The Communist System - 696 Words

Before getting deep into the topic of communism, it helps to know what communism is. The system has six defining characteristics: a monopoly of power, rigid discipline and strict hierarchy, it contains a centralized command economy (which fixed prices on everything produced), the state owns production, also the citizen’s sense of belonging to communism, and finally, the desire of the citizen to further the communist cause. (Brown, 2) The communist system also demands total submission to the state government, and the desire of the ordinary working class citizen to be controlled by the power-hungry leaders of the state’s regime. The malfunctioning of this system brought down the Soviet regime in the early 1990s along with the governments of most other countries that have tried to implement the communist system. The mismanagement of resources and inefficiency of the system was a determining factor of the downfall of communism. Under the system, business owners were to donate a majority of the goods to the government in return for basic and essential goods being given to them. (Pollick, 6) Most countries did not have the resources to support the needs of every last one of its people, eventually this system began to fail and a supply shortage would usually arise. The health care of most communist regimes was badly inadequate, and this would also result in the dissatisfaction of the people. The ambulances would take days, or even weeks, to arrive on mostShow MoreRelatedFailure of the Communist System Essay994 Words   |  4 PagesFailure of the Communist System The communist system fell for various reasons. In time, I dont think that this could have been avoided as the communist ideal had a basic flaw in it. It misunderstood human nature. Their ideology was based on every man working to the best of his ability for the good of the nation. However, humans will not work for more than they have to and therefore this massive decline in the quality of the work in communism led to its downfall as thereRead MoreChinese Politics And Comparative Communist Systems Essay1036 Words   |  5 PagesSujian Guo states in his book Chinese Politics in Comparative Communist Systems, â€Å"The existence of the party-state and the blending of the political and administrative functions is one of the distinctive characteristics of the communist system world wide† (Guo 9). These â€Å"Party-State Relations† occur in all communist countries. There are many key features of Party-State Relations. Firstly, the members of the controlling party (China Communist Party) have a key role in political decisions. The party holdsRead MoreGovernmental Systems of China1593 Words   |  6 Pageshas experienced a large and significant variety of governmental systems, from historical to contemporary. From the Manchu Empire which focused on Confucianism to the current Communist Party of the People’s Republic of China, the government of China has changed drastical ly throughout the years, ultimately contributing to the country that China is today. It is significant to understand that the changes made in the governmental system were so drastic, that they stretched from the Mainland all the wayRead MoreKarl Marx And The Communist Manifesto1044 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Roubicek Nick Adey History 12 - Room 314 2nd January 2017 TITLE NOT YET FINAL On February 21st, 1848 the world was forever changed when Karl Marx published The Communist Manifesto, the ideas of a stateless and classless society would inspire many, and forge the path that many nations would follow, and give rise to numerous conflicts throughout the 20th century. Karl Marx was born in Trier, Germany on May 5th 1818. During his early years he studied philosophy and law,Read MoreThe Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx And Engels1135 Words   |  5 Pages The Communist Manifesto was written in 1847 by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who were commissioned by the Communist League, a group of radical workers in London, England. Marx and Engels had known each other since they had met in Paris in 1843, and they had already written several essays together about Communism before being asked to write the Manifesto. The Communist Manifesto was published in England in 1848, and it is one of the most widely influential documents when it comes to modern socialismRead MoreThe Collapse of Communism in the USSR, Central, and Eastern Europe1102 Words   |  4 PagesCommunism is a social system in which all the resources, economic activities are owned by state or country. † It is a system in which wealth is dispersed equally among the people and there is no private ownership of the resources and wealth. 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However, the idea of Communism exploded based on the leadership of Mao Zedong in 1949 which led to a variety of reforms. As a result, Zedong developed a new branch of Communism called Maoism. Still in the 21st century, China continues to strive to preserve its Communist ideals but has, in some ways, succumbed to Westernization. Although China continue to adhere to Maoist philosophies, the Communist Party of China has been allowingRead MoreKarl Marx Essay922 Words   |  4 Pages Marx has his own economic theory, called Marxism. Marx, a radical Communist ideas and philosophies played important roles int the forming of Communist nations during the twentieth century. Marx’s ideas would and have influenced the course of history. Even today, well past his death his philosophies and ideas are still talked about. Marx’s ideas are captured in his book the Communist manifesto. Communism is â€Å"a theory or system of social organization  based on the holding of all property in commonRead MoreCommunism And Its Impact On The World1583 Words   |  7 PagesCommunism is a system of social organisation which formerly consumed almost a third of countries in the entire world, having originated in Russia. The first official communist state was founded during the Russian revolutions in 1917, due to the inaugural communist political party ‘Bolsheviks’ gaining primal power. Afterwards, the influence of communism spread to other countries with the likes of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and East Germany to name a few. These countries that were governed on communist principles

Advanced Corporate Reporting Free Essays

A reporting entity is required to prepare its financial report based on IASB framework and it is so useful for different types of users to evaluate the financial performance of the reporting entity and make suitable decisions. In this essay, the usefulness of conceptual framework in preparing of financial report will be discussed. And also, 2011 annual report of CLP Holdings Limited will be reviewed to further discuss how its qualitative characteristics of the information are useful for shareholders. We will write a custom essay sample on Advanced Corporate Reporting or any similar topic only for you Order Now Finally, one of its qualitative characteristics will be selected to be the most important and a conclusion will be made at the end of this essay. Usefulness of conceptual framework The IASB Framework sets out the definitions and recognition criteria for the elements of financial statements. Before the framework was set, companies might use different definitions and recognition criteria to recognize their transactions, even it is the same nature of transactions. For example, non-current assets can be recognized in cost model or revaluation model. If there was no framework, a company might use cost model to recognize its machinery while revaluation model was used to recognize property. However, the entity is required to be consistent to adopt cost model or revaluation model for a long period under the framework. As a result, the framework is useful for consistent accounting treatments. Because of the consistency, it is easier to compare the entities’ performance over time, even performance between different entities in the same industry. Also, it is easier for the reporting entity to prepare financial statements, especially in preparing consolidated financial statements for multinational entities. Most countries adopt IFRS nowadays. This is an international framework and they can use the same definition and recognition criteria when considering how to treat different transactions such as sales, purchases and valuation of stock. It will reduce the time for arguing the accounting treatment of different transactions. Qualitative characteristics of financial report As a shareholder, the financial statement should have four major qualitative characteristics and these characteristics will be discussed as follow: 1. Relevance A relevant financial statement should be predictable and have confirmatory value. It should be able to predict the future of the enterprise and shareholders can make a suitable decision based on the statement. In 2011 annual report of CLP Holdings Limited (CLP), there is a risk management report which is relevant to shareholders. All entities will probably have different types of risk. Nevertheless, CLP set a risk management framework which consists of risk governance structure and risk management process. The risk governance structure states that who will be responsible for dealing with risks and the risk management process diagram shows how to manage its risks. Additionally, CLP assessed its top tier risks and future challenges so that shareholders can predict how risky if they invest in this company. Another example of relevance is the trend of earnings and dividends per share in the past ten years. The trend can help existing and potential shareholders predict the future performance of CLP. Since 2002, Earnings and dividends per share are increasing except 2009; shareholders then may predict they can still get an increasing earnings and dividends per share in the coming years and they may be willing to invest more in the enterprise. Last but not least, financial statement of CLP has confirmatory value because of its 5-year summary statement. The figures of the past five years has already confirmed in the past annual reports. For example, total revenue sharply increased in 2011 and the main reason is the rising revenue from energy business in Australia. Shareholders may predict that CLP is expanding its business to Australia and the revenue from this segment will continuously rise in the coming few years. Besides the increasing revenue, dividends declared of CLP are very steady and shareholders do not worry if they cannot receive the dividend. Hence, shareholders will evaluate that CLP is worth to invest. 2. Faithful representation A reliable financial statement should be prepared in a true and fair view. That means it should be neutral, free from material errors, complete and prudence. From the point of auditors’ view, the financial statement of CLP is prepared in a true and fair view and it complies with Hong Kong Financial Reporting Standards (HKFRS) and Hong Kong Companies Ordinance. As the auditors’ report is clean, it reflects that the financial statement is free from material errors and the major transactions are completely recorded during 2011. On the other hand, CLP has an audit committee which comprises with five members; all of them are Independent Non-executive Directors (INED) while three of them are members of Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA). INED do not participate in any operation and decision making of the company and do not have any relationship to the shareholders, so they are not influenced by shareholders and can be no bias in selection of information putting in the financial report. In addition, the financial report is audited by the third party and the opinion can be formed neutrally. Furthermore, the financial report should be prepared in a prudent manner which means assets or revenue cannot be overstated whilst liabilities and expenses cannot be underestimated. For CLP, its inventory is stated at a lower cost or net realizable value. Prudence concept is applied when the company prepare its financial statement. 3. Comparability A qualitative financial statement should be comparable, no matter internal or external. Shareholders must be able to compare the financial performance between different years of the reporting entity and at the same time, they also are able to compare the financial performance between different companies in the same industry. The financial statement of CLP can fulfil this qualitative characteristic. Besides its statement shows the figures of two years (2010 and 2011), it shows the increasing or decreasing percentage of its revenue, expenses, assets and liabilities in 5-min annual report and economic value section. It gives a clear picture to shareholders to compare between two years. Moreover, the financial report is prepared based on HKFRS, the accounting policy is consistent and because of this, it is easier for shareholders to compare the financial performance between different years. Financial statement of CLP can also be compared with Power Assets Holdings Limited (HKEL), which is the major competitor of CLP. In 2011, revenue of CLP is about nine times of HKEL and the operating profit is a double of HKEL. However, profit before taxation of CLP is only $1,000 million more than that of HKEL. Shareholders may query why there is only a small difference between profit of both companies and what is happening on the operation of CLP. Therefore, they can make a correct decision through the comparison. 4. Understandability Besides the above three qualitative characteristics, understandability is important for shareholders too. There are many explanations at the bottom of the financial statement such as a quick guide of its classification of different entities and explanation of indefinite useful life. These further explanations can also help shareholders understand the financial performance of CLP more. As not all shareholders have enough accounting knowledge, some of them may not know how to evaluate the performance through income statement and financial position. Thus, statement of cash flow can help them understand the performance easier because this statement is prepared in cash basis; it clearly reflects the net cash inflows and outflows from different activities. The liquidity and the going concern of CLP can be understood even if shareholders are lack of accounting knowledge. The items of an understandable financial statement should also be aggregated and classified. Revenue in Consolidated Income Statement is aggregated at a lump-sum figure and the analysis of the revenue only revealed in the Notes to the Financial Statements. Another example is bank loans and other borrowings. An analysis of this item is also revealed in the notes. Bank loans and other borrowings is not only aggregated at a lump-sum figure, but also is classified as a current liabilities with other short-term liability. In my opinion, faithful representation is the most important qualitative characteristic. Users of financial report are not only shareholders, but also lenders, government, suppliers, employees, customers and the public. A financial report is prepared on the basis of true and fair which means that financial report is reliable and can be used under different circumstances. For instance, the entity wants to borrow loan from bank, the bank can rely on the financial report and estimate the risk of this loan according to accounting ratios and cash flow. For suppliers, when they consider giving credit terms to the company, they can rely on the statement of cash flow and some short-term items like current assets and current liabilities. Furthermore, the financial report must be audited. If the report is not prepared in true and fair view, the annual report will be qualified. As a result, this qualitative characteristic is the most important. Conclusion To sum up, the financial report must be prepared on the basis of the conceptual framework because the framework provides general theories and recognition criteria in preparing financial report. Additionally, a qualitative report should be relevant, reliable, comparable and understandable. Shareholders can predict the future financial performance based on the past events and the forecast of the company. Also, the report can be compared internally and externally and be understood so that shareholders can decide how to invest their money. On the other hand, the most important characteristic is faithful representation. Financial report must be prepared in a true and fair view so that the report can be unqualified and be used appropriately by the community. (Word: 1598) Reference 1. o CLP HOLDINGS LIMITED, (2012). ‘CLP Group 2011 Annual Report’. Available from: https://www. clpgroup. com/ourcompany/aboutus/resourcecorner/publications/Pages/publication. aspx [Accessed 28. 10. 2012] 2. ELLIOTT, Barry ELLIOTT, Jamie, (2007). Financial Accounting and Reporting. England: Pearson Education Limited, pp. 161 – 181 3. HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS (HKICPA), (2010). ‘Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting 2010’. Available from: http://app1. hkicpa. org. hk/ebook/index. php [Accessed 28. 10. 2012] 4. POWER ASSETS HOLDINGS LTD, (2012). ‘Annual Report 2011’. Available from: http://www. powerassets. com/pahWeb/IR/FinancialReports/AnnualReports/AnnualReport2011_en. htm [Accessed 12. 11. 2012] 5. PUTHRAN, Santosh, (2009). ‘IASB Framework – Financial Statements’. Available from: http://www. managementaccountant. in/2009/07/iasb-framework-financial-statements. html [Accessed 10. 11. 2012] 6. VICTORIA UNIVERSITY, MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA, (n. d. ). ‘Conceptual framework’. Available from: http://www. staff. vu. edu. au/faux/Topic%203%20Conceptual%20Framework%201%202002. ppt [Accessed 28. 10. 2012] How to cite Advanced Corporate Reporting, Papers Advanced Corporate Reporting Free Essays A reporting entity is required to prepare its financial report based on IASB framework and it is so useful for different types of users to evaluate the financial performance of the reporting entity and make suitable decisions. In this essay, the usefulness of conceptual framework in preparing of financial report will be discussed. And also, 2011 annual report of CLP Holdings Limited will be reviewed to further discuss how its qualitative characteristics of the information are useful for shareholders. We will write a custom essay sample on Advanced Corporate Reporting or any similar topic only for you Order Now Finally, one of its qualitative characteristics will be selected to be the most important and a conclusion will be made at the end of this essay. Usefulness of conceptual framework The IASB Framework sets out the definitions and recognition criteria for the elements of financial statements. Before the framework was set, companies might use different definitions and recognition criteria to recognize their transactions, even it is the same nature of transactions. For example, non-current assets can be recognized in cost model or revaluation model. If there was no framework, a company might use cost model to recognize its machinery while revaluation model was used to recognize property. However, the entity is required to be consistent to adopt cost model or revaluation model for a long period under the framework. As a result, the framework is useful for consistent accounting treatments. Because of the consistency, it is easier to compare the entities’ performance over time, even performance between different entities in the same industry. Also, it is easier for the reporting entity to prepare financial statements, especially in preparing consolidated financial statements for multinational entities. Most countries adopt IFRS nowadays. This is an international framework and they can use the same definition and recognition criteria when considering how to treat different transactions such as sales, purchases and valuation of stock. It will reduce the time for arguing the accounting treatment of different transactions. Qualitative characteristics of financial report As a shareholder, the financial statement should have four major qualitative characteristics and these characteristics will be discussed as follow: 1. Relevance A relevant financial statement should be predictable and have confirmatory value. It should be able to predict the future of the enterprise and shareholders can make a suitable decision based on the statement. In 2011 annual report of CLP Holdings Limited (CLP), there is a risk management report which is relevant to shareholders. All entities will probably have different types of risk. Nevertheless, CLP set a risk management framework which consists of risk governance structure and risk management process. The risk governance structure states that who will be responsible for dealing with risks and the risk management process diagram shows how to manage its risks. Additionally, CLP assessed its top tier risks and future challenges so that shareholders can predict how risky if they invest in this company. Another example of relevance is the trend of earnings and dividends per share in the past ten years. The trend can help existing and potential shareholders predict the future performance of CLP. Since 2002, Earnings and dividends per share are increasing except 2009; shareholders then may predict they can still get an increasing earnings and dividends per share in the coming years and they may be willing to invest more in the enterprise. Last but not least, financial statement of CLP has confirmatory value because of its 5-year summary statement. The figures of the past five years has already confirmed in the past annual reports. For example, total revenue sharply increased in 2011 and the main reason is the rising revenue from energy business in Australia. Shareholders may predict that CLP is expanding its business to Australia and the revenue from this segment will continuously rise in the coming few years. Besides the increasing revenue, dividends declared of CLP are very steady and shareholders do not worry if they cannot receive the dividend. Hence, shareholders will evaluate that CLP is worth to invest. 2. Faithful representation A reliable financial statement should be prepared in a true and fair view. That means it should be neutral, free from material errors, complete and prudence. From the point of auditors’ view, the financial statement of CLP is prepared in a true and fair view and it complies with Hong Kong Financial Reporting Standards (HKFRS) and Hong Kong Companies Ordinance. As the auditors’ report is clean, it reflects that the financial statement is free from material errors and the major transactions are completely recorded during 2011. On the other hand, CLP has an audit committee which comprises with five members; all of them are Independent Non-executive Directors (INED) while three of them are members of Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA). INED do not participate in any operation and decision making of the company and do not have any relationship to the shareholders, so they are not influenced by shareholders and can be no bias in selection of information putting in the financial report. In addition, the financial report is audited by the third party and the opinion can be formed neutrally. Furthermore, the financial report should be prepared in a prudent manner which means assets or revenue cannot be overstated whilst liabilities and expenses cannot be underestimated. For CLP, its inventory is stated at a lower cost or net realizable value. Prudence concept is applied when the company prepare its financial statement. 3. Comparability A qualitative financial statement should be comparable, no matter internal or external. Shareholders must be able to compare the financial performance between different years of the reporting entity and at the same time, they also are able to compare the financial performance between different companies in the same industry. The financial statement of CLP can fulfil this qualitative characteristic. Besides its statement shows the figures of two years (2010 and 2011), it shows the increasing or decreasing percentage of its revenue, expenses, assets and liabilities in 5-min annual report and economic value section. It gives a clear picture to shareholders to compare between two years. Moreover, the financial report is prepared based on HKFRS, the accounting policy is consistent and because of this, it is easier for shareholders to compare the financial performance between different years. Financial statement of CLP can also be compared with Power Assets Holdings Limited (HKEL), which is the major competitor of CLP. In 2011, revenue of CLP is about nine times of HKEL and the operating profit is a double of HKEL. However, profit before taxation of CLP is only $1,000 million more than that of HKEL. Shareholders may query why there is only a small difference between profit of both companies and what is happening on the operation of CLP. Therefore, they can make a correct decision through the comparison. 4. Understandability Besides the above three qualitative characteristics, understandability is important for shareholders too. There are many explanations at the bottom of the financial statement such as a quick guide of its classification of different entities and explanation of indefinite useful life. These further explanations can also help shareholders understand the financial performance of CLP more. As not all shareholders have enough accounting knowledge, some of them may not know how to evaluate the performance through income statement and financial position. Thus, statement of cash flow can help them understand the performance easier because this statement is prepared in cash basis; it clearly reflects the net cash inflows and outflows from different activities. The liquidity and the going concern of CLP can be understood even if shareholders are lack of accounting knowledge. The items of an understandable financial statement should also be aggregated and classified. Revenue in Consolidated Income Statement is aggregated at a lump-sum figure and the analysis of the revenue only revealed in the Notes to the Financial Statements. Another example is bank loans and other borrowings. An analysis of this item is also revealed in the notes. Bank loans and other borrowings is not only aggregated at a lump-sum figure, but also is classified as a current liabilities with other short-term liability. In my opinion, faithful representation is the most important qualitative characteristic. Users of financial report are not only shareholders, but also lenders, government, suppliers, employees, customers and the public. A financial report is prepared on the basis of true and fair which means that financial report is reliable and can be used under different circumstances. For instance, the entity wants to borrow loan from bank, the bank can rely on the financial report and estimate the risk of this loan according to accounting ratios and cash flow. For suppliers, when they consider giving credit terms to the company, they can rely on the statement of cash flow and some short-term items like current assets and current liabilities. Furthermore, the financial report must be audited. If the report is not prepared in true and fair view, the annual report will be qualified. As a result, this qualitative characteristic is the most important. Conclusion To sum up, the financial report must be prepared on the basis of the conceptual framework because the framework provides general theories and recognition criteria in preparing financial report. Additionally, a qualitative report should be relevant, reliable, comparable and understandable. Shareholders can predict the future financial performance based on the past events and the forecast of the company. Also, the report can be compared internally and externally and be understood so that shareholders can decide how to invest their money. On the other hand, the most important characteristic is faithful representation. Financial report must be prepared in a true and fair view so that the report can be unqualified and be used appropriately by the community. (Word: 1598) Reference 1. o CLP HOLDINGS LIMITED, (2012). ‘CLP Group 2011 Annual Report’. Available from: https://www. clpgroup. com/ourcompany/aboutus/resourcecorner/publications/Pages/publication. aspx [Accessed 28. 10. 2012] 2. ELLIOTT, Barry ELLIOTT, Jamie, (2007). Financial Accounting and Reporting. England: Pearson Education Limited, pp. 161 – 181 3. HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS (HKICPA), (2010). ‘Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting 2010’. Available from: http://app1. hkicpa. org. hk/ebook/index. php [Accessed 28. 10. 2012] 4. POWER ASSETS HOLDINGS LTD, (2012). ‘Annual Report 2011’. Available from: http://www. powerassets. com/pahWeb/IR/FinancialReports/AnnualReports/AnnualReport2011_en. htm [Accessed 12. 11. 2012] 5. PUTHRAN, Santosh, (2009). ‘IASB Framework – Financial Statements’. Available from: http://www. managementaccountant. in/2009/07/iasb-framework-financial-statements. html [Accessed 10. 11. 2012] 6. VICTORIA UNIVERSITY, MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA, (n. d. ). ‘Conceptual framework’. Available from: http://www. staff. vu. edu. au/faux/Topic%203%20Conceptual%20Framework%201%202002. ppt [Accessed 28. 10. 2012] How to cite Advanced Corporate Reporting, Essay examples

Qualities of an Executive Chef Essay Example For Students

Qualities of an Executive Chef Essay Leadership Qualities of an Executive Chef Frankie Miranda Georgia Northwestern Technical College An Executive Chef is one who is in charge of the entire function of the kitchen which includes; menu creation, staff management, scheduling, payroll, ordering, and plate design. From this definition it is clear that to be a successful Executive Chef, one cannot rely on their abilities in Culinary Arts alone; they must also possess exceptional leadership qualities. A successful leader is one that able to lead a team of chefs and cooks from average to excellent. It is my belief that for anyone to be a successful leader, specifically in this discussion an Executive Chef, they should have positive characteristics in the following leadership styles: Personal, management, communication and accountability. 1. Personal Style: The Executive Chef should be excited about their work. Their team members should be inspired by them. The Executive Chef should be kind, nurturing, caring, patient, encouraging, efficient, and organized. They should be an individual that team members are not afraid of. 2. Management Style: The Executive Chef should always lead by example and always have a positive attitude. They should always be on time, meet deadlines, pay attention to detail, be persistent, and never lose track of the basics of the Culinary Arts: Quality, service, sanitation and safety. The Executive Chef should challenge their team to display their skills and talents; challenging them to continuously improve their skills and talents. 3. Communication Style: I believe that communication is the most important leadership quality. Without communication the team is not a team; and to be a successful team, there must be communication. The Executive Chef’s communication style should begin with always informing team members of anything new or any changes. A good tool to use would be a log book that would be used to inform the team of all situations of change, upcoming events, etc. The team members would be required to read and initial the log book before starting their shift. Additional communication tools that could be used are: Daily meetings before shift and formal weekly meetings. By having these meetings, everyone would feel included in the process and it would give an opportunity to celebrate successes from the week before and to introduce the menu, events, etc. for the current week. 4. Accountability: The Executive Chef should require team members in their supervision (i. e. Lead Cook, Sous Chefs) to possess the same leadership qualities as does the Executive Chef. The reason for this is to have a team that works together. Being held accountable creates a trusting environment. To ensure accountability of team members, a good tool to implement would be job descriptions for each position. This would allow the team member to know what exactly is expected of them in their position and would allow the Executive Chef a tool to measure their performance. Two good laws that I ran across regarding accountability are: Accountability Law #1 â€Å"Whatever you accept from your least effective team member becomes the minimum acceptable standard for the whole team. † – Don Miller. Accountability Law #2 â€Å"Failure to hold team members accountable for doing their jobs in accordance with the established standards creates an unfair work environment. This unfairness can escalate to an overwhelmingly negative work environment delivering poor food, poor service, hostility and high turnover. † – Don Miller. After reading different articles and chef biographies, I have a better understanding for the need of an Executive Chef to have good leadership qualities. I understand the need for a Sous Chef, Head Chef – any chef to have good leadership qualities†¦it makes a better team in the kitchen, which serves better food to the customers, which makes for a great restaurant or food service establishment. .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7 , .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7 .postImageUrl , .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7 , .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7:hover , .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7:visited , .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7:active { border:0!important; } .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7:active , .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7 .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u641a91b8d3334fc528445d50341107e7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Apple Logo Paper EssayTo be a successful Executive Chef it is important to posses the qualities outlined above. It is equally important for the entire kitchen team to have very similar qualities; reason being, as stated earlier, so that the team works together. A team that works together is much stronger than one that does not. A weak team is a picture of a weak leader. No kitchen can be successful with a weak leader or a weak team.

Total Quality Mangement free essay sample

What is Total Quality Management (TQM)? TQM is a management strategy that attempts to maximize the competitiveness of a organization through continual improvement of quality in its products and services. The ultimate goal is to increase customer satisfaction. They premise in this method is that everyone involved is the responsibility of everyone involved in the process; this includes management, workforce, suppliers and even customers. [ (Wikipedia, 2012) ] We will examine two test cases and examine how TQM can help them improve. We will examine their failures and examine how TQM would help them overcome them. In the book â€Å"Out of the Crisis†, by Dr Deming he points out fourteen points that manager must use in order to follow a successful TQM strategy. They are: 1) Create constancy of purpose for improvement of product and service. Management must change from a preoccupation with the short run to building for the long run. This requires dedication to innovation in all areas to best meet the needs of citizens or clients. We will write a custom essay sample on Total Quality Mangement or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 2) Adopt the new philosophy. Americans have been too tolerant to poor performance and sullen service. We need a new philosophy in which mistakes and negativism is unacceptable. 3) Cease dependence on mass inspection. Inspection is equivalent to planning for defects; it comes too late, and it is ineffective and costly. Instead, processes must be improved. 4) End the practice of awarding contracts on the basis of price tag. Purchasing departments customarily operate on orders to seek the lowest-priced vendor. Frequently, this leads to supplies or services of low quality. Instead, they should seek the best quality and work to achieve it with a single supplier for any one item in a long-term relationship. 5) Improve constantly and forever the system of operations and service. Improvement is not a one-time effort. Management and employees are obligated to continually look for ways to reduce waste and improve quality. 6) Institute modern methods of training on the job. Too often, employees learn their jobs from other employees who were never trained properly. They are forced to follow unintelligible instructions. They cannot do their jobs because no one tells them how. ) Institute modern methods of leadership. Lower-level managers must be empowered to inform upper management about conditions that need correction; once informed, management must take action. Barriers (such as reserved parking places for top management) that prevent employees from doing their jobs with pride must be removed. 8) Drive out fear. Many employees are afraid to ask questions or t o take a position, even when they do not understand what the job is or what is right or wrong. People will continue to do things the wrong way or to not do them at all. The economic loss from fear is appalling. It is necessary for better quality and productivity that people feel secure. 9) Break down barriers between staff areas. Often staff areas, departments, units, and so on are competing with each other or have goals that conflict. They do not work as a team so they can solve or foresee problems. Worse, one departments goals may cause trouble for another. Each discipline must stop optimizing its own work and instead work together as a team for the company as a whole. Multidisciplinary quality control circles can help improve design, service, quality and costs. 0) Eliminate slogans, exhortations, numerical goals and targets for the work force. These never helped anybody do a good job. Let people put up their own slogans. Although workers should not be given numerical goals, the organization itself must have a goal: never ending improvement. 11) Eliminate work standards and quotas. Quotas focus on quantity not quality. They are usually a guarantee of inefficiency and high cost. To hold a job, a person meets quotas at any cost, without regard to damage to the organization. 12) Remove barriers to pride of workmanship. People are eager to do a good job and distressed when they cannot. Too often, misguided managers, faulty equipment, and defective material stand in the way. These barriers must be removed. 13) Institute a vigorous program of education and training. Because quality and productivity improvements change the number of people needed in some areas and the jobs required, people must be continually trained and retrained. All training must include basic statistical techniques. 14) Create a structure in top management that will push every day on the above 13 points. (Demings, 2000) The Nightmare on Telecom Street In our first test case James Harrington attempts to make a flight reservation by calling a major airline. His experience is an excellent example of a company trying to be so efficient that they alienate their customers. Efficiency is very important to a company, but not at the cost of losing customers. The service failures started even before the phone was answered; the phone rang five times before the auto attendant answered. From there the customer was given an endless amount of choices to get routed to the right department. Once there she was on hold before a live person finally answered the phone. This person asked the caller for the same information they just provided to the auto attendant. Once the caller was verified, the person tells them they have reached the wrong department and gives them another phone number to call so they can start the process all over again. In order for this airline to solve their service failures they need to think of their customers. It is okay to have an auto attendant to direct traffic in the right direction, but maybe only one or two choices before reaching a live person. They also need to give the option of pressing zero and speaking to an operator that would forward the call to the right department. The airline must realize that people like to speak with people, not computers. The phone call is the first impression that the potential client will have of the airline. They need to make this phone call as enjoyable as possible so they will not hang up and call a competitor. The State University Experience The second case study is about a student that is very excited to go to a certain State University and his enthusiasm is diminished by the universities actions. This case is another example where there the customer is an afterthought. In this case it is obvious that there was no thought given to the customer experience. There were difficulties starting with the campus tour and throughout the entire enrollment process. The service failures started the school tour. It is obvious that the university just paid any student to take potential enrollees on a tour of the school; they did not provide them any formal training on what to say or design a specific tour of the school that highlights the schools best features. They did not even make sure that the lights in all the buildings on the tour were on during the tour. It only went downhill from there. The enrollment process was painful, the student kept having to send in the same documentation; the university kept losing stuff. The student sent in everything requested several times and they still ended up enrolling him into the wrong program. A total disaster! This case study is an example of a program that has to be revamped from the beginning. They need to start with meeting and exceeding customer satisfaction. If the tour is going to be in the middle of the summer, they need to make sure that the tour does not spend too much time outside; you need to make sure that people are comfortable. The tour guide needs to go through training on the message the university wants potential students to hear. Finally, the enrollment process has to be more efficient. They need to use technology to make their enrollment process smoother. He should not have to send in the same documents more than once. Conclusion In both test cases you see examples of potential clients being really let down. In today’s competitive environment firms have to make sure that potential clients have a good overall experience. In does not take many unhappy clients to post on their facebook page before you have a nightmare. I believe companies can use the 14 points to improve their TQM and improve their customer experience. Works Cited Demings, W. E. (2000). Out of the Crisis. The MIT Press. Wikipedia. (2012, 3 4). Total quality management. Retrieved 2012, from Wikipedia: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Total_quality_management

The Importance of Communicating a Vision to the followers.

The Importance of Communicating a Vision to the followers. A vision can be loosely defined as the detailed mental image of things to come. Possessing a vision is paramount for any organization since it gives a sense of purpose and meaning to the organization members.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance of Communicating a Vision to the followers. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As such, it is imperative that in any setting there be a leader who comes up with a future plan and then steer his followers towards its achievement. This paper sets out to emphasize the importance of not only having a vision but also effectively communicating the same to the followers for the good of the organization. Visions are often formulated by an individual or a group of people towards a specific purpose. As such, the visions may be highly personalized and may not necessarily conform to the desires of the majority. As a leader, it is important to communicate such visions to the follo wers and convince them as to the need to embark on the proposals since it is the followers who will determine the success of the vision (Gill, 2006). This will act as a source of motivation and morale in their day to day activities. Communication of a vision is a key step in establishing the character of the leader to the followers. The traits a leader posses determines the level of cooperation they receive from their followers Communicating a vision to the followers gives them a glimpse of what to expect from you as a leader and they judge you by the principles that govern your actions (Cartwright Baldwin, 2007). Personal character traits such as self confidence, honesty and trust can only be seen through their actions and ability to communicate with others.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Palmer (2008) sharing a vision of the future reassures the fo llowers of better days ahead. In addition to this, it provides meaning and a sense of belong to the followers and other stakeholders as they deem themselves as part of something greater. A shared vision inspires and motivates them to aim higher and employ extra effort so as to actualize the vision and make a significant difference in their own capacities. This in turn acts as a unifying factor and creates a sense of community between them. In addition to this, communication of visions provides the followers with a theme of change or transformation. This is important especially in cases where a seamless transition is desirable. At the same time, the visions also help followers to understand what is expected of them and this helps them make reform and become more innovative. Sharing the visions also assist in developing and shaping the culture of the organization. This is because a shared vision if embraced by all develops a life of its own and becomes part of the organization. This i mproves interactivity between members and they develop common values and beliefs as they all set target towards a common goal. Gill (2006), further asserts that sharing of a vision with the followers equips them with referenced framework on how to actualize the same. For a vision to become reality there needs to be rules and regulations which act as guidelines to all members. Communicating these to the followers smoothen the implementation process making it easier to achieve the set goals and objectives because every member receives clear directives on how to go about actualizing a particular vision. This paper set out to highlight the reasons as to why it is important to communicate visions to the followers. From the above discussion, it can be authoritatively asserted that communication of a vision to the followers may mark the difference between a successful and a failed vision.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance of Communicating a Vision to the followers. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore for any organization’s visions to become a reality, it is imperative that these points be taken into consideration for the benefit of both the leader and the followers in their quest for achieving organizational goals and objectives. References Cartwright, T. Baldwin, D. (2007). Communicating Your Vision. Center for Creative Leadership. Gill,R.(2006). Theory and practice of leadership. USA: Sage. Palmer,E,R.(2008). Ultimate leadership: winning execution strategies for your situation. USA:Wharton School Publishing.

SAT Practice Tests How to Reflect and Get the Most Out of Them

SAT Practice Tests How to Reflect and Get the Most Out of Them SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Taking an SAT practice test is one thing, and using the results to actually improve your scores in the future is another. If you’re spending five hours on a practice test, you should make sure that you’re getting the most out of it and not sweeping your mistakes under the rug. In this article, I’ll give you some different strategies for making your practice test sessions count. Mistakes on Practice Tests: What They Look Like and Why They're Important After taking a practice test, it’s extremely important to look back at the questions you answered incorrectly and make assessments about which areas need the most improvement. You’re not going to be able to raise your SAT scores until you get to the bottom of what’s holding you back. Through evaluating your mistakes and fixing them methodically, you can make dramatic changes to your performance on the test. Most mistakes on the SATwill fall into one of four categories: Ran Out of Time Basically, this applies to questions that you missed because you didn’t get to them or you just guessed randomly at the end.If you end up with a lot of these types of mistakes, you'll need to revise some of your strategies for test taking.See our articles on how to stop running out of time on SAT Reading and SAT Math for advice. Content Weakness This type of mistake means that you didn’t understand the underlying concept that was being tested.This will come up most frequently on the math section.These mistakes can be broken down into more specific categories like â€Å"confusion about factoring† so that you know exactly which materials you need to study to improve your weak areas. Misunderstanding the Question This is a mistake where the phrasing of a question confused you and prompted you to answer incorrectly.These are tricky mistakes to fix, but it’s important to pay attention to them.Usually misunderstandings can be at least partially remedied by practice with the format of the test and greater familiarity with the types of questions that the SAT likes to ask. Careless Mistakes These are the mistakes you made that seem absurd in hindsight.You might have missed a â€Å"NOT† or an â€Å"EXCEPT† in a question, or you might have solved for the wrong value in a math problem.Usually these mistakes are a result of not reading carefully enough and letting your anxiety get the best of you. All of these mistakes can be remedied if you acknowledge them and adjust your study strategies appropriately. In the next section, I'll give you some tips on how to reflect on the results of practice tests by categorizing your mistakes and fixing them methodically. It's corny, but it's true. How to Understand and Reflect on Practice Test Mistakes Depending on how much time you have, you might use different strategies to reflect on your mistakes on practice tests. If You Have 20-40 Hours to Prep: You’re going to need to work fast to fix your mistakes, so you might not have time to get into the deeper issues you have with content weaknesses.After you take an initial practice test, you should see if you noticed any obvious areas of weakness. If you noticed that running out of time was a big issue, you might need to pace yourself better next time you take the test.Most of the time, this just means skipping difficult questions when you start to spend too much time on them (more than 30 seconds). Answer all the more straightforward questions first, and then go back and work on the hard ones so you don't miss out on any easy points at the end of the section. If you made a lot of careless mistakes, you should remind yourself to read the questions more carefully next time and check your answers at the end of each section.Careless mistakes sometimes mean you're rushing too much, so you may need to remind yourself to slow down a little and think through each question thoroughly before answering. If you notice some relatively superficial content weaknesses, you may be able to study up on those and fix them, but if you’re confused about a big topic area it’s best to just focus on more easily fixable problems in the short time you have before the test. After you spend four hours or so analyzing your mistakes, adjusting your strategies to account for them, and doing relevant practice questions, you cantake another test and see how you do.Repeat the same process of fixing your mistakes with the second practice test, and then take a third and final practice test when you’re done.If you have a little more time and you've noticed that you're improving significantly (by 50 to 100 points) with each new practice test, you can repeat the process again before your real test date. If You Have 40-100 Hours to Prep: If you have this much time, you can do a complete analysis of your mistakes on practice tests. First, take an initial practice test to get a baseline reading on your scores.After you finish scoring the test, you should go back through all of the questions that you answered incorrectly and categorize them based on the types of mistakes I mentioned in the previous section. Once you’ve categorized all of your mistakes, you can rank your areas of weakness from most frequently observed to least. This will allow you to get a better sense of where most of your mistakes are coming from and which areas need the most work. Then, you can start fixing things in order of which mistakes will respond the fastest to corrective prep measures.Usually, this means starting with content weakness since these mistakes can be fixed simply by studying up on the material you don’t know. They have the least to do with the format of the test itself, so they will respond more quickly to your studying efforts.Then, you can move on to formulating better strategies for coping with issues like time pressure and careless mistakes. After you’ve done a thorough assessment of your mistakes and corrected the most glaring problems you noticed, you should take another practice test to see whether you've improved.If you notice significant improvements, you can do another assessment to reevaluate your mistakes and shoot for even higher goals.If not, you should reconsider the manner in which you addressed your mistakes initially and see if you need to push your studying further and do more practice questions in order to break through to a higher score. Repeat the process of taking practice tests and assessing your mistakes until you reach a score level that makes you happy. You can consult this guide for advice on calculating a good target score for your needs.You might also decide to adjust your study time between practice tests to accommodate your personal level of focus and learning style. Taking a practice test is like sending out a crash test dummy for your SAT scores. When you reach your target score, you're safe to drive on the real SAT. Smart Practice Testing Strategies (Based on Your Score Level) In order to make the most out of each of your practice tests, you'll have to use test-taking strategies that work to your advantage. Many improvements are dependent on adjusting your strategy, especially when it comes to issues with running out of time and careless mistakes. The most effective strategies may differ depending on how well you’re currently scoring on the SAT. Crucial Tips for Taking a Practice Test, Regardless of Your Score Level: Stick to the real time constraints Take the test in a quiet, distraction-free environment Only use the materials you will have access to on the real test These tips are important because if you take practice tests with a longer time allotment or with more resources that you'll have on the real test, you won't get a realistic prediction ofyour performance. This will only hurt you in the long run when you end up getting scores that are lower than you expected on the actual SAT. Below are some more specific strategies for high and low scorers. I've divided the strategies this way because high and low scorers on the SAT often have very different needs. Low scorers may be able to afford to skip difficult questions completely, whereas high scorers need to try and answer most if not all of the questions in each section. People at different score levels also tend to make different types of mistakes, which I'll get into in a minute. You would be considered a high scorer if you're consistently scoring an 1800 or higher on practice tests. You would be considered a low scorer if you're consistently scoring a 1500 or lower. For High Scorers: You should approach the test with an eye towards avoiding careless mistakes and preventing yourself from rushing on complex questions.Careless mistakes are usually more common for high scorers.Students who are already doing well on the SAT tend to rush through sections and not take â€Å"easy† questions as seriously, so they end up missing things. Glance at the time now and then to make sure you’re pacing yourself appropriately. You should also be sure to double check your work at the end of each section; you can catch a lot of silly errors if you make a habit of doing this. For Low Scorers: The best strategy for taking practice tests if you’re scoring low on the SAT is to takea quick pass through each section initially and answer all of the easy questions first.This ensures that you won’t run out of time before you get to all the questions that you have the potential to answer correctly.After you finish answering all of the easy questions, you can go back through and spend more time on medium difficulty questions while feeling less pressured to get through the rest of the section. Using these strategies will help you to maximize your score and reduce mistakes progressively on each practice test. You'll be teaching yourself valuable skills for avoiding unnecessary pitfalls on the real test and increasing your familiarity with question types and test content along the way. It might be slow going at first, but with lots of practice you can make big positive changes in your scores. What's Next? Looking for some alternate SAT prep resources? Check out our article on the best websites to use for SAT prep. If you're not sure how much you need to prepare for the SAT, this guide will tell you how long you should be studying for the test based on your goals. You should also take a look at our SAT study plans for sophomore and junior year and for the summer before senior year. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

In a world of shifting global power, how important are soft, hard and Essay

In a world of shifting global power, how important are soft, hard and smart power - Essay Example that if one compares the rate of global change within the current system to the rate in which global and systemic change occurred several decades past, the two would be hardly recognizable. Such a realization brings one logically to ask the question of whether or not this means that the same mechanisms that political scientists have employed to explain, understand, categorize, and classify such a system are still of use and/or importance within the current time. As a means to understand such a question, this particular analysis will consider the three forms of power that have formed the basis of the political scientists explanation of the global system for many decades now: soft power, hard power, and smart power. As such, the analysis will define, analyze and seek to draw inference as to the ultimate question of how pertinent each of these play in helping to define a world that is so drastically and dynamically different than the world in which these terms and their definitions were forged. The analysis will start with an examination of hard power as the form of power that seeks to careers a given group, nation, system, or entity into acting in a way that they otherwise would not. Joseph Nye describes this â€Å"hard power† as â€Å"the ability to use the carrots and sticks of economic and military might to make others follow your will† (Nye 2011, p. 15). In this way, the concept of â€Å"hard power† has often been discussed and enumerated upon as the oldest form of power in existence within the current world system. There is no shortage of examples of how such power has worked in the past nor how it continues to work within the current times. One does not need to look hard in order to see the way that hard power is exhibited within the current global system. For instance, when one considers the way in which key nations within the past decade have utilized hard power to influence the way in which other nations behave, it becomes clearly obvious tha t the

Council of Graduate Students Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Council of Graduate Students - Assignment Example There is no additional hierarchy amongst the general members. The group is egalitarian in its scope and all the members do have an important role in it. Each general member is expected to selflessly serve the new arrivals at the college and to acquaint them with the institution’s culture and values. In the case of any ambiguity or doubt, the general members can approach any of the five members of the governing body to seek help and advice. Under special circumstances, the governing body may assign special roles and responsibilities to a select group of general members. However, such groups happen to be task oriented and usually temporary and membership of such a group does in no way makes any general member superior to other members. As the membership of this group is open to all the college students and is voluntary in its scope and perspective, hence this group is very close-knit, bound by the common altruistic aspirations to help, guide and inform the new arrivals at the college. No specific norms tend to govern the group activities. However, the group members are strictly expected to not to succumb to any racial, ethnic, religious, or political considerations while serving the new students. In case it is found that any member has gone contrary to such aspirations, strict action is immediately taken, which usually comprises of a strong warning. A repetitive breach of the group policy may invite a tough action like a suspension from the group membership.

Alternative Drink Industry Analysis Essay Example for Free

Alternative Drink Industry Analysis Essay 1. Do a complete five-forces analysis of competition in the global alternative drink industry, then tell me which of the five competitive forces is strong, weak, and why. Especially in the force of rivalry (one of the 5 forces), you must identify the market size, growth rate, profit margins, what are the main categories in the alternative drink industry, who are the major competitors and their relative sizes, the competition scope, the main competition weapons) 2. Briefly identify 6 to 7 key success factors in the alternative drink industry 3. What are the other economic traits that are outside the industry but still can affect all competitors (for example, overall economy trend, long term innovation, globalization, maturity stage of the industry, relevant legislation, etc. )? Briefly explain how these factors can affect the industry. Notes: 1.   What are the strategically relevant components of the global and U. S. beverage industry macro-environment? How do the economic characteristics of the alternative beverage segment of the industry differ from that of other beverage categories? Explain. The strategically relevant components of the global and U. S. beverage industry macro-environment: †¢ Global beverage companies such as Coca Cola and PepsiCo had relied on such beverages to sustain in volume growth in mature markets where consumers were reducing their consumption of carbonated soft drinks. †¢ Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and other beverage companies were intent on expanding the market for alternative beverages by introducing energy drinks, sports drinks, and vitamin drinks in more and more emerging international markets. †¢ Beverage producers had made various attempts at increasing the size of the market for alternative beverages by extending existing product lines and developing altogether new products. †¢ Expanding the market for alternatives beverages and increasing sales and market share, beverage producers also were forced to content with criticism from some that energy drinks, energy shots, and relaxation drinks presented health risks for consumers and that some producers’ strategies promoted reckless behavior, the primary concern of most producers of energy drinks, sports drinks, and vitamin-enhanced beverages was how to best improve their competitive standing in the market place. †¢ Rapid growth in the category, coupled with premium prices and high profit margins made alternative beverages an important part of beverage companies’ lineup of brands. The Alternative Beverage Segment Help Companies to Sustain Volume Growth in Mature Markets Where Consumers Were Reducing Their Consumption of Carbonated Soft Drinks. Also the Alternative Beverage Industry Offered 2. What is competition like in the alternative beverage industry? Which of the five competitive forces is strongest? Which is weakest? What competitive forces seem to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness and the potential profitability of new entrants? Competition from substitutes is substantial. There were many substitutes to alternative beverages such as tea, soft drinks, fruit juices, bottled water and tap water. Even though substitute products had a bigger market share in the US, consumers had tended to buy more alternative beverages. This change in customer preference had weakened the competitive power of substitute beverages. Convenience store, grocery store, and wholesale club buyers had substantial leverage in negotiating pricing and slotting fees with alternative beverage producers because of their large purchases. New brands with low market shares were most vulnerable to buyer leverage since shelf space was limited while top brands such as Red Bull were almost always assured of shelf space. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo were least vulnerable since they offered a wide variety of beverages that convenience stores, grocery stores, and wholesale clubs wished to offer to consumers. As a result of this certain appeal, the two companies’ alternative beverage brands almost always found shelf space in retail stores. The bargaining power and leverage of suppliers was the weakest competitive force. Many suppliers for alternative beverage ingredients and they fight with the others to sell their products. Packaging is readily available from many suppliers and is like a commodity. However, some rare ingredients providers had a moderate amount of leverage in negotiations with energy drink producers. Additionally, the producers of alternative beverages are important customers of suppliers and buy in large quantities. The threat of new brands varies by market maturity of each alternative beverage category. It has low threat for mature categories and moderate to strong in young categories. During the early stages of developing a category, when famous brand leaders had not been established, the threat of entry in alternative beverage categories remained strong. As a result, entrepreneurs launching new beverages with novel formulas or well-developed image campaigns could quickly gain market share among consumers. However, as the category matured, consumer preferences developed and shaped retailers’ purchasing decisions. Once the category had established, its brand leaders, it became much more difficult for new entrants to gain shelf space in convenience stores, supermarkets, and wholesale clubs. Therefore, in 2010, the threat of entry should be lower for all types of alternative beverages except energy shots and relaxation drinks. The competence among sellers of alternative beverage could be considered as the strongest competitive force. Among the sellers of energy drinks and other alternative beverages, competition is so strong and will grow stronger each year. Competition among major brands centers primarily on brand image, an appealing taste, attractive packaging, new product RD, sales promotions and endorsements, and gaining better access to shelf space and strengthening distribution capabilities. As for 2010, there was no evidence of strong price competition in any of the alternative beverage categories, which makes it difficult to argue that competitive rivalry is fierce or brutal. Factors that increase the strength of competitive rivalry included efforts on the part of industry rivals to expand the number and types of alternative beverages in their product lines, low switching costs on the part of consumers, active and aggressive efforts on the part of sellers to establish consumer brand loyalty, and strong emphasis on advertising, sales promotions, and endorsements. MLA Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drink, and Vitamin-Enhanced.    28 Sep. 2011. http://www.   Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drink, and Vitamin-Enhanced. StudyMode. com. September 28, 2011.

Black Panthers :: essays research papers

Black Panther Party for Self Defense The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was founded in October 1966, in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. Armed with sincerity, the words of revolutionaries such as Mao Tse-Tung and Malcolm X, law books, and rifles, the Black Panther Party fed the hungry, protected the weak from racist police, and presented a Ten Point Platform and Program of Black political and social activism. Its "survival programs"-such as food giveaways, free health clinics and free breakfast programs for children-were popular fixtures in Black neighborhoods in the early 1970s, but for the white power structure and the vast majority of the white public, the Panthers represented only anti-government militancy; a view which engendered the wrath of the police and FBI and led to the murder of several Party members by law enforcement. In time, the Black Panthers dropped the "Self-Defense" label from their name. The organization became more of a Marxist-Communist group that favored violent revolution, if necessary, to bring about changes in society. During the mid-1960's, the Black Panthers called for neighborhood control of such services as education and the police. The Panthers supported the use of guns--both for self-defense and to retaliate against people believed to be oppressing the poor. Hostility between the Panthers and the police led to several shoot-outs. During the late 1960's, the Black Panthers began to work with white radical and revolutionary groups that shared their goals. This policy brought the Panthers into disagreement with some African American groups that regarded the struggle of blacks as chiefly racial. According to the Panthers, the basic problem was economic exploitation of both blacks and whites by profit-seeking capitalists. The Panthers called for a fairer distribution of job s and other economic resources. In October of 1967, Huey Newton was shot, arrested and charged with the murder of a white Oakland cop, after a gun battle on the streets of West Oakland that resulted in the death of police officer John Frey. Newton was charges with First Degree murder. Young whites, angry and disillusioned with America over the Vietnam War, raised their voices with young, urban blacks, to cry in unison: "Free Huey!" Newton was convicted of manslaughter but the verdict was later overturned. Fred Hampton was a high school student and a promising leader when he joined the Black Panther Party at the age of 19. His status as a leader grew very quickly.

Marfan Syndrome Research Paper

Jethro LeRoy Gibbs Mr. Vance Biology 24 December 2012 Strong Externally, Weak Internally There was a high debate and many aweing theories arguing if Abraham Lincoln had a disorder called Marfan syndrome or not, which was eventually resolved when Lincoln actually inherited a disease called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2B. Contributing to the dispute of Marfan syndrome in Abraham Lincoln, in 1964 a physician published his findings and observations in the Journal of the American Medical Association which diagnosed Abraham Lincoln that he had Marfan syndrome (Kugler).However, his conclusions were eventually proven wrong. But despite the false accusations, Marfan syndrome does exist in this world. Anyone who inherits Marfan syndrome faces the real risks and threats which contain devastating consequences. For example, a hard blow to the upper chest can result in immediate death because the connective tissues are alarmingly weak which can lead to serious heart complications and interna l bleeding (Schnitzer 198). Abnormalities in the skeleton, heart, and eyes all contribute to the characterization of Marfan syndrome (Schnitzer 198).Any affected or damaged connective tissues can create or cause internal complications, especially concerning with the heart and the aorta (â€Å"Marfan Syndrome†), which is the most serious life threatening risk that can prove to be fatal (Jay). Marfan syndrome is an inherited disorder, characterized by several malfunctions including long bone overgrowth and several abnormalities of the skeleton, heart, and eye, which is caused by a defect and negative mutations in the fibrillin gene or fibrillin-1 that can weaken and devastate the connective tissues throughout the body guaranteeing further complications.In other words, Marfan syndrome weakens the connective tissues, augmenting the risk of damage in bone overgrowth, the skeleton, heart, and eye and at the same time affecting multiple crucial systems throughout the body. Marfan sy ndrome is a no laughing matter, according to four significant reasons: its expanded history, problematic causes, genetic description, and current research. First, Marfan syndrome was carefully observed in the late 1800 century. In 1896, a young patient was meticulously examined by Antoine Bernard – Jean Marfan, hence the name Marfan syndrome, who observed and first described the disorder (Keane).Marfan observed that the young patient had developed long, thin digits – such as the fingers, thumbs, and toes on the hands and feet – as well as the development of unusual long limbs (Keane). Little did he know, however, that this disorder was caused by mutations in the fibrillin gene that encodes a significant component, connective tissues (â€Å"Marfan Syndrome†). But the cause was eventually discovered and identified by researchers in 1991, with the help of a generous foundation, the March of Dimes (â€Å"Birth Defects†), which is the second reason why Marfan syndrome is a serious matter.Fibrillin is a protein found in different areas of the body such as the aorta, ligaments, bones, and the lungs (â€Å"Birth Defects†). Thus, fibrillin helps regulate a transforming growth factor called Beta that plays a crucial role in tissue growth and repair (â€Å"Birth Defects†) which helps stabilizes many significant areas throughout the body. Genetic description becomes the third reason. Marfan syndrome can be inherited by anyone (â€Å"Marfan Syndrome†), making it autosomal dominant (Jay).Autosomal dominant basically means that one parent can be diagnosed with the disorder (â€Å"Marfan Syndrome†) and have a 50-50 chance of passing it on to their children (Jay). The bottom line is that Marfan syndrome is a dominant genetic trait and that everyone can inherit it under certain circumstances (â€Å"Birth Defects†). Finally, being the fourth reason, current research is still underway, despite the fact that the re is no cure yet. However, beginning in the year 2007, a clinical trial began comparing the effects of two different medicines in the effort to reduce the rate of progression of aortic complications (â€Å"Birth Defects†).Unfortunately, studies show that about 25 percent of cases dealing with Marfan syndrome are sporadic, or in other words, caused by a new mutation (â€Å"Birth Defects†). Affecting as many as one in every 10,000 to 20,000 people (â€Å"Donohue†), Marfan syndrome is one of the most common genetic abnormalities. Despite the fact that a cure has not been discovered yet, medical researchers as well as doctors are striving their best to prevent or slow the symptoms of Marfan syndrome and to reduce the complications as well.Marfan syndrome comes with some unfortunate factors such as the signs and symptoms, test screening and diagnosis, and the prognosis also known as the outcome. First, signs and symptoms are crucial to identify as soon as possible. The symptoms of the disorder include, but are not limited to, flat feet, chest that sinks in or sticks out, thin and narrowed face, small lower jaw, nearsightedness, dislocation in the lenses of the eye’s, learning disability, and scoliosis or when the spine curves to one side (Board).However, identifying the symptoms of the disorder can prove difficult (Jay) since age is a crucial factor involved (â€Å"Marfan Syndrome†) and that the establishment of a specific, formal test still does not exist (Jay). In other words, doctors become aware of this disorder in people only when the noticeable signs occur caused by the disruption of the connective tissues. Also, the disorder is present at birth even though it may not be diagnosed until at a later time (â€Å"Marfan Syndrome†).But when the symptoms do occur, the hands, fingers, feet, and toes may be unusually long as well as the tallness in height with long, thin arms and legs (Schnitzer 198). Skeletal abnormalities include a few deformities of the chest and face (Schnitzer 198). Other symptoms deals with the eyes, such as the dislocation of the eye’s lenses (â€Å"What is†), and the lungs, which can increase the risk and trigger asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and collapsed lungs (â€Å"Marfan Syndrome†). Secondly, the diagnosis of this syndrome can be determined by some medical evaluation.Based on a clinical diagnosis, the heart, eyes, blood vessels, spine, and skeletal system are most likely to be checked out by medical professionals (â€Å"Marfan Syndrome†). When diagnosing a disorder, machines and methods are used to receive valuable information about the status of it. For example, to monitor the changes in the heart and blood vessels, chest x-rays, an electrocardiogram (ECG) and an echocardiogram – which is a type of machine that uses high frequency sound waves to produce a moving picture – all may be used in the process (â€Å"Marfan Syndrom†).Thirdly, the outcomes may seem very challenging to those who have the disorder, but there is a feasible way to live through it all. Changes in the heart and blood vessels were developing in about 90 percent for those who inherit the disorder (â€Å"Marfan Syndrome†). Because of this change, people must restrain from heavy activities and exercise as well as strenuous competitive sports which can all place high stress on the heart and aorta (â€Å"Birth Defects†). Thus, participation in less vigorous activities – such as walking, golfing, swimming, and slow-paced tennis – was consider safer to do (â€Å"Birth Defects†).But despite the helpful guidance and support of many programs, treatments, and changes, 50 is usually the average age of death for those who sadly have the disorder (Schnitzer 198). Heart complications and failure is usually a cause for this. However, there have been records and reports where patients have survived beyond the age o f 50, well into their 60s (Board). Despite whether the factors are negative or not, inheriting this type of disorder requires immediate attention and possibly significant changes as well.People who inherit Marfan syndrome will most likely face devastating changes due to the many negative complications and the risks factors that follows. Concerning with the complications, there are four main areas where the disorder can create devastating results which include the heart, face, eyes, and chest. Heart malfunctions is the first one, which is the most serious not to mention the most deadly complication of all (Jay). This is because the aorta, connected with the heart, could easily rupture due to enlargement (Jay).Cardiomyopathy, which is basically the enlargement and the weakening of the heart muscle, is another problem because this could lead to heart failure (â€Å"Marfan Syndrome†). But the bottom line for the heart complications associated with the disorder is that the large b lood vessels connecting to the heart may gradually weaken and expand, which can eventually rupture causing death (Schnitzer 198). Complications in the eye, such as nearsightedness and the dislocation of the lenses, can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses; however, more advanced methods may include the usage of medical lasers (â€Å"Birth Defects†).Other complications involve with the chest – in which it may protrude outward or inward – joints – where it becomes increasingly flexible – and the face – where patients may have a long, narrow face and the roof of the mouth may be higher than normal (â€Å"Marfan Syndrome†). Risk factors are another concern, closely following the complications of the disorder. For example, activities that demand such strength and vigorous energy should be avoided at all cost for those who inherit the syndrome because of the following risks, capable of damaging the aorta and eyes (Jay).When someone d iscovers that a family member has Marfan syndrome, it would be the best course of action to visit a genetic counselor to discuss and ascertain who else have or may have inherit the syndrome. Another example involves with pregnancy. If a woman inherits the disorder and becomes pregnant, not only is she at great risk of her aorta rapidly enlarging, causing it to burst resulting in death, but she is also at risk of passing the inherited disorder to her newborn (â€Å"Birth Defects†).Thus it is considerably wise when one or the other parent inherit the syndrome speaks to a genetic counselor and avoid pregnancy to avoid death in return. Despite the numerous complications and risk factors associated with the disorder, there are many feasible solutions and methods on better controlling the outcome of the situation and matter. Despite the many complications associated with Marfan syndrome, there are several ways to fight back and come up with positive solutions using the advantage of special treatments and knowing how to prevent it. First, knowing how to fight back the disorder can be helpful.Some will need regular, medical check-ups, while other may need surgery. Otherwise, three significant steps can be taken to either detect or monitor the disorder thus preventing further complications. One, a medical examination by a cardiologist can examine the heart and other vital organs (Jay). Two, examination of the eye to check the position of the lens on a regular basis can prove crucial (Jay). Three, the participation of genetic counseling is recommended where patients are informed about the risks of passing the disorder on to children and are given advice to deal with the disorder (Jay).Another way to treat the syndrome is using beta blockers, which are high blood pressure medications where they help reduce the strength and frequency of heartbeats (â€Å"Birth Defects†). Surgery is the last defense against the disorder for many. Surgery is only required when the aorta dilates or stretches too much to the extent where necessary repairs need to be made to avoid extensive internal damage (â€Å"Birth Defects†) which can be fatal. Secondly, prevention is harder than it looks when it comes to Marfan syndrome, since the symptoms usually begins at a very early age in either childhood or adulthood.Thus, there is really not a successful way to prevent the disorder (â€Å"Birth Defects†). However, if the diagnosis can be detected at an early age, there is the opportunity where help and treatment can increase the chances of avoiding serious complications (â€Å"Birth Defects†). Although there are several feasible solutions and treatments that can be used to the full extent in treating the disorder, the many fatal risks are still present, and alarmingly high.The one, inherited disorder where connective tissues are consequently very weak caused by the defect in a gene called fibrillin-1 which results in many internal organ comp lications – such as the skeleton, heart, and eyes as well as the development in the long thin limbs and digits – is Marfan syndrome which can become increasingly deadly if not given the proper treatment it deserves. People who have the disorder suffer physically, internally, and mentally. Physically, they can develop skeleton abnormalities, changing the way how they look, and develop long, thin digits making them look unusually tall and thin.Internally, people can suffer all kinds of damage in the heart, eyes, skin, bones, blood vessels, the aorta, and the lungs. The disorder mentally affects both the patient and their relations with others, forcing change in their lives. Even though a cure for the disorder has not been successfully discovered, treatments and versatile methods have been introduced throughout the years since its discovery by Marfan himself. And, researchers today are still striving hard through their own success, failures, and teachings, hopefully openi ng up the gates to a cure of this devastating disorder, Marfan syndrome.Works Cited â€Å"Birth Defects. † March of Dimes. March of Dimes Foundation, n. d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. . Board, A. D. A. M. Editorial. â€Å"Marfan Syndrome. † PubMed Health. U. S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Jan. 0001. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. . Donohue, Paul G. , Dr. â€Å"Marfan Syndrome Is a Genetic Abnormality Marfan Syndrome Is a Genetic Abnormality. † Providence Journal [Providence] 7 Oct. 1986, ACCENT sec. : C-13. ProQuest Newsstand. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. . Keane, Martin G. , and Reed E. Pyeritz. â€Å"Medical Management of Marfan Syndrome. † Circulation. American Heart Association, n. d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. . Kugler, Mary, R. N. â€Å"President Lincoln and Marfan Syndrome. † About. com Rare Diseases. About. com, n. d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. . â€Å"Learning About Marfan Syndrome. † Learning About Marfan Syndrome. Genome. gov, n. d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013.

Life expectancy Essay

Every country measures life expectancy as an index to express the average of years for a person to live in the scale of mortality indicator of a certain period (OECD, 2007). This index is usually affected by particular conditions such as health, education and specific factors of the country or territory. These characteristics have become this index one of the most important signs to quantity human development all over the globe. Although the modern world has brought an increasing of longevity, it is not necessarily associated with a better life quality, the inequalities between rich and poor societies seem to build an enormous gap in the quality of life, which contributes as well to the age of a person. This essay will discuss two reasons that affect the indicator in developing countries and the possible solutions. Health conditions are usually a vital contributing factor of liveability. The World Health Organization (1948) defines health as â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity†. In this context, we could say that prevention of diseases lead to a healthy population thus a higher life expectancy. But transferring this into the developing nations’ context the imminent differences are immersed the lack of the quality in health care system, because â€Å"outside the rich countries, average health is strongly correlated with income† (Cutler, 2006). Even though in least-developed countries the reason of mortality and life expectancy are easy to identify, in the case of developing economies the distribution of resources and social inequalities appear to be the main motives. In the case of Mexico there were 70,281 deaths in 2013 due to diabetes type 2 (International Diabetes Federation, 2013), many of these deaths because of bad diet habits and restricted access to health care services. The access to quality health services could make a difference for nations’ life projection. Governments may invest a significant part of the budget in providing health care conditions to the society. Campaigns against increasing diseases can be another option, as illnesses like obesity is gaining territory in developing countries. For example, Mexico is now the most obese country in the world (WHO, 2013) for the high calories content in the food, and that will affect the life expectancy of the current and the future generations. Level of education is another crucial factor of life expectancy. Schooling is directly correlated with salary levels, and that  leads to better access to health services, improvement of productivity and well-being (Rahman, 2012). Knowledge is not only important for creating as well as maintaining a career, but is also a factor in sustaining a healthy body and preventing diseases. One of the most important outputs is that most educated people exercise moderately. In other words, the expenditure of education is an investment that has implication not just in the improvement of income level of individuals, but in the living conditions of population. Education would also improve the quality of labour force that plays a major role in the modern economic growth process. â€Å"The cultivation of intelligence through education, what economists call ‘human capital,’ does not make people only more productive but also better decision makers. Hence, education should be considered a factor that enhances well-being† (Papavlassopulos and Keppler, 2011). It is necessary to highlight the importance of management and financing for schools personnel and the training of new teachers, this way societies could have a well prepared population that can be able to take decisions that affect their lives in a positive way. For example, qualified people may look for a better job and improve life quality with the only result of having a good quality of life thus a higher life expectancy. In conclusion, in recent years the integration of life expectancy rank to determine not just human development rates but to introduce it to ascertain models and economic evaluations. Life expectancy summarises in one statistic number the structure of a society. There are some social and economic relevant factors that affect life expectancy in general, and in the case of developing countries the index is lower than the global average. All developing economies should concentrate the effort in increasing the investment in education and health care services to enhance economic well-being and with this, to improve the life expectancy index of population.

Literature and the Unchanging Past Essays

Literature and the Unchanging Past Essays Literature and the Unchanging Past Essay Literature and the Unchanging Past Essay In â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† Jonathan Swift vents about the tyranny of the English, the ineffectiveness of Irelands politicians, the English anti-Catholic prejudice, and the tendency of the rich, powerful people to treat poor people very badly. In â€Å"The Lottery,† Shirley Jackson writes about a village that blindly tries to preserve a dangerous tradition, even though it culminates a violent murder each year. Even though these two pieces of literature were written centuries apart, they both share a common theme. Both â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"A Modest Proposal† address the theme of society and class. Shirley Jackson and Jonathan Swift reveal the devastating consequences of society’s disability to question and correct its hurtful traditions and beliefs. In â€Å"The Lottery,† individuals are persecuted at random by the villagers, and the victim is only guilty of having drawn the wrong slip of paper from a box. This elaborate ritual of the drawing the lottery is designed so that all of the villagers have equal chance of becoming the victim-even children are at risk. Each year, someone new draws the fateful slip of paper, and he or she is chosen and killed. With this ritual, no family member is safe. What makes â€Å"The Lottery† so scary and chilling is the swiftness with which the villagers turn against each victim. At first, the audience only gets a glimpse of how excited the villagers are to draw their slips and follow the tradition. But this merry tone soon becomes dark and serious after Tessie Hutchinson draws the marked slip of paper. She instantly loses her identity as a popular housewife. Her friends and family quickly turn against her. No one even hesitates to participate in the killing. In fact, they kill her with the same enthusiasm as everyone else. After Tessie drew the marked paper, she became invisible. Even though Tessie has done nothing wrong, her innocence isn’t of any value. The only twisted logic is that the one

A theoretical element of media violence

A theoretical element of media violence Various hypotheses have been offered to describe processes of influence which violent TV might have on childrens behavior. All I can do here is to refer to some of these proposed processes briefly. No single process is likely to offer an adequate explanation. Short-Term Influences Modeling/Imitation: Social learning theorists (such as Bandura) emphasize the observational learning of particular kinds of aggression from a model. Those who employ this argument see film and TV characters as models from whom children learn behavior which may be imitated in everyday life. Unless they had seen the film The Deer Hunter the American teenagers who killed themselves with randomly loaded revolvers (as in the films grisly game of Russian roulette) might not have done so. In such cases, simple imitation of media violence is widely cited as the reason for the violent behavior. Symbolic Modelling is a variation on this process, whereby watching violent programmes may be a factor in encouraging violent behavior which is not directly imitated but which has been generalized from the specific behavior demonstrated in the media. Identification In another modified version of the imitation theory, it is argued that viewers tend to adopt the aggressive behavior of characters only if they identify with them and if the characters behavior is seen to be justified. Obviously, people are more likely to imitate the behavior of an attractive model than a less attractive one, and empathy is likely to heighten this tendency. Vicarious Reinforcement: If violence is reinforced by being seen to pay off for the aggressor this may promote its acceptability to the viewer compared with violence which is punished or unproductive. We have already referred to one such example in one of the Bandura studies. Both vicarious reinforcement and identification may mean that aggression by goodies can be more of a problem with children than that of baddies. Criticism of aggressive acts either within the programme itself or by co-viewers tends to reduce imitation by children. Perceived Reality: Another variation of modeling which lacks an agreed label is imitation subject to the degree of perceived reality. Some studies (eg Feshbach 1976) have shown cartoon violence to have a less negative influence on childrens behavior than more realistic violence. Instigation/Arousal According to this variation on modeling, those who are already in a state of high emotional or physiological arousal (which may itself have been influenced by TV) are more likely to engage in aggressive behavior in response to watching a violent incident on TV than are others. Leonard Berkowitz found that if viewers of a violent film were made angry or frustrated before they watched it, they expressed more aggression than those who were not already angry or frustrated. We may also note that heavy viewers tend to be less emotionally aroused by violent TV itself than do light viewers (Gunter McAleer, 1990). Related to the influence of arousal, some commentators refer to reinforcement in a general sense, meaning that TV violence has relatively little independent influence on behavior, but tends to reinforce any aggressive attitudes and behavior which may already exist. Some also refer to this as pre observation reinforcement. The more general argument of reinforcement is that the more aggressive tendencies are reinforced in this way, the more likely it will be that they will produce aggressive behavior. Sensitization is a sort of reverse modeling, whereby viewers react so strongly to some extreme example of realistic violence that they are less likely to imitate it. Ethical considerations mean that its not much studied. Where viewing of violence is light sensitization may be more likely than desensitization. Catharsis (or symbolic catharsis): As we have seen, Seymour Feshbach (1955; Feshbach Singer, 1971) has argued (rather differently from all the varieties of modelling theory) that fantasy violence can have a cathartic effect on viewers, defusing latent aggression, and reducing the possibility of aggressive behaviour. People often report feeling better after watching a really scary film. Note that this theory, which suggests that aggressive behavior television may not have harmful effects, is often si ngled out for an attack, as in the case of the study already referred to by Feshbach and Singer. A serious objection, though, is that the content of TV programmes may be partly responsible for any pent-up aggression or anxieties in the first place! Certainly, theres no doub that TV characters enter into childrens dreams, and TV-inspired fantasies may not only inspire nightmares but may also perform a valuable role in developing defenses against the real or imagined vulnerability. Another version of catharsis theory is that watching violent programmes decreases levels of arousal, leaving viewers less prone to aggressive behavior. Longer Term Influence Disinhibition This related theory formerly advanced by Leonard Berkowitz suggests that people are naturally aggressive, but that they normally repress this aggression. Heavy viewing of violent TV weakens their inhibitions and leads them to feel that aggression is acceptable. Desensitization The notion of desensitization involves the argument that heavy viewing of violent TV over time conditions viewers gradually to accept violence as normal, dulling their sensitivity to aggressive behavior in everyday life. The conditions of ordinary TV viewing may encourage us to relax and enjoy violent images. Arousal declines as the viewing of violence becomes routinized. Drabman Thomas (1984) found that children of 8 to 10 shown a video of aggressive behavior took longer to intervene in apparently real-life violence between two younger children they were left in charge of than children who had not seen the video. However, such studies are still artificially lab-based and do not explore childrens own thoughts and feelings. The origin of such theories is again in the behaviouristic tradition of behavior modification. Observations suggesting densitization may, in fact, have been observing the development of childrens defenses against anxiety. TV viewing may influence not only behavior but also attitudes and beliefs Value Reinforcement: Whilst this doesnt have a technical label, this refers to the theory that TV programmes may reinforce certain values about the use of violence (rather than directly influencing behavior). Programmes where violence is used frequently to settle disputes reinforce the value that aggressive behavior is acceptable. Cultivation Theory: George Gerbner and his colleagues in the USA argue that the most significant effects of TV violence are ideological rather than behavioral. Gerbner sees TV as a modern opiate of the people, serving as a tranquilizer which legitimates the current social order. He has shown that there is a correlation between TV viewing and viewers estimations of the frequency of violence in the everyday world. Heavy viewers are more likely to mistrust other people and to experience fear and insecurity, and therefore to support stronger forms of policing and social control. However, Gerbner makes no allowance for the variety of individual interpretations or for the kind of programmes involved. It may be that more fearful people are drawn to watching more TV. And other social and personality factors may counter such cultivation.