Monday, September 30, 2019

Juvenile and Adult Courts Essay

One dilemma that is an issue in our society is crime among our youths. Crime is everywhere that is caused by both adults and youth. Daily we hear of murders, robberies, and rapes that have been committed by juveniles. The Juvenile Court with Adult Court is different and similar in the criminal justice system. A look at the juvenile history in 1643 a sixteen year old boy was put to death for sodomizing a cow. Today many states disagree in the execution of juveniles. In the present day the increasing violence, both juvenile and adult system has changed over the years (Simmons 2002). The juvenile philosophy in juvenile courts was to offer the youth an individualized justice and treatment instead of imparting justice and punishment. The juvenile court is different then adult court and from earlier periods of American history was the idea of protecting the children. The focus is treatment and the best interest of the child in the disposition. Since the increase of serious violent crimes by juveniles policymakers have argued for tougher penalties are needed in deterring crime among juveniles. This caused an increase of juveniles in adult courts. It seems that tougher policies have not decrease or deter juveniles for committing serious crimes. There are five major ways juveniles get transferred to adult courts. 1. Discretionary judicial wavier, 2. Mandatory judicial wavier, 3. Presumptive judicial wavier, when the burden of the proof is on the juvenile courts is more appropriate, 4. Prosecutorial direction to charge in adult court, 5. Statutory exclusion provision, which automatically exclude certain  juveniles due to their age (Simmons 2002). Similarities: Juvenile and Adult. You can ask yourself two questions? Do juveniles who are in adults court getting treated harsh compared to theses in juveniles court? Do juveniles in adults court not repeat offense that those in juvenile court? According to the Serious Violent Juveniles Offenders study group no real study has been done on the two questions many of us ask ourselves. The juvenile/adult justice system refers to the police, the juvenile/adult courts, their intake and probation officers, attorneys for the state and the juvenile/adult/parents, juvenile/adults detention/jail faculties, juvenile/adult correctional faculties, social worker that place juveniles that are court ordered. Each area of the system has different discretions that keep the system in check. Juveniles/adults both have the right to receive Miranda warning. Juveniles/adults are protected from prejudicial lineups producers (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Equivalent guidelines protect juveniles and adults from admitting guilt. Prosecutors and defense attorney both have a significant responsibility in both juvenile and adult advocacy. Juveniles and adults have both the right to a counsel for the court proceedings. Similarities of negotiation or plea barging exist in both juveniles and adults offenders. Juveniles and adults both have the right to a hearing and appeal. Juveniles and adults can be both placed on probation. Both juveniles and adults can be detaining for pretrial in jail. Juveniles and adults can be kept in jails without bail, if they are a threat or dangerous. After the trail both juveniles and adults can be placed into a treatment program (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Diferences: Juveniles and Adult. The juvenile and adult systems are similar in many ways and yet are also different in many ways. In the juvenile system the standard of evidence of juvenile delinquency adjudications, in adult court trail it is the proof  beyond a reasonable doubt (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). The vital purpose of the juvenile courts is to protect and treatment for the child. Whereas adults the focus is to punish the guilty. Age determines the jurisdiction for a juvenile in juvenile court. The nature of the offense determines jurisdiction in the adult system (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Juveniles proceeding are not considered criminal; adult proceedings are. Juvenile court proceeding are usually informal and confidential. Whereas adult courts are held more formal and are open to the public and are not confidential. Courts can release the identity or any information about a juvenile in a trail to the media, but the courts must release any information regarding an adult to the media (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Juveniles can be detained for acts that would not be considered criminal if they were adults, status offense. In the juvenile court parents/guardians are involved in every step of the proceedings, but not in the adults’ process. The juvenile can be release to their parents/guardians supervision if the charge is not a felony or if there is a need for protection. Adults if not a threat or dangerous are given a possibility for bail (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Some major differences between juveniles and adults are the issue that juveniles have no right to a jury trail, adults have that right. Juveniles who are questioned by a police officer can just give their names and address; they parents/guardians must be notified. Juveniles can be searched but must express rejection, but in a school sitting a search without probable cause is valid. For adults they are detained and must answer any question they choose to answer without an attorney, searches are done for officer safety, probable cause must be present. A juveniles’ record can be sealed at the age of maturity, usually at the age of 18 years old. For adults the records are permanent (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Benefits and disadvantages of juvenile court from the perspective of a youth offender. The death penalty is a conservational issue in the criminal justice system today. Capital punishment is allowed in 35 states. Over the past years some of those that were executed were seventeen years old when they committed the crime of murder. The Supreme Court ruled in the case of Thompson v. Oklahoma 1988 that it is unconstitutional to execute juveniles who commit a crime at the age of 15 years old (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Then a year later the Supreme Court ruled a juvenile who commits a crime at the age of 16 can be executed. Even though Thompson’s life was spared this still leaves a question whether juveniles’ murders are criminals who deserve to die or whether or not they can be rehabilitate to learn to live a productive life. The issue is more conservational for executing juveniles then adults (Allard, Young. 2002). Despite the rights secured by the case Gerald Gaullt, juveniles can still de deprived of some freedom for actions that would be considered criminal if an adult. Some of these offenses are truancy, running away, and incorrigibility. Juveniles are minors and are immature, incapable and protection is waived if they commit an adult crime. The juvenile system is been criticized because children have many rights that caused the fine line to be less define between childhood and adulthood (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Thinking for a juvenile offender is the fresh beginning of a new life after the age of 18 years of age, juvenile records are sealed. The idea that you can be treated and to understand a life of crime only makes life harder when becoming an adult. Societal implications of abolishing juvenile court. The juvenile system is set up to protect the best interest of the child. Since the change of crime and time juveniles are committing adult crimes. The system is so well establish. Judges preside over juvenile court in all  states. The implication of doing away with the juvenile system will just only cause confusing and cause the system to obstruct the entire criminal justice system. Recommendations for the future of the Juvenile Justice system. The juvenile court of the future will likely remain in our society. The focus of the future juvenile court is to intervene on behalf of children and families in crisis. The court’s jurisdiction in the future maybe to focus less on delinquent cases that involved juveniles who are older and have committed serious crime. The focus of the best interest of the child will remain the foundation of the system (Roleff 2000) The future of children’s rights lie in the hands of every state. The history of the juvenile justice system has brought its own political, economic, and social challenges, their will always be conservational issues. The future of the system is that children now have the real opportunity to express their voice and ideas on how they can improve their world. The future goal should focus on early intervention, the juvenile court personnel must work outside the system to find the best for the child. A continuing characteristic of the system will always be age based jurisdiction (Roleff 2000). The future trend in the juvenile system will be the issues of juveniles begin transferred to adult court. The fine line of juvenile court borderlines between adult courts of those juveniles who commit a serious crime. Risk Assessment is tools that are completed for every juvenile that enters the court system. The assessment should change with time, to fit the juvenile. These programs that are resulted from the assessment focus, on prevention or rehabilitation. Prevention programs are to prevent juveniles from becoming delinquents. Rehabilitation programs are to focus on reducing delinquency. And just maybe with their voice and their parents and the help of each state will conventionality change future ideas. I work at the Pima County Adult Detention Center here in Tucson; the jail holds juveniles who have committed adult crimes in the West Facility. The unit is considered a specialized unit; the unit uses a point system to encourage positive behaviors. The treatment programs is totally different then the adult inmates. They also get hold meals and snacks every day. The jail also has schooling for the juveniles, which is required for them to attend. The unit also has another unit that hold new arrestees and those juveniles who are a threat to staff, or other inmates. I never really knew what happens to juveniles who commit serious crime until now. With time the juvenile justice system will always change as time goes by. The Supreme Court will always hear cases that will make changes in the system. Crime is a increasing among our youths and will always be a challenging battle for us in the law enforcement community. All we can is to embrace change for the best and to understand the future lies in the hands of our children. As a Correction Officer for Pima County Sheriff Department I would like to see what happen in the aspect of juveniles in adult detention centers. References 1. Allard, Paterica and Young, Malcolm. (2002). The Sentencing Project: Prosecuting Juveniles in Adult Court. 2. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. December (2003). Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved August 30, 2005, from University of Phoenix Web site: https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/201370.pdf http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/294/294lect01.htm . 3. Kalinich, D., Klofas, J., & Stojkovic, S. (2003). Criminal Justice Organizations. Retrieved August 30, 2005, from University of Phoenix Web site: https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp 4. Roleff, Tamara. (2000). Crime and Criminal. Greenhaven Press, Inc. 5. Simmons, Adele. (2002). A century of juvenile justice. The University of Chicago Press. 6. White, Carter. (2002). Reclaiming incarcerated youths through education. Corrections Today Volt 64, Issue 2, Apr 2002. Record Number: 123325831.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Media Coverage and the Right to a Fair Trial

In her written statement last November 9 2005, Barbara E. Bergman, the President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, aptly stated in behalf of the NACDL that the fundamental issue of every criminal trial is not to entertain, nor to educate, but to administer justice[1].The controversy regarding whether media coverage of criminal trials is detrimental to a fair trial or not is hotly debated and difficult to balance. Even high caliber lawyers have not reached a general consensus about the issue. The tension between the pros and cons of the said subject is still being balanced every time process of litigation is on going. Questions arising from this issue involved: How much of the media be allowed? Will it be helpful to let the media cover every trial of a particular case from start to finish?What about the parties involved? Does decision to permit the media or not be the sole right of the judge, or is it the right of all the parties involved, including the defendan t? These are but â€Å"some† of the important components that embody the whole subject. The apprehension is that, too much publicity might affect the trial’s fairness. The unrestrained freedom given might be used or manipulated to influence fair and just decisions on the parts of the jury and the judge.This paper covers the different views pertaining to media coverage/publicity of a trial. What are the advantages and disadvantages when media coverage is allowed? What are the effects – negative or positive – of the media to a fair trial?The Pros of PublicityArguments for media coverage inside the courtroom are solid and convincing. As cited by Bergman in her written testimony, it promotes â€Å"civic awareness† raises â€Å"government accountability,† and enhances â€Å"legal professionalism†[2]. Bergman was right when she pointed these three positive results of opening the court to the public via media reporting. A prying press, in th is case, has become and is indeed a friend and complimentary to the justice system. It exposes everything. When there is malpractice on the side of the police, the prosecutors, and the judges, the media is supportive and contributory in the exacting of fairness to the opposite side[3].It is also appeasing to the public, especially when a particular case is controversial – involving celebrities or notorious personalities. The public whose curiosity have made them a part of the trial must be given the chance to participate, or else, mistrust to jurisprudence will take place among people in general, as a result. Media coverage is of great assistance in this area.It prevents closed door proceedings and subjects people of authority to the scrutiny of the public and thus avoid further corruptions which could otherwise happen when media is banned from the deliberations. Another plus of the coverage of criminal trials is that it promotes respect to the justice system. It alleviates t he mystery of secrecy in closed insulated proceedings. When there is no care on the part of those involved in executing justice inside hearings and open trial is rather encouraged, public trust heightens, and thus deference to whatever outcomes – may it be comporting to the general sentiment of the public or not.Because there is also that â€Å"damning stigma† to the so-called pretrial publicity (an irony inherent to media coverage), open trial dispels this. The consequent result that oftentimes reverses the guilty verdict of the public restores the already smeared reputation of the criminal defendant. When charges are dismissed, and the premature guilty judgment is eventually proven wrong, the supposed criminal is vindicated before the watching community.Last point in favor of media involvement, is the benefit that the government, the people, and jurisprudence itself, obtain in this process. Insights to the already wisely crafted laws are contemplated and possible or potential modification of existing laws is considered. As Barbara E. Bergman has stated in her testimony, â€Å"Court TV must be credited for its considerable contributions in all of these areas†[4].The Cons of Media CoverageThe arguments against media involvement in judicial processes are equally convincing. There are also disadvantages to unrestrained media meddling. One primary concern is its negative effects to the parties involved in a particular litigation. The conspicuous presence of cameras inside the courtroom will affect the behaviors of the â€Å"main players† of a specific case.It will thus weaken the procedure or the â€Å"fair administration of justice†[5]. Because lawyers, defendants, jurors, and judges, and witnesses are aware that they are being watched, in this kind of scenario, their tendency is to act unnaturally; in other words, they may act hypocritically, and this will be to the detriment of fair judicial process. In the O.J. Simpson case, there were instances when crucial witnesses withheld their testimonies because of fear that they are being watched by the public[6].If the jurors had been made aware beforehand that the case they were handling would be televised and publicized, the overall verdict would definitely be affected. Concern for the public’s opinion of whatever the eventual decisions they will ever come up regarding the future of the defendant, will or may get into the deliberations process.ConclusionThe important thing in the whole scenario of judicial procedures everywhere is striking a balance between the pros and the cons of media involvement. First, of course is the fairness that begins in whose authority it is to say â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† to the media. As the NACDL has forged and is now binding in the courts of America, all parties involved in the case – Judge, Prosecutors, Defendants, etc. – have to be asked. Everyone must be given the freedom to exercise his/he r right. Is it true that, because the eyes of the general public are watching a particular case, it thus precludes a fair trial?Does presence of cameras in the court demean and disrupt the proceedings? Are the participants in the hearing process – judges, attorneys, jurors, and witnesses – get affected negatively, and therefore adjust their behavior because they are conscious that they are being watched? No one knows for sure whether these are true or not. They may be in many cases, and again, maybe not. The important thing is to strike a balance in both sides and apply what is necessary to secure due process of law. Remember, the fundamental issue in every criminal trial is the administration of justice, not entertainment nor to educate.Works CitedBergman, Barbara. 2005. Cameras in the Courtroom. National Association of Defense Criminal Lawyers accessed on April 28, 2007 in. http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=1672&wit_id=4801.Goldfarb, Ronald. The Trial of t he Century Accessed on April 28, 2007I Reiner, â€Å"Cameras Keep Justice System in Focus,† The National Law Journal, October 23, 1995, p. A23. in Goldfarb, Ronald. The Trial of the Century Accessed on April 28, 2007Cameras in the Courtroom. 2005 National Association of Defense Criminal Lawyers in   http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=1672&wit_id=4801.Ibid. Goldfarb, Ronald. The Trial of the Century. Accessed in http://www.cosmos-club.org/web/journals/1998/goldfarb.html http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=1672&wit_id=4801. Ibid. I Reiner, â€Å"Cameras Keep Justice System in Focus,† The National Law Journal, October 23, 1995, p. A23. in Goldfarb, Ronald. The Trial of the Century Accessed on April 28, 2007 in http://www.cosmos-club.org/web/journals/1998/goldfarb.htmlhttp://www.cosmos-club.org/web/journals/1998/goldfarb.html.   

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Benefits And Opportunities For Business Using Internet Marketing

Benefits And Opportunities For Business Using Internet Marketing The website helps businesses to communicate- for example customers can fill in questionnaires or surveys about the website or store this helps the business to improve. Customers can easily go on website to make queries or enquiries, for example on the B&Q website when you click on ‘Contact Us’ and then click on the ‘Enquiries’ this shows you the another link that has a test of ‘General Enquiry.’ When you click on ‘General Enquiry’ the site gives you a webpage and customers can easily fill in a quick Enquiry form- that has the Title, Name, Address, etc also a box that you can fill in Enquiry details. When the customer is done filling in the Enquiry Form the customer can click on ‘Submit.’ This is good for the B&Q because you get quick feedback due to it being quicker than customer writing a letter (Serve- Add Value and Save- Save Costs). Easier to promote their products- especially when B&Q products are on Special Offer s, Sales, for Example B&Q on their homepage has ‘The Half Price Sale,’ ‘15% Off Everything from 26th to 30th January 2010 in Stores only’ ‘15% Off Selected Switches and Sockets,’ ‘50% of Selected Power Tools,’ ‘20% Off Selected Heating More Lines Added.’ This is an advantage for the business because it helps them to promote their customers and non-customers. Those who do not have the time to travel to B &Q or those who are not aware about their products in store and the Sales (Save- Save Costs and Sizzle- Extend the brand online). More frequent individualised communications to build relationship- When customers have an account with B&Q, the business send emails of deals, promotions and products consumers may be interested in. This is benefit to B&Q for the reason that it promotes their products to gain one-to-one relationship (Relationship deepening), increase their sales and avoids their customers going to their compe titors. Opportunities for Product Development Use of Internet Information to Identify Product Development- this is a benefit to B&Q because they can also use the Internet to gather information about the customers’ views and perceptions about their websites, their products and improvements the company could make. This is an advantage for B&Q given that it would help them to satisfy their customer and get new customers too plus it would be much cheaper and save time for B&Q to carry this online then to pay loads money to their staff who would have to go to the high street and ask these same questions to people or the staff goes in the B&Q store to ask their customers but most people may not want to be stopped in store, since they prefer just to shop around. Ability to link traditional methods with online marketing (‘bricks and clicks’) – this is again great B&Q because it enables them to promote their products online and offline. Plus it helps to generate sa les due to the fact that customers could order a product online that may not be in stock (Sell- Grow Sales). This is an advantage since the business can promote to those who do not shop in stores (online customers).

Friday, September 27, 2019

What I have learned this year Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What I have learned this year - Essay Example This year, this class has benefited me as I prepare for my future career.I have learned how to make presentations, which is an important skill that I will engage in during the preparation of presentations that I will be making to people. I have also learned how to create excellent essays while following every detail required while preparing great essays. In this case, I have learned the mechanics of writing essays while following the required format and style; the importance of good grammar; the choice of words in essay writing; and the importance of proofreading and editing my essays before submission. In addition, putting my ideas in an essay has taught me the importance of being assertive, which has improved my debating skills as I have gained the capacity to argue and defend my position. However, I know I can improve these skills by practicing a lot in order to be efficient when I engage in any activity. Reflective Essay Students undertake different courses in school in order to prepare themselves for future career work and their life. In this case, the classes that students undertake should help them build their skills and enhance their knowledge so that they can engage in their careers effectively. While some students fail to see the importance of some of the diminutive elements in their education, these elements are crucial in ensuring that students were well-equipped for future jobs and careers. For example, it is evident that an element such as cultural differences may appear minute while considering its face value. However, it is essential to point out that this skill is crucial during inter-cultural communication since different cultures interpret language differently. Hence, the failure to value the importance of this diminutive element may challenge communication between two parties and fail to achieve the objectives. That said, it is crucial for students to consider all key elements that enhance communication. Throughout this year, I have learned formidable skills that will help me build my career in busi ness since these skills will be crucial during communication as we are all aware that successful business involves effective communication of business proposal and ideas. First, I have learned the importance of preparing good presentations that will communicate my ideas and arguments in a manner that was clear and effective. Chivers and Schoolbred (2007, p.20) noted that good presentations should be â€Å"interesting and useful to the learning situation, but they can be enjoyable, even memorable.† In line with this, I have learned the skills of writing presentations that do not veer off the topic of discussion while avoiding regurgitation. In this case, I ensure that my presentations were clear and to the point in order to inform the reader or the listener about the content matter in the topic of discussion. In addition, I ensure that my presentations inspired the listeners and readers while they also grabbed and held their attention. However, I realise that I cannot prepare a good presentation without engaging basic skills that are required to develop the presentation. In line with this, this class has taught me the basic skills required to develop a good presentation. Beck, Bennett, and Wall (2005) identify preparation as the main essential element in developing an excellent presentation. Thus, I have learned t

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Three Types of System-Wide, Human Process Interventions Essay

Three Types of System-Wide, Human Process Interventions - Essay Example In order to generate a comprehensive understanding of organizational development, three types of system-wide human processes had been identified namely Confrontation Meeting, Intergroup Relation and Large-Group Intervention.Thereby, based on this approach, the paper shall concentrate on describing the various features of the categories and their influence on the organizational behavior.Table of Contents Summary 2 1.0. Introduction 4 2.0. Types of System-wide, Human Process Intervention 5 2.1. Confrontation Meeting 5 2.2. Intergroup Relation 6 2.3. Large-Group Intervention 7 3.0. Conclusion 8 References 9 1.0. Introduction The term ‘Organizational Development’ can be defined as the usage of the behavioral and science-based interventions that have been planned in the work setting in order to improve the functioning of the organization and the individual development.Notably, changes may take place at any point of time in the work setting since the world is continuously chan ging.Contextually, the organizational change consultants and the change leaders have an important role to play in facilitating human process interventions.The responsibility of the OC consultant is to facilitate the work of aligning the structure of the organization, its culture and the human processes adhering to the organization’s strategic plan. ... In the same way, the interventions of different intensities may ultimately yield different results (Porras, 2011). 2.1. Confrontation Meeting The system-wide process intervention techniques help to advance the processes such as vision, organizational problem-solution, task accomplishment and leadership between the groups for the purpose of the major subsystem. The first intervention is the organization confrontation meeting. It is one of the most ancient wide process intervention techniques. It aims at the mobilization of the employees in order to solve their problems at times of stress (Sangamithra, n.d.). At times the top management of the organization may face the problem of accessing accurately the state of the organization’s health in times of stress or change. When there is a major change in the organization such as change in the leadership or the organization structure through mergers and/or acquisitions, or introduction of any kind of new technology, there tends to be great confusions that have a negative impact on the productivity and the morale of the employees. Therefore, at times of such difficulties the group of top management may spend many hours together and try to solve the business problem. They can also try to find out a feasible solution in order to cope up with the problem. Now at the same time these managers may spend less time with their subordinates as well as with the rest of the organization. The people in the lower level often complain as being left out. They report of feeling less sense of possession in the organization. When these kinds of problems are faced by the organization then the top management may take actions in order to bring back the situation at stable

Research Article Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Article - Research Paper Example This relationship is the essence of organizational behavior as Sims (2002) defines organizational behavior â€Å"as the actions and attitudes of people in the organization.† These actions and attitudes of people are greatly shaped by their personality traits and play a significant role in their organizational performance. Similarly, the research article also deals with the advancement of organizational effectiveness. This is done by providing ways to effectively manage the various dimensions of an individual’s personality such as extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experience. Elanain’s (2007) article starts with an introduction which discusses previous researches regarding the relationship between personality and job performance. The existing literature indicates a significant relationship personality traits and performance dimensions. The introduction then gives a definition of personality traits as enduring patte rns of thought, emotion, and behavior that are not likely to change over time and explain people’s behavior across different situations. ... The article further indicates an inconsistency in the personality-performance relationship which is explained by individual variables and situational conditions that encourage or limit the influence of personality attributes on performance, and influence the relationship between personality traits and performance. In order to control the effects on Organizational Citizenship Behavior, an individual dimension (work locus of control) and situational dimension (organizational justice) are used. The introduction ends with an explanation of the purpose of the study which is to examine the relationship between FFM personality traits and OCB after controlling the impact of the control variables (Elanain, 2007). The overall introduction is quite logical and explanatory. It provides readers with the definitions and descriptions of variables involved in the study. Furthermore, the introduction also provides evidence from previous researches that support the existing research paper. On the othe r hand, the author mentions the purpose of the research at the end of the introduction, but there is no further explanation provided. In addition, there is no section of Problem of the Statement which would have been helped the readers understand the issue under study better (Elanain, 2007). Theoretical Framework/Hypotheses The author then discusses the literature review which is divided into three parts; the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of Personality, the Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and predicting OCB from personality. Here the author provides the five dimensions of FFM that include, Extraversion (sociable vs. introverted), Agreeableness (cooperative vs. competitive), Conscientiousness (organized and planful vs. unorganized and careless),

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Training paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Training paper - Essay Example There are several techniques that can be used to collect information for a needs assessment and these include observation, questionnaire and interview (Needs Assessment 11). The first technique is through observation. The advantage of this technique is that it generates data relevant to work environment; however, this technique requires a skilled observer to be effective. The second technique to collect information is through the use of questionnaires. An advantage of this technique is that one can collect data from a large sample, yet it is not costly. The disadvantage of using questionnaires is the possibility of getting low return rates and inappropriate responses. Conducting interviews is another technique used to collect information for needs assessment. The benefit of this technique is that questions can be modified depending on the response of the interviewee; however, a skilled interviewer is needed to do this. It is also time consuming and difficult to analyze. An organization has to conduct an organizational analysis before designing a training course because it must make sure that the training program is congruent with the strategies of the corporation. It must also take into account that the training program can be supported by the available resources of the company. Support of management and the employees who will take part in the training program is essential for the success of the program. The information acquired from an organizational analysis are the training resources available for the company and the qualities of the people who will be part of the training program. Aside from these information, the analysis will also acquire information on the objectives and goals of the company and the areas in the organization where training is needed (Landy and Conte 295). Organizations should conduct a person

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Cultural Encounters and Cultural Exemptions Essay

Cultural Encounters and Cultural Exemptions - Essay Example t can then allow for a further examination of the how cultural exemption can be defined in terms of fitting into the liberal philosophical point of view. In searching for avenues of autonomy, the liberal philosophic can find a great example in the concept of cultural exemption. Cultural exemption allows a culture to continue traditions that might otherwise be considered illegal. One example of this can be found in the United States where Native American’s are allowed to use peyote and mescaline drugs because of their cultural traditions while other citizens would be arrested for this use. As well, the Native American’s are allowed to kill eagles, a protected bird in the United States, and use the parts of the body for religious ceremonies (343). This type of exemption is noble in its preservation of a culture that is all but gone from the world. However, in terms of global engagements of enterprise between countries, the act of allowing a cultural exemption within a country may prevent other countries from interacting with them in trade when the exemption is too controversial (Crane, Kawashima, & Kawasaki 2002: 82). a foundation of belief. According to Barry (1996), classical liberalism â€Å"begins with a ‘realistic’ view of man and his condition†(8). The foundation of the philosophy is that government should be limited and the freedoms of individuals should be widely available. Some of the other basic ideals are freedoms of religion, the press, speech, of assembly and for a free market (Sarder 1997: 74). However, liberalism also has a strong sense of the concept of autonomy. This concept is so important to the theory that a rejection of the idea of community accompanies this concept. According to Sarder, the liberalist views the community as a place where too much sacrifice of individual freedom exists and that each individual should define their own sense of morality, not adhering to the overall values of a culturally connected society (74). However,

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Small-Business Opportunities with the Navy Assignment

Small-Business Opportunities with the Navy - Assignment Example By statute, the Navy is required to implement some basic small business programs. The government provides opportunities in acquisitions to small businesses including the chance to participate in subcontracts and prime contracts. The following are the steps for acquiring the contract The Company will aim to be satisfied as a small business. It is primarily because the government retains a certain percentage of its contracts for small business holders and vendors (Contractor reference guide, 2014). Our company will identify a need that is yet to be in the Navy. Through our observation, there is a niche in the floor refinishing sector. It is especially because our product is, and therefore we are the only ones who can provide this service (Contractor reference guide, 2014). The Company then sends procurement letter to the Navy small business specialist who will advise us on the contract acquisition process. We will also market our product to the small business advisor so as he or she can consider us in the contracting process. The company will lay out the services it offers and then offer a price for which it is willing to work. Smart pay is such a website and serves to as a link between over 350 federal agencies. All this agencies will locate vendors and business through this online service (Contractor reference guide, 2014). Electronic contracting services offer a platform on which vendors can acquire contracts. They are also necessary for business such as the Navy since advertisement of their contracts may be done on these online platforms. Smart pay services offer charge cards to agencies throughout the United States government through master contracts with major national banks such as JP Morgan and Citibank. The charge cards are for contracting services where businesses and vendors are paid through the relevant banks. The advantage of smart pay is that

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Gun Control Essay Example for Free

Gun Control Essay Ultius is the trusted provider of academic content solutions for college students around the world. Our online platform connects qualified freelance writers with customers who are looking for rich, custom-written content. We provide essays, research papers, term papers, dissertations and other writing assignments. HomeSearch Research Paper on Gun Control Posted byUltius onSaturday, 16 March 2013 in Sample WorkBuying a Research Paper on Gun Control from UltiusRecently, President Obama and other Democratic members of Congress have strongly pushed for a critical discussion on gun control. Around the country, many teachers and professors are pushing their students to think about this subject and write at length about ways to limit gun violence. By no means are these papers easy to write; due to the emotional ramifications of this issue, writing a paper on gun control must be done in a very professional manner. So buy a research paper on gun control with Ultius and feel at ease knowing your work will be completed by a professional. Before doing that, though, feel free to check out this sample research paper on gun control. It was written in support of President Obama’s policy suggestions, and may be helpful to those of you interested in learning more about this increasingly important subject. Ultius writers are familiar with a wide variety of writing styles and have written argumentative papers for years, so keep in mind that we offer custom written research papers on both sides of every ideological spectrum. Don’t hesitate to contact our sales department to buy a research paper on gun control today! The Second Amendment: A Threat to Civilized People? Gun control has recently created a massive uproar throughout the United States because of the recent, and sincerely unfortunate, Sandy Hook school shooting that occurred last December. In response to this tragedy, Democratic leaders have been attempting to capitalize on the incident and push forward their respective agenda of limiting gun rights. As one can imagine, there are a surfeit of opinions on the subject, but despite this fact, I have come to affirm that I am strong believer in strengthening gun control. Although the right to bear arms should continue to be guaranteed by the Second Amendment, our nation’s need for heightened security in school classrooms and other public places is something that should no longer be ignored. The Gun Problem: Why an Unlimited Right to Bear Arms is Bad Since becoming a staple of American society, guns have been instrumental in altering contemporary warfare. The dangers of these weapons are not a secret; it is simply their mere nature. Some argue that guns were created to protect, while others suggest that they were built to destroy and cause the death of one’s intended target. Frank Zimring, a University of Chicago Law scholar, stated in his piece The University of Chicago Law Review, â€Å"The rate of knife deaths per 100 reported knife attacks was less than 1/5 the rate of gun deaths per 100 reported gun attacks† (Zimring 722). This statistic expresses the sincere lethality of guns compared to other forms of weaponry. One of the main reasons for this data stems from the misuse of guns, which unlike other weapons, can cause death to the user and those around him or her even on accident. If this unfortunate probability can be decreased, how can we stand around as the leader of the free world and let nothing be done? In the American political system, gun control has been a debate for many years; however, recent shootings have forced it into a large spotlight. The problem that splits gun control proponents from their opposition is the language of the second amendment of the constitution. The founding fathers of this nation believed that, â€Å"A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed† (U. S. Constitution). This multifaceted sentence from the Bill of Rights brings many quarrels to life with its simple diction. It is very open to interpretation, which is what causes both sides of the debate to have â€Å"legal stances† on the matter. The National Rifle Association (NRA), which is the nation’s largest gun advocacy organization, is led by the philosophy that it, â€Å"[hosts] a wide range of firearms-related public interest activities of the National Rifle Association of America and other organizations that defend and foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. † What gun advocates in the NRA often fail to understand, however, is the conscionable limits to the Second Amendment. As 27-year serving Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia stated in the majority opinion of the District of Columbia V.  Heller decision, â€Å"like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited† (Scalia). This lead Scalia to also state that, â€Å"it is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. † These sanctions are legal proof that the second amendment allows for the government to regulate the distribution , ownership, and use of weapons. On top of that, Scalia, regarded as the most conservative justice, clearly highlights that gun control is useful and at times necessary.

Friday, September 20, 2019

What Is New Public Management?

What Is New Public Management? New Public Management, what is it? We have heard the term throughout the first semester and have endeavoured to understand its historical and present relevance as well as its various facets that are supposedly favourable in reforming inefficient public sector enterprises, making them leaner and more efficient. But is New Public Management, all that it is made up to be, is it up-to the tasks it is set, is it the new paradigm for public sector reform in developing countries? These are the questions well be tackling in this paper. The Wikipedia defines New public management (NPM) as a management philosophy used by governments since the 1980s to modernise the public sector. It is a broad and very complex term used to describe the wave of public sector reforms throughout the world since the 1980s. The main hypothesis in the NPM-reform wave is that more market orientation in the public sector will lead to greater cost-efficiency for governments, without having negative side effects on other objectives and considerations.  [i]   The World Bank group thinks that NPM is used to describe a management culture that emphasizes the centrality of the citizen or customer, as well as accountability for results. It also suggests structural or organizational choices that promote decentralized control through a wide variety of alternative service delivery mechanisms, including quasi-markets with public and private service providers competing for resources from policymakers and donors. NPM does not claim that government should stop performing certain tasks. Although the New Public Management often is associated with this policy perspective, NPM is not about whether tasks should be undertaken or not. It is about getting things done better.  [ii]   It is supposed to have evolved as a consequence of the emergence of globalisation and as a response to policies of structural adjustment. NPM was conceived as a means to improve efficiency and responsiveness to political principals. Its origins were in Parliamentary democracies with curiously strong executive powers, centralized governments, and little administrative law. In this archetypal setting, NPM seems to embody the idea of a cascading chain of contracts leading to a single (usually Ministerial) principal who is interested in getting better results within a sector portfolio over which he or she has significant and relatively unchallenged authority.  [iii]   NPM, is a much more outcome oriented and efficient theory than earlier public management theories because it entails a more judicious disbursement of the public budget. It is supposed to be achieved by applying some attributes of the private sector into the public sector, such as competition etc. it can be said to be a policy to run the public sector as though it was the private sector but keeping public sector considerations in mind at the same time. The basis of NPM lay in reversing the two cardinal doctrines of progressive public administration (PPA); that is, lessening or removing differences between the public and the private sector and shifting the emphasis from process account-ability towards a greater element of account-ability in terms of results.  [iv]   It endeavours to better the public sector by restructuring, using tactics such as deregulation, decentralisation, promotion of autonomous agencies, output based evaluation, contracting, introduction of competition between agencies and enterprises etc. From the end of the 1970s to the 1990s governments around the world were engaged in widespread and sustained reforms of their public administration. These reforms started in the USA and the United Kingdom, where the Republican and Conservative governments that came to power championed the New Right campaigns for reforms. In New Zealand, however, where the most acclaimed reforms took place, the political force behind them was a Labour government, i.e. a leftist power. The reforms immediately aroused academic interest and research was carried out and theories developed. Perhaps to facilitate academic discourse, the reforms collectively came to be called the new public management (NPM).  [v]   The major driving force behind the reforms was economic stagnation in many countries. The New Right blamed this economic stagnation seen in huge national debts, balance of payment Sowaribi Tolofari problems, high rates of unemployment, underperforming industries, etc. on the excessive scope of governments engagement in business, mediocrity in administrative performance and the lack of accountability, among other things. In addition, there was also new intellectual thinking developing on how public services should be organised and delivered. This was probably because the populace in various countries were now better educated and more sophisticated in their thinking, tastes and demands.  [vi]   New Public Management has been a worldwide phenomenon in some form or other. Democratic regimes in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom have all implemented some range of reforms consistent with NPM. Malta and Austria have also implemented NPM elements. Each of these initiatives has had some combination of elements including cost cutting, creating of separate agencies or business enterprises to eliminate traditional bureaucracies, separating the purchaser of goods from the provider of those goods, introducing market mechanisms, decentralizing management authority, introducing performance-management systems, moving away from tenure-like civil service systems to contractual and pay-for-performance personnel systems, and increasing use of customer-focused quality improvement systems. Credit for the impetus of these reforms is given to American ideas, particularly the ideas of American public choice economists  [vii]   The philosophy seems to be based in the greatness of private management over public management and therefore suggests that the only logical thing to do is to transfer control to the private sector. Since all government activities cannot be transferred into private hands the theory suggests the next best thing, the application of business management into government. However, public management is different from public administration: the former is derived from commercial operations and is meant to bring about a new mind-set, a new vocabulary and a proliferation of management techniques. It is also meant to debureaucratize government operations and to reduce red tape substantially.  [viii]   If only one element is to be pointed out as characterising the reforms, it would be marketisation. The administration of public services was now benchmarked against private business power should be exercised by those who give the service; the consumer should have choice; the reason to exist should be determined by how well the organisation performs; there should be measures of performance and public accountability. These characteristics were based on certain theories: mainly public choice, transaction cost economics and principal-agent theory.  [ix]   The reforms have majorly been driven by a combination of socio-economic, political and technological factors. One of the similarities between countries going down the NPM route has been the experience of some sort of economic or fiscal crisis, which speeded up these countrys will to streamline their enterprises and cut back costs wherever possible, basically to stabilize their economy any-which way possible. With crisis looming overhead the tenacity of the welfare state came under fire and with it the institutionalised form of state run enterprises. One can say that these reforms are not purely the work of political will, other more sinister external factors were in play. In the case of most developing countries, reforms in public administration and management have been driven more by external pressures and have taken place in the context of structural adjustment programmes. Other drivers of NPM-type reforms include the ascendancy of neoliberal ideas from the late 1970s, the developm ent of information technology, and the growth and use of international management consultants as advisors on reforms. Additional factors, in the case of developing countries, include lending conditionalitys and the increasing emphasis on good governance.  [x]   The literature provides evidence that in many, if not the majority of, developing countries, economic crisis has been by far the most important factor driving the introduction of ambitious reforms in the public sector since the early 1980s. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) economic and fiscal crises preceded economic reforms, which also triggered public sector management reforms. Many African and Latin American countries suffered from unsustainable external and domestic debts, deteriorating real terms of trade, increasing real interest rates on international financial markets, high inflation, low levels of savings and investment, and shortages of basic consumer goods. More recently, the economic and fiscal crises in the Asian tiger economies have promoted major reforms in the public sectors of countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea. Most countries, especially in Africa, had debilitating underlying problems à ³ severe institutional weaknesses, fiscal indiscipline and weak e xternal competitiveness.  [xi]   Larbi describes the economic and fiscal situation that was the harbinger of NPM reforms in Africa and Latin America. He records that many African and Latin American countries suffered unsustainable rates on international financial markets, high inflation, low levels of savings and investments, and shortages of basic consumer goods. It should be noted, however, that in these cases external pressures from so-called donors and lenders initiated the reforms. Kiiza accounts for the effect of this difference by saying that available comparative evidence shows both a handsome and an ugly face of the reforms: The handsome face of managerialism appears in the developed countries where the review of Weberian public administration has been done deliberately in search of excellence. The ugly face appears in the developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where Managerialism has been religiously spread by the IMF/World Bank fraternity.  [xii]   Internally, in these countries, policy deficiencies, bad and excessive management of the economy, large-scale institutionalized corruption, weak and demoralized public services, low productivity and political instability, all contributed to a worsening of the crises. Loss-making SOEs contributed significantly to budget deficits and thus to the fiscal crisis.  [xiii]   Going first to the IMF and then to the World Bank meant accepting stabilization and structural adjustment packages with their accompanying conditionalitys in order to obtain credits and debt rescheduling from creditor banks and multilateral lending institutions. Policy-based lending by multilateral institutions was used as an instrument to encourage crisis states to embark on reforms that were pro-market and pro-private sector.  [xiv]   Thus it can be said that in a way NPM was stuffed down these nations throats. But the most primary mistake committed was that the policies and the structures utilized in implementing the NPM in these countries were the same that were proven successful in their more developed counterparts. What was not realized or was ignored was that the manner of functioning of the countrys beuracricies their market, the level of development of their private sectors was markedly different from the developed countries and the same ideas were not liable to work here. Despite all its advantages, one of the premier drawbacks of NPM most of the time was its very little contribution to actual policymaking. Instead, seeing as its main emphasis is private sector managerial techniques, it emphasizes the need for fewer thinkers and more doers. However, if one defines success as substantive involvement of citizens in shaping the direction of policy that affects their lives, there is little indication of such involvement beyond what existed before NPM implementation began. As Pollitt (1993) notes, citizenship is an awkward concept for those promoting managerialism, where the term customer is more common. He argues that the collectivist view of citizenship is alien to an individualist model where the market is the chief focus of transactions and values (125-6). Armstrong (1998) notes in his assessment of Australian implementation of NPM that the concept of meeting customer needs ignores the ability of customers to articulate their needs or make choices, either because they are uninformed or do not have the resources to do so . Rhodes further argues that in Australia, there is no evidence to show that (NPM) has provided customers with any means whatever of holding the government to account (1996, 106-10). Those claiming success for NPM have focused on short-term effects and on issues of efficiency. While it may be too early to assess the long-term impact of NPM in countries such as New Zealand and Australia, the evidence supporting democratic accountability and citizen engagement is not encouraging. This concept of management has little to do with democracy and democratic values, shedding the reality or the facade of democracy found in earlier public-sector reforms. What is left is a core of market orientation to economic efficiency in the public sector. As Borgmann (1992) argues, when citizens are recast as consumers, they operate within an attenuated form of democracy: But to extol the consumer is to deny the citizen. When consumers begin to act, the fundamental decisions have already been made. Consumers are in a politically and morally weak position. They are politically weak because the signals that they can send to the authorities about the common order are for the most part ambiguous. Does the purchase of an article signal approval, thoughtlessness, or lack of a better alternative?  [xv]   Dunleavy and Hood (1994) note concerns among traditional bureaucrats or hierarchists about the potential destabilizing effects of NPM if the processes of change should get out of control, become unmanageable and do irreversible damage to the provision of public services. For developing countries, but not for the World Bank and donor agencies, the price to be paid for such policy mistakes may be great in terms of threats to political stability and loss of economic wellbeing. In the United Kingdom, one of the leading exemplars in NPM applications the internal market in the NHS has been criticized as concentrating too many The New Public Management Approach and Crisis States resources on management and paperwork rather than on front-line service provision. This is illustrated by the almost fourfold increase in the number of managers in the NHS between 1991 and 1994, with administration absorbing 10.5 per cent of all NHS costs in 1994, compared to 6 per cent before the reforms. Overall, public sector managers are seen as a gaining group in the managerial emphasis in reforms.  [xvi]   But at the same time NPM will also be causing problems of morale in the public services because of the basic premise of NPM being the superiority of private sector over the public sector. Moreover, because it also suggests that whenever possible its activities should be transferred to the private sector, the implication is that public service has no intrinsic value. It also belittles the noble side of the public-service profession: public servants became public servants because they wanted to serve their country. If they had wanted to become entrepreneurs, they would have joined the private sector or started their own businesses.  [xvii]   Critics of the NPM, lamenting the collapse of the welfare state, have referred to the increasing inequality that market-type mechanisms produce market niche-seeking behaviour by public service providers. Whereby, conditions of social exclusion may be created given the organizational and cultural changes in social provision, expressed in the concepts of markets and individualism. Thus, those who need state provision and welfare safety-nets most viz a viz the poor and the vulnerable will be harmed by such reforms. Accountability and monitoring becomes tougher with fragmentation. Furthermore, since governments and other purchasers struggle to monitor contracts in various provider organisations, there is a risk of incurring huge transaction costs. According to Le Grand and Barlett (1993) quality in service provision may decline since minimalist, economizing standards are replacing aspirational professional standards. The pursuit of efficiency in flawed policies with short-term gains will be encouraged by NPM, undermining states capability to take a continuing standpoint on education, technology, health and the environment, given the heavy emphasis on cost reduction. One needs to consider these issues before seeking to transfer NPM to crisis states.  [xviii]   When assessing NPM critically, it is noted that there might be a promotion of corruption and self-interest by the senior bureaucrats and policy makers, who will opt for contracting out and for privatization in lieu of opportunities for rent-seeking and other forms of misdemeanour. Furthermore, greed, favouritism and conflicting interests in NPM has also piloted in a decline in ethical standards of public life. In case of developing countries, adopting the NPM will lead to more arbitrary use of judgment since the accountability mechanisms are weak and patronage systems more prevalent. The NPM method may work better in some frameworks than others. Like the public service which covers various activities, some of which are person-centred like, education, while some are not. Some are competitive, others are hard to mould into the competitive format, some high technological content (telecommunications), and others low. Thus, these factors should be kept in mind, as they affect the chances of NPM being a good fit in crisis states. Clarke and Newman have also argued that NPM à ¬is often portrayed as a global phenomenon à ³ a core element in the process of convergence between states, overriding distinct political and cultural characteristicsà ®. Given the different and difficult circumstances of reforms in adjusting economies and the potential risks mentioned above, it is doubtful whether a universalistic and à ¬evangelicalà ® approach to NPM is a tenable option. Even in developed countries such as the United Kingdom, experience suggests that change toward NPM à ¬has not been smooth and linear, but uneven and contestedà ® and that social actors are not shaped unambiguously by large-scale trends or forces for change.  [xix]   NPM-related reforms generally might undermine political control, meaning that administrative leaders in the central departments and agencies, such as leaders in public commercial enterprises, are gaining influence, but also private commercial actors and consumers more generally. The reforms have created more skepticism towards collective solutions, a depolitization of the public sector and increasing conflicts over what is public.  [xx]   While there is relatively little NPM to be found in developing countries when compared to the early predictions, there is even less evaluation of NPMs impact. The most comprehensive overview of NPM type reforms is offered by Batley (1999). Summarizing the conclusions from a 5-year review of the changing role of government in adjusting economies in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and South America, Batley finds that the effect of NPM reforms has been mixed, at best, with some improvements in efficiency and mixed effects on equity. On the downside, he notes that the transaction costs of radical reforms to autonomize service delivery agencies tend to outweigh the efficiency gains of unbundling, and that reforms that seek to separate purchasers from providers sometimes reduce accountability.  [xxi]   Refocusing on the effective state is given prominence in the 1997 World Development Report, The State in a Changing World, which marks a significant shift in thinking about the state and its role in development: the need to factor the state back into development. There is now some recognition by the Bank that reforming the public sector the NPM way does not lend itself to clear, unambiguous solutions. NPM is not a panacea for all problems in the developing economies. conclusion The above-mentioned criticisms of NPM and concerns about social solidity, parity and steadiness have rejuvenated interest in the dynamic role of the state again. The debate has changed. It is how do we re-empower the state so that it is able to do its job effectively. While the new public management method may not be a answer for the problems of public sector management in developing states, a cautious and selective variation of some features to selected areas may be advantageous and their employment needs to be subtle to operative reality. The enthusiasm for neoliberal policies and NPM practices that characterized most of the 1980s and early 1990s is now tempered with caution and, in some cases, rejection of the more extreme forms of the NPM approach. There is recognition that imposing one template of reform on all, irrespective of context, is unwise and unimplementable, and may even breed conflict and undermine stability. The way forward is to make the state work better, not to dismantle it. The Bank suggests two strategies. The first is to match the states role to its capability; the earlier mistake was that the state tried to do too much with few resources and limited capacity. The second approach is to strengthen the capability of the state by reinvigorating public administration institutions to enable them to perform their enabling, regulating, monitoring and co-ordinating roles. This will entail creating effective rules and restraints, encouraging greater competition in service provision, applying measures to monitor performance gains, and achieving a more responsive mix of central and local governance by steering policies in the direction of greater decentralization.  [xxii]   NPM-type reforms in developing states seem to be based on a common framework with those in developed countries and seem to follow a blueprint rather than a process or contingent approach. Yet these countries differ widely in terms of their institutional conditions and their capacity to implement public sector management reforms based on NPM principles and practices.  [xxiii]   There is a need to give consideration to problems of how to implement rather than just what to implement. For some time now, too much attention has focused on the plan content of reforms without suitable attention to suitable preparations for application, partly due to the domination of outside organizations in the design of reform bundles and the resultant dearth of resident ownership and promise to reform.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Style File: Strunk and White vs. Williams :: Learning Writing Essays

The Style File: Strunk and White vs. Williams What is the definition of style? Is there an exact way of interpreting style individuals create in their writing? What is the importance and function of style in the writing process? Does style really matter? Before encountering books such as William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White’s â€Å"The Elements of Style† and Joesph M. Williams â€Å"Style Toward Clarity and Grace† I had not put much thought into these questions. My main focus was to get my writing assignments completed, turned in, and out of my mind. However, these two books create a whole new outlook on the world of writing for any individual who can open the cover and their mind. â€Å"Style† strives to explain how writers can improve clarity, cohesion, usage, and elegance to become a more effective writer. This book is not meant to be read once, for the full potential can not be achieved unless it is absorbed several times. Packed from cover to cover with real life examples ranging from the worst imaginable to greatly improved, Williams provides a detailed explanation of how to transform any writers work. Charts, graphs, and diagrams may add some confusion but can be helpful for individuals who depend upon visual aids. On the same note, â€Å"The Elements of Style† also entails rules, guidelines, and examples for the purpose of the writer’s improvement. However, the approach is entirely different. This little book entails several important topics including rules of usage, missed used words and expressions, principles of composition, and approaches to style. The advice in â€Å"Elements of Style† is simple, clear, and straight to the point. Rules are short, and boldface so they are easy to quickly look up if the writer is in need of a quick on the spot tutorial. Following the boldface rule are a few statements or paragraphs with an explanation. Examples are only found for some of the rules but the ones given are not as elaborate as in â€Å"Style.† This book allows for a quick read and refreshing of rules and guidelines that have been encountered throughout an individuals writing career. There are several aspects of Strunk and White and Williams books that I had already learned years ago and forgotten or had just discovered for the first time.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Herman Melville: A Biography And Analysis Essays -- essays research pa

Herman Melville: A Biography And Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout American history, very few authors have earned the right to be called â€Å"great.† Herman Melville is one of these few. His novels and poems have been enjoyed world wide for over a century, and he has earned his reputation as one of the finest American writers of all time. A man of towering talent, with intellectual and artistic brilliance, and a mind of deep insight into human motives and behavior, it is certainly a disgrace that his true greatness was not recognized until nearly a generation after his death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born in the city of New York on August 1, 1819, Melville was the third child and second son of Allan Melvill(it wasn't until Allan's death in 1832 that the â€Å"e† at the end of Melville was added, in order to make a more obvious connection with the Scottish Melville clan), a wholesale merchant and importer then living in comfortable economic circumstances, and of Maria Gansevoort Melvill, only daughter of â€Å"the richest man in Albany,† the respected and wealthy General Peter Gansevoort, hero of the defense of Fort Stanwix during the American Revolution. In total, Allan and Maria had eight children. On his father' s side, his ancestry, though not so prosperous as on his mother's, was equally distinguished. Major Thomas Melvill, his grandfather, was one of the â€Å"Indians† in the Boston Tea Party during the events leading to the war and who had then served his country creditably throughout the hostilities. The Melvill family kept on their mantelpiece a bottle of tea drained out of Major Melvill's clothes after the Tea Party as a momento of this occasion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Herman attended the New York Male High School from about the age of seven until 1830. By that time, Allan Melvill's business had begun to fail, due to his credit being overextended. After futile attempts to re-establish himself, he eventually found it necessary to accept the management of a New York fur company back in Albany. The family moved there in the autumn of 1830, and during that time Herman attended, along with his brothers Gansevoort and Allan, the Albany Academy. Just as luck seemed to again be favoring the Melvills, Allan's business affairs again suffered a setback. Excessive worry and overwork finally took their toll upon his health. By January, 1832, he was b... ...an left behind in a tin box after his death. It was here Billy Bud was first discovered and later published, which introduced a whole new generation to Melville's work. Soon critics, students, and the general public were reading his novels and stories, and greeting some of them as masterpieces. In 1927, American novelist William Faulkner declared that Moby Dick was the book he most wished he had written.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Knowing the quality of his work, one can not help but feel sympathetic to Melville's passing. He died on September 28, 1891 in his home in New York City, still unknown by the general public. If any writer deserved to be recognized and praised during their lives, Melville is that writer. Although unfortunate that his passing went almost unnoticed by the public, he is now and justly so, an immortal in the annals of American literature, and his work will be looked upon with both admiration and envy for many years to come. APPENDICES Any appendices should appear after the text of your term paper. BIBLIOGRAPHY Use the Bibliography TaskWizard to help you quickly and easily create a bibliography for your paper. Pick the same style as your footnote style.

Maybe Later Essay -- Personal Narrative Creative Writing Essays

Maybe Later She’s sitting there, a blown-out shell as hulking and vacant and lifeless as the enchanted castles of my beloved fairy-tale stories. The television cries for attention, but her eyes refuse to acknowledge even its blatant wail. Behind tinted glass—is that smudged dirt or a protective coating?—eyes finally flutter open, the first sign of life. Are they blank? Do they beg for help or scream of past and present pain? I can’t say—I haven’t the courage to look. The world rotates around its axis three times an hour and I run with it. â€Å"Soccer cleats, water bottle, there you go.† â€Å"Fine—I’ll be there in an hour.† â€Å"Okay, groceries, post office, soccer practice . . . hmm . . . what do you want for dinner?† Family members dance around the kitchen in the ultimate test of agility to avoid tromping on another’s toes. â€Å"There’s nothing to eat!† â€Å"Love you—bye!† â€Å"Come back here! Pick that up right now!† A slap of the cupboard door, dashed kisses, and a sprint for keys—trip! crash! yell! A mad cacophony—entirely normal, unsettling, and dear. Grandma sits there. She has not moved. The eye of the storm? Or merely forgotten by time? Dad and I walk away from it all sometimes, releasing frustration in fruitless lament. Sometimes we laugh bitterly. Sometimes his words are a painful reminder of a happier and more carefree time. â€Å"I just had to get out of the house. Usually I can take it—but tonight!† His stride slows in failure. â€Å"I never wanted you to realize how different she is. I tried—I hoped you’d never recognize her illness. And pretending used to work. I’m—I’m sorry you have to see it now. She used to love to visit, you know, and you loved her back.† I strain to remember lost time and attitude... ...te and poofy dress waving a crystalline magic wand and saying the magic words as I am instantaneously granted love and patience and relief from guilt and dread. But there is no magic wand or sudden connection of love and understanding. There is no resolution of perfect peace. I stare at these words and am instead startled, not by supreme happiness or tranquility, but by a resilient hope. The world does not end with this page. I will push print and the world will go on, and I will continue to create my world. â€Å"Happily ever after† is unnecessary. Instead, maybe I will sit down next to her and simply speak. Tonight maybe I will kiss her cheek as she goes up to bed. Maybe I will hold her hand as she struggles up the stairs or joke with her, whether she understands or not. This is no end, and there doesn’t yet need to be—I’m still trying. to Current Contest Winners

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Charities Essay

The legal definition of charity has historically been somewhat elusive and stands distinct from any understanding of charity in a general or popular sense. As Lord Wright observed, in its legal sense the word â€Å"charitable is a word of art, of precise and technical meaning†[1]. Viscount Simmonds further remarked that, â€Å"no comprehensive definition of legal charity has been given either by legislature or in judicial utterance, there is no limit to the number and diversity of ways in which man will seek to benefit his fellow men†. The Preamble to the Charitable Uses Act 1601, also referred to as the Statute of Elizabeth I, contained a list of purposes which were then regarded as charitable. It assumed a central role for the courts as a reference point or catalogue of accepted instances of charity until almost 300 years later when Lord MacNaughten in the Pemsel case, famously classified charitable objects into four principal divisions: (i) trusts for the relief of poverty, (ii) trusts for the advancement of education, (iii) trusts for the advancement of religion, (iv) trusts beneficial to the community not falling under any of the preceding heads. These four heads of charity were used as reference whenever the inherent charitable nature of a purpose or institution was questioned until the Charities Act 2006 received royal assent. Section 2(2) of the 2006 Act now provides a modern statutory definition of charity by listing 13 descriptions of purposes deemed charitable at law. In order to be charitable, an organisation has to be established for one or more purposes within the descriptions recognised by the law as capable of being charitable, and for the public benefit. Charity law in England and Wales has developed within the context of the traditional monotheistic religions but it has embraced for many years religions other than Christianity and Judaism. In Bowman[3], Lord Parker effectively held that it was not just the promotion of Christianity that would be recognised but that the Courts of this country were not precluded â€Å"from giving effect to trusts for the purposes of religions which, however sacred they may be to millions of His Majesty’s subjects, either deny the truth of Christianity or, at any rate, do not accept some of its fundamental doctrines†. Furthermore in the Commission’s Scientology[4] decision it was firmly established that â€Å"The law does not prefer one religion to another and as between religions the law stands neutral†[5]. The English courts have, for a long time, resisted closely defining what makes some belief systems religious and others not. However in the Scientology case, the Commissioners accepted that there are various characteristics of religion which can be discerned from the legal authorities: †¢ Belief in a god or a deity or supreme being – R v Registrar General[6] †¢ Two of the essential attributes of religion are faith and worship: faith in a god and worship of that god – South Place Ethical Society[7] †¢ To advance religion means â€Å"to promote it, to spread the message ever wider among mankind; to take some positive steps to sustain and increase religious belief and these things are done in a variety of ways which may be comprehensively described as pastoral and missionary†. United Grand Lodge v Holborn BC[8]. Having considered these characteristics, the Commissioners concluded that the definition of a religion in English charity law was characterised by a belief in a supreme being and an expression of that belief through worship. This definition is further refined in the 2006 Act where s2 (3) a gives a partial definition of the word religion. However, the law does not automatically recognise as a religion everything that may designate itself as a religion and there are some principles to which a purpose must conform if it is to be regarded as within the Charities Act’s description of ‘the advancement of religion’. These general principles are gathered from the common law of England and Wales but also take into account the body of law which has developed concerning the European Convention right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. As a general proposition, for its advancement to be capable of being charitable in this context, a religion should have a certain level of cogency, seriousness, coherence and importance[9]. Also, in order to be charitable for the advancement of religion, the content of any system of faith and worship has to be of a positive nature, impacting beneficially on the community. Sir John Wickens, V-C. in Cocks v Manners[10] observed: â€Å"It is said, in some of the cases, that religious purposes are charitable, but that can only be true as to religious services tending directly or indirectly towards the instruction or the edification of the public†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hence, to be charitable a religious purpose has to be serious, tend directly or indirectly to the moral and spiritual improvement of the public as well as being for the public benefit. In Holmes v Attorney General[11] Walton J commented: â€Å"†¦ It is not for the benefit of the adherents of the religion themselves that the law confers charitable status, it is in the interests of the public. † Hence, as a general proposition, in the case of charities for the advancement of religion the purpose must not simply be for the benefit of the followers of the particular religion. Formerly, the proposition stated that â€Å"as between different religions the law stands neutral, but it assumes that any religion is at least likely to be better than none†[12]. Plowman J in Re Watson[13] considered a case for the publication and distribution of the fundamentalist Christian writings of an individual where he quoted authority that the court does not prefer one religion or sect to another and said that â€Å"where the purposes in question are of a religious nature †¦ then the court assumes a public benefit unless the contrary is shown†. He then went on to say that the only way of disproving a public benefit is to show that the doctrines inculcated are adverse to the very foundations of all religion, and that they are subversive of all morality. However, that part of the judgment being inconsistent with the judgment of the court of appeal and opinions given by the House of Lords in Gilmour v Coats, where it was held: â€Å"†¦the question whether a trust is beneficial to the public is an entirely different one from the question whether a trust is for the advancement of religion†, it is not regarded a binding. Since the Charities Act 2006, there is no longer any presumption that, because a purpose falls within the description â€Å"the advancement of religion†, it is for the public benefit. Section 3(2) of the Act provides: â€Å"In determining whether [the public benefit] requirement is satisfied in relation to any †¦purpose, it is not to be presumed that a purpose of a particular description is for the public benefit†. Hence, with the removal of the presumption and in the modern context the proposition may now be interpreted as meaning that advancing religion can be seen as a public good if such advancement can be demonstrated to be in relation to a system having a benign and positive content which is being advanced for the benefit of the public. Over the years, there are some purposes which, despite being beneficial and religious and indeed seriously religious, did not fall within the legal framework. For example, fostering private piety, although being a religious activity, is not a charitable purpose due to the absence of benefit to the public. In Cocks v Manners[14] (supra) it was said that â€Å"a voluntary association of women for the purpose of working out their own salvation by religious exercises and self-denial seems to have none of the requisites of a charitable institution. † In the Re Joy[15] case it was held that the real object contemplated by the testator was the non-charitable purpose of improvement of the membership of a society by prayer. Further, in Re White[16], it was held that â€Å"a society for the promotion of private prayer and devotions by its own members and which has no wider scope, no public element, and no purpose of general utility would not be charitable†. Lord Simonds in the Gilmour[17] case later confirmed the decision in Cocks v Manners and said that activities â€Å"good in themselves but solely designed to benefit individuals associated for the purpose of securing that benefit, which may not have some repercussions or consequential effects beneficial to some section of the general community† do not meet the prerequisites of a charitable institution. In Re Warre’s Will Trusts, on the matter of a retreat house, Harman J said: â€Å"Activities which do not in any way affect the public or any section of it are not charitable. Pious contemplation and prayer are, no doubt, good for the soul, and may be of benefit by some intercessory process, of which the law takes no notice, but they are not charitable activities. † Thus, in Re Hetherington[18] it was held that the celebration of a religious rite in private does not contain the necessary element of public benefit since any benefit of prayer or example is incapable of proof in the legal sense and any element of spiritual or moral improvement (edification) is limited to a private not public class of those present at the celebration. However, in the same case it was also held that the holding of a religious service which is open to the public is capable of conferring a â€Å"sufficient public benefit because of the edifying and improving effect of such celebration on the members of the public who attend. † There are also other purposes related to religion whose pursuits have not been considered as charitable because the purpose itself is not exclusively charitable. For example a trust ‘for Roman Catholic purposes’ may not be for exclusively charitable purposes furthering the Roman Catholic faith[19]. Also a gift to an Anglican vicar of a parish â€Å"for parochial institutions or purpose†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢[20] was not considered charitable. A bequest to an archbishop to be applied â€Å"in any manner he might think best for helping to carry on the work of the Church in Wales†[21] is not charitable either and neither is a generally stated purpose â€Å"for religious, educational and other parochial requirements†[22]. On the other hand, In Re Schoales[23], it was clarified that there is no distinction, from the point of view of validity as a gift for charitable purposes, between a gift to the Church of England and a gift to another Church. A gift for the general purposes of a particular church or denomination or faith community falls are considered in law as a gift which has to be applied only for such of its purposes as are for the advancement of religion for the public benefit, and hence charitable. As mentioned above, charitable purposes require some promotion or advancement that is to â€Å"spread its message ever wider among mankind; to take some positive steps to sustain and increase religious belief†[24]. Proselytising is one way of advancing religious purposes[25] but it may raise public benefit issues if it breaks the law or results in harm or detriment. Therefore, it would not be compatible with public benefit principles for an organisation to seek to inhibit anyone from their rights of freedom of thought, conscience or religion (Article 9 ECHR) and to manifest or change such beliefs. This matter was considered in Kokkinakis v Greece[26] and the court in considering attempts to forbid activities of a Jehovah’s Witness confirmed that a democratic society has a plurality of beliefs and held that freedom to manifest one’s religion includes the right to convince one’s neighbor. But, the court drew a clear distinction between bearing Christian witness and improper proselytism by stating that the former was true evangelism and the latter representing a corruption or deformation of it. Furthermore, proselytising being unlawful in some countries, the Commission dealt with the issue of whether it was possible to recognise a religious purpose as charitable in England and Wales which is not charitable and may be illegal abroad in its annual report in 1993 which mentioned: â€Å"One should first consider whether they would be regarded as charities if their operations are confined to the United Kingdom. If they would, then they should be presumed also to be charitable even though operating abroad unless it would be contrary to public policy to recognise them. Hence, an organisation whose purpose is to proselytize, even if its activity is carried out internationally, may be charitable in England and Wales unless it causes harm or detriment which outweighs the public benefit. The High Court considered the statement in the Sonsino case[27] in 2002 and upheld it. However, it still remains unclear as to what the courts would rule contrary to public policy. Another way of advancing a religion would be by means of undertaking pastoral work. However, where a charity is operating solely for the purpose of advancement of religion, then any secular pastoral work which it undertakes should be as a means of advancing the particular religion. A convent in Cocks v Manners[28] was held charitable and there the nuns were engaged in exterior works (teaching the ignorant and nursing the sick) as part of their religious work. In the United Grand Lodge[29] case, Donovan J said that taking positive steps to sustain and increase religious beliefs was something done â€Å"in a variety of ways which can be comprehensively described as pastoral and missionary†. More recently, the Pilsdon Community House, a religious community living according to Christian principles and giving practical help in cases of drug addiction, drink, having been in prison or loneliness was considered in Re Banfield[30]. The court held that the fact that a religious community makes its services available to those of all creeds and of none does not prevent it being a charity for the advancement of religion also that furthering the purposes of the community amounted to the advancement of religion.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Evaluate the case for cutting public expenditure rather Essay

A fiscal deficit is when a government’s total expenditures exceed the tax revenues that it generates. A budget deficit can be cut by either reducing public expenditure or raising taxes. In this essay, I am going to analyse the benefits and costs of increasing tax rates to reduce fiscal deficits instead of cutting government expenditure. First of all, if the government decides to cut current public expenditure, it will lead to a reduced quantity and quality of public goods and service. For example, closing NHS direct call centres down which results in lower living standard. Moreover as the spending in sectors such as healthcare and education is cut, these services may need to redundant staff to stay within their new budgets. For instance if the NHS’s budget is cut they will lay-off additional staff. Those public sector workers may find it difficult to find a new job in private sector if they are not competitive enough to compete with other people in the labour market, leading to higher unemployment conflicting with the government macroeconomic objective of low unemployment rate. Also higher unemployment will mean less income tax revenue, lower VAT receipts, higher welfare payments, as well as lower standards of living. If the government is to cut capital expenditure this is the type of expenditure that expands LRAS. It might not cause serious problems in short run, however in long run less spending on for example education and healthcare will result in a less educated and skilled workforce and a less healthy workforce. The negative effects of inadequate skilled human capital in the long run include lower productivity which makes the economy less competitive internationally compared with for example Germany. It in turn leads to deterioration on balance of payment, economic stagnant growth and inflationary pressure as labour costs increase. Thirdly, government spending is an injection into the circular flow of income. A decrease in the government spending will incur negative wealth effect and therefore lead to weaker economic growth. In addition, the  government spending is one of the components of aggregate demand, consequently, lower GDP. In a demand-deficient recession, consumption and investment tend to decrease due to lower income and revenue, the (X-M) component tends to level off or worsen in short run, which makes government spending an essential device to stimulate the economy. Therefore a decrease in the government spending will cause an even deeper recession and a larger budget deficit. Last but not least, a decrease in government spending could mean worse income distribution compared with increasing progressive tax. This is because transfer payment forms almost a third of the governments budgets and so by cutting expenditure it is very likely that it will also be cut making the poor poorer and widening the gap. On the other hand, taxes could be increased progressively by for example increasing marginal income taxes so that the people with high income pay more than the poor narrowing the gap between. However, there are also some drawbacks associated with raising taxes. Tax is a form of leakage from the circular flow of income leading to negative multiplier effect. If the government increases income tax rates, it might create disincentives to work. It is because when income tax increases, the opportunity cost for leisure time decreases; and people will have to work longer hours to earn the same disposable income. Some people may therefore prefer claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance instead of working. If the corporation tax is to be increased, there will be disincentive for firms to locate in the UK, leading to less investment and corporation tax revenues. Additionally, an increase in the National Insurance may discourage firms taking more employers as the NI is paid per employee. Secondly, if the government raises higher income by increasing indirect taxes for example VAT, it may also have problems. It shifts the SRAS curve to the left as the cost of production increases. And it may therefore push up the price level and reduce the level of output. Moreover, indirect taxes are regressive taxes, which impose a greater burden relative to the incomes on the poor than on the rich. Thirdly, as the public sector is basically non-profit, their allocation of resources believed to be less efficient than the profit-making private sector firms. Therefore reducing public expenditure may lead to greater efficiency and productivity by for example removing unnecessary layer of management hence more effective communication and better service provided by the public sector. Last but not least, the choices between the two possible ways and their effects depend on the macroeconomic situation- for example the unemployment rate and the size of the public sector. If the size of the public sector is small, the adjustment on government spending might not be very large and the effect on budget deficit wouldn’t be significant. If the unemployment rate is high, for example 26% general rate and 50% youth rate in Spain, making it very hard to raise taxes. Apparently, both reducing government spending and increasing tax rates will lead to a lower AD, but they will have different other effects. Therefore the choice between this two may depend on macroeconomic situation and what the government is focusing on achieving. VICKKIE

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Justus Case

Just Us! Case Just Us! is a corporation that imports, roasts and sells primarily organic coffee from fair traded certified coffee producers. Their vision is: â€Å"to be a leading Fair Trade business that builds on quality, professionalism and innovation for the benefit of all our stake holders. Since its inception, Just Us! had experienced healthy growth in the maritime provinces of Canada, mainly supported by its corporate values: social and environmental responsibility, sustainability, ethical practices in all the areas of the business and in all stakeholders, and product differentiation.They even opened a fair trade museum to help educate the public on the social impact and benefits of fair trade. Once roasted and packed, the coffee and other products are shipped to retail outlets, supermarket chains, health food stores, coffee shops and churches. A substantial portion of Just Us! revenues came from wholesaling to large retail stores such as supermarket chains. Their coffee is a lso offered in the Just Us cafes, which were meant to be a place where customers could enjoy a cup of premium fair trade coffee and gather information about fair trade. The locations were not standardized as a typical chain.A major competitor in the retail organic fair trade coffee market is Kicking Horse which also offers products that are certified organic and fair traded. Its main channels are: coffee shops, gourmet food stores, grocery chains and restaurants. The growth of fair trade product sales had prompted several major food brands to offer fair trade products, such as: Kraft Foods, Procter & Gamble and Nestle. Also, in Canada, large super market chains such as Loblaws were offering also fair traded private labeled products which was concerning for Just Us, since supermarkets is one of its most important channels.In the coffee shop area, there was a lot of competition since some independent coffee shops and well-known chains (Ex. Starbucks) were trying to tap into the  "fair trade trend†. Due to the original management team lack of marketing experience a new Marketing Director was hired and part of the initial issues she found was that Just Us! did not spend much on advertising. 2009 had been set at $20,000. There was a massive growth opportunity in the fair trade market in Canada but the economy was on recession, therefore, the expansion needed to be planned carefully.The marketing director had several specific questions to answer to help develop a marketing plan to bolster the growth of Just Us! First off, how was Just Us! going to target new buyers given the current competition and what segment would those buyers belong to? College students were clearly a growing customer base and Just Us! already had a strong presence in three college universities. Therefore, marketing should be directed at the young, educated demographic that are willing to pay a premium for products.Furthermore, the majority of their sales are business to business and their marketing needs to emphasize the benefits of fair trade to the end user. The case stated that the internet was a great tool for increasing awareness of fair trade products, along with initiatives that enhance word of mouth (p. 3). In order to reach new customers they should consider expanding their internet marketing, such as using search engine optimization/ search engine marketing. They can also utilize co-op advertising with other organizations that emphasize fair trade, organic, and environmentally friendly practices.The fair trade museum should also be utilized to educate potential customers and will be discussed in more detail below. All Just Us! advertising needs to emphasize the story behind the products in order to educate new customers. Educating customers on the benefits of fair trade is the key to growth and will set Just Us! apart from competitors with brand recognition. In order for Just Us! to enhance the cafe’s performance they need to improve the custom er experience and become customers’ first choice of â€Å"place outside the home to enjoy coffee. Surveys and focus groups should be used to find out what customers like to do in their cafes as well as what customers like about the competitors cafes (Starbucks and Trident) and incorporate those into Just Us! ’ cafes. Additionally, the current Just Us! cafes are stand-alone destination shops. Just Us! should open up new stores in large commercial shopping centers in densely populated cities with multiple Universities. This would allow Just Us to still market to the young educated demographic that have long customer lifetime values that they have had success with and reach new customers via foot traffic in the shopping center.By keeping the overall educational theme about fair trade and brand awareness the same across all of the cafes should be able to convert new customers into loyal customers. Another questions the Marketing Director had to consider was how Just Us! c an expand their loyal customer base? This could be achieved through improving the customer experience mentioned above. However, offering opportunities for the customers to get involved would create a concept of community among their customers and which could develop into a core competency and set them apart from their competitors. Just Us! ould achieve this by having guest speakers or workshops on fair trade in the stores or even get involved with community organizations to help educate people about fair trade. Customers could sign up to receive emails for upcoming events, new products, new services, and new social initiatives. These actions would all help expand their loyal customer base. The Marketing Director also needed to make several changes to the marketing program in order to benefit the cafes. The marketing budget should be increased to reflect the company sales and growth potentials. A larger budget will allow Just Us! o compete with similar fair trade coffee companies suc h as Java Factory and threatening new mainstream entrants such as Starbucks who can capture the market share quickly. The existing market media plan (Case exhibit 8) should be updated to focus on product differentiation and increase channel diversity. Just Us! should advertise in multiple newspapers, magazines, and outdoor locations to increase customer reach. Furthermore, Just Us! should promote more direct communication to events around colleges and young professionals emphasizing their fair trade and environment responsibility concept in order to foster community involvement.A major customer segment for Just Us is students and young professionals who are mostly tech-savvy. Therefore, internet should be a main advertising vehicle to reach mass marketing. Just Us should use internet marketing tools including emerging social media (e. g. Facebook, Tweeter, blogs), mobile advertisement (e. g. Groupon), search engine marketing, and co-op advertising on sites offering similar fair trad e concepts. Finally, the Marketing Director needs to utilize the fair trade Museum as a way to spread awareness as well as promote brand awareness just like they should in the new locations but take it one step further.Just Us! could hold free concerts or guest speakers at the museum to attract potential new customers. They could also charge for the concert and allow free admission if you bring a reciept from a recent purchase at the Grand Pre store. Just Us! could sponsor a local race or work with local University fundraisers in the community. Once again, Just Us! needs to be involved with the community to educate people about fair trade and get their customers involved to create a sense of community that can lead to new customers and extend the lifetime customer value of existing customers.