The History, Effect, and Cost of Drug Trafficking on Society Research Paper Example

The History, Effect, and Cost of Drug Trafficking on Society Paper When one hears the term drug trafficking, the image of guns, goons, and gold immediately enter the imagination. This is the image portrayed in Hollywood films regarding the trade and it carries a semblance of truth. Drug trafficking does have varied meanings though. I could mean the illegal smuggling of drugs from one country to another or the illegal sale of a controlled substance. In truth, the word carries a more intricate and expansive meaning. Drug trafficking covers the manufacture, sale, as well as the importation and exportation the illegal or controlled substances between national borders or countries. These are the areas covered by the national agencies of various countries enjoined in the fight to end global drug trafficking. Drug trafficking is a multi billion dollar industry that covers the entire globe. There is no possibility of totally eradicating a problem that has the all the nations in the world cooperating in a concerted effort to end the drug trade. It is an admitted fact that drugs are an important part of the evolution and lengthening of mans life. All prescription and over the counter drugs are regulated by government screening agencies in order to protect the patients, it is this protection that disappears when illegal drugs are bought and sold in the drug market. We even have legal yet harmless drugs such as caffeine readily available for that instant buzz when we need it anywhere in the world. In order to understand how and why the problem of drug trafficking has gotten out of hand, we must first understand the history of the problem. Some of the earliest recorded historical data on legalized drug trafficking can be traced back to 19th century Britain. We will write a custom essay sample on The History, Effect, and Cost of Drug Trafficking on Society specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The History, Effect, and Cost of Drug Trafficking on Society specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The History, Effect, and Cost of Drug Trafficking on Society specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This was a time in their history when they used Opium as a trading commodity with China. In exchange for Opium, the Chinese would give them tea and silk. By the 20th century, certain countries, such as the United States, and again, Great Britain, redefined their positions on drug use although it still had not evolved into the definition as we know it to be today. From this point on, the international drug trade began its evolution into the system that we recognize today with its fastest changes happening between 1970-1980. Due to the vast network of the drug trade and various monetary denominations used in paying for it, it is really impossible to have a definite declaration as to how much is really involved in this type of trading. It is, however, safe to assume that it is a multi-billion dollar industry spanning the globe. Illegal drugs are mostly developed in the third world countries and exported under the cover of darkness to the more developed counterparts for distribution. An example of this scenario would be drugs developed in Mexico and other Latin American countries like Costa Rica, would find its way into the United States. Due to the complexity of the global drug cartel, drug trafficking has become a problem that each country affected by the problem deals with on a country to country basis. This has been the situation for some time now because of the way countries view their drug problem. To quote an article from Parliamentary Information and Research service (Library of Parliament, 2003) A number of politicians in Latin America and elsewhere have argued that close international cooperation to address the drug trade would endanger national â€Å"sovereignty. † Because Europeans have long claimed that most drugs were only â€Å"passing through,† stopping the traffic was given a low priority. The United States considers itself the victim country in this scenario. This is why the country has always tried to set the path towards dealing with the problem. This is usually accomplished using bilateral agreements between nations. In their report for the Parliamentary Information and Research Service titled Illegal Drugs and Trafficking, authors Diane Leduc and James Lee (Leduc Lee. 2002) both noted that as of February 2002, President Bush had unveiled a new National Drug Control Strategy, based on three core principles: (1) stopping drug use before it starts; (2) healing America’s drug users; and (3) disrupting the market [for illegal drugs]. They further say that this strategy was set into motion in order to emphasize a balance between supply and demand reduction efforts. † Meaning that the U. S. will try to reduce the demand for drugs by preventing its entry and providing treatment for existing addicts while concentrating on stopping the inflow of the drugs into the country. The United Nations itself has been at the forefront of addressing the problem of drug trafficking by enacting various anti drug trafficking agreements since the 1960s. The founding of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control (UNFDAC) in 1971, with the support of United States, Germany, Sweden and Norway. Before World War II became a major battle, the United States saw its first battle when there was a surge of a drug epidemic at the start of the 20th century. This caused the government to take action by instructing domestic law enforcement to prevent the spread of opium and coca crops throughout the states. Due to the turbulent times during the sixties, the youth of that generation began dabbling in drugs like marijuana, amphetamines, and psychedelics. Due to the rising levels of drug use and emergence of new designer drugs like cocaine and crack, a drug culture came to being and in 1973 the creation of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration hoped to squash this underground society that dwelled on substance abuse. The mission objective of this agency was to enforce federal drug laws. The DEA as the agency came to known has had to face challenge after challenge in its quest to end drug trafficking. Drug trafficking has evolved into an arm of organized crime backed before by American criminals, into organizations that take their orders from overseas bosses who have a finger in the drug trade in the United States. The United States faces the biggest problem in dealing with the problem of drug trafficking due to the problem they have when it comes to protecting the border from Mexico. According to the statement made by DEA Administrator Donnie R. Marshall before the U. S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime (DEA Statement, 2001) dated March 29, 2001 Illicit drugs are smuggled in record levels into the United States via the 2,000-mile U. S. /Mexico border. Over the past few years, Mexican based trafficking organizations have succeeded in establishing themselves as the preeminent poly-drug traffickers of the world, using our shared border to smuggle illicit drugs into the United States. These organizations present an increasing threat to the national security of this country, with voluminous amount of drugs, violent crime, and the associated corruption of public officials in Mexico. Mexico is the largest transshipment point of South American cocaine destined for the United States, and 65% of this cocaine reaches American cities via the U. S. /Mexico border. Mexico also remains a major source country for heroin and marijuana, and many of these Mexican based trafficking organizations are utilized by Colombian Cartels to transship drugs destined for the United States. It is difficult to control the entrance of illegal drugs into the country because the drug traffickers can camouflage their illegal substances in any of the container loads legally entering the country. There are various ways that drug traffickers can use in order to get their drugs into the country. According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA, 2004) Criminal groups operating from South America smuggle cocaine and heroin into the United States via a variety of routes, including land routes through Mexico, maritime routes along Mexicos east and west coasts, sea routes through the Caribbean, and international air corridors. Furthermore, criminal groups operating from neighboring Mexico smuggle cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, amphetamine, and marijuana into the United States. These criminal groups have smuggled heroin and marijuana across the Southwest Border and distributed them throughout the United States since the 1970s. In addition to distributing cocaine and methamphetamine in the West and Midwest, these Mexico-based groups now are attempting to expand the distribution of those drugs into eastern U. S. markets. Drugs manufactured in Western Europe such as Ecstasy get smuggled in via carriers on commercial flights or courier services. New York City is also a well-known distribution hub for drugs coming from Southeast and Southwest Asia. There is also a domestic drug developing market within the United States that produces marijuana, methamphetamine, PCP, and LSD. These backyard traffickers usually cater to the less moneyed high school and college crowds. In areas where drug use is rampant, such as the smaller cities and suburbs, there is an equivalent rise in criminal activities of the youth in that sector. It is believed that 65 % of cocaine orders get smuggled into the United States via the U. S. Mexico border. This supply is usually sourced from Colombia, the country that controls the supply of cocaine worldwide and has the capability to move the product by any means necessary. The Colombian cartel directly runs their US operations through a vast network of connections that sometimes include money laundering. The Colombian dealers have seemingly increased their confidence and support for their Mexican counterparts though and have, over some time, allowed Mexican cartels to make their presence felt in the drug trafficking world, specifically, in the United States. Basically though, the Colombians and Mexicans have divided their drug trafficking kingdom in the United States as they realized that by dividing the market, they lessened the danger of being discovered through their financial dealings with their distributors. Colombia now controls the eastern seaboard composed of Boston, Miami, Newark, New York, and Philadelphia. On the other side, Mexico controls the western and midwestern United States composed of Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle. According to research by Turning Point, a social care organization featured in the article Hunting Britains Mister Cocaine, written by Tim Bouquet (Boquet, 2007) , In Colombia one kilo of Coca leaves costs a shade over $2. Turned into Cocaine it costs $2000 a kilogram. In Asia one gram of crack in the streets retails for about $120-200. The street name for Cocaine is Crack, taken from the sound the substance makes once it is smoked. It leaves users with an immediate but short-lived high. Users try to extend the high by using more of the drug in increasing amounts until the addiction becomes an uncontrollable urge. Of all the drugs in the streets of the United States, the illegal substance whose propagation has become harder and harder to control over the decades has to be Cocaine. This is because of the entrance of the Dominican drug traffickers into the market with the support of their Colombian counterparts. Street-level distribution of that specific drug is solely the Colombian cartels area. This cartel is proven to be controlling mostly the areas from New England to New York City with the Mexicans being the moving force behind the regular supply transported to New York since the 1990s. Exactly how much does Cocaine cost? Mexico is slowly coming into its own as a country with its own organized crime syndicates. Their drug cartels are regularly gaining more responsibility for the drug trafficking trade into the U. S. as their Colombian counterparts slowly shy away from the U. S. market. The reason for the shift is believed to be the law passed in 1997 by the Colombian National Assembly that imposes repercussions such as the prospect of extradition for overt acts committed on or after the date (December 17, 1997) that the extradition amendment went into effect. With that law in place in their own country, the Colombian drug cartel had to hedge their bets and let someone else take over the market for them. The drug cartels now faced the reality that they had to lessen the chances of the U. S. government gathering any evidences against them that could support an extradition request on the part of the United States government. I am sure that by now, you are already wondering as to how the cocaine manages to make it into the United States then. The travel of cocaine from Columbia to the United States all starts at the Eastern Pacific Ocean. An estimation by various law enforcement agencies in the United States indicates that about 65 % of Cocaine passes through the Central American Mexico border via fishing ships in the area of the Eastern Pacific. The route used is most likely Columbia Mexico or Yucatan Peninsula. There are also some minor routes that can be used which pass through Caribbean; Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. Haiti is also a fast growing drug trafficking area due to the unsecured political and social situation that exists in the country and continues to get worse every day. Usually though, Haiti serves as a mid shipment point for any cocaine heading for the eastern markets in the United States. Aside from Haiti, other growing threats to the drug trafficking trade and route are the Jamaicans, whose primary market are the Canadian, European, and a portion of the U. S. market. With all of these known facts, one will be led to ponder the question, What can we as a people or as a government do to end drug trafficking in our country? This is a cliche but it is the sad truth that pertains to drug trafficking, ending drug trafficking is easier said than done. This is not to say though that the government of the Unites States has not taken steps to try to lessen, if not eradicate the drug trafficking on American shores.

Data Mining in CRM Framework Essay

Data Mining in CRM Framework Essay Data Mining in CRM Framework Management Essay Data Mining in CRM Framework Management Essay Data mining can be used to enhance customer relation management. The technique can be used to identify the trends in key business indicators. To do this, the customers will be classified into several clusters using the RFM model in order to identify high value customers. Data mining will be undertaken through association rules algorithms. Data Mining in CRM Framework for a Health Insurance Company We will thereafter measure the similarity, differences and modified differences for the mined data and base them into three sets, that is, emerging pattern rule, the unexpected change rule and added rule. We will utilize matching rule thresholds to derive all the types of possible rules and further explore the rules that exhibit significant change based on the degree of change under measurement. Current paper shall utilize data mining techniques to discover the spending patterns and the prevailing trends of behavior change. It will help the management to identify the potential changes in customer preferences. Identifying customer trends will help the company in decision making especially with regard to the policy preferred by the customers or will offer crucial insights with regard to the possible changes to policies, or the introduction of new product or services in line with the customer preferences identified through the data mining process. Data mining is a computational process aimed at discovering the prevailing patterns from large data set. This approach is very vital in analyzing critical activities for a firm based on the data available from various sources. This project seeks to analyze data mining applications in customer relations management specifically for health insurance company (Rai, 6). Rationale for Choosing the Topic Customer relation management is a management technique that utilizes company’s data banks to identify the preferences exhibited by their customers. This enables companies to better offer services by aligning their product offering to the customer preferences. For instance,health insurance company can utilize data mining techniques to identify key trends such as customer’s preferred insurance policy among other trends. Identifying this crucial trend is critical to a company’s survival. Selling insurance policy is the main business for insurance companies. Therefore, identifying the right insurance policies is directly influential to company survival. This, therefore, necessitates that clear customer relation management strategies are designed (Levy 6). Numerous research findings have shown that utilizing company data banks by deducing critical information about customers and identifying the underlying trends using classification algorithms and other data mining te chniques is the best technique to manage the existing and or prospecting customers. Problem Statement This paper seeks to identify key customer trends in health care insurance company. Specifically, the paper will use data mining techniques to identify preferred insurance policy and customer spending patterns. Further, the paper will show how health insurance company can utilize information obtained through data mining techniques to enhance customer relation management. Finally, the paper will show how this process can be used to ensure the company, not just survives but also succeeds. Customer Relationship Management Customer relation management is a strategy of customer management that integrates data from sales, marketing and other services. The strategy makes use of procedures and technology to help companies understand their customers better. In addition, the available information can be used to show the customer from different perspectives. Rai (4) identified customer relationship management as a customer centric approach that can help identify customer lifecycle. Rai (34) argued that is the best approach that a company can engage in order to retain customers and achieve customer satisfaction. Customer relation management is a concept that has been used for quite a long time now (Rai, 14). Evolution of data Mining Techniques in Customer Relation Management A huge number of businesses in very diverse industries have used this approach albeit, not in the same form as is done today according to Chorianopoulos and Tsiptsis (23). In the past, companies had to identify and keep customer background, spending habits in unconventional ways for instance memorizing by small businesses or keeping hard copy data for large companies. These companies would thereafter choose promotion strategies among other customer related decision based on this information. This is the same principal today. However, the methods of obtaining information and classifying such information have drastically improved. For instance, companies have a lot of information about their customer obtained from various sources which is stored in company’s data banks. This information can further be classified using specialized computer algorithms (Chorianopoulos and Tsiptsis 46). Using RFM models to Select and Segment Data RFM (Recency, Frequency and Money Value) is the most used model for selection and segmentation of collected data in order to make analysis easy according to Chorianopoulos and Tsiptsis (35). A firm can use RFM models to sort out the customers targeted from a huge list of customers to enable informed decision making. RFM models of data mining have the ability to make huge influences on a company’s success if the information made available is utilized well by a firm. Sung and Sang used the non-transformed RFM values as direct input variables for building models and then categorized customers into groups using cluster analysis. From the corresponding information marketing strategies and other customer, related activities can be planned based on the different customer clusters identified. On the other hand, Goldman argued that using data mining techniques, for instance using the RFM model of data mining has the effect of avoiding the time wasting and helps companies conserve †˜energy’ by pursuing the customers that the company who would offer the company little or no profits. By doing so, companies can generate better returns by focusing all their resources on the segments of customers who would give the companies better profit margins (Chorianopoulos and Tsiptsis 78). Role of Information in Fuelling Business Growth Information plays a very critical in the growth and development of businesses according to research finding by Levy (24). Consequently, the information in businesses databases can be very helpful in ensuring the success of the company. However, this information can only if it is utilized, so trends are deduced from the huge amounts of data. The information in the data bases is obsolete unless elaborate measures are put in place to ensure that it is accessed and grouped such that it shows important indicators and trends in relation to customer experiences and preferences. Once the indicators and trends have been identified, a company can use the information to design strategies that ensure they keep the customers and keep them satisfied too. The success in keeping customers loyal to a brand and satisfied has a direct positive relation with a company’s survival and success regardless of the industry in which the company operates (Levy 23). Proposed Project and Purpose The project that I have chosen involves the use of neural networks to predict the customer retention rate and also give the customer insight. The main aim of this because one of the most significant indicators of the marketing campaign is consumer behavior. This project is aimed at studying the behaviors of the customers so as to predict the retention rate. The project is also meant to give the company a model through which it can judge its market position in the future. This calculation gives the company a chance to calculate the profitability margin of all the portfolios that they have invested in. The process involved will be collecting data and then testing the data collected with data mining tools that will be installed in the system of the Java system used. Criterion Used Neural networks will be the process used to calculate the probability of the customer terminating his or her policy. Once the calculation is done, the results will then be categorized depending on the threshold. The calculation that is most significant result in this process is the ability of the project giving an accurate calculation. For the success of this project to be achieved, the project must give accurate results on the probability. This gives the company an accurate calculation of the performance of the portfolio. The performance of the portfolio then helps the company calculates the profit that is expected (Rai 56). I choose Neural networks over decision trees mainly because neural networks are more accurate than decision trees. Neural networks enable the users to come up with a classification of the results obtained. This will be very important in Insurance as the clients of the company can be classified depending on their probability of cancelling their policy. Decision trees do not allow the user to classify the data depending on the results obtained. This means that the first intention of creating a classification has failed. It is also very easy to create decision trees from the results obtained from neural networks. This means that neural networks enable the user to create a further analysis if the need arises. Decision trees though easy to use have a weakness when it comes to accuracy that is why I chose neural networks. Advantages The main reason why am proposing this particular project is because it has been successfully applied in many applications. Neural networks have been applied in learning, supervised and unsupervised applications with excellent results. The project also has a time saving quality. Neural networks do not require excessive training to learn the algorithm. Once the algorithm is installed in the Java application being used, it does not require any too much training. The results obtained are also very comprehensible and do not require a lot of time to comprehend them. Overcoming Challenges It is expected that there may be an objection that may arise if once the project is explained. One objection that may arise will be associated with the cost implementing the project. Neural networks are more expensive to install than decision trees. This means that anyone who looks at the cost may object the project. The response to this will be to explain the limitations that come with decision trees. It will be on no use installing a program that does not meet the needs of the company (Levy 34). The response to this objection will be to explain that the costs of this project will be recoverable easily in the future. All the necessary research has been carried out. I have also considered all the emerging trends that one needs to consider before engaging in any project. Plan of Activities Major Activities There are a number of activities that will be undertaken as illustrated in the work plan below; Data Collection Before conducting the data mining process, we will first schedule an interview with a client attached to the insurance company headquarters in Boston. The aim of this interview will be lay ground work and assess the prevailing conditions of the company’s data. Data Preparation After laying the ground work, all the available data- all the data that is available and authorized by the company- will be integrated and explored to identify how useful it can be in identifying or predicting the indicators required. Building and Validating Models At this stage, the data mining techniques and models will be built based on the available data and the goals for the project. Deploying the Models This task will basically be involved with putting the selected models into practice. Assessing the Identified Trends This process will involve assessing the trends identified by the data mining techniques in order to aid in the decision making. As mentioned earlier, the main aim of the project is to identify how data mining can influence customer relationship management. At this stage, the trends outputted will be assessed by the management. Data Sources The data to be reviewed will be sourced from the health insurance company data bases. There are numerous sources of data for an insurance company. Any data collected and stored by the company is important and will be used for this project. This include all the data stored in the company’s data bases and any other data collected in other ways, for instance interviews for the purpose of this project (Levy, 34). Special Tasks and Needs System Software To establish patterns and trends in a large set of data, in this case from the huge data base of the health insurance company, software with comparatively complex algorithms and data handling techniques are required to be installed in order for them to monitor and highlight the trends. Such software is available in the different operating systems versions. Technical Experts Data mining is a very delicate operation. Its success relies on the ability to identify the critical variables in the data set and the design of the most effective strategies of utilizing these variables to show or predict trends and patterns. Data mining techniques experts will be required so as to help identify and design the best models for the process. Data Mining Modeling This is by far the most important event. Data mining models are the real value behind the whole process. Regardless of the technique used a good data mining models has the ability to provide user-specific solutions. To identify the best model to utilize, the data mining experts sourced earlier will help the health insurance company management to choose the model that best suits their requirements. Items to be Produced For the purpose of this project, illustrations covering various operations of the data mining process and test reports will be provided. Evaluation This project will be judged based on the applicability and the ability demonstrated to solve the problem identified. The main objective of this project is to demonstrate how data mining techniques and tools can be used by a health care insurance firm to manage its customer relation operations, specifically customer retention rates and offer customer insights. The project success will, therefore, be pegged on the ability to demonstrate ability to use data mining techniques to identify patterns and trends using the most effective models of data mining, the effective application of the model, and the successful use of the trends and patterns identified to influence customer relationship with the insurance company (Rai, 34). Features to be Assessed Data Mining Models The model choice is the most crucial part of the data mining process as identified earlier. The justification and the process of identifying the best model and the subsequent successful use of the model can be assessed as an indicator of the success of the project. The overall effectiveness and success of the project is determined by the success in using the best model. Deliverables The outcome of the project will be the production of neural networks with the capability to assess the customer retention rates for health insurance company. The networks will not only have the capability to predict the probability that a customer will continue or terminate a policy, but will also have the capability to indicate the same even with changes to the costs of the premium. Specifically, there will be two neural networks attached to the two clusters of data- the probability contract will be terminated, and the probability contract will not be terminated cluster. Technical Content live CHAT The CRM theory states that the cost of acquiring new customers is always expensive, therefore, the business will always retain their customers by offering them with favorable policies and benefits that are customer friendly. Therefore, the insurance company will use business intelligence theories to ensure minimal cost of operation with increase database of clients. The business intelligence theories help the insurance company to identify new opportunities by developing types of policy covers that ensure customer satisfaction (Provost and Tom, 109). Predicting Customer Retention Rates To predict the chances that the company will retain its customers, the neural networks will be programmed to output a number between zero and one. This will indicate the probability that the holder of a health insurance policy will terminate the contract or not. Data will then be categorized into different sets based on a predetermined threshold of 0.5. Any figure above the threshold will be categorized under a threat of termination while any figure below the threshold will be categorized under no threat of termination (Levy, 34). In this case, the concern is more on the maximization of profitability by selecting the portfolio with the highest returns while at the same time keeping a good market share. To achieve this, the threshold will be set where the predicted rates of termination will be equal to the actual rates of termination. A threshold of 0.204 is set to predict an actual termination rate of 14.7 percent. This will produce an accuracy of 85 %. Further, to enhance the ability of the neural networks to predict the termination rate when premiums are varied, individual clusters will be subdivided into different bands. On the other hand, to improve the accuracy of the predictions, clusters will be split at the point where accuracy starts to reduce. This will isolate the policy holders based on the significance of the increase in premiums. Two separate neural networks will be deployed for each of the clusters to improve the prediction accuracy. Data mining techniques can be successfully used to help the company manages its customer relations. The techniques utilize the huge amounts of raw data which is correlated and segmented using specialized computer software into clusters. From this, patterns and trends of consumer behaviors can be deducted. For this project, raw data from health care insurance company was utilized to identify the rates of customer retention as well as to give different insights into consumer behaviors. This information can then be used by management to design customer relation strategies. The successes of these strategies have a direct impact on the success of the business, in this case, the health insurance company.

Many Colleges Dont Require Students to Take Classes in Basic Areas

Many Colleges Don't Require Students to Take Classes in Basic Areas A report commissioned by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) reveals that colleges are not requiring students to take courses in several core areas. And as a result, these students are less prepared to be successful in life. The report, â€Å"What Will They Learn?† surveyed students in over 1,100 U.S. colleges and universities – public and private – and found that an alarming number of them were taking â€Å"lightweight† courses to satisfy general education requirements. The report also found the following about the colleges: 96.8% don’t require economics 87.3% don’t require an intermediate foreign language 81.0% don’t require a basic U.S. history or government 38.1% don’t require college-level math 65.0% don’t require literature The 7 Core Areas What are the core areas identified by ACTA that college students should take classes in – and why? Composition: writing-intensive classes that focus on grammar Literature: observant reading and reflection that develops critical thinking skills Foreign language: to understand different cultures U.S. Government or History: to be responsible, knowledgeable citizens Economics: to understand how resources are connected globally Mathematics: to gain numeracy skills applicable in the workplace and in life Natural Sciences: to develop skills in experimentation and observation   Even some of the most highly-rated and expensive schools are not requiring students to take classes in these core areas. For example, one school that charges almost $50,000 a year in tuition does not require students to take classes in any of the 7 core areas. In fact, the study notes that the schools that receive an â€Å"F† grade based on how many core classes they require charge 43% higher tuition rates than the schools that receive a grade of â€Å"A.† Core Deficiencies So what’s causing the shift? The report notes that some professors prefer to teach classes related to their particular research area. And as a result, students end up choosing from a wide-ranging selection of courses. For example, at one college, while students are not required to take U.S. History or U.S. Government, they have an Intercultural Domestic Studies requirement that may include such courses as â€Å"Rock ‘n’ Roll in Cinema.†   To fulfill the economics requirement, students at one school can take, â€Å"The Economics of Star Trek,† while â€Å"Pets in Society† qualifies as a Social Sciences requirement. At another school, students can take â€Å"Music in American Culture† or â€Å"America Through Baseball† to fulfill their requirements. At another college, English majors don’t have to take a class devoted to Shakespeare.   Some schools don’t have any core requirements at all. One school notes that it â€Å"does not impose a particular course or subject on all students.† On one hand, perhaps its commendable that some colleges are not forcing students to take certain classes. On the other hand, are freshmen really in a position to decide which courses would be most beneficial to them? According to the ACTA report, close to 80% of freshmen don’t know what they want to major in. And another study, by EAB, found that 75% of students will change majors before they graduate. Some critics advocate not letting students choose a major until their second year.   If students aren’t even sure what degree they plan to pursue, it might be unrealistic to expect them – especially as freshmen – to effectively gauge which core classes they need to be successful. Another problem is that schools don’t update their catalogs on a regular basis, and when students and their parents are trying to determine the requirements, they may not be viewing accurate information. Also, some colleges and universities don’t even list definite courses in same cases. Instead there is a vague introductory phrase â€Å"courses may include,† so the classes listed in the catalog may or may not be offered. However, the glaring lack of information gained from taking college-level core classes is evident. A Payscale survey asked managers to identify the skills that they thought college grads lack the most. Among the responses, writing skills are identified as the top skill missing in action among college grads. Public speaking skills are in second place. But both of these skills could be developed if students were required to take core courses. In other surveys, employers have lamented the fact that college graduates don’t have critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills – all issues that would be addressed in a core curriculum. Other disturbing findings: 20% of students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree were unable to accurately calculate the costs of ordering office supplies, according to the National Survey of America’s College Students.   While schools, boards of trustees, and policy makers need to make the necessary adjustments to require a core curriculum, college students cannot wait for these changes. They (and their parents) must research schools as thoroughly as possible, and students must choose to take the classes they need instead of selecting lightweight courses.

Strategic Management of Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Strategic Management of Human Resources - Essay Example Its short communication chains and collegial workforce culture led to considerable flexibility in responding to changing market demands. Overall company lacking proper co-ordination, there is vertical communications communication hierarchy which was causing the main problems. The shift to horizontal communications should be an obvious one, especially as we see people not as turf owners but as knowledge resources within the network. There will still be vertical communications, of course, but the predominant communication will be horizontal in nature as the core teams leverage knowledge wherever it may be in the enterprise. Horizontal communication in a networked environment is freer and more flowing, with few bureaucratic barriers. It also facilitates providence, where key patterns can be unexpectedly discovered. Perhaps a request from one team to another will give a clue to the pattern the other team is trying to distinguish. If we see our work as information processing, we will stay open to discovery, view the interplay of multiple patterns, and achieve our visions (Chris Brewster, 2000). The emphasis on horizontal work processes in the innovative organization consequences in an emphasis on horizontal communications also. Work cannot become more horizontal unless communication also becomes more horizontal. Besides communication factor, we observed that bank has no appropriate hierarchy as in a collegial/partnership system where unit heads nominally report to the managing director. The management didn’t given an authority to its employees. While the majority of todays managers have been trained and have managed in the traditional hierarchical/autocratic style of management. They have learned to get things done using their authority through the distinct lines of the traditional hierarchy. If employee involvement is to succeed in the long run, that management style

Entrepreneurship and New Ventures Research Paper

Entrepreneurship and New Ventures - Research Paper Example Because of these trends, there has been explosive growth in profitability in health clubs devoted to women’s needs that are both exclusive and have programs that are designed with female camaraderie in mind. In fact, in 2005, the entire global health club industry reported over 105 million members, with well over 50 percent concentrated in the United States (ihrsa.org, 2006). This indicates a sizeable potential market even when futher deconstructing the existing market to include only women and their active participation and desire in health club membership. Since the market for health clubs is divided nearly 50/50 for men and women who currently hold membership, it should be assumed that the potential market opportunities for health club development and ownership consists of 52 million women. What can explain this growing interest in the female market (consisting of 18-60 year old market characteristics) for health club use and membership? There are many factors that are both motivational at the intrinsic level and also relating to personal desire for a better body to satisfy vanity and tangible health care needs. Offers one expert organization pertaining to the health club industry, â€Å"women want to work out without having to worry about looking fat, sweaty or makeup free in front of a bunch of men they don’t know† (Dean, 2011, p.1). Women who are interested in women-only health clubs are finding personal camaraderie with others in an environment where they can comfortably exercise among women with similar body characteristics or other fitness goals. These environments provide for a sense of privacy and exclusivity and also maintain the potential to develop many long-term friendships developed through the sharing of individual health goal needs. There are also motivational elements that continue to provide intense profit for existing women’s only health clubs. According to Marandi, Little & Sekhon (2006), the values that drive w omen to these health clubs is a personal sense of accomplishment, self-respect, a more active lifestyle, and establishment of a sense of personal belonging with others. These motivational elements are psychologically-driven and are essentially uniform between all age groups, marital status, occupation, and lifestyle security (Marandi, et al.). Much to the advantage of this proposed health club development, there are no specific markets requiring segmentation that would supersede another, thus, again, providing virtually unlimited market potential with an active 52 million female market group. The industry outlook is significant, as existing companies that specialize in women’s health needs continue to diversify their product offerings and programs to sustain the benefits of women looking to establish better self-image and personal health. It is common in this industry to gain extended marketing presence and profitability through supplementary vitamin products, health and well ness books, and also the existence of new personal training activities such as massage therapists and other club professionals. Since 2009, 37.4 percent of all adults (both male and female) have used some variety of health

Selfish Love Vs Selfless Love English Literature Essay

Selfish Love Vs Selfless Love English Literature Essay Thomas Hardys fifty-seven chapter pastoral novel, Far From the Madding Crowd, endeavors to catalog love identifying all of its varied forms in hopes of distinguishing between selfish and selfless love. Using rhapsodic prose, elevated diction, and a succinct writing style, Hardy beautifully identifies distinct models of love to which he ultimately leaves to the audience to assess and label. The most assiduous and perceptive reader might even juxtapose Platos theories on love, written about two thousand years prior, and Hardys pastoral opus together to find several overlapping models. Hardy depicts three disparately dissimilar suitors, Gabriel Oak, Farmer William Boldwood, and Sergeant Francis Troy, in pursuit of one comely dame, Bathsheba Everdene. Through his masterful use of diction, prose, and style, Hardy concisely portrays Bathshebas varying suitors and their traits, sequentially identifying several of loves deviating patterns and ultimately enlightening the readers on loves to m ain forms. Farmer Boldwoods character marks the introduction of the second division. Boldwood possessed a selfish affection for Bathsheba, obsessing himself with only her beauty and elegance. He exhibited his love in outwardly expressing his jealousy, often making impossible demands of Bathsheba. I feel that I do, said Bathsheba; that is, if you demand it. But I am a changed woman-an unhappy woman-and not-not (347). This exchange between Bathsheba and Boldwood demonstrates how despite her obvious discontentment with her situation, he ignores her and continues to press her in order to achieve his desired goals. He does not want to tame her, rather own her beauty, brandishing it as a trophy for all to see. Paradoxically, Hardys portrait of Boldwood foreshadowed the outcome of his love for Bathsheba: The phases of Boldwoods life were ordinary enough, but his was not an ordinary natureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.If an emotion possessed him at all, it ruled him; a feeling not mastering him was entirely latent. Stagnant or rapid, it was never slow. He was always hit mortally, or he was missed (118). Boldwoods obsessive love, synonymous with Platos mania or smothering love, supplemented by his originally deranged nature subsequently consumed him (Thomassie 8). Plato distinguishes, and Hardy affirms, Boldwoods love as being trademark of Fatal Attraction love', a possessive, dependent, [and] jealous love (Thomassie 8). Hardys depiction of Boldwoods mania towards Bathsheba directly contrasts Gabriels agape. Likewise, Sergeant Troys love of and marriage with Bathsheba was selfish in nature. Troy never loved Bathsheba. He tricked her into marriage, wanting to be with her only because she was beautiful and because he could. Similar to Boldwood, Troy wanted to brandish her as a prize, a token of a true womanizer. During their marriage, Troy was often insensitive and shallowly indifferent towards Bathsheba, frequently spewing harsh words at her:   Ah! dont taunt me, madam. This woman is more to me, dead as she is, than ever you were, or are, or can be. If Satan had not tempted me with that face of yours, and those cursed coquetries, I should have married her. I never had another thought until you came in my way. Would to God that I had; but it is all too late! I deserve to live in torment for this! (281). Hardy dyes Troy in dishonest colors directly contrasting him with the righteous Gabriel. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Troys deformities lay deep down from a womans vision, whilst his embellishments were upon the very surface; thus contrasting with homely Oak, whose defects were patent to the blindest, and whose virtues were as metals in a mine (180). Furthermore, Platos flirtatious, teasing love ludis abridges Hardys portrayal of Troys selfish love (Thomassie 6). Ludis, a fleeting type of quick romance, epitomizes Troys ideas of love and romance, which he believes to end with marriage. Troys portrait of ludis joins Boldwoods negative mania and together they clash with Oaks agape. The novels conflicting theme of selfless love versus selfish love is epitomized in Hardys portraits of Bathshebas suitors. Gabriels agape reflect his sincere love and desire to please Bathsheba. Boldwoods mania mirrors his greedy desires of having a comely dame at his right hand. Troys ludis symbolizes his game-like perception of love and romance affirming his status as a womanizer. Ultimately, these portraits serve as Hardys conjectures on love, highlighting that Hardy believes in the success of a selfless love guided by fate.

Management Information Systems

The internet allows organizations to connect with the general public through open traffic that can be accessed through addresses or searches using key words. An organization can utilize a variety of opportunities which Include everything from basic Information to retail software. Automatically updating Information on a user's system Is also possible. There are many examples of online retail operations on the Internet Intranets: The Intranet Is an Internal system that can facilitate operations Inside an organizations.These types of systems Include training systems, knowledge to support operations, and access to human resource Information that can help manage benefits. Extranet: The extranet is an opportunity to connect to business partners through direct relationship networking in order to facilitate supply chain management, project management, accounts and advanced technical support that is specific to their relational interaction. Organizations utilize internet technologies to conne ct with both suppliers and consumers in order to create systemic management. Advantage: Technology innovations create a temporary advantage over competition. Patents will run out over 17 years at the optimum level of proprietary protection, with copies of the technology usually not falling under the protections of the patent to the point that the innovation cannot be used by others. Competitors often can take the new tech and innovate, fixing problems and coming out with a unique and improved version of the original concept, side-stepping patents and taking advantage of a market hungry for more. Imitation limitations:Imitation can be limited through economies of scale, proprietary tech, high switching costs and branding through which imitations may be only modestly successful. Xerox Is an example of tech that was difficult to copy and for the first three incarnations, the company was without competition through quality, innovation, and brand. The example of courier shows that compet itors only need to invest in the readily available technology to create their own version of the company. Management Information Systems By zoo traffic that can be accessed through addresses or searches using key words.An organization can utilize a variety of opportunities which include everything from basic information to retail software. Automatically updating information on a user's system is also possible. There are many examples of online retail operations on the internet Intranets: The intranet is an internal system that can facilitate operations inside an organizations. These types of systems include training systems, knowledge to support operations, and access to human resource information that can help manage is an example of tech that was difficult to copy and for the first three incarnations, Management Information Systems The internet allows organizations to connect with the general public through open traffic that can be accessed through addresses or searches using key words. An organization can utilize a variety of opportunities which Include everything from basic Information to retail software. Automatically updating Information on a user's system Is also possible. There are many examples of online retail operations on the Internet Intranets: The Intranet Is an Internal system that can facilitate operations Inside an organizations.These types of systems Include training systems, knowledge to support operations, and access to human resource Information that can help manage benefits. Extranet: The extranet is an opportunity to connect to business partners through direct relationship networking in order to facilitate supply chain management, project management, accounts and advanced technical support that is specific to their relational interaction. Organizations utilize internet technologies to conne ct with both suppliers and consumers in order to create systemic management. Advantage: Technology innovations create a temporary advantage over competition. Patents will run out over 17 years at the optimum level of proprietary protection, with copies of the technology usually not falling under the protections of the patent to the point that the innovation cannot be used by others. Competitors often can take the new tech and innovate, fixing problems and coming out with a unique and improved version of the original concept, side-stepping patents and taking advantage of a market hungry for more. Imitation limitations:Imitation can be limited through economies of scale, proprietary tech, high switching costs and branding through which imitations may be only modestly successful. Xerox Is an example of tech that was difficult to copy and for the first three incarnations, the company was without competition through quality, innovation, and brand. The example of courier shows that compet itors only need to invest in the readily available technology to create their own version of the company. Management Information Systems By zoo traffic that can be accessed through addresses or searches using key words.An organization can utilize a variety of opportunities which include everything from basic information to retail software. Automatically updating information on a user's system is also possible. There are many examples of online retail operations on the internet Intranets: The intranet is an internal system that can facilitate operations inside an organizations. These types of systems include training systems, knowledge to support operations, and access to human resource information that can help manage is an example of tech that was difficult to copy and for the first three incarnations, Management Information Systems The internet allows organizations to connect with the general public through open traffic that can be accessed through addresses or searches using key words. An organization can utilize a variety of opportunities which Include everything from basic Information to retail software. Automatically updating Information on a user's system Is also possible. There are many examples of online retail operations on the Internet Intranets: The Intranet Is an Internal system that can facilitate operations Inside an organizations.These types of systems Include training systems, knowledge to support operations, and access to human resource Information that can help manage benefits. Extranet: The extranet is an opportunity to connect to business partners through direct relationship networking in order to facilitate supply chain management, project management, accounts and advanced technical support that is specific to their relational interaction. Organizations utilize internet technologies to conne ct with both suppliers and consumers in order to create systemic management. Advantage: Technology innovations create a temporary advantage over competition. Patents will run out over 17 years at the optimum level of proprietary protection, with copies of the technology usually not falling under the protections of the patent to the point that the innovation cannot be used by others. Competitors often can take the new tech and innovate, fixing problems and coming out with a unique and improved version of the original concept, side-stepping patents and taking advantage of a market hungry for more. Imitation limitations:Imitation can be limited through economies of scale, proprietary tech, high switching costs and branding through which imitations may be only modestly successful. Xerox Is an example of tech that was difficult to copy and for the first three incarnations, the company was without competition through quality, innovation, and brand. The example of courier shows that compet itors only need to invest in the readily available technology to create their own version of the company. Management Information Systems By zoo traffic that can be accessed through addresses or searches using key words.An organization can utilize a variety of opportunities which include everything from basic information to retail software. Automatically updating information on a user's system is also possible. There are many examples of online retail operations on the internet Intranets: The intranet is an internal system that can facilitate operations inside an organizations. These types of systems include training systems, knowledge to support operations, and access to human resource information that can help manage is an example of tech that was difficult to copy and for the first three incarnations,