Personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Personal Statement Example I soon came to realize that I could admire and respect those teaching professionals who are equipped, through education and experience, to provide students with a well-rounded curriculum as well as serving as advocates when the student requires additional support in a variety of different domains. This is why the university experience has been so valuable and why I continue to seek to improve my lifelong learning and worldview. Before becoming a student at Bangor University, I was enrolled at the Beijing Institute of Technology where, during the first year, I struggled to achieve more than average marks in Financial Accounting and Management Accounting. It was not because the curriculum was significantly difficult, it was simply due to my own unfamiliarity with radically different teaching methods in the UK as opposed to Chinese teaching methodology. However, I was determined to rectify what I perceived to be a minor deficiency, communicating to my tutors that I was having problems a djusting to the UK culture. Because of the aforementioned support, I was able to make the appropriate adjustment, learn about the absolute value of diversity and cultural disparity and achieve much higher marks by eliminating apprehension that once existed due to said lack of knowledge about the UK educational and social environment. I ultimately scored an 80 in Finance in my 2012-2013 academic year which was, in my opinion, a significant achievement and improvement of which I am quite pleased. It was, again, through the excellence of those engaged in the university experience that allowed me to exceed any boundaries and find personal fulfillment associated with high achievement. The university experience has given me many new perspectives and assisted in broadening my scope of knowledge that, today, allows me to successfully examine a variety of academic theories and effectively apply them to real life business and social scenarios. Some of this growth can be attributed to my volun teer work at the Beijing Institute of Technology in which I was responsible for introducing new students to the campus lifestyle and assisting them in adjusting to the living conditions of the campus and accommodating their needs to improve study and general lifestyle. It was my responsibility to map out efficient routes between the main study buildings, restaurants and any other campus-related need, thus essentially serving as a student-to-student advocate of which I received much appreciation and friendship development. Through this volunteer program at BIT, I further enhanced knowledge of cultural diversity and the absolute importance of embracing diversity in both an academic and social context. I am greatly satisfied with the outcomes that I experienced in the volunteer program which not only equipped me with a better understanding of human needs and behaviours, but also enhancing my preparation and management skills. On a personal note, I have a wide variety of hobbies that he lp to cultivate my abilities and further expose me to cultural differences within a social context. I am well-skilled in dance and in piano which not only allow me to embrace the beauty of the arts, but also improve intrinsic drive and ambition to succeed. I have found that my involvement in the arts serves as a motivational force that continues to further develop my capabilities as dance and piano require deep commitment and determination, which are two success

Of Mice & Men - Character Analysis Essay Example for Free

Of Mice Men Character Analysis Essay During chapter two of the novel Of Mice and Men, we are introduced to another six different characters as George and Lennie begin work on a farm. These characters are the boss, his son, Curley and Curleys wife, and the other itinerants Candy, Slim and Carlson. The first of these characters that we meet is Candy. Candy Is introduced as an old man with a physical disability. Out of the sleeve came a round stick-like wrist, but no hand. His physical description shows that he cannot work on a farm, and we find out later that he has been demoted to a cleaner. Candys behaviour and the way he speaks links to each other. At first he seems a bit hostile towards George and Lennie as he doesnt really welcome them. He then starts to talk to them properly and tells them about the ranch. Candy doesnt really have any moral values. When he talks about the way the black stable buck is beaten up by the boss, instead of expressing concern he laughs and jokes about it. This shows that he is very biased. George and Lennie and Candy get on right from the start, but George is very angry after the interview when Candy eavesdrops on a conversation between George and Lennie. Candy is a very lonely man with no family. The only thing of significance to him is his dog, who is very much in parallel to him. The dog is very old and half-blind. Both are disabled and near the end of their working life. We learn a few things about the boss when Candy is telling George and Lennie about him. The first thing that Candy says about the boss is that he was very angry about them being late. Wheres the hell them new men? He always takes all of his anger out on the nigger, showing that he is racist. The stable buck, Crooks, even has a crooked back which he got from being kicked by a horse. Despite all of this anger, Candy goes on say how nice the boss is and about the Christmas where he bought a gallon of whiskey for the workers. Hes a pretty nice fellow, but he also Gets pretty mad sometimes. We then meet the boss who stepped into the room. As expected the boss is already angry about George and Lennie being late, but he is already suspicious. This is because George doesnt let Lennie speak and the boss assumes that there is something dodgy going on. The boss accuses George of stealing Lennies wages. You taking his pay away from him? The boss is paranoid and doesnt really believe in friendshi p. He is very suspicious about them and asks George questions, forcing him to lie, Hes mycousin. The tone of voice that is used throughout the interview is angry and suspicious. He is angry at George and Lennie for being late and suspicious about Georges behaviour. The next character is the bosss son, Curley. Curley is described as A little stocky man. The clothes that he wears remind us of a typical cowboy. blue jean trousers, a flannel shirt, a black, unbuttoned vest and a black coat. His thumbs were stuck in his belt, on each side of a square steel buckle. This shows us that he is not a labouring man and has a higher status. This is also shown by the fact that he stands confidently and arrogantly. He is broad, short and stocky, but also powerful. When George and Lennie meet Curley for the first time they immediately make an enemy. Right from the beginning Curley gives them a hostile reception when he walks him. He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. For some reason he seems to be looking for a fight, his hands closed into fists. Curley seems to have a problem with Lennie. Curley is very small and not like a normal man and is jealous of Lennie he sees Lennie as a threat. Lennie is huge and muscular, but Curley is small and stocky. Even though he symbolises a higher status he is morally and physically stunted. Curley is very violent for a small man and can be compared to George, as he is a worse version of George (George is tamed my Lennie. Of all the characters we have met so far most of them are physically or mentally disabled. Curley is very small and unman-like, Crooks has a crooked back, Candy only has one hand and Lennie is mentally disabled. Steinbeck is trying to show that even though America is the land of dreams, these people have been damaged by America. Crooks is also the target of racism. Even George is damaged by America as he has failed in life. Candy is the first person to talk about Curleys wife, who describes her as a tart. George and Lennie meet her for the first time when she is supposedly looking for Curley in the bunkhouse. We cannot say that this is the real reason because Curley would not be there and she would have seen Curley go home. This shows that she may be a lonely person, or may have gone there to flirt with some of the men. However, her behaviour doesnt seem flirtatious. Im trying to find Curley, Slim, shows us that she is not coming on to Slim, but her physical appearance says that she is. The use of red imagery symbolises danger, and Curleys wife is full of make-up that is red, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made-up. Her finger nails were red. Not only is her make-up red, but so are her clothes, red muleslittle bouquets of red ostrich feathers. She is a scarlet and loose. She likes showing herself off and is not used to farm life, so she dresses quite provocatively. She is a femme fatale because Lennie is attracted to red. This links back to the woman in Weed who had a red dress. This woman is a danger to Lennie, and also to George and Lennies jobs. Lennie watched her, fascinated. Slim is the most respected man on the farm. He is described as a tall man who was well-built and strong. He is not crippled in any way like some of the other characters. Slim is a master-craftsmen He was well respected and revered by everyone on the farm and everyone would look up to him and follow him, giving him authority over everyone else. Slim is very serious and intelligent and the prince of the ranch. This shows that everyone looks to him for guidance. His voice was very gentle. Slim doesnt need to shout to get attention and respect, unlike Curley, who needs to fight and threaten. Slim can even hear things before people say something. Slim seems God-like and unrealistic because Steinbeck shows him as too perfect. He is an omnipotent who is idealised and no one is like him. Slim is used as a moral yardstick to measure everyone else. He welcomes George and Lennie to the ranch. He does this in a friendly and gentle way. His tone was friendly. It invited confidence without demanding it. He is not suspicious like the boss and believes in friends travelling together. He doesnt seem hostile and gives George and Lennie a welcoming atmosphere and understands that George and Lennie look out for each other. George is also given the confidence to open up to George and reveal his true feelings about Lennie. George is able to trust Slim and knows that he will understand and not tell anyone. Carlson seems like a nice person from the start and by the way he welcomes George and Lennie. Glad to meet ya. Like Slim, he Carlson is described as a powerful, big-stomached man. He shows his respect to Slim and lets Slim go first. Carlson stepped back to let Slim precede him. However, we then find out that he is very insensitive. He begins a conversation about Slims dog and then talks about wanting to kill Candys dog. That dog of Candys is so God-damn old he cant hardly walk. Stinks like hell, tooWhynt you get Candy to shoot his old dog. Carlson wants to kill Candys dog because he is too old and smells and is a nuisance. This is very insensitive.

The Successful Business Of Google Inc Commerce Essay

The Successful Business Of Google Inc Commerce Essay The aim of this study is to explore the features of an organization that contribute towards successful technological innovations. We would use a case study approach to analyze the same, with company in focus being Google Inc. We would use the book Managing Innovation by Joe Tidd and John Bessant as the base for our literature review. This would be supported by the following articles: The Innovation Value Chain, The Ambidextrous Organization, Innovation Management in context: Environment, Organization and Performance, Managing Innovative RD teams and Leadership and Innovation: Relations between Leadership, Individual Characteristics and the Functioning of RD teams. The study showcases that there is no single best structure that facilitates innovation. An organization needs to develop the most suitable fit between the structure and the operating contingencies. There are numerous things that affect the innovative performance of the company and innovation should not be looked at in isolation but as a whole cross-functional system. Literature Review and Case Study: Tidd and Bessant (2009) state that an innovative organization needs to align itself with the external environment and build internal structures, processes and culture that enable innovation to flourish. Innovation depends on a range of factors and the innovation process should change itself with changes in the business environment. There is no single best measure of innovation and some indicators work well for certain sectors while others dont. In short, fostering innovation is a lot more complex than it sounds. A set of components, which appear to be linked with success, have been drawn out by Tidd and Bessant (2009). Let us examine these components in greater detail. Shared Vision, Leadership and the Will to innovate: Leadership is perhaps the most critical ingredient in any successful company. Without this, an organization cannot move forward. Not everybody is able to recognize opportunities. Leaders need to have an alert mind to spot them and have the risk taking ability, ability to motivate others in the team and the will to innovate and exploit the opportunity. Stoker et al (2001) state that the role of leaders keeps changing according to different stages of innovation. The leadership style also keeps evolving, from being visionary at the initial stage and take the first step, to involving employees and then to facilitating self-managing teams. A leader has to exercise a style that fits not only the team, but also the environmental characteristics and individual characteristics of the team members. It has been observed that empowering people is directly related to the quality of work and it also enhances the loyalty of employees. Top managements commitment and shared sense of purpose among the employees/team members are key features of a successful organization. The founders of Google Inc., Larry Page and Sergey Brin, had the mission to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful (Corporate Information). It is this mission of theirs that motivated them and provided them with the courage to take it forward. They struggled quite a lot to get initial funding to get the venture started (Casey, 2007). It was due to their will and leadership qualities that Google took off and now adds value to the whole world. Appropriate Structure: If an organization wants to thrive, its structures and processes need to enable technological change. As innovation does not happen in isolation, smooth flow of information and cross-functional co-operation are required to foster innovation. An innovation is like a fragile flower that needs right kind of environment to flourish. It does not take long for a potentially great innovation to simply die out. Tidd (2001) argues that complexity and uncertainty of the environment affects the degree, type, organization and management of innovation the greater the fit between these factors, the greater the performance of the innovation. Organizational structures are influenced by the nature of task to be performed and by the business environment. Increasingly, innovation is becoming a corporate-wide task, involving not only RD but also production, marketing, administration and other external entities such as customers, suppliers, consultants, etc. It is important to note that not always do loose models/structures for innovation work and appropriate balance needs to be sought between the flexibility and rigidity of the structure. Thamhain (2003) states that the key challenge is not so much of generating ideas in the RD department, but effective transfer of technology from the inception to the market. Here, an appropriate structure is required to enable the transfer. One of the toughest challenges faced by companies is to balance current/present opportunities with future ones (OReilly Tushman, 2004). Under such circumstances, it is suggested that an organization has separate structure/process/culture for new innovations as the existing system might cause hindrances for the new ones. According to the book, The Google Story, the initial employees of the company were actually friends who studied at the Stanford University with Larry Page Sergey Brin. Due to this, the environment in Google was always casual and had little hierarchies. Even though the environment has always been casual, the co-founders still hold a tight grip on many of the companys decisions (Smith, 2007). It is this casual atmosphere and horizontal management style that forms an appropriate structure to foster innovation. Key Individuals: As there are various uncertainties and complexities involved with innovations, it is helpful to have a key individual (or a group) who is passionate and enthusiastic about the innovation and is willing to take it through the organizational system. These key individuals may be product champions or the leaders of the organization. Through their passion, they motivate others in the organization to look at their innovative idea / invention that could add value not only to the customers but also the organization. They have to have the ability to solve problems that could arise during the development / commercialization process and should be committed towards it. Even if they do not have detailed technological knowledge, they need to strongly believe in the potential of the innovation. Key individuals would also need to face other issues such as procuring resources, convincing skeptical or hostile critics elsewhere in the organization. Their faith in the potential should be so strong that they manage to overcome all the barriers. Larry Page Sergey Brin have been the leaders and key individuals behind Google. They had a complete understanding of the technology. They faced a lot of challenges initially, especially with regards to funding, but they stuck to what they believed in and overcame all the barriers. Now, they encourage their employees to embrace the role of key individuals with regards to their respective innovative idea (Weldie, 2009) and take their ideas forward. High Employee Involvement in Innovation: Just like the saying, The more the merrier, the more the number of people involved in an innovation, the chances are that feedback and suggestions provided by them would help to improve the offering. Innovation is no longer confined to specialists in RD, Marketing or IT departments. It should be realized that creative skills and problem-solving abilities are possessed by almost everybody in the organization. Although each individual may only be able to make limited, incremental innovations, the sum of these efforts can have far-reaching impacts. Continuous improvements, involving large number of motivated individuals and taken over an extended period of time, has the potential to significantly impact the strategic development of the organization. This could also turn out to be an inimitable source of competitive advantage over the long term. Effective Team Work: The only factor that equals Leadership of the organization to achieve successful innovation is an effective team work. It is the team that is at the heart of the innovation activity. If innovation is primarily about combining different perspectives in solving problems, then teams/groups have more to offer than individuals in terms of fluency of idea generation and in flexibility of solutions developed. Cross-functional teams can bring together different knowledge sets required to take the innovation forward. They also represent a forum where deep rooted differences in perspectives can be resolved. As an innovation is not confined to a single department, a cross-functional team can help other departments understand different perspectives and help facilitate smooth flow of information and integration between different departments. With this in mind, teams are increasingly being seen as a mechanism for bridging boundaries within an organization and in solving inter-organizational issues . In order to develop an effective, high-performance team, tasks and objectives must be clearly defined, there should be effective team leadership, there should be a good balance of team roles and it should be matched to the individuals behavioral style and a continuous interaction with other factors that could affect the innovation. It should be noted that such teams rarely happen by chance. They result from a careful selection which is aligned with the needs and requirements of the innovative idea in hand. An effective team is a critical determinant of the projects success and the corporate management should be responsible for putting together a capable, cross-functional team. As the team members may come from varied backgrounds, a mechanism should be in place to resolve conflicts as soon as possible so that the speed of the innovation process is not hindered. Soon after launching, the founders realized that if they want to grow, they need to bring in professional management. In 2001, they appointed Eric Schmidt as the CEO to bring to table the capabilities that they lacked (Casey, 2007). It was then they stared their process of building professional/experienced team with defined tasks. Creative Climate and Culture: Creativity of individuals needs to be fostered through the right environment. An organization needs to set up conditions within which innovative ideas can flourish. Under this, a firm needs to put its people at the heart of innovation. The structures and processes should be designed around people and not the other way round. In the knowledge economy, it is about managing the minds of individuals by providing them with right infrastructure suited for growth. Culture is a complex concept which mainly refers to shared values, beliefs and agreed norms which shape behavior of individuals. Changing the culture of an organization is one of the toughest things for the management as it is path dependent. But by bringing about alterations in the structure or processes, an organization can gradually move towards the desired culture. However, this is a time consuming process and requires acceptance by the employees. One way to facilitate this is by rewarding / incentivizing employees based on the new structure. In an organization with a supportive and innovative culture, individuals with bright ideas can progress them with support and encouragement from the system. Management needs to ask itself whether the current structure is supporting or acting as a hurdle to innovation. Also, do employees have all the resources and freedom required to innovate. Innovation is inherently uncertain and will often involve failures as well as successes. The management needs to understand this and build a culture where people take risks and failures are accepted as an opportunity for learning and further development. The biggest barrier lies in the minds of individuals, who are reluctant to innovate due to risks associated with failures. Failures should not be looked down upon and the senior management and leaders should clearly communicate this to the organization. Managerial leadership style, both at RD and senior management, has significant impact on creativity (Thamhain, 2003). Googles organizational culture provides enough space for employees to learn, experiment and grow. The casual and friendly environment promotes interaction between employees which results in enhanced knowledge base and thus promotes innovation. In each of its offices, Google has a big cafeteria with large tables and maximum seating capacity. Managers have observed that people like to talk while having their food. People from different product teams sit together for meals and interact with each other. As people from different product teams come together, the interactions become quite diverse. This mechanism of knowledge sharing leads to collective learning and thus benefits the organization as a whole (Merrill, 2007). Looking Inwards and Outwards for Innovative Ideas: An organization can no longer just look inwards for innovative ideas. As innovation is increasing becoming an open process, collaboration with external parties is gaining importance. This includes associations with suppliers, customers, consultants, etc. the top management needs to ensure that the organization does not face the Not invented here syndrome (Hansen and Birkinshaw, 2007) and looks forward to exploit relevant innovative ideas thrown at them by the external partners. The leaders also needs to provide opportunities for its employees to be part of various conferences, seminars, networking events, etc and tap into the knowledge base of those outside the organization. Knowledge accumulation is a slow and steady process and idea generation does not happen overnight. Keeping this in mind, the management should not pressurize it employees to come up with innovative ideas just after being a part of a single workshop, for example. Hansen and Birkinshaw (2007) argue that companies need to assess whether they are sourcing enough ideas from outside the company or even outside the industry. Many firms do this poorly, resulting in missed opportunities. Clear Understanding of User Needs and User Involvement: The base of every business is its understanding of user needs. It is this point that determines the success or failure of the organization. Any user-focused innovation needs to know exactly what the user wants, how he wants it and how much is he willing to pay for it, among others. Having the end point in mind, the organization can draft its strategies accordingly, in order to meet the customers needs. Increasingly, companies are involving customers in the innovations process. This sort of arrangement is helping organizations develop more personalized offerings while creating a sense of loyalty in the minds of the customers. Involving the users also provides great insights into how the user uses the product or service, how is their experience like, what they expect at the end of the usage journey, etc. All these insights can highlight areas that require further innovation and this can be a source of competitive advantage for the company. Understanding of the Macro and Micro Environment: An organization needs to analyze it Macro environment in order to understand the changes that are taking place in the Political environment, Economic situation, Society, Technological arena, Ecological and Legal frameworks. This would provide a sense of direction where the world is heading, and based on this, potential areas of innovation can be explored. Analysis of the Micro environment is useful in providing a clear picture of the industry the company operates in. It would showcases the position of competitors in the market, bargaining power of customers and suppliers, threats from substitutes and threats from new entrants into the market. Based on this, an organization can draft it differentiation strategy and establish a foot hold in the market. Conclusion:

An Argument Against Breed-Specific Legislation Essay -- Argumentative,

The term â€Å"breed-specific legislation† is not one that comes up often in day-to-day discussion for most people. Breed-specific legislation refers to all laws that seek to restrict or eliminate ownership of certain animal breeds, most often dog breeds. It was first conceived as a method of controlling and reducing animal cruelty, as well as mitigating the occurrence of dog-related human injuries and the illegal activities of dog-fighting and related crimes. Breed-specific legislation is distinct from animal control laws that restrict ownership of wild or demonstrably dangerous (those with a past history of unacceptable, aggressive behavior) animals, because breed-specific legislation makes a blanket restriction on all animals of a certain breed regardless of individual history. This means that breed-specific legislation is often promulgated on the basis of breed reputation. In recent years it is the pit bull which has come under the scrutiny of legislative bodies, as their reputation becomes more and more sullied by street crime. To say â€Å"pit bull,† however, is a vague reference to several pit bull types, which are considered separate breeds by registries like the American Kennel Club (AKC). Each type has a slightly different breeding history; many began with the breeding of bulldogs with terriers to produce a loyal, compact and tenacious breed (â€Å"American Pit Bull Terrier†). The standard three pit bull types most often mentioned by name in breed-specific legislation include the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. That is not the extent of the legislation, however, which also includes dogs that â€Å"substantially conform to the breed standards established by the American Ken... ...e 2010. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. Cohen, Judy, and John Richardson. â€Å"Pit Bull Panic.† Journal of Popular Culture 36.2 (2002): 297. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. â€Å"Dog Bite: Fact Sheet.† Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC, 1 Apr. 2008. Web. 13 Nov. 2010. â€Å"Dogfighting Fact Sheet.† The Humane Society of the United States. 2 Nov. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2010. Melvindale, Mich., Municipal Code art. II,  § 4-137 (1990). Perry, April M. â€Å"Guilt by Saturation: Media Liability for Third-party Violence and the Availability Heuristic.† Northwestern University Law Review 97.2 (2003): 1045. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Nov. 2010. â€Å"The Truth About Pit Bulls.† ASPCA. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. â€Å"U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities January 2006 to December 2008.† DogsBite. 20 Apr. 2009. Web. 22 Nov. 2010.

LabCo Essay

Since LabCo will adopt IFRSs in the coming year, LabCo’s accounting policy and accounting for the Halibut contract may change under IFRSs. Basically, IAS 11 is to prescribe the accounting treatment of revenue and costs associated with construction contracts. Contract revenue should include the amount agreed in the initial contract, plus revenue from alternations in the original contract work, plus claims and incentive payments that (a) are expected to be collected and (b) that can be measured reliably. Contract costs should include costs that relate directly to the specific contract, plus costs that are attributable to the contractor’s general contracting activity to the extent that they can be reasonably allocated to the contract, plus such other costs that can be specifically charged to the customer under the terms of the contract. [IAS 11. 16] In this case, LabCo make contract entered into was for a fixed price and requires detailed and involved performance specifications. Upon entering into the contract, LabCo realized that this was a unique arrangement that required a great deal of customer specification in order to meet required performance standards. In practical, LobCo had experienced significant difficulties in the design and manufacture of the six-axis laser cutting machine. And their overall project would incur total costs that would be in excess of the total fixed-fee contract price negotiated with Halibut. Thus, they should make a change on setting contract revenue and total contract cost. Contract cost can be increased due to specifically charged to the customer.

Environmental factors affecting McDonalds Corporation

Environmental factors affecting McDonalds Corporation Introduction All global and domestic organizations or corporations have external factors that affect their operations. Some of the factors may be controlled by the organizations but in most cases, the organizations have no power to control most of the factors (Nicoulaud, 1989). However, they may be able to manage or influence them. These factors are what make up the business environment of every organization.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Environmental factors affecting McDonalds Corporation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These factors always influence the domestic marketing decisions. A number of these factors that exist but all organizations have their unique set of factors that affect their operations. What affects one company may not affect the other. Examples of these include regulations, technological factors, economic factors, competition and social factors. The McDonalds Corporation, just like any ot her company, faces several external factors that affect its operations. The external factors that affect this company include political factors, economic factors, socio-cultural factors, technological factors, regulatory factors (laws), demographic factors, and other environmental factors such as those touching on waste disposal (impacts to the environment). Influence of global economic interdependence McDonalds Corporation is dependent on the global economy and is affected by the trade practices and agreements. The global economy usually faces. This may cause the shift of demand in the market. One of the economic issues facing McDonalds is the credit crunch issue. This meant that people had less disposable income and this means that they have less money to spend. The low Gross Domestic Product in most of the economies has also been a challenge to the corporation. The increasing interest rates and effects of inflation have had negative impacts on the McDonalds Corporation. This mean that McDonalds would sell less than they usually do. In order to combat this issue, McDonalds has adopted an affordable menu in order to favor also the low-income earners and those affected by the global economy. Demographics and physical infrastructure Several demographic factors have influenced the operations of McDonalds Corporation. They include the ever-increasing population and the existence of different age groups. Others include geographic shifts in population and the presence of educational groups.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Influence of cultural differences McDonalds Corporation has established its business in various countries in the world. This means that it comes across people from different socio-cultural backgrounds. The different cultures of people have different preferences and the organization needs to understand them all in order to fi t into the economy. Different people around the world have different types of foods and McDonalds has faced several challenges when it came to the type of food to serve its customers. One such group of people is the Muslim community. The company had to adopt the halal concept. This particularly applied to the issue of meat in the burgers. In the Indian community, McDonalds had to do away with beef from its menu (Goyal Singh, 2007). The Indians view the cow as being sacred and do not believe that it should be killed, let alone being eaten. This has forced the company to introduce fish and chicken for such a non-vegetarian society. Social responsibility and ethics versus legal obligations As much as McDonald is serving delicious meals to its customers, the health implication is wanting. It has been estimated that about 64 percent of adults are overweight and obese. This has serious economical implications. The approximate annual cost is a whopping $ 117 billion per year. This is caus ed by the high fat content and calories in the foods served by McDonalds (Nicoulaud, 1989). This has led the government to intervene and try to regulate some of the ingredients that are used in making the food (legal concern). Other legal issues include those concerning operating hours, tax laws and labor. The growing public awareness of the health risks that one subjects him or herself while consuming fast foods has negatively affected the operations of McDonalds. McDonalds has tried to combat this issue by building a good reputation. It has taken part in various different social events that allows it to give back to the society by offering good services. Effects of political systems Various policies and laws have affected the business operations of McDonalds. Since McDonalds has established its operations in several different countries, it has been faced with challenges dealing with the different policies and laws that govern the different countries.Advertising We will wri te a custom assessment sample on Environmental factors affecting McDonalds Corporation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The political decisions of countries are usually not static since they change over time. This means that McDonalds Corporation needs to adjust its operations with the changing political environment. Various international pressures influence political decisions. Usually, local fast foods restaurants are not influenced by the politics of the land. This is because they do not usually hold as much public interest. However, McDonald is a global company and it holds a lot of public interest. Therefore, it has to be accustomed to the politics of the land. It has to abide by the laws and policies set. Influence of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1997 Since McDonalds Corporation has developed businesses in foreign countries, it is supposed to observe the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). This regulation was enacted in order to restrain companies from committing illegal and fraudulent activities in the countries where they are doing business. In the event that the company is involved in such activities, it is liable to huge fines and sentences. Therefore, McDonalds needs to comply with such laws and other related local, national and international legislations. Technological factors affecting McDonalds McDonalds is a fast food restaurant and, just like any fast food restaurant, it has been faced with issues to do with the integration of technological advancements into its business. Several technologies are available for such companies. They include the use of heat regulators, general equipment and other control devises. Point-of-sale systems also need to be installed in such corporations. Financial information and communication systems and inventory management systems are also necessary for such corporation to remain relevant in the ever-changing corporate market. All these are connected to technology and t hey are meant to improve the operations in the businesses. This would give an edge to the operations of the organization. McDonalds caught up with the latest technologies since it has installed Wi-Fi systems. This allows its customers to access the internet free of charge.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion Companies face several environmental factors that affect their marketing decisions. Some of these factors are easily controlled and managed by the companies but many of them are uncontrollable. McDonalds also faced several of these challenges and it has managed to control some. However, some of them are beyond its capability and the company has struggled to live with them successfully. This explains why the McDonalds Corporation is one of the world’s leading in business. References Goyal, A., Singh, N. (2007). Consumer perception about fast food in India: An exploratory study. British Food Journal, 109(2), 182-195. Nicoulaud, B. (1989). Problems and strategies in the international marketing of services. European Journal of Marketing, 23(6), 55-66.

The Juvinile Detention Program Essays

The Juvinile Detention Program Essays The Juvinile Detention Program Paper The Juvinile Detention Program Paper Detention of Juveniles in general is the temporary care of children in physically restricting facilities (Ward 7-5). The primary basis of detention is usually the seriousness of the offense (Ward 7-5). Whether the juvenile is held for a period of time in detention depends on the outcome of a detention hearing, where the appropriateness of the detention is determined (Champion 500). Juveniles are guaranteed a detention hearing within 24-48 hours, this hearing is before a judge (Ward 7-5). The judge then decides whether to release the juvenile or to continue the detainment. The judge often looks to the probation department to help make the decision of continuing detainment, because the probation department has more background on the juvenile to help with the decision (Ward 7-5). If a the judge decides to detain the juvenile for a period of time after their hearing there are two types of detention centers that they can be sent to. There are non-secure facilities and sec! Non-secure custodial facilities according to Champion â€Å"are those that permit youths freedom of movement within the community. Youths are generally free to leave the premises of their facilities, although they are compelled to observe obvious rules, such as curfew, avoidance of alcoholic beverages and drugs and participation in specific programs that are tailored to their particular needs† (Champion 485). Examples of these non-secure facilities are foster homes, group homes, camps and ranches, and wilderness programs, family group homes and rural programs (Ward 7-13). The first example of non-secure detention is the Hope Center Wilderness Camp. This is an apparently successful camp located in Houston, Texas. â€Å"This camp has an organized network of four interdependent living groups of 12 teenagers each. The camp’s goals are to provide quality care and treatment in a nonpunitive environment, with specific emphasis on health, safety, education, and therapy. Emotionally disturbed youths whose offenses range from truancy to murder are selected for program participation† (Champion 493). â€Å"Participants are involved in various special events and learn to cook meals outdoors, camp, and other survival skills. Follow-ups by camp officials show that camp participants exhibit recidivism rates of only about 15 percent† (Champion 493). The next non-secure facility is The Department of J! uvenile Justice’s Non-Secure Detention (NSD) program. This program offers an alternative to secure detention for some of the young people remanded to the Department’s custody (DJJ 1). Through a network of group homes, NSD provides structured residential care for alleged juvenile delinquents who are believed to require a less restrictive setting while awaiting disposition of their cases in Family Court (DJJ 1). In accordance with statutory requirements, NSD facilities are characterized by the absence of physically restrictive hardware, construction and procedures. They offer juveniles a supportive family like environment and close supervision during their time in detention (DJJ 1). Juveniles are ordered into the custody of Department of Juvenile Justice by a Family Court judge may be assigned to NSD in one of two ways: The judge may order the juvenile specifically into NSD or, the judge may order the child into custody and allow DJJ to decide whether secure or non-secure ! detention is appropriate (DJJ 2). In the latter case, Department of Juvenile Justice staff makes the determination based on an initial assessment (DJJ 2). NSD accepts both boys and girls into the program. They range in age from 7 to 16 years; the average age being 15 years. The average length of stay in 1999 was 23 days in the NSD facility (DJJ 2). The Department of Juvenile Justice oversees a network of 13 group homes in New York City (DJJ 2). The juveniles that are in NSD attend school and participate in recreation, group counseling and tutoring (DJJ 2). Secure custodial facilities according to Champion â€Å"are the juvenile counterpart to adult prisons or penitentiaries† (Champion 486). Secure juvenile detention is the temporary placement of kids in locked facilities pending disposition of delinquency charges. They should serve two purposes, to assure that children appear in court at the proper time and protect the community by minimizing delinquent acts while their cases are being processed. An example of a secure detention facility set up by the Department of Juvenile Justice is the Horizon Juvenile Center and Bridges Juvenile Center. However, many youths that enter secure detention leave very quickly, 37 percent are released within three days, 58 percent within ten days (2DJJ 4). All youth spend their first week-and-a-half on Intake Orientation living units at Bridges Juvenile Center (2DJJ 4). Medical, educational and social service assessments are conducted during this period. Residents participate in a formal orientat! ion program where they receive information about services in secure detention and general health issues (2DJJ 4). After approximately 10 days in Intake, the youth is transferred to a residential unit at Horizon (or Crosroads) Juvenile Center. Case conferences, involving medical, educational, recreational and social service staff as well as a family member, are held periodically for each resident (2DJJ 4). Follow-up medical and dental care and a full daily schedule of school, recreation and counseling provide the youth with comprehensive services and activities that correspond to his or her needs, interests and abilities (2DJJ 4). This program is designed to teach residents that they are responsible for their own behavior, to encourage them to respect the rights and feelings of others and to adhere to institutional rules, DJJ’s behavior management system is an important part of each residents day (2DJJ 4). This incentive system promotes good behavior with rewards such as e! xtra phone calls, a radio, later bedtimes and access to the Department of Juvenile Justice’s commissary and resident lounge (2DJJ 4). The program discourages negative behavior with penalties that restrict privileges and choice of recreational and leisure time activities (2DJJ 4). All of the following figures are according to the Department of Juvenile Justice which provides secure and non-secure detention for juveniles in New York City pending adjudication of their court cases or transfer to New York State Office of Children and Family Services Institutions after disposition or sentence. In Fiscal year 1999, the Department of Juvenile Justice had 6,844 admissions to detention: out of this 5,301 were sent to secure detention while 1,543 were sent to non-secure detention (3DJJ 1). Of the youths admitted to secure detention during the 1999 school year, 90 percent read below the seventh grade level, and although their average age is fifteen; 83 percent had math skills below that level, 25 percent read below the fourth grade level, and approximately 60 percent of the students received special educational services (3DJJ 1). There are many different types of detention facilities that juveniles can be sent to. The facility that a juvenile is sentenced to must meet their specific needs and circumstances surrounding their offense.