Farley, Mowat’s “Never cry wolf” Essay Example for Free

Farley, Mowat’s â€Å"Never cry wolf† Essay Farley, Mowat’s â€Å"Never cry wolf,† is a book based on the research of the lifestyle of wolves in the Arctic Circle. Mowat uses his experience to educate the society of the social ills conducted by the hunters towards the wolves. The book displays the risk that the wolf pack families face due to the human activities in the area. The title of the book acts as a symbol in reference to the story of the boy who cried wolf. The book thus enables the reader to think beyond the tile so as to form an opinion of the author’s message. The book challenges the human communities who are in charge of the nature around them. Humans tend to overstep their authority by infringing on the rights of the wolves. The analysis of the book educates the society of the inhumane activities that humans are inflicting on the animals. Different passages from the book Interpretation of the passage and meaning I was born and grew up in the farm and never knew what it was to have all I wanted or needed as a teenager in the late 20s The author talks of his life as a child. He was exposed to animals at an early stage in life due to his parent’s lifestyle. This is a contributing factor to his love for animals. That night the inevitable happened. We were awakened by the most frightful uproar. It seemed to consist of furious barking of a dozen dogs mingled with the roaring of the menagerie of lions The passage elaborates the intensity of the nature that surrounds him. The conflict between the dogs and the lions displays the fight for power amongst the animals. Then there were the birds. That spring Angus had bought me a field guide and with its help, I identified forty species that were new to me. The author’s exposure to different bird species enabled him to identify with the different lifestyles that they had. Angus developed a love for all forms of wildlife which in turn made him aware of the plight that the animals had. My most cherished images of the mountain country were not of the forbidding peaks but of the animals The author admits that he has a special place for the animals. The country has a number of natural resources that are fascinating to any visitor. Amongst all these features, he places priority on animals making them his favorite pastime. Although I would now commit such atrocities against some of the most beautiful creatures extant, I cannot honestly censor the boy who was for what he did then The author admits that his actions are reflective to that of other men. His treatment of the animals is not desirable initially. He learns how to appreciate all sorts of animals making him an advocate for their livelihood. â€Å"The wolf is a savage, powerful killer. It is one of the most feared and hated animals known to man and with excellent reason† Chapter 6, pg. 60. The passage showcases the dangers that the wolf portrays. Human beings often misinterpret the actions of the wolf due to its dangerous nature. Despite the fact that the wolf continues to become extinct, it poses a threat to the human beings who live next to the packs. This makes the world undesirable by man. â€Å"Evidence obtained by various Government agencies from hunters, trappers and traders seemed to prove that the plunge of the caribou toward extinction was primarily†¦ The intervention by the government saw the danger that the wolves are exposed to. Human activities were mostly responsible for these dynamics making them the number on culprits. This also displayed possible extinction of the breed of wolves if authorities continued to ignore the circumstances. â€Å"I had made my decision that, from this hour onward, I would go open-minded into the lupine world and lean to see and know the wolves, not for what they were supposed to be, but for what they actually are† Chapter 7, pg. 77. Morwat made a personal decision to protect the wildlife from the outside environment. One of the steps he takes is orienting himself with the lives of the wolves. This involves learning about the exact nature of the wolves instead of forming an assumption about them. This in turn will help remove the ignorance that he had so as to improve society’s awareness of the wolves. In conclusion, human beings are responsible for the surrounding environment. This involves observing the safety of all animals in and outside the wild. This is however, not the case in that the number of wild animals continues to diminish due to the human activity. The wolves are one of the animals that continue to face the wrath of human beings. The analysis of the book is thus ideal for the education of the public. This in turn will improve the existing relationship between man and nature.

Fashion industry

Fashion industry INTRODUCTION The fashion industry today is a very complex network. We have the marketing research people, who research the needs of the consumers, then we have the designers who design the garments, we also have the manufacturers who produce the garments and we have the distributors and retailers who sell the products to the consumers. The end consumer behavior is always changing and it getting very hard to determine what the consumer wants. To be able to deliver the right product, at right place, right quantity, and right quality to the right customers is becoming more and more challenging. Eventually all the finished products have to reach the ultimate consumers and here the role and responsibility of the retailers has become more vital [1]. Retailing is the process of buying and selling goods to the ultimate consumers. Over the last couple of decades the retailing has undergone drastic changes. Especially in the 1980s the departmental stores faced difficulties with the merger mania. During thi s period we have seen the emergence of different kinds of retailers such as discounters, chain organizations and hypermarkets. With the changes of trends and the shopping experience of the consumers, the trends in retailing have been changes after all the retail business is itself built on change [2]. Today the retailing process has moved from the traditional ways to more and more modern ways. The present retailers can be classified into the following ways: Retail branch companies Voluntary multiple chains Integrated wholesalers Franchise Department stores Mail orders/Internet Outlets Independent shops Boutiques / Concept stores. Each of the above listed retailers has their own uniqueness. In particular the boutique concept has got a very long history. Boutique is a term originated from French which means little shop[1]. It all started with the Paris couture houses which allowed the customers to buy perfumes and accessories. The Boutique has emerged on the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany etc. with different themes. Over the time the boutique concept has moved to a highly individualized and specialized merchandise intended to a well defined and a narrow range of customers. In the late 1990s some of the European retailers expanded the boutique concept to a life style theme. These boutiques were termed as ‘concept stores and were specialized in cross-selling of different products under one roof without the use of separate departments [3]. These concept stores featured products ranging from very high prices to moderate prices dealing in only designer clothes and/or hand crafted fashions and/or trendy accessories and/or antique clothing [1]. The concept stores mostly carry products of different mix of brands and products [4]. These stores are facilitating partnerships to enable the concept, thereby securing in terms of total buying. Intention is to approach edges with the aim of creating â€Å"concept stores†. Concept stores idea would rather be the operation related to elite and highly specialized class. Below is the image of the Kisan concept store in the New York City [5]. But now a day this concept has been applied to the normally mass market highly expensive items which are intentionally made at small number to keep the uniqueness of the product. Today the concept stores run with a specific consumer in mind and having the different brands product in it which could be apparel ranges, books collections, jewelry, fragrances, furniture etc. The concept is exclusively (but not primarily) while it urges to the relationship between the customers and products quality. One of the first concept stores to open was ‘10 Corso Como in Milan, Italy. This was followed by ‘Colette in Paris, ‘Quartier 206 in Berlin. The concept of ‘concept store has not only confined to the fashion industry but has also moved to electronics with brands such as Apple, Dell, Microsoft etc. opening their concept store to showcase their latest innovative products. The concept of a concept store is very complicated and as mentioned above has been changing over time. The concept of these stores is also quite different in different locations. Hence there is always a discussion about the future trends of the concept stores. This paper is an attempt to discuss the solutions to such questions which are listed below: What is the concept of a concept store? What are the products and services offered in a concept store? How will be the customer experience in such concept stores? 1. METHODOLOGY The purpose of this report is to study the concept of a concept store. This can be possible only when a practical case has been studied. The aim here is present a practical case which can be well supported with theoretical studies from various literatures and sources. Hence Storm Fashion, a concept store in Copenhagen, Denmark was selected and a thorough study was carried out. The information about Storm Fashion was collected from various electronic sources. In addition to this the Storm store was visited and the owner Mr. Rasmus Storm was interviewed. Further, the customers of Storm Fashion were asked for their opinion and share their experiences. 2. STORM FASHION: Copenhagen city has lot to offer for fashion industry, though it is not considered to be among biggies such as Paris, Milan, London or New York. Copenhagen has got a lot of potential and this has been proved by the fact that several Danish designers have been employed permanently by international fashion houses [6]. Seeing the potential for the luxurious market several brands such as Prada, Max Mara, Chanel, Hermà ©s and Louis Vuitton, Gucci etc have opened their stores in the posh localities of Copenhagen. Today Copenhagen has established itself as a fashion metropolis of the northern Europe with several internal brands and concept store. This potential for luxurious and unique products was discovered by Mr. Rasmus Storm and with this boost he opened the Storm concept store in the year 1994 at Elmegade, the North Bridge, Copenhagen. In the year 2001 the store was shifted to St. Regnegade in the central of the Copenhagen city. The aim of Mr. Rasmus Storm was to provide world class unique products to his customers. Soon the Storm store was one of the most recognized and trend setting concept stores. It was one of the first stores to accommodate world class brands such as Thom Browne, Dries van Noten, Ralph Lauren, Comme des Garcons, Raf Simons, Chloà ©, Ann Demeulemeester og Haider Ackermann. He not only confined his store for only fashion products but also extended it wide selection of products such as beauty products, photography, DVD movies, music and books on art and fashion [7]. The storm store hold the products ranging from leading Danish and international designer brands, like several of them on often found in Copenhagen. Due to its uniqueness and its popularity Storm store has received the Danish Fashion Award for best retail space was given to Storm in spring 2008. Most of the products displayed in the Storm store are handpicked by Mr. Rasmus Storm who travels all over the world for the best and unique products [8]. The most important thing for the selection of products is networking where different designers and artists are met for inspiration. Below the products offered in the Storm store have be briefly described. 3.1 Mens clothes The clothing line has the designer touch of a classic, archetypal school quality in a simple and marked by seriousness, gravity, solemnity. The Store has leading brands such as Dior Homme, Burberry Prorsum, Dries van Noten, Gitman vintage, Junya Watanabes, Visvim etc. The collection is seasonal and also contains selected shoes and boots of brands such as Ring Wing, The original boat boots etc. Some of the products are show below 3.2 Womens clothes We can see the delicious classic touch like French Chloà © in the Womens clothing. The collection includes the delicate and special things belong to the exciting Belgian designer Haider Ackermann Colombian, Ann Demeulemeester Parisian misc/fashion duo Kitsunà ©, Swedish Burglar etc. Some of the products are shown below [7]: 3.4 Skincare and Magazines: Storm has and is always in touch with the latest updates from fashion and design world. Storm has books and magazines of Fantastic Man, Knick Knight, Nils Stà ¦rk, Stephen Sprouse, Albert Watson, Camouflage etc. Storm also offers pure skincare, hair care products from Bumble Bumble, Dover Street market, Mayday Mayday etc [7]. 3.5 Accessories: Storm also offers wide range of product for both men and women in the form of fragrances, eye wear, bags, lighters, sneakers, candles, watches etc. Storm offers very unique products such as Zippo X Ambush lighter (available in only 2 retailers in Europe), Mismo X Storm, Fat Cat Stuff X Storm etc [7]. 3.6 Store Appearance: The Storm store was designed by Leif Jà ¸rgensen from LLLP and he tried to combine the feminine and the masculine themes combined with the use of materials like glass and wood prominence. The central focus was to keep the store very clean with simple colors such as white, wood and black so the focus is on the clothing, other products and not the store itself. The interiors of the storm store can be seen below 3. ANALYSIS A SWOT analysis was done to analyze different factors that influence the performance of the Storm concept store. 4.1 Strengths One of the main strengths of Storm stores is its ability to showcase products which are unique and very diverse. With this uniqueness and diversity, the Storm store has earned an image which has earned its own individuality. Storm store does not seem to be like any other store but has its own unique identity and reputation. Another important strength of the Storm store is its leadership in the form of Mr. Rasmus Storm who has a great passion and vision. Mr. Storm is always travelling all over the world in search of new designers, artists and products [8]. The best example is the Zippo X Ambush lighter which Mr. Storm brought from Japan. Another strength of Storm store is products that are amalgam of soft and elegance touch. The store presence is also one of the driving forces for the customers to come in. Especially the interiors which are very clean and do not steal the focus from the products displayed. Another strength of the Storm store is the customer experience with a good rece ption. The stores personal is very warm and are always helpful in finding the right products for the customers [10]. 4.2 Weakness One of the main weaknesses of the Storm store is its webpage which is very limited with the information, products classification etc unlike the French concept store Colette which has got a very good webpage. A lot more can be done with the webpage as most of the customers today are tending towards the web experience of anything. The webpage also does not have the web shopping which is very unusual for a store like Storm. The webpage does not even keep the database of the customers and the customer choices which need to be addressed. Another weakness which was inferred from the customers is that the products sold are way too expensive [10]. Although Storm was established in the year 1994, it still has only one store. Keeping in mind its popularity and uniqueness, the Store can be expanded to other locations. The Storm store does not carry products from leading brands like Chanel, Prada, Gucci etc which it used carry a few years ago. 4.3 Opportunities Storm fashion has got a very good reputation not only in Denmark but also in Sweden, Norway, Germany etc. Even though it was established 15 years ago it has its presence in Copenhagen city only and has got a great potential to expand into other cities. Hence the store may be expanded into other locations such as Stockholm, Paris, Berlin etc. The webpage can be modified to accommodate feature such a product classification, virtual wardrobe, web shopping etc. Although the products offered at the Storm store are much diversified but there is still room for more diversification. This can be further explored. Storm Fashion is very high-end targeteting people with quite a lot of money, it would be nice if they had some less expensive stuff but still kept their profile as being exclusive and nice [10]. The Storm store can also focus on a few customers catering their choices and tastes and offer some very exclusive products accordingly. 4.4 Threats One of the main threats for the Storm store is the emergence of new concept stores in the Copenhagen city which tend to maintain the same exclusivity. A best example is Wood Wood store which is in the near proximity of the Storm store. Another common weakness is the counterfeit products. Although Storm offers very exclusive products, getting a counterfeit product is becoming very easy these days. The Economic crisis has also played its part in the Storms growth rate. Especially the fluctuating currency exchange rate of the Danish-Swedish kronor has decrease the customer buying from Sweden. Due to this Storm has been lost almost 15% of its revenues for the past couple of years [8]. 4.5 Key Success Factors Some of the key success factors of Storm have been listed in the table below: Key Success Factors LOW HIGH 1 2 3 4 5 Brand Value Product Range Advertisement Consumer Experience Web experience Leadership Price Range Growth rate In most of the cases the well designed strategic plan has the potential to integrate the performance of company. But low thoughts are given to implementing, accountability and executing for the success of business, while there are many factors which can be present as the key success factors for any business or for products. Based on the above discussion we can simply sum up the idea that the Storm store has a very good brand identity as compare to the other concept stores in Denmark. This is due to the product range they offer to their valuable customers, they have very reliable products which are decorated according to the consumers taste. Also Mr. Rasmus Storm kept this in such a great leadership that his store is now one of the famous concept store in Scandinavia and it has also won the best concept stores award in Denmark in the year 2008.The factor behind this victory is the uniqueness and product range but although they have unique stuff but with very high price that could be t he one the point which could go in the opposite way. Another portal where they are lacking is their web experience for their customers and same shadow covers the advertisement media. They must go for the new web features and easy customers interface portals to remain on the hype in this recession time. 4. CONCLUSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS: The Storm store has been very successful and there is still a lot more room for growth both in terms of sales and presence. To do so, there are some issues that have to be dealt with. 5.1 Web Experience: The webpage of Storm store is not very exciting when compared to its counterparts. Hence a lot more can be done to improve it. The first and the foremost things that should be done is the inclusion of the product catalogue which could classify the products into different categories. This will make the customer to search for the product he is looking directly without wasting lot of time. The other thing that can be done is the introduction of web shopping. Web Shopping is a process where the customer can log on to the web page and select his products and do the payment online, and then the products will be delivery to the location mentioned by the customer [11]. The web shopping business is growing very rapidly, a very good example for this the www.youheshe.com which is doing very good business. The web shopping can not only make people buy the products from their homes but also will allow the sale of products to the customers who cannot access the Storm store (Demographic advantage). The web shopping will also allow the customers to buy the products at whatever time they like irrespective of the store opening or closing times. Another significant thing that can be done is maintain the customer database. The success of business can be measured by the relationship with the customers, therefore the information technology systems have designed the online plate through with customers feedback and demands can be observed by day to day basis on growing in popularity. (CRM) Customer relationship management is not just a web application developed, but its an approach to know about the customers behaviors and their needs in term of creating the stronger relationships with them [12]. In other means we can use this CRM to interact with customers in effectively and efficiently manner. Nevertheless, successful CRM relies on the use of adequate technology. If this is considered for the Storm store, it can be implemented in the webpage which will allow tracking the customers choices and feedback. We will get the details regarding the customers choices, taste, mood and their buying capability so we can merge the collected data and get the better results. Once the customer login to the website and search for their products, it will enable the store to offer the customers with their preferred choices based upon their previous online behavior. This will obviously save the customers precious time and they dont have to search for whole products ranges while on the other hand customer will not get irritate by not struggling for the products they need. Using the internet and the CRM application we can also introduce a concept that has the potential of being the next big thing. Its called the ‘virtual wardrobe and if this works out it can very well be the competitive advantage over the internet for fashion brands seeking to increase their market base while at the same time keeping the exclusivity factor real [13]. This virtual wardrobe perfectly fits into the concept of the Storm store. The virtual wardrobe shall include the concept of keeping an online wardrobe of all the items that a customer has bought over the internet so that when a customer goes to buy a new product he/she goes into their online wardrobe and sorts through the items there to see which ones they have already bought so that they can choose another product that is according to their choice after seeing their wardrobe [14]. This way a customer online profile is made based on the choices that they have made of their clothes which can then be interpreted by pro filers of the brand to assess the characteristic of their client. This concept has a lot of potential in that it can seek to identify the personality of the customer based on their choices and from there the brands. This can also be used as a tool for gauging the loyalty of a customer according to the number of items that are present in the wardrobe. Customer satisfaction surveys can relate to the experience that the customer had when using this web application. The possibilities are endless. Its just a matter of using ones imagination. 5.2 Expansion Diversification: The Storm store has a great potential for expansion geographically. Given the required financial assistance, the Storm store can be expanded to other markets such as Stockholm, Paris, Berlin, and New York etc. The product line can also be diversified by collaborations with different artists and designers. It can collaborate with designers and artists from countries like India which is home for various culture, world class craftsmanship, music, literature etc. 5.3 Marketing: Marketing as a science requires a number of qualities that are an essential and integral to the success of the organization. Although marketing nowadays is a very broad term yet there are some aspects of marketing that are not taking a more interactive role with the consumer. Marketing does not mean spending a huge amount of money on advertising. There are many cost efficient ways of marketing. One of such way of marketing is the viral marketing. Viral marketing, as the name implies is word of mouth marketing where a group of people are told about a certain product, service, store etc and those people spread those words to different people there by creating a chain reaction. This will allow that product, services, store to become more popular. Viral marketing can be done in many ways and is influenced by many factors. The best way of spreading the good will is by shear customer experience. Once the customers come to a store and finds what they is looking for, then obviously they woul d recommend the store to their friends. This would make others interested in the store there by increasing the customer flow and sales. Other easy way of marketing the Storm store is with the help of Social Networking Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Orkut etc. A profile of the Storm store can be created in these sites and information regarding the new arrivals, discounts etc can be updated regularly. This will also allow the customers to write about their experiences, suggestions, feedbacks etc. This medium can also be used to meet the customers and know about their opinions. The Storm can even create a customer club where it can arrange different activities such as exhibitions, parties etc. This will keep the customers more loyal builds up a good trust towards the store. The Storm store which started off as a small store is now very popular among its customers because of its unique identity. This identity has helped it to become one of the well noted stores in the northern Europe. The leadership of Mr. Rasmus Storm has played a major role in the transformation of the store into a world class one. By implementing the above suggestion, the store and its identity can reach a larger customers and locations there by increasing the revenue and the brand identity.

Categories of Abuse Essay

Categories of Abuse Essay Abuse can be defined as to treat wrongfully or harmfully. There are different categories of abuse that have been recognized and within our case study there appears to be two distinct forms of abuse, domestic abuse and child abuse. These can be sub divided into terms of physical abuse, emotional /psychological abuse, and non-organic failure to thrive. Physical abuse is the intentional inflicting of physical injury or harm or deliberately not preventing harm occurring. The minimum physical signs seen in our study to both Mrs Black and James are bruising with suspect excuses for their appearance. Emotional abuse is the continual failure to meet basic emotional needs. Emotional development is stunted and well- being impaired. The emotional signs in our case study can be seen in James by his actions of being withdrawn and non-communicative. The behavioural sign to abuse taking place to James is his aggressive behaviour. The short term effects of physical abuse to James are bruising and pain. In the long term recurring injuries can result in secondary illness and complications, permanent scarring and disfigurement. His emotional effects in the short term are a fear of adults or others, withdrawal, poor relationship with his peers. The long term emotional effects for James could be low self esteem, depression, inability to form relationships. Abuse can arise for many reasons and there are a number of theoretical perspectives which may be useful in clarifying why the abuse has taken place. The Feminist perspective believes that gender and family roles gives approval to a culture of abuse. Consider the historical and stereotypical ideas of the family, with men, women and children having definite roles. With men having power and control in the perspective of abuse. In James case he lives in a reconstituted family with the father figure being dominant and a heavy drinker. From a psychological perspective, alcohol misuse can bring mental health problems which may increase aggression in the person and so James is more at risk from abuse by his step father. The family dysfunction theory suggests that the family is not functioning due to family dynamics. The dysfunctioning family attempts to find alternative ways of coping. The relationship between the mother and James, involves a dependency of James on his mother. With other pro blems in James mothers life, this leads to increasing stress and the inability of his mother to cope and manage the situation within the relationship. The attachment theory state that significant separations of a child from the carer in the early years can have an effect on their emotional development and can lead to psychological and social difficulties in later life. With the loss of both his father and his sisters` father with whom he was close, may have contributed to his deterioration of his behaviour If a client begins to make a disclosure of abuse it is important to ensure privacy and confidentiality. It is necessary to show that listening skills are employed and that I remain calm and receptive. I must listen without interruption and make it clear that I am taking their disclosure seriously. I must only ask questions of clarification if I am unclear as to what the vulnerable adult is saying. It is important that I acknowledge their courage in coming forward and tell them that they are not responsible for the abuse. I must let it be known to them what I will do to help them and where possible get their consent to inform my line manager. I must speak to my client in comfortable and quiet surroundings. I would ask my client to sit down where I shall use SOLER techniques, which is on- verbal to aid in communication. Using the SOLER theory I would use the five basic components used in communication. I would sit squarely on at the table turned towards one another. I would adopt an op en posture. I would lean forward slightly to convey to him that I am interested and committed to actively listen to him. I would sit so that we have regular but varied eye contact and that my client could see my facial expressions and gestures to aid in communication. I would maintain a relaxed manner. This would also let him know that I am involved in the situation. This adhered to our organizations policy on Confidentiality and the Data Protection Act of 1998 allowing my client to voice his concerns without worry and protected his privacy. I would inform him that they are not responsible for the abuse. I must let it be known to him what I will do to help him and where possible get his consent to inform my line manager. It is important that I make an immediate record of what the vulnerable adult has said, using only their own words. This should be recorded in the Incident Book, clearly, accurately and legibly, and then reported to the Line Manager who is responsible for any further action. As we do not supply a care service, we are not required to register with the Care Commission, but we ensure all our policies and procedures meet their standards. As all clients under these standards are legally allowed an individualized care plan, we instead have an activity plan. The policy and procedures on abuse of our organisation are underpinned by the National Care Standards which were set up under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001. This Act came about to regulate the care and social work force and set out the principals of good care practice. The Care Commission was set up under this Act to register, regulate and inspect all care services listed in the Act. It also established The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). (ref1)The SSSC has aims and objectives to protect the service users, raise standards, strengthen and support workforce professionalism. An example of the code of practice of the SSSC is to look after service users and carers by protecting their rights and promoting their interests, by establishing and maintaining trust and users confidence , by promoting their independence, while protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm, respecting their rights and ensuring that their behaviour does not cause harm to themselves or others. The policy for protecting vulnerable people within our organisation is achieved through the careful selection, screening, training and supervision of staff and volunteers. Under The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 a code of good practice for vulnerable adults within our organisation has been developed which expects staff or volunteers suspecting or have had abuse disclosed must immediately report the concerns to their line manager and write up an incident report. The line manager will discuss the concerns with the person reporting the abuse; she will clarify the concerns and obtain all known relevant information. This will then be forwarded to the appropriate local Social Work Department stating that it concerns vulnerable adult protection. In the absence of a line manager the concerns should be reported directly to the local Social work department and then inform the line manager as soon as possible. The social work department after investigation may have to inform the police to investigate further.(ref2) The principal function of Registered Social Workers is the safety and support of the wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults. They should encourage the wellbeing of communities complying with the Scottish Social Services Councils Code of Practice for Social Service Workers. (ref3) The social work department will work with the police to carry out joint enquires if necessary and organise case reviews and protection conferences. The police will keep safe from harm the individual who has been subjected to abuse and may call for a medical examination. They will examine and collect evidence, interview suspects, identify offenders and arrange cases for pro secution. The GP or hospital Doctor maybe involved giving medical evidence of abuse and treating the individual. Under our code of good practice in preventing abuse it is important that I avoid unobserved situations of one -to-one contact with a vulnerable adult. I must never invite a vulnerable adult to my home; I must never offer to take a vulnerable adult alone in my own vehicle, if it is necessary to do things of a `personal nature` e.g. toileting , I must have the consent and knowledge of the carers and my line manager, before doing any of the above. I must not engage or allow any sexually provocative games involving or observed by vulnerable adults. I must never make or allow suggestive remarks or discrimatory comments to be made to a vulnerable adult. I must not engage in or tolerate bullying, or inappropriate physical behaviour. I must respect all vulnerable adults regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability or sexual identity. I must avoid favouritism and singling out troublemakers. I must never trivialise abuse and never let allegations of abuse go unreported, including any made against myself. The policy and procedures of our organisation adhere to the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Act (Scotland) 2007 by ensuring as a way of vetting and barring every volunteer and employee has undergone a Disclosure which shows any convictions. If any convictions suggest that abuse of our clients is a possibility then they would not be allowed to volunteer or be employed. Sources of support for workers in the field of preventing abuse can be provided by statutory, voluntary, and private or independent organisations. Statutory services have a distinct concern laid down by legislation e.g. social services and NHS. The voluntary sector is run on a non profit making basis and have arisen through a recognised need and reflect society`s feelings. E.g. Advocacy, Mencap. Private organisations make a profit but I am not aware of any private local organisation that supports vulnerable adults suffering abuse. Support can consist of Casework, by working on a one to one basis, by counselling again one to one, and by group work bringing people together with shared issues to resolve problems together. (Ref4) Cultural values play a part in defining what is considered abusive conduct. What we in the UK consider abuse may not be considered abuse in another culture. For example, domestic abuse has only recently become abhorrent in the UK. As up until the 1970s/80s, domestic abuse was considered a marital problem and to be accepted, but today we have little tolerance for domestic abuse. But, today, ethnic minority women still run the risk of long periods of abuse and find it difficult to report. Families expect women to put up with it, as ethnic women are considered their husbands property. Honour killings` are not unknown amongst ethnic minorities using religious text as justification. (Ref5)Female circumcision is another culturally accepted form of abuse, still practised in 28 countries in Africa. It is seen to control female sexuality and sex outside marriage. This is done to girls age range from 4 to 12. It usually takes place in un- hygienic conditions with potentially fatal conse quences. Forced marriages are also a problem, by taking the potential bride out of the country against her wishes and forcing her to marry a suitor specially selected by the parents. Sometimes, workers may have trouble accepting the motives of people who are involved in abuse. There may be the need to ask why and how can they have abused? Where they just bad or mad? Perhaps the workers values and beliefs make working with an abuser distasteful. However, a professional approach to working with an abuser must be taken. For those who work with abusers there is a need to understand why people abuse. (Ref6)Abusive behaviour can sometimes be the result of mental health problems, empathy deficit, brain damage or being abused themselves. By becoming the abuser they believe they are taking control, some even believe that they are not doing anything wrong and cannot stop themselves. When working with individuals who have abused it is important to be aware that they may go on to abuse again and as well as trying to treat the underlying cause for abuse their is a need to protect the community from the abuser. So, the use of risk assessments are important to keep safe when working with an abuser. ( Ref7) In Conclusion it is important to be able to understand the probable risks and take appropriate action to reduce them. Effective communication and personal skills are useful to understand and reduce potential conflicts. Reflection on my own values and how they may affect my practice, awareness and understanding of the abusers cultural values and background is required. This is to ensure awareness and intervention is employed when required. When dealing with abuse, it is important to listen, understand, report and keep the abused safe and if dealing with the abuser to keep myself safe. References. SSSC. (2009). Codes of Practice. Available: http://www.sssc.uk.com/Last accessed 09/02/2010. Stephen Smellie. (2005). Role of the Social Worker: Protection of Title. Available: http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/swrole2.html. Last accessed 09/02/2010 Elizabeth Bingham +. (2009). Protection including safeguarding and management of risk.. In: HNC in Social Care. Edinburgh: Heinemann. 229. Mary Barnish. (2004). Domestic Violence: A Literature Review. Available: http://www.domestic-violence-and-abuse.co.uk/information/Cultural-Differences-in-the-UK.php. Last accessed 13/02/2010. Frances A. Althaus . (1997). Female Circumcision: Rite of Passage or Violation of Rights? Available: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2313097.html. Last accessed 13/02/2010. Kathryn Patricelli. (2005). Why do people abuse?. Available: http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=docid=8482. Last accessed 13/02/2010. Elizabeth Bingham +. (2009). Issues involved in protection from abuse. In: HNC in Social Care. Edinburgh: Heinemann. 217.

Formulation Of A Theory :: Papers

Formulation Of A Theory The certain factors that influence the accuracy of estimation is mainly: Age, the time of day it is processed, gender and the style of the survey. The reason age has an affect on the accuracy of estimation, is because if the person is too young or too old the survey may not be reliable enough in order for it to be processed into a data collection sheet the reason being that they may not be suited to the imperial or metric measurement used in modern days. The young may not have learnt the imperial measures and the elderly may not be used to the correct terms. The effect, time has to getting good reliability is that the survey should be taken out at a convenient time of the day where food has been consumed properly and the people's minds are focused. The times which may be irrelevant to practice a survey is early in the morning or late at night where people may be tired. The gender may have a certain effect on the outcome of results because the males may differ in technical skills to females or it is possible that perhaps females are more capable of handling academical situations rather than males. The style of a survey may affect the result because if badly constructed questions are used, people will not answer the survey properly and will try to avoid them. An example of a badly constructed question is 'What is your age?'-This is personal. Many people will not want to answer. An example of a well constructed question is 'Which age group are you in? 0-20 21-30 31-50 etc. A questionnaire is usually put together to test a hypothesis. The hypothesis that will be used in this questionnaire is: 'Children will be able to estimate better than adults'. Method The data will be collected through a simple questionnaire. A stratified sample will be used. This is because in a stratified sample, the population that will be asked will be divided into

Was Parliament Justified In Killing the King? :: essays research papers

Despite the simplistic fact that King Charles I was the legally lawful leader of England, Parliament was more than justified in executing Charles I due to the divergent and passionate views of law and life between the people and the king in politics, society, and religion. Parliament never desired a position where they could control England with full-fledged power. They simply wanted enough limitations on the kingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s power that would guarantee the people certain rights that the king cannot take away, which juxtaposes the belief of divine right. Parliament tried numerous ways to create a structured administration where the kingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s power was restricted and Parliament, including the people that they represented, was given a voice in government but their countless tries were futile and a disappointment. Preceding the Civil War and many times after it, Parliament tried to approach the king to present to him their ideas of how power should be distributed and used. They came up with laws and regulations to resolve political problems with the king, such as the Petition of Rights, Nineteen Propositions, and Grand Remonstrance. The king declined to acknowledge these laws as genuine laws. He either signed and disregarded it or he a bsolutely refused to bother himself with the minor complaints of Parliament. This eventually led to the conclusion that King Charles I was the type of man who could not be trusted with the legal promises he made to his people. The worries of Parliament were not seen as a major concern of his and he repudiated to consider any negotiations with whatever Parliament had to say. The kingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s intractable ways caused Parliament to break away from his power before England became a place of political disaster. Although the obstinate king refused to recognize Parliamentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s authorized power and influence, he turned his back on his Protestant country to form foreign alliances against his own people. If that wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t ghastly enough, the king acted in an outrageous and appalling way when he put religion into the conflict and made it worse. He asked for military assistance from the Catholic pope and agreed to certain terms that could have shattered his already-destabilized country. The king denied the fact that he had been defeated by his own subjects, and he did anything he could do in his power to prevent the loss of his throne. It is not right of a true and legitimate king to overlook his people and betray them in such a horrendous and unthinkable way as to destroy the pride of his countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s religion.

Blockbuster Declares Bankruptcy

Blockbuster Declares Bankruptcy Yvonne Dedmore MGT 435 – Organizational Change Robert Hamamoto September 19, 2011 Shortly before their 25th anniversary, Blockbuster files for bankruptcy protection with a Chapter 11 petition. The failing company couldn’t compete in today’s market against Netflix, Redbox, Apple, and other internet-based businesses that provided mail-order rentals or digital streaming. Their business model needed to be revamped to stay competitive. This paper will take a look at where the problem was, the measures taken to correct the problem, and how Blockbuster can come back and be competitive. Blockbuster, Inc. started business in 1985 in Dallas, Texas by David Cook. The company rented video cassettes, and later DVDs and video games, to customers for viewing at home. Mr. Cook was a computer programmer and used this to his advantage. While other video stores had no idea what they had still in stock, Mr. Cook had reports that showed him which movies were being rented most so he could optimize the video selection. He also wanted a family environment and had a no-porn policy. (Gandel, 2010). In 1987, Wayne Huizenga bought the business from Mr. Cook, and the company went into an expansion mode, opening stores nationwide and eventually overseas by the mid 1990s. (History. com, n. d. ). Mr. Huizenga knew that one day technology was going to put them out of business. He hired consultants to help work on a creative plan on different ways to deliver movies. The consultants even went as far as recommending Mr. Huizenga buy a cable company. Instead of doing that, Mr. Huizenga sold the company to Viacom in 1994 and got out of the business while the company was still worth something. (Gandel, 2010). Under Viacom, the company was losing money. They brought in different CEOs and tried once again to focus on movie rentals. (Gandel, 2010). That helped and currently, Blockbuster has over 3,500 stores and over 25,000 employees. These stores are considered â€Å"brick and mortar†. They are physical buildings that franchise owners must buy or rent, stock with supplies, and hire people to work and run the stores. There are overhead costs that internet-based businesses don’t have. This is one reason why Blockbuster has been losing money these past few years. Blockbuster was the leader in video rentals for over 15 years. That was the thing to do; go to the movie store, rent a movie, pop popcorn, and enjoy a good movie from home. Unfortunately, Blockbuster didn’t keep up with technology and didn’t take the competition seriously enough and soon enough to change. When change happens in an organization, managers need to develop strategies that benefit the entire organization. The effects of organizational development are to improve the organization’s ability to handle its internal and external relationships. Organizational development is intended to change the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structure of an organization. Blockbuster needed to concentrate not only on its customers, but also on their competition. Instead they ignored both and kept everything status quo. Instead of changing their strategy before the competition got their foot in the door, Blockbuster sat on the sidelines. Management said the business models were different and that Blockbuster could co-exist with the other companies. (Carr, 2010). Blockbuster was just too slow to embrace change and flow with today’s environment that consisted of convenience and digital delivery. People try to cram too much into their days. The convenience of having movies, television shows that got missed because of soccer practice or a late meeting, and even video games at your fingertips is too appealing. People today just don’t want to drive to the video store after working all day, driving the kids to activities, doing homework, making dinner, and cleaning up. They want the movie or television show to be just a click away. With the busy schedules, they don’t want to forget to drop the movie back off at the store and have to deal with late fees. If Blockbuster had stayed up on trends and realized what was happening with technology, they may have been able to keep the customers that were lost and also gain new ones. Instead someone else took advantage of this and stole business right out of the video giant’s hands. Netflix became the biggest competitor to Blockbuster, even though Blockbuster didn’t seem to notice. Netflix created a video rental mail-order service through their website. This was a monthly subscription service that allowed customers to receive a movie in the mail, watch it at their leisure, and return it when they were finished; all with no late fees. When the movie was received back to the Netflix warehouse, a new movie was sent from the customer’s favorites list. The customer only had to go as far as the mailbox to receive and return a movie. Netflix also initiated the streaming video and television shows through the internet to your television, computer, or gaming system. The selection wasn’t as big as the actual DVD mail-order system, but it was faster and more convenient for some customers who â€Å"wanted it now†. This was all offered to the customer in a low monthly fee. Some subscription services even allowed for unlimited rentals per month. Another competitor, in the form of kiosks, offered movies for $1. 00 a night, and these kiosks were conveniently located in grocery and drug stores. Pick a movie and drop it off the next time you were shopping. No late fees or membership necessary. Why not rent a movie after you checked out from the grocery store with dinner already in the cart? What a great way to save time, money, and spend quality time at home with the family. Redbox, backed by Coinstar, is the main competitor of movie rental kiosks. They have over 24,000 conveniently located kiosks. Redbox not only is in grocery stores and drug stores, but expanded into fast-food restaurants. (Newman, 2010). Due to these new technology inventions, Blockbuster stores were seeing less foot traffic at the brick and mortar stores. People were looking for convenience while trying to save money in today’s economy. This should have been a clear sign for Blockbuster’s management to make a change. Blockbuster did downsize by closing some of the existing brick and mortar stores, but continued to do business as usual. They needed to conduct an organizational diagnosis to find out not only what needed to be changed, but also why. The diagnosis is a chance for management to strategize where the company is now, what the skills set is, and where do they see the company going in the future. It consists of data collection which may include questionnaires, interviews and observations. (Spector, 2010). These shifts in external realities usually need a new pattern of behavior which Blockbuster didn’t seem to possess. It appeared as if the CEOs didn’t want to change their strategy or they really didn’t notice what was happening in the world of technology. It’s hard to say at this point. Blockbuster’s management needed to focus on a strategic renewal which would alter the current strategy with the intent of gaining an advantage over the competition. (Spector, 2010). It took Blockbuster over six years to enter the mail-order movie rental business. With the financial support and connections Blockbuster had, it shouldn’t have taken them that long. By the time Blockbuster entered into the â€Å"streaming† environment, Netflix already had over three million customers. (Gandel, 2010). Could Blockbuster’s big name compete with that? It depends on how they structure their business model. Blockbusters business model appeared too narrow – video rental. They left the door wide open for competitors to come in and create a new market. Blockbuster held on too long to their retail strategy even though trends were showing that consumers were not following. Netflix had a slow start, but no one was competing with them. It took Netflix a little time to work out some of the kinks, but Blockbuster wasn’t there to challenge them. (Newman, 2010). In the author’s viewpoint, Blockbuster almost set themselves up for failure by not taking advantage of changing their business model to keep up with technology. In this company analysis, it wasn’t a matter of employees resisting a change because management wasn’t proposing a change. Sometimes companies struggle to implement a cultural change only to meet resistance from employees. Usually the resistance happens for a few reasons; forcing the change from the top down, not communicating with employees, and not offering essential training for the change, to name a few. This wasn’t the case with Blockbuster. They needed an organizational redesign to respond to the changing environment of technology. Behind the scenes this may have been happening, but it never materialized into a functioning strategic plan. Blockbuster had bombarded their customers with late fees, tried to go in the direction of mail-order rental service (Blockbuster Total Access), and even put up kiosks. Unfortunately, they got into the game a little too late. The competition already had a handle on the market and customers were easing into the convenience of online streaming, kiosks at the grocery store, and mail-order delivery. There wasn’t the need to drive down to the corner video store to look through the new releases or older movies. Also, they could view online reviews instead of relying on the opinions of one Blockbuster employee. Blockbuster was sinking and the company wasn’t able to tread water fast enough to keep them afloat. The losses were huge every year and the amount of money they had invested into failed operations was getting them nowhere. The inevitable was happening. In September 2010, Blockbuster filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. The goal was to reorganize the company instead of liquidating assets. That is a good strategy if you can implement a good business model to be and stay competitive. It has been speculated that after bankruptcy, the company will look much different. Hopefully, because their debt will be reduced and a new business model will be put into place, Blockbuster will be able to start over. In April 2011, Dish Network won the auction that bought most of Blockbuster assets out of bankruptcy. It paid an estimated $320 million and the goal is to compete directly with Netflix’s streaming features. With Blockbusters name in Hollywood, Dish feels that they will be able to offer better, quality service to its customers over Netflix. Dish is negotiating with Starz movie channels to provide a great line-up of movies to its customers. (Sherman, 2011). Another option that is coming out of this reorganization is continuing with the Blockbuster Total Access mail-order program. One perk that makes them different from Netflix is the option to take the disc back to a physical store for an exchange rather than wait on the postal service. (Falcone, 2011). This may appeal to some customers who want a membership or subscription-based fee structure, but also want the gratification of watching movies on their own schedule and not having to wait for a new one to come in the mail. The plan is to downsize the number of physical stores still open which would result in a number of layoffs. At this time, some 3,000 stores will continue to stay open until a plan can be implemented. Blockbuster has already closed approximately 1,000 stores over the last couple of years. (Anderson, 2011). The closing of additional stores will be more in line with the changing environment. To save some of the existing brick and mortar stores, Blockbuster should consider a different environment that would appeal to a wider range of customers. Some ideas of this could include the following: 1. Create a relaxed environment similar to Starbucks. Customers can come in and look for videos online while having a cup of coffee, tea, or a snack. There could be a living room type environment that is cozy and comfortable with couches, coffee tables, and table lamps. They should also have access to movie, game, and music reviews to help with their selection. 2. Provide Blockbuster kiosks in a wider range of locations. Compete with Redbox and Netflix on a wider level. Blockbuster’s name allows them to obtain new releases faster than Netflix and Redbox. Blockbuster can use this to their advantage at these strategically placed kiosks. 3. Know the demographics in the area. Some areas of towns are more able to afford internet and subscription fees. Maybe it’s time to shut down the brick and mortar stores and cut its losses in those areas. Concentrate on areas that may not have access to internet or can’t afford monthly fees. These areas of town may rely on physical stores and closing those locations would be a bad business move. 4. If the physical store is going to stay open, cut down on the size. If the owner owns the building, think of creative ways to fill the other area that would complement the Blockbuster store. Make it more appealing for customers to actually visit the video store rather than sit at home streaming the same movie. Make it an experience for the customer. If the owner leases, consider modifying the lease or look into subleasing the extra area. 5. Look into changing CEO or upper management. Dish Network needs to ask why management let technology get so far away from them, and how did they miss out on the opportunity to keep their existing customers and provide more for them. Was management so afraid of technology that they didn’t pursue it even though they were watching the losses year after year? Unless Dish Network creates a niche that Netflix, Redbox, and the other internet-based businesses can’t compete with, the purchase of Blockbuster may have been for nothing. The Blockbuster name and their Hollywood connections will help, but Dish Network needs to get moving fast on a strategic plan. The more time that goes by without having streaming capabilities and quality service under the Blockbuster name, more customers will stay with or revert to one of the other services. For Blockbuster to make a comeback they will need to invest in marketing campaigns, technologies to keep pace with competition, and a plan to stay competitive. This time Blockbuster can’t afford to enter a market and not keep up with the environment. Management needs to constantly watch trends and stay up on technology. They should be flexible and creative in this ever-changing world. Just because a business model was successful doesn’t mean it will always be successful. Blockbuster learned this the hard way. REFERENCES Anderson, M. (2010, September 23). Blockbuster files for bankruptcy. Debt, changing media habits topple Blockbuster. Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/news/ Debt-changing-media-habits-apf-1049608580. html? x=0. Carr, A. (2010, August 27). Blockbusted: A Netflix Knock-Out, Bad Metaphors on the Path to the Movie Monster's Bankruptcy. Fast Company. Retrieved from http://www. fastcompany. com/1685375/blockbuster-plans-for-bankruptcy-a-look-at-ceo-jim-keyes-best-denials. Falcone, J. P. (2011, September 2). Netflix vs. Blockbuster: What’s the Best Service for Streaming and DVDs? Cnet News. Retrieved from http://news. cnet. com/8301-17938_105-20093587-1/netflix-vs-blockbuster-whats-the-best-service-for-streaming-and-dvds. Gandel, S. (2010, October 17). How Blockbuster Failed at Failing. Time Magazine Business. Retrieved from http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2022624-1,00. html. History. com. Oct 19, 1985: First Blockbuster store opens. (n. d. ). This Day in History. Retrieved September 16, 2011, from A;E Television Networks website: http://www. history. com/ this-day-in-history/first-blockbuster-store-opens. Newman, R. (2010, September 23). How Netflix (and Blockbuster) killed Blockbuster. U. S. News ; World Report, Money. Retrieved from http://money. usnews. com/money/blogs/ flowchart/2010/09/23/how-netflix-and-blockbuster-killed-blockbuster. Sherman, A. (2011, September 2). Dish Said to Stream Blockbuster Films to Challenge Netflix. Bloomberg. Retrieved from http://www. bloomberg. com/news/2011-09-02/dish-said-to-plan-blockbuster-rival-to-netflix. html Spector, B. (2010). Implementing Organizational Change:   Theory Into Practice  (2nd ed. ). Upper Saddle River: NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Preparation for Writing an Essay Essay

Before you start writing an essay, you need to decide three things. What are you writing about? Who do you imagine will be reading your essay? What do you want to tell them? A popular kind of essay is to offer your reader an opinion or argument. You can write a successful essay by starting off with a plan. The key to doing a successful essay is to break the writing down into short, simple steps. Pre-writing for your essay Begin by brainstorming. Brainstorming doesn’t involve writing complete sentences or paragraphs. Brainstorming involves coming up with ideas in words or short phrases. Main idea for your essay Write down the main idea of your essay. To express your main idea, write only a few words. Brainstorming â€Å"for† your main idea Write a word or a phrase that relates to your main idea. This should be something about your main idea that you agree with. Next, write another word or phrase relating to your main idea. This should also be something about your main idea that you agree with. Now, write a third word or phrase relating to your main idea that you agree with. Brainstorming â€Å"against† your main idea Write a word or a phrase that relates to your main idea. This should be something about your main idea that you disagree Try writing a second or phrase relating to your main idea. This too should something about your main idea that you disagree with. Now, write down a third word or phrase relating to your main idea that you disagree with.