposed on already high expectations. A mountain of meeting, queries and complaints from parents, playground and lunchtime duties are also the order of the day for most the principals. All these are roles that are expected t o be executed with perfection and accuracy. In a bid to do all these, principals; especially first year (inexperienced) principals who are mostly new on the job end up stressing themselves badly. The work of the principal is one that is associated with a lot of physical and mental pressure. This is even worse because most principals (both inexperienced and experienced) are involved in academic based professions and occupations that involve the strenuous use of the brain rather than physical strength. Examples of these professions include medicine, nursing, law, teaching, pharmacy, writing and the like. Among this group also, teachers, including lecturers have been found to be one of the worse hit (Lee, 2003). It is worth noting that the work of lecturers and educators, especially those on higher ranks like principals involves a lot of demanding tasks that include multi-complexities. For instance there is mental application of knowledge, physical application of strength and regular i nter-personal interactions. In a typical school environment or school situation, principals (inexperienced and experienced) take the role of academic overseers over student, as well as the administrative activities. The year principal are, therefore, almost all the time involved in one kind of engagement or the other. In most situations, the situation of principals is worsened when they have other responsibilities other than academic roles to play. Some of these

Subiaco Centro Project Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Subiaco Centro Project - Term Paper Example There are non-transportation objectives and they include provision of affordable and desirable housing choices, support revitalization or economic development, enhance quality of life and the sense of community, minimize infrastructure costs, shift the development from the sensitive areas, and reduce sprawl. The motivating factor for most of the stakeholders and in some cases the transit agencies is the financial return associated with TODs. For example, rents are a major supply of non-farebox revenue that is accrued from the development of system-owned land that is adjacent to the transit stations . Research conducted indicates that the number of the no-car households in regions where public transport is reducing and the high earning households who have cars is increasing. The trend undermines the same findings by Affleck and Haslam Mackenzie. They were able to find out that the TODs attracted the affluent population cohort and squeezed out the people who depended on the public transport and those who would benefit from living closer to the transit oriented development . Theories Relative to Subiaco TOD The success of Subiaco Centro Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is a factor of the the underlying TOD principles on which it was based. The structure of the project was modeled along a wide range of these principles among them the principle of Diversity of Use. This principle generally means that the program makes use of market synergy of balancing functions so that more people are attracted and retained within the structure of the TOD.... For example, rents are a major supply of non-farebox revenue that is accrued from the development of system-owned land that is adjacent to the transit stations4. Research conducted indicates that the number of the no-car households in regions where public transport is reducing and the high earning households who have cars is increasing. The trend undermines the same findings by Affleck and Haslam Mackenzie. They were able to find out that the TODs attracted the affluent population cohort and squeezed out the people who depended on the public transport and those who would benefit from living closer to the transit oriented development5. Theories Relative to Subiaco TOD The success of Subiaco Centro Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is a factor of the the underlying TOD principles on which it was based. The structure of the project was modeled along a wide range of these principles among them the principle of Diversity of Use. This principle generally means that the program makes use o f market synergy of balancing functions so that more people are attracted and retained within the structure of the TOD. In the Subiaco case, the implementers condensed a multiplicity of services from a wide range of sectors for the purposes of efficiency and harmony. Partnerships were created to enable the active participation of the public and the policy implementers to ease the disconnection that had existed before. The second principle on which this project was created was one of compactness. This principle as understood within the context of TOD basically means that the structure of the place is made in a walkable design. This means that the physical structure must be tight and precise to

Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lab Report Example inch from the bottom of the crucible and it was isolated with the help of a glass fiber to make the cooling process of the sample retard. This gave the experimenter enough time to collect the data required (the change of temperature versus time). Every 5 seconds, the temperature was noted until the sample of melted Tin reached a temperature near 150C (10C above the freezing point of pure Tin) in order to prevent the thermocouple sheath from freezing. After the data was collected, a plot of temperature versus time was developed. The plot took the form of a curve, which is the Tin-cooling curve. The curve shows the cooling process,. Abstract: This experiment was directed at determining the melting point of pure Tin. For this purpose, a ceramic crucible containing pure Tin was heated in a furnace up to the temperature that was expectedly above the melting point of pure Tin. Once that was achieved, the sample of liquid Tin was put into a container that was filled with sand. A thermocoupl e sheath was placed into the melted Tin and was isolated with the help of a glass fiber. This retarded the cooling process of the sample of Tin and provided the experimenter with enough time to collect all of the required data (the change of temperature versus time).

Case Study #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case Study #4 - Essay Example Against this background, the major problem sought to be addressed by the case study is that of trying to assist both Mike and Dorothy on the best way they can adopt in order to be better positioned to cope with the disease. The other issue being addressed is that of trying to find out possible means of helping Mike to prevent the disease, foster independence as well improving the quality of life. It can also be noted that emphasis is put on the notion that this kind of ailment is not equivalent to mental disorder or madness but just something that can be associated with old age where one can manage to treat it or live with it without major repercussions. This can be treated as a normal development in elderly people where they can get proper medication to overcome this ailment and lead a normal life once again. In some cases, elderly people tend to lose track of events which can be a normal thing given that the brain, just like any other part of the body reaches a point of getting tired as result of age thereby cannot continue to function perfectly compared to the young and energetic adult people. The major concepts presented in the text include the issue of forgetfulness which can either be attributed to Alzheimer disease. Schaie & Willis (2002) suggest that the condition of forgetfulness of the mind can be attributed to old age and this is seen as a normal development in the life of the human beings as they rich older ages. Thomas (1996) also concurs that research has shown that about 25 million adults have what he calls Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Some do not know it but in case of the adult people, it can ruin their relationships because of their forgetfulness, inability to be on time and in some cases leaving unfinished projects. In the case of Mike, it can be noted that he is beginning to forget even week days as well as the names of

Romantic or Real Essay Example for Free

Romantic or Real Essay Romanticism cannot be identified with a single style, technique, or attitude, but romantic painting is generally characterized by a highly imaginative and subjective approach, emotional intensity, and a dreamlike or visionary quality. Romantic art characteristically strives to express by suggestion, states of feeling too intense, mystical, or elusive to be clearly defined. Realism, on the other hand, is an attempt to describe human behavior and surroundings or to represent figures and objects exactly as they act or appear in life. Attempts at realism have been made periodically throughout history in all the arts; the term is, however, generally restricted to a movement that began in the mid-19th century, in reaction to the highly subjective approach of romanticism. The works of John Constable and Honorà © Daumier show the great differences in Romantic characteristics and Realist characteristics, both with the subjects they painted and the styles that they used to paint. John Constable was an English painter who was known for his landscape painting in the romantic style (Encarta). Constable was a leader in presenting an idealized image of rural life and nature. He infused quiet English landscapes with profound feeling. Constables The Hay Wain is a countryside scene. It helped to add features to the romantic motifs, such as streams, country cottages, and farmland scenes (Matthews and Platt 465). One could almost hear the wind blowing through the trees and sound of running water. The visionary or dreamlike quality is portrayed in this painting with the use of natural coloring and lighting. He was known to focus on the intangible qualities, like the conditions of light, sky and atmosphere, than with the concrete details of a scene. He achieved a freshness of vision through the use of luminous colors and bold, thick brushwork. With the play of individual imagination, Constable gave expression to emotion and mood. Honorà © Daumier was a French painter who focused on the realistic themes of everyday life (Encarta). Unlike the themes of Constable and Romanticism, Daumier wanted to be realistic and paint everyday events involving ordinary people. In his painting The Third Class Carriage, Daumier displays the  everyday middle class peasants on a train. He does not give each person individual characteristics but instead uses stereotypes (Matthews Platt 498). He uses dark, muted colors instead of luminous colors like Constable. His free brushwork gives the painting an almost unfinished quality. He also chooses to focus on the separateness of each traveler even though they are all so close together in this small train car. There is no imagination at work here; this is strictly a painting of everyday life as Daumier sees it. Romanticism and Realism are like night and day. One shows the imagination at work and the other focuses on the harsh reality of the everyday world. Constable and Daumier use two different styles of painting. Constable uses luminous colors and bold brushwork to bring his painting the The Hay Wain together as a whole, while Daumier with his dark tones and free brushwork chooses to separate his subjects in The Third Class Carriage. Works Cited Constable, John and Daumier, Honorà ©. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2001. 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. . Matthews, Roy T., and F. DeWitt Platt. The Western Humanities. 4th ed. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 2001.

Causes of Bankruptcy at Toys R Us

Causes of Bankruptcy at Toys R Us Abstract With declining sales and the rise of online retail, Toys R Us is one of many companies that have filed for bankruptcy. Toys R Us has also pulled its IPO offering. In the world of Amazon and Walmart, Toys R Us was unable to keep up. This paper will provide a comprehensive look at the underlying issues due to which Toys R Us was unable to thrive. With so many options in the market, Toys R Us needs to create a draw for its customers to remain competitive. The company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats will be analyzed to determine the best course of action supported by research. With research, financial analysis, and dynamic operations, it was concluded that Toys R Us needs to become relevant again and create a business out of what they offer similar to what American Girl has done. Executive Summary Toys R Us was founded by Charles P. Lazarus in 1948 and initially began as a furniture store, which then shifted its focus entirely to toys. The company has 866 stores in the United States and more than 750 international locations. The company’s strength lies in its volume of stores that it operates, many of them in emerging economies that could prove to be an investment. It recently filed for bankruptcy in the United States and Canada. At first glance, the company is suffering from low sales, not enough foot traffic, and toys that do not appeal to children of the digital age. However, at looking closer, the underlying issue seems to be Toys R Us’s reluctance to re-engineer its business. Toys R Us was losing sales due to big retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Amazon offers the convenience of online shopping with very fast shipping that eliminates the wait time associated with shopping online. Target and Walmart offer one stop shopping that allows an individual to get all of their shopping done without having to make multiple stops. Toys R Us only offers one genre of products, which are toys. When compared to a similar rival within the same industry such as American Girl Doll, it is clear that it is possible to be successful while offering an exclusive product. The appeal of American Girl Doll is that it creates a unique, interactive experience for its customers. One of Toys R Us’ weaknesses is that is does not have a competitive edge. Toys R Us could do the same by providing unique, interactive, experience geared displays for children in their stores similar to that of Build-A-Bear, which is a competitor in the same market. They can also manage a turn around by focusing on lower prices, better customer experience, revamping stores to include the interactive portion, hire engaging employees who cater to children, offer other services such as toy repairs or setup assistance. Toys R Us is a retail company that is exclusively a toy retailer that has 866 stores in the United States and more than 750 international locations. It had consistent success since it was founded in 1948 because it provided the most popular, up to date, and largest variety of toys with the most locations as well (Thomison, 2016). Toys R Us was known as a category killer, which meant that the company sold a product from only one category. With this strategy, the company was able to build a large volume that other retail chains could not match due to Toys R Us’ inventory and price. Then, Walmart launched a price war that was matched by Target and sold more toys than Toys R Us by 2005 (Hartung, 2017). KKR, Bain, and Vornado acquired Toys R Us in 2005 for $6.6 billion. The retailer has $4.9 billion in debt of which $400 million is due in 2018 and $1.7 billion due in 2019. Toys R Us has filed for bankruptcy in the United States and Canada, which will help relieve it from this debt (Hirsch, 2017). This can be attributed to the rise of e-commerce, where people buy online on sites such as Amazon and eBay. Toys R Us did launch its own website in 1998 and it became one of the fastest growing sites in the toy category. As Toys R Us tried to improve its business strategy, so did its competitors. Walmart and Target also sell toys but also offer the convenience of one stop shopping for its customers whereas Toys R Us is unable to do so. In the age of technology, many children prefer I-Pads and I-Phones to traditional toys further dwindling sales of Toys R Us. In 2011, Toys R Us’ domestic U.S. sales were worse than that of 2008, which was one of the worst holiday seasons for retailers. The president of the company resigned after only 10 months despite signing a one-year contract. In 2012, the department heads for administration and merchandising also resigned from their positions. The executives at Toys R Us have been experiencing high turnover within the past seven years (Clifford & Lattman, 2012). The company is grappling with how to grow the business with all of the competition. Sales are dwindling and competition is thriving but what caused these issues to arise for a company that seemed to doing very well? According to Hartung (2017), KKR and Bain Capital acquired Toys R Us in 2005 for $6.6 billion plus $1 billion of debt at a total valuation of $7.6 billion. KKR and Bain Capital put in $1.3 billion and used the company’s assets to raise the remaining amount bringing the debt from $1 billion to $6.2 billion, which was 82.7% of total capital. The interest rate on this debt was around 7.25% that created payments of $450 million per year on interest alone. The plan was to cut company costs, improve cash flow, and pay off the debt. The rise of e-commerce, at the time, was not anticipated. Amazon was only an $8.5 billion company in 2005 as opposed to the $100 billion dollar giant it is today. The executives set the company up for failure right from the acquisition. Due to its debt, Toys R Us was unable to venture into the online market as aggressively as they should have to counter Amazon. The company also could not keep up with Walmart’s low prices. Walmart would take a loss by pricing toys and other popular items at steeply low prices to get customers into their stores so they could spend on other big-ticket items. Customer service and shopping experience at Toys R Us were sub par at best and not inviting to customers. American Girl Doll, which is also an exclusive toy retailer, has seen tremendous, continuous success due to its interactive geared shopping experience for customers. American Girl Doll only sells doll, which one would assume could be its detriment as was with Toys R Us. The same factors that plague Toys R Us are the same factors that American Girl Doll must deal with. American Girl Doll is able to thrive and be profitable because of the unique experience they provide. Each toy comes with a historical background, a story, and accessories, which sell even at their high price point. Bhattarai (2017) states, that smaller neighborhood toy stores are thriving and increasing sales every year while Toys R Us, a retail giant is failing. What sets these smaller stores apart is the customer service of helpful employees, the carefully curated selection, gift-wrapping services, and lego building events. These stores are providing a unique shopping experience that Toys R Us is lacking. Kids these days are restless theyre looking for an interactive experience, said Susan Lee, a partner at marketing firm Simon Kucher & Partners. It isnt enough to just have stacks of toys on a shelf (Bhattarai, 2017). Customer service plays a large part in the success of these smaller stores as well. Bhattarai (2017) lists a variety of different experiences shoppers reiterated at a store called Child’s Play from employees going out of their way to open newly packaged games so children can decide if it is the right one, tracking down obscure toys that some children request, and even taking the time out to play with some of the kids in the store. Toys R Us’ strengths lie in its numbers as the retail giant has so many locations within the U.S. and worldwide. The company also has a large inventory with a diverse range of toys that is difficult to come by in another store. Toys R Us has been around for almost 70 years and for many people creates a sense of nostalgia that can be used to its advantage. It has developed its website and utilize it to further appeal to its customer base. The company currently employs over 70,000 employees and still managed to pull in annual revenue of $13.646 billion (Satell, 2017). The weaknesses of the organization include a lack of competitive advantage when compared to other retailers. The toys sold at Toys R Us stores are not unique and can be found and other retailers and sometimes for a better price. Toys R Us also depends on its holiday season sales to make the most profit and that is not enough anymore to help the company thrive. The organization also wants to pay its executives $16 million in bonuses that they argue are necessary for the executives to perform well. Normally, executive pay is fairly higher compared to the average worker due to the required experience, risk, educational background, work schedule, etc. (Martocchio, 2017). This is not necessary for a bankrupt organization to do especially since these are the same executives that have allowed the company to fail for so long instead of implementing new business strategies. This would be understandable if the organization were trying to bring aboard new executives that have a proven track record of bringing companies back to life after suffering such losses. Opportunities for Toys R Us came in the form of its alliance with Amazon provided both companies the opportunity to excel. It allowed Amazon to partner with other retailers instead of trying to sell everything itself. Toys R Us was able to pick the hot items and have them features and was also responsible for keeping them in physical stock. This deal however did sour due to both companies filing lawsuits against each other. Toys R Us claimed Amazon was allowing other retailers to sell on their website while Amazon claimed this was due to Toys R Us not being able to keep items in stock. The lawsuit has been settled with Amazon agreeing to pay Toys R Us a settlement of $51 million (Martinez, 2009). Toys R Us can learn from this alliance and partner with other companies to further its selling power. Toys R Us also has many international locations that if situated in the right emerging markets can create the opportunity to enhance international revenue. The threats that Toys R Us faces are retail giants like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. Even some of the smaller neighborhood toy stores are doing a better job in providing what customers are looking for. Walmart, Target, and Amazon may offer the same products as Toys R Us but many times offer it in a package exclusive to the retailer that entices customers. Layoffs from multiple store closings have made the company unreliable as well as the current filing of bankruptcy over the debt the company was left with. The company is now in a negative light creating a negative image of the brand as much of its financial woes have been highlighted by the media (Marketing Mixx, 2017). References Bhattarai, A. (2017). Why neighborhood toy stores are thriving while Toys R Us goes bankrupt. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-neighborhood-toy-stores-toys-r-us-bankrupt-20170925-story.html Clifford, S. and Lattman, P. (2012). Pressed from all sides, Toys R Us fights to reinvent itself. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/07/business/toys-r-us-last-of-the-big-toy-stores-tries-to-reinvent-itself.html Fitz-Enz, J. (2009). The ROI of human capital: Measuring the economic value of employee performance (2nd ed.). New York, NY: AMACOM.          Gay, W. (2017). How Millennials can save Toys R Us from bankruptcy. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/wesgay/2017/10/30/toys-r-us-bankruptcy/2/#6cf61c604af0 Gross, D. (2017). Toys R Us is dying from a lack of imagination. Slate. Retrieved from https://slate.com/business/2017/09/why-best-buy-is-weathering-the-retail-apocalypse-and-toys-r-us-isnt.html Hartung, A. (2017). Toys R Us – how bad assumptions fed bad financial planning creating failure. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhartung/2017/09/20/toys-r-us-is-a-lesson-in-how-bad-assumptions-feed-bad-financial-planning-creating-failure/#34186aef58ea Hirsch, L. (2017). Toys R Us files for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/18/toys-r-us-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy.html Isidore, C. (2017). Bankrupt Toys R Us wants to pay $16 million in executive bonuses. CNN Money. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/16/news/companies/toys-r-us-executive-bonuses/index.htmlY Martinez, A. (2009). Amazon settles long standing legal dispute with Toys R Us. The Seattle Times. Retrieved from https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon-settles-long-standing-legal-dispute-with-toys-r-us/ Martocchio, J. (2017).  Strategic compensation: A human resource management approach  (9th  Ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.   Roth, C. (2013). Toys R Us needs a business model makeover: Roth. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/id/100609849 Satell, G. (2017). Toys R Us might be dying, but physical retail isn’t. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2017/09/toys-r-us-is-dead-but-physical-retail-isnt Silver, J. (2017). Eyeing Toys R Us’ future. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2017/09/19/552181913/eyeing-toys-r-us-future-analyst-suggests-hands-on-displays Thomison, E. (2016). A strategic marketing and financial analysis of Toys R Us. University of Kentucky. Retrieved from https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1022&context=honprog Tuttle, D. (2017). Up next in the retail apocalypse: Toys R Us?. Time Money. Retrieved from http://time.com/money/4931640/toys-r-us-sales-bankruptcy-debt/ Vogelsang, J., Townsend, M, Minahan, M., Jamieson, D., Vogel, J., Viets, A, Royal, C., & Valek, L. (2013). Handbook for strategic HR: Best practices in organization development from the OD Network. New York, NY: AMACOM.

Impact Of Social Networking On E Business Information Technology Essay

Impact Of Social Networking On E Business Information Technology Essay Social networks have changed the way internet users communicate, search for and share data today. For example, increasing the relations between e-businesses and social networks can improve user satisfaction. Using data from blogs, forums and online journals, the evaluated impact that social networking has on e-businesses and e-commerce sites. The results show that while the majority of users do engage in social networking, those e-businesses and e-commerce site that transact with the social networking sites generally obtain significant benefits in the form of product promotion, branding and higher user satisfaction that the ones that dont. This is clearly shown by the illustration and graphs shown in this research paper. Introduction In its early years, e-business was used for uploading basic information about products and services and now it provides corporate information on sites that sell goods and services on the internet. If compared to e-commerce, the purchases made online are unlimited. E-commerce involves online financial transactions Top social networking sites like Facebook, Hi5, Friendster and MySpace have made a significant impact on how todays internet users communicate, search and share data. Users join these social networks, publish and maintain their own profiles by using publishing tools, they also establish links to their friends. The social links are evidence that trust has been established between the connected users. The marketing strategies of social networks can have a huge impact on e-business, for example, users can become members of both the social network and e-business. For example, users who buy or sell items on Ebay can leave links of their products on their MySpace account. To guide their financial decision-making, the social networks and e-business offers users information on how they are connected to each potential transaction partner. Since majority of internet users engage in social networking sites, those who do business with friends of friends end up benefiting from higher user satisfaction. The analyzed results show that social networking has a positive impact on e-business. Outline of the paper This paper is organized as follows: Section 2: Introduces Social Networking Section 3: Introduces E-business Section 4: Introduces E-commerce Section 5: Outlines the impact of social networking on e-commerce and e-business Section 6: Conclusion Social networking Social networking has always been known for its interactive communication with online participants who are brought together electronically to share views, upload images and so many other features. Social networking is free and all it takes is commitment, it has a short learning curve and provides access to global market. TagWorld social site was the first to embrace e-business and that has revolutionized social networking, it has also given them a competitive advantage over their rivals like MySpace and Facebook. TagWorld members can post items for sale in the new classifieds section, which can be searched by tag similar to a subject or catagory, keyword or zip code radius. Multiple images of an item can be included with the ad, as well as a payment model. Sellers can choose a fixed price or mark the item negotiable which allows buyers and sellers to haggle over a price. PayPal is integrated into the site to make paying for items easier. Items appearing in the classifieds can also appear in storefronts that members can incorporate into their personal Web pages. Mello (2006) T [8]Below is the size and growth of the top social networking sites. Profiles 12 months Growth Hi5 98.9m 33.6m 51.6% Facebook 50.1m n/a n/a Friendster 50.9m 19.6m 62.5% MySpace 184.1m 82.7m 81.5% Size Growth There are two types of social networking services they are, internal and external. Internal Social Networking These are for private communities like companies, organizations or associations. Most companies want their staff to stop using external social networks since its unproductive, so they block the external social sites. [2]Their staff can communicate with each other or even with different departments. [1]External Social Networking This is a public network, where all web users can access it. Most social networking sites are used to attract advertisers. A good example is Facebook, Hi5, Friendster and MySpace. Social Networking Analysis This is the mapping and measuring of relationships between people. It is used for the analysis of social structures. A good example of a social networking analysis tool is the Sentinel Visualizer product [5]. The tool is used to measure the degree of centrality, betweenness centrality, closeness and Eigenvalue. Degree centrality This is simply the number of direct relationship that a user has. If a user has more relationship, he or she is an active player in the network as shown below. In the above illustration, Alice has the highest degree centrality, which means that she is quite active in the network. For her to get to Rafaels clique she has to go through him [5]. Betweenness Centrality This identifies a users position within a network in terms of their ability to make connections with other groups in the network. The user with a high betweeness centrality has a big influence in the network as shown below. In the example above, Rafael has the highest betweenness because he is between Alice and Aldo. Alice and Aldo have a slightly lower betweenness because they are essentially only between their own cliques. Closeness This measures how fast a user can access more users in a network. A user with a high closeness has a high visibility as to what is happening in the network. Eigenvalue This measures how close a user is to other highly close users within a network, this is measured globally. Some companies like SAS Institute have come up with a system called SASÂ ® which detects and prevents fraud on social networks [4]. The same system measures productivity and provides other information to help manage the site efficiently and effectively [4]. E-business This is basically a way of conducting business electronically. E-business involves business processes like electronic purchasing and supply chain management, processing orders electronically, handling customer service, and cooperating with business partners. E-business involves a business cycle of production, sales, procurement, distribution, payment and marketing so its not hard for it to work for any business. There are several applications that can benefit e-business, these are blogs and forums. These will show the e-business how its users like their products by viewing their comments. E-commerce This basically means conducting business electronically, mainly via the internet. E-commerce has impacted sectors in governments such as the cultural and information sector. Another industry that may have a large future growth via e-commerce is banking. With the continuity of ecommerce, there will be futuristic issues like social, economical and privacy. Most of the internet users fear buying from online businesses since they often have limited guarantee about the privacy of their information. If such problems are resolved, e-commerce can play a positive role in improving the world business. Some applications that are used in e-commerce are email, online banking, teleconferencing and newsgroup. With e-commerce, users can conduct business anytime, access the global market, allow customers self service or customer outsourcing. There are constraints of e-commerce, they are: Time for delivery of physical products, e-commerce is often used to buy goods that are not locally available thus taking time and money, this is due to the buyer and seller being from different countries. Physical product supplier delivery uncertainty, most of the time e-commerce purchases are made on trust. This is because having access to the product physically is not possible, a purchase is made on an expectation of what that product is and its condition. Another reason is that supplying businesses is conducted across the world, a user or buyer cannot be sure whether or not the supplying businesses are legitimate and are not just going to take his or her money. Perishable goods: Goods bought and sold through the internet tend to be durable and not perishable, they need to survive the trip from the supplier to the purchasing business or consumer. Limited and selected sensory information: Whatever a user buys, all they can see is the images of the product and its description. They cannot smell, weigh or even inspect it as they would if it was in a local store. Returning: Returning goods online can be difficulty since most e-commerce business has stated that in their return policy. Privacy, security, payment, identity and contract: Most of the time e-commerce businesses have issues of privacy of information, security of the same information and payment details. One would think that the availability of goods online would increase competition and lower prices, but this doesnt always occur. A good reputation may allow a seller or a retailer to control his or her area of market. [7] Below is a diagram of the complaints made by Australians e-consumers: Impact of social networking on e-commerce and e-business E-businesses and e-commerce sites cannot compete in todays market without collaborating with social networks. There are several impacts that Social networking has on e-business and e-commerce, such as economical and social impacts. These are shown below: Economical Impacts One of the main advantages social networks have is millions of users, e-businesses and e-commerce sites have come up with ways of pulling or attracting those users to their sites. For e-businesses and e-commerce sites to actually benefit from social networks, they need to use the following marketing strategies: Driving internet traffic for ad revenue Brand building Link building for traffic and Search engine optimization Promotion of goods and services Affiliate Marketing Pay Per Click Advertising Driving Internet Traffic for ad revenue Driving traffic to a site is very inexpensive. Hence, e-commerce and e-business sites have to be attractive with rich contents so as to ensure user interactivity. This strategy will benefit both the social networks and the e-business/e-commerce sites. Benefits of Driving Internet Traffic for ad revenue: It is far better than pay per click as you already direct viewers to the page If an e-commerce or e-business site uses this strategy, it will be able to view their competitors, their products, services and their current strategies Link building for traffic optimization E-businesses and e-commerce sites can place links in social networking sites which will actually boost the traffic of their websites. Benefits of Link building for traffic optimization: This strategy can help e-business or e-commerce sites build trust by having multiple one-way links to their sites. It is a cheap way of driving traffic to the e-business or e-commerce sites. Promotion of goods and services This can be done by providing information to educate clients about the products. The information can be promoted by advertising on social networking sites. Benefits of Link building for traffic optimization: Clients have a better understanding of the goods and services. Goods and services can be commented on or criticized by clients. Affiliate Marketing This is one of the most efficient methods of promoting the e-business or e-commerce sites. Affiliate marketing is risk free since its marketing costs are only paid for actual results. This method eliminates the need for having an advertising budget or employees since the cost of using the affiliate marketing method is commission based. Benefits of Affiliate Marketing: This strategy allows the e-business or e-commerce to track visitors, this helps in E-businesses and e-commerce sites have access to a wider audience thus generating more goods and services. Pay Per Click Advertising This is a type of advertising where the advertiser pays depending on the number of times the published ad is clicked on. It is a very effective way of targeting specific users and it also provides a reliable way of measuring the effectiveness of the advert. Benefits of pay per click advertising: It targets users more accurately It can show what keywords users have clicked on to view its site. It is also simpler in targeting users who live in different geographical spots. The economical impact on e-business and e-commerce helps in building credibility. It is easier for the e-business and e-commerce sites to gain clients confidence if they connect with them on a personal and professional level. Social Impacts When it comes to social impacts, this mainly refers to productivity of employees in e-business and e-commerce sites. This is the biggest concern in e-businesses since it can lead to network security risk and damage to reputation. Negative employee blogging or inappropriate posts about the workplace on social networking sites presents a new, confusing and often very daunting challenge for many smaller employers, said Jackie Breslin, director of human capital consulting for TriNet. Business owners need to stop and ask themselves some important questions regarding their employees personal online usage of this growing technology in order to safeguard the companys reputation and protect themselves from liability if legal and harassment issues arise. Justin (2008) The solution to this problem is internal and an external custom social network. These are organizational or private social networks where only staff members and clients have access. This improves teamwork, collaboration and productivity within the staff members. When it comes to clients, it will improve loyalty and retention and most of all, increase the response time for enquiries. There are several negative impacts that social networks have such as Technical threat, online scams, cyber-stalking and identity theft. Malicious users are constantly trying to post or load their contents containing [6] browser exploits and then convinces users to view their contents. They also post scripts on the social networking sites that will run inside the browser of the users that view the content. A good example of this is cross-site scripting, this is basically a security exploit in which the attacker inserts a malicious code into a link that appears to be from a trustworthy source. Once a user clicks on the link, the embedded code is submitted as part of the clients web request and it executes on the users computer thus allowing the attacker to steal information. But the technical threat has preventive methods such as filtering scripts, and updating the web applications, antivirus and antispyware. The solution that millions of internet users trust is Secure Socket Layer certificates. A social networking site has to have a Secure Socket Layer installed for it to safeguard its members. The same applies to the e-business and e-commerce since the solution will ensure that clients online payment information will be submitted securely to its payment gateway and merchant account, it will also protect the website in case payment information is compromised. Secure sockets layer has other advantages like: It encrypts important information. Each secure socket layer certificate has unique, authenticated information about the certificate owner. SSL is used only where sensitive information is exchanged in order to provide privacy/security. So its a must have for both the e-business and the e-commerce. This means that secure socket layer certificate have no negative impact or disadvantage since its only used to encrypt important or vital information. 5. Conclusion While this research paper presents an evaluation of the impact of social networking on e-business. It seems that social networks have positive impacts on e-business even though some threats have been identified, such as security and privacy. Privacy has the most negative impact since almost all users write things about themselves which they wouldnt have in a social meeting. This makes it easy for hackers and malicious attackers to target them. Even with the integration of the social and e-commerce users, this has still created a new target for hackers and malicious attackers. Since e-commerce users post links in their social network account which will redirect anyone who clicks it to the products page in their e-commerce account, you may find that fraudsters or even hackers will place links that will actually give them access to information of both the e-commerce and social network accounts of the targeted user. It would have been better if further understanding of the structural differences between social networks and e-business were made. The observed differences could be attributed to the e-businesss nature of the network transactions, a further user behavior analysis on e-business or e-commerce could be carried. The findings could better the understanding of the motivation of the users socially and business wise.

Emily Dickinson’s This was a Poet- it is That Essay -- Poet Poem Poeti

Emily Dickinson’s This was a Poet- it is That Emily Dickinson was an unrecognized poet her whole life. Her close family members recognized her talent, and her needs to write poetry, but the literary establishment of her time would not recognize her skill. Even though she was unrecognized, she was still quietly battling the established views through her poetry. Her literary struggle was exposed after her death since, while living, only five of her poems were published. Many of her poems were a reaction to the rejection of many publishers and other literary critics. This particular poem’s character comes from Dickinson’s reaction to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s statement that â€Å"poets are thus liberating gods.† Here she is challenging the established literati by questioning popular Emersonian views. In particular, this poem is a reaction to Emerson’s belief that â€Å"the poet is the sayer, the namer, and represents beauty.† Basically, it is a reaction to the idea that the poet is the creator of beautiful words, liberating the common people by giving them words they would not have access to. This was a Poet  ­ It is That by Emily Dickinson This was a Poet  ­ It is That Distills amazing sense From ordinary Meanings - And Attar so immense From the familiar species That perished by the Door - We wonder it was not Ourselves Arrested it - before Of Pictures, the Discloser  ­ The Poet  ­ it is He  ­ Entitles Us  ­ by Contrast - To ceaseless Poverty - Of Portion  ­ so unconscious - The Robbing  ­ could not harm - Himself  ­ to Him  ­ a Fortune - Exterior  ­ to Time  ­ In the first stanza the author is describing the role of the poet. The poet is one who recreates an irregular view, or creates a s... ...nd the commoner, both victims of the relationship they have with each other. Although she does agree with Emerson that the poet is a namer, she disagrees with some of his other thoughts. Through this poem, Dickinson is setting herself apart from the Poets of her time. She does not consider herself a robber baron of words. She also chooses to deny that the poets are liberating gods because she feels that the poet is in fact dominating the ordinary person, not liberating them. Instead, Dickinson chooses to categorize herself with the ordinary people. She is criticizing Emerson’s obvious belief that the poet is above the ordinary man. He calls himself a liberating God because he is a poet when Dickinson just wants to be a normal person who is a poet. Dickinson does not want to be above the ordinary person in a condescending way, but wants to be among them.

Violence in Our Schools Essay -- School Violence Essays

Violence in our Schools Children today are growing up in an increasingly violent atmosphere, both in society in general and in their schools. While there is no easy answer as to how to end this violence once and for all, we can look at some of the causes and take steps to contain that which we can. The main contributing factor in all recent school shootings has been the shooters’ feelings that they were bullied by and alienated from the rest of the children and were made to feel that they were not as good as their peers. Being targeted by the other children and having nowhere to turn to for help can cause a build up of more anger until, finally the alienated child is unable to take anymore. They struck out at their peers in what seems to them to be the most effective way, by eliminating them. Although several factors enter into school violence, the most obvious way of preventing violence is to eliminate these feelings of being outcast by one’s peers. If we want to put an end to school violence , we need to put an end to bullying behavior (Shore, 1996). Many instances of bullying behavior can be linked back to the climate in which a child was raised. Those who are raised in poverty or who have no good role models will frequently suffer due to the lack of examples of adults in productive roles. If the â€Å"coolest† guy in the neighborhood is a gang member, then his or her bullying behavior will be emulated by the children in the neighborhood, continuing the cycle of abuse. This pattern usually leads to other negative traits such as becoming easily provoked and developing an inability to solve problems effectively. When these traits are continued in the school system, they are compounded by peer-pressure and the lack of faculty support. The bullies soon learn that they are free to abuse whomever they wish, and although faculty and staff help when they can, there are simply not enough resources necessary to catch and prevent bullies from targeting their peers (Bennett-Johnson, June 2004 p199). One way that children are targeted is based on how he or she is treated by teachers and faculty. According to Andrea J. Cook in Columbine Author Speaks Out, those who are â€Å"just right† or are smart, attractive, and good at sports, are treated well by teachers, because they appear to be everything a teacher wants in a student. Those who are not â€Å"just right† are treated po... ...ents in their academic accomplishments. Recognizing successes of students and teachers and celebrating the positives brings back school pride and willingness to make a difference (Shore, 1996). Reference: Hernandez, Thomas J., Seem, Susan R. (April 2004), A Safe School Climate: A Systemic Approach and the School Counselor, Vol. 7, Issue 4, P 256, Retrieved from EBSCOhost 2/11/05 Shore, Rebecca Martin, (Jan. 1996), Curbing School Violence Through a Personal Approach. Greenhaven Press, Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Jan. 27, 2005 Rabinowitz, Dorothy, (2002), Bullying is not a Valid Reason for School Shootings. School Shootings. Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Feb. 5, 2005 Bennett-Johnson, Earnestine, (June 2004) The Root of School Violence: Causes and Recommendation for a Plan of Action. Vol. 38 Issue 2, p 199, Retrieved from EBSCOhost, Jan. 30, 2005 Cook, Andrea, (2004), Columbine Author Speaks Out. Reclaiming Children and Youth, Retrieved from ESBCOhost database. Feb. 5, 2005 Wright, Jeanne, (2000), The Chaotic Atmosphere of School. School Violence. Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Jan. 27, 2001.