Learning and cognition paper Essay

Learning as it is commonly used is defined as the acquisition of knowledge, skills, behavior, preferences and understanding from experiences, whether real, induced or vicarious. Technically, however, learning is used more broadly by the psychologists, making it almost impossible to give it an exact definition. What can only be done is to describe it in terms of phenomena to which it can or cannot be applied. For example, psychologists say that learning need not be correct or adaptive, or it does not have to be conscious or deliberate (Hill, 1980). This process is not limited to humans. Animals, and even machines may also undergo this process, although each individual’s learning processes follow different learning curves. The role of behavior in an individual’s learning process is best explained by Bandura’s Social Learning Theory. This theory posits that individuals learn by observing, imitating and modeling other individuals’ skills, behaviors and attitudes, in relation to the outcomes of such skills, behaviors and attitudes. The information gathered from these behaviors, skills and attitudes then, are interpreted, consciously or unconsciously to determine whether such behaviors, skills and attitudes would be serve some future beneficial purpose (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2009). In other words, people use these behaviors and its consequences as guide for their subsequent behaviors. 2. What are the two different types of learning? The two types of learning usually examined by psychologists are classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is the type of learning wherein a reflexive response is evoked by a stimulus (stimulus B) which is different from the stimulus (stimulus A) that originally evoked such reflexive response (Learning and Conditioning, 2009). For example, a person had very fond memories of his/her 10th birthday which was held at restaurant A. When asked what his/favorite restaurant is, that person would immediately blurt out restaurant A. In this example, the positive feeling brought about by the memories of the person’s 10th birthday had been transferred, or rather, had been extended to the place where the person’s birthday was held. The other type of learning is called Operant conditioning. This is the type of learning wherein punishment causes the weakening or non-reinforcement of a non-reflexive behavior, and reinforcement strengthens a non-reflexive behavior. Unlike classical conditioning, in operant conditioning, an individual has more control. Meaning, presentation of a stimulus does not necessarily mean that a certain reaction will be evoked. In order to receive a certain reinforcement, an individual must behave in certain manner (Learning and Conditioning, 2009). One example of operant conditioning involves a professor’s attempt to improve his students’ attendance. To do this, he made a rule that students who obtain a certain number of absences will have an automatic one-point deduction in their final grades. Although he said nothing about any reward for full attendance, the threat of lower grades forced the students to limit their absences. 3. What is the relationship between learning and condition? Provide a specific example. Jean Piaget’s theory of cognition lays out 4 stages of cognition that is experienced by children as they progress. From the sensorimotor period when the child’s cognitive system is still limited to his/her motor reflexes, the cognitive system will develop to preoperational thought wherein a child acquires representational skills especially in mental imagery and language. The third stage is the concrete operations wherein the child acquires an ability to take another person’s point of view. Lastly, although, not everyone reaches this stage, a child becomes capable of logical and abstract thinking (Sandwell, 1995). Learning as defined earlier refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills and behavior based on experience. Note that the definition involves the world acquisition. Naturally, for an individual who learns and therefore undergo the process of ‘acquisition,’ he/she should have the capacity to acquire. This is where cognition comes in. Assuming that Piaget’s theory is indubitable, each individual must necessarily be in one of the four stages. It is the individual’s ability or capacity as described in each of the four stages that limits the knowledge, skills or behavior that such individual can acquire or learn. An individual who is still in level one of Piaget’s cognitive development cannot be expected to reason out with a person who has already attained a Doctorate degree since his/her cognition is limited to motor skills. Such individual cannot also be expected to understand or learn Algebra because such requires logic and therefore the skills attained in Piaget’s fourth stage. References Hill, W.(1980). Learning: A survey of psychological interpretations. Taylor and Francis: USA. Learning and Conditioning. (2009). Alleydog. Retrieved 26 April 2009 from http://www. alleydog. com/101notes/conditioning. html. Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2009). Social Learning Theory (Bandura) at Learning-Theories. com. Retrieved April 27, 2009 from http://www. learning-theories. com/social-learning-theory-bandura. html Sandwell, J. (1995). Piaget’s stage theory of development. Retrieved 26 April 2009 from http://penta. ufrgs. br/edu/telelab/3/piaget%27s. htm.

Extracting Dna from Human Cheek Cells

The probable reason for the tinted brown shade in the human epithelial DNA and not the strawberry DNA is that human epithelial DNA is extracted from one's mouth in which there can be many germs that could change the color of the original DNA. Furthermore, in order to avoid these germs from affecting the human epithelial cell DNA greatly, the experimenter is only asked to rinse their mouth with distilled water while in truth, Just a rinse with distilled water does not eradicate all possible germs that could be living in one's cheek cells.However, some probably factors for why the strawberry DNA and the human epithelial DNA were so similar Is because both Dana were extracted using the same methods. For Instance, In both experiments detergent and ethanol were used to separate the DNA from the nucleus and proteins Inside the cells. Thus, although there are many differences and similarities between the strawberry and human epithelial DNA, in the end they both had the characteristic of bei ng standstill and clumpy. There were man's steps to this experiment.The major steps in this process of DNA extraction begin with rinsing the experimenter's mouth with plain water, then using a toothpick to scratch the inside of the cheek, and then rinsing the mouth again but this time with distilled water which is eventually spit into a cup. The reason this step is conducted is because it cleans the experimenter's mouth so that germs are limited from entering the cup and detaches the cells Inside the experimenter's cheek. Making them easily come out along with the spit Into the cup In the end.Once this step Is over, the spit In the cup is transferred to a test tube, ml of detergent solution Is added, and the test tubule Is mixed. The spit Is transferred to the test tube because it makes the spit easier handle. Furthermore ml of detergent, also called DEBT solution, is added to the test tubule to help break down the cellular and nuclear membranes of the cells in the spit, thus making the DNA more accessible. Finally, this new solution is mixed so that the DEBT solution is mixed well into the original spit and has caused almost all of the nuclear and cellular membranes to break down.Once these steps are over, ml of ethanol is added to the solution and after waiting for bout 3 to 5 minutes, the DNA can be extracted with an inoculating loop. The reason ethanol is added to this solution is because ethanol breaks the DNA apart from the other organelles inside the cell and does not allow the DNA to dissolve since DNA Is not soluble In alcohol. By not allowing the DNA to dissolve, after the 3 to 5 minutes wait, the DNA will automatically be visible near the top of the solution Inside the ethanol since the DNA can no longer mix with any of the other organelles.Thus, the wait is essential since it gives the DNA time to become visible and once it is, the e seen and touched by the experimenter. With this, the experiment is concluded and the experimenter can decide what th ey wish to do with their DNA. This procedure was effective in several ways. For example, the DEBT solution and the ethanol were extremely important to this experiment and were very effective in separating the DNA so that it was clearly visible towards the end. However, one way this experiment can be improved is by using plastic pliers to extract the DNA at the end of the experiment instead of the inoculating loop.This suggestion would be ore effective since with the inoculating loop there is a lower probability of extracting the DNA successfully than with the plastic pliers. This is because the DNA can slip out of the inoculating loop's loop while it is highly unlikely that the DNA will slip out of the plastic pliers grasp. Therefore, although this experiment was extremely effective, one adjustment that could be made is to replace the inoculating loop with plastic pliers. To conclude, there are many applications in the world where this experiment could be extremely important. One ex ample is law and crime.In court, Just as engineering can be an extremely useful tool in finding the true culprit, using the DNA found at the crime scene can be equally as important. This is because each person's DNA is unique and unlike anyone else's. This can quickly identify who the true culprit is in court and also be extremely helpful in the field of science and genetics as well. This is because DNA is the instructions to life and by studying this DNA, scientists and researchers can soon find ways to not only manipulate but enhance human life. Thus, it can be seen that this experiment can be useful in many different fields of study in today's society.

Critical Thinking Assignment on the Movie “Crash”

There are many characters in the movie â€Å"Crash† that catches one’s attention. Yet, for the purposes of this paper, Officer Tom Hansen, played by Ryan Philippe in the movie, shall be discussed. In the controversial movie, Crash, Hansen is a rookie cop whose partner, Officer Ryan (played by Matt Dillon) was portrayed as a bigot.On this particular film, their assignment was to locate a missing vehicle reported to have been stolen by African Americans in one of L. A. ’s posh neighborhoods. As a young officer, he was subject to the authority of his partner, who seemed to have unconventional ways of which he did not approve of.In the beginning, he instinctively questioned his partner’s seemingly cruel treatment of African-American members of the community. He witnessed, for example, his partners maltreatment of a couple who they caught performing fellatio inside their car. In a scene in the movie, Officer Ryan uses force and authority in molesting the women (played by Thandie Newton) while the husband (played by Terrence Howard) looked on helplessly. When Hanson tried to intervene, he was intimidated by his partner and he was forced to do go back to the car and do nothing.This created an animosity between the partners. Later on, he asked to be re-assigned to work with another officer. In the course of this exercise, Hanson find himself working alone and incidentally, crossed paths with the African-American husband whose wife his partner molested the night before. In the new situation, he was trying to pacify Mr. Cameron Thayer, as he had just reversed a situation when 2 young African American males tried to hi-jack his car. When Officer Hanson came to the scene, Mr. Thayer was threatening to shoot the delinquent who tried to steal his car while the police in turn, were ready to shoot him.Officer Hanson, in an effort to make up for his partner’s mistakes, pleaded with his fellow officers as he attempted to calm Mr. Thayer down un til he submitted his weapon. The story goes on to show how Mr. Hanson is exposed to the multitude of perspectives and manifestations of prejudice in his workplace and his encounters. Later on during the day, on his way back home, ponderous on the prejudiced encounters he had, he accommodated a hitch hiker, who was of African American descent.Officer Hanson’s mind, full of the conflicts he witnessed and his own confusing thoughts, tragically succumbs to the paranoia in his mind and ends up shooting his passenger whom he thought was carrying a gun. His innocence and his moral confidence shattered, he intensified the act by running away from the responsibility when he threw the body on the side of the road ad burned the car. The character of Officer Hanson was portrayed to experience, both roles conflict and role strain. In the film, Crash, Hanson’s role strain stems from his status as a police officer.Case in point, during his partner’s molestation of the director ’s wife (Thandie Newton), he was torn between his duty to maintain protocol as a partner, and his duty to the citizens in protecting their rights. In roles strain, there is a difficulty in resolving issues concerning a single, particular role that is played by an individual. In this instance, Officer Hanson makes was not able to work out the strain, initially but he tried to make up for it by saving the director, Mr. Thayer from getting into more trouble with the law.On the other hand, role conflict arises from a difficulty in resolving issues that involve the different roles an individual plays in society. In Officer Hanson’s case, role conflict arose when he shot his passenger on his day off. In this case, there is a conflict because in status, he is a police officer and it is his duty to report crime and enforce the law. However, in this situation, he is the perpetuator of a crime and he could not turn himself in. Officer Hanson was not able to resolve this role con flict when he opted to follow the instinct of self-preservation and made measure to cover up his crime.The stress that the character experienced led to the performance of a deviant act. In the movie, Officer Hanson ended up committing a crime. Further more, he did not submit himself to the law, instead, he covered up the act by burning is car and throwing the body on the side of the road. In this instance, his paranoia and his state of mind at that moment, after encountering several instances of prejudice which stuck into his consciousness, might have contributed to his act of deviance.Although, the shooting of the passenger could have been viewed as an act of self-defense, he crossed over to the side of deviance by not taking responsibility of his actions. Among the Theories of Deviance, one that is most related to Officer Hanson’s character is the Labeling Theory. This character, primarily wanted to be a â€Å"good cop†. That was why he wanted to get away from Office r Ryan, who was portrayed as a bigot. However, his exposure to the reality of social encounters and the labels that people throw at each other created some form of confusion in his mind.Though he set out to be an idealistic and optimistic type of person, the labeling of the races he encountered, particularly the African Americans, affected his judgment and his suspiciousness made him succumb o the paranoia that seemed to be gripping other officers in his profession. The mistaken belief of both Officer Hanson and his young passenger Peter Waters (played by Larenz Tate) stemmed from the labels that the society they lived in assigned to the different kinds of people residing in the community and this eventually led to both to their demise.In the film, the audience witnesses the internal struggle Officer Hanson faces in his experience as a rookie police officer. It can be said that he tried to triumph over the prejudices that were prevalent in his coworkers but. He was striving to be fa ir to all the people of different races and ethnicities he encountered. In his own way, we seemed to be trying to make up for what the other people of his race were exhibiting. He did not approve the acts of injustice which he saw being performed on people of other races, particularly the African-Americans.However, Officer Hanson eventually gave in to the predisposition of his ethnicity, even unknowingly. He is of the Caucasian race. A comparative study made on Caucasian and African Americans show that â€Å"from birth, Caucasians have a racial internal solidarity mechanism. Regardless of income or geographical location, Caucasians instinctively bond with each other and not African Americans to amass wealth and power. (White, 2007) In the character of Officer Hanson, it may be that he instinctively reacted to a situation based on what people of his race have grown accustomed to.Although he tried to fight against it, he still could not shake it off easily. Unknowingly, he responded to a shared consciousness and upheld the value of self- preservation. Race refers to differences and similarities that are relatively similar in biological features and recognized by society as significant to set these group of people apart. (Jones, 2005) The Study by White further states â€Å"Caucasians have an internal racial cohesive mechanism and believe in racial solidarity. Caucasians understand that solidarity groups amass wealth and power.Once wealth is amassed through cohesion, Caucasians determine who gets what resources, when they get those resources, how many resources they get, and how long the resources are allocated. Solidarity preserves the Caucasian race, and ensures that group members are privileged. Caucasians understand the premise behind racial cohesion, and they view cohesion as racial solidarity. Although these definitions cannot directly explain the choices made by the character of Officer Hanson, it gives one an idea of the prevailing value system existing within the community of his ethnicity.It is perhaps, more important to consider is his selective perception of the situation in viewing his responses to certain situation in the film. Selective Perception is how humans interpret particular encounters and experiences based on their own judgment, as influenced by their background, their state of mind and their value systems. In the case of Officer Hanson, his eventual commission of a crime resulted from his perception of the situation he was in. It can be inferred that this perception was influenced by his current experiences but it could also be from his own value systems and his existing frame of mind.Although, he appeared to be a person who would opt to do the right thing, who tried to rise above the everyday conflicts of race that he came across, in the end, he became a victim of his own selective perception. In trying to balance his conflicting roles and in trying to sort out his own feelings, he was in a perpetual state of guar dedness. Consequently, he was not able to clearly assess the situation and over estimated its gravity. This selective perception leads to the demise of the recipient of his guarded paranoia and undefined hostility.In the end, his role and self- perception was completely altered as well. REFERENCES Jones, Richard A. (2005) Race and Revisability Journal of Black Studies 35, 612-632.Henslin, James (2007) Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. (7th Ed.).Pearson: Allyn & Bacon White, Stephen (2007) â€Å"Variables that Inhibit Middle and Upper Class African Americans From Achieving Racial Cohesion†. National Social Science Association. 21 April 2008 .

Looking at the primary documents in Gjerde, p. 275290, compare how the Essay

Looking at the primary documents in Gjerde, p. 275290, compare how the authors define and describe certain ethnic groups. Then, looking at John Higham and Hane - Essay Example Between the chauvinistic purposes for which the concept of national character was used, and the irrationality with which it was supported, it fell during the 1930's into a disrepute from which it has by no means fully recovered. The Skepticism of John Higman, the conflicting nature of the images of the American as an individualistic democrat or as a conformist democrat would have seemed simply to illustrate further the already demonstrated flimsiness and fallacious quality of all generalizations about national character (Gjerde, 1998). According to Haney-Lopez, the inhabitants of one country may, as a group, evince a given trait in higher degree than the inhabitants of some other country amounts almost to a denial that the culture of one people can be different from the culture of another people. To escape the pitfalls of racism in this way is to fly from one error into the embrace of another, and students of culture -- primarily anthropologists, rather than historians -perceived that rejection of the idea that a group could be distinctive, along with the idea that the distinction was eternal and immutable in the genes, involved the ancient logical fallacy of throwing out the baby along with the bath. Accor dingly, the study of national character came under the special sponsorship of cultural anthropology, and in the 'forties a number of outstanding workers in this field tackled the problem of national character, including the American character, with a methodological precision and objectivity that had never been applied to the subject before. Every person, in addition to having their own personal identity, has a good judgment of who they are in relation to the larger community-the nation. Each nation, province, island, state, neighborhood and individual is its own unique union of history, culture, language and tradition (Gjerde, 1998). Children are raised to correlate with nation in lieu of unity and government. Communities and culture give people their identity. It is not some secret that human have migrated since their emergence as species. Their original differentiation into ethnic groups appears to have been a result of isolated development of separate groups of people who journeyed from a central point of origin. However, this isolation is not complete, for migrations resulted in complicated patterns of blood relationship through widely separated groups. Sadly nowadays, there are about a thousand people who migrate to other countries. Their reasons might be personal. They might be either interested or they just want to experience new cultures in other places. Or simply because they got tired of the place they situated and want to experience something new. Migration in a sense means the breaking up and scattering of a people. While this may be advantageous to many people who have good reasons for migrating, it also affects the traditions of the place they're leaving . (Gjerde, 1998) Sources say that the rate of migration has increased. Although, there were some minor differences between them by size of vicinity. It is recognized that most males would likely go to a medium-size and extra large

Saudi Arabia's Trade Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Saudi Arabia's Trade Policy - Essay Example Saudi Arabia has embarked upon ambitious industrialization schemes, but, apart from possessing a few large modern plants in aluminum, steel and petrochemicals, their industrial structures are essentially simple. They are dominated by food processing and the production of an array of construction materials, though a wide variety of light industry is being promoted both by local demand and government encouragement (Saudi Arabia and WTO 2008). The improvement in the situation of Saudi Arabia with respect to food imports since 1990s is partly a reflection of changed prices for food, partly the result of quite minor shifts in the composition of trade and partly the result of successful, if "pensive, food security policies. It also arises from the importance of all primary products in exports and the leading roles of industrial supplies and machinery in imports. The export trade of Saudi Arabia is dominated by petroleum for which the major markets are outside the region, and most of their import needs cannot be met from within the Middle East. Political isolation, of course, has not helped its intraregional trade (Bradley 54). The trade information allows to say that commerce is connected with total financial flows between trading partners, whilst investment capital is essential to programs of industrial and infrastructural development (Bradley 87; appendix 1). This lead to the expansion of development programs in Arabia and to the formulation of massive investment plans, but it also raised the problem of how to use the large surpluses whilst the absorptive capacity of the economies was growing. Financial services had to be improved in the oil rich states, not only to assist investment and development, but also to recycle funds abroad. New commercial banks were established, national banking systems were expanded and foreign finance houses were allowed to trade, especially in the states on the Arab side of the Gulf. "The Kingdom's balance of trade has improved noticeably since 1986, when it had a surplus of only SR3.6 billion (U.S.$0.96 billion). During the Gulf Crisis, the Kingdom's balance of trade recor ded a surplus of SR76.2 billion (U.S.$20.3 billion) in 1990 and SR 70.1 billion (U.S.$18.7 billion) in 1991" (Saudi Arabia Trade.2008). Small towns, however, play a more basic role in the internal trading patterns of Middle Eastern states. Agricultural goods flow into them for distribution up the urban hierarchy or export abroad, while the small towns distribute nationally manufactured goods and foreign imports to the countryside (Al-Rasheed 33). Further away from the centre are shops specializing in cloth and clothing, but mixed in with them are often traders in perishable goods. Its physical characteristics are narrow alleyways, old property, small open-fronted shops and workshops and a degree of spatial con- centration in the various types of activity. A fourth shopping zone lies outside the tradition bazaar, along modern streets and at major intersections (Cordesman 43). According to statistical results, Trade per capita is (US$, 2004-2006)and Trade to GDP ratio (2003-2005) is 75.0 (appendix 1). These results allow to say that Saudi Arabia succeeds in its trade policy in spite economic changes and crises occurred in the region. During 2000-2004 it was Saudi Arabia which came to dominate the Middle Eastern scene with an oil production which approached 500 million tonnes in

Digital Journalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Digital Journalism - Essay Example The changing face of journalism and mass communication is the rise of web 2.0. This is the rise of a new form of technology that allows people to not only read information online, but they can also contribute to the subject of discussion. The main characteristic is that he pages are not static, such that one reads information and contributes her opinion on the topic of discussion. The user can also store information, and social bookmarking abilities. This is the example of facebook and other social networking sites that allow for users to share information and share ideas (Fuchs 2011). Web 2.0 has an audience. The audience comprises of those who read the information on the sites and contribute. The rise of blogging has given a different dimension to the practice of web 2.0. The sites have their own audience comprising of people who visit the sites and share information. Those who participate in the blogging sites and other commentary sites comprise the audience of the sites. This platform has an impact on mainstream media as bloggers and other users can gather information and share it on these platforms, making the role of main stream media greatly diminished. Additionally, the users of web 2.0 can use the platform to confirm or deny the information carried on mainstream media, making it essential for journalists to always confirm their work before sharing (Dahlberg & Siapera 2007). It thus, increases accountability. The web 2.0 media are also cheaper ways of advertising and can carry more advertising messages as opposed to mainstream media. This means that the business that is the main source of revenue for mainstream media is being diverted. The use of the web 2.0 platform can also allow users to post information that is targeted at a specific audience based on the target audience of the blog. This increases precision of the message and

Management Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Research Methods - Essay Example Nonetheless, different problems in management continue to be subjected to research, even as more amicable ways of preventing and solving them are developed. This paper discusses employee turnover as a major management research problem, as identified from an online news article, and presents a solution to this problem using the qualitative research method approach. Most companies today continue to grapple with the problem of high employee turnover. Employee turnover refers to the proportion of employees that leave an organization in a given period. Most of the employees leave their organizations through resignation. This has a negative impact on any organization; hence the management of all organizations have one of their goals as reducing employee turnover. In the year 2014, employee turnover has been identified as a major problem to organizations and management. An article published in the HSBC’s business news section provides evidence to show that employers in 2014 face high employee turnover. The findings of a study conducted by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) in April 2014 in the UK showed that a fifth of employees plan to quit their job this year. There were different reasons that influenced the employees’ decision to quit their jobs. Of the 10001 employees that were interviewed, 16 percent wanted to quit b ecause they felt undervalued; 31 percent wanted to find an organization that provided them work-life balance; 28 percent wanted to find an organization that would provide for employee development, while 11 percent desired an organization that would motivate them to perform to their best (HSBC 2014). This therefore, is considered to pose a problem to management, hence calling for appropriate strategies to address it. In order to find strategies to address the problem of high employee turnover, it would be appropriate to conduct a research on this problem. Through the research, it will be

Ethical Issues in Organizational Behavior Research Paper

Ethical Issues in Organizational Behavior - Research Paper Example What is even more significant is that the ethical issues are given the cover by the human resources management domains so that the organization continues to grow as a whole. It would put the organization in a quandary if there are gross ethical transgressions and the employees are unwilling to give their honest selves within the undertakings and tasks that they undertake in an organization. The complexity of the debate is present because the organizations cannot let go of this premise at all yet have to tell the employees time and again where they are lacking and what they need to do in order to move ahead positively. Individual influences have a good amount of say within the ethical behavior that is being drafted by the employees in their personal capacities. This means that the employees are either being ethical or completely opposite of the same premise. This has been researched upon within several organizations and the conclusion has been derived from the ethical capacities which have continued to stutter in the wake of interpersonal issues within the employees, the professional communication barriers and a host of other reasons. The individual influences could also be in terms of their misunderstandings due to which they are unable to manifest their ethical best within an organization. As an example, the discussion on the ethical issues centers on the Fuld & Co. which is a competitive intelligence consultant organization that tried to instill the role of the ethics within its employees through different hypothetical scenarios. This was concerned with the comfort levels that existed when presented with the ethical dilemmas linked with the collection of business intelligence information. The survey discerned that nearly one-third organizations neither follow the information collection procedures nor have the audacity to share the same with their employees (Light, 2011). This was indeed a gross mistake on

Imperial Chemical Industries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Imperial Chemical Industries - Essay Example The technology could either be innovative products that satisfy customer needs and wants or technology that offers cost competitiveness (Annual Report and Accounts 2005, 149; Science & Technology, online). A few factors in the economical environment are influential on profitability, especially since ICI operates worldwide in over 50 countries. They include domestic and international recession, tariffs and trade barriers, exchange controls, fluctuations in national currencies, foreign exchange exposure, and cyclical fluctuations of the industries and economies in which its businesses operate (Annual Report and Accounts 2005, 149-150; Investor Relations: Financial Performance: Risk Management, online). There are many factors in the legal environment that are particularly influential on profitability. They arise from worldwide operation, exposure to consumer markets, rules governing fair competition and corporate governance, and contractual obligations. ICI worldwide operation requires compliance with a range of foreign laws, regulations and standards that are expensive. Moreover, the difficulty of enforcing legal claims and agreements through some foreign legal systems will also affect profitability. Lastly, unforeseen changes in local laws, regulations, and standards in developing countries could affect ICI's profitability (Annual Report and Accounts 2005, 150). ICI's exposure to consumer markets exposes it to legal risks, regulation and potential liabilities from product liability claims asserted by consumers, which could have an adverse effect on profitability. A significant proportion of ICI's products is sold directly or indirectly to end-user consumers, even if ICI does not itself provide these products directly to consumers. Specifically, the laws and regulations to which ICI are exposed are environmental, health, and safety. Environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations include those concerning pollution, the health and safety of employees, protection of the public, protection of the environment and the generation, storage, handling, transportation, treatment, disposal and remediation of hazardous substances and waste materials. These regulations and standards are becoming increasingly stringent. ICI is also subject to inspections and monitoring by the relevant enforcement authorities. ICI also requires relevant permits and a pprovals for its operations that require compliance with their terms and which may be subject to renewal, modification and, in some circumstances, revocation. Violations of applicable laws, regulations and standards, could result in losses in the form of damages, fines or other sanctions, increased costs of compliance as well as reputational damage (Annual Report and Accounts 2005, 151). With regard to environmental laws and regulations, ICI is subject to soil and groundwater remediation, that in the future may require it to take action to correct effects on the environment of prior disposal or release of chemical substances. With regard to safety and health laws and regulations, The Glidden Company (Glidden), a wholly owned subsidiary

Mexican Drug Cartels Essay Example for Free

Mexican Drug Cartels Essay Several drug cartels are involved, such as: Sinaloa Cartel, Gulf Cartel, Juarez Cartel, Knights Templar Cartel, Tijuana Cartel, La Familia Cartel (disbanded), Los Zetas, Beltran-Leyva Cartel (disbanded), Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Independent Cartel of Acapulco, La Barredora. You could see them all as the bad guys. On the other team are the Mexican forces, consisting of the Army, Navy, Air force, the Federal police and other Mexican forces What are the sources of the conflict? What is it about? The main source of the conflict is power. All of the cartels wanted more power and money and they started fighting each other because of this. Another major cause of the conflict are the drug trafficking routes used by different cartels, the cartels want more power over each other’s routes. Relationships between/among conflicting parties? They were once all together in one massive cartel. But because of the decision of the leader of the cartel the ‘mother-cartel’ split up in many smaller cartels (See Dimension #1). What is the history of the conflict? The birth of all Mexican drug cartels is traced to former Mexican Judicial Federal Police agent Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo (The Godfather), who founded the Guadalajara Cartel in 1980 and controlled all illegal drug trade in Mexico and the trafficking corridors across the Mexico-USA border throughout the 1980s. He started off by smuggling marijuana and opium into the U. S. A. , and was the first Mexican drug chief to link up with Colombias cocaine cartels in the 1980s. Through his connections, Felix Gallardo became the point man for the Medellin cartel, which was run by Pablo Escobar. This was easily accomplished because Felix Gallardo had already established an infrastructure that stood ready to serve the Colombia-based traffickers. There were no cartels at that time in Mexico. Felix Gallardo was the lord of Mexican drug smugglers. He oversaw all operations; there was just him, his cronies, and the politicians who sold him protection. [59] However, the Guadalajara Cartel suffered a major blow in 1985 when the groups co-founder Rafael Caro Quintero was captured, and later convicted, for the murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena. 60][61] Felix Gallardo afterwards kept a low profile and in 1987 he moved with his family to Guadalajara. According to Peter Dale Scott, the Guadalajara Cartel prospered largely because it enjoyed the protection of the Direccion Federal de Seguridad (DFS), under its chief Miguel Nazar Haro, a CIA asset. The Godfather then decided to divide up the trade he controlled as it would be more efficient and less likely to be brought down in one law enforcement swoop. 63] In a way, he was privatizing the Mexican drug business while sending it back underground, to be run by bosses who were less well known or not yet known by the DEA. Gallardo convened the nations top drug traffickers at a house in the resort of Acapulco where he designated the plazas or territories. The process: how do we choose to deal with the conflict? We do not personally deal with this conflict. However, the US army helps the Mexican government at some points, since most of the drugs comes in via Mexico.

Is The Criminal Justice System Fit For Purpose Criminology Essay

Is The Criminal Justice System Fit For Purpose Criminology Essay This essay will an examination of the aims and objectives of the criminal justice system, looking at how effective it is with regards to the punishment and rehabilitation of offenders, the public opinion on its effectiveness using statistics and reports, and specifically targeting the issue of flaws within the prison and parole services, also a brief look at where we are today in comparison to many years ago in the earliest period of Crime and Investigation. We know from a great many sources and from history that the Criminal Justice System, in one form or another, goes back many thousands of years, in this essay we will also look at the history of Criminal Justice in order to determine whether, through time, it has become more effective or less effective or if the system itself has been consistently effective since it was first put into practice. The first sign of a Criminal Justice System came many thousands of years ago in Ancient China, the name of the system at the time was not Criminal Justice it was actually the Prefecture system, this system was developed in both the Chu and the Jin Kingdoms of Ancient China. Perhaps more relevant or similar to the Criminal Justice System we know today, would be the systems used in Pre-Modern Europe. In Pre-Modern Europe many thousands of years ago crime in Ancient Greece and Rome for example was very much viewed as a private matter, it was the prerogative of the victims family members to exact some form of justice. Vendettas and private wars were common place as a means of protecting themselves against criminality. The first sign of a government instigating policing of the people came from the Ancient Greeks and the Romans, in Athens a group of 300 Scythian slaves were assigned to guard public meetings to keep order and for crowd control, they also assisted in dealing with criminals, manhandling prisoners and making arrests. Other cases associated with policing including investigating crimes were left to the citizens themselves. The Roman Empire had a pretty effective law enforcement system until the decline of the empire, though there was never an actual police force per-say in the city of Rome. When Rome was under the reign of Augustus the capital had grown to a population of almost one million inhabitants, Augustus created fourteen wards each protected by a garrison of one thousand men who could call for the assistance of the Praetorian Guard if necessary. Then in the beginning of the 5th century, Policing became the duties of the clan chiefs and heads of state. During the middle Ages, crime and punishment were dealt with through blood feuds (or trial by ordeal) between the peoples involved. Payment to the victim or family, which was known as a wergild, was another common punishment, this included violent crimes. For those who could not afford to buy their wa y out of punishment, harsher penalties included various forms of corporal punishment. Such as mutilation, whipping, branding, and flogging, the most severe of these was execution. The primary form of state-administered punishment during ancient times and the middle Ages was banishment or exile. Though a prison was in existence as early as the 14th century in Florence, incarceration or long term detainment was not widely used until the 19th century. The Anglo-Saxon system of maintaining public order was a private system consisting of separate tithings, and since the Norman conquest, which was based on a social obligation for the good conduct of the others; more common was that local lords and nobles were responsible to maintain order in their lands, and often appointed a constable, often unpaid, to enforce the law. The Ancient Romans also played a huge role in the criminal justice system. Even the toga symbolizes the wig a magistrate wears in the legal system that exists today. So when we look at the assignment of those to a position of public order, were they more, or less effective than cases being handled solely by the people, this is difficult to determine as the first officially recorded crime statistics were the BCS or British Crime Survey in 1982, however we can look back and see a far more effective level of justice since the appointment of law officials and crime investigators. The British Crime Survey 1982 present looks at the publics experiences of crime (in the earlier dates asking about crimes experienced in the year before) weather these crimes were reported or not, this determined the important alternative crimes to the more commonly known and reported, for the police records. The questions asked covered the victims of crime, the circumstances to which incidents occurred and the behaviour of the offenders committing the crimes. Through these enquiries the survey provides information to inform crime reduction measures and to gauge their effectiveness. Through this the BCS was able to determine peoples attitudes regarding the criminal justice system, police and courts system. These actions have given the Public a relatively balanced and reasonable amount of information regarding crime/criminal behaviour. In order to determine how effective the criminal justice system is given that we know all the facts (from the BCS), we need to identify what measures to use, to measure the effectiveness. For Example looking at the public confidence in criminal justice agencies, public confidence in other government agencies, public fear of crime, proportion of taxes/national expenditure going to justice agencies, the crime rate, the proportion of the population who are criminals and the number of cases of infringement of human rights by justice agencies (Lewis 2003). The methods or processes countries have to tackle the issue of making the Criminal Justice system fit for purpose. There are government and voluntary organisations who take up the role of drawing attention to poor or unfit justice processes, local managerial structures designed for justice agencies and local government to build effectiveness ensuring that there is a level of quality control, and government funded inspection processes. The projected plans or ideas of these is that the public in general knows very well whether or not the justice process works. The public will slowly a ccept and deal with certain levels of crime and public surveillance but not so much so that it inspires paranoia, they are also likely expect the police and courts to be tough and yet turn a blind eye to some practices which may be an infringement of human rights. But only up to a certain limit as there is only so much the public can cope with. Interestingly in most countries even those that are well funded and governed there is a rather low general knowledge of the Criminal Justice System. There are many countries where the justice agencies are in effect independent to the political parties, so changing politicians will not make a great deal of difference. This is certainly the case in England and Wales today, where the Labour government has chosen simply to continue most of the policies of the previous Tory government, with the prison population inevitably continuing to grow. The Governments criminal justice system is not fit for purpose (Moses 2010), Colin Moses a high ranking me mber of the Prison Officers Association felt that prisons are being placed in a position that forces them to cut their budgets at a time when England and Wales are holding a record high number of prisoners. And now the Government is being forced to pay out compensation to offenders. This compensation is brought about by prisoners taking cases to the London High Court regarding the delay of Parole Hearings, with some prisoners finding the delay was in breach of their human rights and said that the delay was generally speaking totally unacceptable. One individual added that, with pressure ever growing on the Parole Board as a result of new legislation and the introduction of indeterminate sentences, it was actually the obligation of the Government to have provided the necessary resources for what was clearly a predictable and indeed inevitable increase in the workload (Collins 2010). This would be a terrific blow to the Criminal Justice System being regarded by the public to be fit fo r purpose, as Legal experts have made claims that in past cases, compensation has been approximately one hundred pounds for each day an inmate is wrongly detained. This is a considerable amount as the average delay in holding parole hearings is five months. The shadow justice secretary, said: It is appalling that public money should be wasted like this (Herbert 2010). This large amount of the tax payers money could quite easily have paid for secure accommodation required to hold or detain prisoners so that violent offenders are not released early onto the streets of England and Wales. When Gordon Brown was chancellor he refused to provide sufficient prison capacity and has subsequently overloaded the prison and probation services, and re-offending has continued to rise excessively. The firm Bhatt Murphy, which a present has more than twenty compensation claims pending, had stated that the Parole Board has accepted, privately, that it is in breach of the law and is having to cope wit h the Governments continuous failures to think through logically all of the relevant policies. With an ever growing case load, the Parole Board is finding it difficult to the extreme to assemble the judges, psychologists and probation officers who are required to assess each case within the given time. Parole Hearings are held specifically for all types of violent and sex offenders. Given this information the public must not be reassured of the Criminal Justice Systems effectiveness and worse still is a statement made later by the head of the Parole Board. Christine Glen had admitted to the constitutional affairs select committee that the backlog of cases involving parole for prisoners was completely unacceptable and she even stated that it was likely to worsen (Harper 2007). This does not inspire a great deal of confidence in the Criminal Justice System and its ability to be fit for purpose. Another public relations spokesman for the Parole Board had stated that in spite of the gov ernment putting considerable efforts into addressing all of these problems, the deferral rate is still so high it is deemed unacceptable. The single largest contributing factor remains to be the sixty per cent of cases received late from prisons and a further ten per cent of cases not actually received at all before the date the hearings were meant to take place. Also stated was that they are aware that there are unacceptable delays in hearing cases and that this raises the possibility of breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights and subsequent compensation claims from prisoners who are kept in custody longer than necessary. All this scandal is the latest controversy to hit the criminal justice system. In June 2007, it was revealed that inmates released early would receive almost two hundred pounds to compensate them for eighteen days of lost prison space. These actions were an attempt to reduce overcrowding. The ever growing issue of overcrowding has pushed the Prison Service to have to spend more than six million pounds to house six hundred convicts in police cells. In spite of the fact that thousand were walking free early, the prison population stood at 80,229 inmates in 2007, forcing dozens of inmates back into police cells. This is all clear evidence that the Criminal Justice System has tremendous flaws. Lord Phillips said in an interview with The Independent: The reasons for the rise in the prison population are quite complex but there is no doubt it has been steadily growing and the forecast is that this trend will continue. Certainly some criminal legislation dealing with sentencing has had the effect of imposing longer sentences or sentences which keep people in prison until they demonstrate they are no longer dangerous. (Phillips 2010). One subject of particular concern was the new indeterminate sentence for public protection or as its also known the IPP, which was brought in four years prior. Recently the Prison Governors Association and the Liberal Democrats stated that hundreds of convicts who could be released were being detained in prisons because the Government had failed to pay for the necessary drug treatment and rehabilitation courses for the offenders. Lord Phillips also said he had reservations about the IPP sentence which includes a minimum term, after which the prisoner has to show that he or she is suitable for release and no longer a danger to society (Verkaik 2009). The judge involved had stated that he knew the legislation had been changed to meet some of the concerns but that he was not clear about the latest figures regarding prisoners detained beyond their minimum required sentence. The Government says a further three million pounds was made available to aid with resourcing IPPs. When I was involved it was apparent there was a resource problem when dealing with IPP prisoners in relation to giving them the rehabilitation that they needed in order to be in a position to demonstrate they were no longer a danger, and also there was a problem with the resources of the parole board in considering whether or not they ought to be released (Phillips 2009). He also added that Prisons must be provided for individuals judges send to prison. And that what governs the overall prison population is a complicated question and legislation dealing with sentencing can then increase or decrease a prison population. He explained however that he had always been in favor of alternatives to custody although that would be down to the discretion of the judge. So in conclusion, there are many flaws in the Criminal Justice System but what ciaos could the nation be experiencing without the Criminal Justice System as we know it today, and to what extent would crime exist if there were a different system. No the Criminal Justice System is fit for Purpose.

Different Types Of Diversification Strategies Marketing Essay

Different Types Of Diversification Strategies Marketing Essay Expanding a business can be quite hard so business owners and their teams tend to use a diversification strategy to be able to increase their sales and be successful in their expansion. The business diversification strategy is what companies do (increasing the sales volume) in order to increase their profits. The increase in the volume of sales can be done by developing new products and targeting new market. The diversification strategy can be used at the unit level of a business as well as in their corporate level. In a company expansion in unit level of a business, the strategy can be a new segment idea that is related exactly to the existing business. For the corporate level, the new business can be without relation to the existing business. Different Types of Diversification Strategies There are three basic types of diversification strategies that may composed of several plans that range from the designed and development of new products to the licensing of these new technologies. They may also be a combination of these plans with two or more of it included. They are the concentric diversification where the technology stays the same while its marketing plan alters significantly. The technical knowledge is an edge when it comes to this type of strategy. The next one is called horizontal diversification. In this type, the technology used is somehow far from the existing business. Though the new products are not related to the existing ones, the customers who are loyal still patronized the products. This is very effective when a business have many loyal customers. Last but not the least is the lateral diversification. This strategy is almost similar to the horizontal diversification. The only thing that differentiates it from horizontal diversification is that lateral strategy targets new customers instead of targeting their existing loyal customers. Diversifications Advantages and Disadvantages When using the business diversification strategy, you must consider some things to succeed. Diversification can really help businesses achieve its full potential in the market. It helps the company increase their customers by attracting new ones and retaining loyal ones. Furthermore, it enhances the product portfolio of the business by launching products which compliments their existing products in the market. Nevertheless, the company must hire or have sufficient knowledge about diversification so that no problem can arise in the future. The management team of the company must be well trained and educated about the processes that must be followed. Lack of information and knowledge about the latest trend in the market can really be upsetting in your business goals. You must ensure that all are taken care of and you have the ability and capability of handling those things. If not, hire someone who is a professional in this kind of situation. Types of Diversification The different types of diversification strategies include the modernization and development of new products, updating the market, new technology licensing, distribution of products by another company and even the alliance with the said company. The three types of diversification strategies include the concentric, horizontal and conglomerate. Diversification is a method of risk management that involves the change and implementation of different investments stated in a specific portfolio. This is practices because of the rationale that a portfolio containing a variety of investments can yield higher profits and serve as a lower risk to the independent investments in the same portfolio. It is only through investing more securely that the benefits of diversification may be fully reaped. Investment through foreign securities may also reap benefits because of the decreased correlation between local investments. The concentric diversifications specify that there exists similarities between the industries in terms of the technological standpoint. It is through this that the firm may compare and apply its technological know how to an advantage. This is through a careful change or alteration in the marketing strategy performed by the business. This strategy aims to increase the market value of a particular product and therefore gain a higher profit. The horizontal diversification tackles products or services that are in a sense, not related technologically to certain products but still pique the interest of current customers. This strategy is more effective is the current clientele is loyal to the existing products or services, and if the new additions are well priced and adequately promoted. The newest additions are marketed in the same way that the previous ones were which may cause instability. This is because the strategy increases the new products dependence on an existing one. This integration normally occurs when a new business is introduced, however unrelated to the existing. Conglomerate or lateral diversification is where the company or business promotes products or services with no relation commercially or technologically to the existing products or services, however still interest a number of customers. This type of diversification is unique to the current business and may prove quite risky. However, it may also prove very successful since it independently aims to improve on the profit the company accumulates with regards to the new product or service. At times there are certain defensive actions that may promote to the risk of contraction within the market, or that the current product market seems to have no more growth opportunities. This must also be considered before initiating a certain type of diversification strategy. Another factor is the outcome of the chosen diversification strategy. The expected result is expected to generate a profitability growth that will complement the ongoing activities within the company. Diversification strategies are used to expand firms operations by adding markets, products, services, or stages of production to the existing business. The purpose of diversification is to allow the company to enter lines of business that are different from current operations. When the new venture is strategically related to the existing lines of business, it is called concentric diversification. Conglomerate diversification occurs when there is no common thread of strategic fit or relationship between the new and old lines of business; the new and old businesses are unrelated. DIVERSIFICATION IN THE CONTEXT OF GROWTH STRATEGIES Diversification is a form of growth strategy. Growth strategies involve a significant increase in performance objectives (usually sales or market share) beyond past levels of performance. Many organizations pursue one or more types of growth strategies. One of the primary reasons is the view held by many investors and executives that bigger is better. Growth in sales is often used as a measure of performance. Even if profits remain stable or decline, an increase in sales satisfies many people. The assumption is often made that if sales increase, profits will eventually follow. Rewards for managers are usually greater when a firm is pursuing a growth strategy. Managers are often paid a commission based on sales. The higher the sales level, the larger the compensation received. Recognition and power also accrue to managers of growing companies. They are more frequently invited to speak to professional groups and are more often interviewed and written about by the press than are managers of companies with greater rates of return but slower rates of growth. Thus, growth companies also become better known and may be better able, to attract quality managers. Growth may also improve the effectiveness of the organization. Larger companies have a number of advantages over smaller firms operating in more limited markets. Large size or large market share can lead to economies of scale. Marketing or production synergies may result from more efficient use of sales calls, reduced travel time, reduced changeover time, and longer production runs. Learning and experience curve effects may produce lower costs as the firm gains experience in producing and distributing its product or service. Experience and large size may also lead to improved layout, gains in labor efficiency, redesign of products or production processes, or larger and more qualified staff departments (e.g., marketing research or research and development). Lower average unit costs may result from a firms ability to spread administrative expenses and other overhead costs over a larger unit volume. The more capital intensive a business is, the more important its ability to spread costs across a large volume becomes. Improved linkages with other stages of production can also result from large size. Better links with suppliers may be attained through large orders, which may produce lower costs (quantity discounts), improved delivery, or custom-made products that would be unaffordable for smaller operations. Links with distribution channels may lower costs by better location of warehouses, more efficient advertising, and shipping efficiencies. The size of the organization relative to its customers or suppliers influences its bargaining power and its ability to influence price and services provided. Sharing of information between units of a large firm allows knowledge gained in one business unit to be applied to problems being experienced in another unit. Especially for companies relying heavily on technology, the reduction of RD costs and the time needed to develop new technology may give larger firms an advantage over smaller, more specialized firms. The more similar the activities are among units, the easier the transfer of information becomes. Taking advantage of geographic differences is possible for large firms. Especially for multinational firms, differences in wage rates, taxes, energy costs, shipping and freight charges, and trade restrictions influence the costs of business. A large firm can sometimes lower its cost of business by placing multiple plants in locations providing the lowest cost. Smaller firms with only one location must operate within the strengths and weaknesses of its single location. CONCENTRIC DIVERSIFICATION Concentric diversification occurs when a firm adds related products or markets. The goal of such diversification is to achieve strategic fit. Strategic fit allows an organization to achieve synergy. In essence, synergy is the ability of two or more parts of an organization to achieve greater total effectiveness together than would be experienced if the efforts of the independent parts were summed. Synergy may be achieved by combining firms with complementary marketing, financial, operating, or management efforts. Breweries have been able to achieve marketing synergy through national advertising and distribution. By combining a number of regional breweries into a national network, beer producers have been able to produce and sell more beer than had independent regional breweries. Financial synergy may be obtained by combining a firm with strong financial resources but limited growth opportunities with a company having great market potential but weak financial resources. For example, debt-ridden companies may seek to acquire firms that are relatively debt-free to increase the lever-aged firms borrowing capacity. Similarly, firms sometimes attempt to stabilize earnings by diversifying into businesses with different seasonal or cyclical sales patterns. Strategic fit in operations could result in synergy by the combination of operating units to improve overall efficiency. Combining two units so that duplicate equipment or research and development are eliminated would improve overall efficiency. Quantity discounts through combined ordering would be another possible way to achieve operating synergy. Yet another way to improve efficiency is to diversify into an area that can use by-products from existing operations. For example, breweries have been able to convert grain, a by-product of the fermentation process, into feed for livestock. Management synergy can be achieved when management experience and expertise is applied to different situations. Perhaps a managers experience in working with unions in one company could be applied to labor management problems in another company. Caution must be exercised, however, in assuming that management experience is universally transferable. Situations that appear similar may require significantly different management strategies. Personality clashes and other situational differences may make management synergy difficult to achieve. Although managerial skills and experience can be transferred, individual managers may not be able to make the transfer effectively. CONGLOMERATE DIVERSIFICATION Conglomerate diversification occurs when a firm diversifies into areas that are unrelated to its current line of business. Synergy may result through the application of management expertise or financial resources, but the primary purpose of conglomerate diversification is improved profitability of the acquiring firm. Little, if any, concern is given to achieving marketing or production synergy with conglomerate diversification. One of the most common reasons for pursuing a conglomerate growth strategy is that opportunities in a firms current line of business are limited. Finding an attractive investment opportunity requires the firm to consider alternatives in other types of business. Philip Morriss acquisition of Miller Brewing was a conglomerate move. Products, markets, and production technologies of the brewery were quite different from those required to produce cigarettes. Firms may also pursue a conglomerate diversification strategy as a means of increasing the firms growth rate. As discussed earlier, growth in sales may make the company more attractive to investors. Growth may also increase the power and prestige of the firms executives. Conglomerate growth may be effective if the new area has growth opportunities greater than those available in the existing line of business. Probably the biggest disadvantage of a conglomerate diversification strategy is the increase in administrative problems associated with operating unrelated businesses. Managers from different divisions may have different backgrounds and may be unable to work together effectively. Competition between strategic business units for resources may entail shifting resources away from one division to another. Such a move may create rivalry and administrative problems between the units. Caution must also be exercised in entering businesses with seemingly promising opportunities, especially if the management team lacks experience or skill in the new line of business. Without some knowledge of the new industry, a firm may be unable to accurately evaluate the industrys potential. Even if the new business is initially successful, problems will eventually occur. Executives from the conglomerate will have to become involved in the operations of the new enterprise at some point. Without adequate experience or skills (Management Synergy) the new business may become a poor performer. Without some form of strategic fit, the combined performance of the individual units will probably not exceed the performance of the units operating independently. In fact, combined performance may deteriorate because of controls placed on the individual units by the parent conglomerate. Decision-making may become slower due to longer review periods and complicated reporting systems. DIVERSIFICATION: GROW OR BUY? Diversification efforts may be either internal or external. Internal diversification occurs when a firm enters a different, but usually related, line of business by developing the new line of business itself. Internal diversification frequently involves expanding a firms product or market base. External diversification may achieve the same result; however, the company enters a new area of business by purchasing another company or business unit. Mergers and acquisitions are common forms of external diversification. INTERNAL DIVERSIFICATION. One form of internal diversification is to market existing products in new markets. A firm may elect to broaden its geographic base to include new customers, either within its home country or in international markets. A business could also pursue an internal diversification strategy by finding new users for its current product. For example, Arm Hammer marketed its baking soda as a refrigerator deodorizer. Finally, firms may attempt to change markets by increasing or decreasing the price of products to make them appeal to consumers of different income levels. Another form of internal diversification is to market new products in existing markets. Generally this strategy involves using existing channels of distribution to market new products. Retailers often change product lines to include new items that appear to have good market potential. Johnson Johnson added a line of baby toys to its existing line of items for infants. Packaged-food firms have added salt-free or low-calorie options to existing product lines. It is also possible to have conglomerate growth through internal diversification. This strategy would entail marketing new and unrelated products to new markets. This strategy is the least used among the internal diversification strategies, as it is the most risky. It requires the company to enter a new market where it is not established. The firm is also developing and introducing a new product. Research and development costs, as well as advertising costs, will likely be higher than if existing products were marketed. In effect, the investment and the probability of failure are much greater when both the product and market are new. EXTERNAL DIVERSIFICATION. External diversification occurs when a firm looks outside of its current operations and buys access to new products or markets. Mergers are one common form of external diversification. Mergers occur when two or more firms combine operations to form one corporation, perhaps with a new name. These firms are usually of similar size. One goal of a merger is to achieve management synergy by creating a stronger management team. This can be achieved in a merger by combining the management teams from the merged firms. Acquisitions, a second form of external growth, occur when the purchased corporation loses its identity. The acquiring company absorbs it. The acquired company and its assets may be absorbed into an existing business unit or remain intact as an independent subsidiary within the parent company. Acquisitions usually occur when a larger firm purchases a smaller company. Acquisitions are called friendly if the firm being purchased is receptive to the acquisition. (Mergers are usually friendly.) Unfriendly mergers or hostile takeovers occur when the management of the firm targeted for acquisition resists being purchased. DIVERSIFICATION: VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL? Diversification strategies can also be classified by the direction of the diversification. Vertical integration occurs when firms undertake operations at different stages of production. Involvement in the different stages of production can be developed inside the company (internal diversification) or by acquiring another firm (external diversification). Horizontal integration or diversification involves the firm moving into operations at the same stage of production. Vertical integration is usually related to existing operations and would be considered concentric diversification. Horizontal integration can be either a concentric or a conglomerate form of diversification. VERTICAL INTEGRATION. The steps that a product goes through in being transformed from raw materials to a finished product in the possession of the customer constitute the various stages of production. When a firm diversifies closer to the sources of raw materials in the stages of production, it is following a backward vertical integration strategy. Avons primary line of business has been the selling of cosmetics door-to-door. Avon pursued a backward form of vertical integration by entering into the production of some of its cosmetics. Forward diversification occurs when firms move closer to the consumer in terms of the production stages. Levi Strauss Co., traditionally a manufacturer of clothing, has diversified forward by opening retail stores to market its textile products rather than producing them and selling them to another firm to retail. Backward integration allows the diversifying firm to exercise more control over the quality of the supplies being purchased. Backward integration also may be undertaken to provide a more dependable source of needed raw materials. Forward integration allows a manufacturing company to assure itself of an outlet for its products. Forward integration also allows a firm more control over how its products are sold and serviced. Furthermore, a company may be better able to differentiate its products from those of its competitors by forward integration. By opening its own retail outlets, a firm is often better able to control and train the personnel selling and servicing its equipment. Since servicing is an important part of many products, having an excellent service department may provide an integrated firm a competitive advantage over firms that are strictly manufacturers. Some firms employ vertical integration strategies to eliminate the profits of the middleman. Firms are sometimes able to efficiently execute the tasks being performed by the middleman (wholesalers, retailers) and receive additional profits. However, middlemen receive their income by being competent at providing a service. Unless a firm is equally efficient in providing that service, the firm will have a smaller profit margin than the middleman. If a firm is too inefficient, customers may refuse to work with the firm, resulting in lost sales. Vertical integration strategies have one major disadvantage. A vertically integrated firm places all of its eggs in one basket. If demand for the product falls, essential supplies are not available, or a substitute product displaces the product in the marketplace, the earnings of the entire organization may suffer. HORIZONTAL DIVERSIFICATION. Horizontal integration occurs when a firm enters a new business (either related or unrelated) at the same stage of production as its current operations. For example, Avons move to market jewelry through its door-to-door sales force involved marketing new products through existing channels of distribution. An alternative form of horizontal integration that Avon has also undertaken is selling its products by mail order (e.g., clothing, plastic products) and through retail stores (e.g., Tiffanys). In both cases, Avon is still at the retail stage of the production process. DIVERSIFICATION STRATEGY AND MANAGEMENT TEAMS As documented in a study by Marlin, Lamont, and Geiger, ensuring a firms diversification strategy is well matched to the strengths of its top management team members factored into the success of that strategy. For example, the success of a merger may depend not only on how integrated the joining firms become, but also on how well suited top executives are to manage that effort. The study also suggests that different diversification strategies (concentric vs. conglomerate) require different skills on the part of a companys top managers, and that the factors should be taken into consideration before firms are joined. There are many reasons for pursuing a diversification strategy, but most pertain to managements desire for the organization to grow. Companies must decide whether they want to diversify by going into related or unrelated businesses. They must then decide whether they want to expand by developing the new business or by buying an ongoing business. Finally, management must decide at what stage in the production process they wish to diversify. FURTHER READING: Amit, R., and J. Livnat. A Concept of Conglomerate Diversification. Academy of Management Journal 28 (1988): 59304. Homburg, C., H. Krohmer, and J. Workman. Strategic Consensus and Performance: The Role of Strategy Type and Market-Related Dynamism. Strategic Management Journal 20, 33958. Luxenber, Stan. Diversification Strategy Raises Doubts. National Real Estate Investor, February 2004. Lyon, D.W., and W.J. Ferrier. Enhancing Performance With Product-Market Innovation: The Influence of the Top Management Team. Journal of Managerial Issues 14 (2002): 45269. Marlin, Dan, Bruce T. Lamont, and Scott W. Geiger. Diversification Strategy and Top Management Team Fit. Journal of Managerial Issues, Fall 2004, 361. Munk, N. How Levis Trashed a Great American Brand. Fortune, 12 April 1999, 830. St. John, C., and J. Harrison, Manufacturing-Based Relatedness, Synergy, and Coordination. Strategic Management Journal 20 (1999): 12945.

Puritanism and Pragmatism Essay -- essays research papers

Although they lived on the same continent, John Winthrop and Benjamin Franklin lived in very different worlds. These men are similar in some respects, but overwhelmingly they are different. For example, John Winthrop and Benjamin Franklin can be considered leaders in their time frame. Winthrop led the Puritans; Franklin led his country to war. Both men also possessed many of the same virtues such as patience and work ethic. Despite these similarities, John Winthrop and Benjamin Franklin had a different style of living and a different philosophy of life. These differences are most notable in regards to religion, economics, and science.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps the greatest difference between Winthrop and Franklin was their view of religion. Winthrop, a devout Puritan, governed Massachusetts Bay. Every aspect of life in a Puritan colony revolved around religion. The most important thing in order to establish Winthrop’s â€Å"city upon a hill,† â€Å"was the need for the people to obey their governors and for the governors to obey God. If they did, God would adopt and protect the wilderness colony as He had the ancient Jews† (Nash & Graves 31). Puritanism reflects the notion of pre-destination, indoctrinated by Calvinism, in which there are only two kinds of people: the elect and the non-elect. The elect were the people, usually ministers and high-ranking officers, who have been chosen by God to go to Heaven. The non-elect then, were the people who were not chosen. Fran...

Victorian Newspapers -- Victorian Time Period

Victorian Newspapers: The Source for Inquiring Minds In William Makepeace Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair, George Sedley Osborne exhibits a desire to have his name appear in the newspapers. Furthermore, he is not the only one in Vanity Fair who is concerned with the newspapers, considering the fact that the words "newspaper" and "newspapers" appear twenty-two times in Thackeray's novel. Still, there is much more to know about Victorian newspapers than Thackeray imparts to his readers. Although George is unsuccessful in getting his name in print, the following information will be successful in illustrating to its readers the when, where, and why of newspapers in the Victorian era. The Nineteenth century included a monumental step for the world of newspapers. In fact, the "first papers to resemble the daily newspaper of the mid-twentieth century were the penny papers of the 1830's" (Hartman 17). Though their origins began in the Victorian era, the newspapers read today barely resemble the sparse "penny papers" years ago (Hartman 17). Reader Appeal Victorian newspapers found their start as expensive publications that were essentially unattainable by the lower classes. The reason for this inaccessibility is accounted for by the additional tax placed on newspapers during this time. This tax "took the form of a stamp duty, paid and recorded on every copy" ("Images"). Nevertheless, the sales of newspapers continually climbed. In addition, the "early select papers appealed only to man, the political animal" (Sampson 855). Indeed, the majorities of topics found in an early Victorian newspaper were political, and also sought to be partisan, rather than non-partisan. Finally, towards the end of the century, papers appealing to the "whol... ...ttp://www.uk.olivesoftware.com>. "Concise History of the British Newspaper in the 19th Century." The British Library Newspaper Library. The British Library Board. 09 Nov. 2004 . Dowd, Robert C. "A Brief History of Newspaper Publishing in Florida." The Florida Newspaper Project. University of Florida. 07 Nov. 2004 . "Extracts from the Times." Monuments and Dust: The Culture of Victorian London Collection. University of Virginia. 07 Nov. 2004 . Leary, Patrick. "Newspapers." Victoria Research Web. 07 Nov. 2004 . Rinhart, Floyd and Marion. Victorian Florida: America's Last Frontier. Atlanta, GA.: Peachtree Publishers, Ltd., 1986.

Administrative Theories of Management Essay

Henri Fayol a French industrialist has wrote a book title Administration Industrialle et Generalle in 1916 , according to his book theories about management he thought could be applied to the management of any organization with administrative responsibilities. Fayol identified five function which is still used today to all management activities , they were planning , organizing , commanding , coordinating and controlling . Fayol gives 14 principle of management : 1.Division of work According to Fayol , specialization increases output by making employees more efficient. Most of the employee may be able to deal with each item work that given to them if work is divided according to their skill and technical expertise . See more: My Writing Process Essay 2.Authority Fayol defined authority as ‘the right to give orders and the power to exact obedience.’ That means , managers must be able to give order to the employees . Along with it , the responsibility will goes on. 3.Discipline Discipline is an essential for the smooth running of business which is without it an enterprise or organization is unable to prosper. An employees must obey and respect the rules that are state by the organization . 4.Unity of Command An employee should receive orders from one superior only . Fayol regarded having ‘dual command’ is leading to uncertainty and hesitation on the part of subordinates and will make conflict between managers. 5.Unity of direction ‘One head and one plan for a group having the same objective.’ that mean the organization should have a single plan of action to guide managers and workers . 6.Subordination of individual interest to the general interest There should be no conflict of interest between individual ambition and the well-being of the organization as a whole. This principle requires a firm but fair hand from superiors who should set a good example. 7.Remuneration Workers must be paid a fair wage for their services . Fayol looked for some basic principles in the method of payment such is it shall assure fair remuneration , encourage keenness by rewarding well-directed effort and not lead to over-payment going beyond reasonable limits. 8.Centralization Fayol considered that an element of centralization must always be present which is each subordinate are involved in decision making. 9.Scalar Chain It is also known as line of authority . The unity of command can lead to excessively chains of authority which hinder communication. Hierarchic organizations regularly insisted that departments communicated with each other only through their heads. 10.Order For Fayol, people and materials should be in the right place at the right time . This presupposed the resolution of ‘the two most difficult managerial activities: good organization and good selection.’ He saw the basic problem as the balancing of an organization’s requirements with its resources. 11.Equity Managers should be kind and fair to their subordinate and treated them equally in order to obtain commitment from them . 12.Stability of tenure of personnel A management should provide orderly personnel planning and ensure that replacements are available to fill vacancies because employees need a period of stability in a job to deliver of their best. 13.Initiative Fayol cautions managers against the personal vanity which prevents their employees from allowing to think through a problem and implement a solution rewarding experience which increases motivation and high levels of effort. This meant , employees are allowed to originate and carry out their plans for the organization. 14.Esprit de corps. ‘Dividing enemy forces to weaken them is clever, but dividing one’s own team is a grave sin against the business.’ It is saying about promoting team spirit will build harmony and unity within the organization.

Religious Tradition Depth Study †Christianity Essay

Significant People and Ideas 1. The contribution to Christianity of ONE significant person OR school of thought, other than Jesus, drawn from: Martin Luther Explain the contribution to the development and expression of Christianity of ONE significant person OR school of thought, other than Jesus, drawn from: Martin Luther Faith alone, grace alone and scripture alone He was born in 1483 in Germany, a German monk, priest and University Professor in Theology. Led way for the reformation in 1517 by nailing his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral. Luther’s Theses’ challenged church corruption particularly the doctrine of indulgences as well as the practices relating to the authority of the Pope. The invention of the printing press allowed people to read his Theses’ on a wide spread basis. His contribution to Christianity led to the development of his own denomination within Christianity: the formation of the Lutheran church in 1530. After posting his 95 Theses, the pope ordered Luther the bull of Excommunication in 1520. However, he gained support from many Germans. His posting of the Disputation questioned the authority of the Church and Pope through academic discussion of the legitimacy of indulgences – was damned as a heretic. He made the Ten commandments, the Apostles Creed, the Lords Prayer, baptism and the Last Supper all easy to understand through his writing of the Large Catechism in 1529. It has earned a reputation as a model of clear religious teaching, as did his translation of the Bible to make it accessible to everyday Germans. His motives have shaped the history of Christianity, changed the expression of Christianity. Without the clarification from him and reforming of basic principles, corruption would still riddle Christianity. The reformation changed Christianity by causing questioning, reflection and renewal which  resulted in a more vibrant and personal faith for Christians. It is his writings that show his contribution in a simplified manner. 2. The effect of that person OR school of thought on Christianity Analyse the impact of this person OR school of thought on Christianity The most obvious and major effect of Luther’s efforts to reform the Church was the split or Reformation which occurred in Western Christianity dividing it into Catholics and Protestants and resulting in centuries of religious intolerance, often accompanied by wars, violence and bloodshed. Division did not only occur between Protestants and Catholics but, as other Protestant sects developed, dissension and disunity occurred amongst them also. Luther spoke up when he saw a wrong being in the Church. He didn’t set out to challenge the Christian belief system, but he was concerned that people were being cheated by greed, getting the wrong idea about God’s grace. He caused questioning, reflection and renewal which resulted in a more vibrant and personal faith for Christians It was his speaking out that influenced the Council of Trent in 1545 to reform the ways of the Church. His thought that salvation may only be achieved through faith alone has remained an important factor to the Christian faith today. Faith alone can also take way in charitable works, almsgiving, and obeying the gospel teachings. He believed the Church was not needed for salvation, he questioned its relevance in the process of salvation – the only thing that was needed for life as a Christian. He believed the church was irrelevant as it placed a distance between itself and the people, there was minimal contact to the worshippers, the co ngregation could not relate to the teachings of the Church. He believed in the fundamental teachings of Christ which is that salvation is an act of grace by God, and only acceptance and faith was needed. Not only did Luther believe, but he supported his belief with action. He accepted the grace of God not just as a process, but as all that a Christian needed. It was not something that could be bought or sold by the Church. He exhibited bravery and courage in disagreeing with the Papal authorities. He used his  gifts to further his beliefs. He presented his beliefs through words and hymns and in his sermons and actions. He was active in thought as an evangelist for this faith. Luther’s impact on Christianity is well known. Protestantism is also well-known with its beginnings in the Reformation and owes its birth to Martin Luther. Lutheranism got its foundations from Luther’s â€Å"Babylonian Captivity† rendering all the sacraments but baptism and eucharist, irrelevant. Luther’s impact changed the way Christianity was divided. Instead of just the Western and Eastern Churches, he formed Protestantism, which split the Western Church. His writing let his church allow the marriage of clergy, singing of the congregation and the democratic nature of the Church. Martin Luther was born in 1483 in Wittenberg in Germany and he was a German monk, priest and University Professor in Theology. Martin Luther was a significant person who made a large contribution to Christianity. Martin Luther led the Reformation in 1517 by nailing his 95 Theses (his attitudes or objections against the church) to the door of the Cathedral in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther’s theses’ challenged church corruption particularly the doctrine of indulgences as well as the practices relating to the authority of the Pope. The invention of the printing press allowed people to read his Theses’ – thus his writings spread quickly around Saxony. His contribution to Christianity led to the development of his own denomination within Christianity – the formation of the Lutheran church in 1530. Martin Luther was a renowned and well-known person in Christianity for his contribution to Christianity – nailing his 95 Theses onto the door of a Cathedral in Wittenberg, Germany. He led the Reformation in 1517 and influenced other reformers of the time. Martin Luther was a person who was not afraid to speak out against the church; he was not afraid to challenge the authority of the church or the Pope. After his nailing of his 95 Theses and burning the Papal bill, the Pope excommunicated (expelled) him from the church. Martin Luther gained support from many Germans, mainly the German Princes and the wealthy middle class. Martin Luther created a massive impact  on the development of Christianity as his objections and contributions to Christianity led to the reformation on 1517 and also led to the formation of the Lutheran Church which was established in 1530. Today, there are many Lutheran followers worldwide due to the impact of his development of Christianity. In Australia, the majority of Lutheran adherents live in South Australia where the German population of Australia live. The Lutheran church is part of the Protestant denomination in Christianity. Therefore through Martin Luther’s contributions to the development of Christianity, he has clearly had a large impact as there are now around 300 million Protestant adherents worldwide who can thank their main founder Martin Luther for the creation and spread of Protestant Churches worldwide. Martin Luther is one of the most famous/important figures in the history of Christianity and has had more books written about him than any other Christian except for Jesus. Martin Luther was one of the catalysts and instigators of the Reformation in Christianity. â€Å"The Reformation changed Christianity by causing questioning, reflection and renewal which resulted in a more vibrant and personal faith for Protestants and Catholics alike†. Whatever Luther learned he preaches and whatever he preached he printed – thus he published many books on his beliefs and teachings. He also translated the Latin Bible into German so that more Christians could read and interpret the Bible. Therefore through his contributions, he has had a profound impact upon Christianity. Luther founded the Lutheran branch of Protestantism and established the Lutheran church of Germany in 1530. He also limited the 7 sacraments to 2 – Baptism and the Eucharist. Luther also produced the 4 pillar s of the Reformation in the Church – Christ alone, Faith alone, Bible alone and Grace alone. 11 years after his death, Charles V allowed the German Princes to choose whether their states should be Catholic or Lutheran. Ethics 3. ONE of the following areas of ethical teaching in Christianity: bioethics environmental ethics sexual ethics Describe and explain Christian ethical teachings on environmental ethics Christian biblical tradition provides significant guidance in the field of environmental ethics however, until recent times there has been little done by the Christian Churches in the field of environmental ethics as it has not been a prominent concern for Christians overall. In recent times, there have been many significant statements and other initiatives developed by Church leaders both within Australia and internationally, however, there is still an absence of widespread engagement at the grass roots levels of Church communities. While most Christian communities tacitly recognise the importance of environmental ethics, it is yet to become a major focus of day to day life for most Christians and their local Church communities. Mainstream Christian thinking has, only in recent times, embraced environmental ethics as a prominent issue acknowledging the relationship between humankind and the environment because both are created by God. Both humanity and nature reflect the glory of God and convey the image of God. They also recognize that God commanded human beings to live in fruitful relationship with the earth and that humankind has a requirement of stewardship of the earth e.g. Genesis 2:15 states, â€Å"Then God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till and keep it.† In retrospect, Christians look at the theological work/insights of historical figures/prophetic voices such as Francis of Assisi (patron saint of animals and the environment), Hildegard of Bingen (German abbess, naturalist, philosopher and more) and Pierre Teillhard de Chardin (philosopher, Jesuit priest and paleontologist). In poorer parts of the world, there is considerable engagement of Christian communities on environmental issues. This is because for Christians in these parts of the world environmental degradation is an issue which is affecting them in a very serious and tangible way through a lack of clean drinking water, rising sea levels, damage to crops etc. People in richer countries are largely insulated against these challenges, although it is clear that this insulation is a temporary thing and that within decades more  affluent countries will be faced with similar environmental disasters. In the present climate of increased environmental awareness there remains a wide range of perspectives among the Churches. Liberal members of the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Churches are generally very aware of teaching on environmental ethics and are often active in response to the issues raised. Conservative members of these same denominations are less likely to be engaged in environmental issues in a significant way. Some of the fundamentalist and evangelical Churches have been reluctant to place significant emphasis on environmental concerns as any form of transformative social action is seen as a low priority in comparison to evangelisation in the light of the anticipated return of Jesus and the end of the world. Relationship Mainstream Christian thinking acknowledges that there is a special relationship between humankind and the environment because both humankind and rest of the created world are created by God. They acknowledge that both reflect the glory of God and convey the image of God. They also recognise that God commanded human beings to live in fruitful relationship with the earth and that humankind has a requirement of stewardship of the earth. Challenge Thus, it is evident that there is richness in the tradition of Christian teaching on environmental ethics and a clear rhetoric calling for action in recent times. However, there remains a considerable challenge in education and action to engage significant numbers of local Christian communities in major environmental actions. This challenge is particularly evident in Western industrialised countries where Christian communities enjoy high standards of living which depend on significant and often negligent use of the world’s resources. There are many important theologians and activists who are working in the field of environmental ethics calling on the Churches to act urgently and more decisively in the field of ecology. They are critical of the Churches  for their tardiness in taking serious steps in responding to environmental issues and strongly challenged the Christian tradition as a whole. Examples of these are: Sallie McFague from the liberal protestant tradition McFague is a feminist theologian that sets out to construct a new theology of nature and of God She connects God with the human process rather than distances God from creation which emphasized the need to develop a new metaphor for God which recognises that the world is the physical expression of God not a separate â€Å"product† of God She states, in her novel Life Abundant, that: â€Å"The glory of God is every creature fully alive and, therefore, we live to give God glory by loving the world and everything in it.† Thomas Berry, Catholic theologian born in 1914 was a member of the Passionist Order of Priests Berry espoused a mystical approach to ecology. He has argued that God made the world and therefore God is profoundly related to it and if we lose our sense of the splendor of the natural world then we also lose our sense of the divine Berry suggested that human beings must see themselves in perspective i.e. only existing for about 60,000 years in a cosmos as much as 15,000,000,000 years old the cosmos is to be seen as an ongoing energy event rather than a sudden creation at a specific point in time. He stresses that human beings as creatures are not separate from the rest of creation who can be valued over and against the rest of creation. He says that we need to develop a new creation story (myth) which takes into account our now more developed sense of awareness of the human impact on the environment and the growing sense of profound unity with the environment Matthew Fox was a Catholic theologian (now an Episcopalian) born 1940 He was a member of the Dominican Order of Priests before ultimately being expelled by his order after long running disputes with Rome has now been accepted into the Episcopalian church Fox proposes a mystical approach to the environment known now as Creation Spirituality. He proposes the idea of original blessing i.e. an ancient notion that the cosmos has been continually blessing (bringing life to) human beings since their evolution.  This idea stands in contrast to the idea of original sin which Fox identifies as a very recent idea Sean McDonagh is a Catholic missionary Priest member of the Columban order of Priests worked extensively in the Philippines McDonagh focuses on the relationship between justice and ecology approach is called eco-justice McDonagh identifies the type of greed and exploitation which is at the heart of injustice to be the same factors which are at the heart of environmental degradation. He identifies that significant amounts of environmental degradation take place through the exploitative action of the rich and the practices which are forced upon the poor, particularly in the need to meet debt repayments McDonagh has been a strong critic of the lack of involvement of the Church in environmental issues Sample responses: Identify modern Christian theology in environmental ethics There are a number of emerging Christian theologies about the environment. The theologies are attempts to understand the place of God in a modern society that utilises scientific reasoning to explain creation. The theologians attempt to overcome the distance between human beings and the rest of creation and to include all of a creation in an interconnected and interdependent dynamic. The theologies are a response to the increasing environmental problems and ecological imbalance that exists. The theologies include mystical approaches, eco-feminist theology, creation spirituality and eco-justice perspectives. The individual theologians who are living in the contemporary world are often critical of the Christian Church and its slowness in being proactive about the environmental crisis and for not exercising strong, decisive leadership in environmental ethics. Describe modern Christian theologians’ responses to environmental concerns. A number of Christian theologians have respond ed to environmental concerns amongst them; Thomas Berry and Sallie McFague. Thomas Berry’s theology evolved from a mystical awareness of the cosmos as infinitely older than human beings who are relative newcomers in evolution. Whilst basing his beliefs about the evolution of the cosmos on modern scientific theory he encourages humanity  to envision themselves as part of an ongoing creation event that the creator God is profoundly involved in. He encourages bringing current knowledge of the environmental impact of human beings into a new creation story to heal and restore the planet. Sallie McFague’s eco feminist theology looks at the ways in which patriarchy has dominated women, society and the earth itself and calls for a new more balanced understanding of creation. She evinces a theology of connectedness utilising the Gaia and Chaos theory as ideas that explain the interconnectedness of all creation. She uses metaphors of the earth as the body of God and seeks to overcome the body soul dichotomy caused by the patriarchal mindset of Church f athers. Evaluate the contribution of emerging Christian theology to the environmental ethics. The contribution of emerging Christian theology to environmental ethics is difficult to measure as the Christian Church is diverse and different denominations have a variety of interpretations and understandings of revelation and scripture in relation to the environment. Just as in secular society there are individuals and groups that recognise the urgency of applying ethics to the environment so it is within Christianity. For Christians working in countries where the environment is in crisis and is linked directly to the cycle of poverty of the people the issue of environmental ethics is important. Sean McDonagh’s eco justice theology is one that confronts the materialism of developed countries and challenges Christians to become aware of the immediate and obvious link between exploitation of the environment and greed. Significant practices in the life of adherents 4. ONE significant practice within Christianity drawn from: Baptism Marriage ceremony Saturday/Sunday worship Baptism > is a sacramental water rite which invites and person into the Christian church community. Literal > to wash away with water Figurative > washing away of sin, purification, rebirth, new spiritual life, cleansing of soul Describe ONE significant practice within Christianity drawn from: Baptism Initiation rite Baptism used in most Christian denominations Signifies initiation into the beliefs and practices of the Christian community Has significance as a statement of a person’s beliefs in the Christian tradition Necessary element for salvation Baptism allows Christians to share in the death and resurrection of Christ Cleanses people from their sins The Salvation Army and The Society of Friends (Quakers) are examples of Christian groups which do not practice baptism Infant baptism For the majority of Christians today Baptism carried out when they were infants Common practice in the Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox branches of Christianity Parents and God parents make commitments on behalf of the child Agree to nurture the child in the Christian faith In other Christian groups such as the Baptist and Pentecostal Churches the baptism of infants is not accepted Members would be expected to choose to be baptised as adults having made their own decision to repent and be born again Immersion Idea of baptism stems from the sense of being immersed in water Symbolises being surrounded by and imbued with the beliefs and practices of the Christian community Ritual is usually carried out in the Church Often contained within or celebrated adjacent to the main form of Sunday worship Majority of baptisms celebrated in the Anglican and Catholic branches of Christianity involve the sprinkling or pouring of water on the head of the child In Orthodox Churches the child is immersed briefly in water on three occasions Adults who are baptised in Churches such as Baptist and Pentecostal Churches are often fully immersed in water Various aspects Variety of aspects included in baptism across different denominations Core  elements are the baptism with water and the profession of faith Anglican Sacrament of Baptism Baptism in the Anglican Church may incorporate the rite of Confirmation and/or the rite of Holy Communion. Begins with a gathering hymn, psalm or anthem Priest or Minister greets and welcomes the congregation The Collect of the Day is prayed, followed by the lessons from the Scriptures A sermon is preached The presentation and examination of the candidates takes place Baptismal Covenant is prayed and prayers are offered for the candidates Prayers of thanksgiving and blessing are then prayed over the water Prayers of consecration are prayed over the oils of Chrism The Baptism takes place The Lord’s prayer is prayed A concluding prayer is prayed Catholic Sacrament of Baptism Baptism is often incorporated into the celebration of the Eucharist In particular the celebration of the Easter Vigil Begins with a welcome and greeting from the Priest or Deacon Questioning of the parents and God parents to confirm their wish for Baptism Priest or Deacon and the parents and God parents trace the sign of the cross on the child’s forehead The liturgy of the word follows Includes readings from the bible and a homily from the Priest or Deacon Homily is followed by the rite of exorcism and the anointing with oil Waters of the baptismal font are then blessed Those present make a profession of faith, including a renunciation of sin on behlaf The Baptism follows, usually involving a pouring of water on the baby’s head The child is then clothed in a white baptismal garment Parents and God parents receive a baptismal candle Priest or Deacon prays the prayer of Ephphatha asking that the child’s ears will be open to receive the word of God and that their mouth will be open to proclaim the Gospel The Our Father is then prayed followed by a final  blessing Orthodox Orthodox Churches celebrate the sacrament of Baptism within a wider rite of initiation Also includes Chrismation (anointing) and Eucharist Baptism involves the full immersion of the child three times in the baptismal font The triple immersion parallels the belief in the Trinity Prayers coinciding with the immersion invoke the Father, Son and Spirit Baptism is followed immediately by the anointing of the body with oils and the proclamation of the seal of the Holy Spirit This is known as Chrismation Child receives Eucharist immediately after Adult Baptism All Christian denominations which practice baptism incorporate a rite for the baptism of adults Among the Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox Churches the majority of people are baptised as children Among some Protestant Churches infant baptism is not practiced at all These Churches believe that baptism should be conferred only after a person has made a conscious decision to believe in Jesus Christ Churches such as the Baptist Church and most Pentecostal Churches such as Assemblies of God practice adult baptism Also known as believer baptism Baptism in the sprit Churches which exclusively practice adult or believer baptism generally do not accept the validity of an infant baptism in another Christian denomination Require a second baptism or a confirmation of baptism sometimes referred to as baptism in the Spirit. Baptism is regarded as an ordinance in Baptist Churches It is some that has been ordered or required of them by Jesus as indicated in the bible Baptist tradition In the Baptist tradition, believer baptism would normally be held as part of the Sunday worship service Most Baptist Churches are designed with a  baptismal area to allow for the full immersion of believers Usually at the front of the Church and adjacent to enclosed areas to allow those being prepare by dressing in a baptismal garment and also to change from the wet garment after the baptism The Baptist service often includes a testimony by the person being baptised who publicly declares their faith in Jesus. Pentecostal churches In Pentecostal Churches there are few set patterns or rites Baptism is usually done through full immersion Many Pentecostal groups will carry out baptisms in public places such as beaches, rivers and lakes where full immersion can be practiced May also decide to use a swimming pool for the rite Sample Response (‘Describe’ – 3 Marks): Baptism is a significant practice followed by most Christian denominations. It is used as a rite of initiation for people wishing to join the Christian community. The core elements of the rite of baptism are the immersion in water or the sprinkling or pouring of water and the profession of faith by, or on behalf of, the person being baptised. While there is considerable variety in the forms of baptism used by various Christian denominations, the core elements of baptism of water and a profession of faith are evident across the spectrum of Christianity. Other elements that are frequently included are readings from the bible, a sermon or homily from the presiding minister, the tracing of the sign of the cross on the forehead of the person being baptised, anointing with oil, prayers for the candidate, clothing in a white garment and presentation of a lighted baptismal candle. The most common form of baptism involves the baptism of infants, however, some Christian denominations do not accept this practice and will only baptise adults who have made a conscious decision to follow the Christian faith. (184) Demonstrate how the chosen practice expresses the beliefs of Christianity Ancient origins Origins of the practice of baptism are ancient Pre-date Christianity itself Some Jewish groups were practising baptism prior to the ministry of Jesus. John the Baptist had baptism as the hallmark of his ministry (Mark 1:4). Jesus’ baptism Jesus accepted the baptism of John (Mark 1:9) Gave instructions to his followers to baptise people in his name (Matthew 28:19) Baptism has great significance in the Christian tradition Expresses a number of important beliefs. Water as a central symbol Water as the central symbol of baptism reflects the belief in God as creator and humankind’s dependence on God Calls to mind images of the waters of chaos from the Genesis accounts of creation (Genesis 1:2) The destructive power of the flood in the story of Noah (Genesis 7-8) The miraculous crossing of the Red Sea in the accounts of the Exodus (Exodus 14) Image of water also calls to mind the image of the womb and the discussion of rebirth in water and the Spirit in John’s Gospel (John 3) This imagery of this story closely parallels the Christian understanding of baptism as a rebirth from original sin into the life of the Spirit The holy trinity Reconciles adherent with trinity > baptised in name of trinity â€Å"Make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit† (Matthew 28:18-20) Repentance Christian understanding of baptism contains a sense of the repentance highlighted in the ministry of John the Baptist The act of repentance proclaimed in John’s baptism expresses the idea of turning away from sin which is integral to the practice of baptism Christians believe that in baptism they are turning away from or renouncing sin and evil and turning in a positive way to live the life of the Spirit â€Å"Repent and be baptised every one of you† (Acts2:38) â€Å"Rise and be baptised and wash away your sins† (Acts 2) Spiritual purification which allows adherent to open self to God in good conscience (1Peter 3:21) Body of Christ: salvation Baptism also expresses the belief of Christians in the Church as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13) Christians are baptised into the Church, which is the body of Christ As a consequence of becoming part of this body the believer is able to experience more fully the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus In a spiritual sense, the believer is able to participate through the body of Christ in the mystery of Jesus’ dying and rising â€Å"All were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death†¦therefore†¦just as Christ was raised from the dead and through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life† (Romans 6:3-4) Promise of eternal life > to â€Å"walk in the newness of life† (Romans) â€Å"No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Holy Spirit† John 3:3-5 Early church Early Church community as depicted in the Acts of the Apostles regarded baptism as a necessary element of salvation (Acts 2:38) Sign of their repentance, proclaimed their forgiveness from sin and allowed them to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit The beliefs that baptism is integral to salvation, that it signifies repentance and forgiveness of sin and that it allows for the coming of the Spirit are important beliefs of the Christian faith that are expressed in the practice of baptism Symbols and rituals Symbols used during the rite of baptism also express significant beliefs of the Christian tradition Sign of the cross is used in a number of places in the rite; this simple symbol and ritual action expresses the Christian belief in the triune God which is at the heart of the Christian faith Water Water is another important symbol and links to many ideas in the Christian tradition Water reflects the belief in rebirth and in cleansing from sin which are at the heart of the Christian gospel Anointing Oil is a traditional symbol for healing and strength Also used in the sense of mandating or setting someone aside for a purpose Seen in the anointing of a king such as the anointing of Saul (1 Samuel 10:1-3) Christians are anointed with oil as a sign of their mandate to share in the ministry of Jesus White garment This symbolises the purity of the baptised person Expresses the idea that in baptism the individual is cleansed from original sin Baptism is therefore a new beginning for Christians Baptismal candle It brings to mind notions of Jesus being the light of the world (John 8:12) The word of God being a guiding light for people to follow (Psalm 119:105) Symbolises the conflict between good and evil Light dispelling the darkness in and through the ministry of Jesus (John 1:4-6) Expresses the idea of the gifts bestowed on the individual and their responsibility to use these gifts in service to others (Matthew 5:16) Sample response (‘Analyse’ – 6 Marks): The practice of baptism is an important rite in most denominations of Christianity. It holds a central place as a rite of initiation and expresses many significant beliefs of the Christian tradition. The use of water as the central symbol of baptism reflects the belief in God as creator and humankind’s dependence on God. It calls to mind images of the accounts of creation (Genesis 1:2), the flood (Genesis 7-8) and the Exodus. (Exodus 14).The image of water also calls to mind the image of the womb and the discussion of rebirth in water and the Spirit in John’s Gospel (John 3). This imagery of this story closely parallels the Christian understanding of baptism as a rebirth from original sin into the life of the Spirit. The early Church community as depicted in the Acts of the Apostles regarded baptism as a necessary element of salvation (Acts 2:38).The act of repentance proclaimed in baptism expresses the idea of turning away from sin which is integral to the practice of baptism. Christians believe that in baptism they are turning away from or renouncing sin and evil and turning in a positive way to live the life of the Spirit. The practice of baptism in the Christian tradition also expresses the belief of Christians in the Church as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). In a spiritual sense, the believer is able to participate through the body of Christ in the mystery of Jesus’ dying and rising. The symbols used during the rite of baptism also express significant beliefs of the Christian tradition. The most obvious of these is the sign of the cross which is used in a number of places in the rite. This simple symbol and ritual action expresses the Christian belief in the triune God which is at the heart of the Christian faith. The anointing with the oil of Chrism is another important symbol. Oil is a traditional symbol for healing and strength. In baptism, Christians are anointed with oil as a sign of their mandate to share in the ministry of Jesus. The use of a white garment symbolises the purity of the baptised person and expresses the idea that in baptism the individual is cleansed from original sin. (374 words) Analyse the significance of this practice for both the individual and the Christian community Significance of baptism for Individual: Intro: Define baptism Different teachings but common importance The individual is formally accepted into community > share in mission of Church, a rite of passage signifying maturity and conscious commitment to Christ (where adult baptism is concerned) The individual is invited to share in the rich heritage of the sacrament: Parallels with great flood, exodus through the Red Sea > new life, regeneration, freedom from slavery (1 Corinthians 10) Jesus baptized: â€Å"then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptised by him†Ã‚  (Matthew 3) The individual repents and is able to receive salvation: Recognition of inherently sinful nature and need for forgiveness Repent > purifies individual as a symbolic act of internal change â€Å"This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body†¦but it saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ† 1 Peter 3:21 Relationship with God > premise for eternal life >Romans talks of being baptised into eternal life so individuals can â€Å"walk in newness of life† â€Å"All were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death†¦therefore†¦just as Christ was raised from the dead and through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life† (Romans 6:3-4) Significance for Community: Affirms the responsibility of the Christian community to support and encourage one another in spiritual development Reinforces importance of roles of parents, godparents/sponsors etc Expands the spiritual house of God >â€Å"But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women† (Acts 8:12) > this encourages other Christians to continue spreading word Adherents become â€Å"living stones† to be built into the house of God (Deuteronomy 2:5) Cohesion of witness > after Sunday worship so whole congregation can witness Some churches annually baptise whole congregations > renewal of baptismal promises and recital of Creed Sample response (‘Explain’ – 6 Marks): Baptism is a significant practice followed by most Christian denominations. It is used as a rite of initiation for people wishing to join the Christian community. The rite of baptism is significant adherents of Christianity in a number of ways. Firstly it can be regarded as significant because of its ties with the earliest Christian communities and indeed with Jesus’ life and ministry itself. Secondly, it can be regarded as significant for the theological  reflection that if offers to both the individual and the community. Thirdly, it has enormous significance in the saving action of God and the formation of a Christian community. Finally, it has all the significance of an authentic rite of passage for both the individual and the community. The fact that baptism is an ancient ritual is significant for the individual because they walk the same path and share the same rite that has been practiced among Christians since the earliest days of the Church. It is also important for the Christian community as a whole because in celebrating each rite of baptism they are perpetuating the ancient tradition and honouring the intention of Jesus and the early disciples. The rite of baptism has great possibilities for theological reflection. The richness of this reflection is very significant for the individual. There are abundant opportunities for prayerful reflection and spiritual development in the rite of baptism. For the community, the theological richness provides a source of constant reflection and renewal. Further significance of the practice of baptism can be seen in the theological dimension of its place in the economy of salvation. This is significant for the individual who, through their baptism, receives the assurance that they have received the forgiveness of the sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through baptism they are now a member of the body of Christ. The rite of baptism is a profound marker in the life of the community. It marks both their growth through the new member of the community and also is witness to their mission to bring the gospel to others. Baptism is also an authentic rite of passage, for the individual there is significance in the sense of belonging experienced, the sharing with a community of common mind and faith. The community is invigorated when it is engaged in the task of the gospel and enriched by the presence of a new member of the community. (401 words) Sample response (Outline purpose and assess significance – 20 Marks) Baptism is clearly a most significant practice for most Christian denominations. It has profound significance for the person who is baptised and is also important for the Christian community as a whole. The significance can be viewed from a number of different perspectives. Firstly it can be regarded as significant because of its ties with the earliest Christian communities and indeed with the life and ministry itself. Secondly it can be regarded as significant for the theological reflection that if offers to both the individual and the community. Thirdly it has enormous significance in the saving action of God and the formation of a Christian community. Finally it has all the significance of an authentic rite of passage for both the individual and the community. Baptism is an ancient ritual. It has belonged in the life of the Christian community since its inception and indeed predates the Christian movement in the context of Judaism. It seems apparent that some Jewish groups were practising baptism prior to the ministry of Jesus. Indeed, John the Baptist, who is presented in the Gospels as a forerunner to the ministry of Jesus had baptism as the hallmark of his own ministry (Mark 1:4). Jesus himself accepted the baptism of John (Mark 1:9) and gave instructions to his followers to baptise people in his name (Matthew 28:19). Obviously the practice of baptism has great significance in the Christian tradition and indeed it relates to and expresses a number of important beliefs. For the earliest Christians baptism was a profoundly significant event and for Christians today, the possibility of sharing in an event of such ancient significance is rich and rewarding. It is significant for the individual because they walk the same path and share the same rite that has been practiced among Christians since the earliest days of the Church. It is also important for the Christian community as a whole because in celebrating each rite of baptism they are perpetuating the ancient tradition and honouring the intention of Jesus and the early disciples. The rite of baptism has great possibilities for theological reflection. There are images of death  and new life which call to mind the death and resurrection of Jesus. There are also Images of creation and renewal which convey an understanding about the great saving actions of the God of Israel. Further aspects of the rite of baptism allow reflection on the struggle between good and evil in the images of light and darkness. Other images call for reflection on the idea of repentance and forgiveness as well as cleansing and renewal. Indeed it is difficult to find significant aspects of Christian theology which are not captured in the tradition, the symbols and the ritual actions associated with the practice of baptism. The richness of this reflection is very significant for the individual. Whether it be for the candidate preparing for their own baptism or a parent or God parent preparing for a child’s baptism, there are abundant opportunities for prayerful reflection and spiritual development in the rite of baptism. Many Churches invite candidates to prepare for baptism or to prepare for their role as parents or God parents through engaging in a preparation course which helps them make connections between theological themes and their own experience. For the community, the theological richness provides a source of constant reflection and renewal. Many Christian communities invite congregations to renew their own baptismal promises on the occasion of baptisms in the local Church community. These occasions challenge the members of the community to constantly reflect on their vocation as Christians and the significance of their own baptism. The involvement of the community in assisting candidates prepare for their baptism and praying for those involved is yet another dimension of the significance for the community. Further significance of the practice of baptism can be seen in the theological dimension of its place in the economy of salvation. The early Church community as depicted in the Acts of the Apostles regarded baptism as a necessary element of salvation (Acts 2:38). It was a sign of their repentance, proclaimed their forgiveness from sin and allowed them to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The beliefs that baptism is integral to salvation, that it signifies repentance and forgiveness of sin and that it  allows for the coming of the Spirit are important beliefs of the Christian faith that are expressed in the practice of baptism. This is significant for the individual who through their baptism receives the assurance that they have received the forgiveness of the sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through baptism they are now a member of the body of Christ. The rite of baptism is a profound marker in the life of the community. It marks both their growth through the new member of the community and also is witness to their mission to bring the gospel to others. Baptism is also an authentic rite of passage. It marks the transition of the individual from one stage or state in life onto the next. In terms of the Christian community it marks the transition of a person from being outside of this community to becoming a fully initiated. Thus for the individual there is significance in the sense of belonging experienced, the sharing with a community of common mind and faith. For the community, the process of supporting a person through their preparation and welcoming them into the community through baptism is also highly significant. The community is invigorated when it is engaged in the task of the gospel and enriched by the presence of a new member of the community.