PORTFOLIO THEORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PORTFOLIO THEORY - Essay Example One of the important implications of the efficient market hypothesis is that portfolio selection does not make for superior investment results; rather, the achievement of high returns is more properly related to the additional risk than to superior stock-selection ability. Although many fundamental and technical analysts would want to take issue with this claim, still many theoreticians believe that this is correct and would be able to cite empirical research findings to support their views. When considering risk, one would want to consider different scenarios about the future and assign probabilities to each one. Normally, companies would thrive when the economy is booming. But there are exceptions. For example, some investments would fare badly during during recessions , and others would thrive under such conditions (such as gold production). It is a good idea, therefore to give weights to alternative possible scenarios and to arrive at a single figure called the Expected Value. Risk for any stock or security is measured by the standard deviation around a given expected value. Where there is wide dispersion of possible outcomes, the standard deviation would be larger, implying more risks. It is common knowledge that the greater the variability of returns, the less certain the actual outcomes would be; so one would prefer less dispersion and variability in the returns for a particular stock. The single figure called the standard deviation provides a clue as to the risk of a particular stock, and stocks could therefore be compared on the basis of its size. For two-asset portfolio of a stock (or projects, as deal with in the attached case), one tries to obtain, firstly the weighted average of the expected returns, and, secondly, the portfolio standard deviation. The two stocks that are combined will interact in such a way that the risk of the two-asset

The Importance of Being on Time Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Being on Time Essay Time is a reality of life that is utterly inescapable. Like God, it is omnipresent as no matter what a person does; time will always run out for things to be done and tasks to be finished. The factory worker in a tire factory will always have to make sure that he reaches the production quota set by management, lest he be fired from the company. The lawyer will have to ensure that he finishes the entire research of the pleading in a civil rights case, lest he be scolded by the judge and compromise the case of his client. The student will have to wake up early, lest he be late for school and earn the ire of the school administrators for tardiness. The investment banker of Morgan Stanley will lose his clients to other investment banks if he misses the train for canoodling with his wife before leaving home. In all of these examples, a major contributing factor for all of their actions is being on time. However, like God, time is also one of the most underestimated things in life, taken for granted as though it is never important. This paper aims to justify the importance of being on time as part of the daily life of persons and even society. There are three reasons why being on time is important – efficiency and productivity, (missed) opportunities, and cordial respect to peers and superiors. Efficiency and Productivity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Being on time is actually an economic decision which is based on the concept of maximization of scarce resources in the least possible amount of time. In a given time frame for production, an hour for example, being late for a few minutes is already tantamount to a lessening of the production output for an entire hour because those few minutes of lateness were spent on idle work unrelated to the production at hand, such as being in transit. For example, if a female textile worker in China arrived five minutes late as production of Ralph Lauren shirts starts factory-wide, her lateness may delay the entire assembly line of production, especially when the female worker occupies a specialized and indispensable function in the assembly line, such a quality control officer that inspects each and every shirt that is produced by the factory. As a result of the delay in the operations due to a single person’s lateness, the profits and production for the day of the company might decrease in comparison to days when the factory worker arrives on time or prior to the start of production. In this example, the simple lateness of a person compromised the operations of the entire company, resulting to less efficiency and productivity leading to fewer profits. Another example of such lack of efficiency and productivity is in the classroom setting, especially in the universities when professors can invoke academic freedom on the way they choose to teach, to the extent that such freedom is used as the paramount excuse for their lateness or even absence in lectures. If the lecture on constitutional law, for instance, aims to cover the entire concept and jurisprudence of the due process clause for the day, the lateness of the professor of around fifteen minutes for a two-hour class already short-changes the students of his class because instead of covering the entire planned lecture, the professor might either reschedule the latter part on another day, or lecture so fast to finish everything to the prejudice of the full comprehension of students of the lecture. More so, such lateness also takes its toll on the resources of the university as a good fifteen minutes is devoted not for academic learning but idly waiting for the professor to arrive. Multiply this to the number of professors who are frequently late and the number of times that these professors are actually late, it could stretch on for hours on end that the school’s resources are wasted. In both cases, lateness instead of being on time lessens efficiency and productivity not only of the single late person but the other interacting parties as well. (Missed) Opportunities   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On a lighter note, being on time can determine the making or unmaking of a person, a group and even a people. The best example for this would be meeting deadlines for term papers and thesis in all academic levels. Many brilliant men and women have failed to graduate with honors or even failed to graduate at all for the simple reason that they failed to submit their papers on time. This does not speak simply of the final deadline but includes the submission of piece-meal parts of researches for the assessment of the professors and teachers as a delay even of the first part of a research or its draft can lead to cumulative consequences in the end, to the extent that many students would resort to procrastination through plagiarism, among many other things. On the other hand, being on time does not simply including arriving at the expected time but also pertains to being at the exact historical moment when destiny knocks on one’s door, as lateness and even early birds can jeopardize the seizing of opportunities for a person, a group or a people. Had the American liberation forces been late or too early when they set foot on Normandy, the history of the world might have been entirely different. Crudely too, if the geeky boy-next-door in a physics class delayed for another day the admission of love to his pretty classmate, the girl of his dreams might have soon gone steady with the high school jock. The point of this part is very fundamental – being on time, in the ways enumerated above, presents people with opportunities which they might soon miss or lose if they came even just a bit late or came a little too early. Cordial Respect to Peers and Superiors   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally, being on time gives the impression of cordial respect to peers and superiors to the extent that their time spent with the person on time is laden with trust, confidence and respect. It includes not only personal relationships but professional relationships as well, especially in sealing contracts and negotiating better terms for the company one represents. For example, the other party to a multi-billion dollar contract would more likely have better rapport and confidence to a person who comes flawlessly on time with all the documents prepared rather than a person late for the same corporate meeting because a person on time tacitly accords good faith and cordial relations to the other party by simply being on time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In all of these, the three reasons above suffice to convincingly prove the importance of being on time, not only in simple social-anecdotal terms but also insofar as presenting the economic side of being on time. In the ultimate analysis, there actually no need to problematize and even embark on such a discourse on the importance of being on time. Such a trait should already be inherent in men and women who value people other than themselves. While lateness per se is really hard to eradicate especially when excuses are valid, lateness should be more of a very strict exception rather than a general rule, especially among young people who usually do otherwise. Be on time, and things will definitely get better in the long run, in all aspect of a person’s life.

Unethical Marketing In The Food Industry Marketing Essay

Unethical Marketing In The Food Industry Marketing Essay 1. Introduction The increase of obesity all over the world has lead to ongoing discussions about the responsibility of the food and beverage industry. Where food used to be a pleasure, it is now beginning to get more and more evil; consumers like to blame the industry for being overweight and diet-related diseases. The marketing departments of the businesses in the food industry seem to be ideal to blame when it comes to the responsibility for the well being of the consumer. False or misleading claims on products, selling harmful products, unfair target marketing and unfair prices: all part of the unethical-marketing fad that is happening at the moment. It is time to take a closer look at these unethical practices. The main goal of this paper is to discuss the responsibility of the businesses in avoiding unethical marketing and, to a certain extent, to take care of the well being of the consumer. To come to this point of discussion, first it is necessary to develop a broad view of what unethical marketing is and responsibility really means. The paper starts with a theoretical view of the meaning of the word ethics: what does it mean if something is ethical? From there, the second chapter is about unethical marketing. The last chapter is about the responsibility: since this is such a broad term, in order to use it in the discussion, a closer look needs to be taken to the different forms of responsibility. After these three chapters, it is easier to come to a discussion about the responsibility from companies in the food industry from the consequences of their marketing. Since the subject is so controversial and there exists many different opinions about the responsibility of the business, it is almost impossible to give a conclusion at the end of the paper. The last chapter therefore contains a discussion whether or not it is possible and necessary for businesses to strengthen their position on the market and to make a better profit using marketing, without hurting the consumer. 2. Ethics Since the term ethics is a so-called normative term with many different possible definitions, it is important to start with a clear definition of the ethics talked about in this paper. Furthermore, this chapter will give insight to the way ethics can be applied in business: what are marketing ethics? 2.1 General One of the most known definitions of ethics is the one from Aristotle: Human actions from the point of view in their rightness or wrongness (Gaski, 1999, p. 316). Ethics should concern personal virtue and with every decision, one should be honest, good and caring. A definition that is so idealistic and simplistic is not helpful in finding a solid definition: right and wrong are probably just as normative as the term ethics. When we try to give a definition of the term ethics it appears from the literature that you can look at it from two different philosophical views, also know as ethical dualism. The first view is the teleological view, also known as the consequentialist view or utilarism, which is based on the results of certain actions taken. Whereas the other view, deontology, is more based on average behaviour and obligations to other people (Gaski, 1999, p. 315). Teleology is based on the ethical valuation of the consequences and deontology has to do with the ethical values of the principles (Van Luijk, 1996, p. 36). Of course there are a lot of philosophers who oppose to this relatively simple classification but since this is the most common, it is not within the reach of this paper to name them all (White, 2003, p. 92). The teleological way of judging ethics is more based on science and has less to do with general norms and values (White, 2003, p. 92): the purpose is to determine if something is good and not if something is equitable, as with deontology (Binmore, 1998, p. 353). The main thought behind teleology is that every new question should be reached and judged with an eye on the future, without looking back at the consequences of similar actions in the past (Brady, 1995, p. 571). It is important to notice that in this way, it is not about a certain action being ethical in itself but really about a judgment of the consequences of the action. These consequences can be judged on whether they are ethical or not by making a distinction between the following two categories (Sidgwick, 2000, p. 253): Ethical egoist (teleological wrong) This person or entity is only concerned with his or her own good and tends not to keep in mind the consequences from his or her action to their environment. They will do everything possible to accomplish the best consequences for them (Vittel a.o., 2003, p. 152). Local or cosmopolitan utilitarism (teleological right) Ethical in a way that behaviour is right when the biggest advantage for the biggest group of people can be reached. This biggest advantage can be seen within companies or within a certain group, local, or for society in general, cosmopolitan (Argawal and Malloy, 2000, p. 143). The other way of judging ethics is deontology, also called formalistic ethics (Van Luijk, 1996, p. 36). In this context one should not take into account the consequences, outcomes or results of a certain action but merely the moral status of the true action taken (White, 2003, p. 92). It is based on a categorical imperative, peoples decisions can be only ethical if they are based on a feeling of free will, not because somebody else forces them to do it (White, 2003, p. 91). Within these decisions people are expected to be rational and personal consequences should play no role in making an ethical decision. 2.2 Marketing ethics Ethics within businesses can be found in many fields, such as accounting, human resources, competition, business-to-business relations and marketing. For now we are only interested in marketing ethics, one of the most popular subjects these days in business studies. Ethics within marketing can be defined as the way in which the moral standards of a company are being reflected on marketing decisions, behaviour and attitudes (Gaski, 1999, p. 316). Within marketing ethics both of the views described above play a role, the idealistic view of the behaviour of a business creates a perfect balance and is known as the Janus-Headed Model (Brady, 1995, p.368). This model is named after the famous Roman god with two faces (one looking forward, and the otherone looking backward) who protected the entrance of Rome. In the model the teleological way is associated with the head that looked forward and Januss head looking backward signifies the deontological way. For the teleologists this means that they tend to look in the future for results, chances and innovations while trying to find a human solution which also covers the best results (Brady, 1995, p. 569). Deontologists do the opposite; they look in the past, or are at least interested in following traditions and written or unwritten laws and rules (Brady, 1995, p. 569). Their decisions and outcomes are based on other decisions in the past. By looking at marketing ethics, corporations engaging in unethical marketing give a slight preference to the head of Janus looking back. As long as their marketing plan complies with the law or codes of conduct of their company and other companies, they see no reason for it to be unethical. They know consumers have the right to know to a certain extent, and they provide the minimum information about the product they sell. On the other hand, they refuse to look from a teleological point of view: creating the greatest good for the greatest number of people (consumers) is often not what they reach with their marketing programs, especially not through their advertising. Unethical marketing in this paper is therefore not something that is against the law, but something that might be harmful to the consumer. It is in the marketing in which the company might be called an ethical egoist with more self-interest than common interest. They do not look at the consequences of their actions (teleological) but only at the right or wrong of their base decisions (deontology). It is not said that this is by definition wrong, and that the corporations should take responsibility for their consumers. Before discussing this, we will first look at some examples of unethical marketing. 3. Unethical marketing In this chapter we will take a broader look at the phenomenon of unethical marketing. This chapter tries to explain what we mean by unethical marketing and how it can be found in the food and beverage industry. 3.1 General To get a better understanding, the first question that pops up is What is marketing and why does it exist?. Marketing is the way in which the products are linked to the consumers: from market research to the ability of the product to penetrate the market. The most known and controversial aspect is putting the product under the attention of the consumer through advertising. The best way to look at marketing is to follow the marketing concept of Philip Kotler. From this concept the purpose of marketing is to discover what the consumers want and to respond by offering the right products, priced in a way where it delivers value to the buyer and profit to the seller. This means that marketing is a mutual concept that is very important for an ongoing economy to satisfy the demand of the consumer (Kotler, 1996, p. 35). This concept raises the question whether or not it is possible to combine social responsibility for the consumer and survival on a competitive market, something we see in the discussion later on. If you follow the concept where the main purpose is to satisfy the demand of the consumer, you can expect that it is sometimes harder for the enterprise to act in an ethical way. By this you can imagine what happens if the consumer wants something that is not good for them, or a product that has negative consequences for society or particular groups of society. Bringing these products to the attention of the consumers by advertising is mostly seen nowadays as the unethical marketing described above. You can think of many forms of unethical marketing, organised in the following way (Gaski, 1999, p. 317): 1. Selling dangerous or harmful products. This contains the marketing of products that are known to be harmful for the consumers, or products with unknown risks that are made attractive by marketing. 2. Misleading the customers. The businesses can mislead their customers with several tricks, for example: oversize packages, undelivered promises, deceptive advertising or personal selling. 3. Unfair pricing. This is the case if the businesses do not respect one or several of the following rules: the consumer should get fair value for money spent, price should be fully disclosed, price should not be artificially high; price fixing is not ethical and neither is predatory pricing. 4. Practices against the law. Businesses should not damage the environment, commit bribery, extend preferential treatment to a customer or manipulate the availability of a product. 5. Behaviour out of own good. This is where the self-interest of the company crosses the border, they should pay attention to providing accessible means for customer complaints, not over-recommend the product quality level to the customer and not humiliate the competitor. 3.2 Unethical marketing in the food and beverage industry Since the marketing in the food industry is all about selling products, the main way to market the product is advertising and labelling, bringing them to the attention of the consumer. The first two of the points described above play a big role. The first one is misleading the customer: it covers a broad range of slick tricks used by manufacturers to sell their products to the public. The second one, selling harmful products, is much worse. Hereby the businesses use the so-called meta-preferences of the consumers as described by the philosopher Kant: the consumer has preferences that are higher than their basic preferences. With food this can mean that the preference of the consumer is to eat everything that is fat and tasty, but above that, the consumer has the opportunity to push the other preference away (White, 2003, p. 97). In the marketing process of these products, the industry understands that if they put enough effort into the advertisement, the consumer will put their preferences aside and they will buy the fatty and tasty product, lead by these meta-preferences. Before we answer the question of who is responsible for undermining the temptations of the consumers, we will take a closer look at the tricks used by marketing departments, also known as the seven sins of marketing (Consumentengids, October 2005): 1. Misleading the customer: A priori doesnt contain anything bad. It often happens that manufacturers put claims on the packages of products that say that it doesnt contain a certain ingredient, even when it is completely normal for this particular product not to contain the ingredient. This way they can move the attention away from the bad ingredients: naturally contains no fat, for example, does not mean that the product contains no sugar. 2. The healthy product. By this you can think of claims that are formally true but aim to confuse the consumer. For example if they advertise that their product contains real fruit, the consumer links this with a healthy product, which is not necessarily true. 3. The demi-truth. This means that manufacturers are changing the truth to make the product more attractive. Most of the time they use the ingredients the product does not contain. A popular use of this sin is, for example, 90% fat free: this looks attractive for the consumer but might just as well contain 10% of fat. 4. Bluffing. When manufacturers do this, they are actually exaggerating their product features. You can recognise these products when they say prepared withà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦: this does not mean anything and can even point to a minimal content of this certain ingredient. This sin also contains claims on products that might be a little too difficult for the consumer to understand, like all sorts of different bacteria and complexes: the consumer does not know them, but since proved by science (?) they might be good, so the consumer buys them. 5. Illusion Manufactures are not obligated to name their product after the main ingredient: something that can be very confusing for the consumer. This is most evident in the meat industry: some frozen products like chicken fingers could just as well be made out of turkey. In marketing this is also known as the claim-belief interaction: the manufacturer using the potential misunderstandings of the product, claims to sell their products (Thompson, 2002, p. 359). Most of the time they make the essential information as small as possible on the packages of products or even omit them totally. Selling dangerous or harmful products: 6. The rose-coloured glasses. This sin looks a little like the second one but this one is even worse because it makes the consumer think they are actually eating a healthy product while the product is in fact unhealthy. Examples are the products that contain certain food additives and artificial sweeteners that can damage your health, like those found in low-fat products. The consumers think they are healthier because the fat is removed; but they forget there might be other ingredients that can be harmful. Manufacturers market their products in a way where the consumers link fat free with healthiness, something which is not always true. 7. The push to over consumption. This is mostly caused by little presents offered to the consumer when buying the product, which have little to do with the food. Hereby you can think of: competitions, high profile or cartoon endorsements, in-pack promotions, convenient packaging (e.g. the lunchboxes), discount buys (2 for 1) and multi-buy packs. The biggest problem with this push to over consumption is that certain groups of consumers are more vulnerable than other groups. The reason for this is that these groups of people have lost their critical thinking skills to evaluate media warnings. You can think of target marketing to women (indoctrinated by the ideal view of an anorexic woman), elderly (willing to do everything to lengthen their lives), ethnical minorities (discriminatory advertisement) and of course the famous marketing to children who are nowadays seen as plenary consumers (Cui Choudhurry, 2003, p 1). 4. Responsibility It is not at all easy to decide what the responsibility of an enterprise for society is. Responsibility in general means that someone is to blame, something has to be done or some kind of trustworthiness can be expected (Goodpaster and Matthews, 2000, p. 133). But to which extent can a corporation have these human characteristics? To make it easier to discuss this so-called corporate social responsibility it is necessary to divide it into four different sorts of responsibilities: economic responsibilities, legal responsibilities, ethical responsibilities and discretionary responsibilities. You can see these four categories in the form of a pyramid, as shown in the figure below. Source: Caroll (1991) (Carroll, 1991, p. 40). The only question is how far the company should go when climbing this pyramid and how steep the pyramid should be. To discuss this question in the last chapter it is necessary to take a closer look at the different levels of the pyramid. 4.1 Economic responsibilities In short, the economical responsibility for a company is to be profitable (Carroll, 1991, p. 42). Historically, the sole task of a business was to produce goods and services that consumers needed, and try and gain a profit as high as possible. This is not only important for the business but also for most of its stakeholders. A successful business is one that produces constant profits to reach a strong position in the market, and be as efficient as possible (Carroll, 1991, p. 40). This is quite controversial when it comes to social responsibility and therefore it is usually not where the pyramid ends. Although some economists, like Milton Friedman, had the opinion that this is indeed the point where the responsibilities should stop (Friedman, 1970). Friedman claimed that the only responsibility of a business was to make a good profit. He had the opinion that only people can take real responsibilities and that, since a business is an entity and not a person, the business could only have fictive responsibilities and no actual ones. These responsibilities lie in the hands of the manager of the enterprise and Friedman stated that its sole responsibility was to take responsibility for its employees and shareholders. In other words: to make profit so they can get paid. The only reason a manager could be seduced by corporate social responsibility (ethical of philanthropic forms) would be to calm its own conscience. This is not very practical in the eyes of Friedman because it would result in less profit, thereby lowering the ability of the business to take responsibility for its employees and stakeholders. Social responsibility would have more to do with political mechanisms than with market mechanisms and would therefore not be interesting for corporations (Friedman, 1970, p. 1). 4.2 Legal responsibilities Complying with the law can be seen as a social contract between businesses and society where the firms are expected to pursue their economic missions and economic responsibility within the framework of the law (Carroll, 1991, p. 42). The rules of the game are made by federal, state and local governments and should be the ground rules for how a company should act. It can also be the beginning of ethical responsibility because the law actually gives the basic ethical points. A successful company at this level of the pyramid is the one that accomplishes its economic objectives and does not break the law, including the production of products and services that satisfy legal demands (Carroll, 1991, p. 41). 4.3 Ethical responsibilities Ethical responsibilities refer to the obligation to do what is right, just and fair and to avoid harm (Carroll, 1991, p. 42). With this form of social responsibility, it is important that the way of doing business is consistent with the expectations of the social and ethical norms and values. These expectations of what is ethical and what is not have been described in the foregone chapters. In a broad sense we can say that from a deontological view this means that the company follows the general rules; from teleological view this means the company tries to reach the best outcomes for every party involved. Ethical responsibility concerns the actions that, even though not constrained by law, are expected or disapproved by society. In general, society expects the industry to do extra things not forced by Legal obligations (Carroll, 1991, p. 41). It is very difficult for corporations to assess how big this responsibility should be, because it is impossible to find clear lines about norms and values since they fluctuate and change within a society. Businesses in the food industry might have difficulties with how far they can push the boundaries: one consumer will feel mislead much quicker than the other. Ethical responsibility in the food industry is mainly centered around the question rather the businesses can be pointed as guilty for the recent trend in obesity. 4.4 Discretionary responsibilities The last form of responsibility goes strictly against the theory of Milton Friedman and claims that the company should be a good citizen by engaging in acts or programs to promote human welfare or goodwill (Carroll, 1991, p. 42). This corporate citizenship, also known as marketing citizenship, means actively participating in programs or actions like charity projects or voluntary work and in the food industry: in health campaigns. There is a social expectation that businesses donate a certain amount of their money, facilities and employees to humanitarian purposes (Carroll, 1991, p. 42). Even though it is not regarded as unethical by society if corporations do not take this sort of responsibility, it is something that is often silently expected. The problem is that it is quite easy for businesses to replace their ethical responsibility by their discretionary responsibility: donation money might be seen as a redemption sum to hush unethical business practices. It is an ideal way for bu sinesses to drag the attention away from scandals-to-be, giving the consumer the picture of being very socially responsible by just donating a great sum of money. For example, by taking responsibility for the little children in the third world countries by paying a sum of money, they can avoid losing profit by taking responsibility for their own children who are suffering from obesities because of their products (Weber, 2002, p. 553). 5. Discussion: the business, ethical egoist, local or cosmopolitan utilitarist? Now that we looked at this unethical marketing we come to the more interesting part: can we blame the businesses for the way they market their products, misleading the consumers and sometimes even hurting the health of their consumers? In other wordsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ What is their responsibility? The first form of responsibility is the economic responsibility. This is a responsibility businesses have to take and are of course very willing to take. With this it is important not to see the business as an ethical egoist but as a local utilitarist: they need to take this responsibility for their stakeholders. Funnily enough, stakeholders include employees, investors, suppliers, directors But also the consumers. In the food industry these products might sometimes be the products that are bad for the consumer, but we have to make a distinction between preferences and meta-preferences here. There is no problem listening to the preferences of the customer, but it is not ethically right to strengthen the meta-preferences, this would make the business an ethical egoist. This is where the overlap with ethical responsibility begins: businesses will claim at all times that metapreferences do not exist and if so, they have nothing to do with them. By definition, food is never bad for you and it depends on the way you use it. If the consumer is not rational enough to make their own choices the businesses dont see how they can be responsible for this. They hereby forget that it is not impossible to have both, a concern f or profits and a concern for society. When it comes to legal responsibility there is absolutely no question that companies forced by law should try to avoid products which are known to be risky for the consumer, on average: they do. Not only because it is forbidden, but the products dont sell anyway if they are known to be dangerous. But the products that are not yet proven to be possibly harmful, soà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Not harmful, are questionable. Is it the responsibility of the business to take care of this possible harmfulness? Legal responsibility is an issue of deontology ethics and mixing it with teleology is too confusing for the consumers and for the businesses. When it comes to health risks, doubts should be minimised. Of course we are not talking about over consumption but about ingredients or artificial additives that cause harm. Restraining the consumption of their own product is not very tempting for the manufacturers: why should they want to reduce their own profit? Even though most people are reluctant when it comes to the invisible hand being replaced by the government hand I think they should at least make proper laws concerning the marketing of proven harmful products and about labeling in all honesty. Ethical responsibility for the consumer is the one businesses claim not to see. How can businesses come away with their extremely misleading marketing tricks? With most forms of unethical marketing the businesses use the bounded rationality of the consumer (White, 2003, p. 100): the consumer has certain obligations to themselves but will not always have enough character to obey to these obligations. The moral dilemma for companies is to what extent they have to take responsibility for this character. This is where their self-interest has to stop and they have to become cosmopolitan utilitarists instead of local utilitarists. They have to deal with the fact that they are not alone on this planet and that it is not only their profit that counts. It is also the point where the government hand has to withdraw, for me intervening at this point is taking away the free choice of the society. The businesses do not produce these products for nothing, the consumers likes them even though they might be a risk for health. Taking the products out of the market does not only hurt the businesses but also the consumers who actually like the products. But what to do about the consumers who like the products too much? Should the businesses help them in trying to avoid overusing the products? Many people compare the food industry with the tobacco industry and claim businesses have to put warnings on their products. In my opinion this is not something you can compare because nobody needs cigarettes but everybody needs food. Thereby I dont see any business doing this out of self-regulation: since probably not every competitor does it, putting the claims on the products will make it look like they are to blame and not the product. Consumers will just buy the same unhealthy product but from a different manufacturer. But businesses could at least try to be honest to their customers, if only out of respect. The last responsibility is the discretionary responsibility. This might sound very noble, but I think this is only a way for the businesses to skip the ethical floor of the pyramid. It seems that most businesses, perceived as practising unethical behaviour, confuse these two responsibilities. Of course they dont confuse them, it is actual a very well considered decision. It is a perfect way they can hide the fact they dont want to take ethical responsibility because they are afraid of what might happen to their profits. It would be nice and easy to say that businesses and the government are the only ones who need to take responsibility, unfortunately this is untrue. There are three different parties that I think could take responsibility as well. The first party are of course the consumers. Costumers seem to ignoremarketing tricks, it doesnt matter if they know the claims might not be so true or useful after all, they like to believe in it so they buy the products. It is not only the business acting out of self-interest, the consumers know how to do this to. They want tasty food that is not only cheap but also healthy and literally wait until the businesses give this to them. This is quite difficult to produce but an invitation for businesses to promote their product as if it has all the three character treats: unethical marketing. The consumer will not be satisfied enough, since we all got a little spoiled, and instead of changing their three demands, it blames the company. If we continue blaming, we will end up convincing ourselves that we are not to blame and, like a vicious circle, we will do not hing to change our behaviour because it was meant to be and forced up on us. Why have we become so passive when it comes to eating? It is too easy to blame the change of lifestyle, forced up by the food industry. We just have to accept our lifestyles have changed and try to make the best out of it, by ourselves. The second party is the part of the food industry that distinguishes themselves as selling healthy products: where is the marketing for the apple? Even though it might sound like unnatural to the producers of natural products: why not advertise for things like fruit and vegetables? If Kelloggs can put star wars toys in their packages, why cant we put a Mickey Mouse sticker on an apple? The third party are the supermarkets and other shops were the food is sold. If consumers think they are to weak to make their own rational decisions why not put them in a rational environment when they do there daily shopping? Supermarkets should become more open, less seductive and more ordered. It is hard, and dangerous, to come to a conclusion on a subject this controversial, with this little background so I will not do that. To come with a real conclusion it would be necessary to first take a closer look at the actual consequences of unethical marketing and to take a look at market of the food industry more profoundly. For now, it appears to me that the clichà © is true and that everybody is responsible and everybody likes to blame someone else for its responsibility. Businesses should take their economical and legal responsibility, helped by the government, and up to a certain extent also their ethical responsibility. This last one doesnt necessarily mean they have to change their marketing strategies or the content of their products but they have to inform the consumer about the product as good as possible. To avoid confusion, discretionary responsibility is not very important, but might become more interesting when businesses hav

Ray Bradbury :: essays research papers

Ray Bradbury Ray Bradbury has been considered one of America’s greatest science-fiction writer’s. His work often satires human nature and shows his reader’s the flaws found deep within the individual. Not only is Bradbury a novelist, but he is also a , short-story writer, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, and poet Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois on August 22, 1920, the third son of Leonard Spaulding Bradbury and Esther Marie Moberg Bradbury. In 1926 Ray Bradbury's family moved from Waukegan, Illinois to Tucson, Arizona, only to return to Waukegan again in May 1927. By 1931 (the dawn of the Great Depression) he began writing his own stories on butcher paper. In 1932, after his father was laid off his job as a telephone lineman, the Bradbury family again moved to Tucson and again returned to Waukegan the following year. In 1934 the Bradbury family moved to Los Angeles, California. Bradbury graduated from a Los Angeles High School in 1938. His formal education ended there, but he furthered it by himself. He went to the library by night and by day at he worked at his typewriter. He sold newspapers on Los Angeles street corners from 1938 to 1942. Bradbury's first story publication was "Hollerbochen's Dilemma," printed in 1938 in Imagination!, an amateur fan magazine. In 1939, Bradbury published four issues of Futuria Fantasia, his own fan magazine, contributing much of the published material himself. Bradbury's first paid publication was "Pendulum" in 1941 to Super Science Stories. In 1942 Bradbury wrote "The Lake," a short story later added to a collection of short stories called The October Country. This was the story in which Bradbury discovered his distinctive writing style. By 1943 he had given up his job selling newspapers and began writing full-time, contributing numerous short stories to periodicals. In 1945 his short story "The Big Black and White Game" was selected for Best American Short Stories. In 1947 Bradbury married Marguerite McClure, and that same year he gathered much of his best material and published them as , his first short story collection. His reputation as a leading writer of science fiction was established with the publication of in 1950 (published in England under the title The Silver Locusts), which describes the first attempts of Earth people to conquer and colonize Mars, the constant thwarting of their efforts by the gentle, telepathic Martians, the eventual colonization, and finally the effect on the Martian settlers of a massive nuclear war on Earth. As much a work of social criticism as of science fiction, The Martian Chronicles reflects some of the prevailing anxieties of America in the early

Is Curleys wife a tragic figure? Essay

Throughout the book ‘Of Mice and Men’, Steinbeck portrays the character of Curley’s wife as unfortunate and a bit of an outcast. ‘Well you keep away from her, cause she’s a rattrap if ever I seen one’. But to what extent can she be regarded as a tragic character? The first time we hear about Curley’s wife, she is described as a ‘tart’ by another farm worker. This is because she is lonely so she hangs around the other farm workers wearing ‘red mules’ with ‘red ostrich feathers’ and ‘red finger nails’. Steinbeck uses the colour red to show she is dressing like a ‘tart’ because the colour red at the time was associated with prostitutes. ‘I ain’t never seen nobody like her’. The ranch hands, however, want nothing to do with her, so they ignore her, and so she becomes an outcast. ‘Curley’s wife can sure move quiet. I guess she’s had a lot of practice, though’. The reason they do not want to be seen with her is because she is married to Curley, a ‘pugnacious’ little man, who is very possessive. ‘†Have you seen a girl around here?† he demanded angrily’. The fact that Steinbeck never gave Curley’s wife a name other than ‘Curley’s wife’ is to show that she belongs to Curley. It shows her as his possession rather than a separate person. To get attention, she dresses up and hangs around the workers when Curley is not there. However, none of the farm workers want to fight with Curley, because he is the boss’ son and could get them fired. ‘She looked from one face to another, and they were all closed against her’. Curley’s wife seems unhappy in her marriage. ‘I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella’. He treats her badly, and even though he is married, he still goes to a ‘cathouse’, and she knows this ‘Think I don’t know where they al went? Even Curley!’ She also admits she is happy that Curley got ‘bust up’, because she resents Curley for the loneliness and for being ‘stick in that house alla time’. Curley’s wife has no children to keep her occupied or keep her company, and she has nothing to do with her time. Steinbeck uses language to show how frustrated she is at being unloved and unwanted. ‘Wha’s the matter with me?’. Even when she is dead she is unloved by Curley, who is more angry that someone â€Å"broke† HIS possession than the fact that his wife is dead. ‘I’ll kill the big son-of-a-bitch!’ Curley’s wife spends most of her time scheming ways to get attention and company from the other men. There are no other women on the ranch, and this is because men’s lifestyles at the time meant they were always travelling and never settled down and got married. This is why none of the other ranch workers have wives for her to talk to, and therefore no one else on the ranch understands her, or her situation. ‘Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain’t no place for a girl, specially like her!’ Throughout the book, the reader does learn a little about Curley’s wife’s past, and about how a guy ‘who was in the pitchers’ said he was ‘gonna put [her] in the movies’ once he was back in Hollywood, and how she never received the letter. Curley’s wife says that she thought her ‘ol’ lady stole it’, and this shows the reader how naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and easily led she is, and also the reason she was so desperate to leave home, and why she married Curley. Even though Curley’s wife is so lonely and craving attention, she is still rude and has a short temper, and throughout most of the book is not liked by the reader. ‘ you keep your place then nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easily it ain’t even funny’. ‘She demanded, â€Å"You listenin’ to me?†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ. When she is left alone with the ‘weak ones’ she treats them badly, as if she is taking out her frustration on them. ‘ Standin’ here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs – a nigger, an’ a dum-dum an’ a lousy ol’ sheep, an’ liking it cause there ain’t nobody else!’ She is jealous that even though she counts them as the ‘weak ones’, some of them can talk to the other men, and are not all forced into the same solitary confinement that she is in. Steinbeck shows just how tragic this character is, by the fact that she has to take her anger out on people she herself counts as ‘weak’, and that is how bitter her lifestyle has made her. Finally once she has died, Steinbeck uses language to show just how tragic she is, even in death. ‘All the meanness and the planning and discontent and the ache for attention’ were all gone from her face. This extract gives us clues as to what Curley’s wife what thinking while she was alive, and how much of her life these things took up. It explains her behaviour and finally makes the reader feel sorry for her, because in the rest of the book this is difficult, despite her tragically horrible situation. I think that Curley’s wife is an incredibly tragic character. The fact that she was so desperate to escape from home that she married Curley, and she was so naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and had no one to tell her and advise her that it was such a bad idea. Also she had no purpose in life, no one to talk to, or to love and treat her well, that she turned so sour and bitter that she ruined the few moment s of company that she could snatch at. Even the fact she is not loved and wanted by the reader and is seen as ‘trouble’. The only time her worries and problems are over is in death! These are all reasons to show to the high extent that Curley’s wife was shown to be a tragic character.

After School Activities and the Effect on Student Academic Performance Essay

Due to an increase in concern surrounding the academic performance of students, a growth in the number of mothers working outside of the home and the risks surrounding children who are unsupervised after school a national concern has been raised as to the after school activities that captivate the students’ attention.   As the result of numerous studies showed the manner in which students spend their time after school is dismissed significantly influenced the students’ behavior a number of after-school programs were created.   In a study performed by the National Center for Education their findings showed the number of schools providing extended programs for elementary and middle school students increased drastically between 1987 and 1999, an increase from 16% to 47%.   [1]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     As the various research studies conducted focusing on after-school student activities, researchers began to report their findings surrounding the sudden implementation of school affiliated after school programs.   Many reported results that not only showed an increase in academic achievement, they also revealed that as a result the safety of the children improved and an overall reduction in â€Å"negative behaviors such as drug and alcohol use† had occurred.  Ã‚   [1]   One study performed by White, Russell and Birmingham in 2004 reported that one afterschool program increased the overall student attendance and also had a positive impact on the scores students were receiving in mathematics, a subject that has proven to be a struggle to many students.   There were studies; however that reported findings where no change as well as negative change had occurred.   These reports however, were very few.   [1]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marzano’s study performed in 2003 uncovered 11 factors that afterschool activities influence student behavior, which were then divided into three categories – â€Å"school level practices, teacher-level practices and student-level characteristics.†Ã‚   School level practices involve policies and initiatives within the educational facility; teacher-level practices focus on the activities directly under the teacher’s control; and the student-level characteristics are items that are related to the student’s actual background.   [2]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marzano’s study found that the school and teacher level practices gave the institution and the educator the opportunity to focus on various improvements possible to improve the quality of education provided to the students.   An interesting finding revealed that â€Å"only 20% of the variance in student achievement and that on a student-level characteristics account for an astounding 80%.† [2] As a result, educators came to the realization that in order to increase the level of impact on student achievement, educators must turn their focus on student-level characteristics, which consist of focusing on students’ â€Å"home environment, background knowledge and motivation.†Ã‚   [2] More specific, â€Å"educators can affect three factors of the home environment: parents’ communication with their child about schoolwork, parents’ supervision of their child’s homework, and parents’ communication of their expectations for academic achievement.†Ã‚   [2] Through the act of providing an education for parents and creating a â€Å"home away from home† for students, after school programs can have a positive influence on the overall success of their students in and out of the academic environment.   [2]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marzano suggested that educators should pay careful attention to the knowledge students have already obtained concerning their personal environment, as this has a significant impact on their success in the classroom.   Specifically, â€Å"What students already know about academic content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information.†Ã‚   [2] This study concluded that after school programs can stimulate improved academic performance if staff members developed methods â€Å"for enhancing students’ background knowledge include direct academic-oriented experiences; virtual experiences and vocabulary instruction.†Ã‚   [2]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marzano’s study also stressed the benefits of the cultural exposure through fine art and museums as well as the Internet for students.   Data revealed that by simply having access to â€Å"a computer and a high speed Internet connection, students can visit the Egyptian pyramids at Google Earth, investigate the science of skateboarding at the Exploratorium.edu or watch an Elephant Seal in action at NationalGraphic.com†Ã‚   without having to leave the building to gain exposure.   [2] As many studies revealed, low income students stood to benefit from these activities the most, as the opportunity to experience such a wide range of activities was limited.   Many parents who were economically challenged not only lacked the funds to provide certain extras for their children, such as an Internet connection, they lacked the educational background to convey their experiences.   [2]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sandra Hofferth and Zita Jankuniene conducted a study in 2001 that posed specific questions surrounding how students spent their time once school had been dismissed.   The focus was placed on preadolescent students and investigated where students went after school and who they spent time with once they had arrived.   The study revealed that students spend approximately 30% of their time free from obligations and supervision weekly and the activities performed during this time has been shown to have a profound impact on â€Å"their long-term achievement and social adjustment.†Ã‚   [3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hofferth and Jankuniene identified several factors that they feel should concern educators.   One interesting fact uncovered was the fact that 73% of the children surveyed went directly home once school was dismissed and that the dominant activity these particular students performed was watching television.   Two other common activities were reported from children who returned home after school were playing and reading, the statistics were divided equally between the two. Approximately 15% of the students studied reported participating in afterschool sports activities and 10% revealed that they engaged in â€Å"passive leisure,† which consisted of listening to music or sitting around without activity.   [2] The students reported that they spent their time in an after-school program was revealed to be approximately 8% of the group studied.   These students reported that they spent their time after school participating in sports, art activities, socializing with others and playing.   Only 1% of students participating in after school programs reported that they watched television, as it was not easily accessed in this environment.     [3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once data was gathered and organized it revealed that the activities students reported varied, however some findings were consistent.   Every student that took part in the study reported that a large percentage of time was spent at home,.   Because of the extended time spent in their home environment, the majority of time he or she spent studying after school took place in the student’s home.   In modern society this produces various implications, one of which is that both parents are most likely to work outside of the home and as a result the number of children spending their time at home after school is decreasing.   As students’ time at home decreases, so does their time spent reading, which is â€Å"the activity most strongly and consistently associated with student achievement.†Ã‚   [3] Yet another implication identified was the fact that even if the focus on reading and studying took place in the presence of a parent, low income families where parents have less education are less likely to provide accurate attention to the student’s progress.   Children from low income families were also found to be less likely to participate in organized activities, such as sports, that were not affiliated with the school.   These children were found more likely to participate in structured activities if they were presented and organized by the public school system.  Ã‚   [3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Researchers found that school-based programs provided a safe and supervised environment where students stand to benefit from organized activities that stimulate participation and attention to academic activities.   One significant factor that educators face is the fact that as students grow older and mature they prefer the unsupervised environment as they are able to freely â€Å"relax, read and watch television.†Ã‚   [3] For educators to attract the attention of these students, after school programs need to take into account â€Å"the need for independence and self-determination as well as the need for supervision and help with homework.†Ã‚   [3] Preadolescents are a particular challenge to educators; however the statistics showed that the time spent after school is imperative to a student’s performance.   [3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Not all studies have reported results that are overwhelmingly positive, as a national evaluation of 21st Century Community Learning Center after school programs revealed that â€Å"programs affected the type of care and supervision students received after school† but their â€Å"academic outcomes were not affected and they had more incidents of negative behavior.†Ã‚   [3] This particular study analyzed the behavior of 2,308 elementary students that showed an interest in attending a center and to accurately obtain data for this particular study these students were assigned randomly to a treatment or control group.   The findings that feelings of safety significantly increased did not have a clear basis on which researchers could identify, as the programs shifted students from parental care to unfamiliar adults.   Some speculation was placed on the fact that these programs decreased the amount of time students spent caring for themselves, however this particular study did not address this issue.   [1]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study identified a number of key factors that might offer an explanation to the lack of improvement in academic outcomes.  Ã‚  Ã‚   One key factor being the fact that there was no coordination between the regular school day curriculum and the afterschool programming, which staff concluded that they came to understand this as a necessity during the study.  Ã‚   Researchers reported that â€Å"coordination was weak or nonexistent† when outside staff made an attempt to coordinate with teachers, â€Å"using burdensome processes such as having teachers send homework assignments to programs or share lesson plans with them.†Ã‚   [1] The coordination of curriculums was far more successful and consistent if both the school educator and staff responsible for after school activities took place in the same location.   [1]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yet another aspect uncovered imperative to the after-school program’s success was attendance.   Researchers revealed that a student’s attendance â€Å"may need to pass some minimum threshold before gains are realized.†Ã‚   [1] Students who attended the program regularly and more consistent than others showed positive outcomes, however the study reported â€Å"we cannot draw causal inference from that analysis.†Ã‚   [1] Also shown to have an effect on students’ focus was the amount of time spent focusing on academic activities, as the program’s structure was far more fragmented into various activities such as â€Å"snacks, cultural enrichment, recreation, arts and music.†Ã‚     Ã‚  [1] Researchers admitted the fact that it is quite possible that if the amount of time focusing on academics was increased it is quite possible these findings would have revealed different results.   [1]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The results of this particular study, unlike studies completed by other researchers, were inconsistent and did show that some students benefitted from the structured afterschool environment.   They reported that â€Å"By design, the centers included in the study were those that could support random assignment, and those estimates from the study do not represent average impacts of all 21st Century centers serving elementary students.†Ã‚   [1] In order for solid and consistent findings to be revealed, another study would have to take place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 2001 Cosden, Morrison, Albanese and Macias provided a summary of the outcome of a number of studies that had been conducted on the level of influence students receive from their after school activities.   Their summary began by focusing on the fact that when unsupervised, some students have a tendency to act in a negative fashion by committing various crimes.   They revealed that the US Department of Justice reported that the peak time for juvenile crime takes place between the hours of 3pm and 7pm on school days, â€Å"the period after school until parents typically return from work.†Ã‚   [4] The Juvenile Offenders and Victims:   1999 National Report also suggested that this study found that â€Å"after-school programs have greater potential for reducing juvenile crime than imposition of a juvenile curfew.†Ã‚   [4] The students most likely to commit these acts were those students that have been identified as at-risk students, many from families that have limited incomes.   [4]   The government stressed the importance of creating a structured environment for students after school has dismissed offers them the opportunity to focus their mind on positive activities, which will ultimately lessen the number of juvenile crimes committed.   [4]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Out of the various studies summarized by Cosden, Morrison, Albanese and Macias each study focused on â€Å"structured after-school programs that offered students assistance with homework and other academic needs.†Ã‚   [4] In addition most of the studies â€Å"focused on children considered at risk for school failure as a result of low income, limited familial resources, and/or poor grades.†Ã‚   [4] Though each program had variances as to the actual curriculum each study provided the students with a structured environment where the students experienced contact with an adult.   The impact of the student’s academic performance appeared to be â€Å"mediated by other child and teacher factors, such as increases in the child’s self-esteem and school bonding and changes in teacher perceptions regarding the effort and capabilities of the student.†Ã‚   [4]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a 1992 study conducted by Halpern and then a similar study in 1999 by Beck, research was gathered pertaining to programs where students were provided a structured location and time where they could receive â€Å"homework and instructional support.†Ã‚   [4]     Beck’s research focused on student ranging from Kindergarten to 12th grade and suggested that this program was integral in shaping the students’ level of confidence as well as the teacher’s perception of their level of effort. Similar data was reported by Halpern in his study of children between five and twelve years old, in that he felt the â€Å"participation gave students greater confidence in their abilities and provided an opportunity to develop positive, school-related, adult attachments.†Ã‚   [4] Though neither study revealed that these structured after-school programs offered a positive impact in the amount of homework completed by students, it suggested that the structured environment provided an opportunity to increase the level of self-confidence in each student that participated as well as improve the teacher’s perception of the student’s overall effort.   [4]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1992, Ross, Saavedra, Shur, Winters and Felner conducted a study of 400 school aged children that took part in a variety of after-school programs, each offering a structured environment but possessing various cirriculum.   The researchers delivered results that showed each of these programs as integral in building self-esteem in those who took part in the structured activities at the end of the school day.   The group also found that self-esteem was a major factor in determining academic performance in students, as it had â€Å"positive effects on standardized test scores in math and reading.†Ã‚   [4]   This research did, however, report that there were some concerns surrounding after school activities that placed focus specifically on academics.   [4]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is a concern if activities after school specifically focus on academic activities and homework assistance this might promote a negative environment for students, as these programs â€Å"do not replace other non-academic extracurricular activities.†Ã‚   [4] The concern surrounding this topic is that many after-school activities provided through the school system do not provide students opportunities that take focus away from the regular school day curriculum. Researchers suggest that many students require some type of incentive to build their self-esteem and if this isn’t provided it may â€Å"increase the student’s risk for school failure.†Ã‚   [4]   Cosden, Morrison, Gutierrez, and Brown suggest that programs should offer activities that â€Å"enhance student engagement to the school while allowing time for homework to occur.†Ã‚   [4]   Students must be given the opportunity to disengage their minds from the regular school day and place a focus on an alternate structured activity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All studies revealed the importance of parental involvement, as the time spent in the care of others is less time spent in the care of the parents.   Parental involvement is important because not only does it provide students with immediate assistance, but it â€Å"models positive attitudes and study skills needed to succeed in school.†Ã‚   [4] Parents who stress the importance of learning have a large impact on their children, as they see their parents as â€Å"both competent and similar to them.†Ã‚   [4]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though not all research studies conducted have shown conclusive results that prove the overall effectiveness of afterschool programs, each concluded the level of influence students receive from their after school activities.   The majority of these studies have revealed that the various structured programs available to students provide youth with an opportunity to have afterschool supervision in a structured environment that promotes positive behavior.   For the most part it is agreed that â€Å"involvement in extracurricular activities is associated with school engagement and achievement† and that the fact these students become engaged in a school affiliated program means that students are less likely to commit juvenile crimes, â€Å"are less likely to drop out and more likely to have higher academic achievement.†Ã‚   [4] References [1] James, S., Dynarski, M. & Deke, J. (2007). When Elementary Schools Stay Open Late: Results From the National Evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program. . [2] Parsley, D. & LaBounty, S. (2007). Joining Forces. Principal Leadership, 8 (4), 28-31. [3] Hofferth, S. L. & Jankuniene, Z. (2001). Life After School. Educational Leadership, 58 (7), 19, 5p, 3c. [4] Cosden, M., Morrison, G., Gutierrez, L. & Brown, M. (2004). The Effects of Homework Programs and After-School Activities on School Success. Theory Into Practice, 43 (3), 220-228.

Free Essays on Monopolies

The corporations of today are much different than the corporations of ten years ago. Corporate mergers, which occur every month, are creating threatening giants, and companies going to court for years at a time battling over the same issue â€Å"are they a monopoly or not†? IBM merged ten years ago and Microsoft is merging right now. In order to come to a conclusion on this decade old question, you first must know the facts about what a monopoly is and what it takes to create one. What constitutes a monopoly? One more of the following elements must be present: (1) control of a major resource necessary to produce a product; (2) technological capabilities that allow a single firm to produce at reasonable prices all the output of a particular commodity or service; (3) exclusive control over a patent on a product or on the processes used to produce the product; (4) a government franchise that awards a company the sole right to produce a commodity or service in a given area. Edwin Mansfield, a political scientists, said, â€Å"for a monopoly to be effective there must be no practical substitutes for the product or service sold, and no serious threat of the entry of a competitor into the market† (23). This enables the seller to control the price. In the late 19th century the tendencies inherent in a free competitive economic order brought about new changes. In Great Britain, the United States, and other industrial nations, giant business firms began to emerge and dominate the economy. In part, this stemmed from the empire-building tactics of the captains of industry, such as the American entrepreneur John D. Rockefeller, who drove most competitors from the field. It also came about because of technological advances that enabled a handful of large firms to satisfy the demand in many markets. The result was not a complete monopoly but, rather, an economic order known as oligopoly. From the late 19th century onward, the U.S. has attempt... Free Essays on Monopolies Free Essays on Monopolies The corporations of today are much different than the corporations of ten years ago. Corporate mergers, which occur every month, are creating threatening giants, and companies going to court for years at a time battling over the same issue â€Å"are they a monopoly or not†? IBM merged ten years ago and Microsoft is merging right now. In order to come to a conclusion on this decade old question, you first must know the facts about what a monopoly is and what it takes to create one. What constitutes a monopoly? One more of the following elements must be present: (1) control of a major resource necessary to produce a product; (2) technological capabilities that allow a single firm to produce at reasonable prices all the output of a particular commodity or service; (3) exclusive control over a patent on a product or on the processes used to produce the product; (4) a government franchise that awards a company the sole right to produce a commodity or service in a given area. Edwin Mansfield, a political scientists, said, â€Å"for a monopoly to be effective there must be no practical substitutes for the product or service sold, and no serious threat of the entry of a competitor into the market† (23). This enables the seller to control the price. In the late 19th century the tendencies inherent in a free competitive economic order brought about new changes. In Great Britain, the United States, and other industrial nations, giant business firms began to emerge and dominate the economy. In part, this stemmed from the empire-building tactics of the captains of industry, such as the American entrepreneur John D. Rockefeller, who drove most competitors from the field. It also came about because of technological advances that enabled a handful of large firms to satisfy the demand in many markets. The result was not a complete monopoly but, rather, an economic order known as oligopoly. From the late 19th century onward, the U.S. has attempt... Free Essays on Monopolies You are driving on the highway when suddenly a limousine cuts you off. You look around to see if anything had caused this action. Nothing looks amiss, just a couple of cars a truck or two and a jeep on the highway. Little do you realize that the jeep is a Ford Explorer, and the person in the limousine is a Ford executive who knows how dangerous the jeep can be. Numerous people over the years have been injured and killed, when their Ford Explorer flipped over while driving. From its inception it was known that it performed poorly in rollover tests. That didn’t stop Ford from putting it on the market, because they knew it was going to be a huge moneymaker. The questions are why wasn’t anything done to stop this product from being allowed on the street? Who should have been responsible? What can be done in the future to make sure this doesn’t happen again? Would it be so shocking to say that that big business, huge corporations have taken over? Are they the one’s deciding what is right and wrong? Lets be reasonable what can be so wrong with a jeep if it’s the best selling jeep in America. All anyone cares about these days is market price, what does Wall Street think of us. This is the same company who in the 1970’s actually had the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) put a value on a human life (about $200,000). They then used this number against the cost of modifying the Ford Pinto that was known to have a faulty gas tank, to decide whether it was worth fixing it or not. Finally, a recall was ordered, but only after being on the market for 7 years and 28 lives lost. The government has deregulated the market to the point where there really is no one watching over the auto industry. In Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign he declared,† the US auto industry is being regulated to deathà ¢â‚¬ . This took place right after the Pinto incident. Instead of harsher regulations for messing up, the government decided t...

Turabian Format

Turabian Format The Turabian format has been used for citation for decades. In fact, Turabian footnotes and bibliographies have become standard at some universities. By embracing the principles and guidelines that Kate Turabian put forth, you can be sure to create crisp and correct language for your term papers, each time. The Ease of the Turabian Format Perhaps the best part of using the Turabian format for citation is its sheer common sense. There are few quirks and tricky spots involved. Furthermore, each instruction is peppered with examples for clear comparison and comprehension. The Turabian format includes two separate types of citations from which you can choose. Whether youre interested in formal footnotes, or gravitate towards parenthetical citations, the Turabian format can accommodate your writing needs. Because the Turabian method was developed by a dissertation secretary, this style appeals to lower and higher education levels alike. If you are looking to create notations in Turabian format, you might consider investing in Turabian Style software. Using this software, you can create citations in Turabian format in a matter of moments. With easy to use interface, these programs can often streamline your writing process, and make citations a snap.

Culturally compatible classroom and Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Culturally compatible classroom and - Assignment Example Instructional leaders can create culturally compatible classrooms by understanding how students’ motivation to learn is influenced by culture. If instructional leaders are able to know the role that culture plays in creating motivation, they can respect the various cultures of different students in the classroom. They can also incorporate the different cultures of different students in teaching and learning activities. By doing this, no cultures will be favored, and no cultures will be looked down upon. When students feel that their cultures are respected and incorporated in their teaching and learning activities, they will be more motivated to learn. Instructional leaders can also make it their duty to understand the cultural backgrounds of all students in the classroom. For example, in most title I schools in America, instructional leaders can focus on understanding the backgrounds of Asian American cultures, Mexican American cultures, American Indian cultures and African American cultures among others. By understanding the cultural background of each student in a classroom, instructional leaders can ensure that culture is used as the backdrop of learning and teaching. By doing this, students can be taught how to appreciate the cultures of other students, thus creating a classroom that is culturally compatible. Instructional leaders can also create culturally compatible classrooms by conducting teaching that is culturally relevant. This can also be supported by developing classrooms that are bilingual and focusing on creating culturally responsive classroom environments. The curriculum should also be made to be culturally respo nsive so as to ensure that classrooms are culturally compatible. Instructional leaders can finally ensure that instructional strategies are culturally responsive and

Employment Law--- case study on Whitakers Fine Wines Limited Essay - 1

Employment Law--- case study on Whitakers Fine Wines Limited - Essay Example Furthermore, the Employment Relations Act (section 44) stipulates that a worker retains the right not to be subjected to detriment as a result of an employer’s action or inaction. In the case of Adam, the company acted in a manner that may have posed risk to Adam by subjecting him to overwork that resulted in his state of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, the company failed to act appropriately by not providing an adequate solution to Adam’s problem, which he articulated well in time. One major cause of injury at the workplace relates to negligence as exemplified in Donoghue Vs Stevenson [1932] and Caparo Vs Dickman [1990] (Feinman, 2010). In this case, negligence seems to have been on the part of the company as it failed to take appropriate measures to avoid risking Adam’s life. Adam seems not to have acted in negligence as he seems to have taken his duties seriously. Apparently, express terms of the engagement did not contain any obligation on Adam’s part to take care for the role of the sick manager, leading to a breach of his employment rights. As observed in Garrod v. North Devon NHS Primary Care Trust 2006, passing on the responsibility of the absent employee amounts to breach of employment regulations (Personnel Today 2006, para.4). Additionally, the deliberation on the liability of the employer will illustrate the breach of implied terms, where only the employee seems to comply. Whereas his acceptance to serve in the role of the sick employee was voluntary, the management acted in negligence of the agreement that previously relied on the premise that the leave would take short (Cabrelli 2007, p195). Signs of negligence from the director and human resources officials emerge from the facts given in the case, which can directly relate to the psychological pressure manifested in form of anxiety and depression. According to the employment

The Tay Bridge Disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Tay Bridge Disaster - Essay Example Also, the paper will discuss how modern engineering project management should prevent these from occurring and how the construction safeguards could prevent accidents like this. The collapse of the bridge brought into the picture the failure to maintain, optimum Engineering standards or practices by Thomas Bouch and his team. The first standard that has been not followed is the lack of strong cross bracing and fastening. That is, there is an insufficiency in cross bracing and its fastenings through out the bridge, which is very insufficient to sustain the force of strong gale. The next standard that has been missed is not testing the bridge for wind pressure according to appropriate levels. That is, Bouch used a wind pressure of just 10 lbsf/sq ft to test the design of the Tay Bridge. On the other hand, the well known fact is, Bouch, after completing Tay Bridge worked on the Forth Bridge and while working on the design of a proposed Forth bridge, he had used wind pressure up to 30 lbsf/sq ft. Another standard that have been given a go by, is the practice of moulding lugs into the wrought iron, when lugs are attached to it. Because of this mistake, the lugs were proved to break at loads of only 20 tons, while it is expected to withstand loads up to 60 tonnes (taybridgedisaster.co.uk). From the ethical perspective, Bouch, being the person in-charge, seems to have not shown great interest in the successful and foolproof completion of the project. That is, Bouch as well as the contractor appears to have not regularly visited the on-site foundry, where the iron scrap retrieved from the previously half-built bridge was recycled and remade into new structures. Because of this lack of commitment and ethical responsibility from Bouch’s side, the cylindrical cast iron columns, which supported the bridge, were of bad quality. All these inefficiencies only contributed to the collapse of the bridge, leading to many repercussions. The main result is that, the

The Value of a University Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Value of a University Education - Assignment Example Studies consistently demonstrate that graduates have higher levels of earnings than high school graduates. According to the US Census Bureau, the median earnings of bachelor’s degree recipients working full-time year-round in 2008 were $55,700 - $21,900 more than the median earnings of high school graduates. Individuals with higher levels of education are more likely to have earnings and more likely to work full-time year round. Eighty percent of college graduates ages 25 or older had earnings in 2008 and 60% worked full-time year-round. In comparison, only sixty-three percent of high school graduates ages 25 or older had earnings, and only 44% worked full-time year-round. When lifetime earnings are computed, the typical bachelor’s degree recipient can expect to earn about 66% more during a 40-year working life than the typical high school graduate earns over the same period. After the fall in employment rates at the start of the economic recession in early 2008, it was four-year college graduates whose employment levels first recovered in 2010, with a 2% increase. Individuals with higher levels of education report greater job satisfaction and derive a sense of fulfillment from their work. Finally, the unemployment rate for university graduates â€Å"is consistently about half the unemployment rate for high school graduates† (Baum, Ma and Payea, 2010). Higher education also confers non-monetary benefits to individuals. These include health benefits and an improved sense of self-esteem. As the medical consensus on the adverse health effects of smoking became more emphatic, the smoking rates for college graduates showed a much more rapid rate of decline than that for high school graduates. By 2008, only 9% of college graduates smoked,... This paper comes to the conclusion that it is clear that university education imparts value to the individual, the local community and society at large. Individual benefits are both monetary and non-monetary. Monetary benefits include increased income and consistently high employment rates. Non-monetary advantages range from to better health and healthy lifestyles to a greater sense of well-being and better care of children. In the context of the local community, universities develop the skills of the local community by enlisting and training local students, generate employment opportunities on the campus, participate in community activities, give local community access to university facilities, address the issue of social disadvantage in the locality and raise the prestige and visibility of the region. Society at large benefits in several ways from higher education, with graduates showing greater political participation, decreased crime and incarceration rates, more racial and relig ious tolerance and less dependence on public welfare programs. This paper approves that the higher wages of college graduates obviously translates into a higher national income, which leads to a healthier population and a better functioning society. The benefits of a university education are indisputable. As it is evident that the benefits of higher education are not confined to the individual alone, but also spill over into the local community and society at large, public investment in higher education is a step in the right direction. University education is the best way to ensure that the well-being of all citizens is enhanced and that the nation retains its competitiveness in the knowledge economy of the contemporary world.

The movie Maria Full of Grace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The movie Maria Full of Grace - Essay Example Maria, Frida and Tita are women that become faced with challenges in life and had to make hard decisions. In Maria Full of Grace, the character Maria is the main character becomes faced with difficult situations in life. Maria Together with other two girls, engage in transporting large quantities of cocaine, from Colombia to New York. At a tender age of 17 years, the young Colombian girl becomes forced to go into selling drugs after she remained the only daughter her family depended on. Despite her harsh economic status even after quiting job from her previous employer. In addition to her problems, she still got pregnant and refused to marry the guy. With increased financial pressure coming from both sides, Maria decided to make a terrible decision. Maria decides to join the Cocaine business as a transporter while in her pregnancy state just to raise money for the up keep of the unborn and her family. In comparison to Tito in the movie Like Water for Chocolate, she also became faced with challenges that made her take appropriate choices. In the beginning of the movie, one could realize the undying love Tita and Piedro had for each other, though her mother, Mama Elena did not consent their union. Piedro ends up marrying his eldest sister, Rosaura. Tita continued her pursuit for her lover by ensuring she cared her nephew after birth more than her sister. Her mother on realizing how Piedro and Tita came closer each day due to the Rosaura’s child, she arranges for Piedro and Rosaura to move to a distant place. This stressed Tita as she was deeply in love with Piedro and his son. The main character in the film Frida, also proved to be a strong willed woman. Even after getting polio, getting involved in an accident, she still manages to pull herself together and learn how to walk. It is her determination to walk after such an accident that shocks many. Furthermore, after recovery from the hospital, Frida manages to walk, but in pain. Are they fit choices or no t? From the three movies, a lot could be derived from the hardships they underwent to become what they did. These women hard to make tough choices some of which were inimical while others good. Tina after struggling with Mother Elena in life and even after life with her ghost, eventually becomes freed from the snare of tradition to marry her true love Piedro despite the many challenges that stood on her way. Tita knew that her eldest sister became forced to marry Piedro in an attempt to obey traditions and hence still persisted knowing Piedro will do in response. The story hence is a love story of two lovers that became bound to be together for life and afterlife. The main obstacle to Tita was her mother, Elena whom hated her. For instance, even after getting hurt after raiders injured her, she still refused food brought to her by Tita, eventually dying due to ingesting overdose of emetics. Tita’s choice of loving Piedro for life proved a terrific idea. For instance, after Pi edro and his wife moved to San Antonio with their child, it died since it was deriving its love from Tita. In as much as she was the youngest in the family, she treated her mother well, though her mother treated her badly. In the movie, when she becomes tormented by the ghost of Elena, she made a decision to condemn it. This ended up badly as Piedro became consumed with the dying flame from the ghost. Another decision Tita made was telling her husband John of her undying love for Piedro. John accepts, but just tells her to decide. Tita eventually agrees to get married to Piedro which they end up enjoying their passion to death. Maria engages in the illegal

Serial Killer Belle Soren Gunness Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Serial Killer Belle Soren Gunness - Term Paper Example Belle Soren Gunness killed her victims in cold blood: boyfriends, suitors, husbands and two daughters, Lucy and Myrtle. The authorities at that time wondered what reasons might have motivated her to commit the crimes but after investigations and follow-ups, they established that her apparent motive of killing involved ripping people of their belongings such as collecting life insurance, cash, and valuables (Segrave, 1992). The secondary motive for killing involved the elimination of witnesses. She eventually disappeared on April 28, 1908. Gunness’ character and the nature of being are very strange throughout her biography. The place of her birth is not well established. In fact, her death has not been established as well. Her origins have been matters of debate. Most of her biographers have spoken and written contradicting stories with many claiming that she was born in 1859, November 11th in Norway near a lake called selbu. A stonemason named Paul Pedersen Storset fathered her and her mother was called Berit Olsdatter. Among her eight siblings, she was the youngest. They lived in a cotter’s farm 60 km southeast of a town called Trondheim, the largest city situated in central Norway. To matters that made her character change. According to Anne Berit Vestby, an Irish TV documentary journalist aired on September 4, 2006, that she had faced a very bad experience in her early life. In 1877, Gunness had attended a dance event when she was pregnant. While in the dance, she was attacked by a man, a stranger to her, who kicked her on the abdomen. This experience caused her miscarriage, and unfortunately, the man who hailed from a well-off family was never prosecuted (Schmid, 2005). What followed were series of deaths and arsons, crime and frauds that escalated over time. In 1884, she got married to Mads Albert Sorenson and they lived in Illinois. Shortly after the marriage, their home and store burned down and the claimed the insurance money which they were granted. Sorenson then died of what was perceived as heart failure. Strangely, this occurred on the day when his two life insurance policies had overlapped.

The Value of a University Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Value of a University Education - Assignment Example Studies consistently demonstrate that graduates have higher levels of earnings than high school graduates. According to the US Census Bureau, the median earnings of bachelor’s degree recipients working full-time year-round in 2008 were $55,700 - $21,900 more than the median earnings of high school graduates. Individuals with higher levels of education are more likely to have earnings and more likely to work full-time year round. Eighty percent of college graduates ages 25 or older had earnings in 2008 and 60% worked full-time year-round. In comparison, only sixty-three percent of high school graduates ages 25 or older had earnings, and only 44% worked full-time year-round. When lifetime earnings are computed, the typical bachelor’s degree recipient can expect to earn about 66% more during a 40-year working life than the typical high school graduate earns over the same period. After the fall in employment rates at the start of the economic recession in early 2008, it was four-year college graduates whose employment levels first recovered in 2010, with a 2% increase. Individuals with higher levels of education report greater job satisfaction and derive a sense of fulfillment from their work. Finally, the unemployment rate for university graduates â€Å"is consistently about half the unemployment rate for high school graduates† (Baum, Ma and Payea, 2010). Higher education also confers non-monetary benefits to individuals. These include health benefits and an improved sense of self-esteem. As the medical consensus on the adverse health effects of smoking became more emphatic, the smoking rates for college graduates showed a much more rapid rate of decline than that for high school graduates. By 2008, only 9% of college graduates smoked,... This paper comes to the conclusion that it is clear that university education imparts value to the individual, the local community and society at large. Individual benefits are both monetary and non-monetary. Monetary benefits include increased income and consistently high employment rates. Non-monetary advantages range from to better health and healthy lifestyles to a greater sense of well-being and better care of children. In the context of the local community, universities develop the skills of the local community by enlisting and training local students, generate employment opportunities on the campus, participate in community activities, give local community access to university facilities, address the issue of social disadvantage in the locality and raise the prestige and visibility of the region. Society at large benefits in several ways from higher education, with graduates showing greater political participation, decreased crime and incarceration rates, more racial and relig ious tolerance and less dependence on public welfare programs. This paper approves that the higher wages of college graduates obviously translates into a higher national income, which leads to a healthier population and a better functioning society. The benefits of a university education are indisputable. As it is evident that the benefits of higher education are not confined to the individual alone, but also spill over into the local community and society at large, public investment in higher education is a step in the right direction. University education is the best way to ensure that the well-being of all citizens is enhanced and that the nation retains its competitiveness in the knowledge economy of the contemporary world.

Serial Killer Belle Soren Gunness Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Serial Killer Belle Soren Gunness - Term Paper Example Belle Soren Gunness killed her victims in cold blood: boyfriends, suitors, husbands and two daughters, Lucy and Myrtle. The authorities at that time wondered what reasons might have motivated her to commit the crimes but after investigations and follow-ups, they established that her apparent motive of killing involved ripping people of their belongings such as collecting life insurance, cash, and valuables (Segrave, 1992). The secondary motive for killing involved the elimination of witnesses. She eventually disappeared on April 28, 1908. Gunness’ character and the nature of being are very strange throughout her biography. The place of her birth is not well established. In fact, her death has not been established as well. Her origins have been matters of debate. Most of her biographers have spoken and written contradicting stories with many claiming that she was born in 1859, November 11th in Norway near a lake called selbu. A stonemason named Paul Pedersen Storset fathered her and her mother was called Berit Olsdatter. Among her eight siblings, she was the youngest. They lived in a cotter’s farm 60 km southeast of a town called Trondheim, the largest city situated in central Norway. To matters that made her character change. According to Anne Berit Vestby, an Irish TV documentary journalist aired on September 4, 2006, that she had faced a very bad experience in her early life. In 1877, Gunness had attended a dance event when she was pregnant. While in the dance, she was attacked by a man, a stranger to her, who kicked her on the abdomen. This experience caused her miscarriage, and unfortunately, the man who hailed from a well-off family was never prosecuted (Schmid, 2005). What followed were series of deaths and arsons, crime and frauds that escalated over time. In 1884, she got married to Mads Albert Sorenson and they lived in Illinois. Shortly after the marriage, their home and store burned down and the claimed the insurance money which they were granted. Sorenson then died of what was perceived as heart failure. Strangely, this occurred on the day when his two life insurance policies had overlapped.

Look Before You Leap Essay Example for Free

Look Before You Leap Essay Aristotle is praised for naming fortitude, First of the cardinal virtues as that without which no other virtue can steadily be practiced; but he might, with equal propriety have placed prudence and justice before it. Since without prudence fortitude is mad; without justice it is dangerous. Only a fool or a suicide will jump into a river without making sure about the depths, eddies and whirlpools. And even there no one tests the depth of a river with both feet. Rashness has been unhappy parent of misfortune. Once in a blue moon it might bring us luck but more often than not it is fraught with dangerous consequences. The Persian monarch Xerxes, rashly enough, ordered an expedition to conquer Greece. With a wave of the hand he dismissed all pitfalls and dangers. When the trial of strength came the armies of Xerxes were dashed to smithereens and the crestfallen monarch escaped in a solitary boat, forlorn and humiliated. Those who act first think afterwards are bound to repent forever. History is replete with such instances. Napoleon, otherwise calculating and sagacious warrior in a rash and proud moment gave signal for an invasion of Russia. He had counted without the terrible winter of that country. His armies were bogged down in the snows. The flower his army, the Iron Guards, perished and the loss became the prelude Napoleons utter downfall. History repeated itself. In the Second World War, Hitler drunk power and pride turned his guns towards Russia, in spite of the Non- aggression Pact which he had solemnly signed. He also met disaster paid the price for his rash decision. True statesmanship lies in thinking hundred times before deciding on any course of action. A situation is assessed in all its potentialities and possibilities. Though you would like to beat the dog, you have to consider the masters face as well. Look before you leap, sums up the wisdom born out of experience. In ordinary situations the proverb holds. But there are moment’s crises or emergency when boldness or even rashness may be preferable cool calculation. In earthquakes, famines, floods and national calamities a person should act at once without caring for the consequences. In trying to avoid rashness one might go to other extreme of indecision and sloth. A bachelor, said a humorist, is one who looks before he leaps then never leaps. Rashness is any time better than sloth. But the right course is quickness guided by prudence. Haste and rashness are storms and tempests breaking and wrecking business; but nimbleness is a fair wind, blowing it with speed to the haven.