DeBeers Case Analysis and PEST Analysis Essay

De Beers is currently being faced with some new challenges that are making it necessary for us to consider a change in the way we do business. With recent turmoil in Western Africa, where illicit diamonds are beginning to come from war torn villages, and other sources of diamonds being found in Russia and Australia, it is clear that we need to begin to move into the U.S. market. However, legally, De Beers is in violation of the U.S. antitrust laws and is therefore being prohibited from selling directly in the U.S. market. Throughout the following memo I will identify the problems we at De Beers are currently facing. I will then make a set of recommendations for action to help us move into the U.S. market by proposing a relaxation of U.S. antitrust laws with restrictions on illicit diamonds, and finally I will conclude with some implementation steps for the solutions that have been recommended. Challenges A PEST analysis has been performed on the current situation facing De Beers. In the following section, I will focus on the most important problems identified in the PEST analysis for which we must find solutions and also on the most important positive forces that we must leverage to our advantage in order to maintain or gain market share. Please see Exhibit 1 for details on the PEST analysis and additional information on other issues we are facing and forces that might help or hinder our market share in the U.S. The most important of the problems we are faced with are due to Political issues in the United States and elsewhere. Due to war in western Africa, diamonds are beginning to flow from the war torn fields of Sierra Leone and Angola, and in Russia, mines are being controlled locally as opposed to in collaboration with De Beers. These challenges alone pose a threat to the power that De Beers currently holds over the diamond industry. Due to these challenges, we initiated a branding campaign attempting to brand De Beers diamonds to the consumers. This campaign was centered in the U.S., where â€Å"legally, the entire De Beers group – its officers, its operations, its marketing structure – was in violation of the U.S. antitrust law† (Burns, 2000). This prohibited De Beers from directly selling in the United States.  Additionally, a political issue that we need to leverage to our advantage is the U.S. foreign policy towards helping to rebuild Africa. These political i ssues will be further addressed in the recommendations section. Economically, there is an expected surge in diamond sales expected to occur in the U.S. this year. This emphasizes the fact that we need to be uninhibited in our marketing and sales efforts in the U.S. if we are to continue to be a successful company. Another economic issue that we are facing is that the historical price of diamonds is leveling off and may even be decreasing as new sources of diamonds are being found. This decrease in prices could be devastating to De Beers and the diamond industry as a whole and needs to be avoided at all costs. The other large economic issue we are facing is our method of stabilizing the diamond prices. The stockpiling we currently utilize to control the supply of diamonds and, more specifically, control the price of diamonds, is eating away at our profits, resulting in a low stock price. Our shareholders, of whom 21% are from the U.S., are starting to voice dissent about our low share prices. Technically, we have been using our single channel distribution system to work our way around the antitrust laws in the United States and to keep an arms length from the U.S. legal system. By selling to diamond merchants through the Central Selling Organization in London, and controlling the supply of diamonds offered to these merchants, we control what stones enter the market at what price. This single distribution channel has been at the core of our ability to regulate the diamond market and without this means of distribution, De Beers and the entire diamond industry would greatly suffer. By winning relaxed antitrust laws in the U.S., we would be able to continue to leverage the power of the single channel distribution system. Socially, the perception of diamonds is that of a beautiful and rare stone that is a symbol of romance and of greed and has been treasured as such for centuries. In the nineteenth century, the supply of diamonds increased, turning the stones from something only the elite could purchase, to a commodity that could be purchased by the mass market. Even with this increase in supply, the perception of diamonds remained that of a rare and  valued commodity. Therefore, even though the supply of diamonds increased, the perception that they were rare was not tarnished, leaving the price of this commodity high. This is a key point that we need to leverage: consumers expect and want the price of diamonds to remain the expected price of a unique and high valued commodity. Stakeholders The primary stakeholders that will be affected by this impending move into the U.S. market and relaxation of the U.S. antitrust laws are De Beers and its shareholders, the African economy, the diamond industry as a whole, and diamond consumers. If these antitrust laws are not relaxed, then De Beers market share will crumble while being replaced by lower priced competitors, leading to an overall decrease in the diamond prices, leading to less profit to everyone in the diamond industry. The African economy also has a large stake in this decision. If the diamonds from war torn fields are accepted into the diamond market, consumers will unknowingly be supporting rebel controlled diamond mines. Lastly, if the antitrust laws are not relaxed, the shareholders of De Beers will most likely experience a short term increase in stock price while the stockpile is being depleted, but in the long run, the stock price will bottom out and will not rise again because the price of diamonds will be permanently lowered. The stakeholders that will be most impacted here are De Beers as a corporation and the diamond industry as a whole, including the African economy. I will focus on these stakeholders in the recommendations section. Recommended Solutions and Implementation Steps The following solutions are being recommended for De Beers to implement in order to convince U.S. policy makers to relax the U.S. antitrust laws and allow De Beers to directly do business in their diamond market. De Beers needs to approach U.S. policy makers with the following arguments and ask for relaxation of the U.S. antitrust laws with some restrictions. The criterion for these solutions is that they are feasible to implement with our current resources and that they do not generate negative press about  past lawsuits. Luxury Items My first recommendation is to approach U.S. policy makers with the fact that diamonds are a commodity and not a necessity. One of the main purposes of the U.S. antitrust laws is to protect consumer well being. Diamonds are not a necessity and the lack of a diamond does not make ones life materially different. Therefore, by helping to stabilize the supply and price of diamonds, we are not hindering the success of people or businesses within the U.S. By keeping the price of diamonds stable, we are not lessening the quality of life of any consumers, however we are keeping consumer value stable. Those millions of consumers who have already invested in diamonds do not want to see the price of their investment decrease. By continuing to help stabilize the price and supply of diamonds, we will ensure that their investment will maintain value. In order to implement this, we need to conduct some consumer surveys to support the fact that consumers are pleased with stable diamond prices and present these facts to U.S. policy makers. We also need to gain the support of other members of the diamond industry to help with this solution. By leveraging our relationships with other diamond mine owners, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers, we can work together to convince U.S. policy makers that the value of this luxury item is sustained due to it’s perceived rarity and in order for the diamond industry to survive, this perception needs to remain untarnished. The other players in the diamond industry, mentioned above, benefit from this perception as well, so it should be relatively simple to gain their cooperation in this matter. African Growth and Opportunity Act The current U.S. foreign policy that seeks to support the reconstruction and redevelopment of Africa needs to be fully leveraged by De Beers. The Clinton administration has pledged it’s dedication to Africa by the pending African Growth and Opportunity Act. We need to pledge our support of all U.S. policy toward U.S. – Africa relations and offer our contribution to the African  economy. Some of the countries in Africa that are currently suffering from violent wars could greatly benefit from their diamond assets if helped by De Beers. They currently lack the knowledge and technical skills needed to mine diamonds effectively. With De Beers’ help, these African countries can begin to develop their economy and stabilize their relationships with the U.S. In order to leverage this foreign policy, we need to enlist the help of U.S. – African relations activists groups as well as activists groups dedicated to the rebuilding of Africa to help us get our message across to U.S. policy makers. We need to convince the U.S. government that De Beers is a positive force in the African economy and by allowing us the antitrust rules to be relaxed in the U.S., we can help to build a stronger relationship between Africa and the U.S. Illicit Diamond Embargo De Beers needs to work with the U.N. to place an embargo on illicit diamonds coming from the war torn fields of Angola and Sierra Leone. These diamonds come from rebel controlled mines, and by allowing these diamonds to enter the marketplace, we are supporting the bloodshed involved in mining these diamonds. Therefore, we need to pledge our support to stop these illicit diamonds from merging with our diamonds in the marketplace. We will differentiate our own legitimate African diamonds from the illicit diamonds coming from the blood stained rebel controlled mines. We will also pledge to the U.S. and the U.N. to not purchase any rough diamonds from these rebel controlled mines. This will be the key restriction we will agree to in our request to have the antitrust laws relaxed. Branding We need to continue our marketing efforts aimed at branding our diamonds. In addition to creating more prestige around our brand of diamonds, we are also certifying that our diamonds do not come from the war torn rebel controlled mines of Africa. By continuing our branding effort, we will continue to increase the demand for the De Beers diamonds, which will help to decrease our stockpile, and in turn slowly increase our stock price, pleasing our shareholders. In addition, it has been proven that with these marketing efforts, consumers are willing to pay a premium for a De Beers diamond, which will further protect us from the possibility of decreasing prices in the future by increasing our profits. Conclusion We at De Beers are facing some difficult challenges and are being forced to look at the way we run our business. In looking at our methodology we have determined that the way we run our business, and the way the diamond industry works, is in the best interest of De Beers as a corporation, the diamond industry as a whole, the African economy, and consumers. As an African company, our paramount concern is to use the diamond industry to help the African economy begin to rebuild itself. We believe that by relaxing the U.S. antitrust laws and abiding by the restrictions mentioned above, the United States can help us further enhance the African economy while maintaining a strong diamond industry, which in turn, benefits the consumers in the United States by preserving the value of their diamond investments. Exhibit 1 PEST Analysis Items of high importance are marked with an upward arrow for strong positive forces and a downward arrow for strong negative forces. These are the issues that have been focused on in this memo. The other items are also important, however solutions to these problems are out of the scope of this document. Political Political forces working against De Beers U.S. Antitrust laws (1890 Sherman Act and 1914 Clayton Act) – De Beers is in full violation of these laws Wars in Africa leading to leakage of illicit diamonds from rebel controlled villages Russia defections leading to leakage of illicit diamonds End of apartheid in South Africa Political Forces working for De Beers U.S. foreign policy seeking to support the reconstructoin an development of Africa Pending African Growth and Opportunity Act De Beers has found that it is out of reach of U.S. legislation while it does not do business directly with the U.S. because it is a South African company Economic Economic forces working against De Beers Historical price of diamonds leveling off and starting to decrease 21% of shares are held by U.S. citizens. These shareholds are beginning to put pressure on De Beers because although the value of the commodty we sell is very high, the stock price is relatively low due to our stockpile Economic forces working for De Beers Prices have been kept uniform on diamonds historically Surge of over a 10% increase of diamond sales expected in U.S. market, hitting $20 billion in 1999. This can be a positive force if De Beers can maintain market share in the U.S. Social Social forces working against De Beers Negative press from previous lawsuits where De Beers avoided being acquitted or settled. Social forces working for De Beers Despite supply of diamonds, consumer perception that the stone is rare persists, allowing the price of diamonds to be higher than supply would dictate The marketing De Beers has been using to brand diamonds has been successful. According to a survey, consumers are willing to pay a 15% premium for a De Beers branded diamond Technical Technical forces working against De Beers The current diamond industry market structure is changing (i.e. diamonds are coming from more sources that solely De Beers owner mined, and the demand from the U.S. is increasing) Technical forces working for De Beers Single channel distribution system. This is the reason the diamond industry has thrived over the past century, however this is one of the main aspects of the way we run business that is in violation of the U.S. antitrust laws. Exhibit 2 References Burns, Jennifer L., Forever: De Beers and U.S. Antitrust Law. Harvard Business School Publication: 9-700-082. Harvard Business School, 2000.

Elementary education effectiveness in Mississippi Essay

Mississippi consists of four-hundred and eighty-six thousand people living in poverty; ten percent of children belong to families that are not able to meet their needs (2005). Recent statistics show that those living in poverty are fifty-one percent African American and approximately forty-seven percent Caucasian (2005). Research has shown that the socioeconomic status of students influence the degree of success they will experience. (Donahue &Grigg, 2003) Mississippi has varying degrees of reading proficiency among school districts. In the 2003-2004 school year, six districts, consisting of one elementary school, five middle schools and one high school, were identified as â€Å"in need for improvement†, based on the reading and math proficiency of its students. For the purpose of this study, only schools reflecting a lack in reading proficiency will be discussed. The U. S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spelling announced in a November 2005 press release, â€Å"Eighty percent of the fastest-growing jobs require at least some post secondary education. Yet far too many students are leaving high school unprepared for college†. Improved student achievement can provide students better preparation for college, thus closing the achievement gap. Low socioeconomic schools, although improving, are still behind the majority of middle-to-upper class schools in America (Donahue & Grigg, 2003). There are several factors to consider when looking at closing the achievement gap found in low socioeconomic schools. One factor is that â€Å"young, low-income and minority children are more likely to start school without having gained important school readiness skills, such as recognizing letters and counting† (2003). As Donahue and Grigg’s report showed, when students start school already behind others, they are likely to continue such patterns if not addressed early on. Existing studies demonstrate the problems researchers are having addressing literacy issues early on in a students academic career. Researches are trying to find appropriate strategies to combat the achievement gap with many variables which will be discussed further in detail, in the following study. Purpose of the Study The following is a detailed investigation into possible explanations of varying degrees of reading achievement found in Mississippi and what can be done to maintain a higher overall proficiency in reading among Mississippi students, while satisfying the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Many schools have chosen to implement a â€Å"school-wide approach† to closing the achievement gap; however, when dealing with schools consisting primarily of low-income students, there are other factors to consider when choosing a strategy. The proposed study will focus on improving reading skills in high-poverty schools found in Mississippi by comparing different techniques widely used and creating a more targeted strategy for low-income students. When deciding on an appropriate strategy for improving reading comprehension there are a few factors one must consider. The following questions will outline the factors to be researched in this study. Research Questions 1. What impact does social economic status have on the achievement gaps found in the State of Mississippi? 2. What are the contributing factors found in Mississippi schools that are demonstrating low reading scores among economically disadvantaged students? 3. Are there high-poverty schools in Mississippi which demonstrate positive improvements in reading scores? What are the strategies used? 4. How does implementing Theory into Practice (TIP) encourage positive student achievement in disadvantaged schools? Hypothesis To affectively close low socioeconomic achievement gaps in reading, strong emphasis on establishing proficient reading ability should be made in elementary school. Nature of the Study The research conducted in this study will be an investigation of existing literature regarding techniques used in improving reading skills, exemplary schools demonstrating such techniques and finally, a suggested strategy to use when applying research to low socioeconomic schools with low reading proficiency found in Mississippi school districts. Significance of the Study The significance of this study is that by identifying factors contributing to the achievement gap found in low socioeconomic school districts, as well as investigating into existing programs that have had a positive influence on reading performance scores in other high-poverty schools is that, school administrators and policy makers will have a better basis in which to improve upon existing programs and interventions that would be more financially attainable than starting new programs. The high cost of starting new programs such as; creating new assessment strategies, providing more staff and researchers as well as other costly planning and implementing variables, often times are not practical for low-economic schools. While children of today are growing up in a world where data are being revealed at an alarming rate and knowledge is simply a click away, reading plays an increasingly crucial role in society (Topping & Paul, 1999). The ability to read is not only fundamental for understanding and mastery of every school subject students will encounter, but literacy also plays a critical and crucial role in students’ social and economic lives (Snow, Bums, & Griffin, 1998). As a result, no other factor will have a greater impact on the success of students in Mississippi than their ability to read. With such an emphasis placed on the importance of reading achievement, educational leaders must clearly articulate the expectation that all students can become successful readers, while providing the most effective strategies and opportunities for students to succeed in reading and adopt lifelong reading practices. (Okpala, et al. , 2001) Definitions of Terms Action Team for Partnership- This partnership is also known as a School Improvement Team or a School Council. Although the ATP members oversee the school’s partnership program, other teachers, parents, students, administrators, and community members also may lead family and community involvement activities (ATP website). Adequate Yearly Progress- AYP requires that schools hold the same high standards for all their students; regardless of racial or ethnic background, socioeconomic status and English proficiency Core Academic Subjects- These subjects include: English, language arts and reading, arts, civics, government and history, mathematics and science, foreign languages, as well as, economics and geography. Elementary School- a nonprofit institution which includes, public school, day or residential school and elementary charter schools which State law mandated elementary education. Family Literacy Services – The services provided to participants on a voluntary basis that foster a positive change in families. These changes include, providing families with interactive activities between parents and child concerning literacy, teaching parents to take an active role in their children’s education, teaching self-sufficiency by providing parental literacy training, and providing education to children which is age-appropriate and prepares them for school and life experiences. Highly Qualified (in reference to public elementary or secondary school teacher) – A highly qualified teacher will possess a State certification for teaching or holds a license to teach in a particular state due to passing the State exam and is employed in a teaching position after meeting all required testing, training and educational requirements satisfactory to the State, district and school regulations. Mentoring- A responsible elder who provides positive leadership and guidance to a child as a positive role model in that child’s life. A mentor mission is to help a child to one day become a responsible adult. Minority- a group of students which do not demonstrate the majority’s characteristics, such as socioeconomic status, ethnic background or other key characteristics. Other Staff- staff found within an institution such as personnel, guidance counselors, and administration and teachers aides. Limitations In her 2005 press release Secretary Spelling said, â€Å"we all hear a lot of stories about why schools are missing Adequate Yearly Progress, but we don’t hear much about how thousands of other schools are making it and closing the achievement gap†. This study is limited by location; its main concentration being primarily on Mississippi schools, programs and outcomes. The primary research method is investigating existing literature, as such; there is substantial literature on the failures of many schools trying to improve student achievement; however there is very little literature depicting success. One other limitation to consider is that this study focuses on reading proficiency; however; to get the most accurate depiction of a schools success is to consider all core academic subjects.

Bob Knowlton Self Concept

Analysis As part of the analysis we examine Bob’s Self-Concept and the following characteristics with regards to complexity, consistency and clarity. Bob’s locus of control is also considered and the impact this had on his relationships at work with his colleagues. Fester’s individualism is also considered. Bob’s Self Concept Bob’s Low Self-Concept Complexity Bob has a low complexity as he perceives his most important identity to be work related – he defined his self-concept by his work. The positive side of Bob’s low complexity enabled him to become a relatively successful, skilled engineering, as he invested more in his skill development and focused his attention on his work. However, the low complexity caused Bob great stress when his main self-concept, defined by his work), was threatened by the arrival of Fester, a much more brilliant, driven engineer. Bob perceived Fester’s arrival as a threat by challenging all aspects of Bob’s self-concept, not only his technical expertise, but also Bob’s leadership of the team when Fester became the informal leader by default as Bob conceded defeat and essentially abandoned his role as group leader. Bob’s Low Self-Concept Consistency Bob’s has a low self-concept consistency. Bob’s leadership style was focused on teamwork and collaboration and he prided himself on motivating his team by including them in group problem solving and decision making. However, this self-concept was inconsistent with how Bob really perceived himself and the disconnect present between his position as team leader and his ability to lead. Bob acknowledged to himself that the team’s collaborative style brought him a sense of security in that he did not actually have to lead the team. Bob focuses on the team to the exclusion of his leadership role essentially using his team to mask his insecurities with respect to his ability to lead. Another example of Bob’s low inconsistent self-concept is his accepting Dr. Jerold’s praising of Fester, when he clearly did not agree. Bob’s Low Self-Concept Clarity Bob has low self-concept clarity; he does not have a clear, confidently defined, stable self-concept. This is apparent early in the case as evidenced by his belief that his â€Å"stumbling upon† a significant breakthrough led to what he considered his â€Å"miraculous† promotion to team leader of the Photon Unit rather than it being based on his skills and abilities. Bob lacks the confidence to deal with Fester, who he perceives as more brilliant and driven. As the case progresses and Fester brings group conflict and openly challenges Bob’s leadership, we see Bob become inconsistent with his behavior. Fester challenges Bob’s collaborative approach with the team and Bob’s lack of confidence meant that he in essence surrendering his leadership by agreeing to re-examine how the team works together and make it about individual updates. Bob’s Locus of Control and Self-Evaluation Given Bob’s behaviors and reaction to Fester, Bob has a low locus of control and is externally motivated. Bob didn’t feel in control of his environment and was unwilling or unable to take steps to control the environment. We have seen that Bob already believes he received the promotion because of external â€Å"miraculous† forces. Although initially, he does feel he has control as team leader, his underlying external focus of control becomes more apparent when Fester is introduced to the group. Fester’s group interactions and individuality presents a new situation for Bob. Bob internalizes the conflict with Fester and openly wonders if he is there to replace him, causing Bob a great deal of stress as he feels he does not have control over the situation. The situation quickly deteriorates as Bob visibility and relevance to the team are diminished and Fester’s increases. Bob’s Self-Concept Conclusion Bob’s low or negative Self-Concept (low complexity, consistency and clarity) greatly influenced Bob’s behaviour and ultimately his decision to resign. Bob’s low self-concept created a great deal of stress and he experienced immense amount of internal-intra personal conflict and tension. Bob’s low Self-Concept meant that Bob could not adapt to what he perceived as threats outside his control. His perceived inadequacies meant that he was not able to face the issues and overwhelming internal conflict he was experiencing. He consistently avoided confronting any of the issues and thus the only action he could take to release himself of this conflict was to resign. Fester’s Individuality and Group Norms Fester is introduced to the group unexpectedly and although initially helps the team solve a problem previously thought to be unsolvable; he goes against established group norms and almost immediately creates conflict. Fester is clearly â€Å"more brilliant† than any of the team members and his individual approach is in direct contrast to the team –based, collaborative approach establish by Bob. He challenges the group norms directly, suggesting the team meetings are a waste of time and is openly dismissive of others. Fester is very confident in his abilities but lacked the social skills to integrate successfully into the group. Although Fester individuality isolated him from the rest of the group, he dominated the leadership of the group to the point of essentially forcing Bob to change the structure of team meetings, from teamwork based to individual updates. This reinforced Fester’s individual approach. Fester’s individuality influenced the group, and particularly his negative influence on Bob grew and went unchallenged, and the conflict it brought ultimately had a negative impact on the Photon team and Simmons. Recommendations 1. Jerrold should meet with Bob and find out the true reasons for Bob’s resignation. Jerrold should ask Bob to return to Simmons by telling him of the plan to increase Bob’s team and offer Bob a substantial raise to return to Simmons. 2. Jerrold should consider undergoing leadership and communication skills training to help him develop the prerequisite skills to manage his teams effectively. 3. Jerrold should become more involved with the teams under his leadership, through developing a clear and compelling direction for the team and ensure his articulates that directly to this team. 4. Jerrold should strive to increase communication and participate in regular team meetings and incorporate individual meetings to ensure his is aware of and understands any issues or concerns. 5. In the future, the team leader (Bob’s replacement) is included in the recruitment and selection of new team members. 6. Dr. Jerold should meet with the Photon team members individually to gain an understanding of how the situation affected the team and get their feedback on what their needs. Team building and intergroup communication skills should then be introduced to ensure team members have the tools to work effectively together.

Aviation in the United States Navy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aviation in the United States Navy - Essay Example ogically superior and readily available. Using a full-spectrum approach, the command delivers solutions at optimal costs and provide support for vital programs for the U.S. Navy.NAVAIR works effectively as part of a warfighting partnership, known as the Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) and the larger Navy Enterprise, through which interdependent issues affecting multiple commands are resolved on an Enterprise-wide basis. The NAVAIR Commander serves as the NAE operations officer" In this particular case, it is now established that the industry focuses more on conventional and advanced warfare. In this case, if we are to analyze the said inductry is limited to industries concerning avaition operation solely on the category of warfare technology. In this case, the said industry is only concerned on the propagation, development, repair and evaluation of aircrafts that are needed by the Naval Branch of the armed forces. Furthermore, Goodspeed (2006) in dealing with history claims that "On May 8, 1911 the Navy ordered its first airplanes and United States Naval Aviation was born. The Navy's aviation arm was founded on the same courage and spirit that still define its ranks: self-taught flier Eugene Ely, wearing a football helmet and bicycle inner tube as a life preserver became the first man to both take off and land on the deck of a ship. Over the next nine decades Naval Aviation has roared forward on the backs of the most advanced aircraft and well-trained avia tors and flight crews in the world" This means that if we are to deal with the number of interest and services it caters; categorically it only caters the microcosm part of the society particularly the armed forces. In this case, it only meets the needs of a certain amount of individuals in one particular organization which is the Naval Command. However, if we are to further deal with how it affects individuals as a whole, then we have to search for macro economic variables to know how it affects or influence individuals and organizations in general. Environmental Analysis of Aviation in the United States Navy 3 In looking for a macrocosmic variables, it is very important to look into the process and the quantity of how the organization affects individuals through its productions, services rendered and other variables to point out the origin of these and how it affects macrocosmic activities. The impact of the Naval aircraft with regards to security of the United States as a Nation and as a frontline of democracy in the world is so tremendous and this industry is of big help- The website Navy.mil (2006) states that "The objective of Navy Aerial Support is to help facilitate and coordinate the distribution of naval aircraft and aviation resources to public demonstrations across the United States" which means that the said

Three Perspectives of Viewing Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Three Perspectives of Viewing Crime - Essay Example Traditional thinking also inhibits change in the criminal justice. Command structures must also get the priority for notable change to occur. Having talks with the community members are also, ways that the criminal justice practitioners seek to enhance their participation in the policymaking. These theories of crime have their own views as to the course of people engaging in criminal activities within a society. Personal definition of crime of criminologists defines their ultimate choice of theory preference. The three perspectives of viewing crime are the consensus view of crime, the Interactionist view of crime and the conflict view crime respectively (Siegel, 2006). According to the consensus view of crime, crimes are simply repugnant behaviors of elements linked directly or indirectly to the society. With regard to this view of crime, the substantive criminal laws serving as the written rule define crime related to punishments. This means that if one goes contrary to the written rules deserves punishment. The best example of this is when curfews come from criminologists and when one does contrary to the curfew, punishment becomes the order of the day. Substantive criminal law ultimately depicts the values, opinions and beliefs of the society. The consensus word in the consensus view of crime provides an implication that there is a general agreement among a large portion of society about the unacceptable behaviors that the society should consider as crimes. There have been many attempts in the recent past of creating thorough, concise and encompassing consent crime definition. Donald Cressey, Edwin Sutherland and a few other criminologists support the standpoint of conjoining criminality laws with crime. According to this view, crime encompasses morality, rules and beliefs. Sutherland and Cressey agree that criminal law application exists uniformly to all social classes depending on the rules to refer. This means that everybody has beliefs and hopes just as the author does in fair and legal system where all types of people regardless of the social class. The best example or illustration for consensus view of crime is that law prohibiting theft, robbery and burglary directly points towards controlling poor, the lower class, needy individuals and the disabled. At the same time laws focused on corporate price fixing, embezzlement and insider trading prevention are in existence for the purposes of controlling the upper class, wealthy and rich in the society. In consensus view of crime, criminal and illegal behavior has a close relationship with social harm meaning that there is need to stop, control and manage every bad behavior causing harm or disturbance to other people. Social harm is what progresses to social crimes and sets deviant and strange behaviors that are shocking and seem immoral but may not necessarily be criminal. In many instances, the religious people condemn such behaviors though they do not consider them crimes because t he general community consensus is that they cause no harm not unless they involve children in any way. There is much controversy attached to the consensus vie

The Chinese Decision to Enter the Korean War Essay

The Chinese Decision to Enter the Korean War - Essay Example China's intervention in Korea cannot be ascribed simply to wanting to maintain the semblance of balance of power, "a theory of state behavior [that] explains and predicts how states respond to threats posed by a potentially dominant, revisionist and aggressive state"1, based on the assumption that states seek to, "maximize their power in order to survive in a competitive international system".2 US presence in the Asian region led to China and the US pursuing purely security related strategies that were mutually exclusive, inadvertently generating mutual hostility. Similarly, Chinese responses cannot be generalized into the Chinese merely wanting to secure their national interests without taking into consideration many other factors such as leadership challenges, domestic imperatives, and political consensus amongst domestic bureaucracies that can impinge upon foreign policy. The general understanding and belief is that China's foreign policy has been shaped primarily by external stimulus with domestic factors playing only a marginal role. However, the inability of existing theories to fully explain the reasons for China's entry into the conflict signifies that we must look at explanations that go beyond functional concepts of International Relations but also look more closely at internal factors and domestic compulsions. Students of international relations a... This is particularly relevant in the context of the Korean War, when one recollects that China was then emerging from the throes of a protracted civil war and that the People's Republic of China had been formally declared less than a year earlier, in October 1949. When the internal polity of a country is in a state of flux, any government which is seen as defending a nation's interests will only emerge stronger. China's entry into the Korean conflict can therefore, largely be seen to emanate as a result of the CCP converting a external 'threat' into an opportunity to consolidate its position internally. Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910 and remained under Japanese occupation until the end of World War II. In August 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States decided to oversee the surrender of Japanese forces to the North and South of the 38th parallel respectively. This was to be a temporary arrangement, with a united Korea the ultimate aim. In the interim, the US and the Soviet Union established governments in their respective zones that were sympathetic to their political ideologies. The US installed Syngman Lee in South Korea, while the Soviet Union backed North Korea Kim Il-Sung, with both wanting a unified Korea, under their own system and stewardship. However, North Korea was bolstered by Soviet advisors and military equipment was better prepared to seize the initiative. The North Korean attack across the 38th Parallel in June 1950 was a resounding success North Korea could not capitalize on their gains. North Korea failed to accomplish two crucial tasks, namely the total annihilation of the South Korean army and the

Pathophysiology Of The Bubonic Plague Term Paper

Pathophysiology Of The Bubonic Plague - Term Paper Example Of these the most common form in bubonic plague (WHO, 2011) and this will be discussed in this essay. Pathogenesis Yersinia pestis is an anerobic facultative gram-negative intracellular bacillus (Dufel, 2009). The organism is mainly transmitted from host to human beings through bite of a vector. The host is usually rodent and vector is flea. Other sources of transmission are close contact with body fluids or tissues contaminated or infected with the organism and inhalation of aerosolized bacteria. There are more than 200 different rodents and these serve as hosts. the vector flea is Xenopsylla cheopis (Dufel, 2009). So far, about 30 different species of flea have been identified (Dufel, 2009). Other carriers of plague causing bacillus include human lice and ticks. there are certain rodents that are resistant to infection like deer mice and wood rates. These however form an enzootic stage in which the bacillus survives long-term. Sometimes, the fleas transfer the pathogenic bacteria t o animals that are susceptible to the disease like ground squirrels. Whenever large number of host animals die, the hungry fleas search new sources of food. This is the epizootic stage and this stage helps spread of organisms to newer territory. When human beings are infected from wild animals, a sylvtic stage occurs. Most carnivores are resistant to the disease, but they can act as transfer vectors. Birds, reptiles, hoofed animals and fish are resistant to the disease (Dufel, 2009). Virulent plague-causing organism survive in soil, grains, animal carcasses, flea feces, dried sputum and buried bodies (Ayyadurai et al, 2008). 80- 85 percent cases are bubonic form (Dufel, 2009). Bubonic plague is caused by deposition of the bacillus in the skin because of the bite of flea. The bacillus proliferates in the esophagus of the flea, preventing the entry of food into the stomach, This causes starvation and to overcome this, the flea starts sucking blood. In the process of swallowing, recoil ing of the distended bacillus-packed esophagus occurs, thus depositing bacillus into the skin of the victim. The bacillus then invades the lymphoid tissue near the site of bite, producing bubos which are nothing but lymph nodes that have become necrotic, inflamed and hemorrhagic due to pathophysiology of the disease. Untreated bubonic plague can eventually lead to bacteremia and septicaemia. The bacillus has the capacity to seed every organ, including the liver, lungs, spleen, kidneys and even the meninges. The most virulent form of plague is the pneumonic plague. This occurs when the bacilli get deposited in the vasculature. In this condition, there occurs early dissemination and no bubo formation is seen. Such a pathology is seen when the bite occurs in regions of high vascularity like tonsils, pharynx and oral mucosa (Dufel, 2009). Epidemiology The disease is endemic in several countries in the world like Africa, Asia, the Americas and the former Soviet Union. According to WHO (2 011), " in 2003, 9 countries reported 2118 cases and 182 deaths. 98.7% of those cases and 98.9% of those deaths were reported from Africa." The distribution of plague endemicity depends on the geographical distribution of the natural foci of infection, the small animals and fleas (WHO, 2011). Bubonic plague has occurred as several epidemics in the world. The first recorded epidemic was during the 6th century in the