Television And Violence Essays - Dispute Resolution, Crime, Ethics

Television And Violence Boink! Boom! Crack! The sounds of the fight scene rage on. Many have fallen in this particularly bloody battle. The good guys have taken their losses but struggle on to what is seemingly a victory. Their aggression is fierce and helps them. Fires consume the background; men and women lie on the ground in pain. Even if it weren't for the bombs, missiles, bullets, etc. that are flying around, hand-to-hand combat would have got the better of them. It was a classic battle scene when looking back at it, a true testament of blood, hell, and gore. This may sound like a heroic made-for-TV movie shown only on primetime in the hopes of recruiting a mature audience. But it is not. In fact, it is just another Saturday-morning special of GI Joe, "The Real American Hero," that I watched with my brother and cousins. We were religious followers of the show, tuning in every week to see how Sergeant Slaughter, Duke and the rest of the gang would handle the likes of King Cobra and his cronies. GI Joe's early morning time slot encouraged kids, like us, to tune in every weekend. While eating our CheeriosTM and Frosted FlakesTM we got a dose of some real fightin' action, in excess of fifty violent scenes for the morning: there is more than enough to fill the appetite. The truth is, violence on television is on every single day. It takes its toll on society, especially children. The damage done by violence on television is detrimental and confirmed by statistics, case studies, and personal experiences. Fistfights, shootouts, car crashes, rapes... Take your pick. Violence is everywhere on television, sometimes gory and gruesome, other times clean and remote. It is not just the Saturday morning cartoons; clips from action-adventure series, the nightly news and MTV are interwoven with violence and extremely mature content. Prime-time programs can average eight hostile acts per hour; children's shows four times as much (Bajpai, 1996, ps. 45-52). To television Programmers, violence is depicted as a normal, justified response to conflict and threat. They will encourage identification with the aggressor; domination and submission, to them, are often equated with pleasure and worth. Yet numerous researchers have put much time into discovering why children are so attached by the television and the action that takes place within it. They prove that it is definitely a major source of violent behavior in children. Their research proves time and time again that aggression and television viewing do go hand in hand. The truth about television violence and children has been shown. Many people and critics try to ignore it and hope that it will go away. Others do not even seem to care and try to attack these ideas. However, the facts are undeniable and all the results point to one conclusion: Television violence causes children to be violent and the effects can be life-long. The effects of the television are first visible even at the most basic level of life, children and adolescents. The modern-day extent of viewing by humans, especially Americans, is astronomical. Children begin to watch television at very early ages, often when they are newborns. At this time they are obviously not able to follow along or be influenced by it, but they are subjected to it nevertheless. This early start will lead most childhood viewers into a cult-like trance by the time they reach the age of three. In between breakfast and lunch, playtime and naptime, class and dinner, all children find a way to watch the tube. The typical American household has the television set on for more than seven hours each day and children ages two to eleven spend an average of twenty-eight hours per week viewing (Murray, 1996, p. 1). Some research has also estimated that by the time a child or teen of today's generation reaches the age of seventy, he will have spent nearly seven years of his life watching television. That is nearly ten percent of one's life lives watching television. That is insane; to say that you and I will spend years upon years, watching television. There is so much that people, even we, could do in a seven-year period. Entire wars can be fought in seven years, college educations can be attained, millions of people will be born and millions will die, many things can happen that have more significance than seven years of television. That is a very large percentage of time to be doing solely one thing, and the fact that that one

Public Service Policy and Strategy Business Essay The WritePass Journal

Public Service Policy and Strategy Business Essay Abstract Public Service Policy and Strategy Business Essay , p. 1) or by changing the scope of its business activities. These are just some of the changes that may occur within an organisation and could lead to either a positive or negative outcome. Whilst change is inevitable, it is important that Public Service Organisations’ (PSO) are able to deal with any challenges they face. This is because, PSO’s are in a position of trust as they provide services to the public and so are owned and controlled by the government. Hence, it is therefore vital that PSO’s fully understand the public sector and are prepared for new changes. This could be achieved by ensuring that there is a need for change and thereby planning for it; by building internal support systems and by overcoming resistance by making sure that there is top management support and commitment (Sergio and Rainey, 2006: 168). Provided that these factors are taken into consideration, a trusting environment will be created and PSO’s will be equipped for any tra nsitions that take place. The main changes that are likely to take place within a PSO include: services design; structural alterations, management or administration of PSO’s, and changes to the skills that are necessary to manage PSO’s.  Understanding the process of transformation and change in PSO’s are thereby key elements of a manager’s role.  There are two kinds of strategies for managing change, these are planned and emergency, yet how these strategies are utilised will depend on the type of change taking place. Introduction The current scenario of the British Red Cross (BRC) will be explained in this report followed by an assessment as to whether change within the BRC is in fact needed. A new strategic direction will also be introduced which will contain the BRC’s main objective which is to; â€Å"help people in crisis in the UK and all over the world† (BRC, 2012: 1). This will be done by firstly introducing the BRC and putting forward a change situation. The force field analysis evaluating drivers and resisters of the change will then be explained followed by an overview of Mintzberg’s concept of an emergent strategy. Once this has been done, an action plan which demonstrates how the change shall happen will then be constructed, followed by a conclusion and overall summary of the reports main findings. Main Body Section 1: Introduction to the BRC and change proposal    1.1   Organization background (BRC): The British Red Cross (BRC) is a UK society, which is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement that aims to provide aid to those in crisis. The BRC helps those within and outside of the UK and operates a non-discriminatory policy. The main objective of the BRC is to provide assistance to people in crisis by conforming to the seven fundamental principles which are: Humanity Impartiality Neutrality Voluntary Service Unity Universality Independence In addition to these principles, the BRC strives to be compassionate, inclusive, dynamic and courageous (BRC, 2011c: 1) and is recognised as one of the main voluntary aid societies within the UK. The BRC undertakes a number of different activities annually so that individuals can be provided with the help that they need. In 2011 the BRC launched seven emergency appeals to help people around the world recover from famine, flooding, earthquakes and conflict, raising 21.6 million; helped 75,000 people in Haiti recover their livelihoods; responded to 4,200 emergency call outs in the UK; loaned out 75,000 wheelchairs; and helped 35,000 refugees and asylum seekers adapt to life in the UK (BRC, 2011b: 1-27). As the BRC is a charity, nonetheless, much of the funding comes from voluntary public contributions and whilst personal contributions are highly important so are corporate contributions since the BRC would not be able to function effectively without such aid. 1.2 Analyzing the change situation: After reviewing both the internal and external environment of the BRC, it is revealed that the BRC needs to raise greater awareness about overseas emergency aid. This is because, after undertaking various research activities, it was found that â€Å"almost three in four Britons feel that they are not well informed about overseas emergency aid issues† (BRC, 2011c: 1). In accordance with this, it is vital that changes to the ways in which the BRC operates are made so that a greater awareness of overseas aid can be achieved. Because the BRC operates on public funding, it is necessary for all individuals to be made fully aware of the different areas of the aid system. This could be attained through the formation of an executive organisation dealing primarily with aid awareness. The public would thus be provided with greater confidence when donating to the BRC as they would be fully aware of how their aid is being utilized. Consequently, the main objective of this new strategic dir ection is to prevent corruption and organisational incompetence whilst promoting an awareness of emergency aid. In realising this direction, the BRC’s current business strategy would need to be altered in order to approach the public in developed countries and provide them with an insight into the ways underdeveloped countries are being supported. This would certainly encourage further aid and would evidently lead to the growth of the BRC. Section 2 Force field analysis evaluating drivers and resisters of the change There are a number of different factors which drive change within any organisation, yet Lewin (1951) identified four different forces in his force field analysis. These are; forces for change; forces resisting change; driving forces; and restraining forces These forces are used in change management and help to understand most change processes in any organisation. If there is a balance between the two types of forces, no change will take place. However, if the driving force exceeds the restraining force then changes will be made. Accordingly, the total drivers and resisters first need to be identified. Once this has been done, an appropriate score from 0-9 then needs to be assigned to the force. Based on the total score of all the drivers and resisters, it is determined whether implementation of change would be successful or not. Below is the representation of influencer drivers and resisters of the proposed change situation for the BRC. Forces FOR change Forces AGAINST change Need to raise awareness about overseas emergency aid 8 Complex issues may be raised 5 Desire to increase voluntary donations 7 BRC’s current strategies are workable 6 Need to understand how aid is being utilised 8 Costs are reduced 5 Possibility of increased public donations 7 Rational resistance of change 3 30 TOTAL 19 2.1   Drivers of change: Need to raise awareness about overseas emergency aid    This force is imperative in preventing corrupt practices from taking place, yet the only way the public can be assured that this is being achieved is through improved public understanding as to how the BRC’s aid is being spent. At present, the public are unsure as to why developing countries remain underdeveloped when a significant amount of aid is being transferred to these countries each year. However, as noted by Akande (2001, p. 27); â€Å"the sums concerned, though large, can do little to offset the far greater imbalances in the world economic order where raw commodities exported from developing countries have lost more than 50% of their trade value in the last 15 years.† Furthermore, whilst individuals and organisations provide a lot of aid to the BRC, a substantial amount of this is paid to the bank in interest. Furthermore, debt servicing payments are also paid to the World Bank, which means that developi ng countries are left with very little to establish their own economies. This appears somewhat absurd and it is unsurprising why there is a great reluctance to provide aid to underdeveloped countries because of this. Consequently, provided that the BRC can demonstrate exactly how their particular aid is utilised, it is likely that further investments will be made. This is because, as stressed by Aid Info (2008; p. 1); â€Å"Organisations and governments are most effective when they can be held accountable to those they serve, in this instance, communities receiving aid.† Therefore, unless aid transparency is ascertained, the growth of the BRC will be affected. This force scores 8 as it is given high consideration for effective aid utilization within the UK. Desire to increase voluntary donations – Because the BRC operates on voluntary donations, it is vital that these can be increased which is likely to be attained through aid transparency. This force scores 7 from this too has a significant impact upon the drive for change. Need to understand how aid is being utilised – If the public understand how their donations will be utilised it is likely that they will donate a lot more. As such, better awareness and utilisation is required. This force impacts deeply and thus scores 8 to demonstrate the significance of aid utilization maximization. Possibilities of increased public donations – It is likely that there would be an increased level of public donations if the public were fully aware of how their contributions were being spent. Essentially, it is important that this scores 7 since the value of the chain is clearly determined by this. 2.2   Resisters of change: Complex issues may be raised – Greater accountability may cause many problems for the BRC and the internal environment may be significantly affected as a result. This force scores 5 to illustrate its impact. BRC’s current strategies are workable – Because of the success in which the BRC has had so far, it could be said that changes to aid awareness would be detrimental and that aid data would still only be partially available. This change scores 6 in order to reflect the concern surrounding this issue. Costs are reduced: Because of the costs that would be incurred from generating awareness, it is likely that the amount of net aid will be reduced which would have a damaging effect to the value of the BRC. It therefore scores 5. Rational resistance of change: In justifying the need for this change, a determination as to whether aid awareness is really necessary needs to be made. Nevertheless, because rational resistance is easily overcome it scores a low 3 as the impact of this is minimal. After quantifying the numbers of drivers and resisters with their degree of influence it is evident that there will be more drivers than resisters of this particular change. Accordingly, the total score of drivers is 30, whilst the total score of resistors is 19. As a result, it is manifest that the change to be made will be more likely to succeed since aid awareness is likely to have a positive impact on the performance of the BRC. Section 3: Mintzberg’s concept of an emergent strategy for proposed change in the BRC  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3.1 Understanding Mintzberg’s emergent strategy: An emergent strategy is one that emerges over time as unexpected changes in the environment collide with intentions. Essentially, this means that the intended strategy of an organisation eventually changes in accordance with what actually works in practice (Moore, 2011, p. 1). Thus, according to Mintzberg (1985, p. 257); â€Å"strategies are largely emergent within organisations and not simply predictable outcomes of formal hierarchical plans.† Consequently, it is thus believed by   Mintzberg (1994) that the management of any organisation should therefore adopt a more flexible approach when it comes to strategic planning since the original objectives will undoubtedly be subject to change. In accordance with this emergent strategy, it is thereby important that the strategic plan for BRC includes ways to reduce the resisters of change. This will be done in accordance with the BRC’s best practice. 3.2 Constructing emergent strategy to implement change in the BRC: An emergent strategy can be created by following these steps; (Scott, 2006, pp. 6-7). Step 1 Identify and map out any assumptions and risks of the BRC’s strategy; Step 2 – Identify and prioritise those assumptions and risks in order to learn more about them so that any risks can be dealt with accordingly; Step 3 Design and execute knowledge building exercises in order to build smart experiments and risk mitigation strategies; Step 4 Absorb and redirect based on the results of the experiments. By putting these steps into practice, BRC will be able to adjust to any new ideas and deal with any challenges they may face according. This will ultimately increase the chances of this new change succeeding. Step 1 Identify and map out any assumptions and risks in of the BRC’s strategy Because change within any organisation lead creates a certain degree of uncertainty, it is important to carefully review all parts of an emergent strategy, whether these are positive or negative. Since the BRC aims to provide help and assistance to those in crisis around the world, it is evident that the change relating to aid transparency will not have much of a damaging effect. However, there will be some concern relating to the case flow of the BRC as the costs incurred may have a negative impact on this. Nevertheless, if this change leads to an increase in donations, the dent in the cash flow can be overcome. Consequently, the change in this strategy is proposed to change the views on donating and provide those willing to donate with a deeper understanding of how aid is being utilised. This will prevent corrupt practices from being employed and the utilization of aid will be maximised. Step 2 Identify and prioritise those assumptions and risks in order to learn more about them so that any risks can be dealt with accordingly Whilst the internal and external environment of the BRC will be affected by this change, it is important to prioritise the assumptions and risks by considering the impact a wrong assumption would have on the BRC and determining how any risks can in fact be overcome. It also needs to be considered whether the assumptions are certain because even the slightest doubt can significantly affect the overall strategy of the BRC. Consideration of how further assumptions can be learnt also needs to be taken into account so that costs of running further experiments and the amount of time this will take can be established. Step 3 Design and execute knowledge building exercises in order to build smart experiments and risk mitigation strategies All good emergent strategies need experiments and risk mitigation strategies so that any uncertainties in the approach taken can be identified and dealt with early on. Experiments can consist of; partial experiments, which test one part of a strategy, and holistic experiments, which test the whole of the strategy. Step 4 Absorb and redirect based on the results of the experiments This stage of the emergent strategy process consists of a knowledge building exercise. The BRC and its management will thus be required to re-assess the approach being undertaken and consider whether any new information should lead the management to; double down, continue exploring, re-vector or shelve (Scott, 2008, p. 9). Consequently, in order to construct the emergent strategy for change in the BRC pre-strategic planning and implementation is required. Section 4: Precise Action plan Objectives Actions Responsibilities Resources Deadlines Risks Mile stones Human Financial objective Actions Resposibilities Resources measures Risks deadline Milestone Develop the BRC’s own team of executives Action 1: Implement a task-expertise-person model of team effectiveness Action 2: Organise the entire system of operation leadership and responsibilities Action 3: Construct Executive Strategy Action 4: Develop an effective HR management system Managers and employees Information Services, computerisation, resource centre and networking Calculate the costs and allocate responsibilities Costly and Time Consuming March 2013 Analyse the executive’s current skills, knowledge and competencies and develop a training plan for the team of executives through the completion of a gap analysis. Raise awareness about overseas aid in order to increase voluntary donations Action 1: Consider how aid should be effectively distributed Action 2: Raise current awareness about aid Action 3: Operative executives Questionnaires, Perceptions Survey, Networking and Resource Centres As above Negative impact of PEST factors May 2013 Interact with the public in order to determine current awareness Collect and Analyse Experimental Data Action 1: Evaluate current awareness Action 2: Consider the effects increased awareness would have on the organisation Action 3: Record current activities of aid awareness Employees As above As above Consider the effects transparency will have on the BRC August 2013 Analyse the data collected and reach a conclusion based on the findings. Use statistical methods to decide whether the change is worthwhile Finalise Emergent Strategy Action 1: Design and Execute Knowledge Building Exercises Action 2: Pre Strategic Planning Action 3: Redirect activities based on the findings Managers, Executors and Leadership Team As Above Reviewing Data, Generating Initiatives, Prioritising Activities, Writing the overall plan Consider how the resistors of change can be overcome December 2013 Adjust to the new ideas and deal with any challenges in an appropriate manner Implement the Change Action 1: Raise awareness of overseas aid Action 2: Ensure the BRC’s activities are transparent Action 3: Provide the public with an overview as to how the resources are being used Managers, Executors and Leadership Team Computer Systems, Internet, Volunteers Implement the Plan If the outcomes are negative, re-direct the strategy and start again March 2014 Review the emergent strategy and make changes where necessary Section 5: Concluding Remarks Many organisations are coming to the realisation that change is to be expected, which is why it is important that effective strategies are in place that will help to deal with such changes and ensure that only positive outcomes are produced. Whilst the introduction of significant changes can be confusing and frustrating leading to a decline in productivity, it is clear that such drawbacks can be overcome through the implementation of an effective emergent strategy. Accordingly, risks to productivity will thus be eradicated and the desired objectives of the change will be achieved. The BRC does not have an easy solution when it comes to making changes to the organisational structure of the business and instead ensures that any changes to be made are thoroughly thought out before they are implemented. Thus, in order for the BRC to reach its overall aim which is to help those in crisis, much emphasis is placed upon the need for transparency. The fundamental idea is to provide the public with a greater understanding of how the aid that is provided to the BRC is being utilised so that voluntary donations increase. In addition, it is likely that corrupt practices would be eradicated if the BRC were more transparent and although this would cost money; the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages. This report uses the force field analysis in order to identify the resistors and drivers of this proposed change and to consider whether the change should take place.   Because the score for change is 30, whilst the score against change is 19, it is evident that the change will prove successful. Therefore, in order to achieve the desired outcome of the change, the emergent strategy of Mintzberg ought to be used. References Aid Info. (2008) Aid Transparency Movement, Better Information, Better Aid, [Online] Available: aidinfo.org/about-us/aid-transparency-movement [04 January 2013]. Akande, W. (2001) Ireland: A Nation in Transition, iUniverse. BRC. (2011a) Seeds of Change Launched at Red Cross Event, [Online] Available: redcross.org.uk/About-us/News/2011/October/Seeds-of-Change-campaign-launched-at-Red-Cross-event [22 December 2012]. BRC. (2011b) Trustees Report and Accounts, [Online] Available: scribd.com/doc/90332211/2011-Trustees-report-and-accounts [22 December 2012]. BRC. (2011c) Our Values, [Online] Available: redcross.org.uk/About-us/Who-we-are/Our-values [21 December 2012]. BRC. (2012) Donate Today, [Online] Available: redcross.org.uk/ [20 December 2012]. Moore, K. (2011) Porter or Mintzberg: Whose View of Strategy is the Most Relevant Today, Forbes, [Online] Available: forbes.com/sites/karlmoore/2011/03/28/porter-or-mintzberg-whose-view-of-strategy-is-the-most-relevant-today/ [05 January 2013]. Mintzberg, H. and Waters, J. A. (1985) Of Strategies, Deliberate and Emergent, Wiley-Blackwell, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 6, no. 3. Mintzberg, H. (1994) The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning: Reconcieving Roles for Planning, Plans, Planners, Free Press: New York, Maxwell Macmillan. Scott, D A. (2006) Mastering the Emergent Strategy Process, Strategy and Innovation. Sergio, F. and Rainey, H. G. (2006) Managing Successful Organisational Change in the Public Sector, Public Administration Review, Volume 168, Issue 9. The Times. (2012) The Organisation and Change, Operations Theory, [Online] Available: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/business-theory/operations/the-organisation-and-change.html#axzz2H6FILJP6 [04 January 2013].

Definition of Bleeding Kansas

Definition of Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas was a term coined to describe violent conflicts in the US territory of Kansas from 1854 to 1858. The violence was provoked when the residents of Kansas had to decide for themselves whether to become a slave state or a free state.The unrest in Kansas amounted to a civil conflict on a small scale, and was something of a premonition of the full-scale war Civil War that was split the nation less than a decade later. The outbreak of hostilities in Kansas was essentially a proxy war, with pro-slavery and anti-slavery sympathizers in the North and South sending manpower as well as weapons. As events unfolded, elections were decided by outsiders flooding into the territory, and two different territorial legislatures were established. The violence in Kansas became a subject of fascination, with reports often being carred in the newspapers of the day. It was the influential New York City editor, Horace Greeley, who was crediting with coining the term Bleeding Kansas. Some of the violence in Kansas was perpetrated by John Brown, a fanatical abolitionist who traveled, with his sons, to Kansas so they might slaughter pro-slavery settlers. Background of the Violence The atmosphere in the United States in the 1850s was tense, as the crisis over slavery became the most prominent issue of the day. The acquisition of new territories following the Mexican War led to the Compromise of 1850, which seemed to settle the question of which parts of the country would allow slavery. In 1853, when Congress turned its attention to the Kansas-Nebraska territory and how it would be organized into states to come into the Union.  The battle over slavery began again. Nebraska was far enough north that it would clearly be a free state, as required under the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The question was about Kansas: would it come into the Union as a free state or a slave state? An influential Democratic senator from Illinois, Stephen Douglas, proposed a solution he called popular sovereignty. Under his proposal, the residents of a territory would vote to decide if slavery would be legal. The legislation put forth by Douglas, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, would essentially overturn the Missouri Compromise and allow slavery in states where the citizens voted for it. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was immediately controversial. (For instance, in Illinois a lawyer who had given up on politics, Abraham Lincoln, was so offended by it that he resumed his political career.) With the decision in Kansas approaching, anti-slavery activists from northern states began flooding into the territory. Pro-slavery farmers from the South also began to arrive. The new arrivals began to make a difference in voting. In November 1854 an election to choose a territorial delegate to send to the U.S. Congress resulted in many illegal votes. The following spring an election to choose a territorial legislature resulted in Border Ruffians coming across the border from Missouri to ensure a decisive (if disputed) win for pro-slavery candidates. By August 1855 the anti-slavery people who had come into Kansas rejected the new state constitution, created what they called a free-state legislature, and created a free-state constitution known as the Topeka Constitution. In April 1856 the pro-slavery government in Kansas set up in its capital, Lecompton. The federal government, accepting the disputed election, considered the Lecompton legislature as the legitimate government of Kansas. Eruptions of Violence Tensions were high, and then on May 21, 1856, pro-slavery riders entered the free soil town of Lawrence, Kansas, and burned homes and businesses. To retaliate, John Brown and some of his followers dragged five pro-slavery men from their homes at Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas, and murdered them. The violence even reached the halls of Congress. After an abolitionist senator from Massachusetts, Charles Sumner, delivered a blistering speech denouncing slavery and those who supported it in Kansas, he was beaten nearly to death by a South Carolina congressman. A truce was finally worked out by a new territorial governor, though violence continued to flare until finally dying down in 1859. Significance of Bleeding Kansas It was estimated that the skirmishing in Kansas ultimately cost about 200 lives. While it was not a major war, it was important as it showed how the tensions of slavery could lead to violent conflict. And in a sense, Bleeding Kansas was a precursor to the Civil War, which would violently split the nation in 1861.

Process-Centered Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Process-Centered Management - Essay Example This kind of management is one where all activities leading towards the achievement of organizational goals, are process driven with a deep-rooted influence on the channelization of material and information along the way. This has been regarded as an emerging trend where work in progress is concerned owing to the fact that it provides observations of a revolution that's only just begun. The natural leaders are among the first to have taken to and moving already from a procedure-based culture towards a process-based culture; from micro to macro; from a microscopic view to a telescopic view. Procedure-based task analysis has now been very systematically replaced by process-related performance technology where it is now believed that the kinds of work that people do, the jobs they hold, the skills they need, the careers they follow, the roles managers play, the principles of strategy that enterprises follow will shift towards handling processes that they are most suited to. The shift ha s been carried forth from the revolution of ideas, in which the keyword is radical, to the organized reworking of a society in need, in which the keyword is processed. Apart from banking, process centered management has been extremely effective in the IT industry as well. It is in this context that the as an invisible economic asset, there are important opportunities that are inherent in the concept of process-centered management. This has been triggered by the paradigm shift discussed above, where the time spent in inventory cycle is more important than the size of inventory held. We will now regard the company we are studying in order to reach more understanding of core processes as well as the marcoms outcome and other projections. Marcoms may be defined as the tryst between communication and marketing, a proportionate combination of which is required to give sales that vital push.

Freedom from poverty as a human right (legal perspective) Research Paper

Freedom from poverty as a human right (legal perspective) - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that the standard of life in Canada makes it ranks among the developed countries. Despite some steps that it has made, specialists argue that poverty is a threat that Canadian government has not been able to stump. Debates on standards of living usually incline on how best the country has been able to make economic strides while forgetting to look at ways of stumping out poverty. A renowned public figure Adlai Stevenson argued that freedom ceases when a man does not have the ability to curb his hunger. From this perspective, poverty is an issue that infringes human rights. This statement is believable because poverty is the genesis of all problems that man would ever imagine. Poverty survey index in Canada stands at 3.5 million people. Further, the survey report indicates that poverty is currently increasing among the following groups of people youths, young families, workers, immigrants, colored people, and aboriginals. UN Development Inde x ranks Canada at 4th position, however measuring poverty among Canadian Aboriginals would rank it at position 78 in the same index. This observation is appalling because Canada has had good credibility in economic growth. Organizations fighting for human rights have categorized poverty among factors that deprive man of his rights. The perspective that human rights watch takes intends to create awareness. It is important to note that awareness creation leads to policy development. From this approach, the Canadian government can be able to work some modalities, which would help its citizens from this menace. Argument posted by the Canadian human right watch indicates that Canada has not been able to conclusively some human rights thus permeating room that breeds poverty. It is evident that poverty does exist because of repressive laws, which give opportunities to a few while discriminating upon other groups. Social rights, political rights, civil rights, and economic rights form part of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Canada Parliament House of Common, 2008). These rights influence poverty level in any given community. For instance, violation of social rights such women rights to work would contribute to poverty because it deprives women the opportunity of working in order to elevate poverty. The argument of human rights groups thus point to the legal perspective in fighting poverty. The assumption is policy development in the country depend on the government priority areas. In essence, the government has the ability to devise policy that would support this course of humanity. Pointers of human right achievement subject the country to be among those that fail to observe human rights because its policies on poverty eradication have yielded very little (Kotlowski, 2001). Socialists claim that some human rights may require sensitization in order for the society to realize them (Jacob, 2007). However, it is important to identify the impact of the rights sens itization process before embarking on the program. Active participation in quest for human rights has helped many countries and communities to realize those rights. It is arguable that when the society takes on the right quest the government would be able to enact policies, which would make people to acquire the rights. For instance, the quest for human rights in Canada with regard to poverty bite has to take a legal perspective form. This claim is due to partial compliance with the international human rights treaties that Canada is a party. When addressing poverty in Canada, the key assumption in this argument is that poverty is among human right violation. This would take us to types of human rights. Advocates for human dignity have defined human rights as provisions that are legally binding, guaranteed by laws recognized by international community, of the people administered through the state. This description takes us to three types of human ri

Currency Exposure to Hedging Currency Risks

Currency Exposure to Hedging Currency Risks Hedging Currency Risks at AIFS, we shall now address the many stipulations regarding issues such as currency exposure and hedging decisions of the AIFS Company. Looking at the theory and practices of Archer-Lock within the company, with the information given we shall now analyze and interpret the report of AIFS. Using the financial Instruments of the foreign exchange market, the effect these instruments have on hedging will further be discussed, as well as the result of these instruments on the hedging decision. It is important to note that Becky Tabaczynski, CFO for the groups high school travel division ACIS, portrayed the idea a good hedging result is gained due to good relationships across the board. Whilst in some companies, hedging is considered a financial decision, independent of the business needs here; were trying to match the business needs. Now with the information provided in the case study, combined with knowledge of hedging options, the topic of currency exposure will be discussed. Q1. What gives rise to the currency exposure at AIFS? Currency exposure is the extent to which the future cash flows of an enterprise, arising from domestic and foreign currency denominated transactions involving assets and liabilities, and generating revenues and expenses are susceptible to variations in foreign currency exchange rates (International Federation of Accountants, 2010). Currency exposure at AIFS can be caused by 3 risks: the bottom-line risk, volume risk and competitive pricing risk. These 3 risks happen at AIFS because of the AIFSs hedging policies, so before analysing these 3 risks it is necessary to analyse AIFSs hedging policies. AIFSs Hedging Policies AIFS starts to hedge foreign currencies between 6 months and 2 years before the main pricing date, and uses forward contracts and currency options to hedge currency; the main hedging technique is forward contracts. Then AIFS uses these currencies to pay its customers expense abroad. AIFS charges USD by catalogue-based price from its customers, so no matter how the exchange rates change in the spot market, AIFS never changes its price in that period. AIFS uses forward contract to hedge before it has completed its sales cycle. So AIFS has to predict its business then hedge based on its prediction, but the situation that the number AIFS pays equals to the number AIFS buys is very hard to carry out. When the currencies that AIFS has bought are smaller than it has to pay, AIFS has to buy some more currencies by using currency options. When the currencies it has bought are greater than it has to pay, currency exposure happens. The Bottom- Line Risk Exchange rate is always fluctuant. EURO is one of the main currencies that AIFS needs to hedge. Looking at the graph, the exchange rate between USD and EURO in January was highest in 2010, which was 1.427$/à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬, and the exchange rate in June was the lowest, which was only 1.221$/à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬, the difference between highest and lowest is 0.206à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬/$, so when purchasing large amounts of EURO by using USD, the large difference of price will appear. The main hedging technique of AIFS is forward contracts, so if the exchange rate at the contract date is higher than the exchange rate at the settlement date, AIFS is at a disadvantage (maybe AIFS can choose currency options at this time, but it needs to pay premium, so the cost may be not reduced so much). When this situation happens, AIFSs cost will be higher and it will lose profit. 2010- American Dollars to 1 EUR Average Rates January 1.42721 USD (20 days average) February 1.36857 USD (20 days average) March 1.35685 USD (23 days average) April 1.34095 USD (21 days average) May 1.25653 USD (21 days average) June 1.22085 USD (22 days average) July 1.277 USD (22 days average) August 1.29029 USD (21 days average) September 1.3067 USD (22 days average) October 1.38978 USD (21 days average) November 1.38806 USD (12 days average) From X- rate.com, 2010 The Volume Risk When AIFS uses forward contract to hedge currencies, it doesnt know the number of customers it will get in this period. AIFS has been doing culture and educational exchanges for more than 40 years and got a very good praise and has a large number of customers, every year many young people go abroad via AFIS. Because its so popular, its hard to say how many customers will be increased next time. Also, war, terrorism and policies and other uncertainties will affect peoples mind, these factors will make more people prefer to stay at home rather than go abroad, and in that case the number of customers will be decreased. So its hard to predict the number of customers, its hard to say whether the number of customers will increase or decrease. In negative situations where there will be a lack of customers, the foreign currencies that have been bought will not be used; this is when currency exposure is evident. The Competitive Pricing Risk When AIFS is purchasing and using currencies, its competitors are doing it as well. These companies may contract with banks in lower exchange rates, which makes their charges lower than AIFS and therefore makes AIFS less competitive. Customers may buy currencies from other companies, and so AIFSs currencies cant be sold up and currency exposure happens. The changes of transportation fees (like train, boat, plane ticket), living fees, hotel fees can also give rise to the currency exposure. When these fees reduced, AIFS will pay less and may not use all of the currencies it has bought. According to AIFSs hedging policies, it has to predict the exchange rate fluctuant, the number of customers, which may be different with the final exchange rate and the volume when selling currencies, so the currency exposure happens. The actions of AIFSs competitors may make AIFS less competitive resulting in minimum sales of the currencies bought, further resulting in currency exposure. So the bottom-line risk, the volume risk and the competitive pricing risk will give rise to the currency exposure at AIFS. Also, the changes of fees may cause currency exposure. Q2. What would happen if Archer-Lock and Tabaczynski did not hedge at all? According to the case, The American Institute for Foreign Students (AIFS) organizes students who study abroad and the cultural exchange programs. It has two major divisions which are Archer-Lock managed The Study Abroad College and the High School Travel division, whose finances Tabaczynski managed. The problem faced by AIFS is the revenues of the company are mainly in US dollars, but most of their costs are in British pounds and Euros. AIFS sets guaranteed prices for its exchanges before its final sales figures are known. Therefore, for AIFS, the foreign exchange hedging is the key important area. The managers use currency hedging to protect their bottom line and cope with changes in exchange rates. But if Archer-Lock and Tabaczynski did not hedge at all, it would mean full exposure to the currency risk, the company could lose a lot of money if USD depreciated. Maybe the company can produce good results and have a really good profit when the USD appreciated if they did not hedge at all, as there are no other losses to erase their total revenue. However, they cannot know what the future sales volume and future exchange rate are, and so they may need to face losing a tremendous amount of money if USD depreciated. The cost base of the company would increase, and the revenues in USD will remain the same, this means their profitability would be erased. Also, AIFS needs to preserve their price guarantee policy. If they did not hedge at all, the company may incur losses by following this policy. Moreover, there may be a difference between final sales volumes and projected sales volume, and this exposes the company to having either more or less of the foreign currency depending on the final sales volume. For instance, as we know from the case, every year AIFS expected 25,000 students in their project. If the currency exchange rate decreased to USD 1.01/EUR, the company could save USD 5.25 million, however, if the exchange rate increased to USD 1.48/EUR, the company lose USD 6.5 million. Q3. 100% hedge with option and 100% hedge with forward The data shows above, When 100% hedge with option, currency rate 1.01, and the outcome is higher than total cost, the company can gain the profit. Rate becomes to 1.22 and 1.48, the outcome is lower than total cost, and the company has risk and a loss of money. When 100% hedge with forward, the fixed rate is locked in 1.22, the outcome is 0. That is means no risk and no profit. Q4. Using the forecast final sales volume of 25,000, the following are the possible outcomes relative to the zero impact scenario described in the case. Zero impact happened with rate (1.22) when they use forward contract were the same as project costs. When dollar becomes weak (1.48) it would cause a negative impact by a loss of money. When dollar becomes strong (1.01) it would cause a positive impact through gain of profit. When the USD is strong (1.01), the more options there are to hedge, the lower the cost. When USD is weak (1.48) the more options there are to hedge, the more the cost. Q5) what hedging decision would you advocate? Should we not hedge at all? As AIFS guaranteed its prices would not change before the next catalogue, if the USD goes weak, AIFS need to more USD to pay for its overseas cost ¸ however the price cannot be changed, which means AIFS will lose money. To eliminate this risk, AIFS better hedge. What do you advocate? (Advantages and Disadvantages) The forward contract is a simple arrangement widely used by the companies to manage the exchange rate risk. It can guarantee the amount of currency AIFS would receive in the expiry date of the contract, so it can get larger profits with forward contracts if AIFS count on a favourable exchange rate. The company can also avoid the 5% option premium, but it is not easy to get the counter party who would agree to fix the time period and the future exchange rate which would result in illiquidity. Thus being bilateral private contracts, the forwards have to be executed. The option contract can eliminate the downside risk and being more flexible, it can be seen as a combination of covered interest arbitrage depending on the difference in currency options and interest rates; it gives the company the right to sell or purchase a currency at an agreed exchange rate, but not the obligation. With the option contracts AIFS can hold the currency until the favourable exchange rate arises, so it would be more secure for the company. However, the premium cost is the disadvantage of option, and it has to be paid up front. Both forward contract and option contact work if the company is tight on cash and cannot spend 5% option premium in this case the forwards contract is a better choice. However, if AIFS has sufficient funds and foresees changes in exchange rates, then it should use option. AIFS does not have to exercise the contract when currency moves to unfavourable exchange rates. What happens if sales volumes are lower (10000) or higher (30000) than expected (25000)? According to appendix 3 and 4: The sales volume increase to 30000, exchange rate is 1.01. AIFS Company can gain the profit. Exchange rate is 1.22 and 1.48, AIFS Company exist risk loss the money; but when use 100% forward to hedge Company can avoids risk and there is no profit. The sales volume is decrease to 10000, the total cost is 1000* 10000= à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000000 There are 3 possible situations that will happen at this time. = 0.4 = 40% According to the calculation above, when AIFSs currency hedge is covered less than 40% of its prediction (it predicts 25000 sales volumes), AIFS needs to buy some more currency to reach à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000000 by using spot trading rate; when AIFSs currency hedge is covered at 40%, the currency it buys is equal to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000000; when the currency hedge covered over 40%, AIFS cant use all of the EUR it has bought, so AIFS has to sell the extra EUR or save them and use them in the next period. 1.48 1.01 10000 30000 Source: AIFS case There will be 4 outcomes with the in the money and out of money positions and high and low sales volume (30000 or 10000). Square 1 shows low sales volume (10000) with strong USD that when the company is out of money (1.01USD/EUR). AIFS has an excess of currency. In this case, if it locked into surplus forward contracts then it would lose money. So the option contract is more favourable. AIFS does not execute the contract, it just lets it expire. In square 2 shows low sales volume (10000) with weak USD, The requirement of the currency is below the projection (25000), and the exchange rate is high (1.48USD/EUR). If AIFS uses forward contract the gain is larger compared to when it uses options contract because the options contract costs 5% of the nominal USD strike price. In square 3 the exchange rate moved out of money (1.01USD/EUR) and the sales go higher (30000) than expected. So AIFS doesnt have to buy euro at higher rate, therefore, the Options contract is better, as the extra volume they need (5000), can be bought at the spot rate. The increase of the Spot and Fixed rates and the difference of the volume of sales are the reason for company loss. The tricky square 4 shows when the exchange rate moved in the money (1.48 USD/EUR) and AIFSs sales volume came in higher (30000) than projections, which means the company need more currency (5000), however, the exchange rate is high. In this case, Forward contracts should be used and the extra volume at the spot rates should be bought. The increase of sales may offset the downside. For companies that work with more than one currency, several hedging techniques are available to guard against foreign exchange fluctuations. After studying and addressing the case study of AIFS, it can be concluded that the changes in fees can be the cause to currency exposure. The fact that the companys revenues are in USD, and costs in GBP and Euros may result in a rise to currency exposure. After analyzing the affects of financial instruments such as forward and option contracts will have on the company, it has been decided that the company would be at a better advantage with Forward contract in order to prevent risks. AIFS charges USD by catalogue-based prices from its customer, and as the company guaranteed the prices will not change, if the rate of the USD decreases then the company will be at a loss as they will have to cover other expenses with the currency they have bought, and in order to prevent this risk, the company would be in a better position if they hedged. REFERENCES: International Federation of Accountants, 2010, http://www.mia.org.my/handbook/guide/imap/imap_3.htm#Business%20Implications [Accessed on 4/11/2010] X-rate.com, 2010, http://www.x-rates.com/d/USD/EUR/hist2010.html [Accessed on 16/11/2010]

Indian Essay Essay

Throughout American culture, racism and stereotypes have been prevalent, yet the Disney movie Pocahontas is an attempt to better understand racial intolerance towards Native Americans. Though the movie is not completely historically accurate, the context of it portrays a more truthful story of the first European and Native American encounters which were mostly hostile ones, contrary to the modern American belief of â€Å"Thanksgiving† like events. However, there were attempts of understanding each other’s cultures and beliefs which can be displayed in the Disney movie through the interactions of characters, Captain John Smith and Pocahontas. While symbolism is present throughout the movie, Disney uses combinations of music, colors, and lighting along with metaphorical character interaction, to play on viewers emotions in order to better understand the struggles and hardships felt by both Europeans and Native Americans during their early encounters. The history between Native Americans and Europeans has not always been a positive one. As seen in the movie the British settlers voyage off towards the new world in search of large amounts of gold, but in reality the British desired the vast amounts of â€Å"untouched† land. Since most children do not understand the value of land, Disney uses the rewards of gold and riches in order to explain the British motives for coming to the Americas to the children audience. When the British arrive in the movie they are shown eager to seek to destroy anything that comes in their path that is not valuable, with minimal care for the land or the people that inhabit it, those being the Native Americans. During these scenes there are very dark colors and lights along with intense music to show the British mindset during these times. This is where the difference between the two cultures seems to become prevalent. The Europeans were at a point in their culture where conquering and colonizing is all they desired, and natives were mere obstacles in their way. They used destructive ways and tactics to scare the Native American people. While the British were on a path of destruction, the Native Americans are shown living a very peaceful and spiritual life, not only living off the land but using it to its full capacity. This harmonious relationship between Natives and the land is shown during the â€Å"Colors of the Wind† scene where Pocahontas takes John Smith on a romantic and spiritual ourney of the land while singing a very passionate song describing the Natives relationship with nature. The use of a very colorful but yet organic spectrum of colors and lights along with the peaceful and loving music serve to help convey the Natives beliefs to the audience. This also shows how the Natives lived with nature and felt that they are no more important to it than the plants and organisms that also lived there. The native’s efficient use of the land and its resources are the reason why the land in the Americas looked untouched to the European settlers. These two extremely different views of life along with a communication barrier (which is partially displayed in the movie) are the reason why it was so difficult for the two sides to lived The movie attempts to ease racial tensions by presenting both main characters in an omniscient light. When John Smith (who can be seen as a metaphor for European beliefs at the time) and Pocahontas (who can be seen as representation of the native’s beliefs and lifestyle) first encounter one another they do not know what to think. When she sees him behind the waterfall she slowly moves towards him being as precautious as possible knowing that they come from very different background. As the movie goes on you see them slowly start to fall in love with each which shows an understanding of each other and their different beliefs and morals, which would allow for a possibility of a peaceful coexistence of both sides. The love between John Smith and Pocahontas invokes the viewer to wonder what it would be like presently if Europeans and Native Americans were welcoming of each other instead of hostile. However, this fantasy is inevitably destroyed by reality, when the extremes on both sides clash in violence and death is the result. This plays on the viewer’s emotions creating a hatred towards both extremes for destroying something that could have been beautiful. By doing this Disney is able to manipulate the audience’s emotions by making them feel regretful for what had happened in the past. Disney’s attempt to help youth understand the basic Native American culture and their morals by making the movie Pocahontas, in my opinion was a success. Although it’s not entirely historically accurate the movie is able to get a broad sense of how events unfolded during early European-Native American encounters to its intended audience of children. By using different colors, music, and lighting in combination with the metaphorical character interaction, Disney is able to take it a step further than just understanding what happened, by leaving the viewer with a sense of sorrow toward the past and dreaming about what could have been.