Thursday, October 31, 2019

Quantative methods report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Quantative methods report - Essay Example of categorical variables 2. The measures of centre includes arithmetic mean, geometric mean, harmonic mean, median and mode where as the measures of spread are given by range, mean deviation, quartile deviation and standard deviation. The measures of shape are skewness and measures of position is kurtosis. 3. Event: Any activity subjected to experiment is called as an event. For example in tossing of an unbiased coin (experiment) the occurrence of head and tail are events. Since in any unbiased coin either head or tail can occur, they put together in a set is known as sample space. The sample space in a coin tossing experiment is S={H,T}. Similarly the sample space in throwing of a die is S={1,2,3,4,5,6}. Marginal probability is a measure of occurrence of an event keeping the occurrence of the other event as constant in jointly occurring events. The probability of joint occurrence of two events either independent or dependent is p(x,y)=pij where i=1 to m; j=1 to n; when x and y are d iscrete or else f(x,y)=fxy where x and y are both continuous. 4. The return is an expected value for an investment involving normal percentage values whereas the risk is the measure of uncertainity usually having a negative impact on return. The risk as per standard norms is 1 and if the value of risk is below 1 it is considered to be less risky and if the value of risk is above 1, it is considered to be highly risky. Suppose the return and risk involved in an investment is given in the following table as Table 2: Sample table indicating nature of investment Investment nature Stocks Bonds Real Estate Probability for investing 0.4 0.25 0.35 Return % 13% 8% 10% Risk 1.2 0.85 1.25 Note: The total investment is 250,000 (say), we can formulate a strategy to maximize the return based on the risk and return involved. Discrete distribution is concerned with the distribution of a variable which is countable or finite. For example in tossing of a die, the outcome is a discrete random variable and its distribution of the outcomes 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 can be described in the form P(X=x)=pi= where x takes any value 1,2,3,4,5 or 6 whereas a continuous random variable takes any value between a range of values (in an interval); for example if the frequency of arrival of a bus is 30 minutes and if we define the waiting time for a bus as a continuous random variable x, then the distribution of waiting time is given by f(x)= 0?x?30 =0 otherwise. 5. The sampling distribution is a distribution of the sample measures where the sample of size n is drawn out of a population of size N. If any random sample of size n is taken from a normal population of size N, then the sample mean is x and the distribution of sample mean is having expected value ? and variance ?2/n. ie. if the population is normal with mean ? and variance ?, then the sample will be having mean  with E()=? and SD is SE()= . The central limit theorem says that if a sample of size n having values x1, x2, x3....... ,xn follows normal distribution with mean ? and v

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Policy making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Policy making - Essay Example The country has been trying to resolve and reduce use of fossil fuel. This has led to debates among leaders on invention of a renewable fuel source like ethanol. Scientific criticism is diverse as it focuses on external instrumentalization process of science and technology in economic, political and military spheres. It also focuses on the internal academic structures where questions on social relevance that is grounded on causality and reductionism. Furthermore, solutions about the social problems are also analyzed. A scientific approach like use of ethanol is accepted if the outcomes of the process are ethical: it is less harmful as compared to other fuel sources. Hopes can be drawn to science if the values and the epistemological foundations attached are beneficial to the citizens. For instance, production of corn in U.S has increased from one third to five billion bushels between 1990 to 2010. This is an economic improvement thus earns more profit to the locals. Human activities such as deforestation have negatively affected production of corn. Furthermore, climatic conditions such as drought also affect corn production. Thus, ethanol production from corn is non-renewable; it means that corn production also reduces. This has directly affected the level of ethanol produced. This has led to food shortage in Mexico due to the depleted corn. Furthermore, increase in production of ethanol, leads to pollution and degrades agriculture. This has led to enforcement of environmental policies to curb production of ethanol. In addition, ethanol production is affected by the market trend. Due to the high demand of ethanol, it has forced many ethanol users to participate in the business. This is due to the less environmental effects that ethanol has to the environment. It is also estimated that the price of gasoline is about $0.9 per gallon due to the presence

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Study Of Culture And Globalisation Management Essay

Study Of Culture And Globalisation Management Essay Why does culture Matter? Globalisation creates one of the most important achievements in todays world; the ability to trade internationally. Understanding cultural differences will only increase the success of companies going aboard. Each country has different currencies and behaviour norms. When global companies are born the workforce becomes diverse. Cultural understanding is a key part to a successful business. Globalization provides better opportunities to companies investing in a new market. The internationalisation of business has exposed firms to a large range of norms for doing business. This essay will show how Wal-Mart, one of the biggest retail chains, deals with cultural difference when opening its doors to Japans Market. Wal-Mart cannot directly transfer its corporate culture of low-cost, high -bulk model, hugely successful in US, to Japan. Wal-Mart is moving into a completely new market, and as such they must enter the market as a blank canvas. Roger Mark clearly states that in order to have global success, its no longer enough to have a hot new product that will save time, or a novel idea that could revolutionize an industry. You also need to understand the cultural values, behaviour styles, negotiating techniques and business practices of the country where you are doing business. Wal-Mart and Japan have different habits. Wal-Mart is moving more to cutting the middleman and forcing stores to remain open for 24 hours. The Japanese culture is based more on fresh produce and has high demands for perishable goods rather than processed food. The Japanese are known for their high demand of quality goods and high income. Wal-Mart is trying to force their low cost high bulk and low quality products on the Japanese market. The company must wonder if their own corporate culture is enough to solve the problems with diverse cultures. If the company itself does not understand the cultural differences it faces can it reap the benefits? Culture is comprised of both value and norms. Culture is a social interest which clearly identifies people interest, thoughts and behaviours. In order for Wal-Mart to survive they must manage cultural diversity because this is in many stages of the internationalization of the business and in all form of the market entry. When entering a new market the business needs to adapt to the specific taste of local people. Wal-Mart cannot deliver the same layout of stores throughout the world, they must adapt to Japanese culture. According to Kurt Barnard It was a dumb thing for Wal-Mart to do. By not understanding cross-cultural influences and not changing the format of their stores to fit cultural differences, Wal-Mart will be unable to compete in foreign markets. Wal-Mart needs to move away from Ethnocentrism and adopt a Polycentrism approach when entering a new market. Fast franchise like McDonald learned their lesson in India. Today McDonalds has localized its products to suit its consumers taste and to recognise the local culture, t herefore creating regional flavours for particular markets. Culture plays an important part on how global companies operate. Wal-Mart needs to adapt the taste of its host country. If we consider the Japanese culture we can clearly see that their living space is much smaller than the average American house, therefore the high-bulk model will not relate to them. Wal-Mart must understand their behaviour first in order to respect the local culture of Japan. What do Japanese people consider as good quality in service and product? Once Wal-Mart determines this it can use the information to better sales campaigns and business interactions instead of using one approach that they believe works everywhere. The firm must determine the countries norms and values, and therefore have a cross- cultural awareness between the Japanese and American cultures. Japanese culture is based on community, family and being part of large group. This is not the same as the American way of life. Global companies need to know that half of business acquisitions fail because they do not input measures that deal with cultural differences. Wal-Mart acquired a Japanese business. Taking over a Japanese firm is the best way of understanding the culture of the Japanese. Why did this not work to Wal-Marts advantage?Companies must require the knowledge of the local culture and the way of doing things. People respond differently to gestures and signs. One of the issues Wal-Mart faced was language barriers in Japan. Wal-Mart is using English-speaking executives to run a retail operation that heavily depends on a detailed understanding of domestic culture. In Japan Harmony is the key value in Japanese society, so when they communicate with each other they use non-verbal expression. Global companies must understand that languages can influence the business in so m any ways. Language is the most important aspect to the business success because this should unlock local societies. Wal-Mart knew full well that entering markets like Japan through acquisition brings together employees from Seiyu with employees from Wal-Mart who speak different languages. They should have adopted a language that can be related to local people. Ideally the international managers in Wal-Mart should be Bi-multilingual. Most American firms tend to slow down their English rather than study the language of Japan The American companies that have succeeded in Japan have done so by using Japanese executives and allowing a significant amount of autonomy. Wal-Mart however seems to be making the same mistake it did in Germany, relying too much on American executives, and not enough on local control. We can clearly see that all Global Companies are faced with many problems which range from language, pricing and culture collisions because cultural differences shape the use and in terpretation of words. Edward hall drew a useful distinction between low and high context cultures. Many Asian countries are seen as high cost cultures. Japanese culture finds it difficult to say no compared to the Americans who are straight forward. Business needs to be aware that problems will naturally arise when high and low cost culture businesses get together. The model is useful in understanding why different cultures might communicate differently because High context south Asian culture companies differ so widely from their low -context western cultures. When companies go global their main objective should be to handle any difficulties to do with culture because once mistakes are made they are hard to fix. This will only destroy the global company operation in the host country. All corporations must have multicultural awareness because it is a vital aspect to a successful business, and you must know the particular industry you are entering. If you do not do this the success of the business is slim. Wal-Mart must HYPERLINK http://www.filination.com/blog/2009/03/14/china-business-strategy-walmart-chinese-culture/localize and do things the Japanese way by encouraging local branch decision making, building local supplier contracts and using local promotion schemes on the other hand Wal-Mart was more focus on doing things the American Way. Wal-Mart did not consider the taste of Japanese people. HYPERLINK http://www.filination.com/blog/2009/03/14/china-business-strategy-walmart-chinese-culture/National culture has a powerful influence on peoples interpretations, understandings, and assessments of those with whom they work-Cultural values can affect decision making, managerial style, interpersonal trust, teamwork, and the role of women in the workplace, among other issues. In order to have successful entry Wal-Mart needed to collect correct and accurate information. Managers in Wal-Mart should undertake An intercultural training course such as Managing Inter national Teams or Managing International Mergers and Acquisitions will give international managers involved in a merger or acquisition the insights they need to develop an effective working culture that plays to the strengths of their multicultural teams and maximises the cultural benefits of their companys acquisition. Japanese Culture is completely different to the Wal-Mart American culture. Cultural dimensions can provide details allowing global companies to deliver the best cultural system with a great outcome. Identifying the main cultural dimensions groups through attitude, values and norms can influence companies success. Geert Hofstede (1984) clearly stated that culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another. Wal-Mart adopted a management style that did not sit well with the Japanese people. Wal-Mart persuaded Seiyus management in 2004 to dismiss 25% of headquarters staff, including 1,500 employees and managers. That kind of mass firing happens rarely in Japan, which places a premium on social harmony. And when the firing is done at the behest of foreigners, it takes on added negative connotations. Wal-Mart should determine the cultural attitudes of the employees. Research shows how national culture can also affect the workfo rce in an organisation. Wal-Mart did not use the Greenfield Investment, which involved entering a country without a partner from the host country. Wal-Mart did the opposite so it should be fully aware of the effect of the Japanese culture. It is up to the managers in a corporation to understand culture. Hofstedes research looks for sub cultural and regional differences, industry differences and differences arising from the organisational culture. Power distances generally mean people will accept unequal distribution of powers. In the Case of Wal-Mart you can see that it is more homogeneous compared to Japan, therefore they need togive more power to local managers and their supplier-network. Japanese power distances are lower so Management should decentralise. Americans do not accept power distances so the American workers in Wal-Mart at the Japanese branch should input empowering systems. Japanese hold harmony as a social ideal, patience as a personal virtue, and hierarchy as an ess ential organizing principle. Americans, in contrast, hold freedom as a social ideal, action-orientation as a personal virtue, and equality as a fundamental organizing principle. We have seen that the Hostede model such as individualism versus collectivism and feminine versus masculinity help categorize as well as identify cultural differences. If we take individualism versus collectivism you will know that Americans are more independent and have self -determination compared to Japan where the workforce work in groups. In order to solve this issue Wal-Mart should develop group goals and policies that relieve stress. The Japanese people also believe power should be controlled by society, even though this model does not present detailed analyses of individual cultures. This useful research shows the role of cultural differences which is useful for international management. These are challenges many managers will face in todays global markets because not managing culture effectively can stop growth as well as production. The use of the concepts of cultural dimensions such as those of Hostede and Trompanear provide the means to construct cultural clusters of countries or subcultures within and across countries. These clusters can be used to identify areas which need development in order to reduce problems caused by cultural differences. For example advertising can use this model to make adverts relative to certain cultural dimensions. Wal-Mart needs this because once Seiyu was taken over it became a whole new store. Yes Wal-Mart provided low cost products but the high quality products that the Japanese are used to disappeared. Wal-Mart should clearly see how different their culture is compared to Japanese. The bad thing about these models is that they assume that culture does not change and they develop serotypes. The cultural theorists base their research on the management of the company rather than the national culture. Wal-Mart must show consideration and care in dealing with cultural differences both inside and outside the organisation. Japanese people are willing to pay top prices for goods of high quality. Wal-Mart should ensure that their global company service as well as product meets the standards of the people living there. Care must take place amongst managers regarding the relationship between the home and host country in terms of working practices. Firms need to be sensitive to culture because if they dont it can cause failed joint ventures as well as misunderstandings. Their cultural differences need to be respected across borders. Employees in the organisation must be aware of norms and the general customs when entering the host country. Businesses need to understand the impact that cultural differences have on the career progression of their employees and on communication and decision-making, Firms can solve the problems of cultural difference by engaging in cross- cultural training. S ome researchers have stated that Wal-Mart is way behind the knowledge of the locals taste. One of the reasons that failed Wal-Mart internationally is when it attempt to transport the companys unique culture and retailing concept to each new country. Gilman (2004) asserts that in Wal-Mart overseas expansion, it has been trying hard to launch the supercenter concept, therefore the corporate culture does not match the national culture. Understanding cultural difference allows managers to develop policies to manage cross cultural activities. In this essay we have seen that internationalisation of a business has exposed the business to different norms when crossing cultural borders because more firms move away and enter new markets. A comparison between National cultures is important. We have seen the clash in the national cultures between countries as well as the corporate culture. We can clearly see that how culture plays an important role in the success of a global company. The theory clearly compares how companies like Wal-Mart try to impose the same norms on all its foreign markets. The approaches to solving cultural differences clearly assume that firms will be given advantages. Culture should be the heart of the organisation because we can clearly see that it determines the success or failure of the firm. It is up to the employees in the organisation who exist within the corporate culture to understand the outside environment culture because we must see culture as ever changing. In order to solve the problem with c ulture we must learn to adapt. The company needs strategy development in order to overcome the hurdles caused by cultural differences. We can clearly see that every country and region has their own culture; therefore global companies must have a good understanding. Culture is clearly the way of life for people so it is only natural that companies leave their ethnocentric culture where they basically see only their own culture rather than the Polycentric culture. This creates conflict as we have seen in both corporate cultures as well as national culture. In order to overcome such problems global companies need to acknowledge the diverse culture around them. No more assumption and judgment because people learn culture through what they are taught. It is only natural for global companies to put in effect strategies allowing them to adapt to the cultural changes. If we take the company Coca Cola strategy which changed the sweetness of their soda to meet the consumers taste buds in diff erent countries. They did not neglect the needs of the local people; they therefore have the full respect of their culture and history. We have seen how cultural theories like Hofstede can allow global companies to take into consideration the cultural cluster that effects society but the problem with this theory is more based on how the organisation can improve culture difference inside the global company rather than the environment outside the organisation.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn: Critique :: Free Essays

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Critique Biography Mark Twain, the pseudonym of Samuel Clemens, was, as a literary writer, a genius. His use of numerous literary devices throughout the novel are quite unique. Examples of them would be, irony; "Here was a nigger, which I had as good as helped to run away, coming right out and saying that he would steal his children - children that belonged to someone that had done me no harm." p. 88; and colloquial enunciation; I ast 'm if dey 'uz gwyne to grab a young white genlman's propaty, en git a hidin for it?" p. 112 Samuel Clemens was a very controversial writer in his time. Although he was fiercely criticized, he was among the first writers to incorporate views other than that of a reverential main character into his stories, and he was also a primary user of colloquial enunciation. Plot Synopsis The plot is, as the title suggests, about the adventures of an unruly and carefree boy named Huckleberry Finn. The novel depicts the 1900's southern social climate in a manner that is not only satirical, but psychoanalytically intuitive. In it, Huck, as he is commonly known, runs away with a slave named Jim. As they travel along the Mississippi river, in the southern region of the United States, they undergo many extraordinary adventures. Analysis One of the most predominant themes in this novel is that of deception. Deception, in one form or another, is used with an avid consistency throughout the story. Two personifications of deception were the characters, King and Duke. They were "entrepreneurs" of deception (which is a polite way of saying hustlers). Samuel Clemens writes about them so ingeniously, that after a while the reader is able to understand the true nature of these tricksters, and that most of what they utter is either fabrication or a twisted truth.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Ex-convicts Re-entry into the Society Essay

The society treats the ex convicts with unfairness and injustice that they do not deserve. As much as they are responsible for all the deeds they do, the American society is not sorry for this treatment. It is envisaged that the purpose of any prison facility in the world is to correct the deviant behavior in a person in order to prepare the successful re-entry to the society a reformed person. However, this is does not seem to be the case for American ex-convicts in the 21st century. The ex-convict today is the neighborhood next door who we see daily and sometimes we have a relationship. The realization that one is a convict proves an insurmountable task to the individual to prove that he or she is a reformed person but the laws and policies do not recognize this. The biggest question that begs for an answer is why it is so such a serious matter? What is to be blamed or who is to be held culprit? Do we need a reformation of the current policies concerning life after prison? This research will concern on the reasons why ex-prisoners are not fully integrated back into the society even after prison and the factors lying behind such treatment from the society. The American prison today The concern lies on whether the prison today is doing the right work to bring the traits and qualities desired in the modern society in convicted persons. In America today, for one to achieve in life, education forms the most counting factor. It therefore means that securing a good job requires higher education while low education only warrants low and often stressful jobs. Prison statistics shows that about 75% of inmates did not complete high school and hence they lack the high school degree. In addition, there is an increase in the number of inmates who do not have high school diploma which means that an increase in crime is related to low education. This information means that for such convicts to be suited well in the society, one of the requirements in the prison is to offer education as the rehabilitative program. This ensures that recidivism is reduced by providing the required solution. Nevertheless, the prisons strategies of correcting the convict are different and emphasize on harsh and negative treatment. This deviates from the main purpose of prison. The Prison Commission on â€Å"Confronting Confinement† by Gibbons and Katzenbach (2006) report shows that, most of the prisons in America use excessive force in treating the inmates. The big picture is that the prison guards are just brutal enough to cause break of the heart even the hardiest of them. Bearing in mind that most of the inmates are convicted of rape, crime, robbery with violence, murder and drug abuse, the question of brutal and tough treatment does not make sense. This kind of correcting is opposite the logic of the actual reason of imprisonment. It only leads to a hardened ex-convict who feels that the society is against him or her. In fact, the situation in the prisons worsens the state of affairs. The â€Å"Prison nightmare† by Deparle (2007) clearly shows that the prison is a hell of a place that requires intervention from the state and the public. The life in prison is deplorable; conditions are inhumane, unhealthy, unproductive and violent. This really affects the staff and the inmates themselves due to the unending trauma and stress. The unfair treatment of inmates discriminating between race and class and the type of offence, makes the prison to be the devil rather than the savior to the community. The community must be protected from rogue persons who are not capable of maintaining the dogmas of the society. It is in this light that the prison must be seen as a failed system in our society. The rehabilitation programs like educational programs, drug rehabilitation and counseling programs were terminated in the twentieth century despite the increase in the population of prisons. Therefore, the fact is that most of the ex-convicts come back into the society to seek revenge armed wit nothing but hardness, pain, stress, trauma, mental disability and thus do not fit back in the society. The ex-convict life and its challenges It is clear now that the prison facilities are not living to their dreams as set to do by the constitution. The number of ex-convict is high today in comparison to the earlier centuries. The alarming news behind this large number is that they passed through the prison that we have already seen needs to do reforms, from the staff to the policies governing the correction and treatment of convicts. The persons with prison experience, due to lack of effective corrective measures, pose a threat to the community since they deviate more than the initial stage. In addition, most of the ex-convicts convicted of crime and drug are suffering from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other communicable diseases which is an alarm to security due the attitudes of most of these ex- convicts. On the other hand, after prison, life is no better for most of them due to low education, drugs and restrictive laws and policies. The society does not really accept them back and thus re-entry and acceptance makes life hard. This leads to the rise of recidivism and increased rate of crime from the same ex-prisoners. The first of these injustices is restriction from voting known as felon disenfranchisement. This law date back to the founding years of America claiming the ‘spotlessness of the poll box’ in 1884 (Manza & Uggen, 2006). The argument was that, felons could use their votes unlawfully to corrupt the ballot box and that since already they have first violated the social contract, then they can also corrupt the franchise responsibility. The view of this time was the ‘excellent government’ meaning that all issues that seemed or were perceived to avert such causes, all measures would be placed to avoid that (Manza & Uggen, 2006). For the past years, this issue has not been much debated upon or given enough light until the twentieth century when it caused a major stir in 1998. Human rights watch revealed that 4 million people were locked out of voting and they were concerned that this could affect any election. Close monitoring by Uggen and Manza (2006) reveals a note of origination in discriminating against the blacks. The notion that blacks were the most felony convicted race due to poverty hence the likelihood was that they committed most crimes. This is strongly supported by the discrimination of the black man up to the twentieth century. The lack of access to employment is another major challenge that ex-convicts face in their journey towards re-entry and full rehabilitation into the society. Hull and Conyers Jr. in their book say that, two thirds of ex-convicts end up behind bars again within three years of release. The employers are keen on background checks meant to lock out the job seekers with felony conviction. There is no law that expressly prohibits ex-convicts from getting employment but the many bans across the board violate the civil rights act of 1964 as indicated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This reveals that, to solve this problem, one has to seek redress from the state law. Major tribunals have allowed employers to disqualify job seekers with felony conviction if it is related to the job being sought. Where corruption seems plausible, the background check proves crucial, and therefore any record of conviction disqualifies the person. Restrictions on occupational licensing is a major setback to the ex convicts life after prison. The fact that even setting up an own work is prohibited means that the government wastes money for the upkeep of prisoners in jail. It negates the logic why a person from a correction and rehabilitation center does not fit into the society. The lack of employment and the despair from job turning down by prospective employer causes recidivism (Hull & Conyers, 2006). This opposes the principles of fairness and justice if people cannot be treated fairly in matters of public or private. The democracy of a people involves giving equal chances to all without any prejudice. This is not the case for the ex-convict when it comes to search of funds for higher education when compared to other students. The Higher Education Act of 1965 is meant to aid needy and poor students with funds to acquire college education. However, the amendment by Congress in 1998 denies ex-convict of drug abuse the right to seek these funds for college education. In addition, under federal law, drug convict means that one cannot qualify for ‘Hope Credit’ leading to high number of students denied access to financial aid (Hull et al. , 2006). Helping the ex-convicts find back their lives and enjoy the full benefits of a citizen needs changing the status quo especially in the laws. The social welfare challenge is also another part that requires check up to give the ex-convicts a sense of belonging and their importance to the society. According to Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1956, ex-convicts who had been charged with drug possession are entitled to no temporary assistance for needy families, social safekeeping, Medicare, food aid and other health benefits. This infringes on the ex-convicts efforts to be best fit in the society. Ex-convicts feel that the social welfare part of their lives is curtailed which is equivalent to punishment which goes to great pains since it takes long to be paroled. The question whether ex-convicts can hold public office lies greatly to state and constitutional law. The constitutional law doe not bar ex-convict from holding a public office because of the malice that can arise if a president does not need a challenge from and opposing team. Despite this, the state law on the other hand bars a felony convict from holding or running for a public office. The fact is that the restriction of the ex-convict from holding public offices is much humiliating especially for people who are convicted while serving in public offices. Furthermore, most of the information about conviction is readily available to the public today especially on the internet. This is very restrictive and poses as a challenge to most of the ex convicts who are charged with minor felony. This also applies to ex-convicts who have not despaired and are determined to reclaim their lives back in the society after imprisonment. It is therefore stressful for them to find that their efforts are interrupted by the laws of the country and thus they question the principle of democracy. In this light, the function of the prison as a corrective and rehabilitative facility is questioned and the government spending on prison is ridiculed. Aside from ex-offenders being barred from holding public office, parenthood forms an insurmountable challenge to them. Besides family reunion being eventful and complicated, the 1997 Adoption and Safe Families Act require that parents abdicate parenthood if they do not spend 15 months with them. The imprisonment term average is 18 months implicating that family break up is real for those ex-convicts who are jailed for years. These are the challenges that can result to more crimes leading to a cycle of the same which means that recidivism is no near to ending. With this kind of a prison system, it means more problems will be created. On the other hand, the society’s reception and treatment of the ex-convict warrants a checkup and change to avoid punishing the ex convict (Thompson, 2008). Research shows that foster care after family break up leads to high cases of juvenile delinquency which dovetails to crime. This can only be interpreted that the protection of the community by these laws and policies provides an avenue for the next future generation of offenders. The issue of parenting is complicated and hurting when it is disconnected either to the father or mother, it is the most unique experience. Therefore, this law punishes the parents all their lives not to add that most are poor. It is an excusable path to mental anguish, stress and trauma to such ex-convicts citizens in this country. The issue of acquiring secure housing is just another restrictive issue concerning the affairs of ex-convict’s re-entry to the society. The local, federal and the state laws have three categories on barriers upon ex-convicts, the absolute statutory exclusions, denying and termination of housing for substance abuse and one strike you are out. The first concerns those instances that an ex-convict manufactures substance or has been convicted of sex offence. It means that the ex-convict is banned out for life on public houses. Secondly, if the ex convict is still using substances illegally and the third involves a case where an individual is denied admission due to activity of crime or substance abuse which might lead to disruption of other house occupants just slightly before occupying the house. These laws under PHA are directed by the Housing Opportunity Act destabilize the lives of ex-convicts who have so much to correct for their successful re-entry into the society. The changing wind When ex convicts experience a difficult and often barring life influenced by the laws and policies, they feel frustrated and rejected. The fact that one is expected to display good conduct to pay for health services, cater for the family despite having no job is overwhelming. These situations places the ex-convicts between a hard place and a rock and thus chances of getting back to crime or illegal substance abuse are imminent. The questions of giving the ex-convicts a second chance have arisen due the increased amount of people with felony records. The political, social and economic consequences related to the re-entry of ex-convicts into the society reveal high costs and disadvantages. The society is exposed to disrupted morals due to drug abuse culture. The lack of family role models and parents to guide the life of young people is an indication of a falling society. A community where most of the people are ex-convicts and majority fall under the category of those counted poor means that drug abuse, crime, increase in communicable diseases and unemployment can be the order of the day leading to recidivism. Today, this is the question that concerns the country’s change of policies at the twenty-first century. Despite other issues concerning war, terror and relations with other countries, America is faced by internal issues like these. Other countries like European countries have strategies to make sure that their prisons and justice department balance the whole picture for the benefit of all and maintain the best secure free society (Petersilia, 2000). Today, the stigmatization and citizen resistance to support ex-offenders is waning due to the introduction of productive restorative community justice approach that is meant to bring all people to work together for the benefit of the whole. The re-entry of ex-offenders to the society is a complicated issue that requires serious planning and change of policies. Looking for possible solutions to reintegration needs a change of the public attitude towards ex-convicts (Levinson, 2002). The message is that, the situation is not hopeless; America has not lost the battle what we need is changing the past and embracing the present for the well being of our future. Religious leaders, some politicians, organizations, radio talk shows and the general public have taken an active role in talking about the issue of prisons and ex convict’s lives. The fact that they are citizens just like any other has seen the rise of talks all over for their clearance in the eyes of the public. Although some of the politicians do not want to hear this, the campaign is rife and is gaining momentum. The century is turning tides to those who still hold bad attitudes towards ex-convicts. To support an ex-convict was a liability before but for today as Delgado puts it, it’s a launching pad for people with political ambitions. The conditions of deterioration of policies of prison and aggravation of issues pertaining ex-convicts have touched on the politics of the Republican Party hence a win to the Democrats. The meting out of harsh policies and stiff laws does not offer any solutions; instead it creates more problems to the society. The ex-convicts form a convict bloc that has connections to the high echelons of power and class and they form a formidable force which is capable of swaying the outcome of any election. In addition, the speaking out against corrupt policies held in prisons and courtrooms has brought justice to others who are convicted for fair hearings (Delgado, 2007).

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Ibm Case

IBM CASE STUDY – DECADE OF TRANSFORMATION The IBM's rise to the top and its abrupt fall followed by its decade of transformation, boldly highlights the importance of a solid strategy IBM was the synonym for greatness and profitability during early 1990's but the lack of company's ability to foresee into the future & its internal issues cost the company bigtime. It registered its first loss during 1991 mainly due to its inability to adopt to the customer centric PC industry.Phase 1: Incremental Improvement After registering his first loss, in order to cope up with its large fixed & warranty costs the company had no option but to cut back the employees perks & worse made forced layoffs. Eventhough there were products and process before hand they were not fully exploited. By 1993 about 40,000 employees were terminated Phase 2: Process Reengineering Change in management took place during 1993, Lou Gerstner was appointed as the new CEO. He immediately began the Phase 2 ‘Proce ss Re-engineering'.He realized rather than break up the company he decided to turn it around by going to market as ‘One IBM' – a centralized model where individual divisions pulled into as larger business groups . By 1994 the 155 data centers were trimmed to 3 regional megacenters fed by 11 server farms . The systems development process was also reengineered thus enabling the company to focus intensely. The results were positive,by the end of year 1994 the company registered a profit of 5 billion USD on revenue of 64 billion USD.Gerstner strongly believed in Putting customer first. He made sure that Individual sales group was formed and spearheaded by experienced managers dedicated for supporting the customers Phase 3: Emerging Opportunity Gerstner soon realised that eventhough the company could be recovered from its current state, it may not gain its supremacy as Tech Giant,with its current Business model. He started to focus on ‘Emerging Opportunity' provided by the Internet. By 1995 he decided that the company would focus on e-business.E-business was projected as IBM's strategy vision . Enormous capital were invested in Internet Products and services & many aquistions were done,which helped the company to shift from software applications to middleware. The two major acquistions were Tivoli btought for 700 million USD and Lotus for 3. 5 billion USD Phase 4: Business Transformation By end of 1999 with its current business IBM's innovation process continued to be focused within silos of existing line.Gerstner wanted to change this and the concept of ‘Horizon' was developed where the current and emerging business opportunities was classified among three Horizons H1 – Mature Business H2 – Rapidly growing business H3 – Emerging business Each Horizon had different organizational and leadership model to cater its different needs. Reasons for failure IBM ignored its commitment to customers to provide efficient high quali ty technical and customer support,moreover they tried to compete in every product category which eventually made them as Jack of all trades and master of none.