Monday, September 30, 2019

Prison Term Policy Recommendation Essay

As a realistic matter, it is smart to sustain a bill that addresses a real concern, creates proper use of resources and effectively addresses the problem for which it was intended. It is known that victims of armed robberies want to see the offenders punished. It is noticeable that the public’s desire is to be safe and protected from being a victim of armed robbery. While on the other hand, the legislature must show caution in legislating across the board sentencing and defend discretion for the judicial system to consider the specific aspects that creates each case. â€Å"Yet advocates of deserved punishment argue that it is not automatically evident how intermediate sanctions compare with either prison or probation in terms of severity, nor is it clears how they compare with one another† (Clear, et. al., 2008). For example placing one offender on intensive probation while ordering another to pay a heavy fine may violate the equal punishment rationale of just deserts. Any recommendation should examine the proposed bill and the Criminal Justice System. Fairness is subjective; in spite of this every society will form a series of regulations through which to defend the individuals and society from damage. If an individual violates one of the regulations dictated by culture, there is usually a consensus of what constitutes a suitable punishment. In the United States, we depend on the Federal Sentencing Guidelines in addition to every state’s adoption of the Model Penal Code. Section 1.02(1) of the Model Penal Code instructions the allocation of punishment as â€Å"to safeguard conduct that is without liability from condemnation as criminal† (culpability), â€Å"to provide fair caution of the nature of the conduct confirmed to represent an offense† (legality) and â€Å"to differentiate on logical basis between serious and minor  offenses† (proportionality) (â€Å"Model Penal Code†, n.d.). Here we are referring to ar med robbery. Considered a felony, armed robbery tends to take a large penalty in the majority states. Among the fundamentals measured in determining if a crime has been committed, one must address the diverse levels of culpability and/ or extenuating factors. Armed robbery can be a violent well designed crime otherwise a clumsy half-witted attempt. Eventually a result of guilt must be made, by a predominance of the proof, with competent lawful protection representation offered to the accused. Only after all these necessities are met can a judge proceed with sentencing. These judges must have discretion in considering the above three aspects and weight them accordingly in order to distribute a sentence that is fair and balanced. While the community may desire a representative to be challenging on crime, the community tends to be sympathetic to media stories of criminals who act out of distraction or need. There has been strong resistance to suggestions that delay individual considerations. Beyond the instant punitive effect, punishment can serve the need of removing dangerous people from the society, serve as deterrence to those inclined to commit a crime and potentially reform criminals into law abiding citizens. These societies have also recognized that in order for any corrective act to have its preferred effect it has to fit the crime. Take for instance the cutting off of a hand for someone caught stealing. Most western societies would regard this punishment as too severe and those societies that adopted this practice have come under scrutiny for these practices. Armed robbery has no doubt been addressed within these judicial systems. Sentencing guidelines should always represent fairness in reliability and proportionality. Also consideration needs to be taken into account as to why new policy efforts are being made for this particular crime. Is there a belief that the accessible laws have displayed omissions or errors that must be addressed? Has there been a failure of the justice system in punishment of armed robberies? Are convicted armed robbers being released from prison too early? Do they cultivate to be repeat offenders? Do these crimes tend to rise into murder or other violent felonies? Are there precise instances where the existing laws have failed to serve justice? To decide the practicability of the bill, the discussion of correctional assets would be applicable. The result of this bill regarding  maximum sentencing (as opposed to mandatory minimum sentencing) doubles the correction time for the person who is convicted in the armed robbery. In each specific case, to evaluate suitable sentence and to weigh the severity of the crime, the bill’s full force is to provide more choices to judges and the sentencing board. This bill may not help enforcing the provisions but may supply more choices for the severe cases which deserve more severe punishment. References Clear, T.; Reisig, M.; Cole, G. (2008), American Corrections. Retrieved from Google Books. Model Penal Code. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www1.law.umkc.edu/suni/crimlaw/mpc_provisions/mpc1021.htm

Sunday, September 29, 2019

American Providentialism Through Eras

American Providentialism through Eras Centuries ago John Winthrop preached on board Arbella to the people full of hopes and desires for their new life. He talked about the beautiful Promised Land and the new paradise on earth. Winthrop’s motivational speech â€Å"A Model of Christian Charity† was supposed to encourage people on board Arbella to fulfill their destiny and create a pure society just like God intended them to. The inhabitants of the New World were chosen by God to create a new society which will serve as an example for the rest of the world.John Winthrop insisted on people being united as one body in Christ through brotherly love for one another and through love for God. â€Å"[T]rue Christians are of one body in Christ (1 Cor. 12). Ye are the body of Christ and members of their part. All the parts of this body being thus united are made so contiguous in a special relation as they must needs partake of each other's strength and infirmity; joy and sorrow, w eal and woe. If one member suffers, all suffer with it, if one be in honor, all rejoice with it. [T]he ligaments of this body which knit together are love. (Winthrop, 4) At the very beginning of existing of America, the main task of its inhabitants was to be united. Religion was their knitting thread. Since they had not yet formed their laws, they lived according to laws of the Church. America’s destiny was to be â€Å"one nation under God† and God was leading them closer to the fulfillment of this destiny. â€Å"[W]hile the law did not abrogate [their] institutions, and the theocracy to be inaugurated did not supercede them, God was all the time educating them to broader views of their destiny †¦ they were to perform as a chosen people among the nations of the earth. (Pierce, 3) God has chosen the people abroad Arbella to create a nation of all nations and He was along their side in all times. During the Civil War the knitting thread between the people was lost because of different views on the issue of slavery. The northern states wanted to abolish slavery while the southern states were against it. Since Americans could fulfill their destiny only if they are united, they saw the Civil War as the wrath of God towards them for being separated.America was separated into the United States, or the Union, and Confederate States of America, or the Confederacy. â€Å"Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came. † (Lincoln, 1) Lincoln thought that northern states wanted to destroy the Union and that they were ready to fight a war for that cause, while the southern states would do anything to keep the nation united, so they accepted the war to preserve the Union.Lincoln believed that the war was the wrath sent from God because the nation was separated. Americans were supposed to be â€Å"one nation under God† and the war was the punishment for their separation. Lincoln believed in the destiny of his nation and was ready to do anything to unite it again. He agreed on abolishing the slavery to put the nation on the right track again so it can continue on fulfilling its destiny. Providentialism was America’s way of making people to be moral and to do good deeds. It was America’s way of keeping its states united.From Winthrop, through Pierce, to Lincoln American scholars and politicians were promoting providentialism. Some of them maybe really believed America is a nation chosen by God, while some of them just used religion to promote their own politics. 628 Works Cited Lincoln, Abraham. (1865, March). Second Inaugural Address. Pdf. Pierce, George Foster. (1862, March). The Word of God a Nation’s Life: A Sermon, Preached before the Bible Convention of the Confederate States. Augusta, Georgia. Pdf. Winthrop, John. A Model of Christian Charity. 1630. Pdf.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Airasia

Yield and profitability would decrease for AirAsia if fuel prices become too high. Overall, although such economic events are unavoidable, the opportunities outweigh the threats, presenting AirAsia opportunities to expand its business: during times of economic downturns, demand for affordable low fares would increase amongst budget-conscious travelers, especially from leisure and corporate travelers. 3. Political/Legal Globalization saw a trend of increased privatization and deregulation of governments across the world, which resulted in the ongoing consolidation of the airline industry.As governments were important drivers of airline success in Asia, most airlines in East and Southeast Asian countries had full or substantial state ownership, management, and control, often subsidized and protected by the governments from competition; with the pursuit of non-business goals, profits were often sacrificed for the sake of national objectives. Privatization and deregulation of governments presented opportunities for new routes and airport deals through open-skies agreements between countries, or the permission of the entry of private airlines, reducing the constraints for international airlines. For instance, in 1997, Malaysia signed an â€Å"open-skies† agreement with the United States; such deregulation present new airlines (i. e. AirAsia) with the opportunity to access domestic routes. Having access to domestic routes could lead to the trial of long haul flights to attain and penetrate an undeveloped market share (i. e. new routes to utilize its new aircraft). However, globalization can also result in global uncertainty (i. e. accidents, terrorist attacks, and disaster), which can affect customer confidence. Once customer confidence is affected, AirAsia would face the threat of losing its profitability, or even bankruptcy.Being a low-cost carrier, AirAsia is subjected to subjected to aviation regulations, government policy and government restraints (i. e. government protection in favor of full-service airlines), and dependent on the geography and infrastructure of Asia, and the travelling preferences of customers. 4. Sociocultural In recent years, rapid economic growth resulted in a burgeoning middle class within Asia’s large population. Together with increased in trade and tourism within and into Asia, demand for air travel increased; more people were willing to compromise on food and other services in exchange for lower prices.The attractiveness of budget airlines is primarily their low ticket prices, which can be as low as 10-20% of those charged by full-service airlines. This presents AirAsia with opportunities to differentiate itself from competitors by adding customer services or operation as full service airline with low fare, giving it a competitive advantage (i. e. provision of in-flight food and drinks, and online sales of hotel, car, and holiday reservations, as well as travel insurance), and corporate travel services, with its own branded credit card; further increasing brand awareness and value for customers.However, if AirAsia is not careful in its implementation to differen tiate itself from competitors, it could incur an (unnecessary) increase in operation cost in producing value-added services. Overall, the social/cultural aspect presents AirAsia with more opportunities than threats, as long as it does not unnecessarily increase operation cost in producing value added services. 5. Technological Global By utilizing information technology, AirAsia was able to the first airline in Southeast Asia utilize e-ticketing and bypass traditional travel agents.This enabled the airline to save on the cost of issuing physical ticket (i. e. estimated at US$10 per ticket), and eliminated the need for large and expensive booking and reservation systems, and agents’ commissions. If not handled properly (i. e. backup systems and maintenance), there would be risk of system disruption due to heavily reliance on online sales. Hence, the technology aspect would pose to be a threat if AirAsia’s systems are not properly backed up and maintained (i. e. contingency plan in the event of a system disruption). 6. Physical EnvironmentThe physical environment segment refer to potential and actual changes in the physical environment and business practice that are intended to positively respond to and deal with those changes. To sustaining the quality of the physical environment Industry Analysis 1. Threat from New Entrants: Low The airline industry requires high capital. The cost of setting up an office, purchasing or leasing aircrafts, hiring pilots and other staffs such as air stewardess and etc incurs a high start-up cost. Hence, the threat of new entrants is low for Air Asia. Strict government regulations.Every potential entrant is required to obtain license and permit before it is allowed to be operated. This is because the airline industry in Malaysia is already highly competitive. As a result, the government needs to protect the interest of its national airline, Malaysia Airlines (MAS), where MAS has been operating on losses a few years back. Apart from offering air transportation service, Air Asia also offers affordable tour packages. Air Asia has been establishing good relations with hotels and tourism companies around Asia, therefore, it is hard for new competitors to compete.Most of Air Asia customers have high brand loyalty towards Air Asia because of its widely known ? one of the low-cost airlines that continues to offer the lowest possible price?. 2. Bargaining Power of Supplier: High Overall, power of supplier is high as there are limited and just availability of suppliers, the switching cost is high (i. e. airplanes and their maintenance are costly), and there are few substitutes for airplanes (i. e. air travel covers longer distances in a shorter period of time). Limited number of aircrafts supplier.There are only two aircrafts supplier companies in the world, which are Air bus and Boeing. Compared to Boeing aircrafts, Airbus aircrafts is the most advanced in technology, hence, Air Asia must rely on the Airbus engineers to do maintenance on the aircrafts and seek advices. 3. Bargaining Power of Buyer: High The internet has allowed customers to have access in aviation market information, mainly, the price of air transportation ticket charged by different airline companies, where price comparison can be made. Low switching cost for customers.Customer’s priority is to look at price and flight schedule that suits them best when purchasing air transportation tickets. As mentioned earlier, customer’s main purpose of using the airline service is to get to their intended destination. Therefore, customers can switch to other airline easily. As there are almost no switching costs for customers switching from one budget airline to another, the bargaining power of buyer is moderately high. Moreover, customers are able to compare prices of budget airline via the Internet, giving them more choices 4. Threat from Substitutes Product/or Services: LowAlthough there are several substitutes (i. e. trains and ships), the geographical structure of Asia has made air travel an efficient, viable, and convenient mode of transportation. Hence, threat from substitutes is moderately low. Compared to other modes of transportation, the archipelago geographical structure of Asia made air transportation the most viable, convenient and efficient mode of transportation. However most of the low-cost airlines only fly domestic routes within the country of origin, while only a few operate international routes connecting nearby countries.Hence, customers will always look for alternatives. The prices of substitutes are about the same with Air Asia. Some of the airlines offers cheaper price to achieve profitable passenger loads. The price offered depends on the time gap between the booking date and flight date. The longer the date, the cheaper the price. If the air transportation tickets are purchased last minute, the price will be about the same with premium airlines such as MAS and Singapore Airlines (SIA). Therefore, in this situation customer would switch to the premium airlines. . Rivalry among Competing Firms: High Intensity of rivalry is moderately high due to the increased competition (with more competitors wanting a part of this growing lucrative market), and high exit cost. Exhibits 8 and 9 provide information on low-cost carries in Asia: from 1 budget airline (Cebu Pacific Air) in 1996 to 16 budget airlines by 2005, the entry of more low-cost airlines dramatically increased competition. AirAsia also faced competition from a broad range of airlines, ground transportation, and sea services.The airline industry offers similar service. Customer’s main purpose of using the airline service is to get to their intended destination. Though Air Asia offers additional services such as hotel booking and tour packages, it is subject to its customers’ choice. An industry with similar products and/or services offered is highly competitive. The airline industry incurs high fixed cost. In order to cover the fixed cost, the airline companies have to gain more market share.As such, constant price reduction is done to compete with others. Hence, the rivalry is strong. Low switching cost for customers. Customer’s priority is to look at price and flight schedule that suits them best when purchasing air transportation tickets. As mentioned earlier, customer’s main purpose of using the airline service is to get to their intended destination. Therefore, customers can switch to other airline easily, which makes the industry so competitive. The airline industry incurs high exit cost.In order for an airline company to exit the industry, it needs to pay its loans and staffs retrenchment as well as refund the flight cancellations, which all incurs high cost. Even making losses, the airline company has to get running to cope with fixed costs. There are approximately 45 low-cost airlines in Asia. Some of the airlines do not compete directly with Air Asia, but they compete indirectly in routes that Air Asia does not fly. Thus, the higher the number of competitors, the fiercer the competition.

Friday, September 27, 2019

The reason to choose nursing as a career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The reason to choose nursing as a career - Essay Example The researcher tells that his personal philosophy as a nurse is to provide quality health care especially on a preventive basis. Modern medical practice has moved from curative care to preventive care. Preventive care is cheaper than curative and poses little danger to patients. Preventive care is mainly advisory and leads to a better quality life than curative as the body stays healthy for a long time. The immune system is not weakened and this means that the person is protected from exposure to diseases that weaken the body and may lead to complications. The advice is to practice healthy standards of living so as to prevent the person from health problems that may lead to complications. Modern practice is moving towards preventive care as it costs less to maintain than curative and it leads to long, quality life. The researcher’s philosophy is to also give the most affordable and least invasive care to the patients. Modern medical advances in medicine have offered simple met hods of taking care of patients so as to maintain quality lives. The advances have also integrated natural health care systems with medical care to ensure that people are encouraged to let the body’s immune system work to fight off diseases. This strengthens the immune system and develops immunity that fights off diseases in the case of recurrences. This is important as it helps the body to fight off diseases in future and this is important in improving health.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Three Impressionist works of art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Three Impressionist works of art - Assignment Example This type of art used light by outlining its changing effects with time and movement. They used short strokes which were thick in painting with mixing of colors emphasizing the natural light. Impressionists founding members included Edgar Degas, Eduardo Manet, Camille Pissarro and Claude Monet among others (Dumas, 1999). Introduction Painting was the main impressionist work in Paris, France to which we are going to base our arts in three main artists (Herbert 1988). These include Clande Monet’s art on Impression, a woman with a parasol (1872), Edouard Manet’s on Olympia (1863-1865) oil in canvas and Edgar Degas on the glass of Absinthe (1876) oil in canvas. These artists can be seen as the founders of impressionism and there arts contributed a lot to the spread of impression across Europe. Their arts are among the first impressionism in the world to which they were then adopted by other artists like Giuseppe De Nittis who was an Italian, James Abbott McNeill Whistler wh o was an American among others showing how it spread across Europe (Stuart, 1993). They majorly used nature in portraying information to the people in which in this context we can see the luxury impact on women which was negative view of them as they portrayed negative behaviors on women. Similarities All of the artists are the main founders of impression. They are all believed to have contributed to the emergence as they all united during the opposing moments in showing their different types of arts. The arts are also seen to convey the message of luxury also indicating that there main objective in this type of art is to portray the culture or rather the nature of individuals in that period of time (Thomson, 2000). The three arts are seen to have portrayed the social life during that period. From Edgar’s art we are able to see the cafe with a glass of wine indicating the living standards in Paris. The glass has a drink probably alcohol which was majorly used by people of the middle and upper class status (Stuart, 1993). Edouard’s art on Olympia shows prostitute with necklace and a bracelet on the bed a servant standing next to her. Her head is on the white comfy pillow with the tucked beddings which was mainly seen in the next France by middle and upper class women. In Claude’s art on the Impression, sunrise, we can see the movement of people using a boat which is at dawn the sun portraying the upper-class (Dumas, 1999). The style used by the three artists relied on light and movement. They both use light colors to portray the brighter side and dark colors showcasing the dark side. Movement is also seen as a style used as it showed movement as we can see from Claude Monet’s art which we see a lady with an umbrella. The arts also used the technique of short strokes in painting as this was the main method used in the Impression with the mixing of colors which blended to give the outlook. They avoided the use of dark colors and mainly relied on light and vibrant colors to capture the changing effect of sunlight (Thomson, 2000). In these three types of arts we are able to see that they both tried to convey the message on the culture of the People in France during that period that is luxury. From the visual perspective, Edgar Degas’s art clearly shows how a lady who looks royal and a gentleman with a glass of Absinthe in a cafe indicating their lifestyle during leisure. The lady

The Intelligence Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Intelligence Cycle - Essay Example It involves "Drawing up specific collection requirements, and.finished intelligence which supports policy decisions" (FAS "The Intelligence Cycle").This is the same standard of prioritizing which is applied to many other government bodies. Each year, there is an annual assessment and analysis of these priorities. This is otherwise called the intelligence 'Process'; the beginning is a threat assessment, which suggests sources of collection, the next stage. In this planning stage, these is an assessment of the balance between respect for others rights, and the need for the investigation. In short, Planning and Direction are involved in the beginnings and the endings of the process of intelligence gathering. The end results of the gathering for this section may also cause the beginnings of the another Intelligence cycle. relationships" (FBI "The Intelligence Cycle"). These sources do not need to be discovered by wire-tapping, or surveillance, but may be obtained through what are known as 'open sources' - the internet is one famous example of an open source being used in an intelligence investigation. Not all gatherers are direct security operatives - in Canada, for example, some of them are "Security Liasion Officers (SLOs) posted at Canadian diplomatic" (CSIS "Security Intelligence Cycle"), as well as public, agents from other Security Services. Collection is the term for basic information provided by Security services of a government agent. Processing Processing is the method by which the basic information collected in the last part of the cycle is converted into useful information there are a number of methods "Decryption, language translations, and data reduction" (FBI "The Intelligence Cycle") As well as processing this data, rather like rolling pasty, the analyst will input the data into computer networks, databases, and other areas where this information can be used. Processing whittles the information into useful pieces, which are then inserted into databases to be analysed. Analysis The information which has been collected and processed is now studied by intelligence experts, and then is used to prepare a report based around the information. This process is seen by the FBI as "Integrating, evaluating, and analyzing available data" (FBI "The Intelligence Cycle"). This information in integrated, and the experts decide whether the information is worth anything, and connecting the dots by tying up different pieces of processed information, and drawing conclusions. Analysis involves creating reports and threat assessments. Dissemination The information, now gathered, processed and analyzed, is sent out to other agencies, and also to intelligence operatives. "The FBI disseminates information in three standard formats: Intelligence information Reports (IIRs), FBI Intelligence Bulletines, and FBI Intelligence Assessments" (FBI "The Intelligence Cycle"). The reports which have been created are sent out, both internally, and externally, to the media and to the public. Other bodies use these reports to establish the safety of the public,

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Relationship Between ANA Test Titers Autoimmune Disease Research Paper - 9

Relationship Between ANA Test Titers Autoimmune Disease - Research Paper Example Among the patients ‘data we collected, 13 (29.5%) patients had 40 ANA test titers, 4 (9.1%) had 80 titers, 4 (9.1%) had 160 titers, 10 (22.7%) had 320 titers, 4 (9.1%) had 640 titers, 6 (13.6%) had 1280 titers, and 3 (6.8%) had 1320 titers. This is well illustrated by both table 1 below and graph 1. During the sample, analysis three groups of diagnosis of autoimmune disease were detected. Group 1 had 13 (29.5%) patients, group 2 had 19 (43.2%) patients, and group 3 had 12 (27.3%). Table 2 and figure 2 better illustrate this Among the 13 patients who were found to fall in the category of 40 titers ANA test SLE, 2 were found to fall in group 1, 6 were found to fall in group 2, and 5 were found to fall in group 3. Among the 4 patients who were found to fall in the category of 80 titers ANA test SLE, 2 were found to fall in group 1, 1 one was found to fall in group 2, and another 1 was found to fall in group 3. Among the four in the category of 160 titers ANA test SLE, 2 were found to fall in group 1, 1 in group 2, and another 1 in group 3. Among the 10 in the category of 320 titers, ANA test SLE, 3 were found to fall in group 1, 4 in group 2, and 3 in group 3. Among the 4 in the category of 640 titers ANA test SLE, 1 was found to fall in group one while the other 3 were found to fall in group 2. Among the six in the category of 1280 titers ANA test SLE, 2 were found to fall in group 1, 2 in group 2, and 2 in group 3. Among the three in the category of 1320 titers ANA test SLE, 1 was found to fall in group 1, and the other 2 in group 2. Table 3, figure 3, and figure 4 had better illustrate this. In this project, we test the null hypothesis that the ANA and diagnosis are associated. According to Hirschfield & Heathcote (2011), the ANA test is the main testing tool used for the diagnosis of autoimmune rheumatic conditions. This test makes use of antinuclear antibodies in the diagnosing of these conditions.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Legalization of medicinal marijuana Research Paper

Legalization of medicinal marijuana - Research Paper Example Recent inclusion will go to be New York. Over the years pro medicinal marijuana people has argued that it can be effective and helpful for different deadly diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, pain, epilepsy and glaucoma. In support of their argument those protagonists of medicinal marijuana has come up with lots of medicinal studies done by prominent medicine companies and major Government reports. It is often being noticed that lots of patients with chronic diseases don’t response that much well in terms conventional treatments. They also used different histories of using marijuana as medicine around the world (Morgan, 201-206). This argument faced lots of opposition from different section of the American society. People are opposing very hard against this argument. Antagonists of these arguments are saying that marijuana is very dangerous for using medicinal purposes. It would make people additive about this dangerous habit. They also argue that already there are lots of legal drugs are present in the market. There is no reason for inclusion of marijuana into the lists of medicine. Anti people of this thought also argued that legalization of medicinal marijuana can give indulgence to harder and deadlier drugs. According to them Medicinal marijuana would destroy the in build immune system of human being. It can damage brain cells and can be problematic for lungs. People also argued that a particular group is trying to legalize medicinal use of marijuana only for entertainment purposes and there may be an unholy nexus of drug mafias. Medical marijuana is legal in 21 states of the USA. It is being noticed that maximum doctors across the USA still do not prescribe medicinal marijuana. Survey of WebMD has shown that almost 69% of the doctors and 52% of patients has supported different benefits of Marijuana. This report also recorded that 37% of patient is not confident about different benefits from

Monday, September 23, 2019

Nursing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nursing - Assignment Example But if the person with a history of chemical dependency is no longer engaging in drug use, he is protected by ADA from employment discrimination, provided he has been in recovery long enough to have become stable. This means the employee is in a long term recovery programs with long term abstinence from drug use. In the case of the employee taking patients’ medication for self-use, the first step would be to establish whether the employee is addicted. Confronting the employee to admit that he diverted the drug for his own use is the next step. Firing the employee may not be the best option here. The Human Resources department would place the employee on a medical leave of absence and help her report to a drug rehabilitation facility. On completion of the in-patient portion of the drug rehabilitation program, the Human Resources should then fire her on gross misconduct involving diversion of patient’s drugs. Under the Americans with Disability Act, drug addiction is considered a disability. But here he won’t be qualified under ADA since he is engaged in the illegal use of drugs. The legal section will be able to take over from here and handle the case if the employee decides to sue the organization. That will, however, be a futile

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Dealing with Difficult Clients and Opposing Essay Example for Free

Dealing with Difficult Clients and Opposing Essay The State Bar of California and the Office of Section Education and Meeting Services are approved State Bar of California MCLE providers. Points of view or opinions expressed in these pages are those of the speaker(s) and/or author(s). They have not been adopted or endorsed by the State Bar of California’s Board of Governors and do not constitute the official position or policy of the State Bar of California. Nothing contained herein is intended to address any specific legal inquiry, nor is it a substitute for independent legal research to original sources or obtaining separate legal advice regarding specific legal situations. Dealing with Difficult People by Steven G. Mehta There seems to be no shortage of difficult people in the practice of law. Perhaps there is something in the water, or perhaps it is the economy. But no matter where you go, difficult clients or opposing counsel seem to be popping up out of nowhere. Indeed, take the case of the hypothetical mediator who had a recent encounter with an extremely difficult party who wanted to sabotage the mediation from the very beginning. The client insulted her own attorney, wouldn’t let the other parties speak, accused her attorneys and every attorney in the world of having no heart or emotions and being liars and accused the mediator of lying about the merits of the case. To top off her venom, she had already reported her attorneys to the bar and at every turn was trying to avoid resolving the case. At one point, one of her attorneys walked out of the mediation. In short – she was the mother of all nightmare parties. Unfortunately for mo st attorneys and mediators, they have met this type of client/party at some point in their career. Therefore, it is critical to understand how to deal with such difficult clients and opposing counsel. First, this article will identify some of the different types of difficult clients. Second, it will discuss general strategies on how to deal with difficult people. Finally, it will provide specific tools on how to deal with difficult clients or opposing counsel. The following are the most common types of clients that can walk into your office. Usually, this angry client will be very hostile towards you and others. Your staff may dread dealing with this person. Sometimes, it is unclear why the person is so angry. Be assured that this person’s anger will only get worse during litigation. Moreover, some or all of that anger will spill over to you and your staff. †¢ The vengeful or zealous client. Typically a vengeful or zealous client will be vengeful about many things and not just the cause for what you are being hired. This person will usually make it known that they are bringing the fight based on principle. Many times this desire for vengeance will overcome any sense of rationality. †¢ The obsessed client. This client cannot stop thinking about the case, the injury, the wrong, and what can be done to address this problem. This client could easily call you several times a day to make sure that you are on top of the case. You could likely get too much information rather than too little. †¢ The emotionally needy client. This client is often emotionally fragile and insecure. Many times this person will be in a co-dependent relationship and is seeking to embroil you in another co-dependent relationship. This person may find it very difficult to make decisions. Mediation Offices of Steve G. Mehta 25124 Springfield Court, Ste. 250, Valencia, CA 91355 Tel: (661) 284-1818 Fax: 661 284-1811 Email: [emailprotected] Offices: Valencia Los Angeles ÂThe angry or hostile client. †¢ The dishonest or deceitful client. Often this client will not tell you all the information they know to be relevant or will tell you the wrong information. †¢ The unresponsive client. This client often wants the appearance of an attorney who is providing independent advice but in reality doesn’t want your advice. This client simply wants you to rubber stamp his or her actions. Often, this client will reject your advice because it is contrary to her own. As stated by Sheila Blackford, author of Recognizing Difficult Client Types, â€Å"Clients often come to lawyers to determine the consequences of actions they have already taken or have decided to take.† Often these clients don’t want you as a lawyer, but are â€Å"forced† by others or circumstance to hire a lawyer. Beware that just as they are unwilling to accept your advice, they may also be unwilling to pay the bill for advice they do not want. Finally, there may be a combination of these t ypes of clients. You could end up with an angry, vengeful client that is obsessed. If that is your client, turn in the other direction and run. If this ends up being your opposing counsel, then in the famous words of the Robot in Lost in Space, â€Å"Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!† Now that difficult clients have been identified, it is helpful to look at some strategies that attorneys can use to combat both difficult or nightmare clients and opposing counsel. First, start out by examining yourself. Everyone can be difficult to deal with at times. Before you can determine whether the other person is the problem, make sure that you aren’t the problem. Are you over overreacting? Are you having a bad day? Why is this person affecting you? What buttons of yours are being pushed, and why? After examining whether you may be part of the communication problem or that you have misinterpreted the comments made towards you, then you will have a better idea as to whether this person is being offensi ve or difficult or whether it is you. In examining yourself, it is important to understand that everybody has an instinctual reaction to act when attacked. This is hardwired in our brains from the stone age days where we had to either react to a threat (fight) or flee from the threat (flight). In modern days, the threat is usually not physical, yet the body still gives issues the same fight or flight reaction. People end up having an immediate need to affirmatively right a wrong or injustice against them. More likely, a person can end up wanting to immediately defend his or her actions or position. This is partially because the attack against a person is affecting his or her internal observation of self worth that person’s standing in the community or amongst his peers. Often people feel the need to show that they are correct and that the other person is wrong. This knee jerk reaction, however, can do more damage than good. Indeed, when having such a reaction, most people perceive that it makes them feel good; but shortly thereafter, they regret having said and done what they did in the heat of the moment. The strategies listed hereafter are not in chronological order; but instead are different strategies that can be employed depending on the situation. First, PRESS THE PAUSE BUTTON. In sports after a particularly difficult call by the referee the commentators will press the pause button on the action and show an instant replay at a slower pace. This tool is not just beneficial in sports. The pause button can be very powerful in helping to deal with difficult people. The length of the pause can depend on the situation. In the case of a minor issue, you might treat the matter with a small pause, giving yourself just enough time to think. Indeed, this is exactly what attorneys tell their clients in preparation for deposition. After the question is asked, wait for a brief second before answering. That pause can help to avoid making a huge blunder by saying the wrong thing. In other cases, you might need a longer pause. You could simply ask for a five-minute break or ask to use the restroom; whatever excuse you need to give to allow yourself a moment to think. Once you have hit the pause button, you can then consider the comment or action, its impact on the scheme of things, and what you might want to do in response. Take for example, the case of one mediator. In one particularly nasty mediation, when a party insulted the mediator’s integrity to its foundation, the mediator simply took a moment to pause in the mediation to let the sting of the initial insult pass. Then he asked take a five-minute break while he digested the information just conveyed. Then when he returned, he simply moved the mediation forward as if the comment had never been made. Once the party realized that she couldn’t get a reaction to her insulting comments, she was forced to stop making them. Another rule to consider is that â€Å"You don’t have to win every argument.† As noted above, often the reason a person jumps into the fray is because she wants to prove that she is right. This is difficult for lawyers because they are trained to advocate their position. However, proving that you are right with a difficult person can simply entrench that person even further; and even though you may feel that you are right, the other person will never agree. Sometimes the best response is to let it go and have the satisfaction that you know that you are right. Another important strategy is to employ ACTIVE LISTENING skills. An important sign of respect for another person is to actually listen to what that other person has to say. How many times have you been in a situation where someone has said:â€Å"You aren’t listening to me. One of the most powerful tools in addressing difficult people is using active listening skills. Active listening skills include avoiding any distractions – such as that pesky Blackberry – and really trying to under stand the other person’s positions and concerns. All too often attorneys are already working on their response while the other person speaks. clarify what you understand about the other person’s statements. Ask whether your restatement is an accurate version of what the other person feels. Sometimes, depending on the person, you might mirror some of the nonverbal cues the person displays. Studies show that by mirroring non-verbal gestures, the other person will feel more connected with you. Ask questions that elicit more information from the other person. Depending on the person, you may have to spend a considerable amount of time using active listening skills. However, at the end of such a process you might find that the difficult person is much less difficult. It is also important when dealing with difficult people that you try not to give that person an excuse to be even more difficult. As such, when you communicate your concerns or feelings try to avoid using terms that target the other person, such as â€Å"you† phrases which target the other person’s behavior. Instead, talk about your experience s using â€Å"I† phrases, such as â€Å"I was upset when I heard the comments.† This approach helps to avoid attacking the other person or accusing the other person of something. Match communication styles. Generally, people fall into three categories: Audio learners, visual learners, or Kinesthetic (or touch) learners. You can tell which style a person favors by the language she uses. Think about whether the other person is using visual language such as color, seeing, and pictures or whether the person is using audio language such as hearing, sounds, vibrations, etc. Then try to match their language by using words that relate to those styles in your responses. For example, with a visual person you might comment, â€Å"I see your position,† but with an audio person you might say, â€Å"I hear what you are saying.† If the difficult person puts you in a position where you are required to respond, ask that person what exactly he is upset about. This will help to demonstrate that you are interested in solutions rather arguing. This strategy then can allow you to incorporate active listening once the person explains to you their concern (irrational or otherwise). Finally, if after an unreasonable attack against you, consider agreeing with a small portion of the statement. This can accomplish several things. First, it can help you avoid jumping in to defend yourself and continuing the unhealthy communication. More importantly, however, it can allow you to create something in common with the angry person and may appease their irrational anger. These general strategies can be very useful in dealing with all types of difficult people. But what about the difficult client or lawyer? There are several specific strategies to work with these individuals. First, there is a saying that the best client you will ever have is the one that you don’t take. In other words, sometimes it is far better to not take a client than to take a client and have nightmares wondering if you are going to be called by the Bar or se rved with an unjustified malpractice suit. matter how lucrative, are just not worth the risk and the stress. Many times if the client is difficult as a prospective client, that person will only get worse during the representation. If you don’t have the luxury of refusing to represent a certain person, establish boundaries. You can limit your involvement to specific interactions. You can also establish boundaries for when and how many calls you might take on a particular topic. One lawyer has a written guideline for all of his clients which establishes what the lawyer will and won’t do in the legal process, including responding to calls on the weekend. Third, you can establish specific requirements for your clients in the very first meeting and before you sign the retainer. Along those same lines, one of the major frustrations for attorneys is clients that have unreasonable expectations of the result and process. By providing the clients with a detailed explanation of what they can expect, and what you expect, y ou can minimize difficult communications. This principle can also work very effectively with opposing counsel. If counsel is abusive to you or your staff, you can set down ground rules for future communications. If those ground rules are not honored, then you can limit your communications. For example, one lawyer lets the opposing counsel know that if there are any further abusive phone calls, then all further interactions will have to be in writing. Moreover, if the opposing counsel persists in his or her actions, then all writings will not be by fax or email, and will only be accepted and given in the mail. One lawyer has gone so far as to require that all conferences be videotaped. Unfortunately due to the nature of the practice of law which involves conflict scenarios, there will continue to be difficult people in the practice of law. There are many strategies for dealing with difficult people. This article has only addressed a few of them. However, armed with these strategies, it is possible to substantially decrease the number of difficult interactions and the stress related to those interactions. Research sources: http://www.abanet.org/lpm/magazine/articles/v36/is4/pg41.shtml Pyschology Today. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200609/dealing-difficultpeople Steven G. Mehta, Esq. is a full time mediator based in Los Angeles with offices in Downtown and Valencia and specializes in emotionally complex cases involving elder law, injury cases, and employment disputes. He can be reached through his website at www.stevemehta.com. Mediation is a tool to help people recognize their responsibility for things, to negotiate a solution and to move on with their lives. My role is to allow them to present their side, to ensure that they are heard and to help them achieve a resolution.† What, exactly, is Mehta’s magic? Understanding human dynamics. â€Å"Anyone can learn the law,† he points out. â€Å"Understanding people is where my expertise lies. There are two sides and two emotions to every story. I care about them both.† But there’s a huge chasm between understanding human dynamics and getting two frustrated, angry parties to agree. Mehta is very definitive about what it takes to bridge that gap and bring the parties together. â€Å"My ability to connect with each participant and develop trust is absolutely essential,† he says. â€Å"Then, I need to be creative about solutions. Finding a mutually satisfying settlement is as much art as it is law. Finally, I never give up. Nothing is impossible. The impossible just takes a little longer.† In the end, there is almost always an answer. When it’s over, it’s a solution the parties chose. â€Å"They feel empowered. Grateful. Relieved,† Mehta says. â€Å"Most importantly, they feel free to move on with their lives.† Now, that’s a masterful job.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Maruthi Suzuki India Ltd | Analysis

Maruthi Suzuki India Ltd | Analysis Maruti Udyog Limited is a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation, the largest manufacturer of mini passenger vehicles in Japan in terms of sales volumes. Suzuki was also the eleventh largest vehicle manufacturer in the world and the fourth largest manufacturer in Japan in terms of worldwide sales volumes in 2000. Maruti was ranked twentieth in terms of worldwide sales volumes amongst vehicle manufacturers, and has been the largest passenger car manufacturer in India. In fiscal 2002, it had the highest sales volumes of 339,964 cars and a market share of 58.6%. Maruti has a diverse product range that includes ten basic models with over 50 variants, of which nine models are manufactured locally and one is imported from Suzuki. The company offers a wide range of cars across different segments. It offers 14 brands and over 150 variants Maruti 800, people movers, Omni and Eeco, international brands Alto, Alto-K10, A-star, WagonR, Swift, Ritz and Estilo, off-roader Gypsy, SUV Grand Vitara, sedans SX4 and Swift DZire In an environment friendly initiative, in August 2010 Maruti Suzuki introduced factory fitted CNG option on 5 models across vehicle segments. These include Eeco, Alto, Estilo, Wagon R and Sx4. (Maruti, 2011) Maruti (2011), Maruti Suzuki Ltd website. Available at: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/about-us.aspx (Accessed: 21 March 2011) Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the countrys largest car manufacturer today rolled out its 1 Crore (ten millionth) car on March 15th 2011. The historic 1 Crore car, a Metallic Breeze Blue coloured WagonR VXi (Chassis No 243899) rolled out from the Companys Gurgaon plant. With this landmark achievement, Maruti Suzuki becomes the only Indian car company that makes its entry into the select club of automobile manufacturers across the globe who have crossed this milestone. (Maruti, 2011) Maruti (2011), Maruti Suzuki Ltd website. Available at: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/Maruti-Suzuki-rolls-out-its-1-Crore-Ten-Millionth-car.aspx (Accessed: 21 March 2011) Over the quarter century of its existence, Maruti Suzukis contribution as the growth engine for the Indian automobile industry is widely acknowledged. Maruti Suzuki has impacted the lifestyle and psyche of an entire generation of Indian middle class through the quality of its products and services that are in direct sync with the needs of the Indian populace. (Maruti, 2011) Maruti (2011), Maruti Suzuki Ltd website. Available at: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/maruti-dna.aspx (Accessed: 22 March 2011) Situational Analysis: Maruti Suzuki has a good market progress in automobile industry and has good sales performance from their own brand products. The current lineup is compromised of almost all Suzukis, including the Alto and the higher-end Swift and SX4. The company follows a partnership approach with its various stakeholders, and believes that the prosperity and wellbeing of the stakeholders will fuel the growth of the company in the future. (Maruti, 2011) Maruti (2011), Maruti Suzuki Ltd website. Available at: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/Stakeholders.aspx#h4 (Accessed: 21 March 2011) The company continue to enjoy a strength growth with Net Sales up by 1.3%, Operating Income up by 0.8% and Net Income up by 3.8%. The companys consolidated profit exceeded those of previous years with 103.2% increase of operating income and 105.4% of net income. (Maruti, 2011) Maruti (2011), Maruti Suzuki Ltd website. Available at: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/suzuki-motor-corporation.aspx (Accessed: 21 March 2011) Due to continuous demand, the company is planning on expanding its production by building new plants to cater customer needs, to reduce waiting period and to meet export demands. (Maruti, 2011) Maruti (2011), Maruti Suzuki Ltd website. Available at: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/Maruti-expansion-plan-in-final-lap.aspx (Accessed: 21 March 2011) Organizations Orientation Orientation: The process of receiving and welcoming an employee when an employee when he first joins a company and giving him the basic information to settle down quickly and start work. -Armstrong, Micheal. A Handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan page limited, 1999. Types Of Orientation: Product Orientation Production Orientation Sales Orientation Marketing Orientation Production Orientation: Production orientation is often a characteristic of organizations which have developed specific skills or technologies. It often involves manufacturing products in large quantities in order to minimize the costs of production. For Eg: The focus of the business is not the needs of the customer, but of reducing costs by mass production. By reaching economies of scale the business will maximize profits by reducing costs. Pg: 16 Marketing Principles and Practice Written By: Adcock, Dennis; Halborg, Al; Ross, Caroline Published By: Pearson Education UK Published In: 2001 Product Orientation: Production orientation is often a characteristic of organizations which have developed specific skills or technologies. It often involves manufacturing products in large quantities in order to minimize the costs of production. For Eg:- We produce excellent, well-designed, quality products which are great value for money. Customers are sure to want our products. Pg: 17 Marketing Principles and Practice Written By: Adcock, Dennis; Halborg, Al; Ross, Caroline Published By: Pearson Education UK Published In: 2001 Sales Orientation: Sales orientation dictates that a business must aggressively promote its products. As the product already exists, sales staff are made responsible for identifying every potential customer. This does not mean that sales representatives are customer-orientated, as that would involve starting with customer needs and not the product. For Eg:- The focus here is to make the product, and then try to sell it to the target market. However, the problem could be that consumers do not like what is being sold to them. Pg: 18 Marketing Principles and Practice Written By: Adcock, Dennis; Halborg, Al; Ross, Caroline Published By: Pearson Education UK Published In: 2001 Marketing Orientation: Kohli and Jaworski (1990) defined market orientation in the following terms: A market orientation entails (1) One or more departments engaging in activities geared toward developing an understanding of customers current and future needs and the factors affecting them (2) Sharing of this understanding across departments (3) The various departments engaging in activities designed to meet select customer needs. In other words, a market orientation refers to the organization-wide generation, dissemination, and responsiveness to market intelligence. Page no:8 Book name: Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning Written By Hooley, Graham J.; Saunders, John A.; Piercy, Nigel F.; Nicoulaud, Brigitte Published By Pearson Education UK in 2008 MACRO ENVIRONMENT- EXTERNAL ANALYSIS PESTEL A technique for analyzing the general environment is called Pestel Analysis. Page 126 Management and Organisational Behaviour, Written by: Mullins, Laurie J. PublishedBy: PearsonEducationUK PublishedIn: 2005 MILEAN/ISBN:9786610601752 Pub e-EAN/ISBN: 9781405871716 Political Political Factors Impact on the industry Effect on Industry Growth Employment New development and demand for more skilled labours High skill job seekers may find it easy to get a job Taxation and Labour Law Increasing changes in the Taxes and increased regulation in labour law Due to increase tax, the company had to increase the product price and it needs effective labour law E commerce The Company opening up online purchasing opportunities Better chance for increase business and customer satisfaction Terrorism Increase in number of terrorism in recent years Affects the market growth and the economy of the company Conclusion: The political factor plays a vital role in the success of the organization. The political factor are the external issues which affect the growth of the organization. Factors like new government taxing and terrorism will have a drastic effect on growth of the organization. Economical: Economical Factors Impact on the industry Effect on Industry Growth Oil Price High import and export rate It causes increase in the product price Currency Tax Change in the exchange rate. Reducing Tax rates Due to constant change in the currency exchange rates, tax rates and the duty rates keeps changing. Economy High economic growth rate It influence and raise the demand and purchasing power. Interest and Inflation Rates Interest and Inflation rates are forecast to increase High interest and inflation rates will have a negative impact on organization growth Conclusion: High economic growth may increase the buying power of the people, but the ever increasing oil price will have an impact on the export and import of product along with problems caused by varying currency exchange rate. Social: Social Factors Impact on the industry Effect on Industry Growth Population Second most in population Skilled labour, among the lowest in the world Brand value Company has strong and well known brand name It attracts people easily Cricket World Cup, IPL etc Increase in tourism. Good opportunity for marketing and for the business to boom Conclusion: Huge population and ongoing Cricket world cup provides an excellent opportunity for business development and having a brand value is an added advantage. Technological: Technological Factors Impact on the industry Effect on Industry Growth Technology About 600,000 engineers pass out each year Enough man power for new development and innovation Secure online transaction Purchase and payment can be done in a secure way. It will be easy for vendors, customers etc to buy and to make payments Modernisation Emergence of Indian automobile market as a major hub for auto manufacturing and research More contribution to GDP, more profit, and brand value Conclusion: Technological changes such as cutting edge design, eco friendly infrastructure and online security will be beneficial for both the company and the customers. Environmental: Environmental Factors Impact on the industry Effect on Industry Growth Pollution Industry follows international standards on emission and safety More support from government. Waste Management Following industry norms One of the highlights of the Organization Conclusion: More efficient and eco friendly changes needs to be done regarding pollution control, but at the same time maintaining industry norms is the highlights of the company. Legal: Factors Impact on the industry Implications International Trade Company imports and exports products from different countries and also does business in many countries Different trade law in each country may affect the business. High import duty has to be paid. Government laws The company has to follow different rules in different countries to run business Some laws in certain countries may affect the business Deregulation/ Privatisation Increased regulation and privatisation of the industry Its an added advantage as it will give more growth opportunities on economic and technological front Micro Environment External Environment PORTERS Five Forces: The five force model of Porter is an outside-in business unit strategy tool that is used to make an analysis of the attractiveness(value) of an industry structure. Competitive Forces model Porter: Value Based Management website. Available at: http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_porter_five_forces.html ( Accessed on 21 March 2011) Porters Five Force Model: Threat to New Entrants: Factor Level of threat Implication Brand Low Maruti Suzuki has been in the industry for a long time, it commands most of the market share and has a strong brand name. Financial investment Low There is less chance of any new entrant to invest as much as Maruti Suzuki and perform well at the current market. Start up cost of new entrant is low. Competence Low Company shares a respectable market in India, its rare for new entrant to catch up Sales Low New entrants may sell their products at low prices but still Maruti Suzukis strong brand name attracts customers Conclusion: Maruti Suzuki has no or less threats from new entrants, because Maruti has established itself as a well known recognisible brand. It has a huge brand value and gained a good market position than any other player in the market. Threat of Substitutes: Factors Level of threat Implication Substitutes Medium There are many substitutes products but Maruti Suzuki products are efficient and cost effective. Importance of substitutes Medium There are not many products that are very efficient so their importance goes down Cost rate Low There are few substitutes that are efficient or reputable, still Maruti Suzuki has a foot hold in that position Conclusion: Though there are many Substitutes, Maruti Suzuki have gained a niche market position for itself but the product efficency in Maruti Suzuki is a concern. Bargaining power of the customers: Factor Level of threat Implication Quality of the product Medium When people look for high Quality product, price is also considered important. Competition High There are many Automobile Companies competing with Maruti Suzuki are so high in competition Differentiation products Medium Customers always look for new and efficient products Conclusion: Since Maruti Suzuki offers good quality and cost effective products with great services, customers usually dont consider features of the product so the level of threat is normally low when compared with other competitors in the market. Bargaining power of the suppliers Factors Level of threat Implication Price of suppliers Medium Prices of the product goes up as the demand increases. Power of suppliers Low Suppliers have to meet the customers needs to get orders in the future Political issues Medium Political issue are to be met by the suppliers Conclusion: There will be little or less threat as suppliers usually try to keep their customers happy. Competitive Rivalry Factors Level of threat Implication Brand identity High All Competitive companies such as TATA, Hyundai, Ford have good brand reputation in the market Company growth High Tough competition from other companies affect the growth Cost structure Medium Most of the companies maintain their cost of profit accordingly to the other competitors. Conclusion: There are products which may be considered as a competitor to Maruti Suzuki so the competitive rivalry among stores is high MARKET SEGMENTATION Dividing a market into distinct groups of buyers with different needs, characteristics or behaviour, who might require separate products or marketing mixes. Page 391, Principles of Marketing, Written by: Kotler, Philip; Wong, Veronica; Saunders, John; Armstrong, Gary Published by: Pearlson Education UK Published In: 2005 Pub e-EAN/ISBN: 9781405871358 Consumer Market: The variables used in segmenting consumer markets can be broadly grouped into three main classes: Background customer characteristics; Customer attitudes; Customer behaviour; The first two sets of characteristics concern the individuals predisposition to areas, where as the final set concerns actual behaviour in the market place. Page 274: Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning Written By: Hooley, Graham J.; Saunders, John A.; Piercy, Nigel F. Published By: Pearson Education UK in 2004 Segmentation Profile Psychographic Social Single , Married and Teenager Behaviour Outlook Faithfulness Usage rate Common users High faithfulness in the brand Environmentally concerned Product: Maruti Suzuki has a very wide range of products from small passenger cars to varying segments like sport, sedan, luxury. These are flagship product they offer: Maruti 800 Maruti Alto Maruti Alto K10 Maruti Astar Maruti Eeco Maruti Gypsy Maruti Omni Maruti Ritz Maruti SX4 Maruti Dezire Maruti Swift Maruti Grand Vitara Maruti Estilo Competitors Maruti Suzuki now faces stiff competition from about 3 to 4 major competitors in the market. Newly entered U.S auto makers like General Motors, Ford, Hyundai and local companies like Tata, Mahindra Mahindra are the main competitors of Maruti Suzuki. They also have a major portion in market share. High Quality Low Quality Brand Maruti Suzuki has been ranked Indias most Trusted Brand in Automobile Sector for the year 2010 by Indias leading Business newspaper The Economic Times. Maruti Suzuki has its own brand portfolio of about 14 brands (such as 800, AStar, Alto, Omni, Ritz etc) and exclusive brands like Desire, Swift etc Maruti (2011), Maruti Suzuki Ltd website. Available at: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/customer-delight.aspx (Accessed: 22 March 2011) Core Competence Core Competence of Maruti Suzuki is their famous brand value and their reputed products. Being one of the leading manufacturers in automotive industry, it has a strong national presence. INTERNAL AUDIT: Resources Audit: Physical Resource: -Three Production plant in INDIA One plant in New Delhi. Two plants in Gurgoan. Financial Resource: March10 March09 (Cr.) (Cr.) Total income 29,935.40 21,277.00 Expenditure 25,579.80 18,825.70 Operating Profit 3,737.90 1,903.70 EBITDA 4,355.60 2,451.30 EBIT 3,530.60 1,744.80 EBT 3,497.10 1,693.80 Profit and losses of the year 2,402.20 1,236.70 PAT 2,497.60 1,218.70 Dividend: Equity Dividend 173.30 101.10 Equity Dividend (%) 119.93 69.96 Shares in Issue (Lakhs) 2,889.10 2,889.10 EPS Annualized (Rs) 86.45 42.18 Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/maruti-suzuki-indialtd/profitandlose/companyid-11890.cms Differentiation and Capabilities: Here 5Ms can be used to analyze the Differentiation and Capabilities of Maruti Suzuki Limited. Market: Maruti is one of the leading retailer in INDIA and it is also expanding its market by reaching out the Global customer through its Quality of Service and Product. Men (Human resource): Maruti has employee strength of about 7,600 which is an inclusive of Manufacturing division, Marketing, Sales, Service and Customer support as of March 2010. Source: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/about-us.aspx Money: Financial Resource: March10 March09 (Cr.) (Cr.) Total income 29,935.40 21,277.00 Expenditure 25,579.80 18,825.70 Operating Profit 3,737.90 1,903.70 EBITDA 4,355.60 2,451.30 EBIT 3,530.60 1,744.80 EBT 3,497.10 1,693.80 Profit and losses of the year 2,402.20 1,236.70 PAT 2,497.60 1,218.70 Dividend: Equity Dividend 173.30 101.10 Equity Dividend (%) 119.93 69.96 Shares in Issue (Lakhs) 2,889.10 2,889.10 EPS Annualized (Rs) 86.45 42.18 Machines: Physical Resource: -Three Production plant in INDIA One plant in New Delhi. Two plants in Gurgoan. Materials: Has strong presence in materials like Metals for the frames, copper in the electrical wiring, aluminum for the radiator and platinum, palladium and rhodium in the catalytic converter, Glass, Plastic, Rubber for tiers and lead is used in the battery. SWOT ANALYSIS: A SWOT analysis gives a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the company together with the opportunities and threats it faces. Referred from: Principles of Marketing, Written By: Kotler, Philip; Wong, Veronica; Saunders, John; Armstrong, Gary. Published By: Pearson Education UK, Published In: 2005 MIL EAN/ISBN: 9786610601332 Pub e-EAN/ISBN: 9781405871358 STRENGTHS: Strengths High Brand Loyalty Strong financial resources Leading in niche market Larger investment Level of implication High High Low High B) WEAKNESS: Weakness High operation cost Threat from competitors Level of implication Medium High C) OPPURTUNITIES: Opportunities Market for all class people Support for Sports Model Internet sales Level of implication High Medium Medium D) THREATS: Threats Strong competition Decrease in sales Level of implication High Medium Conclusion: The strength of the organization lies in high quality products and the companys good financial resources. Though they do not have a particularly well suited market for their product, still they invest more on their products which is one of the strengths of Maruti. The weakness of Maruti lies in their high operations cost and the threat from the competitors. Maruti has to focus on the areas of product design and quick service to the customers. The Threat lies in the Strong competition and the increase in the sale of the products due to the competition. 7) MARKETING PLAN Ten steps to documenting your plan Begin with certain inevitable preliminaries (contents, contacts, definitions). Provide an executive summary. Set the scene by describing the business. Review the market, your competition and your market positioning. Explain your vision, mission and objectives. Describe your strategy. Explain your plans for developing your products and/or services. Set out your financial projections. Highlight the risks and opportunities. Reach a conclusion. Referred by: Definitive Business Plan, The: The Fast-Track to Intelligent Business Planning for Executives and Entrepreneurs. Written By: Stutely, Richard, Published By: Pearson Education UK, Published In: 2007 MIL EAN/ISBN: 9786611157036 Pub e-EAN/ISBN: 9781405893978 7.1) COMPANYS OBJECTIVES: Short term( 1 year) Long term (2-4 years) Increase the sale of high quality cars Space and product extension Increase the productivity To expand the business in various countries. To build high range of Sports car To build the world cheapest car. 7.2) STRATEGIES: Maruti has a clear strategy to increase the profit and grow in market share. The company has to plan, to achieve this by increase the sale with the existing customer, attract the new customers and moving into the new market. They have also planned to enhance the offers available through the companys website. And the company has decided to expand the business in different parts of the world with cost effective to sustain in the competitive world. 7.3) MARKETING MIX: PRODUCT: Product is an important term in business, where all company will produce product with better quality, but Maruti is concerned to produce products according to the demands of the customers, to make more efficient and effective in terms of fulfilling the customer needs. PRICE: Maruti have high price for premium products and for Sports model, where there is a range of products or services the pricing reflect the benefits of parts of the range. They also use value pricing during the times of recession and increased competition. Maruti also produces the low price products to attract the customers and for both upper middle class and middle class people. PROMOTION: The endorsement is with simple video . Making customer comfortable through test drive. Targeting people of all class. PEOPLE: Introducing services in a way that suits all range of peoples. They attract people using good promotion and retain the customers with good customer service and support. PLACE: Maruti Suzuki had 802 dealerships across 555 towns and cities in India. It has 906 dealer workshops and 1,834 Maruti Authorised Service Stations in 1,335 towns and cities. It has 30 Express Service Stations on 30 National Highways across 1,314 cities in India. 8) BUDGET BREAKDOWN: Countrys largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said it would consider taking different measures after April to protect its margins due to fluctuation in Japanese Yen, post the devastating earthquake and tsunami. For this month, we are completely protected. In fact, we are covered till April. Beyond that if Yen continues to appreciate, then we will have to take a call to counter it, MSI chief financial officer Ajay Seth said. The companys margins are affected whenever the yen appreciates, while it is beneficial if it depreciates. After the natural disaster that struck the island nation on March 11, the Japanese currency is quoted at about 81 yen against a US dollar compared to that of about 83 yen earlier. There is strong volatility going on at present, with yen appreciating as much as to 76 yen against a dollar recently. Market analysts pointed out that currency hedging is a strong possibility. Usually, Maruti hedges yen against the euro instead of rupee to mitigate the impact, an analyst with a leading brokerage firm, who asked not to be identified, said. On the component sourcing from Japan: Of our total raw material procurement, about 25 per cent are imported. Out of those imported parts, about 80 per cent are purchased in yen. During the October-December period last year, MSI spent Rs 6,959.03 crore in consumption of raw materials and components. It also paid Rs 460 crore as royalty in the quarter to its parent company Suzuki, which is about 5.5 per cent of MSIs total sales. The impact of Japans natural disaster on MSIs production, it will remain unaffected for some time till next month as the company has enough inventory of components. Besides the stock at the plants, getting some supplies, which will reach from Japan that started sailing just before the earthquake. Last week, the company had said it was assessing the possible impact of the natural calamity on its components import from Japan. Earlier, MSI had cancelled the celebrations for rolling out its 1,00,00,000th car in view of the catastrophe. Shares of MSI were trading at Rs 1,170.05 on the Bombay Stock Exchange during late afternoon trade, up 3.42 per cent from its previous close. SOURCE: http://profit.ndtv.com/news/show/maruti-gears-up-to-counter-yen-impact-on-margins-145852?pfrom=home-Business Biblography http://www.whatmakesagoodleader.com/macro-environment-analysis.html

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Charles Dickens :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Charles Dickens Charles Dickens, a nineteenth century writer, tells a story about a young boy in England and the adventures that happen to him. In reading the book the reader becomes entwined in the plot by Dickens^Ã’s expert writing and style. Using different scenes and scenarios, Dickens displays his characters' personality in a way the few other writers could. In the book Oliver Twist, Dickens uses different events that happen around Oliver instead letting Oliver decide his own fate. In the book, other characters determine Oliver^Ã’s path in life, and Oliver is the subject around which the story revolves. The accidents in the story give depth to Oliver and add depth to the story that increases elements of mystery and suspense. In the beginning of the book, Mrs. Thingummy is helping Oliver^Ã’s mother give birth to the young child. Mrs. Thingummy takes charge of Oliver^Ã’s life just as he is born by stealing Oliver^Ã’s only link with his father, his mother^Ã’s husband. Stealing the mother^Ã’s ring also commits Oliver to a life of lower social status because of his supposed illegitimacy. Oliver moves to the dark forces in the book when he starts with absolutely nothing from his very birth. The sides of good and evil, light and dark respectively, are also devices used by Dickens to display different sides of the social coin in England. Accidents tie in closely with this device because it is by accident that Oliver transferres to one side or another. After spending time in the dark forces, Oliver then switches back to the light side by a run in with Mr. Brownlow, a compassionate citizen who pities Oliver and later takes care of him. Of all the people that Oliver could run into Mr. Brownlow happens to be one of those people who Oliver desperately needed and who could and would provide for Oliver. In another example of an accident, and a shift back into the dark forces, Oliver happens to make a wrong turn and end up in the hands of a band of crooks who earlier had taken possession of Oliver. By chance the appropriate person was in the alley that Oliver, by chance, walked into when he was passing through the city of London. In the last transition of chance, Oliver is caught breaking and entering into a house that the band of crooks intends to pillage. This house contains another compassionate and tender character that becomes like a mother to Oliver. Luckily, and by chance, the shot that one of the

The Impact of Digital Media on Consumer Spending Essay examples -- Con

The impact of digital media on consumer spending has had a positive and negative impact on the average consumer. While digital media has opened up new businesses and career fields, simultaneously it has closed and decimated traditional â€Å"brick and mortar† establishments, decreasing the need for sales professionals. Many years prior to the affordability of personal computers in the 1980s, consumers were hunter-gatherers, whereas their actual jobs were hunting and gathering food for everyday subsistence. Once humankind evolved, trading and bartering came into play along with an increased level of occupational specialization. As the world population increased, natural resources decreased, innovation and transportation systems improved, and trade became the vehicle for survival and wealth building. Fast forward to present day, and we can see three major impacts digital media has had on consumer spending, the ease of accessibility for the consumer, the financial benefit to the online retailer, and the impact to the traditional â€Å"brick and mortar† establishments. Seeing that we are becoming more of a sedentary society, ease of accessibility is critical in the influencing consumers spending habits. Fast food restaurants, microwave foodstuffs, and â€Å"instant† products all have one major advantage to the consumer†¦they save time. Consumers spend an average of 8.6 hours working per day (Labor), therefore with only 24-hours in the day; any product or process that can save precious minutes could be destined for success. Online shopping is only a few clicks away, and the product you select will be at your doorstep in a relatively short period. Additionally, with internet accessibility, consumers spend less time and resources researching products... ...rt journey towards insolvency. Works Cited Internet Retailer, Portal to E-commerce Intelligence. (2012). Trends and Data, Consumers. Chicago, IL: Retrieved from http://www.internetretailer.com/trends/consumers/ Internet Retailer, Portal to E-commerce Intelligence. (2012). Trends and Data, Sales. Chicago, IL: Retrieved from http://www.internetretailer.com/trends/sales/ United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2011). American Time Use Survey. Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/tus/charts/ Hubbard, R. G., & O’Brien, A. P. (2010). Macroeconomics. (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. United States Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, and International Trade Administration; Advocacy-funded research by Kathryn Kobe (2007). Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs299.pdf The Impact of Digital Media on Consumer Spending Essay examples -- Con The impact of digital media on consumer spending has had a positive and negative impact on the average consumer. While digital media has opened up new businesses and career fields, simultaneously it has closed and decimated traditional â€Å"brick and mortar† establishments, decreasing the need for sales professionals. Many years prior to the affordability of personal computers in the 1980s, consumers were hunter-gatherers, whereas their actual jobs were hunting and gathering food for everyday subsistence. Once humankind evolved, trading and bartering came into play along with an increased level of occupational specialization. As the world population increased, natural resources decreased, innovation and transportation systems improved, and trade became the vehicle for survival and wealth building. Fast forward to present day, and we can see three major impacts digital media has had on consumer spending, the ease of accessibility for the consumer, the financial benefit to the online retailer, and the impact to the traditional â€Å"brick and mortar† establishments. Seeing that we are becoming more of a sedentary society, ease of accessibility is critical in the influencing consumers spending habits. Fast food restaurants, microwave foodstuffs, and â€Å"instant† products all have one major advantage to the consumer†¦they save time. Consumers spend an average of 8.6 hours working per day (Labor), therefore with only 24-hours in the day; any product or process that can save precious minutes could be destined for success. Online shopping is only a few clicks away, and the product you select will be at your doorstep in a relatively short period. Additionally, with internet accessibility, consumers spend less time and resources researching products... ...rt journey towards insolvency. Works Cited Internet Retailer, Portal to E-commerce Intelligence. (2012). Trends and Data, Consumers. Chicago, IL: Retrieved from http://www.internetretailer.com/trends/consumers/ Internet Retailer, Portal to E-commerce Intelligence. (2012). Trends and Data, Sales. Chicago, IL: Retrieved from http://www.internetretailer.com/trends/sales/ United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2011). American Time Use Survey. Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/tus/charts/ Hubbard, R. G., & O’Brien, A. P. (2010). Macroeconomics. (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. United States Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, and International Trade Administration; Advocacy-funded research by Kathryn Kobe (2007). Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs299.pdf

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Fgm: Female Genital Mutilation :: essays research papers

FGM: Female Genital Mutilation Female genital mutilation has been practiced in country's around the world for thousands of years, and will continue to be practiced, until those that practice it decide to stop. Many people who live in country's that are more industrialized, like the U.S.A., tend to think that no ones believes on right and wrong is correct, except their own. That is what comes up in conversation about FGM. Personally, I am not pro-FGM when it comes to its practice. However, I believe people who want to practice it, should be allowed to, without a bunch of "activists against the practice of FGM" telling them to stop, or even "informing" them about the potential health risks. The reason I am against even explaining the health risks to the people that practice this is, because whenever you have people that believe enough in something to base their entire life around it, there is nothing you can do or say that will get them to change; it would be like talking to a wall. They will only change when the people themselves that live by these traditions get fed up with all the side-effects caused by the practice of FGM. It is every person and community's right to decide for themselves, without the intervention of outsiders, to decide to do whatever they want to do to their bodies and minds. I know, "these women that are being circumcised, aren't freely deciding on this to be done to them, they don't know any better, they've been brainwashed". I have two responses to this. The first is, if they have grown up in this culture all their lives, and this procedure has been done to their mothers, sisters, great grandmothers, etc. on the fear that if it is not done, something tearable will happen, there is no way they would not want it done; no matter how much pain it causes, and besides those that are able to break away from the thought of why it must be done, will do so with or without the help of outsiders. But if they're that committed to the tradition, they will change for no one. The second point is, when you decide you are going to educate these people about how their traditions are wrong and unhealthy, that is saying you know better. You may think they are stupid for preforming FGM, but you must remember, they think you are just as stupid for not performing it. Perhaps, these people that perform FGM have philosophy classes too, where they

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

History 7a Mid- Term Essay

The Era of Exploration witnessed the rapid political, economic, and social intrusion of Europe into the New World. Between the 15th and 17th Centuries several countries influenced the developement of the Americas. Select the most successful and infleuntial colony and compare it with another European Colonial structure. Be sure to include historical themes in your written argument. 3. The key to the colonial, structure of the United States in firmly established in 17th Century England. In reality, the foudation of the United States is a reflection of this country. Trace the economic/political/cultural influences of Britain on our colonial structure. In your a nswer include important individuals, governmental structures,events, social policies and historical themes. 4. Analzye and contrast the historical development of the Southern Colonies 1603- 1783. In your answer, include historical themes, reasons for colonial impementation, regional development, economic structure, religious importance or lack of it, the instittution of Slavery and the ramifications of these colnies on the development of the United States. 5. New England is the mother culture of Modern United States. Analyze thsis statement by describing the Colonial Foudation of, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire 1620-1783. How have their histories infleunced the development of contemporary United States? How have these areas impacted our society’s

Monday, September 16, 2019

Reaping the Whirlwind Essay

Fighting human rights is a long and complicated process and â€Å"Reaping the Whirlwind† by Robert J. Norwell is a classical work, in which the author traces the development of human rights movement in one of the cities of American South – Tuskegee, Alabama, specially concentrating on the rights of black-skinned community. The book gathers unique aspects of this region, as well as attempts to link them to national and global human rights development. Norwell is perhaps the best person to write such a book as he is a native of Alabama and holds a PhD degree on history. Norwell takes the reader from 1880-s to 1960-s, telling the story of Tuskegee Institute and it’s principal Booker T. Washington (1856-1915). Tuskegee appeared to be an outstanding example of human rights development. The local Afro-American community appeared to be educated and professional enough to promote their interests, including the ones in education, to overcome the position of conservative white officials. Norwell pays attention to both successes and disappointments of human rights movement in Tuskegee. The key idea of the book, is that in Tuskegee the black population managed to realize their own idea of harmony with the white Americans. In the later chapters Norwell concentrates on further development of the situation and describes how reality stepped away from accommodationalist views of Washington. Those ideas, which have been created in a small closed society were adapted by the rest and became essential for the whole nation. Human rights were won not only by legal and judicial means but also by persuasion, harsh disputes and even fighting opened violence. The book demonstrates how declared rights of African Americans gradually became factual and true. The first edition of the book ended in 1960, however in later editions Norwell updated the last chapter and briefly told of the latest development of human rights on the South from 1960-s until now. Norwell supposes, that Washington’s care of Afro-American activists created a base for human rights to flourish after World War II, because he managed to prepare enough leaders for the movement. Finally he concludes, that Washington should be more likely called a father of human rights movement than DuBois. In total the book is well written and quite easy to read. It is written for both those, who are interested in the subject and those, who require professional knowledge in the field of human rights development of the South. The book gives a picture of real struggles around human rights, which are often different from romantism of martin Luther.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Persuasive research paper Essay

Everyday as we commute down the road we see motorcyclist drive past us. What is the one thing that we can all agree individuals riding motorcycles have in common? It is not a trick question. The answer is very simple; they all share the commonality of riding a motorcycle. What is in fact is very distinct however, are the choices of attire when operating their motorcycle. Some individuals are brave enough to wear shorts, tank tops, and sandals. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have some of the wiser ones that chose to wear a helmet, gloves, protective jacket, eye protection etc. Why the distinct difference? The fact is that a great percentage of riders refuse to wear the proper protective equipment. Due to an increase in motorcycle riders within the recent years, a national protocol requiring certain equipment, such as a helmet, to be worn when riding a motorcycle should be instituted. There are many contributing factors to motorcycle fatalities, however there can be a culture of change, specially with the proper knowledge on how each piece of safety equipment can help at preventing injury or death Every year that passes by, notice that more and more motorcycle share the road with our  automobile drivers. We might wonder why there has been a shift in choice of transportation. Is this a trend or fad that the population is going through? According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, â€Å"National data from 1976 to 2012 suggest that motorcyclist fatalities track motorcycle registrations quite closely and that registrations track inflation-adjusted gasoline prices. If the economy continues to improve and gasoline prices remain high, then motorcycle 1 Tenorio registrations, travel, and fatalities will continue to rise unless active measures are taken†. (Hedlund). Not only do we think there are more motorcycle riders on the road, they have proven this to be true. Motorcycles are generally more fuel-efficient than cars, making them a very good alternative mode of transportation when gas prices stay at a consistent high price. It is basic mathematics; if there are more motorcycles there is more individuals susceptible to accidents. Additionally, they have proven that motorcycles are more apt to be involved in a motor vehicle accident than any other vehicle. Data collected in 2007 proved that per vehicle mile driven,motorcyclist were approximately 37 times more apt to die in a motor vehicle accident and nine times more probable to be injured in an accident. They also researched the ability of a helmet to protect against fatal injuries in motorcycle accidents. NHTSA estimates that helmets saved the lives of 1,829 motorcyclists in 2008. If all motorcyclists had worn helmets, an additional 823 lives could have been saved. (Motorcycles: Traffic Safety Facts – 2008 Data). As motorcycles become more abundant, it is imperative that we reduce the probability of death as much as  possible. As proven above, helmet wear can be a life or death-determining factor. You can force motorcycle operators to wear helmets by implementing laws, but the combination of alcohol and motorcycle operation can have a devastating impact despite helmet wear. When operating a motorcycle an operator needs all of their senses at full capacity. Alcohol is central nervous system suppressant substance, causing you body to have a reduced reaction time when the situation arises. The reported helmet use rate for motorcycle riders with BAC levels higher than  the legal limit killed in traffic crashes was 46 percent, compared with 66 percent for those with no alcohol (Motorcycles: Traffic Safety Facts – 2008 Data). Not only does alcohol reduce reaction times, it also has an impact on your ability to make rational decisions. It makes individuals push the limits of their motorcycle and their riding ability to levels they normally 2 Tenorio would not, and the majority of the time while not wearing the equipment they should. In 2011, the NHTSA calculated 4,323 motorcyclists were killed, and 33% (1426) of the riders were under  the influence of alcohol (Watson). How can the country as a whole help reduce the amount of fatalities we currently have due to motorcycle accidents? It is not a very simple answer. It would require involvement from both the people and the government to make this happen. One way the government can aid in the reduction of motorcycle fatalities is through the implementation of regulations, which require and enforce the wear or motorcycle protective equipment. Dating back to 1966 the government tried to impose the requirement of helmet wear by the states. They tried to do this by threatening with the reduction of federal-aid highway construction funds for the states that did not comply with the implementation of universal helmet use law by 1967. By 1975 all but 3 states had adopted and implemented such laws. Unfortunately the Supreme Court deemed this law unconstitutional. Shortly after revoking the Act, states gradually began to weaken helmet wear laws, since it was no longer a federal requirement (Helmet Laws). Much like seat belt laws have been implemented across the majority of the states due to increased survivability rate when  involved in an accident, the wear of helmets when operating a motorcycle should be mandated. The responsibility should not only be weighted only on the federal and state governments, individuals should take responsibility also. Many non-profit organizations work diligently to tray and raise motorcycle safety awareness with thinks like bumper stickers, fund-raising rides, and bike meets. Additionally insurance companies have aided in the increased awareness by handing out information pamphlets at locations like Bike Week in Daytona Beach. Another factor that  aids in the reduction of motorcycle fatalities is proper operation education. Florida is one of many states that require the operator to take a Motorcycle Basic Riders course in order to be able 3 Tenorio to receive the motorcycle endorsement on their licenses. Without this endorsement you cannot legally operate a motorcycle. With this course even people that have never been on a motorcycle can learn the basic in order to operate it on the roads. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) offers motorcycle rider education and training programs and courses, and supports governmental  programs by participating in research and public awareness campaigns and providing technical assistance to state training and licensing programs (Morris). The Department of Defense, more specifically the United States Air Force, uses courses from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation to teach the military riders how to operate a motorcycle. In order for an individual to operate a motorcycle they have to complete the basic riders course. Within one year of the completion of the initial course they are required to complete an intermediate course such as the basic riders  course 2, advanced riders course, or the sport bikes handling course. Once these two requirements are complete, they are required to do refresher training every five years. In addition to the training, the department of defense requires all members, military and civilian, to wear protective equipment while driving on any DOD installation. That protective equipment consists of: helmet, gloves, durable over the ankle footwear, long sleeve shirt or jacket, long durable pants, and eye protection. If not properly equipped, individuals are not allowed to enter the installation. If the DOD is doing this to help keep the members of the military community safe, why shouldn’t the rest of the country follow in those footsteps? When we think motorcycle safety, 90 percent of the time the first image that comes to mind is a helmet, as it should. The helmet is the single-handedly the most important piece of safety equipment that a motorcycle rider shouldn’t go without. However, there are many other rider protective equipment components that play a vital role in the safety of the person. Between 2001 and 2008, more than 34,000 motorcyclists were killed and an estimated 1,222,000 persons. 4 Tenorio were treated in a U. S. emergency department for a non-fatal motorcycle-related injury (Motorcycle Crash-Related Data). This data supports the thought process that even though helmets are crucial at protecting against head injuries, there are many other portions of the body that are at harms way if not properly covered. 75 percent of the non-fatal emergency room visits involved parts other than the head. The other attire that might contribute to a safer ride includes, but not limited to, long durable pants, durable top, gloves, durable over-the-ankle footwear, and reflective equipment. Despite that it will probably never be deemed mandatory to wear these items, it is important for riders everywhere to understand the devastating effects an accident can have on their bodies when choosing not to wear the proper gear. There is a common misconception that the gear makes the ride more uncomfortable and, it is believed that it makes it more difficult to operate and maneuver the motorcycle. That is a myth! Properly fitted helmets of decent quality not only will it protect your head, but also a full-faced helmet will make for a more comfortable ride. The helmet does this by preventing foreign objects and debris from  constantly hitting the riders face, and most importantly from landing in the eye. Gloves that fit snug the hand will protect it from road rash in the event that you make contact with the pavement and it also improves handgrip with the handlebars aiding with better handling. There are gloves out on the market that have additional padding in the palm of the hand, to help with comfort and provide support and a barrier in the event of a fall. The same concept can be applied to footwear. It is unbelievable that there are people out there that would ride a bike in flip-flops and think it is comfortable. Not only does it not protect the appendages, but also it makes it harder to control the bike. When choosing footwear you have to find a medium between protection and comfort. Wear something that provides the proper amount of protection but does not hinder your ability to control or maneuver the motorcycle. 5 Tenorio Choosing comfort over safety should never be an option. More specifically when you are talking about the portion of your body that controls all bodily functions. With the implementation and enforcement of a universal helmet law, the fatality rate of motorcycle accidents would  decrease. In the past the universal helmet law failed. With that in mind, we can learn from our mistakes and see trough an effective and legal legislation. The ultimate goal is not to interfere with he rights of individuals, but to help protect the citizens so they can continue to enjoy the freedoms we have in the United States. The amount of information revolving around motorcycle safety out for public access is almost overwhelming. Therefore, there shouldn’t be an excuse why people refuse to wear gear that will only help protect them and their bodies from the dangers of riding a motorcycle. Works Cited 6 Tenorio Hedlund, James. â€Å"Spotlight on Highway Safety. † Motorcyclist Traffic Fatalities by State: 2012 Preliminary Data. Governors Highway Safety Association, 1 Apr. 2013. Web. 09 July 2014. â€Å"Helmet Laws. † State Motorcycle and Bicycle. Governors Highway Safety Association, 1 July 2014. Web. 06 July 2014. Morris, C. C. , Ph. D. â€Å"Motorcycle Trends in the United States | Bureau of Transportation Statistics. † Motorcycle Trends in the United States | Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Bureau If Transportation Statistics, 14 May 2009. Web. 07 July 2014. â€Å"Motorcycle Crash-Related Data. † Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 June 2012. Web. 06 July 2014. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Motorcycles: Traffic Safety Facts – 2008 Data (2008): 1-6. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 1 Dec. 2008. Web. 22 June 2014. Watson, Tim. â€Å"What The Latest NHTSA Fatality Stats Reveal About Motorcycle Safety. † Ride Apart RSS2. Ride Apart, 29 May 2013. Web. 09 July 2014. Workman, Danny. â€Å"Deadly Motorcycle Accident Statistics. † Examiner. com. The Examiner, 28 May 2009. Web. 09 July 2014. 7.