Charles Dickens Essay

Even at this early stage in the story the reader can see something special in Pip. He was the only one out of six boys to survive birth and is now fending for himself. To the reader it is obvious that Pip is a loner and doesn’t stand up for himself very much, he’ll just get bossed around by his sister, by Miss Havisham, by Estella and Magwitch. In the third paragraph Dickens really wants the reader to understand just how alone and sad Pip is. He does this by describing Pip as a bundle of shivers rather than a little boy. â€Å"and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip. † This sentence gives the reader an image of Pip shaking, wanting somebody to protect him. Dickens uses his settings as a base for feelings. His choice of setting reflects the situation. In extract one Magwitch threatens Pip with death right in front of all his families’ graves, which is sort of ironic. The whole situation is a cause to give Pip sympathy. Dickens describes Magwitch with longer descriptions first and then short one-word descriptions after. This makes Magwitch’s faults seem to go on forever and it also makes him more frightening. â€Å"A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head†¦ who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled. † The words Dickens uses to describe Pip are also very important. They are very emotive words such as, â€Å"Pleaded in terror† â€Å"trembling† â€Å"timidly explained† â€Å"to give me a greater sense of helplessness and danger† The way Pip’s speech is described is also a key point for sympathy. Pip is very polite to his elders, using â€Å"sir† even when Magwitch is threatening to kill him, â€Å"There, sir! † He is also shown to be nervous and scared by faltering and stammering his speech, â€Å"Goo-good-night, sir,† I faltered† This shows a very moral side of Pip, because even though he is terrified of this man he still says good-night to him. In extract one Dickens uses a repetitive technique to make the moment more tense. â€Å"You get me a file. † He tilted me again. â€Å"And you get me wittles. † He tilted me again. â€Å"You bring ’em both to me. † He tilted me again. â€Å"Or I’ll have your heart and liver out. † He tilted me again. † This emphasizes the situation Pip is in. Pip is being bullied by this man who is repeatedly putting Pip in places of danger. The main object of this extract is to show the fear that this man has put into Pip, and also to illuminate how trusting and accepting Pip is. In extract two, Pip is meeting Miss Havisham and Estella for the first time. He has been called for by Miss Havisham to entertain her. When he meets Estella she makes him feel common and poor. Extract two is written as Pip recollecting the meeting rather than Pip describing the meeting as its happening. Within the extract Dickens often writes what he thought at the time that it all happened, and what he would have thought knowing what would happen, â€Å"Sat the strangest lady I have ever seen, or shall ever see† By writing in this way, Dickens is emphasizing that even now Pip found that encounter very strange and odd. The reader also feels like they are being given snippets of Pip’s past. Extract two begins with Pips description of Miss Havisham’s house. The first descriptions are simple things, â€Å"And found myself in a pretty large room† And then they become more specific, as if it is taking Pip a long time for things to sink into his small child mind, â€Å"A draped table with a gilded looking-glass† The objects described in the scene set-up the image of a dull, scary house. Certainly not the place for a child to be. Pip gains sympathy because going to this house is something that his sister has made him do for the specific reason of claiming an inheritance, not something he has chosen to do. The dialogue between Pip and Miss Havisham is very important to the extract because it is the beginning of their relationship and it is also the first time Miss Havisham has been introduced to the reader. Miss Havisham’s voice is cold towards Pip, and she doesn’t show any emotion. This creates sympathy because of the predicament Pip is placed in. He wants to please Miss Havisham, which in turn will please his sister, yet he doesn’t understand just how to please Miss Havisham. â€Å"Look at me,† said Miss Havisham. â€Å"You are not afraid of a woman who has never seen the sun since you were born? † By asking this rhetorical question Miss Havisham is showing that she is of more power than Pip. The reader knows that Pip must be afraid of her but is not allowed to say so. In that sentence Miss Havisham is also giving away to the reader a clue as to why she is how she is. Pip is very confused in this extract. He does not understand when Miss Havisham is talking to him, or when she requires an answer. He has to be very wary of himself and as the reader knows how young Pip is, they feel sorry for him. â€Å"I stopped, fearing I might say too much, or already had said it† When Estella is brought into the scene she takes an instant dislike to Pip purely because he looks common, â€Å"With this boy! Why, he is a common labouring-boy! † She only refers to Pip as â€Å"boy† or â€Å"this boy† in the scene. This shows that Estella also thinks she is of higher importance than Pip. After a game of cards with Estella, Pip feels very ashamed. He looks at things he used to consider normal as things that he is doing wrong. This is when Pip begins to feel like he wants to be more than a â€Å"common labouring-boy†. He also feels that Estella is right about him, and begins to agree, â€Å"Her contempt for me was so strong, that it became infectious, and I caught it. † This is upsetting for the reader because they know that Pip will not stand up to Estella and that gains him sympathy. Pip’s use of language suggests that he is unsure of himself and what he wants to do, â€Å"I think I should like to go home now. † Although he is being given lots of responsibility this reminds the reader that he is still only a young boy. When Pip is given food the vocabulary used by Miss Havisham and Estella is very demeaning and degrading. â€Å"Estella, take him down. Let him have something to eat, and let him roam and look about him while he eats. Go, Pip. † Pip is referred to as â€Å"him† rather than by name even though he is in the room as they are having the conversation. The word â€Å"roam† also indicates something that an animal would do rather than a person. When Pip recognizes this fact, â€Å"As if I were a dog in disgrace. † We instantly feel sorry for him because he knows that he is disliked by Estella. The main object in this extract is to show to the readers how rich people looked down on lower-class people. Through-out this essay I have been looking at the ways in which Charles Dickens creates characters we can empathise with. I have found that the main ways he does this are by the descriptive language he uses to describe them, the use of language when his characters are interacting and also giving the reader a back-ground to his characters so they can feel more comfortable with the book. Dickens uses many techniques within these extracts such as rhetorical questions, repetition, listing descriptive language.

How Did Mass Media Influence Adolescents and Children in the Last Ten Years? Essay

TV Media’s Influence on Child Development http://www. cleancutmedia. com/tv-shows/tv-medias-influence-on-child-development â€Å"Several risks to pediatric health are literally staring children in the face. It’s time to call the doctor. † Want to share this old, but great article from the Harvard Medical Alumni Bulletin. Very interesting points about how media cuts into many issues such as obesity, eating disorders, attention disorders, violence, sex, and drug use and how Medical Professionals need to deeply consider how much media has an influence on the development of these. As this fairly long article is well written, I will simply excerpt huge chunks of it. I’ve copied out significant paragraphs and bolded the main points. Hope it is helpful. Full Article  Here. The most important thing we’ve learned, So far as children are concerned, Is never, never, never let Them near your television set†¦ They sit and stare and stare and sit Until they’re hypnotized by it†¦ Did you ever wonder exactly what This does to your beloved tot? His brain becomes as soft as cheese His powers of thinking rust and freeze He cannot think—he only sees! the Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory TV Media on Child Development The Oompa-Loompas’ cautionary song about the hypnotic effects of television on children may have seemed alarmist in 1964 when Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was first published, but now its lyrics seem almost understated. In Roald Dahl’s story, television addict Mike Teavee pays for his obs ession by getting shrunk to the size of an actor on a television screen. Dahl exaggerates the effects of excessive viewing, but for children glued to media screens today, the consequences may be more insidious and just as hazardous. Decades of research have established that television and other screen media—movies, the Internet, and video games—constitute a powerful environmental influence on children’s health and development, according to the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston. American children aged 8 to 18 spend an average of 6 hours and 21 minutes daily using media—more time than they spend in school or with their parents. And the risks of so much time spent in thrall to their screens are serious. More than 2,200 studies have linked media use and aggressive behavior. By age 18, a child will, on average, have witnessed 200,000 acts of violence, including 18,000 murders. Children’s programs—shows that one would expect to be free of violence—average 14 violent acts per hour, 8 more than adult programs. For adolescents, the influence of violence in media may even prove fatal: the top three causes of death among 15- to 19-year-olds all involve accidental or intended violence. Media’s Influence on the Mind Like the Oompa-Loompas, Michael Rich ’91 understands the powerful clutch media can have on the mind, especially the mind of a child. So well has research documented the connection between watching violence on television and aggressive behavior, he says, that the correlation is â€Å"stronger than those linking calcium with bone density and passive smoke with lung cancer. † Rich, a pediatrician and former filmmaker who worked for two years with the famed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, directs the Center on Media and Child Health. Much of Rich’s research has focused on the dangers stemming from the violence depicted on television and, more recently, the violence that permeates video games. One 2004 study by another group compared the physiological responses of adults playing four different video games, two with storylines and two without. The researchers found that story-based video games led to significantly more character and game identification and increased physiological arousal. Other studies have documented how such physiological responses can lead to aggression. â€Å"If you watch a violent show and a half hour later go to a store where someone cuts you in line, you’re more likely to respond aggressively,† Rich says. â€Å"Over time, small incidents accumulate and form patterns of violent behavior. What matters is that you learn from what you experience. † And by learning, he means the hardwired kind. â€Å"Brain mapping indicates that media violence is processed along primitive survival pathways and stored in long-term memory,† he says. In other words, we embed media violence deeply in our brains. In work with functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, Rich’s team has discovered that â€Å"the brain regions activated when viewing violence onscreen are the same ones that light up when those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder relive their traumas. † Alvin Poussaint, founder of the Media Center at the Judge Baker Children’s Center and an HMS professor of psychiatry, says that the way children learn from television can cause another form of lasting harm. â€Å"If children watch ‘edutainment’—shows that teach through song and dance—they begin to associate learning with an entertainment format and expect that format when they go to school,† he says. â€Å"But teachers aren’t going to sing and dance for them. So then children complain that school is boring. Compared to the fast-paced, exciting shows they’re used to on television, it is boring. Nothing will meet that standard. Television constantly ups the ante. † Some of the newest research suggests that television and the multimedia world in which children simultaneously watch MTV, listen to iPods, and chat on the Internet may be contributing to the increase in diagnoses of attention disorders. Rich believes that fMRI studies on attention, which are only now just getting started, will help establish whether a connection exists. Certainly, researchers have found a correlation between media use and reading. â€Å"Kids who watch the most television don’t do as well in school,† says Poussaint. Television is not the best way to learn; it’s too passive and noninteractive. † A 2003 study found that toddlers and older children with screen media in their bedrooms learned to read later and read less than those with no screen media in their rooms. The Oompa-Loompas begin to seem like prophets. Media can be a Good Influence on Development John Livings tone ’58, a pediatric psychiatrist at McLean Hospital, an HMS assistant professor, and a consultant to the television industry, is campaigning for PBS to embed emotional literacy in its new programming and for the cable industry to embrace health-risk standards. Television shows can model positive ways for handling feelings,† he says. â€Å"Social learning research shows that when children watch likable characters struggling with decision-making, they can learn better impulse control, especially when they see the realistic results of the choices the characters made. † The power of prosocial programming can be so strong, Livingstone adds, that even violent content—when portrayed realistically and in the context of outcomes—can be beneficial. â€Å"If it’s handled well,† he says, â€Å"violence with consequences can promote socially responsible behavior. Let’s say a show features a gang of kids on a street. In one scenario, a gang member remarks that a passing kid looks like a wimp and says, ‘Let’s punch him out. ’ The group beats him up. † â€Å"In a better scenario,† Livingstone says, â€Å"the gang member remarks that a passing kid looks like a wimp and says, ‘Let’s punch him out. ’ But this time a likable gang member speaks up against the plan, then another and another. Half the group takes off in protest. The other half beats the boy up and later faces legal and parental repercussions. The program could retain its dramatic tension while modeling a socially acceptable option in the teenager’s world. † Change Media Intake, Change Everything Else Strasburger, who researches media’s effects on children and adolescents at the University of New Mexico, also wants to promote media literacy, but finds it difficult to convince physicians, parents, and teachers that the issue should take priority. â€Å"When I consulted with the National Parent Teacher Association,† he says, â€Å"its leaders had a hundred concerns on their list, and media literacy was nowhere near the top. They wanted to talk about obesity, eating disorders, and bullying, but didn’t realize that media affect all those problems. Many parents and teachers believe media have a minor influence. That might have been true when they were growing up, but it sure isn’t the case now. † Poussaint adds that parents should play an important role. â€Å"Parents need to watch television with their children and explain what’s make-believe,† he says. â€Å"Commercials are especially insidious, because children don’t begin to understand the persuasive intent of ads until about age eight. Commercials also pit children against parents. Television tells children a particular candy bar will make them happy and, when parents refuse to allow it, the children see their parents as denying them this happiness. † Strasburger says some of this work can be done in school. â€Å"We need to teach kids skepticism about advertising and television programming,† he says. â€Å"They should understand, for example, why a commercial or show airs when it does. We already have a system in place for teaching media literacy: sex and drug education programs in schools. Both could incorporate media literacy, and teachers could take the lead. †

Supply Chain Integrity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Supply Chain Integrity - Essay Example In view of the fact that the world has become a global village and today’s businesses operate in an environment that goes beyond the limitations of boundaries and borders. Hence, due to expansion of business infrastructures there emerges another major issue that is regarding compliance with immeasurable global laws and regulations posed by a number of countries and worldwide trade unions to deal with violence and money laundering. In this scenario, the majority of issues can be resolved effectively only if supply chain staff make use of the appropriate technologies and tools. In addition, the use of effective information technology based applications and tools can allow the business organizations to put together entire supply chain system and all applicable aspects, hence handling security risks, growing visibility, eventually maintaining supply chain integrity. The use of these technology based tools and applications can provide the organizations with simplicity for the manag ement of all supply chain associates, comprising suppliers, customers, distributers, customs department and service providers. Moreover, these tools and technologies are very useful to supply chain managers in attaining absolute simplicity of a wide variety of business processes such as delivery, procurement and completion systems, comprising keeping an eye on stock schedule and receiving notifications or replacement in case the level of stock becomes low (Eyefortransport, 2013; Gartner, Inc., 2012). The basic purpose of this research is to discuss the impact of supply chain integrity on business organizations. This paper discusses some of the important aspects associated with supply chain, supply chain management, and supply chain integrity. This paper will discuss issues in supply chain integrity and solutions to address those issues. Supply Chain and Supply Chain Management In their book, (Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 55) define the supply chain management as a process that combines some of the most important business activities such as the service providers, end customers, retailers logistics operations into a particular reliable way†. In this scenario, the supply chain is believed to be the most important aspect of supply chain management as it involves a variety of corporate operations such as manufacturing units and plants, distribution channels and centers, retail outlets, staff and information, services, which are linked all the way through the specific business units for instance logistics or procurement, with the purpose of delivering end products and services from manufacturing unit to end customers. Basically, in a supply chain process, these products, goods or services come as raw materials and develop by means of an organization’s logistics and manufacturing system until they are delivered to the end customers. To deal with the supply chain, an organization attempts to get rid of impediments and engrave the amount of resources engaged along the way. This can be carried out by streamlining the organizations inside operations or by plummeting inventory costs by getting information from the suppliers to put of release of goods and their payments until the instant they are required. Information Technology makes well-organized supply chain manag

The Concept of Volunteering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Concept of Volunteering - Essay Example It is therefore a common affair for both organizations and individuals to volunteer. In another respect, volunteering is normally practiced as a way of developing skills, making fun or simply socializing. In the job market, many people are normally seen to volunteer their services in order to make contacts that might be crucial in getting a job (Falk, 2004, pp23-29). Volunteering normally involves a number of ways and can be conducted by basically everyone using their own skills or competencies. In most cases, volunteers work in the areas where they are trained. In this regard, it is common to find volunteers in medicine, education, and in the provision of emergency services. In the same way, other volunteers usually serve where their services are needed urgently such as in emergencies. Volunteering will normally take different forms in the present world. Skills-based volunteering is very common and involves improving the specialized skills of individuals and organizations in improvi ng the infrastructure of nonprofits (Field, 2003, pp.78-85). It is basically different from the traditional volunteering which does not really require the use of specialized skills. Volunteering is also quite common in the developing countries whereby needy communities are assisted on various ways in improving their welfare. The third world is a good destination for most volunteers who usually work in the schools, orphanages and other resource centers where they provide some of the basic services needed by the communities. In this regard, volunteering is presently viewed as a form of international community service involving various developmental activities geared towards the needy societies across the world (Matheson, 2004, pp.28). In a world where environmental conservation has become one of the core concerns, much voluntary work is presently targeted towards managing and conserving the environment. Many volunteers are therefore involved in a wide range of activities targeted at e cological restoration, environmental monitoring and other activities geared towards the environment (Maslow, 1970). Voluntary work normally plays major role in addressing some of the common emergencies and situations realized across the world. For instance most of the recovery efforts normally require a lot of labour and personnel which is very difficult to realize. In this regard, voluntary work plays a major role. Disasters such as floods and earthquakes are therefore better addressed through voluntary efforts across the world. There are many non-governmental organizations which are involved in voluntary work and conduct their activities across the world. Most of these non-governmental agencies work in collaboration with government agencies and other UN aid agencies (Halpern, 2004. pp123). The concept of corporate volunteering is very popular with most successful companies across the world. In this case, the companies normally allow their employees to conduct voluntary activities during work hours. Most of these activities are part of the corporate social responsibility programs which are part and parcel of the activities of the organization (Bridge, Murtagh, & O’Neill, 2009. pp 85).  Ã‚  

Human ressource explain the teachers power point Essay

Human ressource explain the teachers power point - Essay Example For example, several companies discriminate against women in pay. In such cases, women receive less pay compared to their counterparts. This makes women the victims of discrimination in the workplace. This is an impediment to development in the society. The equal pay Act discourages discrimination of varied forms in the society. However, it fails to enhance fairness because it advocates for uniform payment, which is discriminatory. The stipulations of the acts generalize pay for employees who undertake similar duties regardless of their productivity. The suggestion that equitable pay across genders is a step towards enhancing fairness in the society is neglected in the stipulations. According to Daniels & Lynda (68), the split between men and women is rising. This makes it difficult for employees to adhere to the requirements of equal pay act. According to the act, fairness in pay is paramount to the development of the society. However, productivity should determine pay for both genders. Organizations should differentiate pay for employees of different capabilities. This is because talent tends to create a balance across the gender divide. A few individuals support the stipulation of equal pay act. According to the legislation, organizations should not discriminate against gender during payments. For example, all staff should receive equal pay regardless of their genders (Daniels & Lynda 66). However, there are factors such as seniority and productivity that should be considered when devising pay for employees in organizations. According to the Act, employers should pay employees equally regardless of their genders. Employees undertaking similar duties within different departments should receive equal wages. Ideally, staff members participating in the management process should receive additional funds because of the complication arising from their duties. Organizations should

Psychological Aspects of Cybersecurity Assignment

Psychological Aspects of Cybersecurity - Assignment Example Today, when the dependency on the use of computer systems and internet technology has increased significantly, the understanding and incorporation of cyber security proves to be highly essential (â€Å"What is Cyber Security?† 2010). The present study has considered social networking as the primary focus in regard to the psychological aspects of cyber security. Social networking in the present times is used by millions of individuals as a means of remaining connected with the outer world, with friends, near and dear ones as well as for professional purposes. However, a lot of personal information is, in turn, being shared in the process that might be used by cyber attackers to spread malevolent codes, viruses, or may even access the personal information and misuse it for their own purposes (McDowell & Morda, 2011, p.1). Thus the need for cyber security arises, and this study focuses on the vulnerabilities and threats associated with social networking and having impacts on the services and the users, thus trying to determine the possible cyber security measures and the level of customer satisfaction that may be achieved. In the recent years, the use of social networks has been found to have increased significantly. There are several online social networking websites like Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, and LinkedIn, to name a few. The relative size of the addressees in these social networks is huge, which is often not known to the users of the site. Moreover, the nature of such users is also unknown. Hence individuals tend to reveal a lot of personal information. This may actually result in a number of security related threats for the members and hence for the services as well. Thus it proved to be necessary to incorporate such cyber security as to protect personal information on social networks (Hasib, 2008). When individuals post their personal information on social networks, a permanent record of the users is created that may be used

Negotiation Principles - Lesson 22 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Negotiation Principles - Lesson 22 - Essay Example Lastly, advocate approach takes many factors into consideration and occurs when an individual tries to accumulate as much benefits for their party as possible. It is a dangerous tactic as it can result in more lose than win situations. Negotiating government contracts consist of many forms. Nibbling is one of the most prominent forms for negotiation. The actually strategy is to pursue strong efforts of negotiation until the deal is done. It’s effective when the other party has invested much time and energy into a particular contract. The second type of government contracting is refusal. Refusal is a method that indicates that a party is not interested in the offer and thinks there is room for improvement. This tactic does produce many positive results. Another method is called conditioning in which parties start with initial talks prior to engagement. It sets out a scope for engagement and discussion and very fast way to get the deal done. Another methodology is known as distributive negotiation. This type of negotiation deals with the proper allocation of proportions that are being distributed. It’s a government contract quality assurance program that ensures that frauds are being eliminated and that the parties possess FAA certificates. CAO has stands for Contract Administrative Officer. The main role of CAO is to collaborate with the PCO and the ACO in order to ensure that bodies are certified for contracting through these agencies. The PCO ensures that private contracts are established while the CAO is in charge of diminishing fraud. The CAS works closely with DoD that requires performance of contract administration. Lastly, the PCO is the organization that the contractor needs to be filed with for procuring purposes. The Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) initiates into the contract and possesses the original signed contract for the official contract file. The CAO has most responsibilities at it over heads the contractor

Identify the main cause , both direct and indirect of the civil war Research Paper

Identify the main cause , both direct and indirect of the civil war. Explain how they led to the civil war. What was the most im - Research Paper Example In the years before the Civil War all the issues were centered on the issue of slavery. This started with the debates made on the three-fifths clause on the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It further proceeded with the Compromise of 1820, the anti-slavery Gag Rule, the Nullification Crisis, and finally the Compromise of 1850. In the first half of the nineteenth century slavery was supported by the Southern politicians. They maintained the control of the federal government. Though they had most of their Presidents hailing from the South, they were very serious about maintaining a balance of power in the Senate. New states joined the Union and several compromises appeared to keep an equal number of free and slave states. In 1820, Missouri joined as a slave state and Maine came as a free state. The balance got disrupted in 1850 as Southerners allowed California to come as a free state in return for laws upholding slavery. The balance was later disturbed with the joining of free Orego n and Minnesota. The increase of the gap between free and slave state illustrates the changes happening in each region. When South, with a slow population growth, adopted an agrarian plantation economy, North adopted industrialization. They had large urban areas, with large infrastructures. They witnessed increased birth rates and a large inflow of European immigrants. The increase in population made South to keep a balance in the government. This lead to the addition of several free states. An anti-slavery president was also appointed. The political issue that ultimately took the nation towards the war was nothing but slavery in the western territories acquired during the Mexican-American War. The same case was earlier considered in 1820, when slavery was permitted in the Southern border of Missouri. Rep. David Wilmot tried to prevent slavery as he brought the Wilmot Proviso in Congress. After long debate it got defeated. Attempts were made to solve the issue, but failed. The issue appeared again in 1854 with the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Kansas-Nebraska Act resulted in an arrival of pro- and anti-slavery forces into Kansas. Free Staters and Border Ruffians continued open violence for few years. Even though the pro-slavery forces in Missouri influenced the elections, the President Buchanan accepted the Lecompton Constitution. Though he put it before Congress for Statehood, they rejected it. Congress ordered fresh election. The anti-slavery Wyandotte Constitution got it appeal from Congress in 1859. The fight in Kansas increased the problems between South and North. As the South understood that the control of the government was getting weak, it considered the rights arguments of the states to protect slavery. According to Southerners, federal government has no rights to interfere in the rights of the slaveholders and take their property into a new territory as per the tenth Amendment. They said that government should not interfere with slavery. The issue of slavery got worsened by the coming of the Abolitionist movement in the 1820s and 1830s. Adherents said that slavery is not just a social evil, it is rather a practice which is morally wrong. Abolitionists cried for the freedom of the slaves. They campaigned for anti-slavery causes and demanded the abolition of slavery. They supported anti-slavery caus

Strategic Analysis of Acer Incorporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic Analysis of Acer Incorporation - Essay Example Acer Inc. is the third largest manufacturer of PC in the world that uses transnational strategy in procuring it components for the purpose of maintaining cost leadership. In this respect, we have used PESTLE, Porter’s Five Forces model, and SWOT analysis for a comprehensive analysis of the external and internal Acer environment. From this, we have made a series of recommendation to Acer in order to retain its ranking. It is however recommended that Acer adopts Blue Ocean against its competitors by using product premium branding regardless of whether its with Ferrari or any other luxury brand. It is also recommended that Acer uses balance scorecard together with its alliances to drive innovation so as to increase the market share of Acer. Introduction This paper seeks to review in general terms the growth and performance of Acer over the past decade. The paper will analyze the environment in which Acer functions and identify the opportunities and threats to which it might expect to have to respond, and how are these factors likely to impact on the company in the near future. This will be done through environmental analysis (PESTLE, Porter’s Five Forces, and SWOT). The report will also make analyses of the resources and key capabilities of the company plus the factors that give the company its competitive advantage. This will be done through assessing the Industry Critical Success Factors, analyzing resources and capabilities and link the generic strategy. Background of the company Acer Incorporated is a multinational electronics manufacturer based in Taiwan. Its product includes desktops, laptops, servers and storage, peripherals, personal digital assistance (PDA), peripherals and e-business services for business, governmen t, education, and home users. Acer Inc is the third largest computer manufacturer in the world after HP and Dell (Shaw & Kotler, 2009). Acer Company owns the largest franchised computer retail chain in Taiwan, Taipei. The company was founded by Stan Shih, Carolyn Yeh his wife, and a group of five others in 1976 as a Multitech. Acer has since been the third largest computer manufacturing company in the world holding 9.5% of the market share, with its growth being experienced outside USA mature market, largely in emerging nations. The peripherals and PC industry is very competitive and Acer has maintained growth since 1999 with significant growth in revenues. The key competitors in the market include Dell, HP and Lenovo; however there is a fragmentation of the market with 46% of it owned by brands which have market share of less than 4% each. Acer seeks to increase its market share through release of premium PCs under Ferrari brand and expansion in LCD TVs with BenQ brand (Unruh & Ett enson, 2010). Growth and performance over the past decade Acer has adopted various strategies to ensure that it remains competitive and retains its ranking at number 3. Acer strives to find a Blue Ocean against its competitors by using premium branding of its product from Ferrari or any other premium luxury brand and make determinations if

How a Country Benefits From International Trade Essay

How a Country Benefits From International Trade - Essay Example International trade, otherwise known as free trade removes the barriers that limit the country’s surplus. This has a great benefit on both the producers and the consumers. It has been seen to be the catalyst of the growth of many economies. Formulated by David, Ricardo, the law of comparative advantage was a pivotal development of the theory of absolute advantage previously developed by Adam Smith. As opposed to the theory of the absolute advantage, Ricardo believes that comparative advantage is enough to make trade possible and desirable. Today international trade is done without much hindrance. There is the removal of tariffs and import quota which we identify as protectionism. The removal of tariffs and quota can practically increase the consumer surplus as they allow domestic consumers to enjoy foreign products at lower costs. The reduction in the producer surplus brought by the entrance of foreign producers through importation can be outweighed by the gains of the domestic consumers, thus increasing the total surplus. Aside from the enjoying lower prices, consumers also benefits from the variety of products available to them through trade. Importation also provides greater choices for the consumers. Some of the practical benefits from international trade are the following: â€Å"enhances the domestic competitiveness, takes advantage of international trade technology , increase sales and profits, extend sales potential of the existing products, maintain cost competitiveness in your domestic market, enhance potenti al for expansion of your business, gains a global market share, reduce dependence on existing markets and stabilize seasonal market fluctuations†

Power Point Presentation (Submitted separately) Essay Example for Free

Power Point Presentation (Submitted separately) Essay Introduction Insolvency arises from a situation whereby a business organization has too many liabilities than its assets. This makes the business organization unable to pay its debts hence resulting to closure of the business and all its assets auctioned to pay its debts. Insolvency affects the economic growth rate of a country. Insolvency mostly arises from poor organizational performance in terms of profitability and poor cash management and leadership. Due to increased insolvencies, the economic growth of a country is reduced. The economic growth rate has effects on the population of a country (Ackelsberg and Arlow, 2005). If the economy of a country is down, it population is low due to lack of necessary resources to meet needs of its citizens satisfactorily and vice versa. Therefore, the management of business organization should ensure that their organizations are performing exceptionally well in order to contribute significantly to the economy of the country, directly and indirectly to the population growth in the country or region. 1.1 Statement identified in the case scenario and the main research questions For business organization to operate smoothly, they need sufficient resources. For the organization to acquire all the necessary resources it requires to meet its goals and objectives, it has source funds from different available sources of funds. Apart from the capital owned by the  business, a business organization borrows finance from banks and other financial creditors in order to finance its business operations effectively (Ackoff, 2003). The funds borrows are recorded as long term or short term loans depending on the repayment period. Insolvency arises whereby the business organization fails to pay its financial obligations with its lenders due to lack of sufficient funds to do so. Insolvency mostly arises from poor cash management within the organization, reduced forecasted cash inflow, increased cash expenses, continuous losses being made by the business organization and much more. In a country where its business organizations continuously become insolvent, the economy declines. A decline in the economy of such a country affects the population of the country significantly due to lack of employment leading to poor living standards and hygiene hence increasing death rates (Andersen, 2004). The rise of crimes also results from lack of employment opportunities and the high rate of crimes affects the population of the country indirectly. Therefore my main research question for this research project is, â€Å"Has there been a decrease in population in North Scotland in the past 12 months as a result of insolvencies?† This gave me a variety of research topics to choose from and they are: 1. The causes and effects of insolvency in a country. 2. Ways in which businesses become insolvent and how business insolvency can be avoided in future. 3. Population decrease as a result of insolvencies within a country. From the above three possible research topic, I chose, â€Å"Population decrease as a result of insolvencies within a country†, as the main research question. 1.2 Factors that contributed to the process of research project selection Importance of business organizations in a country Business organization performances affect the economy of a country either positively or negatively. Once the organizations are doing exceptionally well and achieving its goals and objectives, the economy of a country is raised. However, when the business organizations are continuously going bankrupt and insolvent due to insufficient funds, continuous losses and poor overall management, can affect the economy of a country negatively, and its decreases in terms of growth. The economy growth rate trend of a country has  effects on the population growth of the country (Andersen, 2005). If the economy growth rate decreases, the population rate of a country also decreases and vice versa. Social and economical factors are to be considered when writing up this research project as this will be dealing with the general public of Scotland and their economical status. Ethical issues I am fully aware of any ethical issues that may be involved in carrying out a research project. Privacy of the participants is of the utmost importance and is not to be disclosed to maintain the highest level of ethical integrity in regards to the research. Evans, G., Naim, M. and Towill, D. (1993, pp. 15-25), stated that when most people think of ethics (or morality), they think of rules to distinguish between good and evil, such as the Golden Rule (Do unto others as we would have them do unto you), Code of Ethics, such as the Hippocratic Oath (First, do no harm), a religious belief as the Ten Commandments (Thou shall not kill ), or the wise words of Confucius aphorisms. This is the most common way to define ethical standards of operation that separates acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Most people learn the ethical standards at home, school, church or social settings. The same principle applies to research and enforces the highest level of ethical conduct in all phases of the research, including the interaction and confidentiality of the respondents. However I am not bound to such ethical issues as I have used only secondary data. Significance of the study This research study will enable the management of business organizations to understand the causes of business insolvency and ways to avoid going insolvent. This will assist in avoiding business organizations in a country from going insolvent since the management is aware of the appropriate methods to avoid such a scenario. The government of a country will be aware of the effects of business insolvencies on the population growth rate of the country. This will make the government to support business organizations within the country so that the economy of the country is not affected negatively leading to a stable population in the country. 1.3 Critical review of key references Insolvency Insolvency arises when business organizations fail to pay their debts (Covin, Slevin and Schulz, 2004). Business organizations have to raise sufficient funds necessary to carry out their operation smoothly by availing all the necessary resources and also to meet the business expansion requirements. The capital raised by the owners of large businesses is not enough to run the organization as expected towards its mission and vision since the business organization needs more and more funds as it grows (Ackoff, 2003). This forces the business organizations to borrow loans from creditors and they are expected to re-pay back the loans on the agreed time by both parties. These organization may incur continuous losses, experience increased cash expenses or poor management of cash thus making it difficult for them to repay the loans advanced to them. This leads to insolvency of the business organizations which in some cases may give rise to legal disputes. Population growth rate As the economy of a country keeps on growing, its population growth rate increases. Availability of employment opportunities raises the standards of living within a country and this decreases death rates that could have arisen from poor hygiene (Armstrong, 2004). Increased per capita incomes also improve the population growth rate of a country since there are available resources to feed citizens of a country and this causes families to multiply hence increasing the population growth. However, business insolvencies affect the economy of a country negatively. The economy growth rate increases due to lack of sufficient income in the economy hence affecting the population growth of a country (Chakravarthy, 2006). Lack of enough resources to feed citizens of a country limits the number of family members since there is lack of enough resources to feed large families. Poor living standards also arise and this increases the death rate within a country (Ackoff, 2003). The quality of services offered in local hospitals is also affected by the decline in economy of the country. 1.4 Research project specification Research objectives The main question of this study is to investigate if a decrease in population  has been experienced in North Scotland due to business insolvencies. Therefore the objectives of this study are; 1. To identify the trend in Scottish population in the past 2 years 2. To describe or explain the effects of population trend in relation to the decline of Scottish businesses 3. To determine the influence of population trend and Scottish business 4. To give recommendations according to the research findings Significance of the study 1. From the study, the management of business organizations may understand the reasons for insolvency and ways to avoid going insolvent. 2. The study may help the government of a county understand the importance of supporting business organizations in the country effectively. 3. The research study may be of great help to future researchers when conducting their own research studies. Research methodology Naturally, the research study that will be done will be descriptive. Descriptive research cannot fit in the description of quantitative or qualitative research methodologies but it can utilize both of them (Balestra, 2006). By being able to utilize both methodologies, I have a chance of achieving the objectives of this research exceptionally well by acquisition of necessary evidence for answering all the research questions appropriately. Research design The design of this research study will be descriptive in nature. It entails the process of gathering data so as to answer questions concerning the present status of the research study by answering such questions as who, where, what, when, why and how. Data analysis techniques Secondary data is sourced from textbooks, research journals, media sources and then vital information in relevance to the study is extracted. Raw data from primary sources is then collected and edited. The information is analyzed and interpreted using appropriate analytical tool to reveal the characteristics, nature and realtionship and then presented in form of pie charts and tables. 2.1 Matching resources to research questions of the study Data Collection Methods A data collection procedure was developed which checked the value of the ideas behind the research by using the internet search engine Google and available literature relevant to this topic. Snopes is an online source of information that is mostly assessed by researchers to obtain secondary data (Beard and Dess, 2009). Snopes was used in this study since it has been recommended by most researchers as the most reliable source. It was accessed in order to define the meaning of insolvencies and population growth rate. I obtained the population trend in North Scotland in the past two years from  journals. The relationship between the population growth of a country and business insolvencies will be obtained from primary data collected by other researchers. For example questionnaires distributed to 1,000 respondents in North Scotland and their feedback will be clearly and carefully analyzed through the appropriate analytical tools for reliable and valid conclusions and recommendations. These are data collected by previous researchers which seem to have some knowledge regarding the impact of decline of Scottish businesses. Data was collected from documents such as company annual reports and media reports, and government statistics data. Although primary information collected via interviews and questionnaires myself personally would have been more appropriate and help shape the findings into an authentic conclusion. But due to the time and financial limitations I only used secondary data sources for my research project. 2.2 Research methods that was used in the study The research was conducted as outlined in the time table above and all deadlines met on time. The type of research conducted is descriptive in nature. Secondary data was obtained from online sites such as Snopes, journals, books and magazines and Governmental records of statistics. 2.3 Recording data acquired in the process of the research study Response rate Previously researcher’s targeted one thousand respondents in North Scotland and all of them were given questionnaires to fill. From the 1,000 respondents, only 900 respondents filled the forms as required and returned them on the specified time. Figure 1: Actual response Source: Research data Personal details a. Gender Out of the 900 respondents who participated in the research study, 40% (360) were women and 60% (540) were men. Figure 2: Gender details Source: Research data b. Level of education From the study, 99 percent of the respondents who participated in the  research studies were literate and had certificates, diplomas, degrees and masters. Only one percent of the lacked documents to support their academic credentials since they never finished school due to family and financial problems. Figure 3: Illiteracy or literacy percentage Source: Research data Effects of insolvencies on population 90% percent of the respondents argued that business insolvencies decrease the population growth rate of a country. Business organizations need to perform exceptionally well for them to improve the economy of a country since they are the main players in the economic development of a country. Once a large number of business organizations, go insolvent, the economic growth of a country declines. Lack of employment opportunities, poor lining standards and high crime rates increase leading to decreased population growth rate in a country. This is due to the fact that the number of family members is limited due to lack of sufficient resources to feed large numbers and increased death rates arising from poor living standards (Barney, 2008). The remaining 9 percent of the respondents thought that business insolvencies have nothing to do with the population of a country. Figure 4: Business insolvency Vs. Population growth Source: Research data The population trend in North Scotland for the past two years The population in North Scotland in the year 2010 was approximately 1, 800, 000 million according to online reliable sources. However in the year 2012, the total population of North Scotland decreased significantly by 100,000 due to increased death rates according to research conducted in the same year. Figure 5: Population trend in North Scotland in 2010 and 2012 3.1 Evaluation method Both qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods of evaluation were carried out throughout the process of this project. Data were collected and interpreted in the form of numbers as statistics were involved. This project also investigated certain behavior and lifestyle of people in order to find out the cause and effect process, which led to answering my main research question about decrease in population and insolvencies. 3.2 Research findings Businesses need adequate finances for them to operate smoothly. There are various sources of funds that a business organization can access to acquire the required finances to avail all necessary resources needed in the organization. the mostly accessed sources of funds is the selling of shares to the general public and potential investors and loans that are borrowed from banks and other financial institutions that offer loans to individuals and business organizations. The loans that are advanced to a business organization have to be repaid back in the specified period of time and amount. Once an organization fails to meet its debts in the agreed period of time, the organization is said to be going bankrupt and insolvent. The major reasons why businesses go insolvent is due to poor cash management, continuous losses, poor investments and poor overall management of the business organization. The population growth rate of Scotland generally in the pas t years has been improving signific antly. The approximate population of Scotland as per now is 5.3 million. This number is less due to the size of the country and although it much more than before. This shows that the economic development in the country is encouraging since the economy of a population plays a huge role in its population growth. Once the economy of a country is decreasing in its growth, the population of a country decreases  due to lack of sufficient resources to meet the needs of all the country’s citizens satisfactorily. Poor living standards are also experienced due to lack of sufficient resources to promote high quality health care, education and general living standards. This leads to increased deaths and reduced birth rates hence decreasing the size of the country as discovered from the research. From the research study, we can see that, the population of North Scotland was 1.8 million in the year 2010. According to available statistics, the insolvency rate in the country at that time was very low and businesses were running smoothly hence the economy of the country was steady. The population had increased by 200, 000 people in the same year compared to year 2009. This was due to the availability of sufficient resources to cater for all the needs of the residents of North Scotland satisfactorily. However, in the year 2011, the insolvency level in North Scotland started to increase. The number of businesses that were being closed down increased significantly and in the year 2012, a total of eighty two businesses had been closed down. This insolvency level lead to poor economic growth in the region since business organizations that were contributing effectively in the generation of income within the region were no more. This led to high unemployment level within the region, poor living standards, increased death rates and reduced birth rates. Some people migrated to other paths of the country to look for greener pasture. All this resulted to a decrease in population in the North region part of Scotland. 3.3 Recommendations Business organizations play an instrumental role in the economic growth of a country. The income generated by these organizations is what grows the economy of a country. Therefore, organizational managers should ensure that all the organization’s resources are effectively managed and the organization is meeting its goals and objectives in order to be in a good state of repaying back debts. This will make business organizations avoid becoming insolvent and instead contribute significantly towards the economic growth of a region or country. The government of a country should assist business operations within the country for them to continue improving the economy of a country. In this case the population growth of a country will not be affected since there will be sufficient resources to cater for  residents in the country. Health standards will be encouraging and crime rates will be low hence promoting the population growth in the country. This investigation has recognized fiv e drivers: Enterprise Investment Skills Innovation Competition This audit acknowledges the first of these, endeavour. The investigation draws on existing research and frameworks what is implied by big business, why it is a critical driver of development, what the potential measures/indicators of big business are and how the UK and Scottish economies perform. Where accessible, execution is contrasted with the Curve of Prosperity and other little European nations sketched out in the Government Economic Strategy Venture is an essential driver of investment development and profit, and additionally impacts levels of enhancement and rivalry. Undertaking includes the formation of little organizations and the advancement of new thoughts (business endeavor) and additionally the development of existing organizations. The entrepreneurial environment in Scotland is generally favorable, and contrasts well and different nations. Nonetheless, Scotland confronts a testing in exploiting this and making an entrepreneurial society and new organizations. Start-up rates slack most other UK areas and numerous different nations, and in spite of the fact that Scottish mentality towards enterprise are sure and match those of the UK, Scots are more averse to change over this without hesitation. Access to back and an apprehension of disappointment may be purposes behind this. Various years of low rates of business development have left Scotland with a low business stock. Assuming that Scotland had the same number of organizations in respect to the population, GVA could be in the district of 30% higher. A low extent of organizations in Scotland show critical development – just about 5.5% expansion their turnover by more than  £400,000 over a three year period. Then again, there is little proof that Scotlands execution is any more terrible than the UK overall – and Scotland may perform somewhat better. Access to additional powerful information however is obliged to completely evaluate the execution of organizations in Scotland contrasted  with different zones. Impediments to development recognized by organizations incorporate the impacts of rivalry in the business sector, business regulations and the general monetary atmosphere. Market disappointments incorporate data lacks and data asymmetries that can influence access to general data about business start-up and development and access money for a few organizations and new begins. All in all, Scotlands issue in connection to big business does not have all the earmarks of being that our organizations are less development orientated than those in whatever is left of the UK, its that we dont have enough organizations regard. Conclusion The rate of business insolvency affects the economic growth of a country. Business organizations have the right to select their preferred sources of capital. The most preferred sources are bank loans, selling of shares to the public and ploughing back earned [profits. Loans advanced to business organizations have to be repaid in the agreed period of time and amount. Once organizations fail to repay their debts due to lack of sufficient cash arising from poor cash management and continuous losses, they are said to be insolvent. Insolvency affects the economy of a country due to reduced number of business organizations to generate the required income. In North Scotland, a high number of business organizations became insolvent and this led to decline in economic growth in the population. Poor economic growth resulted to decline in the population growth of the region. This is due to high unemployment levels, increased crimes, poor living standards, reduced birth rates and increased death rates within the region. References Ackelsberg, R. and Arlow, P. 2005. â€Å"Contribution of small businesses to population growth†, long Range Planning, Vol. 18 No. 5, pp. 61-7. Ackoff, R.L. 2003. A comparison of population growth in Wales, Scotland and England:, New York, NY. Andersen, T.J. 2004. â€Å"The performance of Scotland Firms and contribution to its population growth, Vol. 33, pp. 184-200. Andersen, T.J. 2005. â€Å"the effects of business insolvencies on population growth in a region†, Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 41 No. 8, pp. 1271-99. Armstrong, J.S. 2004 â€Å"The value of formal planning for strategic decisions: review of empirical research†, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 197-211. Balestra, P. 2006 â€Å"The concept of insolvency in business organizations†, J., Milgate, M. and Newman, P. (Eds), The New Palgrave: Econometrics, Macmillan, Basingstoke, pp. 70-4. Barney, J.B. 2008. â€Å"Firm financial position and sustained competitive advantage†, Journal of Management, Vol. 17, pp. 99-120. Beard, D.W. and Dess, G.G. 2009. â€Å"Industry profitability and firm performance: a preliminary analysis on the business insolvency question†, Academy of Management Proceedings, pp. 123-7. Chakravarthy, B.S. 2006 â€Å"Measuring financial performance†, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 7, pp. 437-58. Covin, J.G., Slevin, D.P. and Schulz, R.L. 2004. â€Å"Implementing strategic mission to avoid insolvency†, Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 31, pp. 481-505.

Ecologically Sustainable Development In Australia Environmental Sciences Essay

Ecologically Sustainable Development In Australia Environmental Sciences Essay Introduction The realities of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) are emerging issues that are impacting on commercial property sector worldwide. The world today uses ample of natural resources which radically polluting the earth and destroying the natural environment. Over the past decade, green buildings and ecological sustainability began rising throughout the world.], and have emerged in the Australian property sector as a vigorous movement to create high-performance as a sustainable investment. One of the earliest general definitions of sustainability was adopted in 1987 by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), which defined Sustainable Development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs (Muldavin 2010). Australian property sector is obliged to play a major role in meeting the ecological sustainability which improves occupants comfort and well-being. It als o minimizes environmental impacts whilst gives a good investment returns. The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) was formed to highlight the principles and practices of ecological sustainability through the Green Star Rating System. Kato et al. (2009) demonstrated that investors appetite is on the rise in which the sustainability is now set to become much more rampant in the property sector. Researchers have showcased those properties with a five-star National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) accreditation is expected to have an increased value up to 9 per cent whilst Green Star ratings accredited to a premium of up to 12 per cent. It also illustrates that energy efficient buildings leads to occupancy, sale price and rental premium. According to Beder (1996), sustainable investment has an increased significance in the property sector among all the relevant stakeholders to help save the environment, increases property values and ensures the economic growth to be continued in the future. Hence, it is vital to incorporate green features because it has great investment benefits gives an opportunity to use the resources effectively and efficiently while generating healthier and improved environment s for its occupants to live in over the entire life cycle of the building (Choi 2009). The evolution of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) in Australia The concept of sustainable development has been evolved primarily with the establishment of Our Common Future report which is published by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD). The report, constituted as an important turning point for the concept of sustainable development which is comprehensively produced with partnership forged around the global. The report has been the catalyst for the evolution of the other conceptualization efforts. The chronology of sustainable development in Australia proximately relates to the evolution of the sustainable development at the international level. The policy statement on the environment entitled has been released by then Prime Minister following the release of the Brundtland report. This release began the Commonwealth Governments process of adapting the concepts of sustainable development for Australian conditions (Fisheries Management Paper 2002). To emphasize the importance of the environment in sustainable development, the Australian government adopted the term Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) to make sure that there is a balanced approach to dealing with economic, social and environmental issues. In 1990, the release of Ecologically Sustainable Development: A Commonwealth Discussion Paper and the formation of nine ESD Working Groups has further established the concepts, definition and principles of ESD. Thus, the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development or NSESD has been established with the development of the reports from these groups, along with deliberation of the relevant international plans and reports. Today, NSESD is still being the major policy document for sustainable development in Australia. The NSESD, which was endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 1992, includes the official definition of ESD, a set of core objectives and a number of guiding principles. The related regulations are NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, NSW Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991, The NSW Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), The Natural Heritage Trust of Australia Act 1997, and The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The definition listed in the strategy is that, ESD is development which aims to meet the needs of Australians today, while conserving our ecosystems for the benefit of future generations. In fact, the NSESD itself fulfils Australias obligation entered into in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 to implement Agenda 21 which has been the basis for the policy making (Fisheries Management Paper 2002). Each action implemented by Environment Australia was closely related the same basis as the NSESD and the COAG were from courses of action that aim to protect forests, the ocean, water, biological diversity and a greenhouse strategy. Australias policies were based on international strategies based from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit in which Australia through the federal government led by John Howard at the time was a signatory. The Green Building Rating Tools The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) launched the Green Star rating system for buildings in 2003. The Green Building rating tool is an important attribute of the GBCA, as it helps the building occupants, owners and investors to monitor and measure the sustainability and environmental impact of their buildings, hence to improve the buildings performance toward ecological sustainability. It leads the property sector to achieve real cost savings, improve occupant health and productivity, showcase innovation in sustainable building practices and reduce the environmental impact of buildings. Green Building rating system uses stars to rate the environmental performance of a building. Green Star is a comprehensive, national, voluntary environmental rating system that evaluates the environmental design and construction of buildings. Green Star was developed to set a standard of measurement for green buildings. Also, it promotes integrated, whole-building design, recognize environmental leadership, identify building life-cycle impacts and raise awareness of green building benefits. Buildings are evaluated based on nine environmental impact categories. The nine categories of Green Star Rating Tools are; Management, Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ), Energy, Transport, Water, Materials, Land Use Ecology, Emissions and Innovation. Within each category, points are awarded for buildings that have met the overall objectives of Green Star. The implications of Green Buildings in Property Investment Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) has been a paradigm favourable change towards green buildings practices in context of property investment, becoming progressively more prominent with each passing year since late 1990s. The Property Council of Australia and the Australian Property Institute are recently giving more importance to Ecologically Sustainable Development and Green building concepts and practices. Many well-establishes principles of ESD have been embraced in Australian Federal and State Government Legislation for a number of years now. The Property Investment sector has been showing a balanced concern towards the environment where they live, work and play, placing a balanced value to the well-being and integrity of the ecological system and the environment on top of the economic well-being, health, education, law and order, infrastructure. The Property Investment sector has been continually shifting towards sustainable development. This shift towards sustainability is due to the drives for profits and also building an image for the property sector. There are many implications in embracing the concept of green buildings in the context of property investment. These are some of the most prominent implications for the operational functions, both now and in the future. With the green building practices, there is a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and reduction in wastage of valuable scarce resources such air, water and energy in the usage of commercial buildings thus provides greater recyclable usage. Also, it gives a reduction in polluting activity and toxicity levels, pertaining particularly to the use and management of industrial buildings. This is because there is a need for a greater emphasis on eco-friendly over the full life-cycle of commercial buildings and a need for greater energy efficiency in general, where commercial buildings are concerned. Besides, there is a change over from old-fashioned, highly polluting-based fuel and energy sources, to newer, cleaner, more eco-friendly and eco-efficient alternatives such as solar-based, wind-based and hydrogen-based sources. Green buildings are inexpensive to operate as they are built for water efficiency and high energy. There is a reduction in operating cost as they can save up to 20-30% of energy savings compared with industry standards. Green buildings delivers a higher return on investment and have a greater tenant attraction where it provides a healthy, environmental friendly and productive workplace that shows their obligation to corporate social responsibility. There is an enhanced marketability as green buildings have many prospective tenants in the waiting list. Green buildings have a greater comfort and productivity compared to non-green buildings in terms of fresh air, access of views of outdoors, natural light and has the control on individual workplace lighting and t emperature which directly affects the productivity. Moreover, green buildings have a reduced risk and liability. In addition, it gives a competitive advantage, command higher capital values with shorter vacant periods, slower depreciation, ultimately trading at a rental premium. Overall, as demand increases for ecological sustainability, it is seen as a more secure investment as shown by vacancies in green buildings as it offers better investment returns. Conclusions In respect to all of the ecologically sustainable development (ESD)-related legislation and the principles and practice of green buildings which has been adopted in Australia, it is now clear that buildings take responsibility in providing comfortable, safe, and prospective living or working environment for its occupants. This is because; comfort, productivity, functionality and energy efficiency are essential elements for ESD, not only for future generations, but also a necessity for current generations. Crook (2001) indicates that the term sustainability must embrace environmental, economic and as well as the social objectives. In the recent years, green buildings have captured serious attention and awareness. The current demand shows that a trend favoring green buildings are moving like hotcakes compared to those buildings that are not in terms with the principles and practice of ecological sustainability. Robinson (2008) states that getting a green rating is certainly an intelligent option in the context of Property Investment. In the rush to draw in environmentally conscious tenants, many building are promoting their green star certificates, often with no understandings of the green star rating system, how they work and what are the actual implications does the concept of green buildings have (Carter et al. 2007). The industry first of all needs to educate itself on the true meaning of Green and Ecological Sustainability. Developers and architects tries to create buildings or structures that are deemed to be iconic, but the new trend is for this status to be conferred by innovative design or sustainability rather than sheer size, as very tall buildings approach their use by date. According to Gomez (2006), green buildings have higher relative investment returns, higher market value for asset, increased productivity, higher rents and marketing advantage. Integrating Green building features into the construction of a building promises a good investment. However, further studies highlighting areas of perceived deficiency and flaws in green buildings and a more targeted effort in meeting the needs and expectations of investors in terms of workplace satisfaction, and areas that require specific attention in transitioning to green buildings are important. Ecological sustainability goals are possible to achieve but at a cost that involves a large amount of research, funds and commitment. Despite further study and data limitations and, the findings of this report concludes that building green is considered to be of great importance within the Property Investment sector because the growth and development of our communities has a large impact on our natural environment over the entire life cycle of the building.

Examining Factors Influencing Police Decision Making Criminology Essay

Examining Factors Influencing Police Decision Making Criminology Essay Police decision-making relies on a myriad of factors to include the individual officers characteristics, the environment the officer works in, the characteristics of the offender, the situation the officer finds themselves in, and the organization that influences them. In an attempt to control officer behavior and discretion, some police agencies have encouraged and/or mandated the increased hiring of minorities, women, and college educated officers. The belief is that officer characteristics such as race, sex, and education have an effect on police decision making and these characteristics will have a moderating influence on egregious behaviors such as excessive force, police shootings, and violations of civil rights. However, there is no compelling evidence to suggest that officer characteristics have such a strong influence to counter the other factors of situation, organization, and environment in decision-making. Since officer characteristics are a minor part of the complex fact ors influencing police behavior, there is no harm in promoting increased hiring of minorities, women, and college educated officers. These hiring policies do need to be seen as an attempt by the police agency to hire officers that share characteristics of the constituency that they serve. More study is needed to verify the influences of officer characteristics on police behavior and then, if the studies verify a connection, this research can substantiate the increased hiring practices of minorities, women, and college educated officers. INTRODUCTION There is a dearth of quasi-experimental and experimental designs into the factors that influence a police officers decision-making. Questions remain on how influential certain characteristics such as officer sex, race, age, education, and attitude can be on officer behavior. Of the existing studies that investigate the influences of officer characteristics, the results are mixed on how influential these characteristics are. However, there are numerous studies, while not experimental, that can help explain police behaviors through factors other than officer characteristics (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 34-35). By using these studies of other than officer characteristics, we can validate how strong or weak these factors are on officer behavior. More studies of officer characteristics on police behavior are needed in order to justify the sanctioned hiring of more females, minorities, and college educated officers in an attempt to control officer behavior. Some police administrat ors and policy makers think that officers with more education and a diverse background will make better decisions when interacting with the public and reduce the incidents of excessive force and violations of civil rights (Walker, 1998, p. 232) and this is the reason for implementing affirmative action hiring programs at some police agencies. Some factors put forth as possible behavioral influences on police officers have included citizen behaviors and attitudes, ecological influences, environmental factors, legal restraints, organizational factors, politics, and situational factors. While all are capable of influencing behavior, none answers the entire question of determining and predicting police behavior (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 214-216). One of the biggest obstacles in determining police behavior is overcoming ingrained conventional wisdom on police matters. There is too much attention placed on certain behaviors such as racial profiling, police shootings, use of force, and corruption without trying to understand the causes and definitions of such behaviors. These high-profile incidents receive quick fixes from politicians and police administrators without addressing the underlying causes. Theory based studies would be better used to explain and correct egregious displays of police behavior (Engel, 2002, pp. 269-270). There is a need for empirical based studies of police behavior in order to determine which factors, if any, influence the behavior of police officers, the use of discretion, and whether if police departments can control for these behaviors by emphasizing the hiring of women, minorities, and college educated officers (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 152-154). Based on the evidence so far, the influences on police behavior are too complex and varied to make a strong conclusion that certain policies such as hiring more minorities, women, and college educated officers can correct and/control individual police behavior. Although strong correlations exist between police behavior and situational, legal, organizational, and community factors, none represents a bellwether solution for influencing police behavior. With no conclusive evidence linking certain officer characteristics such as officer race, gender, and education to particular behaviors, policies emphasizing departmental solutions to behavioral issues should be maintained within certain contexts. Rather than being seen as a tool to influence officer behaviors and outcomes, these hiring practices should be seen as an attempt to correct previous discriminatory hiring practices, promote employee diversity, and as an endeavor to have a police agency reflect their constituency in order to bu ild trust and cooperation. Other factors such as police culture, situations, and police bureaucracy that have been shown to have more of an influence police behavior than officer characteristics should be given more focus in attempts to change officer behavior. DISCRETION AND POLICE BEHAVIOR The Importance of Discretion Tackling the issue of determining the basis of police behavior is not new but the complexity of the issue was realized from the beginning of such research as the American Bar Foundation Survey in the 1950s and its follow-on research by the Presidents Commission on Law Enforcement in 1967. Though these early studies spent considerable time in attempting to understand police discretion, they laid the groundwork for later studies on police behavior and raised several questions in the process (Walker, 1992, pp. 48-54). Questions such as the influence of officer characteristics and attitude on officer behavior are still not fully understood. These studies began with the emphasis on examining police behavior and public interaction with the belief that most officers performed their jobs according to the letter of the law. However, it was soon discovered in the course of these studies that the police exercised an enormous amount of discretion in applying the law (National Research Council, 2 004, pp. 22-23). The importance discretion has on police behavior cannot be overstated. A police officer, once out of training, operates with very little direct supervision and can be highly selective in demonstrating the power of the police. Even when answering service calls with ample evidence of a crime, there is no guarantee that the officer will take a formal action against a citizen. Almost every interaction an officer has with the public has a measure of discretion. Because of a lack of direct supervision, the actions of the officer cannot be constantly monitored to ensure adherence to the law and obedience of civil rights. On one hand, an officer decides to enforce the law and make the arrest. This action then comes under the review of the police department, courts, the media, and the public since arrest in the United States are a matter of the public record. On the other hand, an officer decides not to make an arrest by using discretion. The reasons for no arrest can vary from lack of eviden ce to the officers concern that her/his shift is almost over and does not want to stay late to book an arrest. Only the officer, the suspect, and perhaps some bystanders have knowledge of the non-arrest. Since none of these people occupy the officers chain of command or justice sub-system, this decision of non-arrest is not up for review except in rare circumstances (Goldstein, 1960, pp. 90-92). Goldstein (1960) noted that the use of police discretion in not making arrests are not reviewed except in cases where the police detained suspects in a crime and the suspect went on to commit further crimes and/or the non-arrest is seen as part of corruption. However, arrests and therefore the decisions to make that arrest are under review at every juncture of the criminal justice process, from booking through adjudication. Therefore, the burden of a good arrest and the discretion used to make the arrest is no longer on the officer put placed with the courts for review. Police officers use their discretion for a multitude of purposes, from being a crime fighter to doing their best to avoid as much work as possible. Allowing for the effects of being the subject of a study, officers still exhibit a wide range of behaviors depending on when, where, and with whom they choose to exercise their powers of detention, questioning, arrest, and force (Van Maanen, 1974, p. 122). Added to the everyday factors such as the situation in which the officer find himself or herself interacting with citizens, expectations of their agency and co-workers, and differences in location, the officer is also part of a public service organization. The police have competing mandates and responsibilities placed upon them by a fickle public and an even more fickle political system. These mandates and responsibilities are usually not clearly communicated or only communicated after an incident has taken place and the police response was not what the public expected of their agency. Discretion is used by police management to guide these expectations down to the beat officer and to adjust to a changing and mercurial political climate (National Research Council, 2004, p. 57). Studying Police Behavior and Discretion Discretion has been the focus of study since the 1950s and 1960s in an attempt to understand how officer decision making influences police behavior. More importantly, researchers were looking into how discretion factored into situations in which officers violated civil rights, arrest decisions, and racial discrimination (National Research Council, 2004, p. 64). While previous research focused on the police applying the law, it was thought that officers clearly applied the law fairly and non-discriminately when the law had been broken. However, follow-up studies revealed that discretion in how the officer applied the law was more important to decision making than once believed. Officers were shown to not make arrests even when the law was clearly broken and were making arrests for reasons other than law breaking i.e., citizen safety, disrespect, and case management (National Research Council, 2004, p. 70). Attempts to control discretion have been tried in different police agencies, often because of police shootings and other misapplications of deadly force. While most attempts to control or formalize discretion have met with mixed results, other such as in the aftermath of the Memphis police shootings have been successful in reducing police shootings and implementing other administrative controls (Fyfe, 1982, p. 72). The use of discretion carries with it a double-sided curse of being unavoidable in police work in a democratic political system. With no discretion, police officers would be heavy handed and legalistic but still exercising some type of preference, just with more subtlety and with obvious crimes being ignored and minor infractions being investigated. Attempts by police administrators to control discretion have failed (Aaronson et al., 1984, pp. 408-436) and even though it can encourage abuses, discretion carries with it the will of the people who are being policed. The Exercise of Police Arrest Power The actions of the police are based on the lawfulness and legitimacy of their actions in controlling the public. The public also has to recognize the legitimacy of the police and submit to these tenets in order to be policed. When there is conflict between the public and the police it is usually a result of the police not following the strictures set up under the law e.g., unlawful search and seizure, interrogations without Miranda warnings, and excessive force (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 5-6, 252). Various police agencies exercise discretion and arrest power in different ways based on the style of policing the agency utilizes. There are three styles of policing identified by Wilson (1968): the watchman, service, and legalistic. Discretion is used the most often under the watchman style since these types of agencies are primarily concerned with order maintenance. Officers using this style are most concerned with maintaining social control by suppressing illegal activities and disruptive behavior. Discretion is used along with arrest powers to persuade, threaten, and discourage potential lawbreakers (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 70-71). The legalistic police agency is the opposite of the watchman style with an emphasis on enforcing the law no matter how small the infraction may be. Legalistic agencies tend to have high arrest rates, issue more citations, and utilize the law to target and/or harass persons suspected of violating the law. The use of discretion is low for th ese types of departments since they tend to view infractions in more concrete terms and use arrest as a tool even for minor infractions. This type of full enforcement also constrains officer behavior and allows some amount of control over the officer by the agency. Police agencies that use a service style of policing are using both order maintenance and law enforcement while staying attuned to the desires of the community they serve. While less emphasis is placed on using arrest for even minor infractions, the service type of agency still uses arrest and discretion to enforce the laws that are important to the local community. Officer behavior is still controlled but not as much as under the legalistic style but also not given as much freedom as under the watchman style. However, discretion is still present in all three styles with varying degrees of arrest power implemented and/or encouraged by the agency in order to more closely adhere to the desired outcomes of the police agency. OFFICER CHARACTERISTICS Effects on Police Behavior It has been suggested that an officers psychological and attitudinal orientation influence the officers behavior when they interact with the public. This assumption deals with an officers traits, experiences, and attitudes (Terrill and Mastrofski, 2002, p. 218). One area that has drawn an increasing amount of attention from researchers is officer characteristics and the use of force. Research into the influences of officer education and experience has suggested that officer education and experience have a positive effect on the use of force in that officers with more experience and formal education are more likely to use alternate forms of citizen control. Officer education refers to formal education outside of police training and usually means some type of college or trade school education. Officer experience refers to the amount of years employed as a police officer. The research found that a more educated and experienced officer shows more restraint when applying force (Terrill an d Mastrofski, 2002, p. 244). Officer behavior can be explained by the situational factors officers find themselves in and by the attitude exhibited by the officer. However, the link between situational factors and officer behavior is stronger than the attitude link. While going against conventional wisdom, officer attitude has not been found to be a strong indicator of officer behavior and this holds true for the general population as well (Worden, 1989, p. 670). Situational and organizational factors have been found to be a more important source of officer decision making than attitudinal based factors (Worden, 1989, pp. 673-674). An officer is also heavily influenced by the legal factors involved when an officer encounters a citizen such as the citizens resistance to orders, officer and citizen safety, and evidence of a crime. Usually when an officer finds her or himself dealing with a situation that requires arrest or the use of force within a legal framework, they will behave accordingly rather than rely on officer attitude or other officer characteristics (Terrill and Mastrofski, 2002, pp. 233-235). The officers race has also been studied as a possible explanation for police behavior with the thinking that an officer of a minority background would interact with citizens of the same race differently and with greater understanding. Agencies have encouraged the hiring of more black officers with the expectation that black officers would improve relations between police and the black community and reduce the amount of bias held by officers against black citizens. However, before race or ethnicity can be examined as a possible source of behavior and a predictor of future behavior, other influential factors must be controlled for. These include length of the officers experience on the job, their level of education, characteristics of the suspect, and type of encounter in question. Studies such as Brown and Franks (2006) hold that officer race has an influence on arrest decisions and behavior but their study had to control for the above-mentioned factors. They found white officers were more likely to make arrests than black officers were but that black officers were more likely to arrest black suspects. Other research found that while there were differences in the attitudes of minority and white officers, African American officers arrested African American suspects more often and were more likely to use force against minority suspects than white officers (XXX) An officers gender has also been identified as a possible source of officer behavior. However, there has been no significant evidence to suggest that male and female officers behave differently in the course of their jobs even though it has been suggested that female officers would be less aggressive and rely more on persuasion and verbal tactics during suspect confrontations (National Research Council, 2004, p. 151). The few studies that showed a difference in officer behaviors based on gender were directed toward community policing and order maintenance situations. Engel et al. (2000) founds that female officers focus more on problem solving when confronted with issues during their shifts (National Research Council, 2004, p. 151). Female officers, when operating under the auspices of community policing, have been found to have a more positive attitude towards citizens and the goals of the community policing programs than do male officers (Skogan and Hartnett, 1997, pp. 239-242). Ma strofski et al. (2000) concluded that female officers also were more likely to honor a citizens request to control other citizens within the context of community policing (p. 335). Other than attitudes, differences between female and male officer bahvior during the course of their duties has not been shown. Female officers seem to exhibit the same bahviors as male officers when confronted with different situations and different behaviors exhibited by citizens. Whether these citizen inteactions required restraint, issuance of citations, force, or arrest, the actions of the female officers was very similar to those of male officers (Walker, Despite some differences in attitudes, research findings confirm that there are only very slight differences in on-the-job behavior between the sexes. Studies of police officers in several agencies have revealed that female and male officers responded to similar calls for service and encountered similar proportions of problem citizens (e.g., citizens who are intoxicated, angry, violent, etc.). Only slight-and nonstatistically significant-differences existed in the proportion of arrest and citations issued by male and female officers (for review, see Walker). Findings regarding officers use of deadly force, however, have been somewhat mixed. Studies have shown that male officers are involved in deadly force incidents more often than female officers, but female officers who are partnered with a male officer reacted similarly to their male partners when responding to violent confrontations (Walker). In addition, a study of police officers in Indianapolis Police Department and St. Petersburg Police Department during 1996-1997 found that male officers are more likely than female officers to respond positively to citizens requests to control another citizen (Mastrofski et al., 2000). Going Against Type, Styles of Officer Behavior Being part of a heavily bureaucratized and politicized organization, the police officer has the opportunity to depend upon a certain type of behavior in order to make their work enjoyable. A police officer is supervised closely and operates independently at the same time, utilizing discretion and experience to either patrol aggressively or only answer service calls. The intricate factors that influence decision-making include organizational pressures, territory coverage, survival, street code, group dynamics, and coping skills. Since the nature of patrol work can change from moment to moment and can only be generally predicted over the course of a shift, the behavior an officer exhibits can quickly change from an aggressive legalistic style to a laid back, emergency response style over the course of a shift (Van Maanen, 1974, pp. 120-121). Outside factors have an influence on officer behavior as strongly as internalized attitudes and beliefs. Because the police agency is heavily influenced by outside forces such as the law, bureaucratic control, politics, and public complaints, sometimes the officers behavior is pre-determined by such constraints (Herbert, 1998, pp. 361-364). An officer also has to hold themselves to an organizational ideal of being competent, moral, and safe (for self and fellow officers). Even if an officer exhibits the attributes of a hard-charger or a desk jockey, they are still expected to meet the minimum expectations of the group i.e., assist when called upon, show solidarity with fellow officers, and be safe (Herbert, 1998, pp. 355-361). SITUATIONAL FACTORS OF POLICE BEHAVIOR The Probability of Arrest Factors other than officer characteristics have been shown to be a better predictor of officer behavior in terms of arrest. Citizen initiated arrests and preferences have a stronger influence on arrest decisions than the preferences of the officer, who sometimes would prefer to be more lenient and possess more evidence when making an arrest decision. Seriousness of the crime, whether the suspect is known and/or related to the officer, and the amount of disrespect given to the officer are also factors that take the arrest decision beyond officer characteristics (Black, 1971, pp. 1104-1110). Suspect demeanor also has been shown to be a strong indicator of the chances of being arrested. An officer, no matter their attitude or other characteristics, will not usually subject themselves to disrespect and abuse at the hands of a citizen. Although situation specific, interaction between police and citizens is influenced by the behavior displayed by both parties, and an escalation of perceived disrespect by one party against the other is met with resistance by the other. There is also disagreement among officers on what construes disrespect, which adds to the difficulty in using suspect demeanor as an officer behavior predictor (Klinger, 1994, pp. 489-491). However, the correlation in suspect demeanor and chance of arrest is still a strong indicator of officer behavior and prediction (Worden Shepard, 1996, pp. 99-103). Other situational factors such as the mental health of a suspect and citizen requests have a much stronger effect on officer behavior than officer characteristics. Even though there may be a correlation on an officers education level in respect to the officers predilection to arrest a mentally disordered suspect (Engel and Silver, 2001, p. 247), officers have not been shown to disproportionately arrest mentally disordered persons based on mental health (Engel and Silver, 2001, pp. 245-248). An officer is usually not inclined to grant a citizens request to arrest another unless there is evidence of a crime committed. This holds true regardless of the citizens race, wealth, or social affiliation. However, Mastrofski et al. (2000) found that male officers, officers of limited experience, and officers with a passion for community policing were more apt to honor a request for arrest. Suspect Characteristics It has long been pre-supposed by the advocates of conventional wisdom that certain characteristics of the suspects that are immediately discernable such as age, race, sex, and social class had an influence on the officers decision to make an arrest or some other formal action. (EXPAND) ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS ON OFFICER BEHAVIOR The Influences of the Organization The influence of organizational factors on officer behavior is dependent upon the type of organization the officer is working in. Smith (1984) identified bureaucratic and professional agencies with four sub-categories identified by the level of bureaucracy and professionalism within the agency. High professionalism and high bureaucracy is legalistic, high professionalism with low bureaucracy is service, low professionalism with high bureaucracy is militaristic, and low professionalism with low bureaucracy is fraternal. Therefore, the behavior of the officer can be reasonably predicted based on the type of agency and that agencys definition of legal control (Smith, 1984, pp. 33-35). Organizational influences on officer behavior can also be seen when using expectancy theory. The organization, in this case police agency or department, instills certain expectations from its officers in regards to arrests, traffic stops, citations issued, etc. In the example used by Mastrofski et al. (1994) in their study of Pennsylvania police officers, DUI enforcement was the studied expectancy. Mastrofski et al. (1994) found that when the officers operated under the expectations of their agencies, they usually complied whether the expectations were for high or minimal enforcement. The characteristics of the individual officers did not play a significant role except for a small number of rate busters who bucked the system and made significantly more arrests for DUI (Mastrofski et al., 1994, pp. 142-145). Organizational factors have been shown to have the ability to change officer behavior when there has been directed action against identified behavior, usually in response to police abuses or scandal. An example of this occurred when the Memphis police department made a concerted effort to reduce the amount of police shootings since the rate of deadly shootings in Memphis was disproportionate when compared to other, larger cities (Fyfe, 1982, pp. 712-717). The reasons for shooting given by the Memphis officers were not in agreement with reasons given by the comparison city of New York since Memphis officers showed a predilection to using deadly force for property crime offenses (Fyfe, 1982, pp. 715-716) while New York officers did not. The Memphis police addressed this issue by instituting a more stringent deadly force policy and officer survival training in an attempt to reduce the shootings incidents. An organizations influence on officer behavior can also be seen in the supervisory styles of police mid-level management. Engel (2001) identified different supervisory styles among police sergeants and lieutenants identified as traditional, innovative, supportive, and active (pp. 347-350). While each style has a direct influence on the officers they are supervising, it is also interesting to note the attitudes of the supervisors themselves when the distribution is included for sex, race, rank, age, experience, and education. Engel (2001) found that half of the traditional supervisors were female, this may be attributed to their use of rules, and regulations to keep officers in line and under control since female supervisors may have an issue with perceived power by subordinates (pp. 350-351). COMMUNITY FACTORS ON POLICE BEHAVIOR Patrolling the Neighborhood The area in which a police officer patrols has an effect on their behavior. This depends on the social, economic, and attitudinal makeup of the local residents of the neighborhood in question. There are also other environmental factors influencing police behavior. These include community interaction, past history of policing the neighborhood, the local politics, and the dominant area culture (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 155-156). The influence of the neighborhood is strong on potential police behavior dependent upon the type of neighborhood that is served by the police. Smith (1986) found that police behave differently in higher status neighborhoods than they do in lower status neighborhoods. For example, the police are more prone to stop and question a suspicious person in a higher status neighborhood than in lower status, less racially heterogeneous neighborhoods (pp. 338-339). Neighborhood conditions also affect police behavior. Klinger (1997) found that officers come to view deviant behaviors as normal if they are exposed to the behavior in neighborhoods that are economically disadvantaged. Rather than acting as service providers in these types of neighborhoods, officers quickly learn to prioritize the crimes in terms of urgency and the need to respond (pp. 298-300). Crank (1990) also found differences in officer behaviors in terms of motivation to arrest in rural and urban areas. Not only are there differences between police behaviors within a municipal area, there are also differences in behavior between rural and urban police with the rural police officer being more prone to make arrests for discretionary offenses (pp. 185-187). DISCUSSION Police agencies, the public, policy makers, and politicians have long had the desire to recruit and employ officers whose behavior is beyond reproach. An officer who made the correct decision in every instance without regard to a suspects race, sex, economic status, or mental health would be highly regarded and emulated. When the officer was confronted with situations that required the application of force and/or restraint, they would do so correctly and with the proper legal justifications. It is thought that the use of officer discretion would also be properly applied and controlled by the first line supervisors and directed by the agencies themselves based on community need. Agencies believe they could partially meet these goals if they emphasize the hiring of women, minorities, and college educated officers. However, due the complexity of police work and the multitude of influences such as situational, organizational, and environmental factors, shaping officer behaviors would be very difficult indeed. As was shown in numerous studies above, these other influences besides officer characteristics, often have a stronger influence over officer behavior than the officers own attitude, race, sex, and/or education. CONCLUSION The emphasis on hiring more minorities, women, and college-educated officers should continue because these programs are causing no harm and they are a reflection on the desires of the community that is being policed. No study has shown a negative effect of having more minorities, women, and college-educated officers on a particular police force. However, no study has shown a significant difference in police behaviors based on sex or race so more research is needed in an attempt to understand a connection between officer behavior and officer characteristics.