Monday, September 30, 2019

A balance scorecard analysis of compaq computer corparation

Compaq which comes from two words COMPatibility And Quality was founded in 1982 by Rod Canion, Jim Harris and Bill Murto with each of them investing $ 1,000 as starting capital for the organization.They tapped two key marketing executive from IBM company (Jim D’Arezzo and Sparky Sparks) in the early eighties who really helped in the positioning of Compaq as a household brand name in its early years with the assistance of other executives such as Ross A. Cooley, Michael Swavely, Mr. Colley.  Over the years, it grew to become one of the most successful PC manufactures company with a commanding market share and knocking out some of its competitors along the way. However it later merged with its biggest competitor in 2001.GROWTH OF COMPAQHaving being founded in 1982, Compaq announced its first product (Compaq Portable) in November 1982 which was released to the market in 1983. this was a start with a success being able to sell out 53,000 units in its first year at a price of $29 95. This was the start of the rolling of f of a number of its product which included the Compaq Deskpro in 1984, the Compaq Deskpro386 in 1986 and the Systempro (a server) in 1989. Compaq Deskpro 386 was an even bigger success and a mile stone as Compaq was able to set itself as a supplier of choice making IBM lose its image of technical leadership.The early 90s was Compaq dominating the market for servers driving off quite a number of competitors off the market in a price war. The late 90s was Compaq buying other technology companies becoming the second largest computer maker in the world.Things changed in 2001 as Compaq went into a merger with Hewlett-Packard changing their symbols from CPQ and HWP respectively to HPQ. Just like every other corporate merger, the merger between Compaq and Hewlett-Packard was faced with difficulties but this was worse as the two were global giants in the technical industry with the biggest challenge being bringing them together ‘without sacrif icing the customer-centric approach that divided them’.BALANCE SCORECARD‘A balance scorecard is a strategic planning and management system that is used extensively in business industry, government and non profit organizations worldwide to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, improving internal and external communication and monitor organization.This tends to transform the organization strategic plan from an attractive but passive document into one that the organization uses on a day basis in its decision making’. (Balance Scorecard Institute 2008)Kaplan and Norton developed and linked it to firms’ strategic objectives to performance measurement. They also recommended broadening the scope of the measures to include

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Juvenile Justice

Vineet Advani Mrs. Sheaffer English 7 4 December 2011 Should Juveniles Be Tried As Adults Unmoved by his mother's description of him as â€Å"a kind and gentle soul,† a Harris County jury come to a decision on Wednesday that 18-year-old, Robert Acuna, should be put on a life without parole sentence for murdering two elderly neighbors in a quiet town. Prosecutors presented little elucidation for why the Sterling High School junior, who worked part time at a fast-food restaurant, shot James Carroll, 75, and his wife, Joyce, 74, execution style. He has evil in his heart,† Assistant District Attorney Renee Magee told jurors as she urged them to return a death sentence (film). Acuna was 17 at the time of the murders. The U. S. Supreme Court plans to consider later this year whether it is constitutional to execute killers who were younger than 18 when they committed their crimes. The age of 18 brings about freedom for young people in America. At 18, an individual legally becom es an â€Å"adult†. An individual can now buy cigarettes or a home, enter adult-only clubs, vote, and even get married. Furthermore, from their 18th birthday and beyond, individuals are no longer tried for crimes in juvenile courts. Now, they are tried in adult courts. But, does one or two years make such a difference between sixteen year olds and eighteen year olds? Is it fair for one person, just seventeen years of age, to be tried in a juvenile court, receiving a lesser sentence for murder than an individual just six months older or more in age who committed the same crime? I think not. Many articles like â€Å"Kids are Kids – Until They Commit Crimes† by Marjie Lundstrom, â€Å"Supreme Court to Rule on Executing Young Killers† by Adam Liptak, â€Å"Startling Finds on Teenage Brains† by Paul Thompson and â€Å"Many Kids Called Unfit for Adult Trial† by Greg Krikorian show different views on this topic. But, I think trying juveniles as adults should be consistently allowed because juveniles are mature enough to that murder is wrong; it reduces crime; having consequences harsher for violent crimes in juvenile act as preclusion to the youth; and trying juveniles as adults allows society to express a simple message Maturity ought to determine culpability, not numerical age. While it is true that juveniles, as a group, are less mature and slower brain development rates and thus, level of maturity varies greatly from individual to individual. According Dr. Moin, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Alberta, â€Å"Simply because the average youth is less mature than the average adult does not mean that the particular juvenile who commits a heinous crime is less culpable. There may be very mature and calculating youth and very immature and naive adults. † Furthermore, Dr. Brian Woo of Pepperdine University Law School states that, â€Å"Rather than consider juveniles as a class in the aggregate, age alone cannot be substituted as a measure of an individual's maturity or psychological development†¦. Rather than adopt a bright line rule, the Court should allow the jury to factor in any mitigating evidence, i. e. , youth or immaturity, when determining an appropriate sentence. † Thus, trying juveniles as adults allows culpability to determine the degree and severity of punishment rather than whether or not an individual committed a crime the day before or the day after their 18th birthday. Punishment is expressive and sends a clear message against crime. Trying juveniles as adults gives society the ability to express the moral outrage of certain acts. According to David Gelenter of Yale University, â€Å"we execute murderers in order to make a communal proclamation: that murder is intolerable. A deliberate murderer embodies evil so terrible that it defiles the community. Thus the late social philosopher Robert Nisbet: â€Å"Until a catharsis has been affected through trial, through the finding of guilt and then punishment, the community is anxious, fearful, apprehensive, and above all, contaminated. Individual citizens have a right and sometimes a duty to speak. A community has the right, too, and sometimes the duty. The community certifies births and deaths, creates marriages, educates children, and fights invaders. In laws, deeds, and ceremonies it lays down the boundary lines of civilized life, lines that are constantly getting scuffed and needing renewal. † Thus, trying juveniles as adults allows society to express a simple message – certain acts are simply intolerable. Trying Juveniles as adults reduces crime. It is a simple law of economics that by increasing the cost of certain activities, individuals are less likely to engage in those activities. Dr. Moin states that in a study by Dr. Levitt â€Å"there was a statistically significant negative relationship between crime rates of juvenile offenders and length of sentencing. † Dr. Moin goes on to state that † What these studies show is that juveniles do respond to arrest rates and punishment, especially for violent crimes, and that they respond at least as much to punishment as adults do. Thus, trying juveniles as adults reduces crime by deterring others and preventing those susceptible to crime from having the ability to do so. Juveniles are more likely to be raped in the Juvenile Justice System. Rather than protecting juvenile offenders, the juvenile justice system endangers them far greater than the adult system. According to David Kaiser â€Å"Across the country, 12. 1% of kids questioned in the Bureau of Justice Statist ics survey said that they'd been sexually abused at their current facility during the preceding year. That's nearly one in eight. In total, according to the most recent data, there are nearly 93,000 kids in juvenile detention on any given day†¦ we can say confidently that the BJS's 3,220 figure represents only a small fraction of the children sexually abused in detention every year. † The reason for this epidemic is clear. According to David Kaiser, â€Å"Adults who want to have sex with children sometimes look for jobs that will make it easy. They want authority over kids, but no onerous supervision; they also want positions that will make them seem more trustworthy than their potential accusers. In a sense, juvenile detention facilities are like flashing neon lights for potential pedophiles. This is by no means rehabilitative. Having consequences harsher for violent crimes in juvenile acts as an avoidance to the youth. The prevention theory states that if the consequence of committing a crime outweighs the benefit of the crime itself, the individual will be deterred from committing the crime. Prof essor of law Scot and professor of psychology Steinberg said â€Å"first, the threat of harsh sanctions may deter future crime generally by discouraging youths from ever getting involved in criminal activity. Second, imprisonment prevents crime by incapacitating offenders. Third, imprisonment could reduce future crime by rehabilitating young offenders so that they will mend their criminal ways† Champion and Mays, Criminal Justice Professors at California State University said Deterrence presumes that punishing an offender will prevent him or her from committing further acts of deviance, or will dissuade others from law-violating behavior, and the transfer of juveniles to adult court should serve a deterrent function. The adult criminal justice system has a worse punishment than the juvenile court therefore it will serve as a better deterrent factor to stop the juvenile violent crime. Effective deterrence will be able to ensure safety because it will stop the crime before it happens. When the consequences are worse, there will be less crime; therefore Juveniles should be treated as adults in the criminal justice system if they committed a violent crime. Others might say juvenile’s brains aren't as developed as adults. However, you are taught to know what is right and wrong so how does your brain being not fully developed affect your capability of knowing that murder is wrong. According to Terence T. Gorski is an internationally recognized expert on substance abuse, mental health, violence, & crime and others qualified professionals, (Ed. Judy Layzell. Ortiz, Adam. ) â€Å"Scientific studies have determined that the human brain undergoes continuous development up to the age of about twenty-one. Because the brains of juveniles, particularly the frontal lobes, are not fully developed, youths lack the ability to perform critical adult functions, such as plan, anticipate consequences, and control impulses,† states Adam Ortiz, a policy fellow with the American Bar Association Juvenile Justice Center. Although juveniles should be punished for their crimes, they are not as responsible as adults. â€Å"This is the premise beneath society's across-the-board restrictions on voting rights, alcohol and tobacco consumption, and serving in the armed forces,† observes Ortiz. Indeed, this is why we refer to those under 18 as `minors' and `juveniles'—because, in so many respects, they are less than adult. † Murder however is a different story since you end someone’s life. As I said, Juveniles are TAUGHT to know what is wrong and right. The mentality of the newer generations is generally higher than the children from 30 years ago. Murder is wrong and if juveniles know it’s wrong and still commits murder, why should we still go easy on them and treat them as juveniles? In summary, trying juveniles as adults is justified by both deontological and practical views of justice by ensuring culpability is the standard of punishment all the while deterring crime and protecting juveniles from abuse. From writing this essay, I have learned that if I was a lawyer and I was against a juvenile in adult court, I would treat him like any other criminal because of the severity of their crime not the perpetuator’s age. Even though the juveniles are under 18, they still have learned that murder is wrong and I will treat them as if they know that murder is wrong because it is a idea everyone knows. Work cited page Film When Kids Get Life. Ofra Bikel. Dir. Nathan Ybanez, Erik Jenson, Trever Jones. Andrew Medina. Perf. PBS. 2007. film Articles Thompson, Paul. â€Å"Startling Finds on Teenage Brains. † Sacramento Bee [Sacramento, CA] 25 May 2001. Pg 1-2 Krikorian, Greg. â€Å"Many Kids Called Unfit For Trial. † The Sacramento Bee [Sacramento, CA] 3 Mar. 2003: 1-2. Print. Liptak, Adam. â€Å"Supreme Court to Rule on Executing Young Killers. † The New York Times [New York City, NY] 3 Jan. 2005: 1-2. Print. Lundstorm, Marjie. â€Å"Kids Are Kids-Until They Commit Crimes. † The Sacramento Bee [Sacramento, CA] 1 Mar. 2001: 1-2. Print. Juvenile Justice According to the article â€Å"Many Kids Called Unfit for Adult Trial,† 200,000 juveniles a year are being tried as adults in the United States. They are sentenced to life in prison and even the death penalty. But is that what is really best for them? Putting these teenagers in prison for life gives them no chance to change their lives around and learn from what they’ve done. I strongly believe that adolescents should not be sentences as adults but still deserve a huge punishment. Teenagers should not be tried as adults because teenager’s brains are not fully developed as adult brains are.In his article â€Å"Startling Finds on Teenage Brains,† Paul Thompson states, â€Å"The biggest surprise in recent teen-brain research is the finding that a massive loss of brain tissue occurs in the teen years. † How are these teens supposed to understand what they are doing if they are not fully mature and aren’t mentally stable? Thompson also says that, â€Å"Brain cells and connections are only being lost in the areas controlling impulses, risk-taking, and self-control. † These children are not aware of how serious their actions are and therefore, should be helped immediately.These kids who are being tries as adults are not mentally capable of defending themselves. According to Laurence Steinberg, a Temple University psychology professor, â€Å"It is a violation of constitutional right to be a defendant in a criminal proceeding when you are not competent to defend yourself. † These juveniles being tried as adults do not understand the proceedings. They don’t recognize the risks in different choices and are less likely to think about long term consequences. For example, Robert Acuna, a high school student from Baytown, Texas, was given the death sentence for killing two elderly neighbors.In the article â€Å"Supreme Court to Rule on Executing Young Killer,† Ms. Magee said, â€Å"He was very nonchalant. He laughed at inappropriate things. He still didn’t quite get the magnitude of everything he did. † There are many other teens like Robert who don’t think before their actions. Acuna may have killed his two elderly neighbors and stolen their car, but his punishment should not have been death. I don’t think that anyone should have the power to decide who should live or die, not matter what they have done. The judge who decides this and the executor who killed these kids should not be alive anymore than Robert Acuna is.Taking these kids’ lives away or putting them in prison for life gives them no chance to change their lives around. I highly doubt that they will learn a lesson in prison. Even though I don’t think kids should be tries as adults, they still need some sort of punishment. As Paul Thompson said, â€Å"While research on brain tissue loss can help us to understand teens better, it cannot be used to excuse their violent or homicidal b ehavior. But it can be used as evidence that teenagers are not yet adults and the legal system shouldn’t treat them as such. They could stay in jail with other teens but not for life. I also think that they need help from a therapist or psychiatrist. They are seriously impaired and need help to steer their lives in the right direction. Prison is a negative environment and will only make them worse and lead to more problems such as fights and violence. These juveniles are kids! They don’t have the same rights as adults. They aren’t allowed to drink, smoke, vote, get married, etc. They are not ready to take care of themselves or live on their own. In the article â€Å"Kids are Kids-Until They Commit Crimes,† a Democratic State Rep.Ron Wilson of Houston said, â€Å"You want to throw the adult book at kids? Fine! Lower the voting age to fourteen. † I agree with Wilson. Kids aren’t allowed to vote because they aren’t mature and for the sam e reason, they should not be tried as adults. Even though these kids have made huge mistakes, I think they deserve a second chance in life. They shouldn’t be tried as adults nor be sentenced to die. This doesn’t mean that they get away with the crimes they’ve committed, it just means they won’t be in prison their whole life for a crime they committed when they were kids. Juvenile Justice Treatment vs. Punishment There are many different types of crimes committed by juvenile delinquents in today’s society. These crimes consist of violent crimes, property crimes, forgery, fraud, vandalism as well as many others. In 2009, there were 32,638,900 youths in the United States and 1,906,600 of them were arrested for a type of crime. (Puzzanchera & Adams, 2012). There are many options that the Department of Juvenile Justice System can lead towards such as punishment or treatment, but the rehabilitation depends on the juvenile at hand.Most research suggests there is a reduced recidivism amongst juveniles who receive treatment. Treatment options are the ideal way to deal with juvenile delinquency. Juvenile Delinquency The definition of juvenile delinquency is a behavior against the criminal code, committed by an individual who has not reached proper adulthood by state or federal law. (Bartol & Bartol, 2011). Different states have different age of jurisdictions ranging fro m ages 15 through 17 which 37 states have adopted. â€Å"The age of the youth dictates whether the juvenile court or the adult court system has authority over the case. (Listwan, 2013, Sec 1. 2). For instance, if a juvenile committed a crime in Michigan at the age of 17 the jurisdiction would be in adult court system. Treatment and Punishment Concepts There is a debate on whether juvenile delinquents should be punished for their crimes, or if they should be rehabilitated for the crimes they committed. When many people look at the court system they may believe that the juvenile justice system is geared towards punishment but in the past, the juvenile justice system was geared towards rehabilitation. Historically, the juvenile justice system was oriented toward rehabilitation and care of the youth. † (Listwan, 2013, Sec 1. 3). In recent years, society is getting back to rehabilitation concepts by incorporating different treatment options whereas in the 1970’s a psycholog ist by the name of Robert Martinson did a study on whether or not treatment reduced recidivism rates. In his study, Martinson concluded that treatment did not lead to lower recidivism rates and stated, â€Å"Nothing works† when it came to treatment. (Listwan, 2013).Currently in the midst of juvenile delinquency, research is showing that treatment services are working by as much as 30–35 percent. (Listwan, 2013). In Australia, a study was conducted on recidivism rates for juvenile offenders and they reported that 1,500 juvenile justice clients reoffended, which was a 61 percent increase. (Day, Howells & Rickwood, 2004). They were astonished by this number and began to implement rehabilitation known as a â€Å"what works† approach to offenders. â€Å"This approach can be summarized by a core set of principles of human service delivery.Collectively, these principles suggest that reductions in recidivism can be maximized when programs select appropriate candidates, target factors that directly relate to their offending, and are delivered in ways that facilitate learning. † (Day, Howells & Rickwood, 2004, Para 5). This program appears to be working at the recidivism rates are decreasing. The United States is also implementing rehabilitation programs to help reduce recidivism rates. â€Å"More than 30 years of research has produced a body of evidence that clearly demonstrates that rehabilitation programs work. (Przybylski, 2008, Pg 2). Juvenile Sex Offenders and Juvenile Justice Intervention Strategy A juvenile sex offender is described as a youth who has been convicted of a sex crime which may include rape, sodomy, fondling, or other forced sexual act. (Listwan, 2013). Numerous people believe that society should throw away the key on these juvenile sex offenders. â€Å"Sex offenders are often placed on the lowest rung of the criminal hierarchy— meaning that most people feel that sex offenders are the worst of the worst. † (Listwan, 2013, Sec 9. 4).In some cases, if a child does not receive the proper counseling needed, they can grow up committing the same acts of violence which were bestowed on them. For instance, â€Å"violence becomes a learned problem-solving technique transmitted from one generation to the next in a phenomenon known as the cycle of violence. † (Collica & Furst, 2012, Sec 7. 1). If a youth does end up committing this act of violence, they are first adjudicated by the court system and will receive their sentencing. A judge will either send them to a treatment facility or else may send them to a detention center depending on the age of the juvenile.All judges seem to believe that family structure and prior record are almost equally important factors in determining offenders' likelihood of rehabilitation. (D'Angelo, 2010). There are many treatment facilities which deal specifically with juvenile sex offenders. Psychologists are becoming more optimistic in the treatment of sex offenders. â€Å"First, they believe that the most effective interventions, or treatment methods, are those that follow the principles of risk, need, and responsivity (RNR). † (Bartol & Bartol, 2011, Pg 403).Other treatment which appears to be successful is cognitive behavioral therapy which shapes the behavior as well as thinking pattern in offenders. This therapy teaches juveniles on their thinking pattern on some situation and how that can influence their actions in some situations. â€Å"Cognitive behavior therapy argues that maladaptive sexual behaviors are learned according to the same rules as normal sexual behavior, by means of classical and/or instrumental conditioning, modeling, reinforcement, generalization, and punishment. † (Bartol & Bartol, 2011, Pg 404).A great deal of studies suggests that cognitive behavior therapy appears to be the best treatment in reducing recidivism amongst juvenile delinquents whether this include sexual offences or any other type of offences. Juveniles who complete a cognitive-behavioral program are less likely to commit sexual or any re-offenses than are juveniles who do not receive treatment, receive an alternative treatment, or do not complete treatment. (Przybylski, 2008, Pg 53). Multisystemic therapy (MST) is also a successful treatment approach for serious juvenile offenders.This therapy option addresses the cognitive and systemic factors such as family, peers, as well as school which are associated with risk factors. The juvenile, counselor as well as the family work together. In a study conducted, â€Å"The data showed that MST participants had significantly lower recidivism rates at follow-up than did those participants who received individual therapy (50% vs. 81%, respectively). Recidivism, depending on the study, refers to re-arrest, reconviction, or incarceration after an initial juvenile arrest, conviction, or incarceration. (Bartol & Bartol, 2011, Pg 168). In North Carolina, there is a succes sful intervention program called Sexual Abuse Intervention Services. This program is located at Barium Spring. This program offers, This program offers, psychosexual evaluation (Sex Offense Specific Evaluation), in-home family therapy, weekly sex offense specific group therapy, individual therapy, individualized safety plans in the home, school and community, case management—coordinating and monitoring services, ongoing consultation with juvenile court counselors to monitor client’s reatment progress and status in the home/community, family reunification when appropriate, step-down services for clients who are transitioning back into the community from residential placement. (Foster, 2013). This program believes in treating juvenile sex offenders to reduce recidivism. The program appears to be successful for the fact that many juvenile sex offender clients at a local group home attended this program and none of them have reoffended. Unfortunately, there is no data avai lable.Juvenile Crime Statistics Different states have different statistics on juvenile offenders. In 2009, 1,906,600 juveniles were arrested for various types of crimes in the United States. During that year, there were 722,000 youths in Arizona, 1,096,000 in Michigan, and 971,900 youths in North Carolina. (Puzzanchera, Adams, & Kang, 2012). In that same year, Arizona had 52,062 juveniles arrested for various crimes; Michigan had 36,643 juvenile arrested and North Carolina had 48,634 for various crimes.Statistics indicate that in Arizona, 1,366 juveniles were arrested for violent crimes including rape, robbery and aggravated assault and 11,181 were arrested for property crimes including burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson as well as many others. In Michigan there were 2,136 juveniles arrested for violent crimes and 10,993 were arrested for property crimes. North Carolina statistics show that 2,483 juveniles were arrested for violent crimes and 12,766 were arrested for prop erty crime. (Puzzanchera, Adams, & Kang, 2012).The arrest rate in juveniles has steadily decreased from the 1990’s through present time in Arizona, Michigan and North Carolina. Society would agree that this decrease in crime is beneficial to every person in the community. Arizona, Michigan and North Carolina juvenile arrests consist of every race including White, Black, Indian, Asian, Hispanic, as well as many others. Not one particular race committed any acts of violence, but instead all races. For instance, in Arizona, 10,259 White juveniles committed violent crimes and 34,070 committed property crimes. ,465 Black juveniles committed violent crimes and 3,191 committed property crimes including drug charges. 5,016 Hispanic juveniles committed violent crimes and 15,388 committed property crimes. (Halliday, 2011). In Michigan, violent crime data indicates that nine Black juveniles committed murders and one White committed murder. 476 black juveniles were arrested for aggravate d assault, 418 arrests for White juveniles, and 12 arrests of Hispanic juveniles. (Elam, Siemon & Fitzpatrick, 2012).As for robbery in Michigan, 384 were Black juveniles, whereas 39 were White and six were Hispanic juveniles. Property crimes such as larceny show that 3,131 arrests were White juveniles, 2,241 arrests were Black juveniles and 151 were Hispanic juveniles. (Elam, Siemon & Fitzpatrick, 2012). For burglary crimes, there were 630 arrests of White juveniles, 651 arrests of Black juveniles and 29 arrests of Hispanic juveniles. In North Carolina, the statistics are different than Arizona as well as Michigan. The state of North Carolina analyzes their data according to class felonies.For instance, in 2009 the juvenile arrest rate for Black juveniles with a class A-E felony which includes, murder, rape, sexual assault, manslaughter, drug crimes, sexual battery, robbery as well as others was 485 juveniles. (NCDJJ, 2010). There were 226 White juveniles convicted of a class A-E fe lony and 28 Hispanic. In the class F-I felony which includes property crimes, the data indicated 4,816 Black juveniles were arrested, 2,837 White juveniles were arrested as well as 1,670 Hispanics were arrested. (NCDJJ, 2010).Males along with females both account for crimes committed on adult as well as juvenile levels. Numerous people believe that males make up arrest statistics, but females contribute to these arrests. For instance, in the state of Arizona, 16,943 females were arrested in 2009. 34,659 juvenile males were arrested that same year. The female juveniles accounted for 4,611 violent crimes and 12,332 property crimes. 7,804 arrests were made for violent crimes amongst males and 26, 855 for property crimes. (Halliday, 2011).In Michigan, juvenile females accounted for 6,484 arrests in 2009. Male arrest rates were much higher at 14,814. (Elam, Siemon & Fitzpatrick, 2012). â€Å"The number of arrests statewide decreased for both male and female juveniles between 2005 and 20 09, with violent crimes by females decreasing more slightly than violent crimes by males. † (Elam, Siemon & Fitzpatrick, 2012, Pg 43). In 2009, there were 2,734 juvenile females arrested for larceny theft as well as 2,894 juvenile males arrested for larceny theft.Unfortunately, there was no data available for juvenile gender arrests except that all arrests made were 75% male juveniles. (NCDJJ, 2010). Different states have different age ranges on who commits an act of violence. Unfortunately, not all states have data on the age ranges for youths such as Arizona. In Michigan, for instance, 86 percent of arrests for sex offences were between the ages of 13 through 16. (Elam, Siemon & Fitzpatrick, 2012). In 2009, juveniles between the age of seven through 10, 276 were arrested which represented 1. percent of total arrests that year. (Elam, Siemon & Fitzpatrick, 2012). In North Carolina, 3. 11 undisciplined rates per 1,000 between the ages of six to 17 were arrested. The delinquent Rate per 1,000 between the ages of six to 15 was 29. 14 in 2009. (NCDJJ, 2010). State Treatment Every state has different treatment options for juveniles. Most states offer teen courts for juvenile delinquents. For instance, in Arizona, â€Å"Teen Court hears the matter and determines an appropriate, constructive consequence, using established guidelines. (Starky, 2012). These constructive consequences range from community service hours, restitution, a letter of apology, counseling, tutoring, research papers, educational classes, skill-building classes, as well as a few others. Arizona also offers early intervention programs such as Court Unified Truancy Suppression Program, Families in Need of Services, Drug Diversion Program, as well as School Safety Program. The state of Michigan also tries early intervention as well as treatment programs for their juvenile delinquents.For instance, Michigan currently has three rehabilitation facilities which focus on therapy as well as special ized treatment programs. Unfortunately, Michigan cut their budget on treatment facilities from 2000 which had approximately 10 facilities. This state offers early intervention programs one in particular called Juvenile Accountability Block Grants JABG program. This programs mission is to â€Å"Reduce juvenile offending through accountability-based programs focused on juvenile offenders and the juvenile justice system. † (DHS, 2013).North Carolina also prefers treatment instead of punishment. â€Å"The Division offers services for youth by establishing and maintaining a seamless comprehensive juvenile justice system that promotes juvenile delinquency prevention, intervention and treatment. † (NCDPS, 2012). North Carolina juvenile justice system focuses to strengthen families, promote delinquency prevention, support core social institutions, intervene immediately and effectively when delinquent behavior occurs and identify and control the small group of serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders in the local communities. NCDPS, 2012). North Carolina offers many facilities for juveniles around the state and a great deal of these facilities includes crime specific treatment. When juveniles are adjudicated and once they are released they may continue on the same path and commit other crimes. Often times, juveniles will continue with this circle and end up back in juvenile detention centers or on probation. The Arizona Department of Juvenile corrections had a 12 month recidivism rate of 34. 1percent for juveniles released during 2008.The number dropped from 2006 which indicated there was a 48 percent recidivism rate. (ADJC, 2010). In Michigan, the recidivism rate measured by a felony conviction was 22 percent at two years after release during 2004. The number dropped from the previous year at 24 percent. â€Å"Recidivism rates were higher for minority youths than for white youths. † (MDHS, 2013). In 2004 in North Carolina, the recidivism r ate for juvenile delinquents was 26. 7 percent. (Beck, Calhoun, Hevener & Katzenelson, 2007). Arizona appears to have the highest recidivism rate in all three states. TheoriesThere is no exact evidence which addresses juvenile delinquency but a mixture of biological, psychological and sociological. The biological theory explains that physical attributes as well as heredity may lead a juvenile to commit crimes. â€Å"Biological explanations of behavior focus on biological properties of an individual, including the individual's genetic background, structural damage in the brain, or the role of various chemicals in the nervous system. † (Wilson, 2012, Sec 1. 5). Heredity also plays a major role in behavior and criminal actions are believed to have run down in the family. Hereditary explanations of causation hold that criminality in some families is hereditary, and that deviance is genetically encoded in those born into the family group. † (Martin, 2005, Pg 76). Research be lieves that hormones may have an impact on people committing crimes such as higher testosterone. â€Å"Studies find that men with high levels of testosterone are more likely to be aggressive. More importantly, studies find that hormones can impact the brain, making individuals less sensitive to stimuli, so they in turn seek out more thrilling situations to stimulate their brain. (Listwan, 2013, Sec 3. 4). Another indicator could include the environment the juvenile resides. Environment can play a crucial role such a brain development, depression, anxiety, aggression as well as hyperactivity. Numerous people believe that the environment plays a significant role on behavior which can be stemmed from parents raising their children. â€Å"Criminals and delinquents are stimulated (reinforced) by their environment to continue acting out defiantly until they are punished in some manner. † (Martin, 2005, Pg 81).With this being said, when a juvenile is rewarded for their deviance, an d receive no punishment or treatment for breaking the law, they will continue to do so until they are adjudicated. Psychological theory which is also the personality theory suggests that there is a relationship between crime and personality. â€Å"Juvenile delinquents and adult criminals are, according to psychoanalytic theory, persons without sufficiently developed egos and superegos. If the moralistic superego is weak, a person can easily act out on his or her primal urges without remorse (an unchecked id), and mislabel deviance as acceptable behavior. (Martin, 2005, Pg 80). Another theory under the psychological theory is the conditioning theory. This portion explains that a person’s future behavior is conditioned by his or her past experiences. The interrelationships between individuals, socioeconomic groups, social processes, and societal structures are known as the sociological theory. It is believes that a lower living class has a higher crime rate. â€Å"The UCR sho ws that there is a class crime relationship, meaning crime rates are higher among those who are lower in class areas. (Listwan, 2013, Sec 3. 5). For instance, in many lower class areas, parents work to support their family, thus in return youths do not have any supervision. The youths in light of the freedom, tend to get into trouble. For instance, in Gladwin County in Michigan indicates this is the one of Michigan’s counties with the highest number of juvenile poverty rate which is over 29 percent. This county also has the state’s highest juvenile arrest rate. With this being said, socioeconomic considerations have an impact on the influences in juvenile delinquency.Treatment There are many treatment options for juveniles which have become readily available. The best type of treatment option would be early intervention. Youths should start young in learning to control their behavior as well as take responsibility for their actions. Numerous people will look at juvenil e delinquents and give up on their treatment. They may think that he or she is past the point of rehabilitation. A beneficial program that parents should incorporate in their daily lives is called the Incredible Years Series (IYS) Program.This program not only works for children who display behavioral or conduct disorders, but also for other children. This program is geared towards children between the ages of two through ten. â€Å"The Incredible Years Parents, Teachers, and Children Training Series, is designed to prevent, reduce, and treat conduct problems among children ages 2 to 10 and to increase their social competence. † (Wilson, 2000, Pg 1). Some goals to reduce conduct problems in children include decreasing negative behaviors and noncompliance with parents at home, decreasing peer aggression and disruptive behaviors in the classroom.Other goals include promoting social, emotional, and academic competence in children such as increasing children’s social skill s, increasing children’s understanding of feelings, increasing children’s conflict management skills and decrease negative attributions, as well as increasing academic engagement, school readiness, and cooperation with teachers. â€Å"A substantial body of research has clearly shown that young children with early-onset behavioral problems are at significantly greater risk of having severe antisocial difficulties, academic underachievement, school dropout, violence, and drug abuse in adolescence and adulthood. (Webster-Stratton & Herman, 2010). With this program, all children can have a crime free future. Conclusion In conclusion, treatment options are the ideal way to deal with juvenile delinquency. There are many attributes which take place in dealing with punishment or treatment for juvenile offenders. Most research suggests that treatment is the best options and helps reduce recidivism rate. For juvenile sex offenders, specific treatment helps reduce the likelihood of recidivism especially with cognitive behavior therapy.There are also numerous programs such as the one in North Carolina which deals directly with juvenile sex offenders. The program has a good turn around rate with the local group home facility. Every state has different data, and while comparing this data opens a person’s eyes as to the crime rate in their community. When people observe this data it gives them an incentive to get out in the community and help these juvenile delinquents. Even though Arizona has the least amount of juvenile arrests, this state has the highest recidivism rate amongst Arizona, Michigan as well as North Carolina.When trying to pin point on why a juvenile acts out, biological, psychological and sociological theories all play a major role. The reasoning can be from heredity, personality, environment as well as socioeconomic considerations. There are many early intervention programs readily available for youths as well as juvenile delinquents w hich have already committed a crime. Parent should begin to take an initiative in their children life at an early age to stop the deviant behavior in the future. After all, these children are our future. References: Alexander, M. A. (1999).Sexual offender treatment efficacy revisited. Sexual Abuse: Journal OfResearch And Treatment, 11(2), 101-116. doi:10. 1007/BF02658841. Retrieved fromEBSCOhost Database. Bartol, C. R. , & Bartol, A. M. (2011). Criminal behavior: A pscychological approach (9th ed. ). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN: 9780558591373 Beck, M. , Calhoun, K. , Hevener, G. , & Katzenelson, S. (2007). Juvenile recidivism study. DOI: www. nccourts. org/Courts/CRS/Councils/spac/Documents Collica, K. & Furst, G. (2012). Crime & society. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.Retrieved from Ashford Constellation. D'Angelo, J. M. (2002). Juvenile court judges' perceptions of what factors affect juvenileoffenders' likelihood of rehabilitation. Juvenile & Famil y Court Journal, 53(3), 43-55. Retrieved from ProQuest Database. Day, A. , Howells, K. , & Rickwood, D. (2004). Current trends in the rehabilitation of juvenileoffenders. Woden, Woden: Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved from ProQuestDatabase. Elam, P. , Siemon, C. , & Fitzpatrick, D. (2012). Michigan’s Statewide Juvenile Arrest AnalysisReport. Retrieved from Public http://michigancommitteeonjuvenilejustice. om/sitefiles/files/Documents/2012JuvenileArrestAnalysisReportVol1. pdf Foster, J. (2013). Barium springs, giving hope to children and families. Retrieved fromhttp://www. bariumsprings. org/page. cfm? id=32 Halliday, R. (2011). Arizona department of public safety. Retrieved fromhttp://www. azdps. gov/About/Reports/docs/Crime_In_Arizona_Report_2009. pdf Listwan, S. J. (2013). Introduction to juvenile justice. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint, Education,Inc. Martin, G. (2005). Juvenile justice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. DOI:www. sagepub. com/books/Book226433 MDHS. (2013).Juvenile accountability block grants (jabg). Retrieved fromhttp://www. michigan. gov/dhs/0,4562,7-124-5453_34044_34052-15632–,00. html NCDJJ. (2010). 2009 annual report north carolina department of juvenile justice. Retrievedfrom website:http://www. juvjus. state. nc. us/resources/pdf_documents/annual_report_2009. pdf Pullman, L. , & Seto, M. C. (2012). Assessment and treatment of adolescent sexual offenders:Implications of recent research on generalist versus specialist explanations. Child Abuse& Neglect, 36(3), 203-209. doi:10. 1016/j. chiabu. 2011. 11. 003. Retrieved fromEBSCOhost Database. Puzzanchera, C. nd Adams, B. (2012). Juvenile Arrests 2009. Office of Juvenile Justice andDelinquency Prevention. Retrieved from http://www. ojjdp. gov Starky, C. (2012). Teen courts: Juvenile probation. Retrieved fromhttp://www. superiorcourt. maricopa. gov/JuvenileProbation/Probation/teenCourt. asp Wilson, J. F. (2012). Introduction to biological psychology. San Diego, C A: BridgepointEducation, Inc. Webster-Stratton, C. , & Herman, K. C. (2010). Disseminating Incredible Years Series earlyintervention programs: Integrating and sustaining services between school and home. Psychology In The Schools, 47(1), 36-54.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Paper Based on Four Movies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Paper Based on Four Movies - Essay Example The title in itself gives a hint of the plot, somehow one feels that it is bound to be a rags to riches story. In contrast, the movie The Pianist describes a man, caught in the horrors of war, who gets by because of his amazing talents and the compassion and humanity of other people. The title The Pianist is somehow still distinct from the Amelie because the latter is a proper name, while the former is not. The movie Amelie and the use of the name of the lead character as the title of the film suggests an intimacy that perhaps is not there in the two other films. The third movie wishes to establish an intimate and personal connection between the movie watcher and the character, drawing the watcher into the life and emotions of the character. So while all three movies focus on characters, the way they choose to do so are in different ways, all of which, however, set the stage for the unfolding of each of the movies’ rich narratives. Second question The depiction of space and pl ace in the movie Slumdog is best seen during the scene when the two boys who come from the slums work as â€Å"tourists† in the Taj Mahal. One can see the resplendence of the Taj Mahal as a towering symbol of Indian elite and it contrasts starkly with the material realities of the two boys who show tourists around. What is striking as well is the ease with which the boys, especially Jamal, walk around the Taj Mahal, as if comfortable in its splendor and luxury. This to me suggests an image of India that is replete with contrasts and dissonances, but somehow these contrasts and dissonances merge seamlessly into each other: as though poverty is used to and not appalled by the obscenity of wealth, and luxury has become so indifferent to poverty. One is jarred to the core by the horrific scenes of child exploitation, as for example a syndicate in the business of collecting beggars and deliberately maiming children so they can bring in more income. And then we are shown the busy s treets of India’s gleaming urban landscape, the call center capital of the world where dreams are fashioned from the magic wand of outsourcing. One too is struck by the scene where Jamal jumps into literal feces, an apt metaphor for the lives the â€Å"slumdogs† lead. And yet the characters, particularly the poor ones, accept this dichotomy with indifference, even acceptance. The images of space and place highlight the contrasts with clarity, and one is left with an image of India as a country straddling between economic greatness and dire poverty, an uneasy mixture that will soon explode in its face. Fourth question Ciki is a Bosniak soldier who finds himself in a trench with a Bosnian Serb during the height of the Bosnian war. He finds himself in an absurd situation with Nino, the Bosnian Serb, as they confront each other while under threat of an exploding land mine but stop short of killing each other. As the media gathers and international human rights observers jo in the fray, the exchange between Ciki and Nino becomes an interesting tableau of both the capacity of human beings for comedy amidst the tragedy of war. Ciki is extremely important to the film because he moves the story forward and delivers the necessary decisions and actions to allow the plot to unfold, e.g., jumping over Cera so the bomb would not explode, shooting Nino. Jane Livingstone is also in the film No Man’

The Lived Experience of Ordinary People Assignment

The Lived Experience of Ordinary People - Assignment Example In present times America is facing various challenges, but the big challenge facing the federal government is maintenance of security and safety among the American citizens. President Barrack Obama demand for the American troops number in Iraq to be brought down. This as he estimates will increase the chances of Americas in fighting these terrorists around the world and the Al Qaeda as well (Berkowitz & Dewitt, 2013). Diplomacy and development issue key issues to improve as they are two major factors of their national security plan, and to make sure that their procedures of intelligence collection and analysis are assisting them in facing their enemies. In the past years security and safety were still challenge to the America federal government since they amended security bills with the motive of keeping the level of security of the country high (Piszkiewicz, 2003). This means that maintenance of security and safety of the people is quit s task that the American government has not yet achieved fully. For instance in 1960 July 1st The social security administration’s Woodlawn headquarters were dictated. The solution to these was to just recruit more troops for the sake of the country’s

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Ethics - Essay Example As a future executive leader, I found the results of these assessments to be both enlightening and offered as proverbial food for thought on how this researcher can best reach his goal of professional success. The concept of psychometric testing is a field of study which measures skills, personality traits, and abilities of an individual in order to determine the theoretical behaviors that a test subject reveals in areas of career and personal lifestyle. Based on the results of this psychometric data, the Personal Career Development Profile (PCDP) offers insights into how an individual copes with stressful situations, interacts with others during career and personal situations, and sets a potential career direction in which a person may excel. The PCDP results consist of a narrative, again based on the results of personality testing mechanisms, which offer insight toward a trend of behaviors that a person might exhibit; so as to offer personal understanding of where an individuals strengths and weaknesses lie in terms of career and professional development. In similar respect, the 16 PF testing instrument is designed to assess a set of personality characteristics within the individual being tested in an attempt to pinpoint the degree to which a person exhibits a pattern of behaviors – such as relaxed versus tense or concrete thinker versus abstract/conceptual thinker. The 16 PF offers a scale of 1 (being lowest) to 10 (being highest) to measure the degree in which a person might lean when determining potential career direction; or to offer insight into areas that the individual might need to improve upon. For instance, the test subjects goal may be to secure an executive-level position within a major corporation. This goal, undoubtedly, will require substantial leadership skills in terms of maintaining an authoritarian personality. The results of the 16 PF study measures, as one example, the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Crime in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Crime in the UK - Essay Example In addition, the victimisation of the population is also gender specific. Women fall victim to some crimes in greater numbers than men, while some crimes have men as their main target. An evaluation of the gender specific issues that impact the perpetrators and the victims of criminal activity can help illuminate the forces and theories that explain criminal behaviour. In many ways, men and women have become more socially equal in the last decade, though there are still important social and cultural differences. Eighty percent of the 1.42 million offenders that were sentenced in the UK in 2006 were male, and in the crime of sexual assault the number rose to 97 percent (Office for National Statistics, 2008, p.12). While gender was highly correlated to specific crimes it was also had a relationship to the gender of the victim. Females were almost six times as likely to be the victim of domestic violence, while men were four times more likely than women to suffer from the violence inflicted by a stranger (Office for National Statistics, 2008, p.12). Acquaintance violence was more nearly even with men becoming the victim 58 percent of the time (Office for National Statistics, 2008, p.12). Understanding the social and cultural differences that create these disparities can help further to design policies that will further reduce the crime rate. In addit ion to the different motivations that gender presents to the criminal act, the perceptions of the victim are also gender specific. Women are likely to be fearful of crime and worry about it to a degree that it impacts their quality of life, while these same emotions impact men to a lesser degree. An evaluation of social forces, crime theory, and victim theory can help to reduce crime further and limit the unwarranted worry of becoming a victim. The examination of the crime of assault reveals the role that acquaintances, relationships, and gender play to impact the initiation of violence. Men are slightly more likely to be the victim of acquaintance violence than a woman (Office for National Statistics, 2008, p.12). Studies have shown that there is a substantial propensity for violence among women, but the expression of violent behaviour is largely limited to intimate and personal relationships (George, 1999, p.76). Inter-relationship female on male violence has its foundation in rage, frustration, jealousy, and anger, while the perpetrator does not stop to consider the size of the male, their own defencelessness, or the possibility of retribution. According to George (1999), "It has been suggested, in relation to violence in dating relationships, that females may perceive aggression toward male romantic partners as more acceptable or less dangerous than aggression toward others and hence tend to confine their aggression to such intimate relationships" (p.76). However, the rates of domestic violence indicate that the threat of retaliation is real, and simply ignored. When women initiate violent assault, they suspend their social values and pragmatic judgment and their behaviour becomes controlled by the emotionally charged self. This is further reinforced by the other emotional traits when "to be the centre of attention and putting one's needs before the needs of others (self-centredness) doubled the odds of female participation in violent crimes" (Ramoutar & Farrington, 2006, p.565). For women, emotion plays a central role

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

E cigarettes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E cigarettes - Research Paper Example This paper will look into the similarities in the physical description of the e cigarette and the cigarette. I shall discuss the chemical components that make up the e cigarette and whether smokers prefer one product over the other and why. Then I shall conclude as to whether the cigarette or e cigarette is the better, healthier alternative to a quick nicotine fix. The similarities between the cigarette and e cigarette mainly lies in the fact that they both look like regular cigarettes. But while one has to be lit and puffed on in order to draw out the nicotine, thus burning away the paper and tobacco base of the product, the e cigarette is electronic based and relies on an electronic delivery system to deliver liquid tar into the system of the user. The use of the e cigarette is described as: Electronic cigarettes typically use a rechargeable battery-operated heating element to vaporize the nicotine in a replaceable cartridge. Nicotine is usually dissolved in propylene glycol, a clear and colorless liquid that is commonly found in inhalers, cough medicines and other products. The only commonality between the regular cigarette and the e cigarette is the fact that they are both meant to produce a particular type of smoke flavor that smokers can easily recognize. However, the flavor is produced in regular cigarettes by burning tobacco rolled in paper while the electronic cigarette creates the flavor using an atomized liquid. (â€Å"Comparing Regular Cigarettes with Regular Cigarettes†). In fact, both types of cigarettes are known to produce certain types of illnesses in their users that shall be discussed in later parts of this paper. Cigarettes evolved from the pipe that our forebears used to stuff with tobacco leaves and then burn while being sucked from one end of the pipe. To make it more convenient to use and carry, the paper burn based version was created. The smoker creates an unhealthy vapor and tar by-product each time that he smokes a cigarette. The e cigarette on the other hand creates a harmless vapor that looks like a harmless mist when exhaled. This particular type of cigarette does not produce 2nd hand smoke problems or get its smell into clothing, hair, or upholstery (â€Å"Are e-Cigarettes Safer than Real Cigarettes?†). Having said that, those who have made the switch from regular cigarettes to e cigarettes claim the aforementioned reason as the main basis for their switch from the real thing to the electronic version. The e cigarette is actually allowed in non-smoking places and other places where cigarettes would normally be banned. Although Hon Lik, the Chinese pharmacist who invented the e cigarette in 2003 had high hopes for the health benefits of his product when it was first introduced, the reality of the situation is that the product was released with very little product study and scientific observation. Very little is currently known about the e cigarette in terms of effects on the human body and whether it mimics the after effects of long term cigarette smoking as well. Although there is existi ng information regarding the effects of tobacco and nicotine absorption and inhalation by people, there is very little to no information available pertaining to the effects of nicotine in liquid form. What would happen if the nicotine vial in the e cigarette were to come into direct contact with the skin? Are there any health hazards related to the prolong use of propylene glycol? These are some of the reasons that the American Food and Drug

Monday, September 23, 2019

Placement search Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Placement search - Essay Example The exercise confirmed my employability skills because the required skills, based on most job specifications, were consistent with my skills. Based on a personal objective for improved self-awareness and training into employability competence and self-assessments, I have reported skills in leadership, interpersonal competence, decision-making, and problem solving. These were major competencies in the identified job placements and are consistent with employability skills, according to Diambra (2011, p. 102) and means I possess employability skills. Despite the placement search initiative, I did not complete the search because of my plans for the next year. I plan complete a year experience after my graduation and this coincides with the duration for doing the placement job. The coincidence makes it impossible to complete both so Ii chose to undertake the experience. My job placement search was successful; I identified many opportunities and applied to two institutions. The search also helped me to confirm my employability skills based on personal competencies and observed job specification. I however abandoned my placement search because of my plans for a year experience following my

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Fin 4100 Essay Example for Free

Fin 4100 Essay Financial Management 1. Happy Valley, Inc. stock is valued at $51. 40 a share. The company pays a constant dividend of $3. 80. What is the required return on this stock? Po = D/Rs $51. 40 = $3. 80/Rs Rs = 7. 39% 2. The Francis Company is expected to pay a dividend of D1 = $1. 25 per share at the end of the year, and that dividend is expected to grow at a constant rate of 6. 00% per year in the future. The companys beta is 1. 15, the market risk premium is 5. 50%, and the risk-free rate is 4. 00%. What is the companys current stock price? Po = D1/(Rs-g)Rs = 4% + (5. 5%)1. 15 = 10. 325% Po = 1. 25/(. 10325-. 06) Po = 28. 90 3. Nachman Industries just paid a dividend of $1. 32. Analysts expect the companys dividend to grow by 30% this year, by 10% in Year 2, and at a constant rate of 5% in Year 3 and thereafter. The required return on this low-risk stock is 9. 00%. What is the stock’s current market value? D1 = 1. 716 D2 = 1. 8876 D3 = 1. 98198 P2 = 1. 98198/(. 09-. 05) = 49. 5495 Po = 1. 716/(1. 09) + (1. 8876+49. 5495)/(1. 09)^2 Po = 44. 87 4. A firm has the following sales: 008200920102011 $1,248,311$1,542,661$1,821,962$2,048,725 Use the compound average growth rate to forecast 2012 sales. g = [(2048725/1248311)^ . 3333] -1 g = 17. 956069% 2012 sales = 2048725 (1+. 17956069) 2012 sales = 2416595. 469 5. A firm is considering two projects, and it requires a 12% return on its projects. Their minimum payback period is 2. 5 years. Assuming the projects are independent (not mutually exclusive), which would you choo se based on the payback method? The NPV? The IRR? Project AProject B Initial outlay $200,000Initial outlay $180,000 Cash flows Year 1$70,000Year 1$80,000 Year 2$80,000Year 2$90,000 Year 3$90,000Year 3$30,000 Year 4$90,000Year 4$40,000 Year 5$100,000Year 5$40,000 Payback for A: 2. 55 years (reject) NPV for A: $104,275. 05 (accept) IRR for A: 30. 15% (accept) Payback for B: 2. 33 years (accept) NPV for B: $32,647. 23 (accept) IRR for B: 20. 57% (accept) If the projects were mutually exclusive, then based off of Payback, only B is accepted; off of NPV, A is accepted; and off of IRR, A is accepted. 6. A firm has a capital structure containing 40% debt, 20% preferred tock, and 40% common stock equity. The firm’s debt has a yield to maturity of 8. 1%, its annual preferred stock dividend is $3. 10, and the preferred stock’s current market price is $50 per share. The firm’s common stock has a beta of 0. 9, and the risk free rate and the market return are currently 4% and 13. 5% respectively. The firm is subject to a 40% tax rate. What is the firm’s WACC? WACC = . 40 (8. 1%) (1- . 40) + . 20 (6. 2%) + . 40 (12. 55%) = 8. 204% 7. A firm has 1 million shares of outstanding common stock which currently trades at $50 per share. The firm’s stockholders require a 15% return on their investment. The firm also has $47. 1 million (par value) in 5 year, fixed rate notes with an after tax yield to maturity of 7% . The current market value of the five year notes is $49 million. The firm also has 200,000 outstanding shares of preferred stock which pay an annual dividend of $8 and currently trade at their $80 per share par value. What is the firm’s WACC? Market cap for common stock: $50M Market cap for debt: $49M Market cap for preferred stock: $16M WACC = . 15 (. 43478) + . 07 (. 42609) + . 10 (. 13913) = 10. 90%

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Best Lesson My Dad Taught Me Essay Example for Free

The Best Lesson My Dad Taught Me Essay The best lesson my dad taught me was†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. To always be honest. I’m glad he taught me this because at home if I do something wrong and he knows I’m lying and I tell the truth, I get in less trouble instead of getting things taken away. He tells me the odds are in my favor if I listen. I agree with him because I wouldn’t want my kids to lie to me. You always get in less trouble if you don’t lie. I only lived for about 13 years but every single second I learned more and more. It always ends up embarrassing after telling a lie and someone has found out. We all must admit it, weve ALL lied. Nobody likes a liar. My dad will say are you sure with your answer and if I say no I tell him the truth and he says don’t do it again. If your gonna lie to your friends its just stupid because eventually they will find and you will lose them. Before I ever answer some thing I ask myself, â€Å"is it worth lying about it. † Then I just follow my conscience. I don’t always make the right choice, but I learn from my mistakes. My dad is 40 years old and he told me had made more mistakes in a year than I do in 13. Just tell the truth because if you’re my kid that is the easiet part of life. I love him to death and wouldn’t trade him for the world!

Friday, September 20, 2019

Flesh Fly (Sarcophagidae) Insect Dissection

Flesh Fly (Sarcophagidae) Insect Dissection Insect Physiology Lab Report of Insect Dissection (Reproductive System) Flesh Fly (Sarcophagidae) Abdirizak Nur Roble Introduction Flesh fly belongs to the family of Sarcophagidae, and the name is a  Greek word that consist of two word which are:  sarco means  flesh and phage  means eating and commonly known as flesh flies. They differ from most flies in that they are  ovoviviparous (their eggs hatch at the moments that they are expelled), and they opportunistically deposit a maggots on  carrion (meat), dung, decaying material, or open wounds of mammals, hence getting their common name (Marshall, 2012). Some flesh fly larvae are internal  parasites  of other insects such as  Orthoptera, and some, in particular the Miltogramminae, are  kleptoparasites  of solitary  Hymenoptera; although most of the more 3000 world species of Sarcophagidae probably develop om invertebrate tissue as scavengers, predators, parasitoids or kleptoparasites (Marshall, 2012) . The flesh fly, (Sarcophagidae: Diptera) is an important ectoparasite as it causes myiasis in human and other mammals (Dutto and Bertero, 2010). It has become a great concern in many parts in the world such as Bangladesh as it is a serious agent affecting human health, livestock, fish and other animal food processing factories. The maggots of this species take their nourishment from unprotected fish and meat, thus contaminate them and reducing their nutritional value (Majumder at al. 2014). The adults of most genera are easily recognizable by the gray thorax possessing longitudinal black stripes (Fig. 1). Some members of this diverse genus are significant parasitoids of locusts as well as cicadas while other have the ability to locate their hosts by sound. It can be found in everywhere in the world, even in city parks and backyards, where some breed abundantly in mundane debris (Marshall, 2012). Sarcophagids are a very useful tool for the forensic entomologist, like many other insects, they can be used to estimate the time of the death of the person (Nishida 1984, Oliveira-Costa and Mello-Patiu 2004). Weather conditions and geographic location are key factors to consider when using insect evidence to estimate the time death time of a corpse as the variation associated with time of colonization after death is not completely understood at this time (Catts 1992). The reproductive organs of insects show an incredible variety of forms, but there is a basic design and function to each component so that even the most unusual reproductive system can be understood in terms of a generalized plan. Individual components of the reproductive system can vary in shape, position and number for example, the number of ovarian or testicular tubes, or sperm storage organs so on; are different between the insect groups, and sometimes even between different species within a genus. Knowledge of the homology of the components assists in interpreting structure and function in different insects (Gullan and Cranston 2014). The General male reproductive system is shown in the below picture (Fig: 2). It is important to note here that variation among insect reproductive systems is great since they are the most diverse organism that live in our world. Even closely related species are often isolated from one another through small variations in the morphology of reproductive organs which prohibits interspecies mating and to keep each species his existence. However, a generalized system can be constructed that closely represents all reproductive systems insects. Sometimes it’s very difficult to see the reproductive systems of the insect we dissected and we do not want to be alarmed if you we are unable to locate the structures on your dissected specimens. We need to be familiar with differences in male and female genitalia and be able to identify structures when given a diagram. The best approach to understand the insect reproductive systems and the insect internal morphology in general is to preform insect dissection; in this way one can see clearly if he/she follows the corre ct procedures to form the dissection. Objectives The main objective of this lab work was to locate and identify structures associated with the reproductive morphology of the insect as well as to understand and explain the functions of specific structures associated with the insect reproductive systems. Material and Methods The male adult fly was captured from Ongku Omra college area and the flesh fly was kept alive in the Center of Insect Systematic Center (CIS) in the Faculty of Science and Technology at UKM until the dissection time. The insect were killed with an alcohol which the concentration was 70%. After the insect died the legs and the wings were removed but the rest of the insect were kept in order to assist the dissection process (the head and the thorax were pinned to give some stability during the abdomen openings). After the abdomen was opened under stereoscopic microscope, the thorax and the head were removed. The reproductive system was removed out by using very fine forceps and some pining needles. The reproductive organ were cleaned up and was placed in clean petri-dish. The different components of reproductive system were photographed and the observation of the structure of the reproductive system was started. Result and discussion The adult male shows a pair of elongated and brown colored testes one on each side of the abdomen laying just below the alimentary canal (Fig. 3). The vasa deferentia was whitish paired canal which starts from the end of testis and these vasa transportspermfrom the epididymis  to the  ejaculatory ducts. The ejaculatory duct was a long and narrow tube which led to the ejaculatory sac formed by the union of two vasa deferentia. The ejaculatory duct color was light to creamy and it was in spiral shape.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ The testes were cylindrical in shape and dark brownish in color and the vasa deferentia was relatively short and ejaculatory duct was long as Keucheniusv (1913) discriped in mosquitoes (Culex). The vasa deferentia were generally short and became wavy to form a common ejaculatory duct. There was a soft tube-shaped and whitish twisted accessory gland which located at the frontal end of the ejaculatory duct just behind the vas deferens. Eshcherich (1894) reported that there was pairs of tubular type accessory glands in the male genital system of Musca and Tabanus. Also Keuchenius reported that in Culex. In the current dissection of the flesh fly the accessory glands are almost similar to that in Musca and Tabanus. The base part of the ejaculatory duct showed a muscular sacà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ like structure known as ejaculatory sac, located before the aedeagus. Hewit (1912) reported the ejaculatory sac in Musca and Keuchenius (1913) also confirmed the existence of ejaculatory sac in many Dipteran species. The flesh fly dissection showed the occurrence of a small muscular sacà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ like which located behind the male genitalia. The end part of the ejaculatory duct was enclosed and it forms the male aedeagus. After the insect was dissected and the reproductive system was removed from the rest of the body and it has been drawn and the (Fig: 4) below indicates the reproductive system that was observed under microscope of the flesh fly.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ The dissected insect had the same structures and features of Boettcherisca peregrina (Diptera : Sarcophagidae) that was dissected by Majumder (2014) and the picture below (Fig: 5) shows the similarity of the two reproductive systems. In conclusion carrying out an insect dissection experiment will enhance one’s knowledge of the insect’s internal morphology as well as identify and learning about the different parts that associated. It will also give opportunity to understand the functions of specific structures that are associated with the insect reproductive systems. References Capinera, J. L. 2008. Encyclopedia of Entomology. Springer. Catts, E. 1992. Problems in Estimating the Postmortem Interval in Death Investigations. Journal of Agricultural Entomology 9(4): 245-255. Dutto, M. Bertero, M. 2010. Traumatic Myiasis from Sarcophaga (Bercaea) Cruentata Meigen, 1826 (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) in a Hospital Environment: Reporting of a Clinical Case Following Polytrauma. J Prev Med Hyg 51(1): 50-52. Eshcherich, K. 1894. Anatomische Studien uber das mannlche Genital system der Coleopteran. Z.Wiss. Zool. 57: 620à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 641. Gullan, P. J. Cranston, P. S. 2014. The Insects: An Outline of Entomology. John Wiley Sons. Hewitt, C. G. 1912. Fannia (Homalomyia) canicularis. Linn. and F scalaris Fab. Paraisitol. 5:161  174. Keuchenius, P.E. 1913. The structure of the internal genitalia of sonic male Diptera. Z. Wiss. Zool.105: 50là ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 536. Majumder, M. Z. R., Dash, M. K., Khan, H. R. Khan, R. A. 2014. The Reproductive Biology of Flesh Fly, Boettcherisca Peregrina (Robineauà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Desvoidy, 1830)(Diptera: Sarcophagidae). Dhaka University Journal of Biological Sciences 23(1): 61-67. Marshall, S. A. 2012. Flies: The Natural History and Diversity of Diptera. Firefly Books Buffalo, NY. Nishida, K. 1984. [Experimental Studies on the Estimation of Postmortem Intervals by Means of Fly Larvae Infesting Human Cadavers]. Nihon hoigaku zasshi= The Japanese journal of legal medicine 38(1): 24-41. Oliveira-Costa, J. De Mello-Patiu, C. A. 2004. Application of Forensic Entomology to Estimate of the Postmortem Interval (Pmi) in Homicide Investigations by the Rio De Janeiro Police Department in Brazil. Emergence 234(3978): 165.175.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Communication and Social Behavior in the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolph Essa

Introduction Social behavior in mammals other than humans has always been something that has fascinated not only scientists, but the general population as well. Large mammals known to exhibit similar behaviors to humans have always been popular favorites at zoos and aquariums. One particular favorite is an animal known for its social behavior and intelligence: Tursiops truncates, the bottlenose dolphin (Prevost, 1995). This cetacean has global distribution that spans all tropical and temperate marine waters with bays, sounds, estuaries, and open shorelines being the habitats most frequently inhabited, and sea grass beds being the preferred nursery locations (Prevost, 1995). These mammals are some of the most admired sea creatures and have shown great capacity for intelligence. They are often trained and used in shows at aquariums. Most frequently studied are their communication types and their complex social behavior, with things like verbal and nonverbal communication, communities and social hi erarchies, and common social behaviors receiving a particular emphasis. Physical Attributes and Relevant Zoological Information Tursiops truncates, with its Atlantic sub-species named T .t. truncates, has some very distinct physical features. The size is a range of six to thirteen feet or two to four meters (Prevost, 1995) (Reynolds & Wells, 2003). The average dolphin is about 9 feet long and usually weighs about 600 pounds, although males are typically 25% larger than females (CITATION). The rostrum extends for several inches, but is relatively short compared to the rest of the torpedo shaped body. (Felhammer, et al. 2003). The rostrum is also the basic for the T. t. truncates common name of â€Å"bottlenose† (Felhammer, et al. 2003). ... ...d Social Organization of the Bottlenose Dolphin: A Review. Marine Mammmal Science,( 2 ed, pp. 34–63). Prevost, J. F. (1995). Bottlenose dolphins. (pp. 18-19). Minneapolis, MN: Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. Janik, V. M. (2009). Vocal communication in birds and mammals. (1 ed., Vol. 40, pp. 123-148). San Diego, CA: Elsevier Inc. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=5v63gz04YVgC&printsec=frontcover Feldhammer, G. A., Thomspon, B. C., & Chapman, J. A. (2003). Wild mammals of north america: biology, management, and conservation. (2 ed., pp. 397-425). Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=-xQalfqP7BcC&printsec=frontcover Reynolds, J. E., & Wells, R. S. (2003). Dolphins, whales, and manatees of florida: A guide to sharing their world. (1 ed., pp. 28-45). Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Television and Media - Effect of TV In The Age of Missing Information :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Effect of Television In The Age of Missing Information Bill McKibben, in his book The Age of Missing Information, explores the impact of television on modern cultures both in America and around the world. In the book McKibben carries out an experiment; he watches the entire television broadcast of 93 separate cable channels for one entire day. In all McKibben viewed 24 hours of programming from 93 separate cable stations, that is more than 2,200 hours of television. His purpose in this formidable undertaking was to determine how much actual information that was relevant to real life he could glean from a day of television broadcasting. McKibben also spent a day camping alone on a mountain near his home. Throughout the book, McKibben compares the two experiences, contrasting the amount of useful information he received from nature, as opposed to the amount of useless, hollow information the television provided. He goes on in the book to make several very important observations about how the television has fundamentally changed our culture and lifestyle, from the local to the global level. Locally, McKibben argues, television has a detrimental effect on communities. The average American television is turned on for eight hours every day. For a third of the day, every American household is literally brainwashed; bombarded with high-impact, low content images which mold the mind of the viewer into whatever the broadcaster wishes. The problem with television at a local level is that it replaces the innate human desire for contact with other humans in a community. Instead of relying on friends, families and community for the day-to-day stability needed to carry on a normal life, American's switch on the television. CNN, the Discovery Channel, Oprah, and Friends, all replace an actual community with a virtual one which in some ways is better than an actual community. In the seductive world of television, someone is always there at 6:00 relating the news. When people begin to rely on the television for the news, weather, entertainment, and companionship, they begin to become less interested in what is going on around them in their community. Take and example which McKibben cites in his book. In the early 1900's people were extremely interested in politics. The American democracy was in full swing and as literacy and education climbed, so did the turnouts at the poles. But ever since the induction of the television into

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Marketing Mix of Unilever Soaps Essay

Unilever Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast- moving consumer goods. We aim to provide people the world over with products that are good for them and good for others. Vision Unilever’s Corporate Purpose * Deep roots in local cultures and markets around the world gives Unilever a strong relationship with consumers and are the foundation for future growth. They hope to bring their wealth of knowledge and international expertise to the service of local consumers – a truly multi-local multinational. * Unilever believes that long-term success requires a total commitment to exceptional standards of performance and productivity, to working together effectively, and to a willingness to embrace new ideas and learn continuously. * To succeed also requires, Unilever believes, the highest standards of corporate behavior towards everyone they work with, the communities they touch, and the environment on which they have an impact. This is Unilever’s road to sustainable, profitable growth, creating long-term value for shareholders, our people, and our business partners. Unilever’s Growth Priorities Ambition: To win share and grow volume in every category and country. * Winning with brands & Innovation * Winning with people * Winning in the marketplace * Winning through continuous improvement Consumer Product Market By and large in the consumer product markets that prevail all over, products are defined in terms of the buying behavior of shoppers. Following three are the major categories defined; * Convenience goods * Shopping goods * Specialty goods Convenience goods, usually the edible food items, are known to be purchased often, quickly, and with little comparison or effort. On the other hand shopping goods involve product comparisons on such bases as quality, price, style and suitability like for example if you go out to purchase a television set, you’ll definitely take into account whether you want an LCD or an LED or even Plasma maybe; other than this you would be making a mental analysis in your head as to whether your last reviews about a particular brand say Samsung or Song or LG was good or bad and likewise you would be narrowing down your list of choice. Lastly specialty goods possess unique attributes for which a significant group of buyers is willing to make a special effort; an example maybe of Mercedes or any sports car or any luxury item for that matter. These shopping characteristics, in turn, determine marketing mix emphasis for each product type. For example, in our case of the chosen product category soap which comes underneath the head of convenience good; the often impulsive nature of purchases puts stress on the â€Å"place† element to make sure these products are widely available and highly visible. 1. Product Product: A product is more than something with physical characteristics. In a very narrow sense a product is set of tangible physical assembled in an identifiable form. From the perspective of a marketing manager a new product can be anything management believes to be new, usually categorized as a major innovation, a minor innovation, or a modification. Major Innovation – this entails any new product that the company develops & introduces; having no prior existence in the market by any company Minor Innovation –  this entails a product which the company previously did not make but others in the market did. Modification – is an adjustment in the tangible features that may include color, packaging, size; product improvements etc. All facts and figures considered mostly when new products find their way on shelves is through modifications. Unilever’s Products Unilever’s products image building features includes: †¢Color: For the sake of variety they have full colored products. Like LUX, Dove, Lifebuoy are available in different colors. †¢Quality: Unilever maintains the high standards of quality of its products for the entire target market, which creates a strong image in the consumer’s mind. †¢Warranty: It is the policy of the company that it replaces the products damaged due to manufacturing or quality fault whenever claimed. 2.1. LUX In 1954 local production of this remarkable successful toilet soap began. Lux happens to be the largest Unilever brand globally, with its glamorous association with film stars providing a common link across the world. History of Lux: Lux soap was first launched in the UK in 1899. The name â€Å"LUX† was chosen as the Latin word for â€Å"light†. Lux was introduced as bathroom soap in the US in 1925 and in the UK in 1928 as a brand extension of LUX soap flakes. Formula given by Research and Development departments in foreign countries: LUX is produced in Pakistan from imported raw materials. Sodium soap, glycerol and different extracts according to flavors, coming from Unilever plants. †¢Almond Oil: An excellent skin softener and moisturizer. Almond oil is great for all skin types but especially beneficial for dry or irritated skin. †¢Cocoa Butter: Cocoa Butter is absorbed quickly into the skin to soften, lubricated, moisten and nutrients the skin. Works great to prevent and treat scars, stretch marks, and damage skin. †¢Colorants: Unilever uses a combination of micas, oxides, spices, and clays to achieve colors in their products. †¢Distilled Water: Unilever always uses distilled water for safety and purity. †¢Fragrance Oil: Fragrance oils are added in small enough quantities to not be an irritant for most people. Yet, they add enough to give a light scent which, in your favorite fragrance, you will have a hard time resisting the urge to sniff  your hand (again and again!). †¢Glycerin: Glycerin draws moisture to the skin keeping it soft. †¢Sodium hydroxides: This is the chemical used to make soap. Without this chemical, there is no soap, period. It causes a chemical reaction called specifications. Once specification is complete, the finished product is soap – and there is n o lye in the finished product. †¢Monodie Tahiti: A moisturizing and naturally fragrant oil, which quickly penetrates the skin acting as a natural barrier helping prevent dehydration (and wrinkles) of the skin. It is a wonderfully, naturally scented oil excellent for all skin types. †¢Olive Oil: Moisturizing oil used in soaps – Castile soaps are generally 100% olive oil. It softens skin while attracting moisture to your skin. It’s a mild soap which keeps your skin soft, supple and younger looking. †¢Vitamin E: A natural skin antioxidant, promoting healthy tissue Color: LUX is offered in Pakistan in five different flavors which are: †¢LUX Peach & Cream †¢LUX Strawberry & Cream †¢LUX Purple Lotus & Cream †¢LUX Aqua Sparkle †¢LUX Nature Pure Sizes: LUX in three different sizes, 80gm, 115gm and 155gm.With five different fragrances, three different sizes, international standard and high quality design, as a product, LUX has been highly successful over the years. Target Market: †¢Urban and suburban †¢Upper class people †¢Middle class people †¢Financially well-off who can afford to buy LUX. 2.2. LIFEBUOY The brand has long legendary status in the country. Lifebuoy aims to provide affordable and accessible hygiene solutions that enable people to lead a life free from hygiene related worries, everywhere, regardless of the boundaries of nationality, religion and socio-economic status. History of Lifebuoy: Lifebuoy is one of Unilever’s oldest brands. Lifebuoy Royal Disinfectant Soap was launched in 1894 as an affordable new product in the UK, to support people in their mission for better personal hygiene. Soon after launch, Lifebuoy soap travelled across the world, reaching countries such as Pakistan, where even today it is still the market-leading brand. Lifebuoy on a Mission According to the World Health Organization, diarrhea is the single largest cause of death, killing 2.2 million people every year. In Pakistan, a large number of children are also affected by this fatal disease every year. It’s been estimated that if everyone washed their hands properly at key times during the day, up to half of all childhood deaths from diarrhea could be avoided. Health and Hygiene education is the core Lifebuoy’s plans. The Way Forward For the past few years, major changes have been made to the classic Lifebuoy soap bar to ensure that it provides improved hygiene protection and a more enjoyable healthy washing experience for its billions of consumers. †¢Lifebuoy soap’s classic hard red brick shape has been replaced with a new signature Lifebuoy shape. The new shape makes the bar easier to grip and use †¢Lifebuoy soap’s characteristic medicated, carbolic smell has been replaced with a more enjoyable and contemporary ‘health’ fragrance FRAGRANCE These four variants help you protect your family from the 10 infection causing germs and stay one step ahead of them. †¢Lifebuoy Nature: A soap bar color is Green color. Green is the color of nature and life. Green symbolizes secure, natural relaxed, self-respect and well being. It’s anti-acne with neem and lemon. †¢Lifebuoy Total PROTECT Bar Soap: It’s in Red color. It is warmest of all color. Red is the color most chosen by extroverts. Active kids need unbeatable, long-lasting protection from germs. Lifebuoy Total protect Bar Soap is lab-proven to keep your family protected  from 10 infection causing germs. †¢Lifebuoy Care pack is of Blue color in which soap bar color is blue. It commands respect and authority. †¢Lifebuoy cool fresh PRODUCT: Product involved some elements which are Variety, Quality, shape & Brand Name. †¢Quality: Lifebuoy’s quality is very popular among the people. Lifebuoy has continued to change as per consumer needs. Since the soap has undergone numerous product quality improvements to offer best hygiene results. †¢Shape: Lifebuoy soap’s classic hard red brick shape has been replaced with a new signature Lifebuoy shape. The new shape makes the bar easier to grip and to use. Target Market: †¢All households who can afford buying soap †¢Children 2.3. Dove In a world of hype and stereotypes, the Dove brand provides a refreshing alternative for women who recognize that beauty isn’t simply about how you look. The Dove brand’s mission is to make more women feel beautiful every day by widening the definition of beauty and inspiring them to take great care of them. History of Dove Unilever acquired a French patent for a radically new product; a personal cleansing bar that was not soap. Rather, this new bar contained a pH-neutral cleanser and a moisturizing component. Dove Bar was born and launched in the US in 1957. †¢It promised women that it wouldn’t dry their face the way that soap did. Women tried it. And it didn’t. Thus began a very trusting relationship between Dove and its users. Shape: The shape of the bar is a perfect shape to fit into the palm of your hand. It’s oval and curved, like the back of a spoon, and is a nice fat bar of soap, not a teeny little slim bar. On both big sides of the soap is the Dove title and logo of the bird, just like on the box. Dove Bar Ingredients: Stearic Acid †¢Uses: Used as a hardener in soap. According to DCI, it also gives liquid soap a pearly appearance. †¢About This Ingredient: According to DCI and Cosmetics Info it safe by the FDA and CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) expert panel. Stearic acid is a constituent in some vegetable oils. Sodium Tallowate †¢Uses: Used for cleansing. †¢About This Ingredient: Sodium tallowate is a salt of Tallow (according to Cosmetic Cop’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients it is a substance extracted from the fatty deposits of animals, especially from suet (the fat of cattle and sheep). It clogs pores, cause blackheads, and increase the incidence of eczema for individuals with sensitive skin. Sodium Palmitate †¢Uses: Used for cleansing and creating lather. †¢About This Ingredient: Sodium Palmitate is a salt of Palmitic Acid (according to Cosmetic Cop’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients. Palmitic Acid can be drying to the skin).This ingredient cleanses your skin, best for oily skins. Lauric Acid †¢Uses: According to Cosmetic Info it is a surfactant and cleansing agent. †¢About This Ingredient: Lauric Acid occurs naturally in some vegetable oils like palm oil. Water †¢Uses: Typically used in soap as a solvent for dissolving the oxidizer. †¢About This Ingredient: A solvent is always needed to dissolve the oxidizer. It can be water, milk, or any other liquid containing water. Water is used as a means of dissolving the oxidizer (the thing that combines with the oils to make soap). Sodium Stearate †¢Uses: The Stearate salts are generally used for their lubricating properties. They also help to keep emulsions from separating into their oil and liquid components, according to Cosmetic Info. †¢About This Ingredient: According to DCI, this ingredient is about 98% Stearic Acid. Cocamidopropyl Betaine †¢Uses: Used as a surfactant, according to Cosmetic Info. †¢About This Ingredient: This is generally regarded as one of the more gentle surfactants. This ingredient cleanses your skin. Sodium Cocoate †¢Uses: Used as a surfactant. †¢About This Ingredient: This is a gentle surfactant.This ingredient cleanses your skin. Sodium Palm Kernelate †¢Uses: Used as a surfactant. †¢About This Ingredient: This is a gentle surfactant.This ingredient cleanses your skin. Sodium Chloride †¢Uses: Used as a thickening agent. †¢About This Ingredient: Sodium Chloride is the same as ordinary table salt. Tetrasodium EDTA †¢Uses: Used as a preservative and chelating agent. †¢About This Ingredient: No known toxicity to the skin. Tetrasodium Etidronate †¢Uses: Used as a preservative and chelating agent (DCI lists this as a synonym for Tetrasodium EDTA. †¢About This Ingredient: No known toxicity to the skin. Maltol †¢Uses: Used as a flavoring agent. †¢About This Ingredient: It occurs naturally in some types of plants. It does have a fragrance. It used as a fragrance. Titanium Dioxide †¢Uses: Used as a whitening agent. †¢About This Ingredient: Titanium Dioxide is thought to have no negative side effects when used externally. PACKAGING DOVE †¢Dove soap comes in little cardboard box. The box is 8.5 cm long, 3.3 cm wide and 6 cm high. The color of the box is the typical Dove colors of the blue ‘Dove’ on a white background with the little simple gold outline of a dove over the Dove title. Beneath the words ‘Dove Cream Bar’ is the other familiar picture of a little gold droplet causing some ripples with the fraction ‘1/4’ in it. This is to show that the Dove products wit with this symbol are a quarter moisturizer them. †¢The front and back of the box both have the main title and  ¼ moisturizer bit on them. The remaining 4 sides are covered with lots of ‘blurb’. This includes ingredients, barcode, and quantity. Dove is available in 75g pack & 135g pack. 2. PLACEMENT/DISTRIBUTION Dire attention needs to be devoted to the question of ‘place’ – especially as to where to make available the product and in terms of how to get that product there; otherwise successful product decisions that have been taken will be lost. No doubt these decisions are to a very large extent influenced by the type of product that is marketed and the environment in which it is marketed, the company policies & resources and not to forget consumer needs – the ultimate buyer. These place decisions then pave way for pricing & promotion decisions to be undertaken. At the basic level, the first thing that the marketing managers need to identify is whether or not to use intermediaries; and if the answer to the question is yes then further decisions need to be taken in regards of type & organization of them i.e. wholesalers or retailers. Distribution channels once established are often hard & costly to change. 3.4. LUX Unilever Pakistan Ltd. has a huge distribution channel for LUX all over the country as its sales reach more than 10 million pieces a year as per the recent increase in demand for all of its products that were originally targeted towards urban and suburban middle & upper middleclass. Warehouses = 6/ one in each division. The company does not use its own fleet of transport for distributing its product; therefore, it has outsourced its distribution process to various third party distributors, exclusively dedicated to Unilever Pakistan Ltd. These distributors then supply the product all over Pakistan to a huge number of retailers. 3.5. Lifebuoy The strategy that Lifebuoy follows is like that in every small or big shop customer will be able to find out the product. Its distribution network directly covers about 50,000villages, reaching about 250 million consumers. It basically targets Rural, semi-urban and urban people. Rural: 72% of Pakistan’s population is in the rural areas; hence about 50% of the soaps are sold in the rural markets. Lifebuoy’s variants like Lifebuoy care,  Lifebuoy total, lifebuoy active are specially positioned for the rural market. Semi-urban: For the semi-urban segment, Lifebuoy nature & Lifebuoy fresh is positioned. Urban: All varieties are found here. 3.6. DOVE It uses one distribution channel to provide its various products to retailers. Placement and distribution of DOVE is more popular in Metropolitan cities although demand is rising now. The general trade comprises grocery stores, chemists, wholesale, and general stores. 3. PRICING STRATEGIES One of the main components of marketing mix is ‘Price’ or pricing strategy incorporated by a company for a particular product. Unilever’s pricing strategy for its soap items is quite conventional based on the country (Pakistan) it is operating in. as explained in detail in the product, place and promotional parts of this report, the market is segmented into different categories based on purchasing capacity. Thus different items in category of soaps cater to the demands and needs of a particular targeted segment. The current prices for different SKUs of Lux, Lifebuoy and dove are as follows: LUX LUX luxury bar 155g Rs. 50 LUX 115g Rs. 40 LUX 80g Rs. 28 Lifebuoy Lifebuoy Jumbo Pack 155g Rs. 38 Lifebuoy 115g Rs. 32 Lifebuoy 75g Rs.24 Dove Dove white beauty bar 75g Rs. 55 Dove beauty cream bar 135g Rs.85 4.7. LUX Lux is a soap associated with beauty more or less. The target market is middle, lower middle and upper middle class. This constitutes another big chunk of population. The prices suggest the Lux is neither too cheap nor  excessively expensive. The impression that Lux gives is of a soap that is of better quality and appeals to the female populations in general. The strategy is neither skimming nor penetrative; it’s a hybrid of both as it is for any product which lies in between high and low end of product prices. Lux is a well known brand with high awareness among consumers. The value-based-pricing approach is the most suitable tag for Lux’s pricing and persona in the market. 4.8. Lifebuoy As clear from the price listings above, lifebuoy is a low-end soap of Unilever. The main focus has been to target the lesser-earning and rural population of the country. Given that huge chunk of the population falls in the low earning category, this is a big target market that needs addressing. This segment of population is very elastic in terms of demand, so a cheaper soap like Lifebuoy has high demand. Lifebuoy, for its economic price, is also used as the public toiletry item in public toilets and schools or collages or hospitals. Unilever’s strategy for Lifebuoy is penetrative in nature. As the aim is quantity maximization through lower prices. Its logical as quantity demanded will increase if the prices are kept lower for the targeted market segment. The pricing objective is to maximize quantity. As number of units sold increase, the cost of producing will decrease automatically. So it can be said the Lifebuoy is produced with cost-plus pricing method. 4.9. DOVE Dove is a prestigious brand of Unilever. Quality is the focus and target market is the upper middle and upper class of the society. Dove’s pricing suggests soap not intended for the economic buyer but for customers who believe in high quality as compared to quantity. The packing, the look the fragrance all give the indication of a quality product. The strategists believe in quality leadership as the core objective for pricing of Dove. high price gives an indication to the customer that this is the best product to have been offered in the soap category by the company. The objective is also profit margin maximization through skimmed pricing that is Unilever aims to focus on the cream of the customers who are not price sensitive and are willing to pay higher to get better quality. 4. PROMOTION Even when you have come up with the right kind of product; with the required quality attributes at the right price and through the correct distribution channels have placed it at the right spot; there is still one thing that remains; how will your intended customer know that you exist? It’s the same like if you come up with a brilliant business idea altogether and you cook up its whole feasibility without really reaping anything out of it; unless you spread the word and someone out there suddenly feels the same vibes that yes this will work and you may as a result perhaps find investment that you needed. So the element that essentially is required is promotion! and it makes a significant part of a company’s marketing mix. Promotion therefore caters to the need identified of informing people about your product in general and that it presents a better solution to whatever perceived problem or crave that they might have. Now this task has over the decades become extremely tedious for marketing managers since every day we are bombarded with different companies trying to sell their products through various modes of promotion may it be direct like selling or indirect like advertisement, publicity or sales promotion. Now it is the job of the manager at hand to identify how to be the â€Å"one† who stands out; the one to whom you would actually listen to and absorb rather than just letting it slip from one ear to the next; this task requires upmost efforts & painstaking brainstorming and idea generation & not to mention some creative efforts on the part of the marketing team on the whole. A simple example to note the efficacy of such measures is if you’d contrast the advertisement of perhaps Surf Excel and say Nirma; on most grounds we have reason to bet our money on surf excel that it has better chances of retaining in the minds of customers when they go for a purchase. Each detail no matter how minute – matters; in case of television advertisements, which channel you are going to use for airing your commercial; the reach; which season like if you are Qarshi; you’d want your commercial to air more in summers and maybe in the holy month of Ramazan as well, which time slot i.e. morning, afternoon, evening, night; whether you want your commercial to run first during the ad break or you want it in-between; the frequency – everything matters. Same goes for print media including newspapers and magazines, radio etc. Print media in terms of which newspaper or magazine? Which page? How many words? Bottom of the page or top of the page? Or maybe you’d want the whole page to yourself.  Radio in terms of which frequency to air through, at what time? How many times? And so forth; billboards & hoardings are the same story. Promotion can be seen in respect of communication. The company tends to be the sender; the mode of communication can be termed as the channel and the audience of course is the ultimate consumer; the underlying assumption is to get the message across. Since communication requires effort, expense, and time, most messages are sent with the expectation that they will generate a feedback and obviously the expectance is skewed towards the positivity whereby which the company would experience a rise in sales share & profits; therefore deciding on the promotional budget & promotion mix is imperative. Unilever Promotion For promotion; we have evaluated the indirect measures that include advertisement, sales promotion & publicity. The following outlines the key traits of each; * The aim of advertising is to inform; to persuade & to remind. * Sales promotions is usually to retailer where they are encouraged to carry higher inventory levels and stocking of related items; build brand loyalty and of course the idea is to offset competitors promotions. Sales promotions can also be targeted to customers so as to increase their current purchases or to divert customers for competitors to one’s own brand. * Publicity entails being newsworthy and believable and it includes events such as anniversary celebrations & sponsorships. 5.10. LUX LUX is positioned to be beauty soap entailed to â€Å"bringing out the star in you†. Since childhood, I along with my group members remember LUX being advertised on television screens with female models, may it be from TV or film industry; the underlying concept had always been of beauty and over the years it has sticked to that philosophy; by introducing new product variants in terms of fragrance, color; use of milk proteins, rose extract and what not. LUX has used female models time and again in its commercial each time it brought a new product improvement in terms of fruit extracts, skin moisturizing minerals etc. Some of the models that were prominent include Reema featuring a new white LUX with double moisturizing; Iraj Manzoor with  the green LUX having sea minerals. In both of these ads the message was of LUX not being just soap but a total skin care system; as you may remember by the lines â€Å"sirf soap nae, mukaamal skincare†. And then there were commercials that featured Iman Ali; tag line â€Å"mujh mai star jagaaye†; Reema with silk protein extracts; sonya jahan with new lux white commercial; â€Å"khoobsorate ka raaz ab app kai pass.† And of course Katrina Kaif with purple lotus and the tagline was to moisturize your skin with beauty oils. For its 50th anniversary(Publicity), LUX featured top models headed by Barbara Sharif in its commercial whereby which the tag was â€Å"salha saal se chala aa raha hai, LUX aur khoobsorate ka safar †¦ ab app manain hamaray sath †¦ LUX kai sath khubsoorte kai 50 saal †¦ kyunkai hum laye hain khas app kai liya LUX special edition †¦ Special edition mai dhundain 50 yrs coupon and jeetya saal bhar kai liya free lux† So in short the campaign introduced a special edition LUX bar which had a coupon that would entail you to free LUX supply for the whole year; talk about big! but I guess being a multinational company you have that leve rage to do so. As a promotional campaign (Publicity), LUX also introduced LUX style awards for the first time in 2002; which was no doubt the first of its kind in our country. And at one stance which we believe is memorable; to promote this – LUX came up with a special Black limited edition; and the commercial was aired by the name of vision factory directed by Asim Raza who evidently did an excellent job at shooting the whole thing; the main leads were Iman Ali & Shaan and the commercial picked pace with the intimidating lines â€Å" wakt aa gaya hai app se milnay ka †¦ humain join kerain at the lux style awards† and subsequently the invitation process was the LUX special edition wrapper to be sent to such and such address. LUX also featured in its ads â€Å"who will be the next LUX girl?† Sms and win exciting prizes. Recent promotional activities(Sales promotion) include the LUX gold coin scheme; and for that particular reason they came up with a new commercial featuring Humaima Malik, the now extremely popular Mahira Khan, Reema & ofcourse Meera. The commercial opens with the lines â€Å"lux kai ander chupee hain app ki kismet †¦ 4 beauties nai bajhe hain special wishes lux bars mai †¦ hazar sonay kai sikay †¦ khas app kai liya†; so this is where the four television models have been incorporated into the whole scheme. For publicity LUX also featured Ali Zafar who sang the song â€Å"dakha jo teri ankhun mai† & the video had Amina  Haq, Meera & Reema as playing the supporting roles alongside him. 5.11. Lifebuoy Lifebuoy is a brand with a rich history; infact even now; lifebuoy brings with it the nostalgic feeling of school days where one used to find â€Å"red colored† bars in washrooms & other rest rooms across the country. Although it wasn’t a particular brand of soap which had a great fragrance to its name; still the positioning had been so strong; that the memory of it remains evident in the minds of people on the whole. Today however, Lifebuoy has come a long way from being targeted to perhaps the poor labor class (lowest income class) to middle income bracket consumers thereby changing its earlier positioned strategy to a hygienic soap whereby which families can protect themselves from multiple ailments. Initial commercial that we as a group recall is that of a football ground in which the kid falls; and later the close was on â€Å"Lifebuoy hai jahan, tandrustee hai wahan †¦ Lifebuoy†. After that it’s noticeable that Lifebuoy undertook some drastic changes in its commercials; uplifting the image that it had built for so long to where now we see it as being positioned as â€Å"advance lifebuoy† that is supposedly catering to 10 infection causing bacteria; punch line â€Å"advance jaraseem†¦advance hifazat†¦.10 infections walay jaraseem se bachayega†¦aik hifazat†¦care†¦Lifebuoy†. Previously there had been commercials that featured Lifebouy as more powerful than ordinary soap in terms that it gave you better protection even hours after you bathed; furthermore active 4 was there with a blue variant incorporating â€Å"healthy ho ga Pakistan†. Then of course there had been the â€Å"Germbusters – Lifebuoy koe dar nahe†- a 5 to 6 minute graphic showing children & germs fighting against each other; singers were Ali Azmat of Junoon & Ahmed Butt of EP; which was later incorporated into a short film by asad u l haq â€Å"lifebuoy khud badlo apni dunya campaign – koe dar nahee†. Most recent campaign includes â€Å"Lifebuoy total care – Healthy ho ga Pakistan †¦ Panch ka pahara† with Wasim Akram. In this with the partnership of Wasim Akram & IT, Lifebuoy has launched its school programme in Pakistan to embed the habit of hand washing at 5 key occasions of the day in an effort to build a healthy Pakistan and they have reported figures as high as 1000 schools in 2010 with a student strength of 250,000. Lifebuoy on the independence day of Pakistan as a publicity drive  came up with Haroons video of the very famous patriotic song Dil Se on the grounds of â€Å"bari quom, bari hifazat †¦ Lifebuoy† 5.12. Dove Where LUX has by and large used female models in its advertisements to promote the concept on beauty; Dove which was launched as a mild soap; goes on to portray a different meaning to the word beauty. It widens the meaning of beauty; giving women a reason to take greater care of themselves; one of its advertisements had emphasized â€Å"since when did our definition of beauty became so distorted† and â€Å"beauty is in each one of us, that’s why women trust their skin to Dove†. Its exquisite logo of dove symbolizes purity & softness and the packaging, product, colors variations all compliment this fact and the general feel of the product for women specifically becomes nothing short of being pampered. Over the years, it has stayed true to its tag-line â€Å"one quarter moisturizing cream to one quarter cleansing cream† in its advertisement. In contrast to Lifebuoy & LUX, Dove is the least promoted brand and we believe there is room to work for better market appeal towards it. Some other Remarks regarding Sales Promotion The shop that was visited; eds in Defence – the manager there told that as an incentive overall Unilever in its sales promotion hands over Rs.250, 000/month to them ; now imagine this is only one shop that we are talking about – Consider how many corner or small departmental stores are there in Defence, and then not to mention the bigger ones like Alfatah, Pot Pourri etc and then we should not forget that there are other areas in Lahore and to top it all Unilever is a brand present across cities; so all in all what can be concluded is that Unilever on the whole for its products spends huge sum of money so as to ensure that their products are available, they occupy a better display and they are within reach of consumers.